Joe and Alan successfully troubleshot and fixed a tricky suspension issue with my 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo S with PASM & a DSC Sport suspension controller. The car's ride quality got a lot worse and my regular mechanic, who is otherwise great, was not able to fix the issue. Joe, Alan and their crew at Custom Alignment deserve this review because they are: - Thoughtful, methodical, and experienced - Great communicators - Take pride in what they do - cared about finding and fixing my problem - Upfront about timeframes and got the work done as scheduled - Fairly priced for what they offer I'm glad I took my car there to get my issue sorted out - it is now back to being pleasant to drive. This review is my way of saying thanks for the job well done. read more

I'd heard great things about this ship throughout the years and finally went to them when I upgraded my suspension components. My suspension has adjustability built in and I was assured that they would use that as using shims isn't as reliable. Today I found that they did use shims as it's more convenient. This is in addition to getting my car returned with damage to my dash to which I was never responded to. read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Dash damage - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

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I had a severe vibration issue at high speeds with my car. Other shops could not find the problem but Joe and his team were able to figure out that the expensive EV rated Michelin tires on my EV suffered from acoustic foam that had delaminated on the inside of the tires. I highly recommend this place for anything to do with tire mounting, balancing and front end alignment. They do fantastic work! read more

My 1970 BMW rides really well with the Ground Control Kit for the 2002 series! Car drives really well! read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - 1970 BMW 2002 with Ground Control Coil Overs. Custom Alignment did a great job! - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

Custom alignment solved a steering wheel shake that had befuddled 2 other shops. They did a road force balance, which another shop claimed to have done, with excellent results. A smooth driving car is priceless, but Custom Alignment did it for a very fair price. read more

I'd heard the recommendations and read the positive reviews, but was still a little apprehensive given the premium price. But wow, they are worth the extra over your regular alignment places. The amount of time and effort they put in was amazing. I'm quite fussy having been an automotive engineer previously for over 20 years, and I'll go back to Custom alignment for my toy cars without question read more

Custom Alignment did a perfect job aligning and balancing my Hyundai Elantra N. Joe, Alan, and David took care of my car's alignment, wheel balancing and addressed all of my concerns. Their knowledge, friendliness, and care for your issues is nothing short of the best ... in today's world it's hard to find people that take pride in their jobs, and these guys do! After having issues at Big O Tires (they aligned my car twice and it still had steering issues and they also had a lack of care for my concerns), I was looking for a shop that provided high quality work and cared about the cars they are working and the people they are servicing. I found Custom Alignment and couldn't be more pleased with their knowledge, pride, and quality of work. They listened closely to my concerns and gave me the confidence that the job was done correctly - when many times that's hard to achieve from mechanic shops. They test drove my car 4 times to make sure everything was as best as it could be and that the issue was solved. The technicians had a sense of calmness, and to me, that shows that they mean business! Custom alignment is nothing short of a spectacular place to get an alignment and balance. After the work, my car drives the best it ever has - and the peace of mind from the experience is priceless. High quality work comes with a price, but going to Custom Alignment is worth every bit. If you are looking for an alignment that is second to none, look no further and trust the pride and knowledge of the guys at Custom Alignment - you will not be disappointed. Fantastic experience! read more

Fine tuning a balance issue. Dual balance all wheels and finally an old-school balance method. It involves the wheels being balanced while mounted on the vehicle. Yes, that red machine near the front bumper spins the wheel allowing a visual inspection of the wheels in movement and the feel of the vibration caused by the imbalance. Then weight is added accordingly to a specific area of the wheel (aside from the dual tire balance). This technique balances the entire hub/rotor/wheel assembly. Joe, the owner really put a lot of effort and time to dial it in as best as possible. 90% of the shake at the wheel from 60 MPH-80 MPH gone!!!! These guys been around for 35 years. They know what they're doing! read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Porsche 911 - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

Brought my truck in to have oversized tires installed, along with an alignment. I had some specific alignment specs I wanted to hit, but also needed them to keep an eye on interference from the larger tires. They had the truck all day and made several alignment adjustments to resolve tire rubbing and hit my original specs. They test drove my vehicle several times to ensure everything was correct. When I picked up my truck the actual mechanic who worked on my alignment came out and went over the steps it tool to achieve the end results. This is a true expert alignment shop. This is not your typical alignment to factory specs and hand the vehicle back you regardless of results. Don't trust your volume tire store or even the dealership to perform subpar alignments on your baby. Custom Alignment will always be my go to and the only alignment shop I suggest to friends, family and coworkers. read more

Frequent customer to the shop for wheel alignment works, but the last service is a big disappointment. Even though the shop charged $100 over the regular alignment rate ($400), but they did a half-complete job. Because one of the camber plate bolt was blocked by the chassis brace, instead of trying to take the brace off and tighten the bolt, they used an angled tool to tighten the bolt so they ended up striping the bolt and didn't tighten the bolt to spec. Had to take the car home, take the brace and tighten the bolt myself. read more

So happy with the service and end result I received from Truc (alignment tech) that worked on my car! Yes I did pay more that expected but I value my cars, performance, ride quality, tire wear, etc..... . He asked me lots of questions, told me what was possible and how he could achieve what I wanted my car to look and ride like. Spent time dialing in ride height, camber, toe, ... . He also pointed out another issue of of a leaking axle seal that I need to have fixed! Thanks for your service and interest in my happiness with my car! read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - '69 Camaro SS/RS with DSE suspension - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

I came in with a persistent steering wheel vibration while cruising. After a test drive, they concluded it was only felt during braking and recommended resurfacing the front rotors, despite my concern that the issue extended beyond the brakes. I paid $450 for the service, only to be told the vibration was mostly gone and that the rear rotors should also be resurfaced. I didn't notice any improvement so I sought a second opinion. Another shop quickly identified I had worn thrust arm bushings, and after replacing those, the vibration was completely resolved without any brake work. I made it clear that I felt the vibration while cruising, not only braking, and that all 4 of my rotors were replaced recently so I thought the chance of them all warping was quite low considering I don't abuse my brakes. They disregarded this and told me that it's common for new rotors to warp after their first few heat cycles, which I was skeptical about considering these are oem rotors for a performance car not a prius. Looking back on it I definitely should have trusted my intuition however I trusted them because of their good reviews. read more

In May I got an alignment here for my Tacoma. It cost 210$ which I thought was pricy but worth it if the alignments good. Dropped the truck off and came back like 6 hours later. Truck got a much needed alignment. Two months later I go off roading for about 30 minutes on an easy dirt road in USFS land. No drops or high centering. The road was so basic and easy I could have accomplished this with an SUV. I get back to find my truck has clunking noises when making turns at slow speed. Turns out my CAM bolts on my lower control arms were SUPER loose. The mechanic at Custom Alignment didnt torque my cam bolts down to factory spec. Factory spec says its suppose to be 100 foot pounds and these were nowhere near 100 ft-lbs. 30 minutes of light off roading should not loosen these cam bolts especially on an offroad tacoma with a suspension system that the tech here inspected and passed. Now I have to pay more money to get a new alignment and have my suspension system reinspected. Tried reaching out to the owner but he was difficult to reach. Im very disappointed in the lack of attention to detail. My decision to get my wheel alignment here is costing me more money. You should not have to double check your mechanics work to make sure they did a good job torquing down suspension nuts/bolts read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Picture of my lower control arm - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

Custom alignment is really awesome at what they're doing and you can see that as soon as you arrive. The lot is full of sports cars. And I'm not talking beater Miatas. Porsches and Corvettes all over the place. The staff is knowledgeable and patient. I came to get camber adjustment for my track car. They were able to help me dial in the values and also recommended toe-in adjustment. I really enjoy how the car drives now, my lap time at Laguna Seca improved by almost two full seconds. Will be back for more. read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Cars in the lot. - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

I recently ordered two tires from Tire Rack. While ordering, I had priced the installation from Custom Alignment on Tire Rack and it showed a price of $82. When I finally went to have these installed, the total came out to be $140 and change; $58 more than the estimate. I mentioned this in a purchase experience survey I got from Tire Rack, and someone actually followed up! They asked for some of the details and mentioned that they will contact Custom Alignment and request a refund for the overpayment. A few weeks later, I heard back from Tire Rack that Custom Alignment has not responded to their query. But Tire Rack gave me a partial credit for the up charge; which was nice of them! While I expect Custom Alignment did a decent job of installing the tires, this is akin to bait-and-switch on their part to advertise one price and charge something quite different. I can understand some small difference in amount, but there was nothing beyond the normal installation that should have incurred this 70% markup! I suppose I could have walked away when they gave me the estimate prior to starting work, but that would have meant lugging two tires in the trunk while looking for another installer. I didn't want to do it then, but I will look for a different installer next time. read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Actual charge at Custom Alignment - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

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As usual Joe and the team do a superb job at a fair price. Had my Tesla Model S brought there to replace a tire that got a nail in it (mfg Continental issued garbage tires third one that has popped in a year), replaced with Michelins and Joe and his team did it in one day along with the alignment and suspension check after the flat tire. You will not find a better or more trustworthy and reliable place to bring your car for tire and suspension work. Lee S. read more

Custom Alignment is the only place I take my classic Mustang. They have the knowledge to understand older cars and put the time and care into each job. I learn more about my car each time I am there. There is no place like it. read more

Update, Nov. 2023. Went back again to mount and balance some new tires. They were quick, good at communication, fair and upfront with their pricing, and treat your vehicle with respect. I wish all mechanics were like this. If you were curious, my alignment that they did over a year ago is still perfect. Again, top notch work by these guys. Highly recommend for all car enthusiasts. read more

I called this business to see if they are able to accommodate a wheel alignment for my Audi S3. I left a message and hoped for a call back. Unfortunately the business never returned my call. As a business owner my self, no matter how busy you get or lazy does not constitute a no reply to my customers. We value our responsibility as business owners and go above and beyond the call. read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

I've been going to Joe(owner) for the past ~20 years, and couldn't be happier with the quality of work, and the level of professionalism. I won't take the car to anyone else for alignment. read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - 69 Camaro, 434 SBC. - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

Went in for an alignment and a check about vibration at high speed, and was very well taken care of! The guys at this shop are super knowledgable, and having wheels drop shipped there for an install was really easy as well. read more

I've used these guys for several tire/ alignments over the years. We favor german cars, and I've always been pleased with the quality of the work they do (incl. setting the suspension based on the driver's weight & the passengers I do/don't have). Recently I purchased 4 tires on TireRack.com for a BMW 328 sedan, and shipped them to Custom Alignment for installation (as I've done several times in the past). The process went reasonably smoothly- tires arrived as scheduled, installed promptly. However, I'd note that the price I was actually charged for installation was substantially higher than what appears on the TireRack website. (TireRack's site says the installation would be $164, I was charged $229.). I called the shop to discuss, and Alan did some hand waving about the TPMS sensors, but that doesn't match what's on the invoice I received, or what's on the tirerack website. Ultimately it isn't clear who is responsible for the discrepancy, and I asked Alan about it but he didn't seem worried fixing the data with TireRack. It's disappointing that the price I ended up paying was nearly 40% higher than what I was expecting. read more

I have had a few sets of Tire Rack tires installed by Custom Alignment and they have hit the bullseye every time. Exceptionally nice people who sincerely try to do the right thing for customers, such as recommending against an unnecessary alignment. I look forward to my next visit ... something I say about almost nobody else in the car service field. read more

Very good service but they are careless with the vehicles. I sat and watched the technicians test drive the cars like they stole them. My key was also dropped and now has a huge gash in it from contact with the parking lot. read more

The shop was able to identify a rear toe issue which I appreciate. However I checked my car after and one of the front steering rack boots was completely twisted over on itself. I'm pretty sure the tech adjusted the inner tie-rod without re-adjusting the boot after. If I didn't go back to check the work, the boot would have been destroyed in a matter of days or weeks. I'm disappointed in the attention to detail for the high cost of the service. read more

Trustworthy folks out here. Came here for a second opinion, and got a really comprehensive take that enabled me to make the decision easily. Highly recommend. read more

My family and I have been taking our cars here for years. And by that I don't mean I have to keep bringing my cars back - they always fix it the first time and then years and years go by I get a new or used car and they do their magic again. I recently bought a used Bentley Arnage. What a car! It was having some bad highway shakes. I bought new tires and had them installed at a generic tire shop. The car was still shaking at highway speeds. I thought the worst- I am going to need thousands of dollars of suspension repairs... Not so said the awesome techs at Custom alignment. A super duper wheel balance (that the other tire shop clearly could not do properly) solved the issue! My Bentley drives like a dream! Thanks!!! read more

Custom Alignment-Balance & Brakes - Bentley Arnage is driving perfectly! - Auto Repair Near Me - Mountain View, California

Thank you for fixing my '87 Porsche 911 today, the new alignment makes it drive so much better! Before the work was done, I wanted the car to be more in line with the factory specifications. After a relatively lengthy discussion about the car's driving characteristics, Custom Alignment understood the problem and corrected what was described as "darty" road behavior. I am very happy with the results and look forward to spending more time behind the wheel enjoying the Porsche driving experience. read more

Porsche dealership detected a nail in my rear tire during service. Their charge to repair the tire was $540. I declined on grounds of it being ludicrous (service advisor quietly agreed) and scheduled an appointment with Custom Alignment. Tire pressure held fine for days so I didn't mind driving 40 minutes to get it done right. Custom Alignment repaired the tire and rebalanced the wheel at a small fraction of the stealership quote while I waited and worked using their guest wifi. Alan is awesome - super friendly, explained reasons this occurs often, showed me the nail, and even found me a Porsche stem cap to replace the one that was missing! Plenty of shops nearby in Dublin could have done the repair, but I really trust the guys at Custom Alignment. I'll be back again with my other cars for any and all tire and alignment needs. read more

Took my Porsche and they did a great job. Alan was great and the technician was very thorough. Right on time, less $$ than I expected. Very happy, definitely will go back. read more

Wow. Went here because of all the positive reviews. Needed a "custom alignment" on my vehicle. After calling and emailing what I had and needed and then mmm being confident on being able to do what I needed I make my appointment. In the end. They didn't adjust anything when you look at the spec sheet except toe. Vehicle pulls to the right (didn't before it went in). Was charged $350 for the "alignment" and they said to fix the pull to the right would cost an additional $200. Talk about a bait and switch. Vehicle ran better before I took it here. Now I'm stuck going to another shop who is proficient enough to fix this. There is nothing custom about this alignment shop. Just a bunch of smooth talkers who do zero work to align a vehicle. read more

I have been going to Custom for years and have NEVER had a bad experience. This isn't just a tire shop that does alignments, this is what they do. Always polite and very knowledgeable, I wouldn't trust anyone else to align or balance tires. -Joe read more

$270 for a 2 wheel alignment. Really?! I shouldn't have to say more than that to get you to find another place. I was quoted $200, and was desperate so went with it. They ended up charging me $270 because my "control arms are more complicated than other cars." Is my car riding perfectly? NOPE!!! Pulls left. What a rip off, find somewhere else. read more

Kudos to Robert and his crew. They have helped me solve suspension problems with my Volvos on many previous occasions. Last week I came to them with a vibration issue that had eluded two other Volvo mechanics. I was fully expecting to pay for an hour of shop time for their diagnosis; they have the equipment needed to reproduce a problem that only occurs at road speed. But after a 15-minute test drive (in which this problem was fully apparent) and some additional static tests in the parking lot, Robert told me that the problem was (almost certainly) with the driveshaft -- something that CA doesn't work on -- and I was better served by having the driveshaft checked by a specialty shop. And so I did. And the other shop found the problem. A problem I had been living with, and losing sleep over, for the better part of three months. And for this expert advice, Robert charged me .... nothing. AND he offered to call the driveshaft shop, to let them know what he had checked, and what other possible explanations he had eliminated by his troubleshooting strategy. One of the lessons here is that I should have taken the car to CA at the first sign of trouble. And another lesson is that CA continues to be the Bay Area's go-to shop for both everyday and extraordinary issues. Thanks again, Robert. read more

Recently purchased a restored classic car. The restorer put in some new front end parts, but car pulled to one side. Despite high charges, went to Custom car because they are supposed to be experts with classic cars. Charged me $90 for inspection and said they could not align because of too much play. Said it needed: new idler arm and pitman arm, plus adjust steering gear and replace all wheel bearings ($1300) I took the car home and dug into it myself. Nothing wrong with the wheel bearings. Nothing wrong with the idler arm or pitman arm. What was causing play in steering was two of the new tie rod end bolts were loose, and rattling in their seats. Took about 30 seconds to spot the problem. I torqued them down and removed most of the play. I then spent about 5 minutes to adjust the steering gear screw to remove the remaining play. (They wanted $90 for this adjustment which should have been part of an normal alignment on this car.) Took it to another shop and had it aligned for 1/2 the price. They found no problems with idler or pitman arms. My advice: stay away from this place, do not let mechanic JA anywhere near your car. read more

If there were a zero star option I'd most certainly use it. Not for the work or the employees, but the owner - his smug, dismissive attitude - and his complete lack customer service. Only today did I have my vehicle aligned at Custom Alignment. The front dest staff and technicians were helpful and friendly. They were professionals, and clearly took pride in their work. After the alignment was completed I thanked the staff kindly and was on my way...for about 23 seconds. As I was exiting the parking lot I noticed moderate to severe gouging of my leather steering wheel from around 7 to 10 o'clock. I turned around immediately. Upon arrival back to the shop, I was greeted by a few employees and the owner; whom I hadn't met. At the exact same time I received a very important phone call that I absolutely had to take. I did so, and while I was on the phone the owner began inspecting my steering wheel. As I ended my call I approached and engaged the owner; whom I hadn't met and he never bothered to introduce himself to me. He began telling me he didn't think the damage was anything he was responsible for. I disagreed. I attempted to politely explain that I recognize that sort of damage, that it was from a pocket knife being worn in the right front pocket while entering or exiting the driver seat. Ask me how I know, because I nicked it myself once and the damage was completely consistent with such an event. He flatly denied any responsibility. More-over by proxy calling me a liar. I didnt appreciate that. As he began to tell me of his 21 years in the business and his wealth of experience I informed him of my own 20 year experience in the automotive field, 10 of which as a Star Certified Mercedes Benz technician; and how I understood accidents happen when working with cars; hell, when working with anything. But to take no responsibility for damage that was 100% not there before my alignment and try to pan it off as "aging", when every single piece of leather in that cabin is supple and cared for was insulting. At this point I was getting upset, as anyone would being accused of being a liar in such a situation. Mind you, this entire time, from the beginning I've not asked for anything. Not one thing. I didn't expect a new fucking steering wheel, maybe 50 bucks off the service to make it right, but that's it. I asked for NOTHING, and was was met by an egomaniac that clearly thought himself superior to a disabled Marine Veteran. As I began to tell the owner - whom I hadn't yet met nor had a proper introduction of any kind - how I felt his position was completely unacceptable in - at this point some admittedly colorful language - he turned his back on me and walked away telling me to get off his property before he called the police. I kindly thanked him in Marine vernacular and began to exit his premises, while listening to him yell at me that he hopes I get arrested leaving his place of business. If you respect yourself, if you value your car, if you don't drive a viper... Take your monies elsewhere. The owner clearly has enough to not give a damn about the average customer. read more

What a refreshing surprise! "Why?" you ask. I took my 2000 Audi TT (Dedicated drive to Track Car with gobs of suspension mods) to Custom Alignment for a 4 wheel alignment. They called me a couple of hours later to tell me that they couldn't align my car due to some worn out components. They didn't jerk me around or claim to have completed the alignment and charge me. They completed a thorough inspection, told me what to repair and sent me on my way. I returned to them after making the repairs and they worked with me on how I wanted my car set up to best meet my track needs while keeping the car "streetable" enough to drive to and from the track. Provided the before and after specs and completed everything when they promised. Honest, direct and professional. Highly recommended! Cheers! read more

They quoted me mounting and balancing for $290, while the price they listed on tire rack is $40 each. I have done alignment with them before and trusted them, but their price seems to be all over the place. Be aware. read more

First let me thank them for getting me in and getting my tires situated , It all started with another shop Mounting and Balancing my tires as soon as I left that tire Shop it started to have a bad vibration and I went back asked them if they road force balanced them he said No I should of asked for it then he tells me that they are going to charge me another $100.00 to balance them - I've worked in shops my whole life and would of just done it for free to correct the issue , As for me I said fine do it I cant drive it like that on the freeway, Few Moments later he comes back saying the tires are no good and he checked them , hmmmm wonder what he actually check and later said my tires are out of round and no good and that was that , Pissed at the situation called Custom Alignments Spooke to Allen got me in the same day told him the situation and they were gonna try and see what they could do , It couldn't be worst then what it is right now and order new tires if worst case scenario, Well they took off all 4 wheels and re did them and I got to see what the Tech actually did and to me balancing wheels is a science and you have to know what the hell your doing , All said and done wheels on the R8 took it on the Freeway and let me tell you how smooth it was driving it - Couldn't believe how night and day it was ,, Lesson learned here dont take your tires to a chain Tire Shop take it to a shop that knows what they are doing , Very Very Happy with Custom Alignments Thank you for getting my R8 Driving smooth and didn't need to get new tires . read more

got a quote to just check my pinion angle on my 80 Series Landcruiser and Allan quoted me $310 bucks, just to see what is happening with my rear driveshaft and pinion angle. From there any work is additional labor charge.. wow. I had my 993 Turbo and C4s brought to them awhile back and they did an amazing job doing a corner balance on both cars, but didn't get charged $310 to just inspect?? yikes! read more