The mechanic I used to go to was pretty far, so I asked around for a trustworthy shop closer to home. A friend recommended Tanaka Auto -- and they did not disappoint. We've been bringing our Japanese cars here for over 5 years now, and they've earned our complete trust. It's a family-run business: the father is the mechanic, and the daughter handles appointments, check-ins, payments, and more. They're honest, do quality work, and usually have a quick turnaround -- often within just one day. Highly recommended! read more

Reliable trustworthy workmanship amazing recommend Tanaka motors has been going for over a decade with our multiple cars!

Unfortunately, the pandemic has taken a toll on a few businesses so that may be the cause but I was very happy with Tanaka four years ago, but trying to keep a rapport with the company. I went back for more service and I was very disappointed in the communication and customer service. Very unfriendly and not willing to give me clear answers or prices. I asked her for quotes and she couldn't care less to give me clear answers. Very sketchy now. read more

Quaint shop in Irvine. The mechanic is also the owner I think. It seems like a family shop. The work was fast, he seems very honest. All around I had a good experience. Thank you ! read more

Tanaka Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Irvine, California

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Tanaka Auto did an oil change and tire rotation on my BRZ and did an excellent job and very quickly. Cannot recommend this small business enough for great work for a fair price! read more

I don't know what to say.... But he says he is a japanese car specialist and when i brought my nissan he said he s not a fan of Nissan and couldn't help me. So read more

If you have an ICE vehicle and looking for a trusted mechanic and don't wanna pay rip off dealer prices look no further! I've been bring my japanese cars hear for many years for usual maintenance/repair needs. Yes it's a hole in the wall kind of place so don't expect some fancy shop. What you do receive here is honest responsible service without being afraid of being ripped off. Mr. Tanaka is like your OG mechanic that will tell you directly or even teach you a few things if you're really interested. They do get pretty busy since it's a one man shop so you may need to leave your car or make an appointment. read more

Came here for a quick oil change for my Honda Accord after calling in for an appointment, Mr. Tanaka was able to get in done in about an hour. Super quick turnaround and had a great experience as he was very friendly. Would recommend! read more

I started hearing minor rumbling noise from the front end- spotted some leaks from a tie rod boot and noticed some movement at a joint area. I decided to drop my Lexus to Tanaka Auto since a friend of mine recently told me about his great experience at the shop and his issue with his old Honda. I initially asked the owner for a quote for the repair on tie rod replacement, but he said he needs his own diagnosis before giving me an accurate quote as it can be another issue- That's fair since I am not a mechanic. A charge for diagnosis is up to $100; I guess it depends on the time he would spend, but it can be waived if a repair job is performed there. Ok, that's fair too. A few hours later, the owner called me saying he figured out the issue and tightened some nut bolts, didn't believe the parts need to be replaced now. Ok, great, but I told him I still may want to replace the part bc I spotted some leaks. Mr. Tanaka ( I assume that's the owner) assured me that it is normal for its age and will be premature for its condition if I replace the parts. This mechanic just said "No" to a $200-400 job because he thinks it's unnecessary; he charged me $40 instead- must be for the time he spent lifting my car and tightening whatever part to remedy the issue. read more

Tanaka Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Irvine, California

__________________________ \ / / -:: OVERALL RATING ::- \ \ / / 4.5/5 :: Location \ \ 5.0/5 :: Service / / 5.0/5 :: Honesty/Reliability \ / 4.5/5 :: Cost / /__________________________\ I had a 2001 GS Lexus with a mileage of over 180k. The last 3 years my ride has began to require more attention/maintenance care than before. Hence I needed a mechanic closer to where I reside specializing in Japanese cars in case of any issues that arises. Years before I used to take it out all the way in Garden Grove area -- but be careful there are the selected few that aren't as honest/awesome as the reviews said they be! I kinda got screwed over on the water pump twice by 2 different mechanics out there & I'm pretty sure it's because I am a female! Thanks to my brother's coworker recommendation, fellow Yelper reviews on Tanaka Auto & client's of Tanaka Auto that I've spoken to -- I know my car is in great hands of Tanaka-san. He may not be a chatter but he know's what he is doing. If he can fix it, he will & if he can't he will tell you. -:::- LOCATION -:::- Tanaka Auto can be a little confusing to find since there really isn't a visible sign to see when you are driving outside of the cul de sac. They are located in the same circle as the Waste Management. His shop isn't huge since he practically is the only one working on the cars with occasional help that I've seen. There is a very small waiting area with seating for 3. Really not ideal to sit & wait for your service esp if it's more than just an oil change. But you can walk out of the cul de sac to the nearby plaza with Chevron, fast food joints & other small food businesses. -:::- SERVICE -:::- It started off with a simple oil change. Then the last 2.5 years due to its old age but well maintained, my Lexus started to take a toll. I've already had my car towed 4x to Tanaka's. Every time something happens (especially in the evening) I freak out. I would make immediate calls or the next day in the morning asking Tanaka-san if I may bring in my car immediately for him to look at. Tanaka-san has been gracious & welcoming. He is also very honest & never had turned/let me down yet. If you're not sure about a certain type of service that you need, bring it to Tanaka & he'll give you his advice/estmate. -:::- COSTS -:::- I've had the following services for my 2001 GS Lexus & the "APPROXIMATE" costs (including parts, labor & tax) -- so you can get a gauge & compare to other locations. I also have cross referenced the costs with other sources & Tanaka's pricing is very reasonable. Going to Tanaka Auto gives me a peace at mind. Oil Change ($55-$65) Replace Alternator ($475) Replaced Radiator Cap, Upper & Lower Radiator Hose & Flush Coolant ($375) Change Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor ($200) Fix Fuel Pressure Regulator ($ ? ) Replace Water Pump & Ball Joints ($1150) Front Brake Change & Rotor Resurface ($255-$265) PLEASE NOTE: Tanaka's price varies per car/parts/labor. I've recommended my friends and family with Japanese cars to get their services at Tanaka Auto. -:::- NOTES -:::- 1) Closed every 3rd Saturday of each month 2) Saturday is 1st come 1st serve - no appointments (only weekdays) 3) If doing any oil change -- let them know if you are dropping off or waiting read more

We had such a wonderful experience. They are honest and reasonable prices. I will be bringing all our Japanese cars there.

I took my Honda in for an oil change and provided my own oil and oil filter. The appointment only took about 40 minutes total and after returning my vehicle Mr. Tanaka mentioned that he took a look at my radiator reservoir and topped that off with coolant since it was nearly empty. Overall excellent experience, quick service, and very reasonable pricing. Paid $60 out the door. read more

Reasonable price and quality work. This is the place I go to now for my aging Lexus. I've serviced my car 3 times in the past 9 months. Two oil changes and one break repair. read more

I have changed oil and breaks at Tanaka Auto a few times. I have Toyota priuse and I'm my mind a Japanese auto repair is better suited for my car. I'm glad I took my car there. Prices are very affordable! read more

Mr. Tanaka is a specialist in Japanese cars. He is a rare, endangered breed and great mechanic. He knows quite a lot if you talk to him in depth. During COVID, I have had the chance to work at length on my own cars which I found to be fun, learned quite a lot, and he is a mechanic to trust. He is fair and very honest and will treat you correctly. From his shop in Construction Circle in Irvine, he knows the long history of Japanese cars from the early Nissan hatchbacks to the cars today. We get our Japanese cars fixed there, Lexus and Infiniti, and have gotten everything from radiator changes to O2 sensor changes to serpentine and A/C belt changes there, and all have been done with quality and precision. I found it most interesting that he can hear the subtle issues with the car in the engine as the car rolls in. Highly recommended. read more

owner Colin Tanaka was the ONLY mechanic on Oahu who was willing to repair my 2000 Chevy Cavalier Wiper Transmission, due to corrosion the arm broken off! Spoke to him yesterday 2-26-2021 Chris T. Miyaji. read more

Tanaka Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Irvine, California

I drove by to inquire about my Honda Odyssey engine light on to Tanaka's auto repair shop and Mr. Tanaka attended to me even if he was busy working on another car. He diagnosed my van for the light engine and before I knew it he made the engine light disappeared. What a great guy! He did not even charge me a cent! Thank you very much Mr. Tanaka. read more

Thorough & awesome service. Gets the job done and always looking out for the customer. Trustworthy company.

Great mechanic. Made an appointment for oil change. I brought my own oil and filter because I like what I like, was reasonable. I will be back. read more

Back for another auto job and quick review. Tanaka auto has always been a quick turnaround with reasonable pricing and reliable work. This time, we had to to replace a leaking radiator for one of our older vehicles. Would come again. read more

Pros + Fast/Efficient service + Tasty tea (Genmai-cha is my favorite) + Cheap-ish oil change (in my opinion) +/- Communication is okay. Tanaka's English is pretty good but still not a native English speaker. The woman (his daughter I think) speaks English very well Con - Tight waiting room (forgiveable) - Not much reading in English. Did find Harry Potter books on a bottom shelf (also forgiveable) I went to Tanaka Auto Repair on a Saturday at about 8:05am. I walked through the door and was greeted by Tanaka. There's a bell on the table you can push if you want assistance immediately. I rehashed my problem since I called him the previous day (Friday) about my car not starting. My car problem: I tried starting my 2001 Toyota Camry one night and I couldn't get it to start. I found that my positive battery terminal was loose so I tightened it up and the car started. I still wanted to bring it in to Tanaka to get it checked out just in case. After filling out some info (name, address, cell #) I gave him my keys and waited. I noticed there is only one car port for Tanaka Auto so he can only work on one car at a time it seems. He is neighbors with Auto Baikan who is a door or two away. After about 30ish minutes, he came back to tell me he noticed the voltage on my battery was low so he fixed the voltage and everything was great. I remembered I needed an oil change so I asked him to do that too. Waited another 15-20ish minutes and he came back with a receipt for little less than $80 in repair and oil change costs. Not bad! My car runs very well after that. I'll definitely be going back to Tanaka Auto for a routine oil change and a cup of Genmai-cha. I recommend going there right when it opens at 8:00am to get service. Call ahead of time and explain your problem to him before bringing it in. I want to say it's a "first come first served" type of business but calling will give him an idea of what to expect from your arrival. read more

Tanaka Auto - This tea is awesome! - Auto Repair Near Me - Irvine, California

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Went in during the morning and was seen right away! This guy always offers really great prices and is always courteous. This is my second time here and its been great! Bring a book to read though because you could wait a while! read more

Needed oil change urgently on 2001 Maxima, they had an opening a few hours @ 2pm. Unauthorized replacement of air filter - I think it's standard practice not to perform any work unless notified if not requesting permission. I did not get a call back, I had to call to find out my car was done. No info communicated about health of my car or what he thought - usually that's normal for me... or at least I ask. $36 for oil change, $5 for oil filter, $3 tax, $3 environmental fee, $22 for air filter. Overall: Seems honest, wish they communicated with me about air filter and car being ready - they asked for my # but didn't use it at all. Corner 3 is my go to place but this is much closer in Irvine. If I had to go to somewhere else I'd give Tanaka Auto another try and see if this place is solid or not. read more

I had a few issues with my car one being an oil leak and the other being a belt replacement. I had already replaced a part which was what was giving me issues but it turned out the part was faulty and was the culprit of the leak. He confirmed that was the offending part and since I had already done a replacement of the part myself he told me to get a new part and swap it out as it would be more costly to have it done by him. I already had purchased the belt that needed replacing and he replaced it only charging labor for the part which saved me from having to buy the same part twice. I had a great experience and would definitely recommend this place to anyone with a Japanese manufactured vehicle. read more

I could not start my car. Most of the most places I went to were asking for $1600-$2500 to fix my engine. Mr. Tanaka fixed my car for $152. You couldn't have asked for a more honest person ! Thank you God! read more

I did not have the best experience at this place. I called because they were close to my job and wanted to find a local shop in Irvine. The lady who answered was not friendly and that should have been my warning. I arrived at the location and she was still very unfriendly and the place was not clean at all. The mechanic came out to look at my car and told me what was wrong. He wanted to charge me $500 to replace my starter. I thought that seemed high so I called around other places in Irvine. The average price to fix my car starter with Labor is $250. That is almost double. This seems very dishonest and I'm glad I did not listen to him and did some research. I do not want this to happen to anyone else. Maybe because I'm a girl he tried to up the price??? Needless to say I found a way better shop 2 miles down the road to fix my car for half the price and they are very professional! :) read more

Clear communication is definitely not their strongest trait, but they got the job done! My car decided to stop running and after AAA road assistance, they informed me that I needed a new alternator. Since I have an accord, I decided to go to Tanaka (I usually go to vtec) and was thankful that it was located in Irvine since most autoshops are in Lake Forest or further out and also since my AAA only covers up to 7 miles of towing. They agreed to take in my car after I called and told me that it takes half a day to complete it. I was able to pick it up at the end of the day and paid $380. If I went to the dealership, I would easily spent $600-$800. The shop itself is tiny and crowded with an old TV and japanese books (I felt like I was in their house! haha) read more

Tanaka auto specializes in maintaining Japanese cars . Mr Tanaka is very honest His Fees are fair and competitive

I don't post Yelp reviews, but feel compelled to do so here. I have been taking my cars to Mr. Tanaka for about 4-5 years now. My latest experience: after testing with a multi-meter, I found that my Nissan truck was not getting enough voltage from the alternator. I'm no car mechanic, so I took it to Mr. Tanaka for repair. I really wasn't sure what it was, and I was fearing the alternator would need to be replaced (it's 26 years old!). Mr. Tanaka tested the alternator and found it works fine, and instead replaced the alternator belt, which was loose. A much less expensive repair. Truck works great now! It's hard to find a mechanic that is honest and knows how to get to the bottom of issues. But look nor further! read more

I drive a 2005 Honda Civic LX. My driver's side headlight died and the bulb needed to be replaced. I was charged $33.00 and it took 15 minutes. 5 stars for price, speed, and the fact that he was a very kind Japanese man. He laughed at me when I tried to cup my hands over the light to make sure it was working-- it was very endearing. They also have a huge manga/OG VHS collection of everything stereotypically Japanese. read more

Have not had a bad experience here yet. I have been here 2 times for an oil change and getting my transmission fluid changed and have been very satisfied. He says it will take around an hour each time but is usually done faster than that, which is great for me. I can see how people can be put off by him not being very talkative, but I prefer this to the mechanics that talk to me about life and try to up sell me on upgrades. In these cases, I think to myself, "If you spent less time talking to me and working on my car, maybe I could leave 30-45 minutes earlier, or not have to wait in line for 2 hours to get my oil changed". Also from my understanding he only deals with Japanese Cars: Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Infiniti. Although I am not 100% certain these are the only Japanese car brands he services, please be aware as I have seen reviews of people going there disappointed that he will not service their cars. read more

I went in primarily for an oil change - $67 for synthetic, a little on the high side but Mr Tanaka also gave some input on my transmission (nothing to be done, it has a jerky start that's apparently not uncommon in Hondas, he probably saved me some $). The problem was Mr Tanaka's daughter - although I had made an appointment through her, he didn't have time/seemed unaware, and asked me to return a coupla hours later. In fact, when I initially entered the waiting room and rang the little bell, I could hear the daughter in the backroom on the phone, but she never came out. 5 min later, I even saw her walk around the front parking area and wander away. I guess her call was pretty important. She never came to help, and I eventually wandered outside myself and spotted Mr Tanaka at work. He was super nice, but really his daughter is not an asset to his business. read more

Amazing. Seriously amazing. Was quoted 4x as much at other locations. Mr Tanaka replaced my door handle & brake pads and did a great job. It was pretty quick turn around too. Although he seems to run everything himself so I don't imagine it would always be this way! He was also honest about what actually needed to be repaired. He could have easily charged me more since I don't really know car stuff too well. I will be going to him for all my car stuff in the future. read more

I have been his customer for 15 years. I think 90% of his customers are Japanese in Irvine area. He does not advertise at all, but the words of mouth spread one at a time. He will never rip you off, nor sell unnecessary repair or parts, and his price is reasonable. He is specialized in Toyota, and he is very good mechanic. I used to drive my old Previa for thousands of miles every month to other states and bringing it to him for mostly oil changes. When something goes wrong, he fixed it or changed the parts. When it finally and completely broke down, it had over 530,000 miles with original engine and transmission. If you want your Toyota last very very long, you should bring it to him. Please note that he sometimes is very busy. You should call and ask when is the good time to bring your car. read more

Poorly communicated services. REFUSED SERVICE on an oil change and inspection after waiting. He told me he does not work on non-Japanese mfg cars. Ford Escape (same as Mazda Tribute). Surely there is more to this story, Perhaps he could say "Japanese Branded Cars Only"?! lol I provide my own specialty oil which is difficult to find 0-20W Mobil One and high end Purolator Boss Filter for severe cold starting in preparation for Winter Skiing season. I had these high quality parts. read more

Mr Tanaka helped with my Prius' transAxial fluid change last year. He did a great job, and his quote was the best around this area. You may want to call before you go because he gets busy, and his shop is not very big. I highly recommend him. Thanks again!! read more

This auto is specialized in Japanese car. The mechanic man, Mr. Tanaka is a nice guy and has enough experiences to inspect my car. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a repair I expected to him, however he gave me a few advises about the repair. I can't evaluate the service fee is good or not because I don't know other mechanic auto shop. But, I got it was not unfair. My request for him is to launch their web site to show their service, fee and other basic information. There are many Japanese cars around the area, so I could be helpful for us and Mr. Tanaka. read more

I have a nissan 2015, and I always buy the brake pads, because I have a lifetime warranty on the auto zone. I bought the parts and wanted only to install the brakes for me. They charged me $ 150.00 just to install I giving the brakes. Very expensive I went to ananheim in the first class vehicles repair, and they charged me for the same service $ 50.00. I do not recommend tanaka Auto read more

Mr. Tanaka was a complete professional. His accent is a little hard to understand, but he is straightforward and gives you the honest truth. He called to update me every day and made sure I knew how much the repairs were going to cost. He even showed me the parts that went bad and why the previous mechanic was wrong. Definitely the guy to see. read more

Tanaka Auto - Store hours - Auto Repair Near Me - Irvine, California

Will not perform a pre-purchase inspection, with no real reason or rationale. Doesn't seam that they want business. Kind of strange responses from the staff. They could be a Toyota genius, but I never got that far with them. read more