Japanese Auto Repair

Chris

★★☆☆☆

a year ago

I was very hesitant about leaving this review but I felt this is a good opportunity to bring other consumers awareness and to come here with caution. I left my 1995 4runner 3.0 here over a course of over 2 weeks (originally I did not imagine it taking over a week). I requested an inspection of the overall health of the vehicle. A few days later I hear back and no surprise there is a long list of issues. Some critical and some not so much. I thought I made it very clear to John on the phone AND through email that I only wanted the serious issues done the others can wait unless noted otherwise. I clearly mentioned not to replace the timing belt since it has already been done but he may replace the timing bearing which he said made a lot of noise (I didnt notice). To make a long story short he replaced the timing belt without my permission which racked up the bill to $5,100 which is about the value of the car. He also changed the brakes which he said was a safety hazard and honestly I did not think so. The brakes still arent the strongest. When I came in to pick up I had no idea he did the belt as well so I was SHOCKED especially when everything was clear between us. I mentioned it and he did take $300 but the bill was still $4800. I had to choose between my rent and mothers day gift this year. I imagined the bill to be $3500 max but I was completely wrong. I posted an image of an email clearly stating the work I want done. I would be willing to move on and delete this review if I get a refund for the unexpected service I did not ask for. COME HERE WITH CAUTION!

Whitney Delk

★★★★★

2 years ago

Simply the best of the best. I’ve been taking my 1997 Toyota Tacoma to John for years. He’s friendly, knowledgeable, and honest. Always a quick turnaround, reasonably priced, a true gem. The only mechanic I trust with my truck. Thank you for keeping my baby up and running!

Joanna Cutler

★★★★★

2 years ago

I love these guys! I went in for an oil change, knowing I had waited too long since I was distracted by my new baby. And I came out only needing an oil change and some fluids topped off. They said my filters looked good. But I love NOT being told that I need hundreds of dollars of extra stuff, which is what always happened at the dealership and other repair shops too. It makes me happy I have a reliable car, and happy I've found these guys. They're also always pleasant to deal with and talk with!

Tom Hering

★★★★★

a year ago

Experienced and responsive service is what I've come to expect with Japanese Auto Repair over the past 7 years. Indeed, that high integrity, trusted relationship is what I value most with John, Francis and company. Count me a happy and loyal long-time customer!

Wren Harris

★★★★★

2 years ago

They have done great work taking care of my Toyota Tacoma over the last couple years. Always friendly and have a quick turn around. When I knew my brakes needed work they did a great job explaining the logic, cost breakdown and timeline of the services they recommended. I cross checked their recommendations with my previous mechanic from another city, and was able to confirm that it was a wise course of action. They were easy to communicate with and made quick work of it. Everything's been running perfectly since! Also like the vibes of the shop, it’s cool in there.

Skyi

★★★★★

a year ago

Every time I take my vehicle in, I receive excellent service and my vehicle's problems are fixed! They do great work in great time! I've recommended them to a few people as well, and they've all been very satisfied customers!

Vanessa Nix Anthony

★★★★★

a year ago

John and his staff at Japanese Auto Repair SAVED us. We only have one car (a 2006 Honda Accord) that our whole family relies on. We first took our car into the dealership to have some things on our car checked out (brakes and muffler) — the quote came back almost $4000!!! To say we were stunned is an understatement. The car's Blue Book value is barely $3k. We immediately told them NOT to do any work and we began looking around for a good, reputable shop to take our car in to. When we saw the stellar reviews all over the web for JAR, we decided to give them a call. John immediately made us feel at ease. We explained our situation and he too, seemed shocked at the pricing. He freely gave us a ballpark quote (sight unseen but let us know this could change once he saw the car, depending on its condition). He was able to get us into the schedule right away. Once he got the car, he called us within a couple hours of drop-off and let us know that the entire muffler was basically rusted off and that it seemed to have been a non-Honda part. He gave us the final quote for the repair (which was pretty much the same as his ballpark) and then said he would try to do all of it (brakes and muffler) in one day. When all was said and done, John and his staff at JAR saved us SO MUCH time and money, doing the job for HALF the price the dealership quoted. His entire staff was kind, personable, and professional. Our car feels like a dream now, running so much smoother and quieter. We are so grateful for the honest, kind, and fairly priced service we received at JAR. They've earned a loyal customer for life!

Joe Lesher

★☆☆☆☆

9 months ago

Took my car to get an issue with the air conditioning fixed. $500 later they called to say it was fixed only to have the problem reappear the first time I turned on the AC. The guy I spoke with (Chris?) was defensive and said I'd need to bring back for more work without any nod towards the fact that they did shoddy work, inconvenienced me and didn't get it done right. I highly recommend that you take your business elsewhere.

Andrew Patoski

★★★★★

a year ago

I've taken my Honda into Japanese Auto Repair twice now (for separate issues) and have been thoroughly satisfied with their work. Neither fixes have been cheap, but they've addressed the issues that brought me in which leaves me a happy customer. I will also note that the first issue I had, I had tried getting solved at the Honda dealership in Vancouver twice to no avail. Maybe it says more about the service department over there, but I do think it's a testament to the service provided at Japanese Auto Repair that I only had to take my car in once to them and they had it diagnosed and fixed by the end of the same day I had brought it in.

Meoweoke Meowaoke

★★★★★

11 months ago

I’ve had my 2007 Mazda3 there twice - both times, the work came in UNDER estimate. That never happens! They’re also super fast and great communicators. Love this place!

Karl Keener

★★★★★

8 months ago

Japanese Auto Repair is the best! They always get me in when I have a problem in need of immediate attention. A few days ago a series of five warning signs popped up when I was 40 miles from home and 15 miles from the nearest highway. I called them, and they let me bring my car right in. My car was ready in a few hours and the bill was not nearly as bad as I had feared. I am so glad I switched from the dealer's service department a few years ago.

Thomas Figliulo

★★★★☆

4 months ago

Older Toyota owners beware. I've Been coming here for years and recently called to get some work done (a diagnostic check) on my 92 pickup. They turned me away saying they changed ownership and the new mechanics can't work on 22re's, which is a Japanese classic.

John Petersen

★★★★★

6 months ago

They've taken care of my Subaru Crosstrek since I moved to Portland 2 1/2 years ago. They know and deal with all things Subaru--a great place for care care and maintenance--with experienced, helpful people.

Tyler Cruickshank

★★★★★

a year ago

I went in about 6 months ago to get a timing belt replacement on my 1987 Nissan 300ZX Z31, and it went amazing. They were extremely friendly and welcoming, and we had a good chat. There was a problem however, in less that 4000 miles, my timing belt was destroyed (picture of that below), and that is a big problem considering that I have an interference engine, so I got it towed home, and looked at all of the visible belts... no damage. Then I took of the timing cover that covers the timing belt, and I saw my timing belt was rubbing on something and had started to burn. I was extremely scared about my car because I love my car more than anything. Last week, I went in and explained my situation to JAR, and they were EXTREMELY kind about it and assured me that if it was their fault, they would fix it. So I towed my cat into the shop and they got to work right away, it took about 1 day (work days) to get my car running again, and before they put everything back on, they had me come to the shop to look at it to make sure that nothing was wrong, and it looked great! So they put everything back on, and I picked up my car the next day. Really helpful and friendly staff, that unlike other shops, actually care about your car and helping you. I had no mode of transportation for a little bit, but that was the least of my worries, and they helped me so much. I will definitely be bringing my car back here if I need a shop, and am going to reccomend it to other people based on the environment of the shop. Thank you JAR for being an amazing shop!

Action Jackson

★★★★★

5 months ago

We brought in our 2008 Mazda 3 more than a month ago and knew it was idling poorly at stops and not running as well as it had. The team looked over the car, found a vacuum leak, and also noticed that there was pooling oil around the spark plugs, and recommended replacing the plugs and the valve cover gasket. After the work, which was priced fairly and explained fully and in detail, the car has been running really well. Thank you!!!

sam weese

★☆☆☆☆

5 months ago

Would NOT recommend this shop. I dropped off my car for a diagnostic check and TOLD THEM THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ONE AND WHY (I used a code reader before coming). Flash forward a few hours they call me and explain that they have "found" the reason for the check engine light being on and that they are "going to be unable to complete a full diagnostic on a car if it has an immediate problem such as that". When I asked for more information they just read what their code reader said and that was it. That however did not stop them for charging me for the 1/2 hour of labor just to tell me EXACTLY what I told them when I dropped of the vehicle. If you knew you would be unable to complete a full diagnostic check because of the check engine, why would you not say so when I dropped it off and avoid the hassle and charge??? Pretty scummy move imo and the dude at the counter had the horrible attitude of someone who believes they talk with idiots all day for his job and you're one of them. TLDR: Charged me to tell me a problem that I told them when I dropped it off.

Keith Rofinot

★☆☆☆☆

5 months ago

Bought a car that had the timing belt and water pump replaced less than 12 months ago. Verified by them. It’s making a noise from behind the cover (verified by a Toyota mechanic) and they said it could be the serpentine belt tensioner (which is not behind the cover), must have thought I don’t know anything about cars…..Stated they only warranty their work for the original owner. Take what you will from this review.