Toyo Star

Like eating a healthy diet and exercising, routine maintenence on your car is pretty essential if you’re looking for a car built for the long haul.
If you’re like me and know very little about maintenance and car set ups, I recommend coming here for your maintenance and general upkeep of your ride. They deal mostly with Toyota and Lexus, but these guys have so many miles on their resume that they can identify and fix whatever issues your car has. I come here for oil changes and routine 30,000 mile check ups and yes, it’s a little bit more expensive than other shops but, my car runs fine and I can depend on it so… fair trade in my opinion.
Tony and Dennis take some time to get used to. They are mechanics first, customer service specialists second, or… not even placing at times. If your goal is to keep your car on the road, I would recommend bringing your car here. It has worked for me.

The most honest auto shop you can go to. This place is no BS, the owners are no BS. They are HONEST and get to the point. These people are straight shooters who won’t cheat. I would recommend this place to anyone.

They are not honest to customers, always lie to them, trying to get more money from customers.
By the way, they attitude are very bad.

I trust this company. So far the experience has been great and they are wiling to help you save money on parts and respects your time frame.

Yes, the shop is more expensive than most auto repair stops out there, but you cannot buy «honesty». You don’t go in for an oil change and come out paying for a brand new radiator, yeah, I had that happen to me at PepBoys. It can happen at any repair shop really.
Owners of this place are elderly gentlemen trying to make a living. They’re a small shop, with limited space, they can’t survive by just making money on labor and no parts profit.
Toyo Star’s pricing is usually about $ 20 to $ 40 cheaper than most dealerships, this is why people are giving lower scores. They are cheaper but higher than almost everyone else.
Just don’t expect them to tell you that even though your oil change light is on, your car should still be good for another 4 weeks. Their «You don’t need to change shit» routine don’t work like that, it only applies to clueless male/​female patrons with 0 mechanical knowledge. If you don’t need to change shit, you really don’t need to change shit. But if you’re factory lights are on, or your vehicle has reached the manufacturer’s manual of recommended service intervals, Toyo Star will tell you to do it.
Don’t be idiotic, if you feel Toyo Star is a place where they tell you nothing needs to be done, don’t come here.
If you’re broke and can’t pay for quality service, there’s a lot of other shops in La Puente, West Covina, Hacienda Heights areas, take your business there, I recommend it. But if you want peace of mind, you go to see Tony or Dennis.

Brought a tc for an oil change with my own oil and filter. Tony told me they only use Toyota genuine filters to avoid any known issues with third party filters. That’s fine, he still let me use my own oil. Dropped off the car and the whole process literally took like 10 mins! I came prepared with a laptop to do some work on the free wifi but before I got anything done, the car was ready! Super fast and cheap service. Overall Tony is very patient and will answer any question and explain very thoroughly, would definitely come back.

Tony is someone I can always rely on and trust.
I bring my Accord in sometimes too often for maintenance, and he’d tell me that that my car doesn’t need to be fixed. And when my Mini Cooper broke down, he recommended that I NOT spend $$$ at his car shop to fix it, rather I save that money to buy a new car.
The fact that he turned down money on a silver platter, shows that he’s not greedy and truly values the well being of his customers. By refusing my business, he might have lost a few hundred dollars here and there, but he gained a loyal customer for life.
Tip: Free wifi in the lounge!

This shop is about as good as you can get… Tony and Dennis explain to you everything you need to know… They will even tell you if a problem with your car is not that serious and doesn’t need to be fixed… If you need a part they will shop around to find the best deal for you… But most important they are honest… It is a rare pleasure to have a mechanic you can trust…

Like the other posters said, this is just another greedy autoshop. My mom has been a loyal customer to this shop since the early 2000s, and yes they used to do wonderful jobs. The service is still good now, BUT i had a recent experience with them that made me think otherwise. Though, I am not going to disclose what exactly happened. I get the notion that they will act they are honest and nice to you in the beginning as to gain your trust, and gyp your money sometimes down the road cuz they know your guards are down!

My friend has a horrible experience with one of the mechanic there. His name is **Bruce Chen**. If you ever bring your car to the shop, please watch out for him. He is NOT honest, and he cheats on people. Worst of all, after he receives your money, if there is additional issue, he doesnt care. He denies everything, leave you high and dry.
Do yourself a favor, go with a honest guy. Watch out for Bruce Chen!!!

First off these are solid solid mechanics that pay attention to detail and get the job done. Two Toyota master techs having 10+ ASE certifications each hold down the joint while their minions do their work.
I’ve been coming for 8+ years. I wrote them a 1-​star bad review yesterday but I removed it today because I felt I wasn’t exactly fair to them. The owner called me up to explain why I was charged the amount. I want to apologize to the owners Tony and Dennis. My emotions got the best of me. However I still felt betrayed by the pricing. I used to bring in my own 5w30 and oil filter for them to change. The shop owner said if you do that we won’t make much, so I stopped bringing them in and paid them to use their own oil directly. I thought we had an understanding. I won’t undermine them by using my own sourced parts and they won’t SKIN me alive by overcharging me. I am rating Toyostar at an A-​OK 3 stars.
To their defense they use genuine Toyota parts and they do quality work. However they are a bit pricey, but hey you’re not getting master techs experience for free. Unlike other customers in the reviews I was charged $ 75.00 for a diagnostic even though I repaired my car there (industry standard is to wave the diagnostic if you do the repair at the same shop, I had an engine code which pep boys could read for free, they charged me 75 to read the code and 300+ to replace bad spark plugs and wiring a job my other friend later on told me $ 150 tops). I trust their work. Problems are always solved, but after 3 repairs that were priced higher than other shops that also use the same Toyota genuine part, I can no longer afford to repair with them. It’s been nice Toyostar, but this is good bye.

i was a little concerned when i walked in, as the person assisting me did not look very happy. however, from my experience with repair shops, these guys are the most honest, thorough and professional shop i’ve been to in the area. i’ll gladly take these qualities over a faked smile anyday.
I brought in an estimate from another place and the guy didnt even want to see the price before he gave me his quote, which was a difference of $ 580 to $ 340. nearly half! And they were much more complete in describing what was wrong with the car. They seem to have fixed more things for much less?
There was a good taco truck in the plaza when I went, around lunchtime, large, cheap and tasty.
Also, if ur landlocked while ur here and want something to do, there is a groundhog living in the front lawn. go watch it eat some nuts or whatever

Again, nothing but excellence here. A few oil changes and one major servicing since my last review, my power door lock actuators and drivers side window regulator all happen to break within a span of a year. I finally got fed up of taping up my windows and called Tony for some advice and little did I know, they can fix these as well!
I got there around 8:45am with no appointment on a Friday, and by 2pm that same day, they had already ordered parts and finished the job. Viola… door locks and window are good as new, and done at a competitive price.
But once again, it’s their attention to detail and always going that extra mile that is what separates them from the pack. Something as simple as drilling a new hole in my cracked alarm remote so that I could once again attach it to my key chain goes to show that they care. I cannot recommend this place enough.

So I went back to Toyostar today and had a talk with Tony.
You know, they’re actually pretty honest and legit. Tony took his time to explain all the misunderstandings and cleared everything up. Anyone that can take my nasty review and actually still take the time to explain everything gets alot of respect from me.
Because of their honesty and understanding, I feel it is only right to change my review, because the previous rating was unfair to the business. If only more auto repair shops can take their time to explain things thoroughly to their customers like Toyostar, they’d get the respect they deserve.
Once again, thanks Tony and Dennis for still maintaining a professional attitude and making things right. You guys are great and you have forever gained my respect & business!

This shop is just another greedy auto shop.
My wife 4 yrs old Prius recently has A/​C and tire pressure problems. I took the car there and first they asked $ 150 to investigate the issues. They checked the car and told me A/​C compressor is not working and it will take $ 1,500 to replace it. They also ask for $ 160 to install a new tire pressure sensor. $ 160 for taking less than 10 minutes to put a $ 70 TPMS in to wheel?
If they charge as much as dealers, why bother to go there?

Dennis and his staff are knowledgeable, friendly but most of all honest. Been taking my car here for past 2 years. They are just a great auto shop to maintain our cars.
Toyo Star = Awesome!!!

I had a pleasant experience getting my car serviced here. It was reasonable close to where I live.
Tony fixed my car and called me to let me know why my toyota camry’s warning light was on. He explained everything and exactly how much it would cost to fix it.
He explained all the costs & labor fee to fix my car very nicely. He also was very upfront about how long it would take to fix it.
The Toyota dealers were going to charge me almost double compared to what Toyostar was going to charge me AND Toyostar has much better service than any of the Toyota dealerships I went to.
My car is working great and the brakes are just like when I got the car!
Since my wife and I both own Toyotas, I am definitely going to go here from now on.

I love my Toyota. It’s a total ass magnet and the insurance is cheap. As a matter of fact, every morning before I get in, I do a big vintage Toyota jump in the air just to show my appreciation for this reliable gas-​efficient vehicle and everyone just stares at the beauty and sound of the revving engine. A Camry has never been this sexy, people. Gas pumps everywhere want to break off a piece of my roadster. And only the best mechanics can work on this beauty.
Being highly recommended by my coworker, I decided to try them out for an oil change. I don’t really jump around to mechanics, but my usual one is way too far and I’m not about to go to the «stealership» to get ripped off, so why the heck not? I walked in and was greeted immediately and told I could wait or come back for my car. Unfortunately, no one offered to lend me their vehicle until mine was done, but I wouldn’t lend a car to me either.
After 20 minutes, my car was done and they even took a quick spin on the road to make sure everything was in working order. Since then, I’ve gone for my minor service and will most definitely take my trusty Toyo to Toyo Star from now on. Their prices are reasonable and they know what they’re doing. That’s all I ask!
Thanks Toyo Star! You keep me rolling!

Glad to see everyone who reviews Toyo Star feels the same about them as I do.
(And that’s not because Tony will lend me his car when I come out here so I don’t have to stay at the shop while waiting. Although it is a nice waiting lounge, with free WiFi)
Seriously, the money you will save here based on their honesty and reasonable prices makes it well worthwhile to rent a car for the day if you don’t have time to wait.
They really are the best.

Cliff notes: There are some people in life that you need to be able to trust. Your mechanic is one of them.
TOYO STAR IS A PLACE I TRUST. Honest, tell it to you straight, quality products, fast service, great prices.
Taken from their website (
):
«At Toyostar, we are committed to meeting your needs in all aspects of your repair and maintenance. Our customers are our first priority. Your concerns are our concerns. We consider it our responsibility to inform you of whatever we see wrong with your vehicle and provide you enough information for making wise decision for the repair of your vehicle. We know that a dollar has to stretch in these days to make ends meet. We are here to help you.»
they even have a «ask me questions about my car» section lol.
You hear stories about mechanics fixing things that don’t need to be fixed. Stories about car shops that keep adding more items onto your bill.
Laugh at the people with those stories because they don’t know about Toyo star. And then tell them about it if you want.
Service:
— Service is awesome. These guys really care about their customers.
The main guys are Tony and Dennis. HONEST.
— Their estimates are very accurate
— They will call you to let you know everything. (If a part is backordered, something new they found)
— You know exactly what you are paying for.
— I’m sure most places do this, but they do an inspection of your car everytime you go in. Even if it’s just an oil change. They check your brakes, your tires, lights, all fluids, belts/​hoses etc…) You don’t even have to ask for it
— They will tell you pretty accurately on how long it will take. Be it 20 minutes, or that they need one day for a major maintenance. You can then schedule accordingly. I hate places that always say «It will be fast» and you wait hours. Or they never call you when your car is finished.
Most places could care less on how you drive your car. The more you screw it up, the more money they make. BUT Toyo Star actually teaches you how to maintain your car to get the most out of it. I remember Tony lecturing a guy on replacing only 1 tire. «You need to replace tires in pairs, both sides, not just one.» stuff like that.
Some examples of their service :
— One time I had a check engine light on. They took time out to get the code checked for me. No charge.
— Another time my engine was acting up, Tony came out to inspect my car. Turned out that my clutch cylinder cap was clogged. He cleaned it out for me, no charge.
— A headlight of mine was out, they were really busy but Tony came out, changed the headlight for me right away, and told me he will bill me next time cause he’s so busy. In and out in about 5 minutes. He trusts his customers.
Experience:
I don’t know the exact qualifications they have, but they know their stuff.
I drive a 98 prelude if that matters.
— I had a blown engine. They had another engine shipped in, got all the parts and rebuilt it for me.
— A «performance shop» and installed a new clutch for me, and did a bad job, Toyo star fixed it.
— I’ve had electrical problems that custom shops screwed up and said the only way to fix it was to replace the whole system. Toyo star got it fixed as if it was a breeze.
— Seriously this place is all your need for your car troubles.
— If they can’t do it, they can tell you where to go for the best price and service.
Seriously I trust this place.
The prices are reasonable too, if not cheap.
Why did I give it 5 stars:
— Service: fast, honest, accurate
— tells it to you straight
— gets the job done.
— TRUSTable. One of the most important qualities in a mechanic.
Final Verdict: If you own a car, you should go here. Most likely they will be all you need.
One thing you should know, they might always seem in a rush, because they always have a lot of work to do. They might talk to you abruptly and short, so they might seem cold at first. But that’s just how they are.
They don’t try to make you feel welcome with cheerful conversation.
They make you feel welcome by concentrating on doing their job right.
But they are nice guys don’t get me wrong.
Go here. I probably sound like an advertisement, but that’s how much I like them.
your mileage may vary. (but I’m sure not by much.)