Fast! Catalytic converter stolen Saturday to Sunday overnight. Called Monday morning. Shop received my 2009 Prius Monday afternoon. Finished the work by 1pm Tuesday. Most of the shop was recently stolen CAT victims. Janice at the desk was very patient, clear, and generally pleasant over the phone walking me through next steps when I called Monday. She was more than happy to work with Geico on the claim. You just gotta call when your tow truck is loading up the car so they can make room in the shop in time to receive your vehicle. At the end, I paid my deductible out of pocket with Zelle. They have a QR code. I left with my signed, one page customer copy of the repairs and payment documentation. They quoted me $350 for this added rebar welding service as a theft deterrent. This is a separate charge from your insurance claim. A very welcoming younger man named Vincent (?) lifted up the car and walked me through the undercarriage work and the theory behind the rebar. He was honest and said nothing is a complete solution, but that in the years they have performed this service, only a handful of customer have come back with attempted theft incidents. However, in those cases, the thief only made the cuts and couldn't pull the converter out. So repairs are cheaper in the long run because it's a welding repair, not a full converter replacement. If you go through insurance that is also good news, because he said with tariffs and the war, prices are going up and it's increasingly likely your insurance will deem your car totaled just for the stolen CAT based on their rising repair costs compared to your older car's current value. read more

Yao Auto Repair - Catalytic Converter Theft Deterrent Welded to CAT Shield - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Amazing service. High quality exhaust work. Quick & efficient. No better place to go then here. read more

Man, I had the best experience this morning at Yao Auto Repair. I recently had my cat converter stolen from my 2014 Prius for the second time in 4 months, because I have to park on the street. The problem was compounded because my car insurance lapsed while I was on vacation, to the tune of $4K out of pocket. No joke. Anyway, after stressing about my options and losing sleep, I researched online for solutions. I learned a lot and saw that Yao's was highly recommended. I arrived before they opened on a Monday morning, so I was first in line. The woman and man (Yao?) who greeted me were very friendly and helpful. They explained what they would do and how long it would take, about 40 minutes. They started immediately, and they were done with the welding in about 20 minutes. Another gentleman then showed me the work and explained everything. I was out the door within 40 minutes. $350. I really appreciated the whole experience at Yao's. Service was quick, with no appointment, courteous, and informative. It gave me my peace of mind back after a ton of stress. Thank you, folks. I can't recommend Yao Auto Repair enough. read more

Yao Auto Repair - My 2014 Prius up on the rack. - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Got a quote, came the same day. Amazing customer service , run by yang and his son . Highly recommend read more

Yao Auto Repair - Got a quote, came the same day. Amazing customer service , run by yang and his son . Highly recommend . Great place ! - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Got my Cadillac converter stolen and they fixed it for fair price. They were all very nice and it was done in a couple hours. Would recommend this place to a family member. read more

Professional and honest shop. They went above and beyond changing a 40 years old rusty muffler. Highly recommend! read more

Yao Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

Called yesterday for an appointment. Needed to guard/cage the 4 catalytic converters for my F150. They scheduled me quick. No hidden costs. They tell you upfront the price. It was done the next day. Took under two hours or so. The end result? I was so impressed by the workmanship. Not a flimsy installation. This was attention to detail. They welded two types of steel rods: rebar/cables, all around the converters. They are thick and solid. Neatly done too. Janice and her team were really nice and accommodating. The shop is not big, but it's clean and well kept. I will definitely seek them again for future work. Easily a 5 ***** Stars shop. A+++!!! read more

See all

My check engine light came on so i brought it back to Yao, apparently it's a common issue that the sensor gets blown out once the catalytic is stolen. janice got me in right after i called, and they diagnosed and fixed the issue in under 30 min! Uncle replaced the sensor and even showed me how to do it for next time lmao. super trustworthy. recommended to all my friends and to you too! read more

The gentleman fixes my small problem with the exhaust in less 5 minutes and for a reasonable price.

Great experience repairing a botched catalytic converter theft. They installed a robust deterrent system which is a huge relief.

They are trying very hard to scam me out of my hard working money. Came in for a suspension problem, end up with a exhaust problem. They have replaced an original part of my car for a broken part: HE STOLE MY PRIUS CATALYTIC CONVERTER. So I have to pay for a repair I didn't need. Very dishonest business. He has business with Bai auto Repair at 842 E 12th st They will damage your car and work together as they are family. Yao and baishen xie are another pair of dishonest car mechanics. I don't even think that name fits them. Be very careful: They will exchange well working parts from your car for none working parts so you have to come back to fix. The irony. A CAR SHOP STEALING CAR PARTS. They knew that what they stole from me is worth thousands of dollars. Thieves ! I will se you guys in court. Police report done read more

Yao Auto Repair - Police report of Scam incident and the family shop's involved. - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

I wanted a shield for my catalytic converter. It was easy and quick to get an appointment. The price was fair. It only took an hour. They showed me their work. I will be back with my other cars. read more

Quick, straightforward and friendly. They completed the work as agreed. Would definitely recommend them.

After my catalytic converter was stolen I filed a claim with AAA and was told I could go where ever I wanted and provide my claim number. I called this place after being refered by a friend. I gave them my information over the phone, had AAA tow the car to them and then they gave me updates. They seemed knowledgable and quick, it took longer for AAA to approve the estimate than this shop actually doing the work. I also asked about another concern and the mechanic checked out for me and gave me contact information for a shop that doed that kind of work. read more

If you want quality service, honest rates and quality that speaks for itself - come to Yao Auto Repair. Friendly owner and staff. Amazing how much they go out of their way to take care of their customers. Best known secret muffler and catalytic converter cage shop in the bay. read more

Yao Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Yao's is the gold standard for how a business should operate. When my catalytic converter was stolen, my neighbor recommended this shop. They took my car right away and I picked it up just a few days later. The prices are fair. The shop is clean. Everyone I interacted with was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. Not only did they replace my converter quickly, but when my check engine light came on the next day, they offered to check it out right away (it ended up just being the sensor). It's clear they stand by their work and take pride in providing great service. I wish they did regular maintenance. If I could, this would be the only place I'd bring my car. read more

To make a long story short, I bought a car and the previous owner kept the muffler, exhaust, pipes etc just to make his car loud. I didn't care for the car being loud but I needed it to pass smog, and luckily a family friend told me about Yao's, so I came here after calling for a quote. They wanted to check out the car for a better estimate, so I came down a day prior to get the quote. The price was great but unfortunately I did come at the end of the day so they had no time to work on it. I asked them if I can come by the next day, just unsure what time I would make it due to work, but I was able to find time to drop off earlier than expected and Vincent was able to help take care of me and my car. 2 hours later and they called me to let them know that the car was done, which already I'm happy about. Janice then informed me that originally the plan was to install after market parts, but they were able to actually install OEM parts. I'm shocked and happy they actually had OEM parts for me so I asked how much extra was it, and they said they would not charge me extra! I felt so grateful for their service that I had to give them something, so I paid for their lunch haha. Would definitely come back and would highly recommend to come here! read more

I started a travel assignment in Oakland and during my first week, someone tried breaking into my car. I shared this with my coworker and she told me there's been a rash of catalytic converter theft in the East Bay. Her family had three taken right in front of her house and gave me the number of Yao Auto for some much-needed peace of mind. I took care of this on a Saturday morning. I had requested a cat converter shield and the young lady on the phone corrected me right away. They didn't install shields but instead a braided cable, which would be a better deterrent. They were able to squeeze me in and from start to finish, it took about 10 minutes for the installation. I chatted with the young lady and she told me how the cat shields didn't do much. She told me that they've seen a number of damaged shields with missing cats. She assured me that it would take several hours of very loud cutting to get through the cable. I Zelle'd them $250 (for a Prius) which is a fraction of the cost of a replacement cat. read more

Yao Auto Repair - Cable for cat converter protection - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

I found Yao Auto Repair when I discovered my Honda CRV had experienced an attempted catalytic converter theft (but thankfully, hadn't succeeded in fully removing it). I immediately called when they opened on Monday at 9 a.m. sharp. I spoke with Janice, who was extremely helpful in helping me understand my options for bringing it in to inspect the damage and get recommendations on what protection mechanisms were available for me to install to prevent a full theft from happening in the future. She was kind enough to let me drive over even though I had not scheduled an appointment in advance, and once I got there, she immediately let me drive my car into the garage so that they could take a look and give me a cost estimate for what work needed to be done and it was such a reasonable price that I decided to proceed with them given their online reputation. The main mechanic (her dad) walked over and was surprised with how lucky I was since it was clear an amateur had attempted the theft and done it wrong, which is why they left without finishing the job. He briefly explained what damage was done and how much I would need to pay to weld the cuts and install the rebar/cables for prevention - which matched what Janice shared with me earlier as an estimate. Janice let me know I would be able to pick my car up within the day and that she would text me when it was ready. I left my car key with them and paid via Zelle (since they prefer cash/Zelle), which was convenient for me, and that way, I could stop by when it was ready to pick it up later and immediately go back to work. Not even 2 hours later, I got a text from Yao Auto telling me that my car was finished and ready for pickup, and when I asked if I could stop by in a few hours to pick up the car they were totally okay with it. Once I arrived at the auto shop, I saw my car parked outside, and I went over to talk with Janice and her dad to thank them. Janice took pictures of the work after it was completed to talk me through what was done - which I really appreciated! I retrieved my key and went to start my car, and so grateful to hear the familiar sound of a functioning catalytic converter that I recalled before the incident, and that confirmed for me that they were able to return my car back to its original state! Overall, this business truly matched what the other rave reviews mentioned, and although I normally don't leave reviews, but wanted to share my positive experience with this honest and local family-run business! I'll definitely be coming back for any future auto needs since they were so pleasant and conveniently located. read more

A++ The team at Yao auto asked me to bring my car in the same day. They assessed the car and found the problem; it turned out that I didn't need a new muffler. They fixed the issue right away (free of charge)!! I was outta there in less than 15 minutes. I can't say that I'm looking forward to needing a new muffler or catalytic converter but if I do I'm coming back to Yao's spot! read more

Yao Auto Repair - The team at work! - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

This place helped me out so much. I am forever grateful for their honest service. My muffler had an issue and they repaired it. They showed me the problem before fixing it and had great prices. I was told my catalytic converter was bad and he told me that it was fine. He said it could be a. Gas cap. I bought gas cap and he put it on and my car passed smog after driving 50 miles. This was like the best Christmas gift for me. Highly recommend them. I hadn't paid my registration because i thought it would not pass smog. So forever grateful. Thank you. read more

Yang Auto is located in a pretty low rent district of Oakland. I asked the person behind the counter about going for a walk in their neighborhood--and he discouraged me from doing it. I took my partner's car in to have a cable welded on to make it more difficult to steal the catalytic converter from his 2010 Prius. Stealing catalytic converters is big business these days - - with the precious metals now worth more than gold. Thieves are stealing catalytic converters all over the US. We have been reading about the quick removal of catalytic converter's all over Oakland - - usually in the middle of the night. Sometimes they even remove them in a parking lot in the middle of the day. And it happens very quickly. Next thing you know--your car doesn't have a catalytic converter. It's better to protect your catalytic converter, instead of having to replace it which can be $3000 or so.  Sandman's shop installs range from $250-$800 to protect your catalyst converter. We were able to get steel cables welded on to the our Prius for $180. It's the best price we've seen. The hope is that if someone goes to steal the catalytic converter, they will see that it's not worth their while, and they will move on to an easier job. So, we went to Yang Auto Repair because they have the best price that we've seen to protect a catalytic converter. They were quick and responsive. I highly recommend going here--espcially if you have unprotected Prius. read more

See all

Great knowledge on the repair They knew exactly what to do at a reasonable price ! Pans they specialize in mufflers read more

DONT LET THESE GUY TOUCH YOUR BRAKES They charged me almost 700 to replace my brake pads and motors and they were burning and making loud squeaking noises after just a week. Way worse than the car was before Also, I was quoted 280 over the phone to protect my converter, and when I got to the shop they randomly decided to add 80 dollars after already driving there read more

this is a awesome family owned business. owner has been welding the city's clapped out s boxes for 45 years! let me tell you they are very kind and caring and if you need something done quickly this man is the jeff gordon of welding!! i will be bringing all my vehicles to these guys!! read more

Somebody borrowed my catalytic converter and didn't even have the decency to ask me. It happened in the middle of the night, so perhaps they just didn't want to risk rudely waking me up to ask. But then they never returned it, so I think they are rude anyway. The bad news Yao explained that they actually took two of them. The good news Yao explained that two sensors were still intact and they usually get ruined when this happens. So I got that going for me. Anyway, my 20 year old Tacoma cost $1600 to fix and another $400 to make them harder to get lost next time. Very kind family business. Only took a couple hours. read more

i had a great experience at Yao's Auto Repair. They were referred to me by Caliber Collisions on 11th St as I had my catalytic converter stolen so I went to them after getting it replaced Caliber Collisions. Janice and her team were wonderful. They were able to get me in right away and the technician who worked on my car showed me what they installed while it was on the lift to deter any future theft. He also suggested to get my transmission fluids checked and provided a referral as he noticed that my car showed signs that it may need it. Excellent service! Fast, efficient, decently priced, and resourceful! I highly recommend them! read more

The entire team at Yao Auto Report was/is beyond fantastic. I was in need of a new catalytic converter for my Toyota as mine had worn out after 18 years of service. Janice gathered information about my car and recommended that I come in for an inspection that was completed with 10 mins. At that point, Janice let me know that my OEM parts would arrive in 1 business day and that my service would be completed within 2-3 hours. Great pricing, great service, and my car feels brand new. Highly recommended. read more

This review is long past due. I did a walk-in in 2019 after requesting a quote over the phone for the installation of an axleback exhaust. Within minutes, I was at their shop and second in line. They were quick to tend to me and immediately went to work. I kid you not, I was in and out within 30 minutes. The price was more than competitive, and the staff were extremely friendly. The quality of their work speaks for itself. It has been over 2 years since I had my exhaust installed, and I have had zero issues. Extra kudos to their receptionist, Janice, for being attentive and accommodating. Very recently, I called to inquire about custom work and fitment concerns, and she addressed every question I had. She, along with the workers squeezed us in for a resonator swap, muffler delete and custom tips installation on a busy Monday (we didn't make an appointment. Our fault). All in all, my friends and I have, and will continue to visit this shop for all of our exhaust work. read more

Yao Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

Gave me a same day appointment, installed a hitch for me for a great price and quickly. Excellent service. Look forward to coming again. Thanks yao! read more

No nonsense honest muffler shop providing fast, professional, and well priced service. No matter the make, they know their stuff. Will definitely return. read more

Based on a recommendation by my super-star mechanic, I had my car towed to this biz for exhaust pipe "flop." Yah, one of the dual exhaust pipes had fallen from its bracket & was hitting the pavement - dangerous situation. I called before closing yesterday and was told to bring it in first thing in the morning. When we arrived, the place was open and another job was wrapping up; so, little or no wait. The owner put my car up on the lift to see what had happened. We then discussed the price to fix it, i.e., weld it in place. He said the repair would be guaranteed forever. I've never had a forever guarantee on any car repair so I agreed instantly. The work took only about 20-25, fast and very neat. He even added a 2nd brace, also welded on. When I requested he smooth out the ragged, somewhat sharp bottom edge of the pipe (where it had scrapped the road), he instantly agreed and did so. All in all, an exceptional business with very pleasant people. I highly recommend you take your car her particularly if you need repairs that require welding. read more

Came back for some catalytic converter replacements. I unfortunately arrived late but Yang got it done in exactly the quoted time (2 hours), very fast for three catalytic conveters. As always, good price but most importantly honest work and genuine people. My car passed with flying colors at smog after cat replacement on the same day, ensuring all the CARB E/O numbers were correct and that I didn't have any issues. The tech said everything was done great and by the book. Thanks again and will continue to be a patron here at Yang's Auto Repair. read more

Yao Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

I called up Yao Auto Repair because of their stellar reviews here on Yelp. The lady who answered the phone was helpful and said I could come down in a half-and-hour. When I arrived, they had my car hooked up to a scanner within about 3 minutes to diagnose the illuminated check engine light. The owner did some research on his phone about the information produced by the scanner. He stated I would have to go to a "specialist" to look into the problem further. He referred me to a shop two blocks away. Summary: Good experience. Nice of him to diagnose without taking a fee. read more

My catalytic converter was stolen and after calling MANY shops without an answer or return phone call, I was lucky enough to find Yao Auto Repair. They have been friendly and so helpful. I would highly recommend them for any work you need done. read more

I needed a safety chain loop welded onto the European hitch I'd recently installed onto my car (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yang-auto-repair-oakland?select=9vvDQd2rsYodLU5cJEO4Lw) and was searching around for a reasonably priced welding shop to do this. This proved harder than I thought, but I came to Yang without an appointment and he did it on the spot for a good price (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yang-auto-repair-oakland?select=1baLGtfapp4XEQGVZ21nhg). Just needed to paint it and it looks great (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yang-auto-repair-oakland?select=p_NrY7uKCibe-2cmmeh0rg) read more

See all

If you want quality service, honest rates and quality that speaks for itself - come to Yao Auto Repair. Friendly owner and staff. Amazing how much they go out of their way to take care of their customers. Best known secret muffler and catalytic converter cage shop in the bay. read more

Per the other reviews, I found Yang's very nice and reasonably priced. I needed 4 exhaust manifold to exhaust pipe studs replaced on a 2002 BMW E39 (530i). I showed up at 9am, with the heat treated bolts and copper nuts. He got it up on the lift, he quoted me a price of $100 due to difficulty reaching two of the bolts (I assumed). Let's do it! Gave him the go ahead and after he put the heat to the flanges and his son hit them with an air chisel, they came right out. Since it was so quick, he actually said that $70 would cover it. Honest, and not out to gouge.... nice. I tried this with MAPP Gas and it just wouldn't get hot enough. Parking can be tough, so be flexible and you'll be rewarded. read more

See all

Update #3: Ten years later, and that catalytic converter is still working just fine!

I've been coming to Yang for over 20 years since Bounmy Chang days. Yang and his son does awesome work and always push out quality and professionalism. Support this small family business during this difficult time! read more

Yao Auto Repair - These guys always do awesome work! Thank you to Yang and his son! - Auto Repair Near Me - Oakland, California