TLDR: This auto body shop went WAY above and beyond in their service. I highly recommend you give them your business. Long version: I had a hit and run of my unoccupied vehicle. Fortunately a good samaritan left a note on my windshield providing the license plate number of the driver. The police were able to track him down where he admitted to the act and his insurance covered the cost plus some of my expenses (see California Civil Code § 3333 for future reference). When the location was under the prior ownership of Helmings I took my in-laws car there and had a good experience. When ownership sold their business they wrote existing clients an email saying they had confidence in the new owner so I gave them a try. The auto body shop made it a pretty stress free experience, gave me a loaner car at no cost, and dealt with the insurance company to get all the repairs done. The above and beyond part is that they fully cleaned the inside and outside of my very dirty car, replaced the worn out windshield wipers with new ones I had in the trunk, and did an oil change. All at no cost. I don't know if they simply weren't busy, felt bad for me, or just wanted to go above and beyond. Regardless, it left a very important and lasting impression about the quality of employees and ownership. If you want to reward good people who do great work, please give them your business. read more

They're great here! They make the service and repair as easy as possible. If you're looking for honest and trustworthy car repairs this is the place to go! read more

I had an oil leak coming from the valve cover on my vehicle, so I brought it into Advance Motor Works. I was referred here because the company my other half work for takes all their construction pick up trucks to this shop. KT did a great job on my car. What really made him stand out was that he took the time to show me exactly what was wrong he even showed me the old part and where it was leaking. I really appreciated that, because most shops don't do that, and you're often left wondering what was actually fixed. It's hard to find an honest body shop these days, so I'm really glad I found Advance Motor Works. KT is a great owner who provides excellent customer service. He gets the work done on time, has a solid team, and the shop is always busy which is a good sign. If you're looking for an honest shop with great customer service, look no further. read more

Everything! This is our trusted auto repair for many years! Kind, honest and so knowledgeable ! We love KT and his crew for our BMW and Prius repairs. Simply the best read more

Called yesterday to get a quote for performing the 60K service to my car and was told that I have to take the car in person to get the quote. After taking the car in person the employee wasn't willing to give me a quote because it was to busy.. even after mentioning I am ok to do the service in a few weeks he deny to give me the quote read more

HONEST Hardworking Go the extra mile..... I have two old Hondas I am elderly lady and they have taken care of my cars for years They do a great job Will not go anywhere else KT is the best read more

I have to rave about KT and Advanced Motor Works again! I had wanted to get my car looked at before a road trip to be on the safe side. When KT called to let me know that the car was done, I got a text with an online payment option, which I promptly paid. Then, when I went to pick up my car, KT said I was charged in error and would be refunded in full, since nothing had to be serviced! It is really hard to find honest and reliable mechanics, and I continue to be so grateful to have found KT. read more

While confirming my app't, I was confused re the transition from Helming's Auto to Advanced Motor. KT(?) kindly explained the circumstances/history. He didn't have to take the time, but I appreciate that he did. Little things mean a lot. Thank you. read more

KT, the owner, is probably one of the nicest and most conscientious mechanics I have ever met. He first asked how long I plan on keeping the car, so he could advise me on what was necessary during that time frame. He also top off the coolant for us free of charge one time. What a nice guy! I would highly recommend him and his shop because it's so rare to find a mechanic you can trust nowadays. read more

Outstanding work to find and fix my intermittent car starting problem (car wouldn't start if it ran too long). We fixed one problem (distributor) but that wasn't the only issue. KT spent a lot of time to get to the real problem and fix it permanently, without additional cost to me. I plan to bring all my (obscure and otherwise) car issues here in future. Top notch service! read more

Guys would not repair with my OEM parts as they want to significantly upcharge $$$ and use substandard knock-off parts. Stay away from this place! The place is filthy, and they pull the classic quote low and then upcharge routine. A quote here means nothing, so ignore that and count on getting billed substantially MORE and that the work will take longer. read more

Car started to have problems when I was in the area, was able to get it to this shop and asked them if they can help me with finding what was going on. It was having hiccups when running. They were very kind and took a look and found out that I had a lose wire on the battery and fixed it. They didn't even charge me for it. Old school service its what is all about. read more

I've taken my car twice to Advanced Motor Works. Both times the mechanics fixed/diagnosed an issue on my car (Toyota Camry 2016) without charging anything at all. The first time the screwed a bottom panel on my car that was hanging off. The second time they diagnosed my car when the check-engine light came on for a faulty gas cap. This team is trustworthy and only charge for things you actually need done. read more

By far the best place I've ever had my car serviced. KT is straightforward, honest, reliable and downright pleasant. I asked 100 questions & he remained professional, patient along w/ very informative. Very rare to have a car service place over deliver; but this place does that & more!! Highly recommended read more

Our 2017 Prius came home looking like a new car. It was spectacular! Inside and outside immaculate. It left home looking very battle worn after duking it out with an angry bolt in a chain link fence. KT was very kind and reassuring. He made our experience as easy as he could. He and Safeco Insurance worked well together. He was honest, noticed details and made everything perfect. This shop is special! read more

Called Dave's for brake quote. Without asking any questions he says look it up on the internet. Sorry, worst answer I've ever heard. If he doesn't want the business sure on the right track. Really question all the 5 star reviews. read more

The team at Advanced Motor Works does qualiity, reliable and honest work. I have taken many vehicles here for service and it is always top notch. KT is honest, transparent and provides very reasonable prices. If your car does not need something, they are honest unlike many other shops trying to bleed you dry. read more

KT has been so helpful, honest and up front about my recent car fixes. Advanced Motor Works is where I will take my car for all things moving forward. read more

I have been bringing my Subaru here for almost a year after moving back to the area. I have had several oil changes and recently a major maintenance interval done with Kt. The work is always done on time and with frequent updates via text or a phone call. Estimates are accurate and transparent with an explanation always provided. Glad to have found a local shop I can count on. I plan on coming back here for all my future maintenance needs. Thanks guys! read more

As a female, it is pretty intimidating rolling up to an auto shop when something is wrong with your car. If you are worried, this is your place to go! I know a little about cars, but not enough to jump in and repair them myself. I do worry about being taken advantage of with auto repair. So, it's nice to have a professional that you can trust when your car needs service. KT was awesome and made me feel completely comfortable and well taken care of. Excellent, timely, and honest service. I was provided with photos, information by text, and a very clear diagnostic report (by email) with all parts and labor explained. My car was even finished sooner than expected. You can pay online so there's minimal contact for covid considerations. They went above and beyond to make this stressful situation as easy as possible. read more

KT is awesome and can fix complex problems at reasonable prices. The variety of things his team has done to my cars is impressive. How they know so much and can do it amazes me. read more

Distributor not distributing? Flywheel not flying? Drive shafted? Power gone sour? Nothing to fear. KT and his guys will come to the rescue! KT diagnosed and replaced my Durango's O2 sensor so that I could pass the smog test. He suggested that I drop by after putting on 50 miles (required to reset the readiness flags in the ECU which prevents gaming the smog test), so that he could confirm all was okay via the ODBII port. Alas, the O2 sensor was still showing faults when I returned. KT replaced it a second time with no extra charges, as it turned out to be defective. Plus he offered to put the miles on it again himself, and even smog the Durango for me. What awesome customer service. For this second invoice, he only charged me for doing the smog test. Highly recommended! read more

Hello Let me thank you for your excellent work. I am very impressed by the work done on the car and the peripheral view of your assessments of the operating issues. I have reccommended your name to several enginering collegues. Thank you again, Ben Venktash, DABFET, MSE, FCABE, PEng(UK), CHSP, CHCM read more

I had taken my Infiniti G35S to several shops to get an estimate for my failed A/C system. Due to the high quotes from every one of those shops, I held off from repairing the A/C, leading to neglect and lack of driving my beloved G, which made me sad because she's so fun to drive, though not in sweltering summer heat. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer and found Advanced Motor Works. It was the multiple highly positive reviews regarding happy endings with A/C systems repairs that led me to contact KT. His knowledge and detail in explaining what he thought was going on just based on my email description convinced me he knew how to deal with my car's specific A/C system. Within a day, KT repaired my A/C system and I picked up my car. KT's expert diagnosis revealed that the assessments performed by at least four other shops were grossly inaccurate. The entire cost of the repair job by KT was less than 50% of the quotes from each of the other shops. Even though it was still a good amount of money, it was well spent for quality work. The proof is in the pudding: I am enjoying very frosty air and get to drive my G once again. Thanks KT, you saved my summer! read more

This was the second time that I brought my 2000 4runner to Dave's and I am all-around delighted with their expertise and service! The owner, KT Nguyen is personally available, honest and direct, and extremely helpful. The first time was to get brakes replaced, which was done fast, well, reasonably priced - and with a ton of extra info provided in photos and text. And this was during the first weeks of the Covid-19 stay-at-home situation, where they had to set up a way to do business without being able to directly meet any customers. Very well done! The second time was serious: My 4runner had suddenly started shaking while on the highway and did so even worse when idling. I thought it could be spark plugs / ignition, maybe something fuel related. After all, 4runners (especially the 3rd generation) are known for their unimaginable robustness. But then again... I did have over 350k on it. (But don't 3rd gen 4runners typically make 500k+?) Anyhow, Dave's figured out the immediate cause very quickly - yes, 2 cylinders were not igniting. They found a bunch of other stuff as well and came up with a great plan to fix it all in 3 sessions. The first session was going to take care of the immediate problem right away, plus a new radiator. But then, being careful, they conducted a compression test and discovered that cylinder 2 had gone bad. The engine would either need to be rebuilt or swapped out. Terrible news, and absolutely unexpected. (Had the radiator leak caused this unexpected early demise? I can't be sure of that, but facts are facts.) Dave's went above and beyond. Mr. Nguyen checked with his contacts to see if there were any engines to be had. That was not the case, and the rebuilt would cost $6k (which is not unreasonable). I was tempted. But Mr. Nguyen reminded me that for that amount, I could probably find a replacement 4runner of same or similar generation where I wouldn't have an ongoing series of replacements to carry out right after rebuilding the engine (e.g. alternator, transmission, etc etc). (I'm going to have to read up about the ones I would care to try... I heard better things about the 6 cylinders like the 3rd generation than the 8 cylinder versions Toyota tried for a while.) I appreciate the honest assessment and the advice. Ultimately, Dave's put back the old radiator and charged me ONLY for the diagnosis, none of the other labor that had gone in! Definitely sticking with Dave's, especially when I need a pre-purchase inspection for my next 4runner! read more

I highly recommend this auto shop for any kind of repair that you'll need. I brought my car in for an oil change a few months ago, and Dave's had my vehicle ready to go in about an hour. Because there's no seating in the actual store, they let you borrow a store vehicle to drive down to a nearby coffee shop while you wait, which is really nice of them. While they were doing the oil change, they: (1) found that it was time for my front tires to be exchanged with the ones in the back and (2) helped me remove some old paint from a scratch on the side of my car. They were incredibly nice and patient through the whole process and did a great job! read more

My previous mechanic died (Ed Pak of Mechanica Automotive) so I had to find a new one in Yelp. These guys are pretty close to where Mechanica Automotive used to be. At first, you walk in and it seems like just a couple guys in a messy garage (which I suppose is what it is). However, both times I've been there, they've fixed my problems for much less than I was afraid of and everything has worked fine. I'm very happy to have found another honest and reasonable mechanic to fix my cars ... read more

KT hooked it up! He does great work and fixed my M3! Thanks man! Plus, he saved me thousands of dollars!

I took my car there since my car started shaking after getting service somewhere else. I was told that tires are probably the issue since they were worn out and it looked like tires weren't patched(?) correctly. He told me that tires are worn out badly and I need to get new tires really soon anyway, so I shouldn't spend any money there. He suggested that I get new tires and drive around and if the shaking doesn't go away, I should come back for full inspection. Since they don't sell tires there, I left there without paying a dime. It turns out that the tires were the issue, and my car's working perfectly now! I really liked this place since the other place I went to always tries to sell me stuff, but I didn't get that here at all. read more

My 2015 BMW needed new break pads and rotors replaced. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the price to get it all fixed was. Although it was a drive out (especially with traffic) Dave's Auto Repair was worth it. Paid a total of $542.00 at checkout. Also, you get a 15 dollar discount when you check in on Yelp! My car drives so smoothly. The best part was that I was given a 2 year warranty or 24k miles if there is an issue with the rotors/breaks. Definitely recommend this place, also, customer service was on point. Kudos. read more

Advanced Motor Works - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

I recently took my G37 to Dave's Auto Repair for maintenance service. Unlike other shops, where they gave me miles long list of things need to be done for an outrageous amount of money. And since I didn't know anything about car, I let them fixed and replaced items which later I found out they were not due until next service. At this place, they don't do that. KT (the manager) did a thorough inspection and recommended replacing only items that were damaged, worn out, along with pictures of damaged parts to support his suggestion. I dropped my car off in the morning, couple hours later, I received a notification text plus email where I found diagnosis reports. I feel comfortable with his diagnostics report - brakes replacement, differential fluid exchange, cabin air filter, battery, synthetic oil changed and etc. All these works for a lot less than what I used to pay!! KT saved me money. KT uses OEM parts and not after market parts and provides 2 year warranty. I had my car back on the same day. Can't ask for a better service!! I read some negative reviews posted earlier in the year. I suspect the incident might have happened during transition of management which is understandable for any business, operation process cutover and personnel changes. I am very happy with Dave's Auto Repair services. They are prompt, professional, good at what they do, reasonable prices, honest and will not change/fix things your cars don't need. I will bring my cars to this shop from now on. read more

From a formerly-loyal customer for the past 10+ years: DO NOT GO HERE. Background: Dave left Dave's Auto repair late in 2017 and moved away leaving a remaining business partner in charge. That business partner, who was serving as service manager left last week, according to some new mechanic. Dave always had a steady service manager, most recently Chuck who left when Dave left. It appears all the mechanics Dave hired and brought up left in the past years or so, particularly Patrick, who was excellent. I was a happy customer for 10 YEARS up until these changes. Recent Experience: I just picked up my car at 5:00PM today and it was NOT SERVICED. I had scheduled an appointment for today two week ago and thought things were fine since I brought my car in sometime in November for a broken fan felt since the business partner and one of the existing staff, I trusted, were around. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR MINOR Service. I dropped my car off and had leave my keys in an "off-hours" envelope in a drop box at 8:40 this morning. NO ONE WAS THERE. This was already scary. I noticed a car left in front of the garage on top of a jack with a wheel off left from yesterday evening. That was also something sloppy and out of order you never saw. At 4:55 there was clear evidence NO ONE even started my car to check the mileage since a box with replacement lightbulbs on the driver seat I left are completely unmoved. I receive NO PHONE CALL update around noon or one - which I always get to hear if there were more issues found or if the car is on track for pickup. I decide to get a ride there anyway around 4:50 with my spare key, and hear from John, the new mechanic that the business partner\service-manager bailed, leaving him on his own, and he "was just about to get to my car." I told him not to worry, grabbed my keys off the office desk and drove away, never to return and to leave this feedback here. It was clear no one even sat in my car to check mileage as a box of replacement signals lights still sat on the driver's seat. DAVE- If you're listening- you should shut this down if you're still a business partner. If you're not - you might want to have your name removed so you're no longer associated with a business which is now a total train wreck. read more

I wish I had discovered Dave's Auto Repair sooner! I had some electrical issues with my 2015 BMW for the past year and a half. After many repair attempts at other auto shops, the problem persisted. Exhausted with the countless inconvenient and expensive visits I was determined to find a mechanic who truly knows European auto mechanics and can repair at a reasonable price. My buddy who has been a long time customer of the new manager KT swore that the mechanic is nothing short from the "auto whisperer". He told me he can pinpoint an issue immediately and he is trusted with many of his friend's exotic cars. Low and behold after one visit and totally exceeding my expectations KT delivered! I can't thank him enough for turning my painstaking routine experience to a more pleasant one. I think that his team's great services are worth noting. Their small gestures such as offering me a temporary vehicle while my car was repaired made me feel like my time is valued. I am positive that this operation will find great success in the near future. Thanks, Guys! read more

I am always happy to recommend people to this place -- they do trustworthy, high quality work quickly, and at a great price. In my most recent experience, I took in my 15 year old Volkswagen to Dave's with an issue with my steering column. It turns out the column itself was faulty and fluid was leaking out of it. They took care of it without needing to replace any major parts, fixed some other small parts of my car (headlights etc.), and gave it an oil change. While they were working on it, they gave me a solid loaner car. When I came in to pick it up, they -- without my prompting -- talked me through the issues and repairs needed I would expect to encounter in the next few years. They gave me some advice on whether or not to sell my car, and a general sense of how good or bad the condition of my car is. Dave's will not hurry you through your experience. They will do the work efficiently and well, and they will talk you through what's happening and what you can expect. I trust them more than anyone I've ever had work on my car, especially because they won't just respond to what you bring up -- they look after your car as a whole, and try to spot problems before they come up. Plus, they're always fun to talk to. Shout out to KT! read more

These guys are awesome. I've used them several times and each time, they deliver. Friendly and trustworthy service, they don't try to get you to spend more money like the dealerships do, they always look for the best price, and they're communicative. Would recommend them over and over again. read more

This place is quick, efficient and professional, they did an oil change and rotated tires . Then my headlights went out one week, they fixed it so quick. I was so happy with the work. read more

I have nothing but positive things to say about KT and everyone else at Advanced Motor Works (formerly Dave's Auto Repair, and still listed as such. KT took over when Dave moved on). I came here for a second opinion after I got an eye-watering estimate from another local shop for my E46 BMW 3 Series. I had an intermittent coolant warning light issue, and had been told I needed a heater core replacement, which is a monster, all-labor, job. Turns out I needed no such thing -- the coolant system hadn't been bled properly the last time it was flushed, and there was air trapped in the system. KT properly bled and topped it off, the coolant light never came back, and I never brought my car(s) anywhere else. My family has quite a few cars (the above BMW, an Audi A4, a Honda Odyssey, and a Mazda) and KT works on all of them. He does a really nice job of presenting and explaining the jobs and their relative importance, and has had us keep an eye on certain things rather than reflexively/immediately replacing them. He's also done some pretty complex/expert repairs (rebuilding a turbo for the Audi, and a power steering pump for the Honda) which has saved us a bunch of money versus what it would have cost to replace them with new OEM parts. Highly recommended. read more

Another 5 star review for KT and the guys. I've been bringing my cars here for over 10 yrs. When you find a great/honest auto mechanic you keep them. The loaner car is the cherry on top! Thanks again, Craig read more

So, here goes my first review for a auto repair shop. I normally stick to what I know best, AWESOME HONEST food reviews. But the experience I had at this shop definitely warrants this excellent feedback. I brought my baby in for an emergency maintenance/repair because if you know me, you also know I'm the slop when it comes to understanding what my car needs and spoiling it. So I was desperate to try a new repair shop (the one I've been going to sucks...) The recent Yelp reviews gave me some skepticism but hey, every establishment deserves a chance right. AND CAN I JUST SAY, WHAT A GEM THIS SHOP IS! The manager, Kt, was so attentive. Hooked me up with pretty sweet deals and was brutally honest, NO BS, when it comes to the condition of my car. I have never felt more confident that the shop was absolutely not trying to lure me into having additional services done for extra profits. Without an appointment, Kt tried to service me within the working hours. No promises, but he did just that. So, ask for Kt when you're here. Great customer relationship and obviously a great expert with extensive knowledge on cars! CONCLUSION: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

Had my car towed here after it broke down driving on the highway through San Jose one Sunday afternoon - used the key drop. They came in on monday and diagnosed and fixed the problem as a loose battery connection and bad battery, and fixed both. They recommended a couple other services like oil change and transmission fluid, and I said yes to all. Prices seemed reasonable - about 500 for 3 or 4 services including diagnosis and the new battery, different fluid flushes, etc. When they were doing the service they found some missing bolts and took care of it as a freebie! I couldn't come back to San Jose until the next weekend to pick it up. KT worked with me to make it possible for me to pick it up on the weekend even though they were closed. Thanks for going the extra mile. When I got to my car, it started up like a dream! Thanks Dave's Auto Repair! read more