Albany Auto Repair

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).

I took an 11 year old car to Nippon and owner Tom said he could keep it running for me. And he did, for an additional 15 years. I've always had speedy, top notch service with Nippon. I've referred a number of friends to them. All the individuals who work there are knowledgeable, concerned, and helpful. I wouldn't consider going anywhere else.

Nippon is fast, very friendly and have competitive prices. Tom has told me NOT to fix things which I take as a good sign. Because I've done business with them over the years Tom or one of his mechanics will deal with little "pains in the" on the spot, usually for no charge if it's just some kind of adjustment. This place has been around a long time and they do know their cars - most are Japanese but they did a fine job tending to an old Buick of mine. This is the kind of experience that shows small business at its best. Definite thumbs up.

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.

I've been bringing my Toyota vehicles to Tom for over 25 years. I found him when I was paying other mechanics to fix a problem in one of my small trucks, and no one could do it. A friend referred me, Tom found it quickly, and I think he only charged me for the parts at the time. That was it for me, I have always felt he was a mechanic I could trust, and that he would never create maintenance issues with my vehicles just to generate $. If he said something needed attention, then it really did. Even retiring and moving to Sonoma County, I still drive down with my Toyota for its regular service. My friends up here recommend different mechanics from time to time, and I just quietly smile, and keep driving down to Tom's. Never a problem, never an issue, always good, polite, respectful and high quality mechanical service.