European car repair service near Campbell, CA

Car shaking while driving at speed. Seemed obvious alignment problem. Had alignment done. Received car back WITH NO COMMENT. I drove car and shaking still there. Took car back to tire/alignment shop. Now they tell me it’s the shocks. Something they probably should have noticed and told me already. But I know a little something about cars and it didn’t seem right to me; the car clearly passed the bounce up-and-down test. So I took the car to Expert Auto Care (EAC) being reviewed here. They put the car up on the rack, and within minutes came back to me to show me rattling tie-rod and bad ball joint…OBVIOUS, they were so bad. On the opposite side they showed me an adjustment nut was rust-locked into place and rounded-off. It obviously didn’t happen within the last week, when I had the alignment done, because of the corrosion. You would think the alignment shop would have noticed and told me that too. And how the heck could they do an alignment with either of those problems??? Also, they showed the tire shop we got the tires from (not aligned so), used a single 6oz weight for balancing. EAC said maximum single weight to use, according to state regulations, was 2oz. This is something else you’d think would be noticed by the alignment shop. All in all, EAC ball parked a couple of thousand dollars to service a $2000 car, and suggested it might be better to buy a new/newer car, and we should go home and think about this. Which was very good of them. (Not that I wasn’t going to do that anyway). On the shop wall there is cost of service, and the 20-25min diagnosis should have run between $60-$95, but EAC charged me nothing $0. Which was very very kind of them. I can highly recommend EAC for, at least, diagnosis service honesty. And, based on EAC’s diagnosis (which they showed me) I cannot recommend “Wheel Works of Mt. View” for suspension work.

I have been taking my cars to Say Ray since 1969 - 43 years. When I was out of state for 7.5 of those years, I called them for help with my car and they were always responsive. I drive from Pacifica to take my car to their shop in Palo Alto. Would never take my car anywhere else! -Amy Vossbrinck

Tom and the gang at PV Garage have performed services on my wife's Mercedes ... cleaning out a nasty rat's nest under the hood and repairing the wires they chewed through ... and most recently a brake job on my GMC Yukon. They are easy to work with, very fair, great supporters of the community and all around good guys. Highly recommend. Steve F.

When rating something you don't know a great deal about and whose quality is not immediately apparent, like auto repair, pretty much the entire experience is based on the honesty of the person you deal with, and the price. I've dealt with this place twice, and it was absolutely genuine, as well as affordable. Highly recommend.

Just got a few suspension related stuff fixed at BTM and the folks at BTM Mike and Brad did a fantastic job on the car. At 160k, my bimmeer runs like a brand new one. keep up the good work guys.. -Murthy

I had problem with the engine with my Mercedes and was cautioned about visiting a dealership. A friend recommended this shop and I drove there .Although it was far from San Jose I am glad I did that . They did a good job and fast and were very courteous... I am very happy with their workmanship and reasonable prices. I just wanted to share my good experience with everyone. Two thumbs up! Azar S.

The BEST tire place! The atmosphere of the business is very relaxed and friendly, and they make sure that if you decide to wait there, you're totally comfortable doing so. But more importantly, they're fast and efficient, polite and courteous, and have good pricing with no tricksy upselling. I've bought tires here and had them checked just for tire pressure; nobody made me feel dumb for requesting that simple service. The wonderful person who helped me today was Kurt, and if you ever get to deal with him, he's an angel. He was super kind, knowledgeable, and respectful. He's a huge part of why Redwood General Tire will continue to get my business for years to come.

I took my car to Alex about a week ago. One of the best mechanics I've ever been to. He took the time to check what's wrong with my car and got back to me with a fair estimate and price for labor. I recommend California Auto works to anyone looking for a FAIR price and a good family business. Anyone telling you otherwise is just looking for a cheap deal versus good honest work.

Excellent quality of work and friendly staff. Tom Jameson

I started by taking my Honda here just for a cheap oil change, but when I had other issues, I returned. Issac is unfailingly polite and helpful, and when I had a "check engine light" problem, he told me it was best to try the small and inexpensive fix first, which he did. He also researched the problem on the web, and showed me a recall which may have contributed to the problem. Issac is a born mechanic- he just knows cars! I also feel that he is as honest as the day is long. I know that many people think all mechanics are cheats, but I also know people want their car fixed for a song, or do not value a workers time and ask for lots of "freebies" or at least free advice. Glen D. Santa Cruz, CA

You guys are always the best. Juan was very considerate to explain everything on the phone to me in detail. He made suggestions for when things have to be fixed/replaced at our next visit. I took notes, assuming you guys keep that on file too... really appreciate the great service, thank you as always!