The fact that Automotive Machine Maintenance gets 58 5-star reviews out of 59 reviews tells you something important - this shop is about as good as it gets for automotive repair. Sam Novik is deeply competent; dependably honest and helpful; and committed to providing understanding and satisfaction to his customers. If you are tired of being victimized by high-priced, impersonal service from dealerships, or of being fearful of unscrupulous or sub-standard mechanics, try AMM. You can be confident that Sam will give you excellent service and save you money in the end. read more

I'm from out of state, and I was in Concord for only a short visit. Just before I was leaving on a long trip, Sam helped me out, replacing spark plugs and boots, as well as performing a safety inspection and an oil change. The cost was reasonable. There was no attempt to upsell, no mysterious extras added. He seems to be an old-school straightforward honest businessman. Much appreciated. read more

If you're looking for a good , honest, reliable , mechanic in the east bay then Sam is your guy! I came across Automotive Maintenance Machine about 4 years ago after searching mechanic reviews here in Yelp and I'm glad I did! Sam has been nothing but honest and reasonable. Actually cares about his customers, puts them first and will actually tell you "hey, you shouldn't put anymore money into the vehicle" even though most mechanics will continue to take your money no matter what. Fair prices but again the honesty and care is next level! Glad I stopped by this shop 4 years ago as I'll never take a car to another shop as long as I'm here in the East Bay! read more

Still a loyal customer through 3 years, 4 vehicles, and I always made the trip up to him even while living in Oakland! Sam is always willing to help, and is worth the distance knowing that whatever question, problem, or concern that I come to him with will be handled quickly, professionally, and reliably. There's nobody better! read more

After taking my Nissan Pathfinder to various different repair shops around my area with mediocre service, so my father in-law recommended I go see Sam. I scheduled an appointment and told him I had a whole list of problems, but the priority was my brakes needing replacement. I dropped my car off early that morning and went about my day. Sam would call me throughout the day and keep me informed about what he found, what issues took priority and how much the repairs would cost and ask my permission before he moved forward. Sam is very knowledgeable and most importantly he is trustworthy. I will be taking my car to Sam from now on. read more

I've been bringing my car to Sam for years, and I can't recommend him enough! He's always incredibly helpful and quick to fix any issues. Sam is not only skilled at what he does, but he's also trustworthy and offers a great prices. I know I can always count on him to do great work!! read more

Sam at AMM is the best. Literally the best. You won't find a more knowledgable mechanic in the SF Bay Area. He's a "mechanic's mechanic." He can literally fix anything, and he always ensures it's done right -- down to the finest detail. Most importantly, Sam is honest, trustworthy, and always there when you need him. I can't recommend him enough. read more

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I was in a bind not knowing what was wrong with my car. It wouldn't start and gave me a weird message on the dash. I called the dealer and they told me it could be as easy and the battery or something else going on. A diagnostic $200. I needed to pick my kids up from school in 2 hours and I was working. Luckily my friend recommended Sam & he's not far from me. I called him and he was so friendly & helpful he told me I could come down ASAP. If it's the battery and he has it there I'll be fixed in time to pick my kids up. Best decision ever!!! It was my battery! He walked me though the test and explained everything in detail. If you want an honest, no frills, knowledgeable mechanic this Sam is your man! I'm so glad I came here and will be coming here for all my service needs. What a gem located behind the bike trail and Concord Feed off Mayhew & Bancroft. read more

As a previous owner of a motorcycle repair shop I am always looking and hoping for shops that just do it right. They first and foremost do the job correctly, do it expeditiously, and fairly. Even though it took me 4 hours and $45 in gas to have Sam do a 30 minute job that I could have done locally, I went to him. He is an honest mechanic that I will refer others to. Sam keep up the good work and thank you for keeping mechanics an honest profession! read more

Sam at AMM is a Journeyman. He is the best and he knows so much right off the top of his head. I've known Sam for over 20 years and I wouldn't go anywhere else. He is fair and honest and a good businessman handling everything. Its all good or as Tony the Tiger would say Sam is Greeeaaattt!!! at his chosen profession Mark Haskins read more

Great experience - honest, transparent, fair, and patient with amazing customer service. I will be back for whatever I need in the area.

Sam was a godsend! I was buying a vehicle from out of state and found AMM through Yelp. The reviews were spot on. Sam replied quickly, listened to my request (for a vehicle inspection), and worked with the vehicle owner to set up the appointment time. Sam was beyond professional in providing me the inspection verbally, with pictures, and a written report. I can't say enough about this guy and his business. read more

i contacted sam about an after-market a/c problem. although he was unable to assist me in the repair, sam spent extra time, explaining the issues involved in the needed repairs. i found him to be a very honest person with exceptional knowledge of my problem. i ended up not being a paying customer, but i would not hesitate to use his services in the future. read more

So glad I found Sam! He's an honest and dependable mechanic and very reasonably priced. He won't try to upsell you and he knows his trade like the back of his hand. His pleasant demeanor and willingness to discuss the mechanics of my vehicle definitely won me over. I'll definitely be coming back and you will too! read more

Sam is incredible. He is straightforward, honest, and easy to talk to. I was concerned about a noise my engine was making and he had me bring it in right away. He walked me through my car, showed me what he was talking about as he did it, and explained things in a way that was easy to understand. I trust him to be honest with me about what my car needs, what I can do myself, and what is worth the money to have him do. I had the dealer quote me for a service that Sam said he could do for a quarter of the price. If you need a mechanic, Sam's your guy. read more

Sam is great and trustworthy. He was happy to take a look at my vehicle and gave an honest opinion when I didn't need any work done! Took the time to walk me through everything. Good shop. read more

Sam's One of those Mechanics that Knows what's Wrong With your Car Just by Listening to it!! Working on Cars has been Ingrained in him since he was a very young boy! Knowing Sam for many years, I can tell you that he is the BEST at what he does!, besides his knowledge and years of experience, Sam is A Dedicated Person, and will be completely Honest with you, and talk to you, in a way that you can understand what's going on with your car! There's Nobody better than Sam when it comes to Cars! Those that have known Sam all Agree, He's THE BEST! read more

Needed some help with my RV and Sam was good enough to walk me through the troubleshooting. Went above and beyond! Highly recommend.

Sam has been fixing up my RV for a few years now, and considering I take it to Burning Man and Wasteland Weekend every year, that's saying something. He's super helpful (and patient) with showing me how to do basic maintenance myself, and every time I'm there (once a year, because I try to be good with preventive care) he always offers a few suggestions on how to continue to maintain my RV's health. Super nice guy, too! read more

I love automotives and maintenance. If you like this too, Sam is your guy! Always willing to lend a hand, tool, or ear, I'm glad to have a friendly neighborhood mechanic I can count on. He also seems to be a good teacher as him and his fine apprentice work diligently to ensure you're taken care of. (If you're really nice, he'll give you a soda) read more

I'm one of those horrible people who only takes a car in when I know something is broken. I went in with a car that wouldn't start half the time with no clue as to what needed to be fixed. The mechanic (I'm horrible with names too) was so kind and knowledgeable. Quickly and accurately diagnosed my car and taught me a thing or two in the process. He kindly loaned me a part to keep my car running until I could spare the time to actually get it fixed. This man moved mountains to get the work done in time so I wouldn't be late to pick up my daughter from school and now my car turns on smoother than it ever did before. I plan on coming here for all my car needs in the future. If you need someone reliable, trustworthy, honest, and at a fair price look no further! read more

Went in needing to figure out why my air conditioner wasn't working. Sam was very speedy with the diagnostics and figured out my problem with a Perspective of much knowledge. Got me at the part very quickly and got me back on the road with air conditioning within 45 min! Definitely recommend his services. He is a very nice guy. read more

I'm a 25 year customer of AMM. Before that, I tried going to many auto maintenance businesses and never found one that, after a few visits, I could maintain my trust of their diagnosis or their charges. That changed with AMM and it's owner Sam. His expertise and knowledge is very impressive, his honesty is as refreshing as it is rare, and his prices are not inflated, but very affordable. He works on all types of vehicles. He works with his customers to get the work done with convenient timing. This all builds the trust that we return-customers all have for AMM and Sam. Plus, he's very cool... read more

Sam was great! Very patient and informative with a novice car person. Took the time to walk me thru his inspection and process, and did not make me feel any less despite being ignorant on the subject. Could also see that he's a solid member of his community thru his interactions with clients and neighbors. read more

After my regular mechanic couldn't confidently diagnose my car, I was referred to Sam who figured out the problem within minutes! I've since taken it back a couple of times and was greeted with patience and kindness. Each problem I brought Sam was answered and accompanied by a simplified explanation in layman's terms which was very appreciated! I would definitely recommend. read more

We found Sam on here and asked him to do some work on our RV. There are times when the key to providing good service means doing the right thing when something goes awry as it sometimes does. In our case Sam was terrific to deal with in all respects, and has yet another very happy customer who will be returning to do more work in the future. He is a pleasure to deal with as well, and he took a bit of extra time to educate us newbie RV'ers...which we also appreciate. read more

Being a new RV owner and not very mechanically adept, I was super happy to have met Sam. The RV was made in the year 2000, and required some TLC. Sam was able to get everything dialed and the RV is running like a champ now. Sam is a cool cat and you instantly feel like he's more of your buddy more than a service provider. Having a competent and honest auto/RV expert is like having a good doctor. :) read more

I can't recommend Sam highly enough. I was looking around for someone to install Sumosprings and worked on RVs. Sam was very familiar with the installation process and gave me an estimate over the phone based on an hourly rate and how much time it would take. He installed them in a flash for 1/4 the price of some of the other estimates. I plan to hire him for all of my future repairs and mods. BTW, this was a similar installation to the 1 star review below. I had a radically different experience. There's a good reason Sam has so many 5 stars. read more

Sam did great work on my camper van and I'll be back again some day, I'm sure. There was a problem with the 110v power system and he diagnosed it, found the short, fixed it, and I had him test+replace my aux house battery... All in only 1 hour of labor. Lucky it was an easy problem to solve but I didn't know where to start so I'm thankful this shop took care of it for me. read more

He was very positive, fast working and explained everything. He also gave a good price that you would probably have a hard time beating. If I ever have any car problems in that area I'll definitely stop by again. read more

Exceptional service! Took my RV in for general maintenance and was extremely pleased by the superior customer service, expertise and professionalism from Sam! He was thorough, reasonably priced, it was completed on the same day and Sam took the time to detail work done as well as upcoming recommendations. A month later, I was at an RV park in Jackson and encountered an entirely different issue, called Sam to inquire, and he took the time on phone to troubleshoot and help resolve. We HIGHLY recommend Sam, we will never go anywhere else again. Thx Sam! read more

Ever been somewhere and wondered where have you been all my cars life, lol... That is how I feel today. My car was running horribly, no lights appeared on the dash, no clue what was wrong. Typical girl syndrome when it comes to knowledge about car parts or maintenance. Sam the owner, was so kind and knowledgable. He had me in and out of there with the items my car needed to run smoothly. His expertise and passion for his business shows. I will be going back for all my car needs and will be referring friends/hopefully future clients his way. For me - dealing with anything car related is such a headache. Not today and not at Automotive Maintenance Machine!! read more

Sam is the mechanic you hope you find. He always finds the time to talk through my questions and talks through solutions before having me bring my vehicle into the shop. He gives good, honest advise and his attention to detail and deep automotive knowledge means I'll keep coming back. Thank you Sam! read more

We brought a car in to get looked at before we purchased it. Sam the owner was very friendly and knowledge. He looked the car from top to bottom and let us know it needed a lot of repairs done and was not worth the price. (The owners had said they already fixed all this stuff!) Thanks to Sam we didn't purchase this car. This shop is amazing! read more

Sam is such a great guy. He stayed late to replace my battery which ended up taking more effort than he originally thought. He took time to explain to me what was wrong and what needed to be done. He was really fair with how much he charged me which I was very grateful for. And he is very personable and fun to chat with. Highly recommend!!! read more

I recently relocated from NY to Walnut Creek and needed service on my Class B (Travato) diesel motorhome. Sam, the owner, provided professional and personal care both to me and the vehicle. He answered all my questions and allayed all my fears,apprehensions and concerns, however basic they may have been, regarding the care of this "dear to my heart" machine. Yes, I veer to the OCD side of the spectrum. Anyway, He went over: what was needed; what was not; and, what to consider for the future. He kept me updated regarding the progress of the repairs. So glad to have found a trustworthy home for our care. read more

I have been to this place once before and had a great experience, so when my truck's fuel pump crapped out on me on, I didn't need to think twice about where I would take my baby to be fixed. I was able to get my truck towed to the shop next day and Sam, the owner, assured me my truck would be a-ok. I got my truck back today and it is purring like a kitten! Sam also let me know that my shocks were in need of replacing, which is great that he told me because I honestly would have never known! All in all the owner and staff at AMM are incredibly friendly and always happy to help (and needless to say they really know their stuff!). I know my truck will be in good hands when I bring it in. I don't think I will be going anywhere else but here from now on. Would definitely recommend! read more

Sam is one of the most honest efficient mechanics around WC, Pleasant Hill area. He takes the time to explain all questions about your car in a clear way. You will not be disappointed. read more

Do Not Trust Automotive Maintenance Machine I was charged for four hours of labor on a job that was estimated at two hours and I have since learned could have be done in less than 30 minutes if the proper tools were used. Additionally, I expected the work to be complete in less than 3 clock hours and I was waiting. It took seven hours. I went to this shop because it was on the list of authorized installers on the spring manufacturer web site. To be clear the installation is safe and as good as if the proper tools were used. But I was milked for $540. I did not expect the shop do 30 min of work. There are often minimums and that is OK. Paying for two hours was OK with me. But paying for four hours of labor and waiting seven hours was not OK. After it was done the mechanic said the estimate was 2 hours per side of the vehicle. I have since learned that this work was trivial if the proper tool was used. It could be done in less than 30 minutes. There is a video showing the tool used in an installation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YZqrcvekY8). I also now know that as an authorized installer the mechanic could have borrowed a tool (which costs less than two hours of labor) from the sales representative at no cost. The mechanic had a week to do that. I drove the van to the AMM shop the week prior to get an estimate. In a phone conversation the day after this work the mechanic said the tool does not work on my van. That is not true, I have since had the west coast representative for spring company come to my house and use the tool in my DIRVEWAY. He could have installed the springs in less than 15 minutes. The AMM shop mechanic used straps, pry-bars and jacks to improvise the work of a special purpose clamp. That is like using pliers and a C-clamp to remove lug nuts on a tire. I expect that at $135 per hour the mechanic would be trained, skilled and well equipped. This mechanic is old school, untrained, unskilled and unprofessional. I have intentionally not mentioned the spring company because they have no fault in this installation. They provided all that could be expected and can not force a mechanic to use their tools or advice. They went above and beyond in trying to help us. I don't want them to come up in a google search associated with this shop or their spring installation. You can see the spring manufacturer in the video. These springs are great and the van a Class B RV is 10 ft tall and weighs 8600 lb. The sway is much lower and the front end now does not dip on heavy braking. This addition will make the vehicle much safer in crosswinds or accident avoidance. read more

Have to add my accolades to Sam at Automotive Maintenance Machine. Last week I was in a pickle with my RV. No electricity. I phone several RV repair shops and no one could help me that same morning. (We wanted a same day appointment because we had paid reservations at a campground.) Sam was the only mechanic I found who could accommodate me that same day. He diagnosed the problem and tried to get new batteries shipped to his shop but nothing was available until the following day. The next day he took the time to install the batteries for us. His assistant, Karissa, is very pleasant and helpful, unlike the help at many other RV shops. Unfortunately there is a dearth of RV repair places in the bay area and I think the lack of competition has bred complacency among some businesses. I highly recommend Automotive Maintenance machine for RV diagnostics and repairs. I am sure he does fine with autos also but cannot claim first hand experience there. Sam and Karissa provide, in the best sense of the word, an old fashioned customer experience. read more