Precision Tune Auto Care
8 reviews
San Carlos, CA
"Outstanding. Dont take your car to the dealer TAKE IT HERE. Was new to the 650 and the tow truck (aaa) guy brought it over. I expected the…" read more »
15 Reviews for Precision Tune Auto Care
I've been here for oil changes in the past and have always liked that they were fast, friendly, and affordable. Today I went in because my check engine light was on. They diagnosed it for free and then let me know it was just a broken sensor. They didn't try to sell me on an expensive repair and told me I was okay to wait to have it fixed. They also let me know what it would cost when I did bring it back in to have it fixed. Overall, it's one of the best car repair experiences I've had. I really appreciated their honesty and directness in dealing with me. I did have to wait a bit, so I would advise you to bring a book or a magazine to keep yourself busy while they look at your car.
Over the years my family has brought in a number of jeeps, my extended family has brought in their Fords and we all have always received excellent service. Tom is a straight shootin' guy and until I found him going to a service station felt a lot like going to get a root canal.
SMOG CHECK REVIEW.
Came to this place because:
(1) It was close to my work, and
(2) I had a coupon ($10 off smog I think)
Went in around 11am in hopes of getting a quick check and go, but was told by (Tom I believe) that I needed to make an appointment. They had an opening in the afternoon, so I figured I'd just take a late lunch.
Came back and dropped of my car, was told it'd be around 30-45 min... so I went next door (where I discovered El Grullense). They finished within 30 minutes (I could see my car from where I was eating lunch).
I'm not sure how good they'd be if I needed "actual work" done to my car, but for what I needed (just a smog check), they were friendly, the service was prompt, and I got exactly what I went in for.
I'm going to agree with Jennifer P on this one. I give this shop full props for running an honest business as best as I can tell.
Tom who runs the front of the house is a good guy and will tell you like it is.
Tip: They do a lot of couponing so look for a coupon in the mail or in a local paper for an oil change. You can get one for about 20 bucks, if you don't require a fancy oil filter.
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I can only rate them on customer service - and my experience was HORRIBLE. I made a smog check appointment for 10am today. I arrive at 10am and the guy proceeds to tell me their smog guy is stuck in court and wouldn't be in until noon!!! Why he didn't call me (since I left my number when I made the appt) I don't understand. I proceed to make an appointment for 1:30 - give the smog guy ample time to get in and settled. At 1:20 as I'm on my way to the shop, someone calls and says their smog machine is broken and they don't know when it'll be fixed!!! WTF?
2 cancelled appointments in 1 day is enough for me. I'll be looking for a new place for my car care needs.
(I only gave them 1 star because it wouldn't let me complete the review without it.)
This is my first review. I came to yelp to find a good mechanic close to home. Based on great reviews here I tried Precision Tune Auto Care. I feel compelled to come back and share my experience as it differs greatly from others.
Yes, they were reasonably pleasant. All I needed was a simple replacement of a sensor in my engine, it's an easy job.
The manager said he would call me as soon as he had priced the item to let me know the cost. He did not.
He also said he was going to phone around three wholesale suppliers to get the "best price" for me, and evidently he did not as I will explain.
He only called me after the job was completed. In the mean time I had searched the web and found that the sensor cost between $70 and $110 (those are retail prices, including a supplier with a store just down the road). Nobody was selling it for more than that, yet when Precision called, they told me the sensor cost was $140.
I baulked at that. He said he would look into it and call me back. He did not call me back. So a few hours later I went down to see what was going on. He had repriced the sensor to $95, and blamed his supplier for the error. Perhaps it was a genuine mistake, however no apology was offered. So my first impression on walking out of that place was that they talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. Their communication with me was poor. I definitely felt like someone was trying to screw me over on the pricing of the part, and I am left with no reason to try them again. I doubt I would ever return to this shop and I don't recommend it to you.
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What a relief to have found an honest auto repair shop! As a woman I am used to feeling like I've been taken advantage of by most auto mechanics. Not here, though! I've frequently picked up my car from this shop feeling great!
More than once, Tom, the owner of the shop has made minor repairs to my car FREE OF CHARGE. Other times, he'll throw in a free oil change when I've brought in my car for some necessary maintenance. Another time, I brought in the car when the "Check Engine" dummy light was on. Tom said that they weren't able to locate the problem that triggered the light so they'd turned it off, FREE OF CHARGE (even though the mechanics had spent time poring over the engine), and advised me to bring it back if the light came back on. Two years later the light never turned on again and the car runs great.
When they have performed more significant repairs the price has been fair, the service speedy and the quality reliable. I've been a loyal customer for years and I couldn't recommend these guys more.
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Ok. I came in here for an oil change b/c of the reviews here. Just on the drive over, I saw dozens of other oil change shops. Thank goodness for yelp. When I arrived, Tom was already helping another customer with brake problems and kept apologizing that he would help me soon. I didn't mind the short wait considering I had nothing much else to do. When it was my turn, he had a very matter-of-fact way about him (no BS!) and suggested I have a brake inspection just to check it out.
As with other reviews, I did not experience the slimy, "let me rip you off" feeling as with other auto shops. I discovered, from my asking, that Tom has been working there for about 3 years after a try at retirement and figured he wasn't ready for that lifestyle and threw himself back into the workforce.
A couple of things...when I called last week, I was quoted $42 for Mobile1 syn oil by Tom himself. But when I mentioned it to him, he said it was actually $51 but threw in a free tire rotation. Good value? I dunno. Heck, I'm way overdue for an oil change. Also, they forgot to turn off my maintenance indicator light...which is no big deal cuz I can do it myself.
Overall, good service and I was promised a 40min wait but had my car ready in 30min. Wonderful.
I went there for a simple oil change. Not the nicest neighborhood, and the waiting area is very small. We had to sit next to the bathroom. Not all that pleasant. But the place has cheap oil change service, especially if you have a coupon. The mechanics seem trustworthy and not slimy. Overall the experience was okay. Nothing exceptional, but nothing bad either.
Super quick, cheap, and everyone was really nice. My oil change total was $19 something. I really reccomend them and I will be back for future needs just because they were so nice.
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The cheapest, fastest, friendliest oil change ever. I was sick of being flirted with and made to feel stupid about cars at the Oil Changers down the road. Now I check my mail for coupons here and get out of there with an oil change for $17 or so. I also had a 15K service there and it was half the price of the dealer.. (another coupon find)
Edit: Brought in another car a few months ago because we thought the battery was dead (it had been sitting for a few months). They brought the car back, tested the battery which checked out, then tested the rest of the car to see what was causing the battery not to be charged up. Verdict was the alternator. We were still under warranty for that so we went to the dealer, but what was the charge for the good 20 minutes of checking? $0! Lots of shops won't even think of spending time doing diagnostics without charging you for it.
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Needed an oil change. Saw this place but was a bit suspect since it didn't look like the greatest of neighborhoods. However, had a good experience and would go back again. The guy running the garage was very friendly and took care of my car pretty fast without an appt for the $21.95 special. The guy in the front office was not as friendly, but he got the job done.
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I went to Precision to get my brakes done. I was totally expecting to pay about $500 based on some previous estimates. I dropped my car off in the morning and the manager told me that I would get a call when he had an estimate. He called promptly and told my that the price would be half the cost of the previous estimates. They finished the repairs and my car was ready mid morning.
Overall the service was really good and professional. I would definitely take my car to this shop again.
So here's my story......recently I was driving my older car, a 1997, and noticed some sort of fumes coming out of the front hood. I got worried.....my worry continued the next day when I was driving on 280 and suddenly noticed the temperature gage started slipping and pointing toward cold. Now, I've had my car a long-ass time and I know every detail about it....all the sights and smells and sounds. When you drive you car every day for years and years, you know exactly what it should and should not do, right? So when my car gets warmed up after a few minutes of driving, the temperature gage rises to a particular point about 1/3 the way up, and it STAYS THERE. Once it gets to its plateau temperature, the gage NEVER moves....so I started getting scared when it suddenly started moving downward while I was on the highway, as it's NEVER done that before (and yes, I know that if it started RISING and getting hot, I'd be in bigger trouble).
So I got off the highway and stopped by two random places that I happened to see immediately, and oil change place and an Amoco, both of which told me it was probably the radiator. When I got home, I came onto yelp and typed in "auto mechanic," as I needed some good recommendations in the San Carlos/RWC/MP area from fellow yelpers. I read the mostly glowing reviews and decided to give Precision Tune a chance.
I knew I had made the right decision when I turned into their garage off El Camino and was met with a sign with the words "Please drive all the way forward....don't be afraid, we're very friendly!" I thought that was fucking cool! Most females view mechanics and garages as scary, dirty, creepy places where we'll get ripped off, so I liked that they put that sign there. I got out of my car and talked to the manager, Tom. While his demeanor tends to be business-like and can come across as "gruff" he was otherwise pleasant and I give him props for being genuine and not fake. I explained the problem to him and he suspected it was a radiator leak. He asked me to sit tight in the office while his employees checked out the front hood and they'd give me a diagnosis.
About 10 minutes later, he confirmed that there were definitely two cracks in the radiator, and thus was leaking coolant. He gave me an estimate of a new radiator, plus coolant, gasket, thermometer, and a couple other things that sounded fancy. He told me it would take about 4-5 hours to get the new radiator in and install it. He printed out an invoice with everything and I gave him my cell number in case they finished up early. I went to Sequoia Station nearby and did some leisurely shopping, and came back around 4 pm, and my car was ready.
I probably paid a little more than I would have had I gone to a local oil change place, but I feel it was worth it. They really know cars and the manager is very detailed and upfront, and I felt that he knows his stuff. I paid exactly what he estimated it would be, and the best part is, MY CAR IS ALL BETTER!!!! As soon as I left Precision Tune, the temperature gage went exactly where it should be, and there were no more fumes. And my car has been perfect ever since, and I feel so much safer knowing I have a new radiator with no cracks. Yay!
I know yelper "Slartibardfast F." wrote a negative review on here recently, but I feel that it was an isolated incident.....his unfortunate dealing with this place was an exception, not the rule. While it's never acceptable for a business to say they will call you and don't, this place is quite busy and Tom, who's not exactly in his 20s, may have simply forgotten whom he's supposed to call. While I was in the office waiting for 10 minutes to get my car diagnosed, the phone there rang off the hook, plus customers were coming and going, so the manager can't possibly remember who he said he'd call and who said that they'd call him. If this happened all the time, then that would be disappointing, but if you look at all the reviews this place got, they're all positive!
Hey, I wrote the longest review for Precision Tune on here, I rule!
*****UPDATE***** May, 2007
Recently I started smelling something burning from the engine whenever I'd park it and get out of my car. It went on for a few weeks and I took it in to Precision Tune to get it looked at....Tom correctly guessed that when I took my car to the Acura dealership to have the timing belt replaced, they only replaced the belt and not another part, the cam shaft or cam seal. As a result, the engine's oil was slowly leaking onto the belt, and with the belt rotating speedily, I was smelling the burning oil....not safe! So it was about $250, for the part, and now there's no more oil-burning smell. And that's a relief when you're driving on 101 and nervous the engine will blow up. Plus, he estimated it would be $900 to replace many parts, but his mechanics discovered it was just the one part. Yay, honesty!
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I will start out by saying this place is good for cheap oil changes, smog inspections, and that's about it.
I brought my car in for a diagnostic on a check engine light. Tom never called me to tell me what the problem was. I called him the next day and he told me he was waiting on prices for the parts that needed to be fixed. Once again he never called me. I called back and he had the prices and I told him to go ahead and order the parts. He said they would arrive in 2-3 days. I went to pick up my car and was told that it would be okay to drive but as soon as I left his shop the check engine light started blinking (meaning the problem is turning serious). I called on day two and three and was told no parts had come in. I went out of town for the weekend and expected to have a voicemail (7 days from my last call to him) telling me the parts were in. On the 10th day I called back and he said he didn't have the parts and would have to contact the supplier. I asked him if he could make sure to call me back that day to let me know what was going on and he said he would. He didn't! In my opinion this is poor business practice and I would not have my car fixed here out of principal if it broke down in their driveway!
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