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.
A 1 Auto Tech
Gold Shield: Consumer Assistance Program
89 Pioneer WayMountain View, CA 94041
650-964-7844
streetview
directions
4 Reviews
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 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 3rd 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!)
I honestly can't think of enough good things to say about the professionalism, quality of work, and honesty of the folks at A-1 Auto Tech. Frank Edelman is brilliant, and has surrounded himself with personable, brilliant people. Chuck Clements is extremely patient, and assiduous in following up on service issues, and Patty in their back office is wonderful for her humor and assistance in payment issues.There are two caveats with A-1. Sometimes they take more time than they originally estimate, or than you would prefer to do their work. Your service results will be, in my experience, worth the wait. They will not rush a job to get it out of the shop before it's done right, and if there are any questions about the fixes they've performed, they're excellent about apprising you in advance of what to look out for.The second caveat is expense. You may be able to find a cheaper price than A-1's, but you won't at a dealer, and you won't find their level of quality and customer devotion either. If you're throwing piles of money into a car to start with, you owe it to yourself to spend that money smartly. A-1 is a smart place to spend it.Regular maintenance with A-1 is great because they can, and do, catch small issues before they become big-ticket ones. This isn't a level of service you'll find at a quick-lube or gas station. They are very good about offering a continuum of possible fixes from band-aid level ones to full overhaul level ones, and educating you about potential choices such that you have power over your automotive service choice. I realize that this review sounds exceedingly astroturfy and gushes much, but I've no professional or personal association with A-1, save as a customer. If I didn't live a hundred miles away over a mountain range, I'd not think twice about continuing as a client with them.. and even now, if I have a big-ticket service need, it's been worth my while to drive over the hill from Santa Cruz to get a second opinion. Do yourself a favor, and give them your business. I don't think you'd ever regret it.
