Charged for services other auto shops offer for free and when you ask why... they say "Oh well you signed the estimate...to Bad" . Guys, not everyone knows that Brake Inspections are free at many shops. Just because someone signs an estimate and paid you for the services doesn't mean that others shouldn't know about how you handled it and go elsewhere ! read more

We needed a fairly basic oil change service for our car that is now out of warranty and we didn't want to pay dealer prices. We were referred to Valley Import Center. I went there last week without an appointment and they welcomed me, explained everything that Acura recommends for the service warning that came up on our display. Because it would take a couple hours, they gave me a ride home in their shuttle car and offered to pick me up when the car was done. Their shuttle driver, Linda, was very pleasant and we had great conversations during our commute each direction. Their pricing was fair, their service is excellent, the people are all very friendly and engaging, just like you're going to a place you've been many times. They treat you like one of the "family". They have a board with pictures of cars that have gone over 200K, 300K, 400K. Very impressive, indeed! We'll be going back and are delighted to have found them. read more

They did a great job servicing my volkswagen. Everything was completed perfectly, and on-time. I can definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a great shop to get their car repaired. read more

Needed a smog test on a mid-engine car. Other places were quoting high prices for a smog test due to the labor involved. Their price was the cheapest, communication the best, and they got it done very quickly. Highly recommend. read more

Our daughter attends college north of the border, where the winter has been especially brutal and icy over the last month. Our plan had been to give her my 2005 Toyota Rav-4 for the 2022/23 school year, since it was a 4WD model. The problem was that around August of 2021, about a year before she actually needed the vehicle, it began cutting out sporadically & unpredictably. Over the next nine or ten months, the problem proved difficult to trace, and our usual local mechanic was unable to determine the cause. Valley Import Center had come recommended, so we took it there. Even for V.I.C's engine guru Rob, it took a while to trace. Both he & I thought the ignition had been turning off during the power loss episodes. Eventually, with a lot of determination and diligence, Rob figured out it was in fact a relatively inexpensive part called a mass air flow sensor - a part that almost never fails on four cylinder Toyotas of this vintage. A small electrical component within the sensor was killing the gas flow, not the spark plugs, but our local mechanic - a former Toyota service manager himself - overlooked it since he never saw a mass air flow sensor fail on this engine. It did take some time and run into some expense due to the hours involved, but the alternative would have been to purchase a new car at a time when auto prices were hitting all-time peaks. Plus neither my daughter nor I cared for the newer, bulkier Rav-4's. This review is half a year overdue, but these guys are incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to deal with. They may be overkill for simple oil changes & such, but for the hard-to-diagnose stuff that pops up on newer cars, we are all lucky to have them in the tri-valley area. Strongly recommended! read more

Any auto repair shop or mechanic is " hit or miss ". The best advice is " be vigilant ", sometimes they CAN make mistake(s) on/mess-up your car. Post BAD reviews is not my cup of tea. My car's first DX service, this place gave me a laundry list of presumed car problems totaled close to $4,000 to fix. read more

Cannot say enough good things about this shop. My daughter's VW jetta had an oil leak that had been misdiagnosed by another local shop; for complicated reasons, we ended up at Valley Import, and not only did they diagnose and fix the real problem, they did it ONE DAY EARLIER than expected. Went out of their way to make sure they were ahead of the deadline I gave them. Very competent a pleasant, which is very refreshing in that field. read more

Just finished a '62 impala wagon and amazingly couldn't find someone to do a simple alignment (all the suspension on the car was upgraded, so I could understand some peoples hesitation). In comes the crew at Valley Import Center. They nailed it for me. Specs were way off and they dialed it in. Took some time, at one point they had wrapped up and weren't completely satisfied so they did it completely over. Got to love that kind of perfection! Car is night and day better to drive now. read more

This shop is awesome! I brought my 2003 Mercedes ML 350 in for service and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I read from the Yelp reviews that these guys were fair and would not try to sell you service that you did not need. I needed a maintenance B (whatever that is) and to check the A/C (it wasn't working). I worked with Mark and he explained everything in a manner that I could understand. Mark let me know what was critical, what could wait, and what was up to me if I wanted to spend the money. I was very pleasantly surprised when what I actually paid was less than the estimate that he presented. I will and have already recommended their shop to to anyone that needs to have their car serviced. I know I have found my shop any car that I own. Thank you Valley Import Center! read more

I would agree with another reviewer that this used to be our go-to auto repair shop for over a decade. It is local, provides transportation from the shop to your home or work, I liked (still like) the mechanics, and the prices were comparable to the dealership. I referred anyone who asked me to come here. However, after our latest experience, we can't go back. It's because on two separate occasions, we ended up paying more than we originally to pay due to scope creep. It may not bother you, but it bothers me ... because it's about trust. How does it happen? Incrementally. You bring your car in for a $133 diagnosis (plug the car into the computer and decode the check-engine warning), and end up paying $318 for the diagnosis AND the labor involved in pulling apart the engine to illustrate the issue (140% increase in estimated costs). Why did they do it? I suspect that, once the engine is pulled apart, it would be easier to convince me to have them (rather than the dealership) repair the vehicle. I was grumpy about it, but I paid it - chalking it up to an issue of miscommunication. Fast forward a week, and we end up having Valley Import repair the vehicle. This time, I clarify that pre-authorization is required BEFORE any additional work (beyond what is described in the estimate) is undertaken. Things proceed smoothly until my spouse - who has been communicating with them about the technical aspects of the repair - gets a request about the need for additional work. Scope creep again. And it would have been okay ... if it weren't for the fact that the service was already performed by the time the call was made. The follow-up conversation with the service consultant was a tremendous disappointment ... a complete failure to acknowledge the issue and the blame was somehow attributed to a miscommunication with my spouse. The audacity. I would have given them a 1-Start rating, but I do want to acknowledge we haven't had an issue with the mechanical work. Therefore, to be fair, they get 2 Stars. It still may be a place for you if convenience and responsiveness is important. We just can't go there because we have to be able to trust them to represent all of our interests (including our financial interests), not just their mechanical work or efficiency. read more

Took my son's 2009 VW GTI in today as the air was blowing HOT! Mark gave us a friendly greeting, wrote us up and had us out in no time. A couple hours later he called with the diagnosis, repair plan and costs. We picked the GTI up two hours later, air conditioning working great, no sticker shock or adds and even was given a $25.00 discount for being a first timer! We will be back to San Ramon Valley Import Center again. read more

The staff at the Valley Import Center are extremely knowledgable and trustworthy. My family has been going here for years, and through all the owners the place has been amazing. Recently my dad had a new clutch installed when Chris owned the place. The clutch went out after about 12,000 miles (to be fair, these miles happened when my dad was teaching me to drive a stick). My dad came back to have a new one installed, and Mr. Sun (the new owner) installed a new one for free because the old one failed so soon. The service is excellent, and you may even get a free car washing out of the deal! Jeff, the service writer, is the best and won't treat you like an idiot. Jeff knows nearly every customer by name, and has a great sense of humor. If you are looking for an auto repair shop in San Ramon, the Valley Import Center is the place to go. If your car breaks down, and you have a Valley Import Center license plate, they'll tow your car for free. If you live or work within fifteen miles of the Valley Import Center, they'll also drive you to and from the center for free. read more

This used to be our favorite place to have our cars serviced and repaired. Then Ian Cook sold the business to his son Jeff and then Jeff sold to another owner and things just continued to go down hill for us. We starting going to Valley Import Center to have a better experience than at the dealer -- and for a time under Ian Cook's ownership we received just that. Then things changed. To be specific, we experienced, higher prices over time, items not fixed right the first time, some up selling as you find at a dealer, and items not caught during normal service (such as a battery that died three days after having service.) It got so bad that we took our not so happy Nissan Maxima to the dealer for service and received better service at the same or lower prices. We now have our Honda Van serviced at the Honda dealer, our 2006 BMW serviced at the BMW dealer and our other cars serviced at Jeff's Performance Auto in Dublin, which I highly recommend. read more

"Serving All Your Domestic & Import Vehicle Needs For 25 Years! Ask About Our Industry-Leading 25,000 Mile / 25 Month Warranty" Chris Cook and his staff are so cool. Have been bringing my cars here for tune-ups for nearly half my life. Chris took over the business from his dad, Ian. They have a long history of excellent service and are always going out of their way to improve however they can. It's nice to see familiar faces that remember you as well. Their wall of customers with high-mileage cars in excellent condition are testimony to their service. UPDATE: Chris and his young family made the move to Idaho, but long-time automotive local, Chengdong Sun, has taken over the reigns. The staff remains the same and the Chris dollars are still honored. read more

Took my car in for a 100,000 mile check. I had an appointment, but they let two people without appointments go ahead of me. Then those same two people got free rental cars, while they drove me to hertz. Estimate was $275. Ended up paying $2850! Next day, my car broke down and need to be towed back for more repairs. Two years later, I take my car to another shop. They found that not only were the hoses never replaced from the 100,000 mile check, but my engine filter was missing. I guess Valley Import forgot to put it back in. Let's just hope that it won't cost me another $2850 to repair the damage done from the absent filter. read more

LOVE THESE GUYS! they are great! I just bought a used car, and they checked it out, and fixed it up. They gave me a list of things that needed to be done to it, and told me which things needed to be done immediately, and what could wait until my next service. They didn't force me to have anything done on my car unless it was for my safety. They are totally cool, and my family has been taking our cars there forever. They are knowledgeable about all cars and they recommended makes and models of cars for me to look at for purchase. Jeff is a huge help, and I always look for him, but all of their mechanics are fabulous!! read more

Brought my truck in two times to figure out what was causing the rough idle. First off, they charged me $200 to tell me there IS something wrong, and another $250 for a compression and leakdown test. The results of the test? "There may be something wrong, but we need to look deeper." How much deeper? Answer: Another $500-$1000 to remove cyl head and inspect further. Even this wouldn't guarantee them finding the issue! All this, for a truck that isn't even worth what they want to charge me. What did I do? I brought it to another shop who didn't charge me to find the problem, but instead, gave me an estimate for the problem itself. Don't believe the hype, VIC will rob you! They're all scammers! read more

Consistently excellent and reasonably priced service for our automobiles, with a friendly and honest approach to customer service. We are very meticulous with our automobiles, so we appreciate how the team at San Ramon Valley Import Center are extremely professional and careful to deliver quality work in all aspects. Highly recommend this repair company! Frank and Judy read more

I have had my car move a couple of times from out of State. Low and behold when you use this expensive services, one time is enough to have your car damaged. I started driving it after I received it from the carrier company and there was just something NOT right with my little girl! I was suspecting something could have caused something in the car to be broken or else. Well I yelped a couple of places in San Ramon, One of them was the German place but they never returned my call. Very next day I had Jeff's email replying to my email and inquires. He had asked me to bring the car in for a check up and he will let me know what was the deal with it. I stopped in there, left my car and had a ride back to work, although they do serve within mileage radius courtesy rides which I though it was nice but I did not need. He told me later on same day the sway bar was broken, Well I knew there was something wrong with the vehicle. I had mentioned to him I had just received the car from carrier and he actually explained to me that this damaged on the car was not due to my very high maneuver and driving skills :) but it appeared that something had jacked the bar off. Well after going on back and forth with every detail and piece of information for me to clearly understand what was the diagnostic without a single doubt he fixed it. He was right to the point with information and he was very good telling me how much would cost me and he wouldn't fix it unless I gave green light. Once I told him to go ahead I received my car within two days. It was cleaned, vacuumed and impeccably beautiful. He also was very polite and helpful when it came to Lawyers to dispute the charge to them providing to refund me for the damage and kindly provided all kind of paperwork copies. I took my car once again after I got it back for another check up and everything was OK. I really got very happy with Valley Import Services and Jeff's service quality was splendid. read more

We have been having our cars repaired at San Ramon Valley Import Center for almost 10 years. We have a BMW 530i and a Buick Park Avenue. Valley Import Center has never failed to correctly diagnose and repair -- for a very reasonable price -- every problem our cars have had. The folks at Valley Import are extremely knowledgeable and customer focused and they have never failed to fix even the most perplexing of our car problems. Recently, our Buick developed an engine leak that cost a significant amount of money to repair. Jeff (our go-to guy at Valley Import) helped us understand the problem and decide whether or not to make the needed repairs (we didn't). We've never been pressured and it has become obvious that Valley Import's business approach is to develop long term customer relationships rather than turn a short term profit. They have earned our trust and respect. This shop is run with integrity as well as expertise. read more

We've been taking our cars here for years: a Lexus SUV, Ford Fusion Hybrid and my Mini Cooper. The service is reliable, reasonable and they have really nice people. I always get good explanations of the work before, during and after. The miles are adding up but the cars have been well taken care of so we are in very good shape! read more

I have had two experiences with these guys. The first was I had taken our family Sequoia here before a long road trip from California to Louisiana. I told them "let me know what it needs before I load my family into this thing and drive for 4500 miles". When I got a call back they said "you could use an oil change and in another 10K miles some new back brakes." So they basically had a blank check and could have tacked on a bunch of work that didn't need to be done. But they didn't because thats not how these guys work. Second was I took my mother in Forrester there to get a rough idle worked out. I can't confirm it but I think they worked on it far longer than they charged me for. They got it worked out and charged me what we both thought was a very fair price. They are really accommodating and always seem to get the job done in an honest way. read more

THANK YOU Jeff!!!!!! Brought my my car because it wasn't passing smog - took it to 2 different places and they insisted I needed a new catalytic converter (1500 just for the part). The issue was not the converter - it needed to run through some cycles in order to get the sensors running. They saved me so much money! If you're looking for a trustworthy, reliable and fast shop - don't delay this is your place. read more

Went to get my Oil Change, Filter Replaced plus Alignment for my SLK. Jeff was awesome! He gave me a new customer discount, plus an additional 10% off, and I paid way less then what I've been normally charged at Import Doctors. But then when I pull out, all of a sudden my window doesn't want to roll up. So I went back to Jeff and he fixed it for free. It seems it was just a coincidence that my window started having problems as well. I noticed my Coolant light was showing and Jeff fixed the issue without a problem (Something that Import Doctors had supposedly fixed). The pick-up and drop-off service was awesome too. Very nice driver/mechanic! It's hard to find a shop that's honest and doesn't try to sell you what you don't need. Jeff and his team are the exact opposite of others out there that give good mechanics/shops a bad name. I would highly recommend this shop. 100% Quality Work, Very Honest and best priced! read more

Ok, I have been going to this fine establishment for 15+ years! Should have done this review years ago. As I am not one to write long, drawn out reviews let me net this out: - You can't go wrong going to these guys. The service is top-notch. A++ - Jeff, Mark, Rob, Sun and everyone else are trustworthy and they don't try and "sell" you stuff you don't need. It is just straight up honest service. - If anything comes up while they are servicing your car, you will get a friendly phone call and they provide options for you. - I have had several cars serviced by them over the years from trucks, SUV's, small cars and even my 1968 Ford Mustang that has been in the family for years. They can handle basically anything. Unfortunately, we are moving out of state and won't be able to use these guys anymore. I am truly bummed and will miss them. Now stop reading, call them, and get the auto service you deserve! read more

I had an aftermarket bump steer kit installed on my car.. it misaligned the front wheels.. these guys not only aligned the four wheel to factory spec, they even looked up the installed bump steer kit specs to make sure it would work nicely with my car.. my car drives and handles beautifully. Thank you. read more

The service here is excellent. The people who work here are prompt and polite. The staff is also knowledgeable, so I've never had a problem with the quality of work done on my car. I also really liked how easy it was to setup an appointment, drop off my car, get a ride home, and have my car done exactly when they said it would be done. Other places can be unreliable for scheduling, but Valley Import has always been perfect in that regard. read more

Summary: Recommended by Costco tire services in Livermore. Good price, good customer service. Will recommend and come back for other repairs. Tip1: You have to get an appointment before coming in or call first to make sure as this shop is sometimes full. Tip2: You have to make sure to get the people's name that is handling your car or the service advisor so if you have issues you can always discuss with the same guy. Tip3: Check their website first instead of the coupon that Costco emails you, their website coupon is better. My wife brought her GL here after tire replacement. Costco recommended them with 15% coupon. Alignment was done in a breeze with the coupon applied. After I paid I checked their website and they have their own promo with $25 off of the service, should have gotten that instead of the 15% discount. Alignment was $100. Wife is happy so I brought in my 650 for alignment too. It was fast but when my son picked up my car the top was not working. When I turned it over to them it was working. So I quickly call the service center and the owner or manager told me to bring my car back and will try to figure out what happened. Few hours after the car was fixed. The problem was due to a low voltage battery. They fully charged the battery and advised me on what to do next, for free. They questioned a bit that it was not their fault etc but accepted that fact that when i turned it over to them everything was functioning well. Overall experience was good. I'm giving a 4-star due to the fact that they never mentioned that they were running a better promo for first-time customers in their website instead of using Costco discount. read more

Needed to get my brakes done and oil change. They did it at a good price and gave me realistic time windows of when the car will be ready. They don't to sell you on extra and are honest on their work and parts they sale you. read more

Like Valley Import Center very much. Much better than some dealerships that try to rip you off.

My search for a trusted Auto Mechanic/Shop is over. The staff at San Ramon Valley Import Center are friendly, direct, extremely knowledgeable and very passionate about their work. They completed the work on my vehicle in a timely manner and kept me in the loop on what is being done. No surprises. This will be my go to shop for all of my auto needs (smog station coming soon!). Great group here. Check them out! read more

We have been going to this shop for years now and love them! They are honest and straightforward and we trust them to do right by us. So glad we found them! read more

These guys deserve more than 5 stars. We've been bringing our cars here for a few years now. Recently we took our daughter's car in and they called with a quote to fix the car and also to say they found a nail in her tire and that they're fixing that at no charge. Wow - awesome! She would most likely have had a flat and been stranded somewhere. When we get our quotes we're shocked - not at the high prices, but at the "oh wow, that's not as bad as I was expecting" results. They're quick and do good work and they have a free shuttle service. read more

Very trustworthy and nice people. They do quotes and diagnosis quickly and correctly. They also will recommend the dealership if the fix is covered by a warranty. I really appreciate this mechanic and will continue to come back. read more

Best i ever had!easy booking!they start ON TIME and the staff are very knowledgeable! Will definitely come back!

There are three people you should trust: your doctor, your lawyer and your mechanic. Each individual provides a service that's based on trust. I have been using Valley Import Center service for twenty-plus years and over those years we have serviced four vehicles with great customer service. Valley Import Center has trained technicians to keep your car in excellent condition. Now Valley Import is under new ownership. Rob, the new owner, has worked at Valley Import as the a mechanic for over twenty years. Rob knows the business, and has excellent customer skills, expert mechanical experience, and will carry forward the spirit and excellence of Valley Import Center. So I say with great admiration to Rob, good luck, may your next twenty years be as successful as the last twenty. I can relax knowing that my truck will be well maintained for the next twenty years! read more

Very good thorough and detailed. Everything explained and documented in details. Great shuttle service!

All around excellent service! Very trustworthy - they do not "up sell". If your car truly needs it, they will clearly explain why and you can trust a) will be serviced perfectly b) will be completed on time c) quote a fair price d) excellent communication from start to finish. Great People too! Jeff has been our primary contact for 15+ years - you'll love working with him. If you want a long-term "high trust" car service relationship - a "go to", give this team a shot..... read more

Friendly, knowledgable staff (Rob, Jeff, Mark) and great customer service. Will definitely come back again for future car service. They offer shuttle service to and from home/work, and Linda who is the driver is awesome. Highly recommend to all, you will be pleased! read more

Again, superb work and service! 5-STARS! My BWM X5 is 2003 so parts are old and starting to break. Had to fix CV Boots (Axle), Belts, Thrust Bushings (Alignment), AC Condensor Fan, Radiator, and other things. Saved at least a thousand $$$ over the dealer and hundreds over the next best local European car repair shop. Jeff was great in explaining all the work that was needed. Of course, I had second opinions and Jeff was spot on with the repairs! It's hard to find an honest car repair shop with great service and fair pricing, but I found it with SR Valley Import Center -- They are a rare find. If you go to the shop ask for Jeff. He's great and does NOT try to lecture you on car repairs NOR sound like a salesman trying to sell you more servicing than you need. A couple of times, he actually tells me NOT to do the work (where as the other shops quoted me to have the work done). They also have a service warranty that beats the dealers and other local shops. On top of that, shuttle service was really convenient! Will continue to bring my cars back to SR Valley Imports...Thanks Jeff! read more