A-1 Auto Repair

I was referred by a friend about a year ago, and I’m glad I was! I’ve been to this place twice now and I’ve decided it’s the best place to get your car worked on. They are honest, hard working, and have fair prices.
My first experience was with Mike. He was very helpful and explained all my options and prices for me. I’m not mechanically inclined when it comes to vehicles, so it’s helpful having someone patient and knowledge.
My most recent experience was with the owner Bubba. He’s a laid back, honesty guy. He gave me a quote on services, and completed the work for less than he estimated. My car wasn’t starting consistently and I needed it fixed fast. His soonest open appointment was 4 days away, but told me I could bring it by and he could try to squeeze it in before the weekend. I was hoping for the next day, but he was able to get it done within hours of me bringing it in!

These guys are AMAZING!
As a woman, it’s pretty common for Mechanics to try to take advantage of us as most of the time, we know nothing of cars. It’s no different for me… I know how to check my oil and change a tire. That’s it. :-p
I have been taking my cars to Bubba at A-​1 Auto for at least 14 years now and not once did I ever feel like they were trying to take advantage of my lack of knowledge. They are fairly priced and I never feel like I’m being overcharged. They stand behind their work and will do everything in their power to keep your vehicle running!
The guys there are great and treat you like family! I will always trust my cars to Bubba and his crew! Thank you guys for everything you do!

Does it get any better than this? No, it doesn’t.
A-​1 Auto Repair from start to finish was well, A-​1.
Bubba, the owner, is who I assume took my call early in the morning. I needed my NGK Iridium spark plugs to be set to a certain gap. A number of other shops on the island said that they were taught not to do that on Iridium plugs.
What was Bubba’s answer to my question? He told me to swing on by (without a need for an appointment) and he would get me up and going. It was almost a joke because it was so simple to him and his shop.
The shop is easy enough to find, but parking can be quite limited. I parked next to their van almost completely blocking in their mechanic, Mike. I apologized for doing so, and he just smiled and said that everything was all good. He had me follow him to the office to meet Bubba. When Bubba heard what I needed, he had Mike instantly start working on my spark plugs. Gapped perfectly to .028″ just like I wanted.
To my surprise, rather than asking me to sit in the office and wait for my car to be finished, Mike invited me to join him as he did the installation. He is a very friendly and welcoming person and was happy to teach me anything that I wanted to know about the process. I normally pull out my hair when anyone works on my car, but Mike’s calm and courteous demeanor put me at ease.
Bubba and Mike both made the experience pleasant and painless. I appreciated their kindness. They also suggested that I make use of what I learned that day to save myself some money next time and do it myself; will do!
*** Treat for me on my visit: Before I went down to the shop, I looked through all of their pictures to find Henry Kapono. Half way through the spark plug installation, Mr. Kapono drove up and started talking to me and Mike. He told me about how he refers everyone to the shop and how he feels comfortable there. If this shop is Mr. Kapono approved, then I will be back!
Mahalo guys. I appreciate it!

A-​1 Auto Repair is one of the best service companies I’ve done business with on Oahu or in California, they are hands down the best auto company I’ve worked with ever. Bubba let me bring my own replacement part too which saved an additional ~$ 125. Labor savings from what Toyota wanted to charge me was about $ 300. In all they helped me save over $ 400. All told I was out in about an hour.
Bubba and company were very friendly and hospitable. They also offer a military discount, which I didn’t want to accept, because of their great service. Would absolutely recommend. Just make sure to call in or message them for an appointment!

Absolutely the best, most honest, fun, and great quality work on the island, hands down! These guys know what they’re doing and I trust them. They also have a real family environment in the office and in the garage.

Came in to A1 because our rental got a flat while we were on our family vacation. Called to see if they were busy and they said they could take us right away. Mike plugged up our tire and hooked us up and we were on our way. These guys are super professional and know their stuff. Definitely would come back if I was from the area. Support your local small business and give these guys a try!

Completely restored my faith in the auto repair industry. Mike and Crew are legitimately good guys. I won’t go anywhere else for my auto needs.

Braddahs that work in the shop they a solid knowledgeable crew. Their boss is 1 cool guy. I had to replace a wheel bearings on my tribute it was something I had to get fix, but wasn’t about to dish 1G. Of course like any other MAN I took everything apart an tried to find a shop that actually press off an press on the new bearings, A1 auto was the closest that did that type of service.
So while I’m speaking to their boss on what I needed done he specifically said their guys was extremely busy an that they weren’t able to do it that day. I’m like damn I have my car in pieces an I really need to get this done, then their boss said you know what stop by the shop an we’ll see what we can do.
Get to their shop an was i so happy that they were able to get started. Talk about awesome customer service. Any way I spent 1 hour at the shop, a simple 15 – 25 min job turned into 60 min experience, the bearing was jus too stubborn.
After that it was time to pay, their boss charged me 50 $ but I gave him 60 $. Had to pay extra for their time an effort + customer satisfaction.
Went back to my car an put everything back together in 1 hour. A total of 3 hours 1 hour take apart, 1 hour at the shop, 1 hour putting everything together. All in All MISSION ACCOMPLISHED thanks to the hard working crew of A1 auto repair

I’ve been here before and always leave content. Surprised I hadn’t Unilocaled, so past time — sorry Bubba!
I had taken my aging car to Lex Brodies as they are closer to my house. My gas tank was leaking so not something I could neglect… After a day, Lex told me I should have the tank replaced — from the mainland at a cost of many hundreds (maybe $ 700 installed). So I am SUPER happy that A-​1 could take the tank off and patch the hole for less than $ 300. I am glad that I didn’t have to pay to ship another tank across the ocean and hopefully it will be a much better use of resources to fix what we can on island. MAHALO!

After reading glowing reviews from fellow Unilocalers about A-​1 Auto Repair, I went ahead and dropped by to get some quotes to replace my car’s shocks and two front CV boots. Mike, who is usually working the front desk, whipped up the estimates.
I told him I was considering buying a new used car, and Mike advised me that that might be a better route for me in the long run. He even let me test drive his ’97 Lexus he was selling! Like, he handed me the keys, said «Knock yourself out» and trusted me to come back with it! Whoa.
I really wanted a Honda Fit, though. A few days later, I scheduled car inspections for both my Hyundai Santa Fe and a Honda Fit I was looking at buying used off Craigslist.
Their pricing is reasonable (car inspection was only $ 45 per car, for instance) and their team of mechanics are really easy to talk to, especially Mike and Bubba! I will definitely be bringing my car back here the next time I need a repair estimate or maintenance work done!

Took my mustang to Kapahulu Auto to have my clutch replaced and they lied to me telling me they replaced the master cylinder which I rebuilt months before myself. They charged me for a master cylinder and the labor as well as the clutch and the labor. In total it was over $ 1,500. Afterwards I check and it’s the same makeshift master cylinder I built… I will never take my cars to Kapahulu Auto again. The lied to me and charged me hundreds of dollars for something they didn’t do. Since then I have been taking all my cars to A1 Auto and I’ve had nothing but great experiences with them. I highly recommend getting your car worked on here.

Took my car here to get a diagnostic done prior to shipping it to the mainland. These guys scanned my BMW and was able to explain each fault code and how to fix it. Only charged $ 45 for the diagnostic unlike the Stealership who would have most likely charged me $ 150.
Pros: Quick fast service… Down to earth people
Cons: Tight parking area… you might have to park on the street.

If you want an honest repair shop at a fair market price this is the place to go. I have been using their services since about 2004 and have recommended it to my friends who also were well pleased. As for the lady with the phone problem who wrote a bad review sometimes I do have to call them when they get busy which is understandable. Other than that I have had only positive experiences with their work. Bubba the owner is an extremely honest fair owner and stands behind his work 100%. You can depend on his estimation of needed services as he never sells you more than is necessary. Good job Bubba and thank you for years of dependable service to my vehicles (currently Rav 4 and previously Mercury Mystique). Mahalo nui!

I was recommended to them by a friend in the automotive business. I was experiencing transmission problems and I had trouble starting up the car. Had my car taken a look at and they diagnosed the problems. That same day the car was fixed and ready to be picked up. The car ran smoothly.
Price was reasonable and the service was prompt and professional. I would goto them again if I have any other car problems in the future.

A client told me that there are three things a person should always have … 1) A good banker 2) A good tax preparer 3) A good mechanic … okay, I honestly forgot what 1 and 2 were but #3 A-​1 Auto Repair aka Bubba’s Auto Repair is the best.
Bubba (and his motley crew) are awesome. They are friendly and patient, and I’m not the easiest customer to work with.
I first met Jim and Bubba when my alternator (I think) on my Honda Accord died and someone recommended A-​1 Auto. My tendency is if I had a good experience, you got my business for life and I will refer that establishment to everybody.
When I had my MGB resurrected from storage, they fixed that too. I didn’t have to find a mechanic who specialized in British cars. They helped me keep my MG on the road. As humans, our bodies get older and we see the doctor more. Because my MG was 27 years old, I became a regular (two or three times a year) …NOT because they didn’t know what they were doing. Au contraire … it’s because they would fix ONLY WHAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED. They would prioritize what needed immediate attention and made recommendations for future repair. They even allowed me to order my own parts (yaaay EBAY) and have the parts shipped to them.
The only negative is that they don’t do safety checks … but that’s okay. There’s a place next door.
I’ve only heard GREAT COMMENTS from people I referred. Their work area is clean, and you can tell Bubba and Jim have big hearts. Sometimes they charge us so little, we drop off steaks so WE don’t feel like WE ripped THEM off.
The waiting area is not fancy. If that’s important to you then have your car repaired at BMW. Zippy’s and City Square are within walking distance … so is Lion’s Coffee with free WiFi.

I am surprised that anyone would give them less than a 5! I have been going to them for five years, they are honest and do good work. The hang out space is not that great so I ususally drop and go. They have saved me thousands of dollars from going to them instead of the toyota dealership and my car is old and runs great thanks to these guys! two thumbs up waaaaay up

Bubba is one of the most trustworthy mechanics I have ever worked with. I have been going to him for over 5 years now. Their rates are reasonable and they are friendly and honest. They are also connected to a tow company with a flat rate which can be included in your overall bill. They do get pretty busy though so probably not the best place to go if you are in a rush.

Terrible!!! Stay away from this place…
They told they wold come next morning. That I should call early Saturday morning. I called, and after a few hours with leaving messages on their voice mail I finally reached them. The person who took the telephone told me to call back at 2pm. I thought that was strange since that is their closing time. And sure enough at 2pm, when I called they had closed.
So much for their service.
If they just would have told me at the beginning I could have called other shops instead, and not wasted my valuable time, as I need the car up and running as soon as possible.

My ex boyfriend’s dad instructed me to go to A-​1 Auto to see Jim and Bubba 5 years ago when I got my first car (which he also helped me pick out). He is a man that does not recommend anything unless it’s super legit. And of course, he was right, A-​1 is legit!
They are friendly, nice and a great bunch of people. They are super honest on top of all that! It is so easy to rip a girl off but they have never done such a thing.
For instance, I went to Midas for a free oil change and they told me that I needed a bunch of things done, I thanked them for their time and took a copy of what needs to be done. I went to A-​1 the next day because I knew better. The guys took a look at the list and afterwards told me that I only needed half of those things on the list. Another time I brought the car in because I thought it was acting funny and they drove it around for a bit and said that there was nothing wrong, no charge.
I just went for an oil change and got 2 new brake pads, if it was any other place, they probably would have told me that I needed to replace all 4 pads, but not A-​1.
I usually bring them some goodies because they are just that nice. If you wait for your car, they have a tv in their air conditioned office and coffee — they are super accommodating. Just really really good people! A rarity nowadays.

I was calling around to see what places would give me a decent price to inspect a window of mine from going up or down. This place gave me the cheapest price $ 25 compared to any other place.
I brought my car there and a guy (i don’t want to mention for reputation purposes) I spoke with over the phone inspected the car door with the broken window. Once he removed the exterior of the car door he told me my window regulator had snapped in half, which was causing that rattling noise I was hearing. [this information was helpful]
However, when he told me «he CAN’T do anything to permanently plug the window to stay up, from preventing it from going down or up or shattering», in my head I was like, OMG!!!, but instead I just said okay. ***I wanted the window to stay up permanently because I didn’t want to waste $ 300+ on repairing the window regulator, and he knew this.**** HIS SOLUTION, he placed duct tape on the cable wire to prevent the window from going up or down. OBVIOUSLY, this Was NOT a smart preventative solution b/​c it started to go down (just a little, but still) when i got home.
And before I left to pay him, I told him if this happens again can I just come back to you, and he said yes. He also told me, I can do it myself, «you saw what I was doing right?» I did see everything he did, but I don’t want to do it, I rather have a professional mechanic repair person do this.
OVERALL my experience,
customer service: eh! Solution to my problem was the worst I have received.
After this, I DON’T WANT TO COME BACK and I was back to square 1 calling a place to see who could inspect my car window and find a permanent solution and a person who gave me a persuasive solution with a decent price. Look at my Review on MOBOTECH!