Many years ago I left a shady auto repair business that told me I needed a new carburetor. I went to Nishikawa and he was too busy at the time. He told me to have another mechanic look at the car first , since he doubted very seriously that the car needed a carburetor. I took his advice and just needed a gasket replaced at another shop. The job went from $350 at the time to around $40 parts and labor. The next thing I heard, that original shady shop was destroyed in an earthquake. read more

Was looking for a reasonably priced and honest (if there is such a thing) car mechanic in the Pasadena area. Two friends (who don't know each other) told me about Nishikawa on Fair Oaks, just north of California Blvd in Pasadena. Fast forward about 3 years....Joe (owner) has worked on both, my son's Ford Ranger truck, and now also my son's Honda Civic. Joe is honest and the prices are reasonable. Recently, we took the Honda Civic there for a brake job, and upon checking the brakes, Joe told us we didn't need brakes for another while....that's how honest he is!!! I'm completely happy with Joe's knowledge about cars, his kindness, his professionalism, and his prices. I'd recommend Nishikawa Auto Service to anyone who is looking for a mechanic that won't rip you off. read more

Basically Joe and company lived up to the hype. Let me explain.... Upon my first ( unscheduled ) visit, Joe willingly inspected ( lightly ) my car before the shop doors officially opened - just to gauge whether it'd be feasible to work on it that day. He was honest in his assessment of the issue(s) and didn't try to pull a fast one on me. I left my car there for the day and it was running great for about a month and a half. The oil light came on while on a trip up north. I added a couple quarts of oil and waited until the weekday to call him to see what was going on. Again, Jose was a class act on the phone insofar as providing a greater insight into the cause of the oil light being triggered. The bottom line, Joe is an honest and straight up guy; he seems to be running an honest business. It is worth highlighting, while I was in the lobby waiting to pay my bill, a few people came in to either pick up or drop off their car and the rapport he has with is regulars is second-to-none which is indicative of integrity. If you're new to the area or just want an auto shop you can trust, look no further than Nishikawa Auto Service. You'll be treated with respect; your car will be in good hands. read more

Quite simply, this was a disaster...I was referred to Joe by a family member but he never fixed the problem(s) and quite frankly, didn't seem to care much about me having to bring the car back to him repeatedly. And every time I brought it in, it was always something different (what a surprise!). I don't know if this guy is a scam artist but he and his mechanics do not know what they're doing... read more

The staff at Nishikawa Auto are really good. From the front desk to the mechanics I always receive courteous and competent services. Service technicians let me know what needs to be done now and what services will be needed in the future. Highly recommend this auto service fixture in Pasadena read more

Joe is the best! He does a great job and he is friendly and considerate. You won't be sorry!

Joe and the crew at Nishikawa are top notch! They kept our 2002 Subaru running smoothly since we moved to Pasadena. Joe was always happy to talk me through the problem and the possible solutions, and the price was always more than fair. When our check engine light came, instead of replacing parts, he told us it could just be a fill of bad gas - that turned out to be the case and saved us several $1000! When our battery died and reset our OBD computer just when we needed a smog check, Joe talked us through how to get everything back up and running. And when it came time to pass our car on to its next owner, Joe helped us connect with a buyer. I'm so thankful for Joe and the whole team at Nishikawa! read more

Joe knows his stuff. Thanks for getting my hybrid road ready!!! Thanks for the lift to the car rental place as well!! read more

I've been coming here for years now. Professional courteous service and all those other great accolades go without saying. This place goes deeper than that though. There is a Genuine interest in both the customer and their automobile. Joe, the owner, has even given my Land-cruiser a nick-name. He always consults with work that must be done, should be done soon and what can wait. I feel we have a true partnership in the mechanical health of my vehicle. It must be working because I just rolled over 325K miles and Joe has her perr-ing like a newborn kitten. I highly recommend Nishikawa Auto Service .... read more

First I'll start by saying I have a problem child, she's and 08' VW EOS and the fact that I bought her used just means she has new emotional damage I seem to find consistently BUT Joe knows how to talk to her.. find out what's going on and get us back on the open road to recovering her well being. Love my car aside the issues so I'll keep dealing with her baggage for now, and I'm lucky to have found this shop to navigate this complicated relationship. Vera you are worth it... only saying good things, don't worry!! read more

Nishikawa auto service is honest and trustworthy. Joe is helpful and will talk through the problem with me. Great service and prices are reasonable. He is even open on Saturdays. read more

Joe and his team were extremely helpful in providing comfort and a fix for our Civic and Mazdaspeed 3. We went to another mechanic and were told both our cars had no major mechanical issues and they were unable to identify the various issues we noticed while driving. We had an opportunity to get the cars checked by Nishikawa and they were able to identify and fix the issues within 1 day for each car - both cars had major issues. We were extremely satisfied in service and price. Thanks for the knowledgeable and friendly service Joe! read more

Update: joe and I talked further. And he generously worked out a more than fair solution. I really appreciate his follow through and offer.

He couldn't figure out what was wrong with my car at all! Had me going there every weekend because he didn't fix anything! He also sold me some bunk brakes that lasted a few months before they warped! I don't want to ever go here again. What a waste of my time . He should just do oil changes! read more

Joe runs a great, honest shop. He will take the time to explain the details of problems. And the staff are true mechanics...they don't simply exchange complete units/parts, rather when possible they will find and replace/repair the faulty elements only. Old school as it gets. And their pricing is better than fair. read more

The only time I get to visit this location is after the sun goes down. A great auto repair show in Pasadena with stopping at. Just don't leave your car in the parking spaces in front becausde that is reserved for the evening activity. Definitely a shop that has been here at this location for ages. If you stay here long enough after closing time, there is definitely a treat for everyone. No, there isn't a car project I am participating in unless you consider one that is relatively tall, red paint job, decals, and spits out a lot of tacos. Yes, tacos! That's all I am good for is consuming tacos. If you don't like it, there is always another truck a block North up the street. I can only recommend the salsa/condiments from that other truck. read more

This is a wonderful and HONEST auto repair service. I have been going there for about 1 1/2 years with my 10 year old Element and they are great. They tell you what needs to be done, what can wait, and what you do not need. I follow the manual pretty closely and they are fine with that. This helps me tremendously and I now have over 121K miles on my car. It's a father and son business (Joe and David) and they are extremely courteous and helpful. In fact, last week I had a problem around 7pm starting the car. It would not turn over but the electrical system was fine. I called and David answered the phone (even though they had closed 2 hours earlier!). I explained the problem and he told me he would call me back in a few. Well, 30 minutes later, him and one of the team came by my office and we figured out a gear was going bad in the starter. He did a little trick that allowed me to drive home and then take it back to them a few days later to be repaired. This is EXEMPLARY customer service and I am glad to tell this story and refer anyone there. read more

UPDATE: I don't know how Joe makes any money, waiving charges here and there. We happened to catch him on a Saturday - the shop was closed, but he gave me the lowdown on what I needed to do for my failed smog test. The following Monday he ran a diagnostic check and found the problem to be a faulty gas cap - $15. The other reviews only confirm what a classy guy he is. ---- I first found Nishikawa on the CarTalk website when my alternator broke down. I was impressed by the fact that all of the reviewers said this is where they send their wives or daughters to -- they had no fear of being ripped off or being treated dismissively. I found this to be my experience as well. Joe took my car in right away without an appointment, and went out of his way to find the cheapest re-built alternator in LA County. Since I was unable to pick up my car until after they closed, they parked it outside the gate, right next to El Taquito taco truck, possibly the No. 1 taco truck in LA. From subsequent Googling, I found Nishikawa popping up favorably on InsiderPages and a Caltech student guide, so I was surprised that no one else had reviewed it for Yelp. Maybe Pasadena-area Yelpers drive newer cars that haven't needed servicing? (My fiance asked about Bimmers, and Joe said they had a gentlemen's agreement with Plati, which services German makes). In any case, I'm honored to be the first, and intend to make Nishikawa my full-time mechanic. read more

Best shop I have ever had work on my car!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For reference, I am not a mechanic, but I do most of the work on my own cars myself and I rarely take my car to a mechanic. But...... I live in vegas, and I was having problems with my 21 year old heavily modified lexus sc400 while visiting my mom in Pasadena and I had no where I could work on the car myself. I took my car to Nishikawa based on some reviews from yelp. This shop, these mechanics, and the owner, Joe are some of the best people I have ever met in terms of their knowledge, experience, professionalism, honesty, and efficiency. It was late on a saturday when I came in, and they diagnosed, fixed, and checked for any other problems within an hour, and I was back on the road. BEST PART, THEY ONLY CHARGED ME 25$!!!!!! read more

I brought my car to AAMCO for overheating, they replaced the water pump, thermostat and hose for about $400. It was still overheating, and 6 weeks later, hoses busted. I brought it back to AAMCO, and they said "it's not their fault" and that I had to pay to replace the hose. So, I took it to Sears. They replaced the hose, and flushed the radiator for $250; my car was still overheating. Less than 2,000 miles later, I overheated (lights flashing with smoke), flood of coolant left a trail and puddle. Brought it back to Sears, and they said, "take it to the dealer - head gasket is blown." FINALLY, found Nishikawa through Yelp and co-worker recommendations. He quoted me $2300 for head gasket (based on Sears diagnosis), and drove away 48 hours later (they were busy, and I was stalling for time to pay for what i thought was a $2K fix) with a $180 repair -- an OEM thermostat vs. the ill-fitting, over-siliconed after-market thermostats that AAMCO used. AND, he gave me a list and a time-frame for recommended repairs. One week later, I am still not overheating, and no longer need anti-anxiety meds for my LA commute! I love David and the Nishikawa team!!! Going back for his recommended repairs!!! Also contemplating a complaint to the Bureau of Automotive Repair for AAMCO and Sears. read more

Quite an unfortunate experience, esp. since I was referred by a friend. Was diagnosed with a ton of problems and quoted a fee in the thousands. Upon second opinion, a number of those issues didn't exist. Looks like a blatant case of overbilling... even worse, billing for services that weren't needed. read more

A wonderful auto repair shop in Pasadena! I got my a/c recharged here a few wks ago. Joe said he thought there was a leak, but it wasn't immediately evident, so they put some dye in the system, recharged the fluids or whatever the hell, and told me to come back in 2 weeks wherein they would check for the dye leaking out to pinpoint my problem spot. Today I brought it back for the recheck and left it then headed to work; they called me 3 hrs later and said they couldn't find a leak and the car was ready to be picked up. I was like, OK, how much was the service today? He said, well it's a big fat zero. You already paid for it once! Then I proceeded to be a total ass and after multiple times telling them that I would "definitely" come by and pick it up before 5, because he leaves "AT FIVE" on Mondays... at 4:58 today he calls me to come get the car and I'm like OH CRAP! I had to rush over and pick it up. I felt bad. But Joe didn't seem to mind. But I like Joe and Nishikawa, they are totally honest and fairly priced, and darn good peeps to boot! read more

I had a great experience with Nishikawa Auto Service. I was referred to Nishikawa because of all the Yelp reviews. So thank you for positing your experience on Yelp. They replaced the clutch on my S2000 and could not be happier. Fast and courteous is how I would explain my experience. They even went the extra mile when they found a broken bolt on my transmission cover, drilled it out, and replaced it. Wow, I'm sold! read more

I've been a Nishikawa customer for over 5 years and, like most of the reviewers here, have had uniformly positive experiences. The highest compliment I can pay Joe and David is that I would (and often do) recommend them to female friends and family members without hesitation, since many auto repair shops (especially dealerships) still try to take advantage of women customers. (I hope that's becoming a thing-of-the-past, as more and more dads teach daughters, as well as sons, about basic automotive mechanics and maintenance, how to change a flat, etc.) David told me that, in fact, majority of their customers are women. Enough said... two thumbs up! read more

Friendly owner Joe who readily explains when and why to do or not to do maintenance work. Prices are about half what I get charged at the dealerships. Wish I found Joe and his team sooner. They not only do great work, but are good people. Great karma! Tips: -Closed Sundays and Mondays. Open Tuesdays - Saturdays only. -Parking is tight. Best to enter workshop going south on Fair Oaks from California. Their business is on the right side. -Plenty of seating in the office if you're waiting for your car. Free coffee. Bathroom available. Starbucks down the street. -If they have someone available, they can drop you off at home or work. -They will tell you what your car needs and do the non-warranty work, but then you have to take it back to a dealership if you have warranty coverage. That's what I was told, but their policy could change. Call Joe to confirm about any warranty service. -They will reset your dash maintenance lights after service. read more

I've done business with Joe for over 42 years, ranging from 3 Lotus, 48' Mercury, Ferrari, Jag, BMW, and more in between. He can fix any car! read more

hmmm, how have I not reviewed this place yet? I've been taking my car to Nishikawa since I've been in L.A. - probably about 11 years now- on the advice of a now ex-boyfriend. His grandmother had been taking her cars there for years, and I can see why. Thank goodness he told me about this place. The people at Nishikawa are really knowledgeable, fair and all around good people. I have never left that place muttering about how the world isn't fair and people are just out to rip you off...not once- and that's saying a lot for a mechanic. Before you get your car fixed somewhere else, take it here. You may find out, as I did, that you don't need half the services/parts that the first place recommended- and it will save you a lot of money and a lot of muttering. read more

Super nice people. I brought my car in to Nishikawa because Pep Boys on Colorado (don't go there!) told me that my rear wheel cylinders were leaking and that my rear right brake light was not working and needed to be replaced. I became suspicious when they told me about my brake light because I can see the reflection of the brake lights when I back into my parking at work, and it hadn't been a problem. I decided I needed to get a second opinion, so I brought it to Nishikawa. They called me back telling me that everything was fine with the car. The rear wheel cylinders were not leaking, and that the rear light bulb in the brake lights looked as if someone hadn't screwed it in. They just tightened it for me. When I got the bill, they didn't charge me anything. I love this place. I like that they're honest (unlike Pep Boys) and that they'll only charge you for things that are actually wrong. Thanks, Nishikawa Auto Service! You're awesome. read more

If you've ever watched an episode of House, you saw how Hugh Laurie's titular character is able to diagnose any patient's disease when no one else can. Joe at Nishikawa is the House of auto mechanics. He never gives up until he has figured out exactly what is causing the problem and then repairs it at a reasonable cost. I shudder thinking that I could've paid literally thousands to another mechanic whose "best guess" was not even close to the problem. We are so grateful to have Joe to care for our cars. They're good so sometimes they don't get back to you for status updates and we often need to leave the car for days, but that is a fair trade off for excellent service. read more

I chose Nishikawa based on the great reviews on here and cant say how thankful I am I made that choice. My poor 98 Honda Civic's engine decided to go to car heaven and the folks over at Nishikawa went above and beyond the call of duty to get me a new one and help me get my car in tip top shape.Not only were they cost effective, but they also spoke to me like an adult and answered my 10,000 questions. Check them out! read more

HONEST MECHANICS FOUND HERE!!! "What is that?" (you might be asking) "A paradox?" I can assure you that this auto repair shop is the real deal when it comes to great mechanics that aren't trying to take your money while screwing with your car, and Nishikawa will restore your faith in humanity when it comes to dealing with mechanics. Let me provide a little background information on how I ended up taking my car to this great auto repair shop: I went to Sears (rip off) to replace a flat tire that I thought was under warranty, but for some reason they decided to also look at my car and see if everything was "running okay." Sure enough, something was "wrong" with my 2003 Ford Focus, and it was going to cost me about $300 to repair all the issues. Ummmm, WHAT?! Fortunately, I'm not a complete idiot, so I decided to call around Pasadena to see if anybody could beat their prices, and I came across Nishikawa (courtesy of my boyfriend and Yelp), and I'm so glad I did. Sears told me that my valve cover gasket - whatever that is - was deteriorating because it was old and fluid was leaking onto other parts in my car; it was also time for a coolant flush)....and that was going to be $300ish to fix. Upon calling Nishikawa, I found that Sears was ripping me off in a variety of ways. I told Nishikawa about the gasket cover issue and the coolant flush - they quoted me only $200! (remember, Sears wanted $300) I even mentioned other minor things that seemed off with my car and asked about getting those issues fixed, and including their previous quote of $200, I was at a total of $270 - STILL better than what Sears was trying to sell me! I dropped my car off when they opened today (8AM), and there was already a line of people waiting (they're popular!). I went to pick up my car around 3:15-3:30***, and I was astounded to find that I was only charged $92!!!! Joe (great guy who worked on my car!) was kind enough to walk me through all the things he quoted me on (that Sears tried to get me to "fix"), and I was pretty pissed to find out that some of the bolts on my expensive-to-replace valve cover gasket had "magically" loosened up, and the only way those become loose is if somebody loosens them. WTF! SO, to condense an already long story/review: My car is fine - the bolts just needed to be put back into place. The issues I have with my car are minor, so Joe referred me to a few places I could go to for parts/services that are reasonable. I am a happy customer, and for future repairs and maintenance, I will definitely be returning here for the honesty, integrity, and quality of work done by these great mechanics. ***The only little "flaw" this place has is that they're super, super busy, and if I hadn't called to check the status of my car, there is a slight possibility I wouldn't have heard from them by the time they closed (I'm not complaining - just FYI!). Take your business here and avoid Sears like the bubonic plague! read more

I've been coming to Nishikawa Auto for 5+ years for my older Infiniti G37. It's been a trustworthy and reliable auto shop to bring my car to. I've had various minor issues over the years and actual cost of repair has been lower than expected and below what was quoted. Very happy with the service I receive at this shop. Joe is honest, trustworthy, and reliable. Even though I have moved out of the Pasadena area, I will continue to bring my car here. I would highly recommend Nishikawa Auto Service. read more

this was BY FAR the worst experience with an auto shop i have ever encountered! my former mechanic retired about two years ago, and it's been a struggle to find competent and affordable mechanics since then. i've been to the dealership for routine maintenance (and, while competent, we all know that they are always the least affordable option). my car is 14 years old and in very good condition. on my last maintenance appt. i was told that i needed to have the shock absorbers replaced. i searched around and ran across these reviews on yelp and decided to go with 'nishikawa'. HUGE mistake. i called 'joe' a week in advance to set up an appointment. we discussed pricing and the specific type of parts i was willing to pay for. when i showed up for the appt., i should have known that something was off because he seemed to have very little recall of our previous two conversations. not the hugest deal, so i left my keys and went on about my day. he calls around noon to confirm that the shocks indeed needed replacement and quotes my final price (which i approved). a few hours later i called him to check the status of my car. he tells me it's ready, and claims that he'd left me a voicemail (he had not). i go over to pick the car up, pay, and leave. as i'm driving down the street, i can hear a sound coming from the rear of my vehicle (my car made no sounds before, ever). i pull over to check my rear hatch area, and there's nothing out of place. i continue on to complete an errand, and am noticing that the car *still* has that bouncy feel to it while driving. i head back to the shop, tell this to joe (who ignored me and left me standing at the counter for several minutes as though he didn't see me return; he only acknowledged me after i said 'hello' , and mind you this is a tiny shop). he then tells me that he DID NOT test drive my vehicle, and that he DID NOT replace my shocks with the ones we had agreed upon prior!! WTH?!? i just paid him $400 !! he then says that the ones i wanted ended up being "too expensive" and so he made the unilateral decision to not only not inform me of the change in the estimated price, but went ahead and installed the economy shocks without my permission!!! who does this kind of shit?!? needless to say, i will be returning to get my money back. hopefully he does the right thing and this doesn't end up in court. i'm convinced that the reviews written before mine are fake. this man is in no way trustworthy, and his professional integrity is in need of some serious help. i can only hope that this place hasn't done any serious damage to my vehicle; this is a car i am planning to keep in the family for many years to come ... read more

This is only my second time using Nishikawa but I will definitely use them for any future repairs (hopefully not anytime soon)! The customer service is great and the mechanics there truly have the customer in mind when making recommendations and repairs. I 100% recommend them to anyone looking for repairs. read more

So awesome!! I have been going in there since I started driving and my mom has been going there for like the past 20 or 25 years... They always take care of our cars, and do a good job. :] They are absolutely fabulous!! Joe, David, Tony, Rene, and Adell, they are absolutely the best, and so knowledgeable and hardworking. :] read more

I brought my 2012 Toyota to Nishikawa Auto Service for maintenance instead of taking it to the dealer--I will definitely come here from now on! I made an appointment for 8am (they open at 7:30). They asked if I was planning to stay in the area to wait, so I think they even tried to get my car done faster. They told me it would be about 1-1.5 hours, so I hung out at Starbucks right down the street for the first hour then headed back to wait in their waiting room until it was ready. In the past, different Toyota dealer locations have told me that my fuel injection had an unusually high amount of carbon build up. I asked Joe to check it out for me to get a second unbiased opinion about it. He looked at it and told me the dealers were likely just trying to squeeze more money out of me because the carbon buildup wasn't bad at all. He suggested filling up with Costco Premium gas once a month to prevent build up and said that's what he does with his car. Thanks, Nishikawa Auto Service! read more

Straightforward and fair. I took my car into Toyota of Glendale when the check engine light was on. After 2 hours they told me i needed a brand new engine or i couldn't drive my car. Took my car to NISHIKAWA and was told Toyota had been overfilling my car with oil for years (damaging it to the point of no repair essentially). Luckily, a small fix was found to keep me going for a year or so which is exactly what I needed. For full transparency go here! read more

A front turn-signal light and back brake light went out simultaneously yesterday on my '97 Camry, so I thought I'd see if the mechanics at Nishikawa would have time to change them. I told the receptionist that I had previously brought in my car for service; she immediately flagged down a mechanic, and both jobs were done within 5 minutes. When I asked how much I owe, the mechanic told me there was no charge! This used to be the case at Toyota dealers, but hasn't been for a long time. In fact, once in Monterey we paid a dealer $56 to change just one bulb! And we had to wait a half hour. In short, Nishikawa knows how to treat customers well and create customer loyalty. I will not be using a dealer again any time soon. read more

I come here regularly for oil changes and never had any issues. They always do a great job explaining everything and it's always been easy to make an appointment and pick up my car at the end of the day. read more

This is the best auto shop to go to whenever you have car issues! Joe helped me out and he is totally down to earth and friendly! He will tell you the truth about what's going on with your car and not lie about it like other mechanics! They have a great friendly environment. Best auto shop ever!!! read more