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REN Motorsports
Categories: Automotive Tires Arts & Entertainment Professional Sports Teams Automotive Auto Repair Tires, Professional Sports Teams, Auto Repair [Edit]
616 S Amphlett BlvdSan Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 348-7777
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 5:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
Carrie T. said: "It is always nerve-wracking trying to find a decent mechanic. I just had my car serviced at Putnam and noticed a stuttering when driving on the freeway and pressing on the gas. I was also told by the dealer that my brakes needed to be…" read more »
39 reviews for REN Motorsports
39 reviews in English
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Review from Alex C.
San Jose, CA
12/28/2011
Owen and his dad are awesome, honest people. I've had a bunch of work done to my 1992 Miata here. Timing belt/water pump, trannsmission/brake fluid change (i was too lazy to do it myself), as a bunch of other random things. Owen's dad is friendly, and let me walk around the shop and check out my car while he was changing the timing belt. He even cracked a few jokes about my car, and his NA miata he picked up.
Owen is always fast to respond, and since we knew each other from going to some HPDE's together, he would always ask if I would be making it out to the next track day. Whenever I have work I can't do myself, I bring it to these guys. -
Review from Ze Lin X.
Palo Alto, CA
9/19/2011
My car's DC connector wasn't working after a trip abroad and on my way to the South Bay, my cousin recommended REN. I was sure it would take at least an hour like other mechanics I've seen to get service, so I budged a good two hours.
When I arrived, a man immediately stopped his work, asked me to show him my problem, and within 5 minutes fixed it! I asked him how much it would cost, and he said it would be alright and walked off and back to his work.
Like my cousin said, good and kind people work here (though there may be a bit of a communication barrier if you don't know Mandarin Chinese). -
Review from Jessica L.
San Francisco, CA
8/18/2011
Very honest people & they definitely know what they're doing. I get oil changes here & regular check ups on my car.
Sometimes I pop in and bother them with my little paranoia's, ie: I swear Im hearing a squeaking here.. I think my transmission is going to fall out!! And they're pretty patient with me & they thoroughly check my car out and let me know what I do and do not need.
They don't over charge & they're fast. -
Review from Matthew R.
San Mateo, CA
Updated - 4/5/2011
Went there again yesterday. Quick and just $25
I really like this place.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/13/2008
Wonderful place for a quick oil change!
I just called in the morning to see if they were busy and the… Read more »
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Review from Bryan M.
Los Gatos, CA
4/7/2011
Let me precede this review by indicating what I look for in an auto-repair shop:
1. Honesty
2. Good prices
3. Ability and willingness to communicate
I have been to REN Motorsports twice so far. The first time was to get some brakes/oil change/fuel filter change and the second time was to have some squeaking noises when turning diagnosed.
First Visit:
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I called on Saturday morning, confirmed they were there, and drove up (from Menlo Park) to have my brakes changed and get oil/fuel filter change.
The owner was attending to one or two customers ahead of me, so I did have to wait a bit. Note, most of their clients are Chinese, so frequently, you won't know what people are talking about, though from what I gather, talking about life, kids, and of course their car.
When I finally was seen, he quickly and immediately had me drive my car into the garage and elevated it so he could check out the brakes. Sure enough, they needed replacement. However, unlike another shop I had gone to, he indicated I wouldn't need the rotors replaced. Instead, he machined them (evened them out) and just replaced the front pads. (Back brakes were still okay.)
Then, I asked him if he could change my oil. As he had done with a previous customer, he immediately checked the oil dipstick to ensure that I actually needed an oil change. And to my surprise, he said, no, you don't need it yet. Probably another 1,000 miles. Come back then. Talk about honesty. I had earlier witnessed him do this for another customer, so clearly he doesn't try to rip people off.
Then I mentioned to him about how my car would not start and that I hadn't changed the fuel filter in a while. So, he went ahead and removed the fuel fitter from underneath (a somewhat difficult task), and checked if it had dirt inside, and sure enough it did. So he went ahead and changed that, too. Prices were reasonable and service was pretty quick from the moment he started working on the car. I did have to wait a little initially as well as while we waited for the brake pads to be delivered
Second Visit:
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I just went today to have my car diagnosed for a "squeaking noise" whenever I turn. As before, there was one customer already being attended, so I had to wait about 5 minutes. At which point, he said, alright, let's check it out. I drove around the block to reproduce the noise, and he immediately said, nothing to worry about. Once we returned to the shop, he demonstrated that he could reproduce the noise by shaking the car, and that it was simply the bushings. I asked if he could replace them, and he said yes. Also asked about alignment and balancing, and he said, just keep driving on the tires...and come back in 1-2 months, to have tires, bushing, alignment, and balancing done all at once... no point in doing it for the remaining tread-life. Will be back for my oil change and/or the tire change next...
Shop has had a race car inside being worked on the two times I've been there, which is cool for kids to look. -
Review from Sam Y.
Oakland, CA
6/11/2010
Aaahhh! It's finally summertime! What better way is there to celebrate other than taking a convertible sports car out to the race track? The only problem was that my car was not track prepped at all and the track day was only a day away. I needed the transmission fluid replaced, differential fluid replaced, engine oil and filter replaced, brake pads replaced, brake fluids replaced, tires mounted, and the A/C system refilled.
I was initially attracted to this shop for a two reasons:
1) They seemed like a legit performance shop. They have top notch performance parts (ATE Super Blue Racing Brake Fluid, Redline tranny/diff oils, etc). They even have a gutted and race-prepped S2000 that is constantly wrenched on by the shop's owner.
2) From reading previous reviews, the shop's prices seemed very reasonable. The long drive to the Streets of Willow racetrack (5+ hour drive from SF), track day cost, gas, lodging, and food was already starting to rack up my expenses, so this was an important factor.
After getting a more-than-reasonable quote for the job (one hell of a deal), I immediately accepted and handed over the keys. Despite having a few cars already in the shop, they were able to finished the job within 4 hours *amazing*. They even gave me a ride back to work!
On a brighter note, I was still stoked for my first track day of the year. The next day, I arrived at the track. The car was probably in the best shape of it's life mechanically. It passed the tech station with flying colors. I gridded up for my run group and we were off! -
Review from Jim C.
Redwood City, CA
12/31/2008
Second stop on our oil change from hell afternoon: no luck here either.
My friend needed a "quick" oil change for his hybrid car and I tagged along. After being disappointed that 5-star rated Perfect Lube in San Carlos didn't do hybrids, we looked up Yelp again and found Ren with 22 reviews and 5 stars. We had to check this place out with the fantastic prices. Just to be safe, we did call Ren and asked if they do hybrid car oil changes and they said yes so we headed over there.
Ren is this small shop on a street parallel to highway 101. If you've noticed the Raiders cheerleader sign as you're driving down 101 South, Ren is right under that sign. There was one car already in the shop and all the sidewalk spaces were full around their entrance. Had to park down the street and walk in to inquire.
Walked in and this young Asian dude working on a car glanced at me but totally ignored us for about 2 minutes. We stood there and got no love. Finally he decided to look over and we asked if he does oil changes and have 0w20 oil and he said no. WTF.
Bottom line: Didn't like this place at all as it was hard to park and the guy there totally ignored us at the beginning. You may be great with regular cars but don't say you can do hybrid car oil changes if you really can't - don't come here if you need 0w20. Getting frustrating. Off to stop 3 of 4 of our oil change from hell afternoon. -
Review from Ellen C.
8/10/2007
Faaaaaaaaaantastic! I went there at 9:30am on a Friday morning, well this morning really, and I got out of there within 20 minutes. That's not the best part, the best part is how much service I got for what I paid for! The guy was really nice from start to finish, very considerate, and fast!
Sure, there is no decor in the space, nowhere for customers to sit and wait unless you want to be staring at them work, but can you really complain for a $15.95 oil change?? I haven't been able to get an oil change for under $20 ever since...ever since, I can't even remember an oil change under $20.
Not only that, he found a nail in my back tire that was doing some damage and leaking air ever so slowly (and I just thought it was a faulty tire), and he was able to patch it up. Usually at any other auto shop or tire shop it would cost me a cool $30 or more but he only charged me $10. Even if I tried to patch it myself with the tire glue you buy at Walmart or Target, it would still cost me $5 plus the 10 minutes of driving around a few blocks and then a lifetime of worrying whether or not the glue was going to fall off. But no, Ren Performance takes care of that for $10 which INCLUDES *angels sing* a lifetime guarantee. I am soooo coming back here and so should you! -
Review from Jonathan C.
South San Francisco, CA
5/13/2008
I initially came here for an oil change just to try them out. But as more maintenance and wear and tear stuff happens to my cars, the first place I go to now is Ren, I've recommended my family and friends to them as well. The good thing about them is that if you have something small, they'll take care of you right away and get you back on the road. At least from what I've experienced. Big jobs, obviously you need to make an appointment. I've even brought them my rims and trust me they're no easy feat. My rims are very wide as well as big. 20x11.5. If they can tackle that, you know they're good.
The rates here are quite good as well, beats most of the places I've been to or called. I'm quite picky on who works on my car. Definitely not just some grease monkey in a gas station. So if you have a Civic or a Benz, you can rely on them to get it done. Talk to Owen, he quite pleasant to talk to, especially if you're into cars or racing. They have a couple of fast machines in there too, again a sign that they're car guys. Give them a try. -
Review from Alex K.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2009
I got the dreaded low tire pressure light on my 2004 M3 and sure enough, my front driver side tire was a lot lower than the rest.
I looked this place up on Yelp and decided to check it out. I was in an out within about 8 minutes. They charged me $10 for the patch job.
I will definitely be going back to them for future work. -
Review from mike b.
3/9/2011
Not sure if these guys are closed or what. I've been there before and gotten a quick and cheap oil change, but the service left something to be desired, both times the only guy there barely acknowledged my presence. I went last Saturday, when they were supposed to be open, and no one was there and no sign on the door saying they wouldn't be open. Went back 90 mins later and same story.
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Review from Tracy O.
San Mateo, CA
3/31/2008
Quick and cheap service! My only beefs:
1) Loud, angry dog in back barking at me.
2) Only one guy, not a talker... I'm used to Jiffy Lube and going over what type of oil for the oil change, whether you need a new filter, what tire pressure... he just took my keys and walked off without a word.
So while I'm a bit iffy on the quality (a lot of car places don't seem to know that Prius's only take 3.7 quarts of oil, so I tend to check... and I didn't get a chance to here), the price and quickness of the oil change gives them 4 stars. Next time I might find some other place though. -
Review from Shane S.
San Mateo, CA
8/27/2009
My shop to go to and Lucky for me it's in my city also!
Owen did a wheel bearing and brake job for me, and he did an excellent job!
I have searched, and REN has by far the best prices for quality work... -
Review from jauney e.
San Mateo, CA
3/11/2011
I had problems with my SRT-4, couldn't figure out the problem, another shops had charge me $100 for a diagnostics. I somehow found Ren and they gave me a free diagnostics and fix the problem for me. Ever since then, they have been my mechanics of choice. Their knowledge in cars and in vehicle performance is remarkable. Watching them work is amazing. I don't think there is anything these guys can't do when it comes to cars. The mechanic who drives the orange Lotus is kinna hot...
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Review from cindy l.
Burlingame, CA
12/19/2008
Excellent!
Fast, reliable, no pressure service! Provides estimate on parts and labor so you know exactly what you'll be paying for prior to service. Went in for a tune-up, and he threw in an oil change at no cost. -
Review from Min Y.
Belmont, CA
1/21/2009
After 10 years in bay area, I finally found a trustworthy auto shop. Yeah, the place is shabby and no parking on the street. However, the owner is very honest with the work and never try to trick you.
To avoid the parking problem, call in advance to schedule an appointment.
Also enjoy the wi-fi if you don't mind seating on the car-seat couch while you are waiting :) -
Review from Bruce Y.
San Bruno, CA
7/29/2011
My engine gave some noise. Max(The boss, if I remember it correctly) quickly found the reason and fix it immediately. He is honest and really good at cars.
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Review from Jordan M.
Los Angeles, CA
12/17/2007
REN should be a role model for prostitutes: make your lube jobs quick, cheap and hastle free
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Review from christine l.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2008
They might have raised their prices, but it's still cheap, fast, and easy! I paid $24.95 for synthetic oil and was in and out in 20 minutes. The one guy there was quiet, but nice enough and even helped me watch traffic as I backed out of the driveway.
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Review from Clinton H.
San Mateo, CA
5/29/2007
Went there for an oil change after I read the review from Annie W. and it was great. Got there, $15.95, and that was the total out the door and they did the oil change right away. Took around 10 min and bam, was pretty much driving back home after that. Yes it is somewhat hidden from the main streets, but that's the great part, it's not bombarded with people.
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Review from Vivian L.
San Mateo, CA
6/5/2008
After getting yet another nail in my tire, I was looking for a place to get it patched since the 1/2 inch across screw didn't go in at an angle in my tire. I yelped tire patch places and decided to check this place out. True to the other yelp reviews, Ren was great! I went in the morning. The screw was so big he had to use all his might to pull it out and patch it up but he did it! I was in and out in 10 minutes tops and was back on the road to work. There were no frilly upsells here. I asked to patch my tire and that's what he did, all for $12.50.
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Review from Jelly F.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/5/2009
Came here for oil change and tire rotation. Everything was done really fast. Very nice people working here :D Will come back in the future for sure!
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Review from Morgan L.
San Bruno, CA
12/20/2008
They pulled (actually had to unscrew) a large screw out of my M3s rear right tire. In and out in about 15 minutes. And only cost $12.50. Mechanics are not too talkative but get the job done.
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Review from Kristie G.
San Mateo, CA
4/19/2010
I like this place because it's cheap. It's a small garage off the 101 freeway and it's pretty hidden and not easy to get to. Part of me wants to keep REN Motorsports awareness low since the busier he gets, the longer my wait is. But his work is pretty good and his prices are typically 20-30% lower than what other places charge. He also takes the time to explain to you what was wrong with your car and shows you the parts he's changed.
He charges around $25 for an oil change (he uses a synthetic blend)...which is pretty reasonable for the Peninsula. However, what I usually do is buy my own full synthetic oil and my own oil filter and he changes and disposes of the old oil for $10.
He's usually pretty free on the weekdays and extremely busy on Saturday so call ahead and make an appointment (otherwise, you're gonna be chillin by the side of the road since there is NOTHING else around there - no cafes, bookstores, places to eat). Closed on Sundays. -
Review from Ed T.
Foster City, CA
1/4/2011
Dropped in for an impromptu oil change. In and out within 15 minutes, no fuss, and for $25! The owner's modded S2K in the shop tells me that he knows what he's doing. Definitely bringing my cars here from now on.
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Review from Hiten P.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2007
Fantastic shop. It's not the prettiest thing as the place is filled with car parts, old and new tires, and 240Zs getting new redtop engines. The guys here are into racing and it shows. Service is very professional and the price is great.
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Review from jagruti p.
San Mateo, CA
6/13/2008
$19.95--Can't beat that price for an oil change! They were quick, thorough, and inexpensive!!
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Review from Jon J.
Milpitas, CA
9/9/2009
Bought tires from these guys a couple months back along with some friends. All of us were very please. Definately recommend!!!
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Review from Nina A.
Foster City, CA
1/26/2011
Great place for a quick oil change- took me 15-20 minutes total! The staff was super helpful and nice, and enthusiastic. The place I usually go to usually takes an hour +. I will keep coming here in the future. Remember to call ahead to make sure they aren't too busy. My only issue with this place is the location- a bit hard to find, and there really is no place to park except for the street, and the area in front of the store is quite crowded. But the staff was extremely helpful and moved my car for me to the back to work on it, even though I parked a block away.
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Review from Ama F.
Foster City, CA
2/24/2009
Add me to the list of super happy customers.
I moved to the area a few months back and it's been way too long since my S2000 had an oil change. I caught the review here on Yelp where the person mentioned being met by someone in a modded S2k and it caught my eye. Turns out Owen is also well recommended by the people over at http://s2ki.com forums.
I'm one of those people who don't necessarily want to put a supercharger, exhaust, etc on my car but I *do* care that it's worked on by someone who's familiar with the vehicle and isn't going to take it out on a joyride or try to sell me services it doesn't need (I'm also a female). My car is like my baby. I can honestly say that after my experience with Owen today I will be returning again whenever it just needs an oil change or makes a sound I don't like. He's a local business, very quick, close to home and made my car run smooth as brand new again.
The parking situation might occasionally get tight but when I pulled up he not only remembered me from a call-ahead the previous day but immediately said he'd move the car currently in the bay to make room for me to pull in.
I took a couple of their cards to hand out to some coworkers who are also looking for a good local shop. Thanks again Owen! -
Review from Manic Beagle M.
Burlingame, CA
7/18/2008
This is one cool dude. Got a ginormous screw stuck in my tire - in and out in about 5 minutes. It cost me $13.50. (I notice that it's $1.00 more than what the previous Yelper paid, but WTH. But don't think that I didn't notice, Ren.)
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Review from Adam L.
South San Francisco, CA
8/25/2009
This place is kind of like a hole-in-the-wall as it goes for oil changes. its pretty close off the freeway, but you wouldn't know it was there unless you were looking for it. The place is pretty small and there were no customers waiting when i went there earlier today.
The guy who helped me spoke broken English but I understood what he said. He checked if he had the proper air filter for my Chevy Tahoe '03 and said OK, 20 min. I asked how much and he said 25. i said OK. He was done in 10 min. I told him that he was pretty fast, he said he would have been faster if he used a lift, which was being used at the moment for a longer project. The truck was high enough that he just went under it. the price of $25 had the tax included.
This is a pretty cheap place and fast if you go at the right time. I saved some time and 10 bucks by going here instead of my regular place. -
Review from Stan L.
Foster City, CA
8/26/2010
I first came here after reading the highly praised reviews. This place was close to my house and had cheap prices for oil change so I said 'why not?' First oil change was cool so I started to bring my car in for nitrogen air. My trust for this place was good so I continued come here when I needed a regular schedule maintenance. After the work was done, I asked for a quote for coilover installation and was surprised to find that the price was around $100 more to my knowledge of the going rate. I then asked around and found that a few other places also quoted less than Ren's. Eventually went to another place in San Bruno for this job. A couple of weeks later, I noticed that my car's air recirculation did not work as I drove past stinky Harris Ranch on my way down to LA. Upon checking the cabin air filter, I found that Ren broke the air blower assembly arm by tying the assembly door shut. I confirmed this when I brought in the car to the dealer. They said whoever changed the cabin air filter was supposed to press the air recirculation button on the console to open up the door to change the filter. The door can either be left opened and press the air recirculation button again to close. However, it cannot be tied or else the plastic arm that opens and closes this blower assembly will break. Dealer said to replace the broken part itself is around 600. Ren certainly did not know what they were doing changing a simple cabin air filter to my car. Breaking a part to a customer's vehicle is not cool!
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Review from Annie W.
Burlingame, CA
12/16/2006
$15.95 oil change!!!! i got a postcard in TAPIOCA in Marina Plaza a month ago, it has been sitting under the my seat since then.
last Friday morning, i was in a hurry to school. but i found my car couldn't start up...........i was sooo frustrated....b'cz I'm going to be late, again...
Suddenly, I found the post card, and called them for help. The guy answered the phone asked a few questions, and told me that he could come to take a look at it. A few minutes later, a modified Honda 2000 showed up, a guy step out, right after he checked out my car, he asked me if I need a ride to school c'z it may take a while to fix it up.....(I was so surprised he'd asked like that)
after school, i called the again to pick me up. I was brought to their shop. My car is fixed. Then I get my car oil changed. .....
so, for the service 3 stars, their shop is specious and clean, one star for that. only thing isn't that good is: it's kinda hard to find the location... -
Review from cranberry s.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2007
Fast, no-nonsense service. I got an oil change (under $20), and by request they also took care of filling my tires, checking my brakes, and changing my burned out headlight for free. They also noticed a broken axle (oops), showed me the area with my car raised, and fixed it that same day.
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Review from Daniel L.
Redondo, WA
8/2/2008
This is one of the best place you can ever be. He seems to work alone and doesn't talk much. However, his work was really amazing. I had a gash on the sidewall of my tire, which he could fix it no time. When I went to the wheelwork, they just wanted to replace the tire, which might cost $ 360 (my car is a new Volvo S80... not a good model for changing a tire). With REN, I only paid $17.50 for labor and all. Highly recommended!!!
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Review from P L.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2007
Stopped by this place on Saturday after reading about the $15.95 oil change on yelp. It's now $19.95 and the oil change took about 15 minutes after waiting 20 outside in my car during the heavy rain. Not sure what kind of oil they used, but service was quick and it was fun watching them jack up my car really high.
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Review from basil w.
San Jose, CA
1/1/2007
These guys do great work and they really know what they're doing. They switched a head gasket for my car and also fixed a few other problems that i couldn't figure out for months. They have great expirience, very in depth knowledge, great prices and lots of services you simply cant find anywhere else. Even if you have nothing that needs to be fixed on your car you should just go to check out their great selection of performance parts, decals, and also their sexy Honda S2000 and Nissan 240zx
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Review from L D D.
Honolulu, HI
12/22/2009
its not the best looking place but you will get your service done asap and at a great price. charged me $80 for a new tire and balancing. i was out the door in 15 mins.
