I made the mistake of purchasing a Range Rover. It had problems the entire three years I have owned it. I found Joe's automotive after paying for a $600 oil change at the dealership. I started taking my car to Joe's for all maintenance and needs for my car. The price is fair, and the service is great. As a single woman going into a mechanic I used to be afraid I would get ripped off. I have never felt that way here. In fact they have told me I don't need certain things when I have asked. They never upsell me, and always get things done right away. The owner is super nice, and has amazing customer service. I have called him super upset about my Rover breaking down (again!) and he talks me off of a ledge. I would recommend this shop to anyone who wants a quality honest mechanic. I will miss using his service when I get a different vehicle. read more

I'm surprised by the volume of positive reviews as my experience wasn't good. There was confusion about the cost of service when my daughter dropped off her car and when I politely questioned it and explained I was a new customer, Mr Faro said if I didn't trust him, I could just take my car somewhere else. I was taken aback by his attitude. Why should I trust him implicitly having never been there before? I asked to speak to Kevin who I'd spoken to when making the appointment and he was very nice and explained everything so I told him to proceed with the necessary services. The front and rear brakes were close to needing replacing but not dire so I said hold off but got a quote for next time. Out of curiosity I called the local dealership and their cost for the brakes was considerably less. When is the dealer ever cheaper?! At Joe's I was quoted $1700 for both front and rear. The dealer charged $1200. And they were pleasant to interact with! The attitude I could chalk up to maybe having a bad day but the overpriced service? Nope! read more

I've been in the Automotive Industry for decades so I have an understanding on what it takes to provide great customer service. I'm not from this area but when a family member from Concord asked for my help in finding a legitimate and competent shop, I decided to review the surveys of the few repair shops nearby. One that caught my attention was Joe's Foreign Automotive. Their customers were singing praises about their honesty, reasonable price and friendliness. Fast forward to my family's service appointment. They brought their car in and the service was done without a hitch! My family raved about how efficient these folks are at Joe's Foreign. Thank you guys for the fantastic service! You just earned another customer for life. read more

The owner, Mr Faro, is a complete gentleman. He is a man of his word and is genuinely looking after his customers and their cars. I brought my friend's car to him after my friend was ripped off by the dealership (which one you ask---the name sounds like junk food). Mr Faro took my friend's car in and took care of it like it was his own. My friend and I are deeply appreciative of you, Mr Faro. read more

More than just a $178.61 Oil Change/minor repair. Do not go here, expensive oil change, that will bite you again on your next oil change. Basically: Joe's Foreign Automotive 1. Not only expensive... 2. Over-torqued oil drain bolt, I needed a breaker/cheater bar to crack it. I knew because in the heat of my frustration I poured too much oil rushing to Pep Boy's (unscrewed the bolt a second time after torquing the bolt to the specified 30lb feet of torque, no breaker bar needed, the difference was night and day.) 3. The mechanic screwed the oil filter on so tight, the band-style wrench bent the can. 4. The 15400PLMA01 (OEM Honda filters are blue...the one installed was white) Long review, apologies. Scene: You're in Walnut Creek, 40 minutes away from home, with your significant who is getting their hair done (cool... get an oil change for their car/check out the damage on whatever they ran over the night before). You go through Yelp, find a mechanic shop with good reviews, call, show up. Understandably, you're going to have to wait, since there are other cars to work on (I wasn't doing anything else, the hair appointment was going to take a few hours anyways). The mechanic was nice, showed me the bent (oil pan shield?), hammer it back as much as possible/zip tie/oil change...HOLY $@#& the final bill was...$178... Dang, and I thought the last oil change (roughly $100) was expensive. Fast forward eight months later February 2021, a little DIY Covid oil change. Safety first: You pick up a low-profile 3 ton floor jack at Costco (not knowing it weighs 77 lbs), 3 ton jack stands, wheel chocks, a torque wrench for precision, then drive 15 minutes to Allied Auto Stores in Fremont (Why Allied Auto? Because they're the only ones around with AMSOIL car and motorcycle oil...Why AMSOIL? Youtube Project Farm/AMSOIL). The 0w-20 at Allied was ~$70 alone (5Qts), picked up a high performance oil filter after spending day and night researching about cut open oil filters. Not going cheap here, oh no, not today FRAM. JOE'S FOREIGN AUTOMOTIVE: Here is where the actual review starts. Remember the oil change done at Walnut Creek? Well, eight months later you are under the car just to find out the mechanic had over-torqued the oil drain bolt so much, so much so you had to improvise (floor jack handle as a breaker bar). Since the handle was too long, jack the car even higher for leverage. 20 minutes later YES!Success! Hot/warm black motor oil is streaming out. Okay let it go, it was only an over tightened bolt, the guy could've stripped the threads on the oil pan then you're screwed, letting it slide. NOW to the oil filter...there is a reason why many people advise "hand tightening" oil filters. Since you did not expect the filter to be stuck on, fine, hop on the motorcycle to O'reilly's for one of those strap-style oil filter removers because the car is unsound. The mechanic at Joe's did such a good job at tightening the filter, the removal tool dented the oil can. For those who don't work on cars a lot like myself...it's the equivalent of bending an unopened can of soup with your hands. Now you are like WTF...hop on the bike to the store again for a cap-style oil filter wrench...but guess what...the cap won't even grip because the can is warped. A two hour job for a newbie like me has now become four, and I'm not even done yet. Yes, you can drill a hole/hammer a screw-driver into the filter (if you have room in the engine bay to work with), AND most importantly you don't screw up. If that doesn't work, now your significant other's vehicle needs to be towed because you didn't want to pay the man. You finally give in, torque the drain bolt to specified 30lb feet of torque, pour ~$60 of premium motor oil for a 3.3 mile drive, just to spend another $80 for the guys at Pep Boy's who will drain the brand new oil/remove the old filter. Better luck next time. Now if you look at the receipt it says 15400-PLM-A01 $7.30 (OEM Honda oil filter, which only comes in blue for cars and black for motorcycles). The supposed OEM Honda oil filter from Joe's was white, so obviously not OEM. I wish I would have taken a photo of the filter as proof, but oh well, definitely not going there again. read more

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Competetive prices, great costumer service and quality work. They are very transparent and communicate every step of the way to you.

Car had a low beam light out and stopped by the Land Rover dealer, They sold me the light, but would only change the bulb out if I approved a $135 service appointment to put it in. Left and stopped by Joe's and they put the new bulb in for free. Good customer service and deserve 5 stars read more

5 + stars for friendly, fast, reliable service. This is a certified smog station, too for foreign and domestic. I drive a Ford and stopped in without an appointment. I was greeted by a friendly face and they were able to assist right away. Team seemed to really like each other and the office was organized and clean. Checking out, the process to complete the registration + smog was explained to me whether I was going to pay my registration on line or send in a check to the DMV. Hooray! Thanks to a fabulous group! read more

Quick turnaround times and fantastic customer service. Joe's Foreign Automotive always does a great job with my car!

I was referred and had heard good reviews, but the reality was unfortunate. The owner told me they would need to charge extra to buy and replace the transmission oil. I approved the extra charge and took my car in for a major service, only to be contacted later that day to say that they did not have the equipment to do the oil replacement. Very disappointed and could have saved myself the cost of the trip and the inconvenience. Before you go, make sure they have done the work before on your vehicle and have the necessary equipment. read more

If you wanna get ripped off go there, they tried to charge me over $1,300 to only replace the starter, when Midas was offering $500. And when I decided to take my car else where they started being rude to me and made up some lies to charge me for $140 for diagnoses which I didn't even ask for or approve. I reported the case to AAA since they have AAA sign at the front, apparently they have AAA sign without permission they are not even AAA certified. read more

I have been a customer of Joe's Foreign Automotive for over 30 years. Even though Joe retired a few years ago, the high standard of service remains with Faro, the new owner. My most recent visit was a routine service for my 2009 Mazda Miata. As usual the employees (and owner) were professional, prompt and thorough, mirroring my previous dealings. This is what a small, local automobile service business should be! read more

I have been sticking to this shop since I moved here, Walnut Creek. The business owner, Faro provided very detailed price breakdown and honesty recommendations for phasing the services in a more affordable way. The technicians were very experienced and helpful. This shop is definitely undervalued - and its entrance can be easily missed when people drive by. read more

We were just in to Joe's last week to have my 2006 Volvo repaired. Faro and staff did an outstanding job! We have been customers of Joe's for many years now and Faro has done an outstanding job taking over the business after the original owner, Joe, retired. We certainly recommend their services for great work, honesty and reasonable pricing. read more

They did a great job!!! They really helped me out in a pinch. They were very friendly and attentive.

Great service! Reasonalble prices. I came here because Aamco nearby recommended this place and because of the good reviews on Yelp. I brought my Hyundai Sonata to be serviced here. My car problems are very complicated and too complex to write so I won't go into detail about it but basically I have an ABS thingy problem and it's causing my car to fail a STAR Smog Test. I had to tell Joe a lot of history of things I had worked on to help figure out where to start and he patiently listened and asked me questions to figure out how to begin to approach my car problems. After a mechanic looked into my car problems Joe explained to me what was going on with my car and showed me the diagnostic test. He also told me that I should get a second opinion from Hyundai because I possibly may need to buy a new part for my car that could cost around $1800 and has to be shipped from the east coast. He wanted to make sure that before I spend a lot of money on that part and go without my car for several days that the problem is verified by a second opinion. He also told me of some other options to get the part I need that could save me money. Although they didn't fix my car, I appreciate Joe's honesty, integrity, and attention to detail. I saved $20 off my bill by checking in on Yelp and redeeming a coupon offer. I would recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for a good auto repair shop. read more

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Our car would not start on the 4th of July. The following day, I received a call back from Joe's Foreign Automotive. The diagnosis was quick, Faro was very helpful and courteous, and we were on the road again in no time. I highly recommend Joe's Foreign Automotive for its skilled and service staff. read more

Update 2020: Joe's Foreign Auto still is the best. I had a battery issue, and the team was able to fit me in right away. Faro didn't immediately try to sell me a new battery, which I wanted anyway - why risk a failure to start in an inconvenient location? I have always liked small shops with a few top mechanics, like this one. Faro, Kevin, Rand and team are the best. Prices are fair; the expertise and service great. read more

Five stars are not enough. Joe's is a 10 star customer service experience. Faro went above and beyond repairing my Lexus. Unfortunately, a warning light kept coming on. I've never had a mechanic stay with an issue to the end. Thank you Faro. You're my automobile hero! If you want an honest, fair priced, highly skilled mechanic, then this is your place. All the employees are friendly, helpful and aware of the cars being serviced. I'm so grateful I found them! read more

Great customer service! Even offered me A ride home when I left my car there over night. read more

Brought car by after the engine starting running rough one morning. They did a one hour inspection and then explained the issue and were happy to print out an estimate so my husband and I could talk it over. Our old Camry is now fixed and running smoothly. read more

Getting a pretty tricky diagnosis completed (that stumped another shop twice) and the rig repaired was such a breeze at Joe's. They were extremely accommodating with my schedule and keeping me up to date on progress made. No surprises between estimate and final cost, too. Great bunch of Guys who love what they do! read more

I didn't get any work done here...so why am I writing a great review?? I went there thinking I needed new rotors....I was 100% certain.....when I got there Joe went for a test drive with me and told me it was something totally different.....no charge and he gave me a great reference... You don't get that kind of honesty these days...he could have easily taken my money and sent me on my way. I will be back when any issue arrives and hopefully I can actually get some work done so I can help keep this business going. read more

My husband and I started taking our cars to Joe's about two years ago. My husband has a 2005 Lexus and I have a 2002 Mercedes. On the LEXUS, he has always had excellent service. Any repairs are resolved quickly and completely. He gets his regular service and he is in and out quickly My MERCEDES is a different story. For the last year, EVERY time I have taken my Mercedes in for service I have had to return to have something fixed or tweaked. They have overfilled the oil twice. They have never seemed to get the service indicator reset correctly and I always have to take it back for that. The last time they didn't get it set correctly on the second try either. I have a very busy schedule I don't have time to return for re-repairs of my car. Even though the shop was convenient, I am taking my car to a different repair shop specializing in Mercedes. I will review them after a couple of visits, but so far so good. read more

Fast, efficient service. Nice, knowledgable staff. I took my beloved S2000 here to have the smog check done and my axel nuts replaced. I am VERY picky with my car and I will trash talk any place that even touches my car the wrong way. This is not one of those places. The exact opposite actually. They know what they're doing, they have great customer service and they actually finished working on my car a little ahead of time. When the heck does that ever happen?! read more

Extremely honest, fast, and affordable. I took my Honda Accord to Joe's, at the suggestion of Frank's Repair shop, after not being able to get a timely appointment with them. Right before driving cross country, I went to them to get my 60K mile checkup. They were completely professional, thorough, and didn't suggest anything that I didn't need work on. I appreciate their honesty and squeezing me in at the last minute. I would go to them again if I was staying in the area. They are located about 5 blocks away from the Pleasant Hill Bart station, which is not bad walk in cooler weather. read more

I've had to take my car here two times as it's beginning to get older (09 Chevy Tahoe). Found him when the tow truck driver picked me up for my ruptured water hose asked where I'd like him to tow me. I said the Chevy dealer. He said "are you sure, you're gonna a pay a bundle for a fix that's really not a big deal at all" so I asked if he had any recommendations and he told me he's been taking his own car to Joes for years and couldn't recommend it more. Car was fixed and I was on my way. Called Chevy just to compare prices and they would have wanted $125 more than I paid. Of course I took my car back when we saw it was leaking oil. Car was fully inspected and they found several issues that needed repair So glad I had them check my car out. I would have had a big issue had the problem not been caught. Really like Faro. He's HONEST and I completely trust him with my aging baby :) read more

I don't think I've ever written a review before, but my experience with them this morning was so good, I figured now is the time to start. Joe's was awesome. I took my car in because it was leaking oil. They found the problem and fixed it in almost no time. While they were looking at my car, however, they noticed that I was driving on dangerously worn out tires (hey, I can be oblivious). They ended up driving the car to another (tire) shop to get new tires! How nice is that? Everyone I interacted with was really friendly. Turns out my oil problem was caused by the oil change place I went to last month. I'm going to go to Joe's instead from now on! Seriously, thanks so much to everyone there! read more

I was referred here to check out some car noise. The guys quoted me 67 for a half hour. However, they figured out pretty quickly that my nose was from metal on metal vibration and it needs a body shop to fix. Since it was so quick they waived the fee. Honest mechanics read more

AAA brought my car into Joe's two weeks ago, they were so helpful and earnest! I am grateful that I was brought to them and not anywhere else. So glad to have found my new Automotive shop. read more

I screwed up my car because I was being lazy and had to take it here at the last minute. They are close to my job and had great reviews on yelp, so I figured to give them a shot. They took care of everything and even though they weren't 100% confident that their fix cured the problem it did! These guys really know their stuff - thanks! read more

I failed smog at another shop due to my drive cycle not being complete after having a new alternator installed. Kevin checked my SUV to make sure my vehicle had finished its drive cycle. All monitors were good to go and I was in and out in 20mins. Cleanest most comfortable shop I've been to. Honest in checking my vehicle before charging me for a smog. A+!! read more

I am absolutely astounded by the service provided at Joe's today. I needed my car to be looked at after my car was hydroplaned off the highway and the staff was more than accommodating! They took me in 15 minutes after I called and had me out within an hour! They walked me through exactly what was wrong with the car and how they were going to make repairs all for a very reasonable price! Highly recommend this place! read more

The splash guard (big plastic guard under the front of a car) had hit too many curbs and was just about to fall off. I just happened to drive by Joe's and said "Okay I'll trust these guys..." to fix this thing. Wow, were they awesome! They not only reattached the splash guard but gave me a discount for being a AAA member. They only charged me for labor, too. I was totally impressed with their professionalism and promptness. I have to say -- they have won a new customer. Thank you, thank you! read more

My first time here today, I needed a quick turnaround on a used car inspection. The crew immediately made me feel at ease and they were able to accommodate me in record time. Everything checked out and I bought the car and I am super happy to say, I have a new mechanic that I trust. Invaluable! read more

Joe's is a recommended place to do business. I just started doing business there after an independent up the street started charging me for repairs and add-ons I really didn't need. Both my 92 Honda Civic and 04 Subaru Forester have been in for service over the last few weeks, and Joe not only gave good advice but saved me money in the process. With the Subaru: I had a 'Check Engine' light for a number of months and while there having the failed sensor replaced, asked him to have an 'Air Bag' light that had just come on over the previous weekend checked. When asking me about the history, I had just gotten the Forester out of the body shop for a minor fender bender, and he suggested I bring the car back to them, which I did. The body shop brought in a mobile air bag specialist who resolved the problem in minutes...it was a dirty connection under the passenger's seat, and I wasn't charged for the call. In doing that I saved apx. $150 that stayed in my pocket. I am now a fan of Joe's Foreign Automotive. Cheers, Joe K. read more

After waiting about 10 minutes at Contra Costa smog to open. I decided to go to Joes, which was just around the corner and up the street. Very happy I did. They got me in and out for a smog check in about 20 minutes. Got to work on time and I am one happy customer. Will probably come back for a major service in the future. read more

I'm a DIY car guy and needed a second opinion on what I thought was the problem, after having done a ton of work myself on related issues. Came here after being referred by another shop who said they didn't do suspension. They listened, confirmed my diagnosis, and I had them do the work. They completed it in under book time, so charged me accordingly, instead of padding the bill like every other shop. I'm a bit shocked at how high the labor rate is, but as a DIY guy, I don't often go to repair shops, so perhaps thats just the going rate nowadays. read more

It's never fun when warning lights come on your car but Joe's has fair prices and very skilled mechanics. I use to take my Audi A-3 to Audi dealership but Joe's is better in service and price. I will definitely keep taking my Audi here. read more

When my regular shop was too busy for me, Joe stepped up. I was nervous bringing my car in... the problem was vague - it could have been anything, and you just never know what vehicle repairs are going to cost. At about $136/hour, I was pretty nervous to hear the results. George and Joe both called me a couple times throughout the day with updates, but also to let me know they needed more time to figure it out. At this point, my wallet was sweating. When I finally showed up to pick it up, they charged me for a half hour. I was shocked and delighted to say the least! Here's what was awesome about Joes: - They made an extra effort to fix my car that (busy) day, and came through. - They didn't abuse me at all in regard to price - quite the opposite. - They called me regularly to keep me up-to-date with what was going on with my vehicle. This is HUGE to me! Communication is so important and so neglected by most shops. Joe and his crew are awesome and are now my new "regular" shop. read more