Japanese Beetle is the kind of mechanic everyone hopes to find. Between our Acura and Toyota, we have now been in three times, and each visit has confirmed that we finally found a shop that is honest, trustworthy, and really knows their stuff. ​ We first brought in our old Toyota for an oil change and a tune‑up, and the difference on the drive home was incredible. The truck ran so well afterward that I may have driven a little too fast on the freeway and might have passed a cop at (redacted) miles an hour (allegedly). ​ They even fixed a concerning airbag issue that almost every mechanic, including the Acura dealership, could not figure out, and for that we are genuinely grateful and feel much safer on the road. They use quality OEM parts, are competitively priced, and never push unnecessary work, unlike some other shops that try to scare you into a long list of "recommended" repairs you do not actually need. We have dealt with both Mike and David, who are knowledgeable mechanics. They always take time to answer questions. The whole team is professional and friendly, and the shop has a relaxed, no‑pressure vibe that makes it easy to trust their recommendations. Scheduling is easy, communication is clear, and the turnaround has been impressively fast each time. After three excellent experiences with both our Acura and Toyota, this is now our go‑to place for service and repairs, and we recommend Japanese Beetle without hesitation. Thank you, Japanese Beetle! read more

Respectful, thorough and trustworthy!! I always feel they will be honest with me and only fix what is broken!

Questionable ethics. I took my car there for the 60K service. They asked me what the car needs. I said oil change and whatever else is typically done at 60K - if you find any problems let me know. I went back and they had changed without asking me the break fluid and the differential fluid. ** without asking me to confirm any of the repairs ** let's assume break fluid needed a change - I wouldn't argue against it. But I had already changed the rear differential fluid as a precaution at 35K even though Mazda claims it's lifetime unless submerged in water and other weird things that don't apply for my car and there is no way they had a clue this needed change. And they changed it again with just 25K. Waste of money. I saw the receipt and found it unacceptable but didn't have the energy to argue with anyone and just left the shop knowing I'm not coming back and wondering what I could have done differently to make clear I'm expecting a call before doing any repairs. So last time I'm taking my car there. Be careful to make extra clear you want them to give you a call before they do any extra work to your car. I found that common sense and what I was used to from taming my car to the dealer but it might not be the case everywhere it seems. read more

Mike is great! Very informative. He spent half an hour showing and explaining my car's problem to me, which I really appreciate. And he didn't charge for that assessment! It's a problem that is not super pressing, so I can now take my car anywhere. But I will be sticking with this place. Won my loyalty. read more

I cannot say enough great things about Japanese Beetle ! I have been a customer of theirs for OVER 30 years !! I've gotten to know Mike (Mike and Dave are brothers, owners of Japanese Beetle) very well over these decades. They are total experts in every aspect of automotive engineering and repair. Total Pros. They run their business with great honesty and integrity. And they pride themselves on the best customer service possible ! I have not taken my cars anywhere else for servicing and repairs. I highly highly recommend Japanese Beetle !! read more

Trustworthy mechanics are hard to find, so don't overlook the folks at Japanese Beetle. They work on most (all?) Japanese cars and will work to find issues with your car. Highly recommend this place for manufacturers recommended service intervals instead of the dealership service department. read more

my boss recommended japanese beetle to me after dealing with a not so honest mechanic. i always deal with mike; he's the one you'll always see up at the front. mike is friendly and very helpful, so don't be shy with questions. japanese beetle is APPOINTMENTS only, so don't try to walk in or you'll have to leave your car there. they seem to be really busy this month so be aware. i had to wait two weeks before i could get my car in. business is open monday - friday 8am-5pm, closed on the weekends. nice hours but sucky for those who are off on the weekends and want to get things done. thank you again MIKE for all the help! i'll see you in 6 months. read more

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I have been a customer for many years and this review is long overdue. Michael and David are excellent mechanics. They are honest and always explain things clearly. They are efficient and stand behind their work. I trust them to fix whatever is needed to keep my 20-year-old Toyota Rav4 in tip-top shape. It's at 200,000 miles now and I'm confident it will go much further. I highly recommend them. Call or drop by to see them. You will be glad you did. read more

These guys are honest to a fault. We've serviced our Hondas and Lexus cars here for years. One time Mike sent us to the dealer with advice to see if a part could be covered under warranty, and it was. Another time, I had just over 100,000 miles on my Honda Odyssey when the transmission gave out. Mike advised us to check with the dealer to see if they might cover it even though the warranty ended at 100,000 miles. The dealer did fix the problem for no cost even though the warranty had just expired. (Kudos to Honda too). Japanese Beetle always honored our appointments and never needed to keep the car an additional day as some places do. I just wish this place serviced Audis. read more

I found these generic screws, but they are plastic rivet type. For my 2016 Honda Civic underneath engine cover. read more

Japanese Beetle - 5 of these were found today - Auto Repair Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Wanted to give a shout out to Japanese Beetle for helping me out today. They are very helpful and accommodating. I have used them maintenance services and a few times for some quick fixes. Today I had a situation that could have cost a lot in diagnostic fees but Mike was able to help me by clearing my diagnostic codes and recommending replacing a fuse that was missing. His help saved me another visit and diagnostic fee as the fuse was the key to fixing the problem. So thank you for Japanese Beetle for all the help over the past 5 years. read more

David and Mike are a local gem for import car service. Honesty, integrity, experience and value are some of the things I really enjoy dealing with this great family business. Every time I have had the pleasure of having my Ridgeline serviced with David and Mike , I always say to myself " that was way too easy ... it's obvious that these guys have done this before hundreds of times ". They have the technical service end of the car down like clockwork as well as the customer service end of of the transaction. I feel very lucky to have a local specialist to trust my truck with. I look forward to my next visit to Japanese Beetle as well as bringing my wife's Rav 4 in soon ! read more

Japanese Beetle - My Ridgeline getting some service from Japanese Beetle! - Auto Repair Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

My car had check engine light when I was on vacation. These guys were able to pack me into their busy schedule to read the error code (even though the light went off "by itself" in the meanwhile). Rather than replacing expensive parts, these guys are for more diagnostics, which I really appreciate. Will come back. Update: Maybe I won't be back after all. I have specifically asked them about tension of my drive belt. They smirked, told me it was fine. I asked them about clicking noise my engine made. They came out to the lot to listen to it, said it sounds just fine. They also missed a broken CV joint boot, which I forgot to ask them about at the time, and just thought it was not a big deal if they did not fix it. Now I brought the car for an inconsequential recall repairs to the dealer, and I'm looking at a $3000 bill for all the problems those guys have missed. Being fair, it's been some time between my visit to JB and today. But at least those three problems I already had back then. So yeah, if you want a fake reassurance there is nothing wrong with your car, bring it here. If you want your problems fixed, maybe keep looking for another shop. read more

Fair price, hassle free. Even free WiFi. What's not to love abouy a local business that's been around for more than two decades. Better off here than the dealership. Aka the stealership. read more

This place is awesome! They got me in right away for a pretty bad oil leak. I did not feel nickled and dimed with the estimate and they were very direct of what was going on with the car. I felt very comfortable. read more

Normally, I trusted this place because my relatives recommended it even though they charge exorbitant prices for average level of service. They seem friendly and knowledgeable, but this may be the act to lure you in and back. What annoyed me was that they would forget to do simple things (e.g., align headlights when bulbs are replaced, change color gauge for maintenance completion) that I end up taking my car elsewhere (e.g., Costco) to do. Plus, they mixed up my order where they charged me for a complete maintenance (~$1K including timing belt and other tasks for an old car) when I came in for a simple oil change. Then, they denied that they didn't mix up my car with another one when I investigated further after I heard their anecdote straight from them. If you read the responses by the shop, it's unprofessional how they claim the reviewers are not customers and slander back at them accordingly instead of offering to resolve the issues. I'm surprised and disappointed by the poor and dishonest level of customer service given I used to think this shop had integrity. This shop will try to get away with high prices unless the customer is savvy enough to catch them in the act or question their practices by claiming their quality of service with pride when there is no proof of this shown to their customers that justifies their prices except trusting what they say. read more

I am so happy to have found Japanese Beetle. Mike was super responsive, prompt, and honest. He fixed my Fit within 24 hours of it arriving there, and was very communicative about my car's situation. I will definitely be coming back to Japanese Beetle for my future car needs! Thanks so much! read more

You won't find a better Honda specialist around. I've been coming here for the past few months after looking for a good mechanic for a while. Mike offers some of the best customer service around, and their technical service is top notch as well. I've taken my 2003 Civic EX and my 1997 Prelude here for: - brakes on both - a head gasket and trans fluid on the Civic - transmission, clutch, timing belt/WP, and valve adjustment on the Prelude Both cars are running great now. I can definitely recommend this shop. Thank you Japanese Beetle! read more

Mike and David are one of the good guys. They always fix what needs to be addressed without overselling something else. Although they do mention things you can do sooner rather than later, it's a difference between being informed of potential issues in the future and being told what to do. I know my MDX is always in good hands with them. Thanks again guys!! read more

Brought my Ridgeline in to get my A/C repaired. Mike from Japanese Beetle took a look at it and fixed the issue in less than an hour! No push to get any other services done. Price was much more reasonable than my dealership and friendlier as well. Very happy to have this business in our neighborhood and within walking distance of our home. read more

This is a superior business. They have never disappointed in almost 40 years of service. They have serviced 5 Hondas for my family. Excellent prices and service. read more

I tried to get Japanese Beetle to install some engine mounts on my Honda and they were not able to do it. I actually went on Youtube and figured it out for my self. Not very good. read more

My experience with Michael and David has always been 100% positive, as it was yesterday when they quickly did a bulb change-out while I waited early in the morning. I've been happy with price, timeliness, and especially the family feeling when I interact with them. I've been their customer for close to eight years now. It's such a contrast to the auto dealership service departments, especially on price. read more

I have been taking my cars (several Honda Accords, and an Acura) to Japanese Beetle for 43 years. They have repeatedly proven themselves to be highly competent, gracious, and full of integrity. Their prices are very reasonable. When I read fraudulent reports of Jenny L,, Lukas S. or Andrei, I know they cannot possibly be talking about Japanese Beetle. I am also angry that those three people are going out of their way to discredit honest, capable businessmen who are a credit to our community. read more

6 Honda's, 1 Lexus and 25 years later, we still go to Japanese Beetle. Brothers Mike & Dave have fostered an intense loyalty amongst their customers. Their Dad, Keith, ran the place in Santa Clara when we first started going. Honesty, speed to deliver, quality work, communication for a non technical audience, fair pricing and down to earth good people set them above the rest of the pack. In fact when buying new cars, we ask ourselves - Will Japanese Beetle be able to service it? You gotta love a family business with this level of excellence. Our business is theirs for life! read more

I made an appointment to come here and drop off my car for them to check brakes, change the tranny fluid, radiator fluid, refill AC and fix an exhaust leak. They didn't work on the car on the day of the appointment and i didn't get a call all day, until i called them at 4:30, at which point they said they are waiting to hear back about the brake part price. I asked him how much it would cost (since "they do this all the time") he said he wouldn't know until he got a price from some "place" he was "waiting to hear from". Nice. Didn't get a call until later on that night (7:30), saying that the brakes would cost me about $750 to fix the calipers (which they said was a MUST) and that it took them all day to get the price. On top of that $250 to change the pads and the rotors. $1000 brake job on a TOYOTA ECHO or 90% of cars is unbelievable. Now all that isn't a big deal...well if you like to get rip off. The problem is this: The guy there told me i had less than 1mm left of my brake pads and my rotors were almost on their way out, as my calipers NEEDED to be changed. That weekend i went to autozone and bought a pair of brake pads ($30) and 2 rotors ($100). Went to my friends garage and changed the brake pads myself. When i was working on my car here is what i found out: #1) They never took off the tires to even look at the brakes. As it took me a long time just to break the lug nuts. Which it never takes that long on this car, as i've always torqued the lug nuts to the factory recommendation when i changed my brakes before or rotated my tires. They complained that this car had been on the east coast and it would be tough to work on(!?!?). Amazing. #2) Brake pads had about 9mm of meat on them vs him saying 1mm. #3) The rotors didn't need changing at all. #4) Here is the kicker, the calipers were perfectly fine. This is the biggest money maker for mechanics. You can buy a fully loaded calipers at autozone for $120 today (go look it up on their site). You'll need 2 of those for my car and about 2 hrs of your time max. That's definitely not $1000 even if you consider the hourly rate to be at $125. (which is what dealerships charge) I'm hoping they changed the transmission fluid, radiator fluid as they said. The exhaust leak was fixed for sure, which they had to send that to someone else to get it fixed. They didn't charge anything for the AC refilling though...They said all it needed was topping off....guess what my AC is still at the same pathetic temperature as it was before i brought it there. Too bad....try at your own risk. read more

If you have a Japanese car, take it here to get serviced. My family has gotten their car serviced here ever sine the early 1990's, and they have always rave about it. In the car business, it is very hard to find honest people. The guys who work at the Japanese Beetle are very honest and they will not rip you off. I get my services and repairs done at half the price the toyota dealership charges, and I know that the actual repairs and inspections were completed. There was only one time my dad had a problem with the Japanese Beetle. His car started acting up after it had been repaired (keep in mind, one time out of the 15 years my dad has been going here). My dad had to get the car towed to the Beetle, but the guy who works there felt so bad, he drove my dad back home in his own car after he closed his shop, apologized, and did not charge my dad for the 2nd repair. You can't find a lot of car dealerships that will do this for you, even if they mess up. Make sure you make an appointment to see these guys. They also only work monday through friday from 8-5. I highly recommend this place! read more

As the name suggests, they specialize in Japanese cars, so my Toyota truck is right at home here. Unfortunately, they failed to understand my clutch problem last month -- they pronounced the clutch fine, and my differential suspicious which was (not bothering typing the entire long story) ridiculous and incorrect. I had to take the truck elsewhere for proper diagnosis and repair. They're honest, competent, good for routine maintenance, but for wierd problems I would have to question their capabilities. read more

I've taken all my past cars to these guys, and my family has been going here for years. They're fantastic professionals who have always been honest with me whenever I had a problem. They always seem to have my interests in mind more than making money, and I'll always recommend them for that. To illustrate that: When I had my very first car long ago, someone hit my front end and since it was an old car the insurance company wanted to total it. I was devastated and took the car to Mike and Dave to see if it would be worth taking a salvage title and fixing it back up. After looking it over for a day, Dave called me and told me that while they could fix the damage from the accident, the transmission had some serious issues unrelated to the accident and was going to end up needing replacing in not too long. He told me to take the total, even though it meant he'd be passing up a big chunk of money. I love these guys and the only reason I don't take my car to them right now is that my new car is on a manufacturer maintenance plan. But you can bet when that's up, I'll be back at JB for all my services. And you can bet that anyone with a Japanese car who tells me they're having car troubles hears an enthusiastic recommendation for Japanese Beetle. read more

This place is the best. I took my 99 honda civic because I had problems with my clutch and a couple of other places and they said it was my clutch and it had to be replaced. after reading the reviews here I decided to get it checked out at this place and for my surprise they only charge half than the other places and the problem was the last guy who did my service put the wrong type of oil in it. so it cost me a fraction of what I was expecting and my car is back to running like new. this place is great. read more

I've been taking both of my cars here for a while now. Everything from simple stuff to breaks to manufacture recommended service. Every time and I mean every time I'm please with the outcome. The guys are very knowledgeable and don't try to sell you more than what you need. Further their customer service is great, very low key but friendly. If you are looking for a new place to take your car you may want to check out Japanese Beetle. read more

We have been going here for over 30 years. (Me, brothers,sisters, parents and my kids). They do a good job and if you don't need work done, they will tell you. It's hard to find an honest auto repair shop. If you have Japanese vehicles, these guys are your go-to repair shop. read more

I love the way these guys seem to do business. I came in on a Tuesday morning right when they opened and there were already a few people lined up or waiting, so it was mildly busy. Even though the guy out front was dealing with other people he made sure to acknowledge me and said he'll be with me in a few minutes. I needed an oil change and to check my steering fluid or something because it was really hard to turn my steering wheel. The guy said it would take 45 minutes so I walked to the nearest Starbucks and came back and to my surprise they were already done with my car. Probably took 30 to 35 minutes. My oil change cost $37, which I believe is standard. He also said I should replace my power steering rack, which would cost $1,100, but he said he didn't want to pressure me into buying it, which I really appreciated. He was honest about it and said it wasn't dangerous - just that my little Kia Rio would drive like a truck. These guys are honest, efficient, polite, and knowledgeable. I do recommend! read more

This review is long overdue--by 46 years!! I have been taking my Hondas to Mike and David and their father since 1975. They offer superlative, honest, and timely service. I absolutely do not believe the two negative reviews I just read in Yelp. Those things could not have happened at JB! read more

Pros: Honesty. Trustworthy service. Great pricing. Fast Service. Communications. Cons: Not open on weekends I work on my car myself and don't trust the dealer or most shops to work on my car. I've been taking my car here since 2009 for 120K service, belt replacement, AC, amongst other things. Like any place, they could have told me I needed all these things fixed, replaced, etc but they always come out with a simple fix. I've only had to replace things when they actually needed replacing/repair and the price was always great. The one thing you need to look for in car repair shops are the people, service, pricing and trust and they surely have it all. read more

Since moving back to the Bay Area, I have been searching for a reliable mechanic that does a great job and is HONEST! I have found the place! Mike and Dave and their team do a fantastic job and they are very realistic with time/price and honest if work needs to be done. I will continue to use their shop and I tell everyone I know to do the same. It is always a pleasure working with them... Just hopefully not too often right?! :) read more

Pros: Its obvious to me that this is one of the very last trustworthy mechanics out there. His service is honest, quick and fairly priced. I've been going to Honda for years and every time I leave with a pain in my wallet and feel like I couldn't trust anything quoted. I never feel this way with Japanese Beetle. In fact the owner is down to earth and tells it how it is, which I greatly appreciate in today's unfortunate masked communication methods. Cons: Their not closer to my home, they only work on foreign cars. Now I got to find someone to work on my GMC. Thanks Japanese Beetle. read more

This place is the best spot to take any vehicle of Japanese origin. I have had two Honda's and now an Acura. They never do work I don't need and my car purrs when I drive away each time. The best part about this place is the extensive knowledge they each have. Being able to trust your mechanic and ask questions without having to feel like an idiot after will never get old to me. I don't take my car anywhere else anymore. If you are local and drive a Japanese car/truck, try it out... Mike and his brother are trustworthy. What else can you ask for in a car mechanic. read more

I was in the market for a new mechanic, and after reading the reviews I came here. I wasn't disappointed, and I'll continue coming here. These guys are honest with you, and want to make sure you're getting the best... and you are. They've solved several of my car problems, and are a pleasure to work with. Even routine car maintenance is a breeze. I feel good after each time I do business with them, and so does my car. read more

Japanese Beetle is a fabulous mechanic to take your Honda! Before I owned a Nissan I was a die hard Honda gal! They are honest and fair and explain things thoroughly. I constantly refer people there and have NEVER heard a negative review. I think you are crazy to go anywhere else if you own a Honda. read more