Finally an honest car mechanic! I never feel like I'm being scammed here. The owner is a delight and the workers are communicative. I will continue to bring my car here read more

Great place. Nice people. They know Japanese cars! We took a car there before we purchased it for a pre- inspection. They found the issues which helped me negotiate a price. read more

Joe Nishikawa is a slimy dishonest mechanic. Told me if I paid $120 that would be credited if I had the repairs done there. I took my car because he said it would take 4 days to get the part. Once he had the part he called me and said the $120 would not be credited to my account because I took the car. So if I had left the car sitting there for 4 days that makes a difference whether $120 is credited toward a repair? His logic was absurd. He just wanted to bilk me for as much money as he could. If he makes you sign a paper with a minimum of 120 or 180 fee just know you will have to pay that or he wont give you your car back. What a slimy.... Had he been honest he would have had my business for a long time. read more

Quality service provided at good prices. Appreciate the honest and straightforward dialogue about the service. No extra hustle to do work that isn't needed. Highly recommend. read more

Took my girlfriend's car in because the dealer at her most recent service had told her that rats are chewing through her cables. Joe and a technician took a look, told me that he thinks the dealer is full of crap (he did see and point out why the dealer thought there was an issue, and why the dealer's assumption was wrong), and that he doesn't want to take our money for an issue that isn't there. The guy deserves all of our future business just for that. read more

Heard about Nishikawa from a family friend and needed to come to get my car's AC checked. I called and made an appointment over the phone, they were busy and only had appointments about two weeks in advance, but I definitely think it was worth the wait. I parked on the street on the day of the appointment. It was no problem, and they were able to move my car to the back once I checked in. Joe ended up fixing my car, he was honest and communicative through out the entire process. I will definitely be coming again when I have car issues! (: read more

One of the last honest auto repair shops in West Pasadena. Joe and his crew are extremely knowledgeable at diagnosing problems. They have fixed problems that even the dealer could not fix. Highly recommend them. read more

Nishikawa Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great service, definitely will go back. Price is reasonable and they are seemingly honest with their recommendations.

This auto service shop is always busy. That tells you how good they at their work. I have a Toyota Rav 4 and it preformed very well since the last service work. I am going in tomorrow to follow up with my 5000 mile servicing. I used to go to the dealership for this work. The staff keeps my car running well. No surprises and I hope that continues. Thank you Nishikawa staff. read more

Fixed my tpms and fixed a few other items quickly and at a reasonable price. i will definitely be back to have my brakes fixed. Pedro was great and made the whole process simple. read more

Joe is the BEST he's a great guy fun to talk with and really honest and takes care of our 3 vehicles. He even has the cutest dog Melacy, read more

See all

I trust Joe wholeheartedly. I'm happy that Joe works on my three Toyotas. I'm a happy customer. P.S. I also got a 2008 Prius caddy shield installed by him. read more

I had to keep jumping my car. The team figured out the issue, would have never thought it was because a damaged key lock. The price to repair was very reasonable and the team is very nice. I will bring my car here from now on, I trust them. read more

Super expensive, they wanted to charge more than the Toyota dealership and when I said no, they charged me $80 to give me back my car.

I've been coming here for 35+ years now, through many different cars and problems (up to major engine and transmission work), and they're great. Just yesterday my daughter was asking their hours so that she could tell a friend who needed an honest mechanic. Prices are reasonable (sometimes surprisingly low), work is always done on time, it's always right the first time, and they're nice people. I feel very lucky to have someone like them to take care of our cars. read more

Joe and his staff are the best! had my car at a different repair shop, and they could only charge me $500 and not fix the problems and didn't even offer me my money back! Read a review on Nishikawa aut services, so glad I did! they figured out the problems and solved all of the issues in a quick and timely matter! best auto repair company i've ever had the pleasure of dealing with! Thanks Joe and your staff, your the best!!! Also he has a super cute dog too! lol read more

Been going to Nishikawa for years. Joe is always so nice and helpful. He's an honest mechanic and my family & I trust him with all our cars.

Joe is such a gem and we need more Joes in the world. I called him when the check engine light came on after a mechanic friend did some work on my car but couldn't reset the car afterwards. Joe was busy this week but allowed me to bring my car in during his lunch break for quick diagnostics. He ran some tests and reset the computer and everything turned out to be okay. I offered to pay for his time but he refused. He said that some of the old school places like his place still believed in service. This man is a saint. This man also knows his cars; over the phone he already knew what kind of features came with my make/model. Make this man your mechanic now!!! read more

Joe is an angel! He saved my life. A few months ago I was involved in a car accident and I've been duking it out with insurance ever since. My car started falling apart on my way to Pasadena today so I pulled over and Joe was able to help me almost immediately. Fantastic service, fantastic guy! 1000 stars, would definitely recommend! read more

Nishikawa Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came here for routine service on my car. Staff were friendly, car was returned quickly, and the price was very affordable compared to other places I've been! I'd recommend it to anyone in the area. read more

Joe has always provided great honest service and without cutting corners or using cheap 3rd party parts. Been using this place for decades. Check them out. read more

Joe Nishikawa has a wonderful team of mechanics. I've been coming here for 5ish years and trust him implicitly. 10 stars!! read more

Hands down, Nishikawa is one of the best Auto Service businesses in town! They are my first choice for car maintenance, repair, and especially advice! Joe is a favorite and a great guy, a fair minded person, an expert mechanic and car guy! read more

If you're looking for a trustworthy, honest mechanic - Joe is your guy. I've come here multiple times since moving to Pasadena and he is by far the BEST mechanic I've been to. I've compared Nishikawa quotes with other shops and they are the most affordable and reliable that you'll find in the area. Stop by and you'll see what a great human being Joe is. read more

I went here all 4 years I lived in LA before I moved away. Joe was super great and could always rely on his trustworthy service. He would tell me if something was too expensive or unnecessary. Would definitely recommend! read more

Super fair and honest. I moved from pasadena but plan to continue to bring my car for work from a snail business worth supporting.

Great reliable service. Joe is amazing! I've been bringing my car here for several years

Joe is an absolute angel. We have an old '07 sedan and don't want to buy a second car yet. Had some weird noises and Joe helped diagnose the issue and helped us make a financially smart decision based on the age/mileage of the car. Absolutely would go back again. read more

This place is great. They accept appointments and Joe is a really nice guy, very laid back and friendly. I take my car here regularly for oil changes and the pricing is very reasonable, around $35 for an oil change that includes a new filter and a full inspection of the vehicle including all fluid levels, tires, and front and rear brakes. I recently took my car in because I was having issues with the A/C not blowing cold. They did a full tear down of the A/C system. They reset and restarted the entire system and put in new refrigerant and Freon and now my A/C blows ice cold. If these guys were dishonest they could've easily just told me my compressor was broken and charged me $1200. Instead they were honest and for the inspection and system restart it was $375 out the door. Not a bad deal for ice cold A/C as summer is approaching! Point is, these people are honest and will give you solid service at a reasonable price. You should know going in that they get quite busy so if you're gonna take your car here make an appointment ahead of time foe right when they open, 7:30 or 8AM. This will ensure they have enough time to work on your vehicle and will prevent delays in your service time. Definitely give these guys a try! They are my regular mechanic shop now. read more

Long have I been searching for a small, local shop that is both capable and trustworthy. I've taken my car into Joe and his crew twice now, and they seem to be just that. No corporate BS, no markups, no attitude. Extremely knowledgeable (either of the young ladies who picks up your call probably knows more about cars than you ever will) and very down-to-earth. A few things to note: - They take lunch from 1-2pm, so avoid those hours. - They're always busy and don't have a ton of space in front, so don't be surprised if you have to park your car along the sidewalk before or after the entrance to the shop. No big deal, they'll take it from there. - They're about a five minute walk from both the Fillmore and Del Mar Metro stations, so you can fairly easily go home, etc. if you're waiting for your car. Finally, do not be surprised if at the end of the day, you drive away feeling lucky about your experience here. I certainly did. read more

Joe Lira is an encyclopedia of automobiles! He can give you lots of historical information about cars as well as up-to-date knowledge about the inside workings of cars and trucks. Everyone is helpful and nice. Fair prices too! read more

Trustworthiness , expertise, reliabilty, and excellent service accommodating emergency needs. My car had an accident on the freeway (late ar night)and had to be towed to Nishikawa"s. I had no way of after hours communication with them, and left my car in front of their gate. Joe was kind , helpful and the the final invoice was under the original quote! I've been a customer for many years, and have always been treated honestly and fairly. read more

It pains me to write this, as I have known Joe for many years, and for many years he has provided me honest and excellent service for my Prius, at very reasonable prices. However, I recently took my Mazda MX-5 to his shop for a check-over and oil change, as I was gifted the vehicle by my father-in-law. I was duly billed for inspection and oil change, including 4.5 quarts of oil. 3k miles later, there was a rumbling from below the car that I initially thought was the catalytic converter, but it got worse and I took it in. Joe informed me the car had no oil in it and was showing metal flakes, engine shot, would need a new one. I was shocked, as there was no smoke, no leaks from the engine, and oil changes are supposed to happen every 12k. I consulted several other mechanics who all immediately had the same reaction - that likely someone at Joe's shop forgot to put the oil in during the oil change or didn't put enough in. I confronted Joe with this, and he launched into a very disappointing BS tapdance about how bad the engine design was, how they burn oil, etc., and this could totally happen without smoke "because it's synthetic oil" and without leaks because... well just because. I tried to follow up with him to get SOME help from his side with the staggering cost of replacing the engine, but he wouldn't return my calls. In fairness, it was certainly partly my fault for not checking the dipstick regularly, but after 3k miles it did not occur to me that it would be an issue (the MX-5 does not have an idiot light for oil - or really anything else, and I am admittedly an idiot). Nonetheless, this came on the heels of a similar experience, where I had a bracket lock placed on the catalytic converter of my Prius to keep it from getting nicked, and as I drove it off his lot it immediately was rattling, brought it back the next day and Joe said someone must have tried to steal it that night, since one of the bolts was gone. It was pretty obvious that someone in his shop forgot to attach one of the bolts (he quickly fixed it no charge at least). I'm sure it's hard to find good help right now, but Joe's reactions were dishonest and deeply disappointing. Please consider this when deciding whether to use Nishikawa and in dealing with Joe. I will now regretfully look elsewhere. read more

Well, I never had a problem with Wondries but I've been told for years not to keep taking my car back to the dealer. So after 14 yrs. and 185,000 miles, I decided to give Nishikawa a shot based on their reviews on Yelp. I'm glad I did. Joe got me in and out of there in a reasonable time, and he revealed a previous botched job, bordering on consumer fraud, that I' d been driving around with for over ten years. He also recommended a locksmith which I might be needing. All in all, I recommend this shop without reservation (but do get a reservation when you need to go in; they're always busy). read more

Just moved to the area- I worked with Joe and had a wonderful experience. So frequently and able to work with my schedule. Definitely where I will be taking my car from now on. read more

I'm totally disappointed with Nishikawa. I was referred by a friend who gets his integra fixed here. Yes their prices are cheap and yes they are family owned business. I always tend to favor family owned, but this shop ruined my car. I took my little old Honda in to get serviced and get rid of a knocking noise. They took an hour because they were busy on a Tuesday, then took another hour and a half fixing it. I wasted my whole day for them just to look at the car and tell me what was wrong with it. They did some minor work but in the end had to order a part (ball joint) and something else and I was told to come back in the next week. I came back the following week to Pasadena, all the way from the OC. They took another hour and a half fixing my car and replacing the strut bar and ball joint. They must not have done a good job because my car still made the same knocking noise the next week. So I wasted another day driving in LA traffic to this place and asked them to fix it again. Hello, I have already invested freakin $800+ in parts and service, so my car better be fixed. But too bad it wasn't. I ended up taking it to a service place in Costa Mesa and the mechanic there told me they screwed on the ball joint lazily and he tightened it for free for me because he felt so bad for me on what shotty work they'd done. He told me I'd have to take it back to NIshikawas to tell them to fix it for me. I took it to my favorite mechanic here in Northern California - Bay Motor Sports in Oakland. I just took it in to him and Ed (owner) told me that since their was such poor workmanship done from the first place it wore a freakin HOLE in that part. It wore out my car and now I have to replace more than just two parts. I hate you Nishikawa, I seriously do... Not only did I give you $800+ of my hard earned money, I have to go and spend another grand+ on parts and labor to do the job again because you idiots couldn't do it right the first time. Lazy jerks. I will never go here, nor recommend this place again to anyone ever! read more

First visit as a recommendation from a very good friend. Nothing but good advice. Very anxious about my car, as u know old cars have many problems. Lot of problems=lots of money. Omg.. Joe owner/manager..Doctor (car doctor) Education of all possibilities.. from very expensive to the dime.. **Honest** Education on upkeep...gas, oil change Return visit. Am liking my New Friend and family Thanks for the recommendation read more

Nishikawa Auto Service - Honesty is so important. - Auto Repair Near Me - Pasadena, California

Incredible customer service!! One of my headlights was out and since the time change I really needed to get it fixed. I drove down Pasadena Ave to what I thought was an auto repair shop. It wasn't and decided to Yelp. Found that Nishikawa Auto was the closest and I could walk back to work....tomorrow, no walking shoes today. I pulled in behind another car. Waited patiently, while David helped another customer. When he finished I told the customer who was waiting that I only needed 3 minutes. I asked if he could fix my headlight and asked if I could bring it in tomorrow when I would have better shoes to walk to Old Town. He said, "I'll drop you off at work, I'll get your information on the way". I moved out of the way of the customer I was blocking and off we went. On the way I asked what time he closed and he told me 5:00 pm. I was going to have trouble getting there by 5 and having someone drop me off. He said he would come back and pick me up. We made arrangements for 2 pm. A little after 2 pm, he was there, my car was done. We had a great conversation to and from his place. Outstanding pricing; it was an unimaginable pay it forward moment. I will be back. read more

The owner of this place always works with my schedule , I work across the way at the hospital so I drop my car off in the wee hours of the morning and leave my keys at the drop box , he does the maintenance on my car and I pick it up during my lunch break . The prices are reasonable and I know my car is in good hands . read more

I left Nishikawa last week with a smile on my face and realized that a review was long overdue. Have been coming to Joe for over 20 years and several Toyota Camrys. Always fair and responsive but today I realized that it is his customer service that keeps me coming back. Joe appreciates his customers and long-term relationships. He is always there when you have a question and considerate of your circumstances. I am not knowledgeable about cars but know that he will do the best for me and take care of service with our long-term relationship in mind. Thanks Joe! read more