Honda-Acura Service Independence
13 reviews
Sunnyvale, CA
"This review is for one of the employees by the name of Chris Brown. Someone rear-ended me 2 months ago so I filed a claim with my…" read more »
23 Reviews for Honda-Acura Service Independence
Thanks Yelp for turning me on to this gem. Vlidimir and friends do the job quick and with a smile. He always laughs at my wife's giant keys on her key-ring. Take a walk south on Independence to Thaddeus Park while you wait. I'm set for life with this place.
Been taking our cars here for 13 years. Every once in awhile I try someplace else -- I always come back. They're very honest and cheaper than the other shops.
Vladimir will lay out the options and make recommendations about what needs to be repaired immediately, what can wait for awhile, etc. You get to make the choices -- he doesn't arm twist you.
Note that this is a garage, not a dealership. There's no waiting room, just a couple of chairs and a stack of magazines. The loaner cars are real beaters, not nice dealership loaner cars. So if you care about nice ambiance and getting an espresso while your car gets repaired and hand washed, this place isn't that kind of place.
But you'll never find better or more honest mechanics.
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Vlad's the man!
We take both my wife's Honda Civic & my Toyota Prerunner for all routine service work and maintenance. Here's a simple equation why Vlad run's a great place with such loyalty among their clients:
(Auto Mechanic + Honesty + Fair Price) - Sleaze = Great Auto Shop!
It's a simple as that. In fact, I've recommended him to about 5-6 of my colleagues at the Hospital and all have thanked me for turning them onto his shop.
Car:
Honda Prelude
Service Done:
Clutch replacement
Review:
This is my 2nd clutch that has been replaced. Vladimir, the owner, was the first out of all the mechanics I dealt with that actually took me behind the desk and showed me the work that needed to be done to my car on his computer along with the hours stated by the manual for this particular job. He offered a competitive price since my first clutch job was $200 more. He replaced all parts with OEM parts, resurfaced the flywheel, and used genuine Honda MTF for my tranny. He explained everything clearly and took the necessary time to answer my questions while there was a line waiting for him. That shows that he is more about quality than quantity of car jobs.
The reason for the 5th star...
On top of all that, my car was serviced on December 28, 2007! Right before the new year! I called several shops before and after I called Vladimir and everyone else said they won't start my car until January 3, 2008. I brought the car in on Dec. 27, (the day after my car died on me) and he started work on Dec. 28. Because of the weekend and New Years Day, Vladimir and his team finished my car on Jan. 2! It's been a week, and the car shifts with ease!
I am completely satisfied with the work done, his candor, and time efficiency. Even though I live up in Hayward area, I will go to him for all major work on my car. Happy New Year!
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I've taken my car here three times now and I have to say, this place rocks. Vladimir is great and best of all, honest! He takes the time to explain the issues my car has and lets me know whether they need to be addressed immediately or during a future visit. The prices are reasonable and quality is excellent.
The two most honest people you want - Mechanics and Dentists! Now, at least I have one..
Thanks to Yelp, I take my Honda Civic regularly to these guys and they always do an awesome job, at a very decent rate
I've gotten oil changes, timing belt change and a major service done from them - could not be happier.
What really tipped me over was this - My rear brakes were making these cranking noises, it felt like something was definitely wrong. I take it to independence acura, they spent about an hour to diagnose the issue and fix it. It was a rear drum misalignment problem. Vladimir refused to take money for it !! Who does that in this day and age!
Highly recommended Mechanics!
We take all our cars to Vlad - 2000 Lexus, 1990 Acura Legend, 1995 Honda Accord, even my BMW for oil changes! He is extremely honest and will give you the straight scoop. Fair prices. Great work. I have had no problems in the years we have been using him.
Answers questions completely. Highly recommended!
An honest mechanic is a woman's best friend, and Vladimir is as honest as the day is long. We used to get our 2000 Honda Accord serviced at the dealership, but have switched over to Independence and Vladimir because 1) the prices are a LOT lower and more reasonable; 2) the quality of the work is comparable, so you get a lot more bang for your buck; and 3) Vladimir provides personalized service and takes time to explain to you what is wrong with your car and sets you at ease.
The only negative I can possibly even think of about his place is that he does such good work that he has gotten very popular so he is extremely busy (and deservedly so)! But you shouldn't let that deter you - don't even *think* about taking your Honda or Acura anywhere else...
I specifically created a yelp account to provide Vladimir another great review. He saved me a ton of cash as well. My check engine light came on and I was well over due for an oil change on my 96 Honda Civic. Prior to checking yelp, I called around to some local Honda dealerships and they were all charging $175 just for diagnostic testing - not even applying the testing cost to the repairs. I saw the previous yelp reviews on Independence and decided to take a chance at this automotive repair shop. My previous trusted mechanic was in Redwood City (B&D) and the Menlo Honda dealership tried to rip me a new one via extra reparations they said I needed - but now that I'm further down the peninsula and work in Santa Clara, it made better sense to find some place local. Clean garage, honest owner, excellent repair guys, VERY reasonable prices and free inspections....need I say more?
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Vlad is rad.
Always polite, good with time (and time estimates), honest as far as my eye can see, and very competent. He was the only one who could figure out that the noise piercing up through my Mitsubishi's steering was a faulty wheel bearing. Knows his stuff.
I think his prices might be a tad high ($650 for an Accord timing belt change? My last mechanic charged me $150 on my Mazda), but I could be wrong.
I brought my Honda CRV to Vladimir upon reading reviews on Yelp. I was very happy with the service, promptness, and the costs for the many small repairs I needed. I will definitely be coming back.
They do offer shuttle service but only within a 3 mile radius. I work in downtown PA so I had to find my own ride. It wasn't a problem for me.
I found this place to take my 99' Honda Civic after Midas told me I needed to have my timing belt replaced, and would charge a mere $1000 for the job! I said, "Thanks, but no thanks" and proceeded to check with other shops. I happened to be looking on "Yelp" for a restaurant, and noticed they also post reviews for auto shops. Needless to say, the "yelpers" were absolutely right about this place - Vladimir is a consummate professional...when I told him I thought my shocks might also need replacement, he told me that was VERY expensive and he didn't think it was necessary. In addition, the cost he quoted me for replacement of timing belt was $450 - when I went to pick up the car, he said that the cost of parts and labor turned out to actually be about $100 more than that, but told me that since he quoted me $450, that was the price he would charge me!! What a revolutionary way to do business...charging the customer based on the quote, and not all the other "add-ons" that most auto repair mechanics usually tack onto the bill! I will definitely be taking my car here for future repairs! Thanks, Vladamir!
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good mechanics are hard to find. I have had bad experiences in the past and then I found this shop. They'll do good work and best of all you can trust them.
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Vladimir is super cool and he gives you honest advice for your car. I have been bringing both my Acuras in his shop and the service is really good. I trust him with my car and the prices are WAY below what dealers charge. One bad thing is that since they don't have a computerized system, it takes awhile to sign out, pay and leave if there are people waiting.
Updated Review:
I've come back to Independence Acura several times now, including the infamous ~100K timebelt change and have been very satisfied. I've recommended several people to come here to get their Honda's serviced.
I like how Vladimir will take a few minutes to explain any problems and give me the honest talk on what needs and what doesn't need to be changed. I've never had an unfortunate surprise here.
-----
I've only come here for a 90k service check up on my honda accord and Vladimir seemed very honest and reliable. I had no issues getting my car checked up. I'm willing to come back to him for some other future services and am holding out final judgment on him. It's always hard to find a good mechanic that you can trust but so far he has mine. Stay tuned!
Meets my requirements:
#1 Very competent.
Car sounded much better after 60k major service and gas mileage improved. Still running great after 75k minor tune-up, and a couple of oil changes in between.
#2. Reasonable and reliable estimates for time spent on repairs.
#3. Honest about what is needed, when, and why.
#4. Specializes in Hondas and Acuras
Many people underestimate the value of this in quality of work and bringing down the time costs. Plus they use factory parts.
#5. Good explanations.
Actually, Vladamir is way above average in explaining what is/was needed in clear terms and answering questions. I wish he would offer car care basics classes.
Not requirements of mine, but...
#6 They do oil changes while you wait, first thing in the morning. For a mid-day oil change, I guess you would need an appointment, since the bays would be full. Mid-day especially, they prefer for you to leave your car, and come back when it's done. ~$50 for an oil change is high compared to Jiffy Lube, but you get the peace of mind knowing that nothing on your car is going to be mysteriously broken or oil not filled, both of which have happened to me at those tire shop / oil change places. Plus, there is always the chance that they will catch something that really does need fixing, such as an air filter. They just charged me for parts last time I needed a new air filter during an oil change.
#7. Show worn out parts that needed replacing. They did show me the old filter without my even having to ask -- it definitely needed replacing, and probably boosted my fuel efficiency thereafter.
#8 They are timely with repairs
#9 They will drop you off or pick you up.
#10 Reasonable hourly rate... $100, not the highest or the lowest in the area, and a great value for their expertise.
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After servicing my '03 Civic at the dealer essentially since purchase, I came here for the very expensive 50k service. It was *half* the price! He saved me HUNDREDS of dollars and did a great job. He even loaned me an old Nissan to get back and forth from work that day (I work almost exactly three miles from my apartment, but a little further from his shop). I only have two negatives. The car I borrowed was on Empty. That sucked because I wasn't sure if it even had enough gas to get me to work. I put ten bucks in the tank before I brought it back as a thanks for lending it to me. The other is that in the Owners Manual it clearly says the oil should be changed every 5,000 (not the standard 3,000) miles. The dealership has also told me this and fills out the reminder sticker accordingly. I have yet to find a service other than the dealership who follows this. I went to Honda-Acura because they're supposed to specialize in Honda's - thus the name.
However, I will certainly be a return customer for those major services, and I'm sure he'll be doing my brakes shortly.
A very good AND honest mechanic. He literally gained every bit of my trust!
See, I'm residing in Santa Clara, some 20 miles south east of this place, which I found here on Yelp. I called them the day before and got a quote, which was $50 cheaper than every body else's quotes (I usually do my homework and make a few phone calls...) I told him (Vladimir, the owner, which is a very nice guy by the way) about my 20 mile distance and that I would need a loaner vehicle, which he reassured me he can give me one the next day.
Next day I went there a bit late, and the loaner was gone. But after some 2 minutes of thinking, Vladimir told me that he doesn't want me to leave and waste another 2 hours some other day. Then he asked one of his mechanics to give ma ride (all the 20 miles) to my work place. The same guy came and picked me up some 4-5 hours later! To be honest, if he had done any different way, I wouldn't bother to drive another 20 miles the next day, instead would bring my car to a local mechanic.
Speaking of how trustworthy Vladimir is, when I left my car in there I forgot to take my paycheck from inside. I called him from my office and told him about the paycheck, and he personally went and searched for it my car and found it. He told me he'd put it in his safe until I get there again in the afternoon. it was a sigh of relief, and I was impressed.
To make a long story short, he did a routine 90K service for nearly $150 less than my usual mechanic (which after Vladimir pointed me to some of his scams on me, is no longer my usual mechanic anymore!) And I'm extremely happy about the service itself.
As another reviewer has pointed out, good mechanics are very hard to find, and I'm glad I've found one.
One last word: His shop is a small lot tucked between some other workshops. Don't be mislead by the appearance! he is very skilled and (as I said again) trustworthy.
Had a problem with our Acura recently. Required so many changes that the estimates some places gave were running equal to the cost of the car.
Thanks to Yelpers, I took the car to this place and the owner turned out to be a great guy. Gave us reasonable prices and discounts. Also suggested what needed repairs urgently vs what could wait. Told us to skip a few things that were unnecessary. And got the car back in tip-top shape.
So, my verdict - its a great place to take your acura to.
And yes, thank you, Yelpers!!!
Jay Johnson that started/owned this shop was a marvellous gentleman. Many times he fixed problems with a car I had then at a fraction of what other mechanics quoted. He sold the business to Tesh who was equally good and now that business is in the hands of Vladmir B. What impresses me is that the transparency, integrity, and quality of workmanship has remained intact through the change of hands.
Vladmir replaced the brakes and timing belt on my Volvo 850. Good quality work done in a value-conscious way, saving me money compared to other Volvo mechanics and a lot less than what Carlsen Volvo quoted. At the same time Vladmir recommended I go to a Volvo shop for fixing the ABS module, something too Volvo-specific for him to engage with.
Prompt service, honest, clean shop, quality work, and all at a cost advantage to other mechanics and especially the dealer shops. What a treasure!
If you've seen some of my reviews of other auto repair shops - Anderson Honda, Takahashi, and A-1 AutoTech - you'd probably think I'm a pretty finicky guy. Not so; I just want 1) repair people to respect our cars and repair them correctly, 2) honesty, and 3) a fair price. Vladimer's shop has all of this in spades. It's a reflection of him. He's a very busy guy, but amazingly helpful, honest, and competent. He knows Hondas and Acuras (yea!) - probably better than the dealer (sure did when it came to an A/C problem on our Honda). After searching for years for an excellent Honda repair place (we've been a Honda family for over twenty years) and trying many shops that had good reviews and ratings but fell short in practice, we have finally found our Honda repair home. But be warned: the shop's not going to coddle you with cozy chairs and other props like Anderson or Hopkins Honda -- then overcharge you for the luxury. So if you're a Prada lady or Gucci guy, go elsewhere. This shop is the real deal.
i've had my prelude for 5.5 years now and this is the best freaking oil change i've gotten! vladimir, the owner, was extremely accommodating as i called in for a same day appt. the check engine light was on, and they inspected the problem for free! they pointed out some problems with uneven wear on my tires, a nail in one tire, and a faaaat crack in another. instead of just saying i should get all new tires, they proposed a great solution that will save me money and make my car run better. kudos to this place!
will i go back? most def.
update:
i've taken my car here for all kinds of problems now. vladimir is a freaking beast...he is great at diagnosing problems, keeps it real about what needs immediate fixing, and gives honest quotes. =)
It's always a joy to find a mechanice who's good (and especially one you can trust). Vladimir, the owner, is a really nice guy and will take the time to always help you out. The shop is clean. They use factory parts. The prices are much better than the dealer. Highly recommend.
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