Max Motors in San Carlos is the only place I've ever heard of, where ONE OF THE MECHANICS WILL ACTUALLY DROP YOU OFF AT WORK - even if you live as far as San Mateo or Palo Alto!!!!!!!! Yes, you heard that right, people. I'd never even heard of such a thing till I met these guys. Luckily I work just about 7 minutes away but if I move down the peninsula I'm still going to Max Motors. Joaquin is super nice and has driven me to work a couple of times. They will even pick you up if you need a ride back to get your car!!!
Just wanted to say thanks to Ruben and Avy for fixing my Honda this evening. I was a little concerned about some strange burning smell coming from my car earlier in the day. After work, I swung by there and asked them for an opinion (I've been there a few times before, since they do my oil changes). Avy, Joaquin and Ruben all took a look under the hood of my car and set right to work trying to fix the problem(s). I'd put too much oil in, for one thing (Ruben took out the excess and filled it to the proper level). Then they found a crack in some hose connected to my radiator, and Avy made a call and he zipped over to another shop to get a replacement part for me.
These guys are awesome, they are a really good team and every time I go there I see the same faces - Avy (the owner), Joaquin (been there a year and a half), Jorge (been there 7 yrs), Ruben (about 4 yrs) and Roberto (about 7 yrs). It seems like sort of like a family run business. Avy, the owner, is super nice and has been in the biz since 1984 (took over the business from his Dad).
I had never heard of them because they are down a small street a few blocks from the San Carlos Home Depot - it's a street most people wouldn't go down (not in a bad neighborhood but it's just an industrial area). Well, one day one of their guys came by my office offering a great deal on oil changes, and it was too good to pass up. I was skeptical at first because I'd bought an "oil change package" before, from some other shop, and it turned out to be bogus, but not this place. The guy assured me they were just looking to let people know about their services and basically build up our trust. And build my trust, they did. I really like this place! The guys there are all super friendly and appear to be hard, honest workers. I never feel like they are being dishonest with me, and they will tell me if there's something that doesn't need to be fixed right away.
They also give you an easy-to-read computer printout of everything that you may want to consider fixing (and of course they go over it with you and will give you the estimated cost of repairs, which so far have been very reasonable). I've had plenty of times where I've gotten estimates back from mechanics that I couldn't really understand or even read the oil-smudged printout because I couldn't decipher the person's handwriting, but not with this place.
I had been so worried, driving in this icy weather to SF with car problems, but was so grateful to them for fixing my car tonight. If you want to check them out, just give them a call and ask them about their oil change special. I think it was just like $27 for 4 oil changes (plus the standard $3 oil disposal fee per visit). If you're looking for some good mechanics, I'd highly recommend this place!
-----------------UPDATE 2/5/10:
Hey Joaquin, Avy, Ruben, Roberto and Jorge - I know I haven't been in for a while, but I just wanted to say, your staff has given me so many rides...whenver I come in next, I have no problem with you guys using my car to run a quick errand, any day of the week! (Sounds like a pretty fair exchange to me - if you are nice enough to give me a ride, then SURE go ahead and borrow the car to drive a few blocks, I'm not gonna bitch about it). I've seen how far away you guys have to park your car (because there are so many customer cars taking up the spaces in the front) and it would be a ridiculous waste of time (for all of us) for you to have to keep walking back and forth to your car every time you have to run out to get a part or whatever. So you go right ahead. Just make sure you don't hit anything, and lock it so nobody steals my precious collection of Journey cassette tapes, and we're cool : ). read more