A-1 Auto Tech

Chuck and Frank have been taking care of our old cars for a decade. They brought our 1996 Dodge Caravan back from a near-​death experience. They are honest, they keep customers informed about progress, and are always cheerful. Highly recommended.

Awesome. Helped quickly. Did work at a great price.
Also, I stopped in the very first time with some stuff to do that was fairly easy and they worked my car in on the spot and got it done while I waited (about 20 minutes).
Very accommodating and no problems ever after several visits.
Highly recommended.

Frank and his team remind me of everything that is good and old school about America and the American experience when it comes to cars. I have been going to Frank with my vehicles for more than 7 years and have never had a reason to complain, other than the rare big bill ;-), that sometimes happens when you are dealing with older cars, with very justifiable reason :-). A1 Auto and Frank’s team are absolute and amazing specialists in my American made vehicles and I would trust them completely when it comes to jobs big and small.
Driving a vehicle is a very personal thing for me and my vehicle is an extension of who I am and it is something that helps me experience beautiful things and feelings, and keeps me safe when I need it to keep me safe. Frank gets that, and that is the beauty of dealing with Frank and his team. They are there because they love what they do and it shows in the kind of work they will put in your car.
If you love your vehicle and want to keep it ticking over and providing you beautiful and meaningful experiences as you go about driving, then you want to leverage Frank and the A1 Auto Tech team to take care of it. THANK YOU Frank and A1 Auto team for all the years, here’s to many more…

I enjoyed doing business with A-​1 and I was completely satisfied with the job. Prior to A-​1 I went to another shop to fix my brakes, but they did not fix them correctly and I had to have A-​1 fix them again. Since then I have decided that A-​1 is the place for me to take my car for repairs. I also appreciated the quick service. I was in and out in no time.

Dangerous car shop. I had been bringing my car in for oil and filter changes. Then it came time to a big 60,000 mile service and they told me I had to replace my brakes. It took them two days to do the job because they said they were waiting for parts. They gave it back to me and the brakes felt like sponges, huge stopping distance. I felt extremely unsafe and called them because I was concerned. They told me it will take a week for the brakes to break in and this was normal. After a week, no change. I brought the car in and they eventually admitted they put on the wrong brakes because they could not get the parts in on time! Great! Put me in serious danger and deny it for a week! I now go to Honda Craft where I can trust the mechanics AND they don’t charge $ 1000 for a 60,000 mile service.

A1 is not just auto repair, it is auto education. As one who is a novice at all things automotive, I have been very pleased with the care, thoroughness and communication. Every time I’m in the Bay Area my car seems to act up. But here, they fix the problem and provide you w details on the how and why. They also do more than a cursory diagnostic — they let you know potential problems, signs to look out for, and urgency of potential repairs. I wish all shops were like this, the world would be a better place.

Review based on smog experience.
I showed up at 710am to find out smog isn’t working. Disappointing, but not the end of the world.
However, then he precedes to tell me he doesn’t work on BMWs, well that’s the first I’ve heard of a smog check station doing that. Then he tells me he’ll do it as a favor, but not till tomorrow and not till 730, cause that’s really when work starts.
Just not a good experience.

Had a great experience with A1. They gave me great advice on my 1986 Nissan pickup. There were lots of issues that previous mechanics had covered up just to pass the smog test. A1has some skillful mechanics who did a proper diagnosis to find the root cause. Once they had a list and a plan, we discussed what needed to be fixed. Frank kept me informed throughout the process.
As a result, I found a great buyer for the truck and felt good that they got a fair deal on an old truck that will continue to work well for them.

I have a ’65 Mustang which began experiencing some trouble with the clutch/​transmission. I gave the car to Frank barely drivable and got back a car that I couldn’t believe was mine. Working on an old car like mine isn’t easy — a lot of things happen to a car over 48 years and you have no idea what you’ll find once you get in there. Previous owners and mechanics do bad things — Frank and his team have successfully proven they can deal with some pretty gnarly stuff and I’m sure I’ll be back with more.

They did a fairly large transmission job and sundry other work on my SUV. The truck has been running very well since they did it. My mpg has increased too which is a bonus. They were very fair and transparent. They gave me good balanced advice. They kept me up to date on everything. I will use them again even though I live in South SJ. I am also thinking of having them do all the mechanicals on an older pickup I plan to restore.

Frank is brilliant. Dropped by with a battery problem, with no appointment, at 645pm on a workday. Frank came out, took a quick look, helped with a temporary fix, and then was going to quote me to replace it.
He realized my car was still under warranty, told me to go back to the dealer and have them check it, instead of having to pay him to fix it.
And yes, his temporary fix was free! At 645pm on a workday! Excellent service, highly recommended. I’ll be back.

I needed a Gold Shield Smog Check for my ’99 Camry and they were close by. They have great service. They drove me home so that I did not have to walk, or wait around. They called promptly when they found a problem, and my car was ready in a very reasonable time They even have a sense of humor. I would recommend them highly.

I found this wonderful auto shop in the daily paper. I have been trying to get my car fixed correctly for the last year. Frank, and his staff are very personable, and give great customer service. I am tired of getting ripped off from other auto places!!! He found the problem in two days. I have my own business, and am on the road everyday. I have found my new auto repair shop. In addition, they will pick you up, or drop you off. Love these guys. Thanks!!!
Annette Follas
The pet nanny

Came in for a brake and lamp inspection sign off for the DMV. Service was great, welcoming and completed in the time frame specified. I think I found my new shop to go to. They are also AAA authorized.

It was a time to do a smog check for my registration again. Unfortunately my favorite quick smog place in San Antonio Center was closed down. Then, I had to search a smog check service.
Since the A1 were close enough from my office, I brought in my Nissan. They had to say that it is going to cost me $ 60. It sounded pricy. However, I took it so that I can get it done as soon as possible. After 40 mins or so, a mechanic told me that my Nissan failed on the test. It had slightly wrong timing. Then, he offered to fix it for another $ 60.
If you know cars, you realize that it is a simple job. I felt they were trying to take as much money as possible. So I declined. They’ve also told me that it would cost $ 40 to re-​test.
In the other day, I’d stopped by my mechanic. He needed only 5 mins to adjust it. No charge. I stopped by another smog test place which was recommended by my friend. They did the job for 15 mins and $ 40.
I do not know their technical competency. Maybe they are decent. However, you should expect them to charge you every penny. I would not be able to trust them. Be aware that they just work for their best interests.

Professional and friendly – great energy!!!

I’ve been taking my cars here for 10+ years. They are not cheap but, they are the best. Extremely professional, highly competent. They do fantastic work and are very honest and trustworthy. If you need a smog check, there are cheaper places to go. If you need reliable service and maintenence, this is the best in the bay that I’ve found.

I have been going to Chuck for years, and he is quite simply the best mechanic i have ever dealt with. Cheap? No, but not expensive either. He charges a fair rate, uses quality parts, and gets the job done thoroughly and correctly the first time. Pay somebody else to fix something twice, and see what a deal A1 really is.
They have solved problems the dealer repeatedly couldn’t figure out and saved me a bundle of money when there was a cheaper solution. They fixed an electrical glitch no one could locate and rebuilt my electrical harness for half of what a new one would have cost. The dealer told me my timing belt was shot, and A1 just tuned the engine back to purring like a kitten.
Chuck is also bluntly honest about when your car needs expensive repairs and he is simply unwilling to take the «cheapo» quick fix route that will either cost you more money down the road or leave your vehicle unsafe. He explains what is involved, and asks you how long you wish to own and drive your car. I much prefer to have someone just tell me straight up what I’m in for, and gives me options about how to proceed.
And their work is clean, done on time, and done right the first time. Highly recommended.

I’ve never had anything but great service from A-​1 Autotech. Chuck and Frank are very interested in your car, even though neither still does the actual repairing. Patty, the receptionist, is friendly and calls you if anything is wrong. These guys are great at preparing cars for towing, and nothing went wrong when I drove to Yellowstone and back with a 24-​foot trailer.

I was in town over the Thanksgiving weekend and needed an a/​c compressor replaced. No one was open on Friday, but I left a message via the A-​1 website, hoping to get some service on Saturday.
In the meantime, I found that Al’s 76 in Sunnyvale was open on Friday so I went there. On Monday, Patty from A-​1 sent me an email saying they were closed over the holiday and asked if they could help now. I replied that I already took it to another place and thanked them anyway.
I didn’t get service done there, but I appreciated that they took the time to call me back. That’s a sign of someone who understands customer service.
(I wrote a review for another company who responded after I already had the work done, thinking that no one else would respond. Now this is the 3^rd review I’ve entered just for companies that responded. I’m really surprised! I didn’t plan on reviewing auto repair places on their customer response abilities!)