You should read this because these stars were hard won. I've been to other shops in Castro Valley…read moreover my car's lighting issue. I've been over-charged, bait and switched, wildly underwhelmed, and still, my car's lights didn't work after paying out far too much money. When i brought my car in to these folks, they listened. They were kind. They had a specialist in San Jose who drove up to check on my car, for which they didn't charge extra. They spent extra time making sure they knew exactly what was going on before they even came up with the estimate. They got a good price on the part and didn't throw a huge up-charge on it. On top of all that, and all the time and effort they put into this, they only charged me for an hour of labor. Even better, they got the job done perfectly. Honesty. Integrity. Amazing skills. They may not have the fanciest shop in Castro Valley, but they have the best crew in Castro Valley. I won't be taking my car anywhere else from now on.

I truly appreciate the clarity and transparency this place provides. I especially want to give Joey…read morea huge shoutout -- he is kind, professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely makes every client feel valued and comfortable. He always goes above and beyond when explaining the services I'm paying for, as well as any future services I may need. When he provides future services, he offers estimates so you can make a clear decision when the time is right. What I appreciate most is that he takes the time to educate me without ever making me feel pressured into purchasing anything. Joey provides honest guidance, answers every question clearly, and makes the entire experience stress-free. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed my first visit to Stress-Free Auto Care. Requesting my appointment was easy and I…read morewas able to do it on a web browser. I was taken care of immediately when I showed up for my appointment and they even offered me a ride to and from my house for pick. I got text message updates throughout the process which included photos to see how they were diagnosing the issues with my vehicle. I could click through the option of services to see which ones I approved them to do and I chose to decline. I also liked they had a camera where you could watch them work on your car live. All in all, this was really and truly an Stress-Free place and I will definitely come back for more work in the future.

Where do I begin? I genuinely wanted to like this place because I had read several positive…read morereviews, and my initial experience with the staff and customer service was pleasant. I brought my car in because it wasn't driving the way it normally does. They kept the vehicle for a day and contacted me the following day to recommend replacing the transmission. The estimate was approximately $9,800, which was far beyond what I expected--and, quite frankly, extremely concerning. My vehicle is not yet six years old, and I have consistently kept up with routine maintenance, including regular oil changes. Naturally, I was very disappointed to be told that I needed a replacement transmission, especially at that cost. I decided to get a second opinion from another repair shop, and I'm very glad I did. They diagnosed the issue as spark plugs and ignition coils--not a transmission problem. After replacing those components, my car is now running beautifully. I appreciate the customer service I received, but unfortunately, I cannot justify returning to a shop that would recommend a repair of nearly $10,000 when the actual issue turned out to be something significantly less expensive. I understand that diagnostics can sometimes be complicated and that different shops may reach different conclusions. However, an estimate of $9,800 is a substantial amount of money, and I strongly recommend getting a second opinion before committing to a repair of that magnitude. Thank you for your time and for the service you provided. I sincerely wish you the best, but based on this experience, I will likely may not return.

As a fellow JDM enthusiast, I've got nothing but great things to say about Nakayama…read more I take a lot of pride in my import, so I'm pretty selective with who I let work on it. John and the team took care of me from start to finish. Their guidance, expertise, and overall knowledge of these cars is legit. Even if it was my daily commuter.. I'm still coming here. Communication was solid, turnaround was quick, and the work had a professional touch you don't always get. This is the only shop I trust with my car, and I'll keep coming back anytime I need service. If you want QUALITY work done - this is YOUR shop to go to.

After doing extensive research on various platforms, I found Nakayama Motorsports through a FB car…read moreforum. I was looking for the best place to take my car for engine work and Nakayama MS got many more recommendations for my car than any other shop, and Yelp reviews were solid-so that was where I was going! I understood very quickly why Yelp and the FB car community recommends Nakayama MS- they are truly car experts, and they also specialize in performance cars. The owner, John Nakayama, has the perfect balance of being extremely knowledgeable and savvy, trustworthy, and he is also a very kind person. Cost for repairs was neither cheap nor expensive-I found the costs were reasonable for the high quality of work, and peace of mind. John was very patient with me-answering all of my questions, and he was very thorough and concise with his explanations. My car is now running beautifully! I highly recommend John and his amazing team at Nakayama Motorsports!

saved me last week! my car was shaking with the engine light coming off and on and my first yelp…read moresearch actually lead me to another place. when I arrived the mechanic basically ignored me, so I called J&J and I'm so happy I did. They completed the repairs and I had my car back within the same week, the cost was manageable. highly recommend!

Extremely Disappointed…read more I brought my car to J&jAuto Repair in late July because of the positive reviews. Before J&j diagnosed my car, I specifically explained that other shops had already replaced the coils and spark plugs, but the same problem kept coming back after a month or two. Despite knowing this history, I paid approximately $180 for a diagnostic and was told I needed the coils and spark plugs replaced again, costing me about $700, i authorized the work and once again the car ran smooth right after this. About two months later, the exact same issue returned. I called them and was told to bring the car back but communication was very poor. I had to repeatedly call for updates and ultimately lost another day of work waiting for answers. I was eventually told the coils and spark plugs were fine and that my car needed a Honda software update. They gave me a Honda service bulletin and sent me to the dealership. I took another day off work, only to have Honda tell me that **the bulletin did not apply to my vehicle--it was for the 2.0L engine, while mine is the 1.5L--and my software was already up to date. After this experience, I am extremely disappointed with the diagnosis, communication, and service I received waisting my time my money and the frustration of them being a professional repair shop not knowing what's wrong with my car . I will be filing a complaint with BBB, and Bureau of Automotive repair (BAR). I wanted to share my experience so other customers can make an informed decision. i do not recommend this shop as they only put band aids on your car .

Great service! I needed a lot done to the car. All the brakes and rotors were changed, oil was…read morechanged, and also the headlights weren't working. The headlights took an extra day since the car is a euro and the parts needed to be ordered. The place is busy and full of cars! Definitely go in early or call to see when the best time is to get your service done. I was looking at the low star reviews.... Be realistic with your expectations when bringing in your car. If you have a unique problem, chances are it's going to take longer than you would want it to take to get it fixed. Otherwise just go to the dealer to get it fixed and pay dealer rates/prices. All in all, Vinh's pretty straightforward and honest about the labor and parts. Definitely recommending the shop to all my friends!

Take my car here for a smog check , it was really fast and cheap, the guy sorry forgot his name was…read morevery nice and helpful. Definitely recommend it.

Larry's Automotive is a an exemplary automotive service repair shop. Their honesty and integrity…read moreare noteworthy. Our 2025 Subaru had a reminder to get the oil and filter changed even though we were 3,000 miles short of meeting the milage requirement. Subaru recommends getting the service done every 6 months or 6,000 miles which ever comes first. After dropping our car off at Larry's, he called and said the car did not need service. He advised getting serviced when the mileage was closer to Subaru's milage requirement. How many other dealers would have gone ahead and performed the service?

I have since been here for service on my 2003 Toyota Camry. Larry was extremely knowledgeable and…read morevery helpful. Repaired my issue quickly. I highly recommend this repair shop.

Let's face it: whenever an unexpected car repair comes up, we all hold our breath wondering how…read moremuch our bank account is going to shrink. Most of us like to poke our heads under the hood and pretend we know what's going on, but we usually don't. The next logical step is a repair shop, and many people default to the dealership because they think they can trust them more. In my experience, that's a mistake--dealerships often touch ten things, fix one, and charge you for everything. Luckily, I found Rich and his team. I recently bought a newer car with all the bells and whistles, and I was braced for a huge bill. Rich was incredibly professional, polite, and straightforward. I was actually in shock; he takes the time to educate you on the repair rather than just grabbing your keys and telling you he'll text you later. The estimate was a pleasant surprise, and better yet, there were no hidden fees at the end. The amount he quoted was exactly what I paid. They were on time, efficient, and had me back on the road in no time. It is such a relief to find this kind of service these days. It's nice to know you don't have to pull out a platinum card for a simple repair or an oil change. All the 5-star reviews you see here are 100% true. One quick tip: the shop can be a little tricky to find the first time, but trust your GPS! It will get you there, even if the turn looks a bit hidden. You cannot go wrong with this team!

after calling several places and getting an outrageous quote from the dealer for leaking water pump…read morereplacement. Performance Autowerk came recommended by a friend of a friend. From the beginning, I was impressed by Rich's professionalism, knowledge and ability to explain both the issues and solutions in a clear way. He was almost half the cost of the dealer, as expected. It's refreshing to find in this industry. Both efficiency and quality was also there. He even lent me a car to get to work and took the time to walk and show me the parts they replaced at the end rather than rush me out after getting paid. If I ever need a mechanic again for my Audi this is where I will go. Highly recommend!

I had a good experience with boulevard auto. As a woman, it's hard to find a mechanic that isn't…read moreeager to rip me off. I have had bad experiences with several official dealership mechanics as well as other mechanics in Castro valley. My dad comes to Boulevard Auto for work on his vintage car and recommended I try them because they always treat him well. He is a man, so his review couldn't really tell me whether women get treated as well as he. They were quick to get a quote to me after I filled out their form. I needed my side mirror replaced. Initially they quoted me $888: $180 for labor, $4 for hazmat, $25 for supplies, $63 for taxes, $140 for a new mirror and $477 for the mirror assembly (the housing for the mirror that lets you change the angle from within your car). BTW, when I looked on the GM site, these are the exact parts prices they list to the public. I'm not sure if boulevard auto gets a discount that I don't see as a civilian (as opposed to a licensed mechanic rate), but either way there's no outrageous upcharge (and potentially no upcharge at all?) on parts. When I talked to max about the quote, I told him I'd seen the same mirror for 1/8 of the price on amazon. He explained to me that boulevard auto only uses the officially licensed materials sold by the car's company (in my case, with a Chevy, it's GM). This is so that the parts are covered under warranty. He explained that as long as they use the official GM mirror and housing, I'd be covered if, say, a rock hit my mirror. They don't install non-licensed parts. This seemed like good reasoning to me and I was glad that he took the time to explain; it made me feel better about the astronomical price. So the issue with my car was a broken side mirror. They told me that my particular car doesn't have easily accessible parts and they'd need to order it from another state. That meant I would have to pay a non-refundable upfront amount for both parts with a chance that I wouldn't need the $477 part, only the $140 mirror. Max said he was about 80% sure that the entire thing (casing and mirror) would need to be replaced. Because I was hesitant about the astronomical price of potentially having to replace the whole housing in addition to the mirror, max offered to take apart the whole thing and determine whether it was actually necessary to order both parts. They did this for me and determined the car did need both. A side note for other women reading this, I know they really took it apart to inspect it and didn't just lie about taking it apart because the already pretty broken mirror shattered in the process of them inspecting further. The tape in hidden places had also been removed. So I felt pretty sure that they had actually put in the effort to truly take it apart, and not just pretended. A lot of times I've been to other mechanics and they just lie about doing that kind of thing (i guess it's like "a woman can't possibly know the difference" or maybe feeling disgruntled that I would question their expert opinion). So this opposite kind of treatment from boulevard auto made me feel lots better about trusting them with my business. I paid a $600 deposit to cover most of the $616 parts cost (mirror and housing). Max then let me know after I paid that he had been mistaken, and that the housing actually came with the mirror, so there would be no parts cost for a separate mirror (which had been originally quoted for $140). He ended up applying the excess amount of my $600 deposit to the labor cost, and my total was a little over $700. They finished the replacement in only like 45 minutes, so $180 is kind of a lot for such a short amount of time, but I guess a lot of behind the scenes labor was required; sourcing a part that wasn't available locally, coordinating shipping, consulting with me several times and answering all my questions. This is a lot of money. But also, it kind of seems like it would have cost me way more at the dealership, because there wasn't a markup on the supplies. It would have cost me more at another mechanic too because they would have tried to upsell me. A small young woman with a cutesy car, these places often see me as the perfect target. Boulevard auto didn't try to sell me on anything I didn't need, either. They didn't even try to sell me on what I needed, they went out of their way to take the whole thing apart to confirm that I actually needed the expensive part. The new mirror works great, blind spot sensor, folding in, adjusting the angle remotely are all in working order. My only complaint is that they put the drivers seat allllllll the way back and didn't return it to its original position. Other short people out there get this because we all deal with this minor annoyance when having car work done lol. I felt I was treated with respect & kindness. Open communication, enthusiastic to help, timely work. note: I drive a Chevy bolt, & they had never worked on one before. Just a heads up to bolt owners

I had a great experience with Boulevard Auto…read more Scheduling was really easy, and when I brought my car in for an oil change and tune-up, they got everything taken care of pretty quickly. I appreciated how they treated me like a priority and kept the process straightforward. I drive a hybrid, so I didn't realize it still needed many of the same regular maintenance items as a traditional car. They explained what needed to be done, took care of the fluids, and took care of my car and fixed a check engine light that turned out to be caused by a bad sensor. A reliable shop for sure!

My A/C hasn't been working well for a while and my family where often uncomfortable during the hot…read moremonth of August. One day I received a coupon for Adam's Auto Shop in the mail and I knew I needed to check them out. Moreover, upon my arrival to Adam's, I was received pleasantly by the front desk supporter, Paige. She made sure that my car was well maintained and that I was also informed about my car's issue. I'm grateful that Paige and the entire crew went the extra mile to serve my needs. Now my A/C is kicking out cool air again!

My vehicle is a 2016 BMW i3. Because the 12V auxiliary battery was weakening, I called Castro…read moreValley Autoworx to inquire if they could perform the replacement. They explicitly assured me they had the necessary expertise to change a BMW i3 12V battery and they have new battery specific for i3. On the day of the appointment, my car was functioning normally. I drove the vehicle to their shop without any warning lights or issues and handed over the keys. Six hours later, I returned to the shop only to find it completely immobilized. The center screen displayed multiple error messages, including a warning that the high-voltage system could not detect or charge the auxiliary battery. The Autoworx technician connected an OBD scanner to attempt to clear the codes, which failed. The vehicle's power button became completely unresponsive, and the new battery began draining rapidly. Instead of taking responsibility for their inability to properly integrate the new battery, the Autoworx staff attempted to deflect the blame, falsely claiming that my car's main high-voltage battery had already failed prior to arriving. This is categorically false, as I drove the car to their shop in normal, working condition. The shop denied any fault in their workmanship, refused to assist with towing the now-dead vehicle, and insisted I pay them $450.00 for the parts and labor before I could leave at 6:00 PM. I subsequently had to pay out-of-pocket to tow my immobilized vehicle to a certified BMW dealership. The dealership technician diagnosed the issue immediately: Castro Valley Autoworx had installed a poor-quality aftermarket battery and had completely failed to reprogram the i3's system to recognize it--a mandatory step when replacing an EV's 12V battery. The dealership swapped in an OEM BMW battery, properly reprogrammed the vehicle. Following this, my car returned to normal operating condition. The dealership confirmed there were absolutely no pre-existing issues with my vehicle or its high-voltage system. Castro Valley Autoworx lured me in with false claims of EV competence, installed substandard parts, failed to follow standard BMW programming procedures, stranded me with an immobilized vehicle, and extorted $450.00 from me for their negligent work.

Went here with my 2006 Honda Odyssey. Steering wheel was vibrating and so were the brakes. Kashmir…read morewas able to diagnose and show me the problems. His estimate was reasonable and a lot less than dealer. After replacing 2 brake pads and control arms and adjusting steering wheel my Odyssey was back in great condition. I plan on coming back when I have future repairs.

very honest people I had a major issue with my car. The owner himself explained to me and they did…read morea great job.