Japanese Imports

I just had another positive experience with this shop! They are professional, extremely knowledgeable, and cater to the customer. You will not find a shop with more integrity than this one. I am a customer for life!!!

Didn’t need much work done but the people here are really friendly. The price for the repair was reasonable. The job was done quickly as well. I later asked about another repair and they gave me advice about doing it myself if I wanted.

I’ve gone to Japanese Imports for years and always been relatively satisfied. HOWEVER the past couple years I felt uneasy with them. Not necessarily that they were defrauding me, but that they were definitely quite focused on their bottom line. I have an old car that I’ve been trying to keep alive, and I feel like they have been taking advantage of that.
This past time will absolutely be my last time.
My Service Engine Soon light came on so I took my car in. I was told that there were 9 things that had to be fixed, totaling $ 900.
Because my car is so old, mentally I kinda have $ 1000 as my cutoff for repairs per year.
I ok’d the work since it was under my cut off amount.
About 3 – 4 days after I’d gotten my car back, my Service Engine Soon light came on again.
I took my car back in and was told that it was something ELSE that didn’t show up on the original diagnostic check, and it would cost $ 400 to fix it? I felt «over a barrel» since I’d just put $ 900 in to the car. So I ok’d the work.
When I p/​u my car I was told that «oh by the way» don’t use your A/​C because it’ll freeze your compressor and it’ll be the end of your engine. I’d been using my A/​C with no problem?
I accused them of nickel and dimeing me, to get me to have the work done. If they had told me about all 3 of these different charges up front, I never woulda sunk that much money into my OLD car. I cried I yelled I felt SO betrayed by them.
I left, and drove around in 100degree heat scared to use my A/​C for days.
I went and got a 2^nd opinion, and then I also got a 3^rd opinion, and both auto shops said that there was NOTHING wrong with my A/​C. NOTHING!!!
I’ve been driving and using my A/​C ever since and it has been just fine.
Japanese Imports are CHEATERS… LIARS…

Amazing staff, I had to get my timing belt and water pump replaced and they finished it with in a day! Best prices around town. They were happy to have me call three times just to check that the price I was quoted was correct. Friendly and a nice clean shop. Thank you guys again for amazing service!

They are honest and less expensive than any other shops around.

I just had my third experience with Japanese Imports and it was so good that I feel compelled to write a review. I needed a starter for my 2000 Lexus… and called around for quotes. Tracey at Japanese Imports was able to do it for ¹⁄₃ what the dealer wanted, and almost $ 100 less than a couple other local shops wanted to charge, and it’s a new part, not rebuilt!
The service was awesome, as Tracey was able to give me a ride home when I dropped the car off (I live in Midtown), and pick me up the next day when it was done. They were able to take my car in before they closed, and it was finished around 10 am the next day! They even diagnosed a few other things at no charge and recommended some future services, but not in a sales-​like way, just giving honest advice, which I appreciate.
I feel that I can really trust this shop, and I like the fact that it’s a family-​owned business. I’ve dealt with several people there and all the interactions have been very positive and gave me confidence in them. My wife and I have tried a few repair shops around the downtown/​East Sac area, but from now on, we’re just coming here. Highly recommended.

They are not very efficient. I’m glad I ONLY use them for oil changes on Groupon. Guy at the front desk is nice but moves like a slug. Brought my car in before 8:00AM, I’m the only customer in the building…1 hour to do an oil change? Really? He sat there for 30 mins doing nothing I might add & then at about 8:35AM he decides to move my car into the garage. WTF? I would not take my car here for any repairs. Just the way the place feels & operates it feels suspect to me + the other comments I’ve read about this place doesn’t put me at ease.

This place is awesome! I have been in Sacramento for over 4 years, and still havent been able to find an honest, reliable mechanic until now.
The owner, Eric, is very accommodating to all your needs and will always do his best to get you the most reasonable price. I have had my car serviced there about three times and always have left knowing that I did not get ripped off.
I would highly recommend this place to anybody looking for an honest mechanic.

So I bought a deal with them through Groupon, soon to find out they will only honor it before 8.30am, I’m a bartender so I don’t go to bed till pretty late after closing the bar. I still need my oil changed so I’ll deal… Anywho the earliest they can get me in was 2 weeks out. I made the appointment and got here to find out it will take them a few hours to do a simple oil change. Why you ask? The owner didn’t think it would be a good to have the parts ready for when I got here. They didn’t tell me this over the phone so now I have to wake up someone else to come pick me up. Oh even better the wife or girlfriend of the owner comes in saying she needs an oil change done before 12pm and he says he’ll squeeze her in. Bad customer service and they need to get their act together. If you know a couple weeks out what you need, have the part ready when I get there.

Very professional and courteous staff and owner! I’m pleased that I was referred there for help in the pinch I was in. While on business out of town last week, my car went on the blink. Not knowing where to go, my hotel referred me to a company in town that ~~come to find out~~ only did collision repair. But their courteous staff referred me to Japanese Imports for repair work. Well I wasn’t disappointed. The staff were very helpful in accommodating my car’s need for repair and they provided a referral to a car rental nearby. It worked out perfectly for me, and for the time I had available. I was called quickly to let me know what problem had been found, the repair was completed the same day, and I received a call that the car was ready. I recommend Japanese Imports!

This place is very affordable. I had my Ford Escape towed in last week to have my timing belt replaced. All shops wanted 650 – 700 dollars to fix it, however Eric gave me a fair great deal! I also needed my battery replaced, and oil changed. After having the work done at this shop I paid less than I would have by taking it to another shop just to have my belt replaced.!! My car had sat for a few months so it needed a few fuses replaced as well (I didn’t know this until the day after I picked up my car from the shop, and noticed a few of my electronics not working). I call Eric right up and he got me back in immediately and had his awesome crew find and change my fuses at no extra charge! Tracy was a big help as well. So far, its been a little over a week and my car is running like a Champ thanks to Eric and his A team. I’ll definitely be back (hopefully not too soon though :) Thanks guys!

I would not touch this place with a 10 foot pole. After telling them that I thought my Nissan pickup’s intermittentent problem was a faulty ignition switch and leaving it with them, they called to tell me that it was not the ignition, but the starter. I gave the okay and they put in a new starter. Two weeks later I was back only to have them put in a new alternator. While I was doing business with them anyways, I was also having them special order and install a new combo odmeter/​speedometer. Two weeks later, the truck died again and they tried to sell me more parts. Also, after telling me my truck was ready for pickup, they brought it out after just having installed the odo/​speedo and also told me my $ 300 odo/​speedo would need to be sent to West Sac to be calibrated for another $ 300+. Otherwise it was stuck at 0 mph or 18 mph. I said no thanks and vowed to never go back despite it being a convenient walk to work. BTW I did take it to another shop, did not tell them what I suspected the problem to be, and on their own they told me it was a faulty ignition switch within 2 hours of dropping off.

Very courteous and honest owner. Eric was sympathetic to my issue and remained open slightly passed hours so he could attempt to replicate the issue I was having with my vehicle. When the vehicle «symptoms» weren’t reproducible, he suggested coming the next day, leaving it at the shop, and giving me a ride to work (5 min. Away) so they could take it out a couple times and see if the problem would appear again. They even picked me up from work! They weren’t able to find the issue but I appreciated the lengths they went to to try and determine what it was.

I just have mixed feelings about this place.
They are nice and courteous but I just feel like some things could have gone better.
The short of it: I asked for the head gasket and H2O pump to be replaced after my car over heated. They only did the H20 pump to save me money but 3 days later it over heats again and they quote me a higher price than original.
My car over heated so I started doing research on the problem and found out the head gasket on my year car had been a usual problem. I called around and started getting quotes from $ 1800– $ 2200.
Japanese Imports was the $ 1800 quote, normally I am a bit skeptical on the low baller but I called the shop, talked to them and also looked at their web site. I felt fairly comfortable.
They are a AAA rep’d carshop so I knew I would have 1 year warranty.
I take it in and they know I am a student on a budget bc I tell them. A few days later I pick it up and they tell me only the H2O pump was replaced bc they didn’t find anything wrong with the head gasket. Price was $ 700, I was pretty stoked on the price but I really wanted the HG replaced bc IT ALWAYS FAILS, I just wanted it replaced.
…BUT 3 days later it over heats again, I take it back and then they tell me the car did need the head gasket replaced… the quote was ANOTHER $ 1800…this is when I felt like I was being taken for a ride.
How did a $ 1800 original quote turn into $ 2500? I picked it up and never looked back. I can’t understand how they obviously miss diagnosed the problem but wouldn’t just help me out by biting the bullet for a few hundred dollars.

By far the best mechanics I’ve ever been too. Eric & Dave are as honest as the Virgin Mary. He actually turned me down the first couple of times and told me to go to Napa auto parts and do it myself. Saved me hundreds of $$. This is the first time they actually took my car in for a 100k tune up. They’re extremely professional, methodical and cost effective.
Thanks guys!

Wonderful service and more than fair pricing. My check engine light was on so I failed smog. My friend has been going here for years and gave them a great recommendation. I checked on Unilocal and and saw pretty good reviews and decided to give this shop a shot. As it turns out they got me the lowest pricing for the part that i needed and then not only installed the part but also test drove the car to make sure it fixed the problem, took the car to the smog place to get it smogged and then sent in the electronic smog certificate all for the price of the part and then only $ 65 service. They also told me that I could probably save a the $ 65 if I just wanted to do it myself because it wasnt that hard. I don’t mind paying for great service. Highly recommended.

I made the mistake of taking my car there for a simple 120,000 mile service. Two things weren’t right:
1) When I dropped off the car, I specifically asked if they would flush the brake fluid in this service. I was told yes. When I picked it up, I asked if it had been done, because it wasn’t written on the ticket. The check-​out guy — one of the owners, I think — assured me it had been done and wrote it down on the ticket. But when I got home and looked, it hadn’t been done. The fluid was the same dirty brown color. I ended up flushing the brake fluid myself at home that weekend. They must have assumed I didn’t know enough about cars to tell the difference.
2) While they were working on the car, they called and upsold me, saying I needed two new belts for the alternator, power steering and A/​C. I’m somewhat skeptical that they were needed at all because the car had been at the dealer not too long before, getting a timing belt, and the dealer didn’t say anything. But I said OK, foolishly, without asking how much. When I picked up the car, they charged me $ 30 for the belts and another $ 100 to install them, which I thought was a lot. In addition, I later discovered that they hadn’t retightened a major bolt, so my alternator and A/​C were loose. I discovered it when the weather warmed up and I heard clacking under the hood every time the A/​C clutch engaged. I fixed this myself, too.
They were nice enough to deal with at the counter, but I think they are sloppy and quite possibly less than honest, which is too bad, as they are the most convenient shop to my work.

My loyalty to Japanese Imports is 9 years standing. Eric the owner and Dave the Manager have renewed my trust in auto repair shops. I first took my car here when it had 22,000 miles and with 203,000 and counting they have never done me wrong.
I take it in for an oil change every 3,000 miles, they will do an overview to see if anything else needs some TLC and call me with their
advice. They will NEVER EVER over sell you or try to sell you on crap you do not need. They will also refer you to other businesses for windshields, tires etc.
Save yourself headaches and take your vehicle to these guys. You’ll get an honest and knowledgeable advise on what kind of work your car is in need of.
No hassles and simply the best the best service. Conveniently located and always a good selection of magazines to bide the time.

I never thought much about bringing my car, here, until IQ Auto closed. Go figure: nobody notices how often appliances are on promotion ’til your fridge or stove dies.
4-​stars for location: JI is in good company — The Beat record shop, Amer Graffiti tat parlor and Lucca restaurant (a favorite of Gov. Arnold). Plus, it’s in walking distance of the office.
4-​stars for hours (7 a –5:30 p) & professionalism: Dave patiently listened to my concerns about my car, mentioned possible causes, explained price quotes, and answered my questions without showing annoyance. Eric provided a progress report over the phone, without trying to upsell otr services; he also was considerate of my time. When I picked up my car, the bookkeeper (can’t remember her name) was pleasant as well.
The price for a routine oil change seemed high, but my LAST mechanic probably charged below market rate — then tried to upsell otr services over the phone, throughout my workday.
3 stars for my first impression. Will definitely bring my car back, and consider a four star Unilocal rating.