Encinitas Japanese Car Specialists

I went there to see if they would just check the code for'check engine' light. I was told that be a $ 90 fee. About 10 min. befor, I asked Pep Boys on El Camono Real to do the same. Guess what - they checked it for free( took less than 1 minute, didn't have me wait and wrote the code down for me without me asking. more

2011 I had the above auto shop diagnosis and fix a check engine light and sputtering in my engine. These repairs cost $490. Six weeks later same problem. I took the car back and he wanted to charge me another $300. Then he took a part out of my car so I couldn't leave. I had to call the police to get him to put it back in. Dealer diagnosed and fixed the problem for $120 less than this guy had originally charged me. STAY AWAY VERY DISHONEST!! more

We have been bringing our cars to Tim for 5 years now and found him reasonable, capable, and generous with cost-saving advise. Does do-diligence with factory re-calls, helps priorities fixes and will spend the time to help you understand the problems. Go to him directly for any questions about fix..or labor charge. Friends have had good experince too. more

I had my alternator replaced here. Then, a couple weeks later, I noticed my air conditioner wasn't working. However, I wasn't sure if this new problem was related to the alternator replacement since I couldn't really remember if I'd used my air conditioner since having the car in the shop. I drove without air conditioning for a couple more weeks because I simply didn't have time to get back to the shop and ask them about it. Then I looked under the hood and noticed that a wire was not plugged into the air conditioner compressor. As soon as I plugged it in, the air conditioner started working again. So the problem was related -- they had unplugged this wire during the repair and never plugged it back in. We all make mistakes, but in my opinion, that's pretty shoddy workmanship. And I paid top dollar for the repair. more

If you are going to use these folks, go to their web site and download a coupon first. They discount all their services then charge you exorbitant prices for ancillary items. For example, I was charged $60 for labor to replace a cabin filter. I asked the lady how much is labor per hour, she said, "$75". I asked if it takes over a half hour to change a cabin filter... "Yes" she said. I paid it, but then went home and researched it on the internet. It turns out that it takes about 15min for a complete novice to change a cabin filter on my car... but apparently for an experienced mechanic, it takes over 45 min. more

Mr. Tran at Encinitas Japanese Car Specialist is a great mechanic, totally honest and provides a totally fair value, expecially compared to the auto dealers. If you bring your car in their for a checkup, you can be sure he will check everything out, inflate your tires etc. He and his wife are really nice, too. more