Albany Auto Repair

If you are looking for a mechanic, stop here - you've found him. Tom is trustworthy, great to work with. he has taken care of all of my cars for years and I've never had a problem with his repairs and maintenance. He always lets me know which repairs are important and which ones can wait - and how long they can wait. He's great at diagnosing "it's making a funny noise" problems and I never feel like he's doing unecessary work - in fact, a couple of times his inspections turned up problems that the local dealer claimed to have fix but actually hadn't. I found Tom after getting HUGE estimate from the dealer. I took it to Tom and he not only did the work for much less without seeing the dealer's estimate first, but also told me that much of the work the dealer advised what not necessary. He's honest, he does great work, really cares about his customers and seems to work on every kind of car. Nippon European is the place to go

So I'm driving and then all of a sudden, my car decided to die on the Bay Bridge. I was like ummm car, we are on the ^$#^%#@^$%&% Bay Bridge. You can't do that $%## over %$#%#$% water! That was the conversation that I had with my alternator. Apparently that's why it decided to stop working. So I was towed to a random, AAA-recommended place where they looked at my car and fixed my alternator at a reasonable price (we aren't supposed to put prices, right?) They even put a new belt. They also included a AAA-discount. It was scary for me because it was like Russian Roulette for mechanics. And I just had to choose and tell the tow-truck driver where to go. The man that helped me was AWESOME. I have serious trust issues when it comes to mechanics. Well, when it comes to life. But he was super helpful and there was another customer that had been going to him for over 25 years. The only thing I've done consistently for 25 years is eat meals. So I took a chance and they worked on my car. He also arranged for a ride to the BART station so that I could get to work in time for my meeting. The car was ready within 24 hours. Yes and YES! I plan to come for my oil change. I love my car! It's a Mercedes and Nippon specializes in European cars. It's a 2003 so I'd like it to last until 2033 :)

I couldn't be happier with the service I received at Nippon. I brought my car in after an accident, but when I got my car back it was in even better shape that when I originally bought it! They really have an eye for detail and went the extra mile to fix little things I had never even mentioned when I dropped the car off, all while delivering at the previously estimated price. I think this is the best alignment job I've ever had; the car just feels amazing. I am looking forward to bringing my car back and having all the other little troubles sorted out soon. Thanks, Nippon.

Everyone at Nippon is excellent. The service is top notch. Tom has kept four of our cars in the best condition possible throughout many years.

I have particular gratitude for experts who are honest as well as competent, and none more so than for auto mechanics, since I am so ignorant about cars. Each time we move across country and look for a new mechanic, I wonder if we will ever be lucky again. Good news! Tom has looked after our two cars (Toyota Matrixes, one after the other) since we arrived back in the Bay Area in 2007. Last week I dropped by to ask about something and Tom's sharp eye and habit of scanning the car led him to notice a screw in my tire, which would soon have been flat. He had his guy mend it right there in a few minutes and sent me on my way without asking for payment. Two pieces of luck: 1) that Tom saw the screw, 2) that we found him in the first place. Not luck: Tom's competence, honesty and simple niceness. If either of us was Jewish I'd call him a mensch: the highest praise (and I'm not sure what either the English or Japanese translation of that is).

This is the first time I went to these guys for a very minor repair, fasten the undercover (skid plate) to my car that came off (or forgotten to be bolted on by the dealership that did my oil change!) Juan was very friendly and helpful. The service was quick. I will consider going to these guys when I need any other work done.

I've taken my car here twice. A friend of ours recommended them. I have a Mercedes e500 and needless to say maintenance and repairs can be outrageously priced. My first trip there, I had to have work done on the air struts. They searched around for the best price on parts. Although the entire service was expensive, it was much less expensive than the dealer and I felt Matthew really had my best interest and not the profit of the garage in mind. I recently returned due to the crankshaft position sensor and other issues. Again, the team at Nippon was great. The car was ready for me the same day. This place is highly trustworthy and I won't take my car anywhere else.

I just came off one of the best auto service/repair experiences in the 11 years I have owned a BMW 745i. I am a fastidious owner/driver who is equally demanding of the level of service the car receives. I previously serviced the car at the dealership since purchase, but decided this time to venture away from the 'abstracted experience, high-overhead' of a dealership. If your vehicle is off warranty-and it took me way too long to come to this recognition by force of habit-give a shot to Nippon European.To interface with the person who will actually perform the work explain procedure, cost of parts & labor and potential future repairs is refreshing. I'd forgotten this experience. I went to Nippon European on recommendation of a friend who drives an Audi and I am very pleased to have taken the leap. Tom and Matt are conscientious & thorough technicians with a level of service that one would consistently like to associate with a family-owned & local business. Their reputation is founded on sincerity and honesty in their dealings with customers. They provided feedback and confirmation twice during the service and repairs I had them perform. Local businesses sustain and prosper on word-of-mouth advertising and referrals-the most effective method in my own opinion. I am pleased to recommend Tom and Matt to BMW or Audi drivers who are particular about their vehicles and seek value, courtesy and thoroughness for their service/repair dollar.

I have been taking all my cars( Lexus, Toyota, Subaru & Ford) to Nippon European Motors since 1997. Tom the owner knows how to work on cars, he's thorough, does great work, because he listen to customers need and is always honest and up front. I feel proud to call him my friend and lucky to have a mechanic I can trust!

My family has been going to this mechanic for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the east bay but several years ago my mom moved 3 hours away, yet she still drives her Honda all the way to the East Bay for tune-ups. When I was in college (an hour away) she insisted I bring my Volkswagen back to Tom any time it needed care. I can't tell you how many times Tom has told me that he watches over my far as thoroughly as he would his daughter's, and it's clear he means it. The service at Nippon European Motors has always been exemplary and they do great work, but there are a few occasions on which the team at Nippon European Motors have gone above and beyond the call of duty: (1) A house I was living in a while back burned down in a pretty ugly fire, and my car was stuck directly adjacent to the fire source. I couldn't get back into the house and therefore had no idea if the room where my car keys were had been severely damaged. I called Tom and he stayed late at work trying to get a rush order for a replacement key from VW. When I recovered my car it was pretty damaged from the heat and burning debris, but Tom's team checked to make sure the damage was all superficial and that nothing needed repair, free of charge. (2) After being away for a month, I came home to a car that wouldn't start. I had it towed to NEM but suddenly it started just fine. Tom was out of town at the time so I was working with his team. Rather than giving it back to me saying that it seems to be fine, they kept the car for several days while they tried to figure out what the problem was, but only charged me the basic diagnosis fee. At the time they didn't have enough information to figure out what was going on, but they made it clear that if any further problems occurred there would be no further diagnosis fee. An additional problem did come up, which turned out to be unrelated, and they still waived the fee. When the original problem was came up again yesterday (FINALLY with a corresponding check-engine-light so they could actually diagnose it), I brought it back to the shop, and Tom figured out it was a faulty fuel injector cable, which he swapped out in 5 minutes and sent me on my way without charging me a dime. (3) There is actually no point 3 except to say that the service and expertise at this shop is exemplary. Every time I go into the shop they go above and beyond the call of duty and furthermore, I have only witnessed courteous service towards other customers during the (large amount of) time I have spent in their shop. I have no point of comparison because I have never needed or wanted to go anywhere else. When my car finally bites the dust I am buying another European import so I can continue to have the most reliable mechanic I know.