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Yamato Auto Repair
Categories: Automotive Auto Repair Automotive Body Shops Auto Repair, Body Shops [Edit]
1710 Pine St(between Franklin St & Gough St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
(415) 346-5116
Announcement
Mention Yelp and receive 15% off labor for new customers
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 6 pm
77 reviews for Yamato Auto Repair
77 reviews in English
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Review from S R.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011
This review is long overdue.
It started when I first moved into my apartment a few buildings down. My car battery died on me in someone else's driveway. Even though they were closed, the guy walked over and jump-started my car. He wouldn't even let me tip him! I knew then that I would always come here for any car issues.
Fast-Forward a few months -- I come to get my brakes checked up. Darryl was so helpful and actually took the time to explain to me what was going on with my car. He gave me a quote which I thought was extremely reasonable.
Overall, I love this place because the people here are honest and clear. I always walk away a little more educated about cars because Darryl really takes the time to explain what is going on. I've been to other auto-shops and I never get the same customer service as this place.
I think they are also affiliated with Too Good Auto Body Repair. I've gotten quotes from them for a dent in my car and thought it was extremely reasonable. I didn't get it done at that time (and they didn't pressure me either!) because it wasn't dire, but there's no doubt in my mind that I will get any body work done here in the future. -
Review from Alyssa G.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I chose Yamato after a deal came out on KGB deals. $19 for an oil change, or other basic service (original price $42). Unfortunately for me, my car's oil was not eligible for the deal because it didn't include synthetic oil.
Darryl Dobashi was the mechanic that helped me out. He was very nice throughout the process and immediately called me to let me know there was a problem with the deal. I appreciated the fact that I felt in control of the decisions, rather than finding out later what he repaired.
$85 later, my car was in perfect condition and ready to drive away 1.5 hours later. Great, responsible service. I'll take it. -
Review from Angelica P.
Fairfield, CA
8/26/2011
Awesome service! Honest and affordable!
RECOMMEND: MOST DEFINITELY!!! -
Review from Linda H.
Emeryville, CA
1/30/2012
My family and I have been bringing our cars to Yamatos is 1987. We love them so much for their integrity and honesty and being fabulous mechanics, we make the trip from the east bay to have Darryl work on our Hondas. We had the great privilege to work with Mike and his father, 3 generations of great and honest mechanics. Darryl also triaged with a struts shop to ensure the right repair was and had been done.
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Review from Barbara B.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Ok- never, ever in my life did I think I'd be giving an Auto Mechanic 5 stars! Have had bad track experiences since I got my 1st car in 97....
But, the guys at Yamato are super honest, provide status updates on what work they've done, when they expect to finish. They are always thorough and very reasonably priced.
They do smog test n repairs also, which is how I found them in the first place & I can't imagine going anywhere else! -
Review from Michelle S.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2011
Yamato Auto has been my reliable, go-to auto repair shop in SF for the past few years. I have brought in my car to Yamato for various car problems (broken window, broken headlight, check engine light on) and they have always been friendly, professional and reasonably priced. They didn't charge me for a diagnostic when they found a problem they couldn't fix themselves and offered suggestion where to take it next. Appreciate the quality service!
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Review from Khiem T.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2011
These guys are great.. Got my 03 Civic Timing belt done for about 35% off what Honda was charging...
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Review from Sara M.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/23/2011
I really, really appreciate the level of service I've gotten at Yamato Auto. I've gone twice in the past two years and have had really good experiences both times. Darryl has always explained things clearly and provided options for service and pricing. I don't feel pressured to get anything "extra" and feel comfortable asking Darryl for his advice on when/how to address whatever is up with my well-loved Camry. There was a minor issue with the invoice following my last time visit -- as soon as I called and explained what happened Darryl addressed and fixed the situation. I wouldn't (and don't) hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, trustworthy mechanic in SF.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/3/2007
Honest. Affordable. These two adjectives are invaluable when trying to select a place to get your… Read more »
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Review from L B.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2011
Incompetent mechanic worked on my car and caused more problems than existed before. Hit and miss shop. Take your chances.
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Review from Wilson L.
Daly City, CA
Updated - 10/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
Darryl remembered me from a few years ago! I was the guy with the green insight and the honda civic. (he probably remembers my insight moreso) ;)
I was caught in a bind one day where my car was smoking from the engine No, it wasn't overheating, but it was smoking. We had the car towed over to Yamato's to take a look. Darryl took the car in after lunch as promised and he took a look at it. After about 40 minutes, he found the problem and it was a power steering hose that leaked. He called around and it was a "special order" part that would take a few days to get there..
Well he said I could drive the car, but it's just power steering and it wasn't leaking too bad. So he told me to drive it slowly. He did his best in patching it all up, and even gave me a bottle of power steering fluid in case i ran low.
He sent me off my way without any charge. OMG! Darryl you guys are a life saver! Definitely will be doing my timing belt when my 200k hits soon! Thanks so much for saving the day!! Keep rocking it!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/5/2008
Having bought many used cars in my lifetime, I know when I got the short end of the stick...… Read more »
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Review from TradeMark G.
Columbus, OH
1/25/2011
When our Acura Integra stalled on the highway, I hoped it would be something simple... after all, we hadn't driven it in four months. After some troubleshooting at home we realized it was bad: the dreaded timing belt.
My wife prefers the dealer, but after they quoted us a minimum of $800 with a possible maximum in the many-thousands, we called around. Mostly based off the good Yelp reviews we tried Yamato, and they were great. Fast service, excellently detailed explanations of the work being done, and also detailed reports on what we should watch out for in the future. Best of all the price was $876, and $300 of that was for a master cylinder replacement -- that soft brake pedal was something I'd internalized and figured I'd "wait until it broke" but they caught it during a test drive. Nice job, guys. -
Review from amit s.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2010
I love Yamato's. These guys are really honest. They gave never charged me for any repairs I don't need. To the contrary, I went in there today, for a check engine light. They looked at it completely free of charge, and then referred me to this other place that had the parts I needed.
Enough said. Simply, good, honest, competent mechanics. And such people are hard to find. -
Review from Lena W.
San Francisco, CA
7/5/2011
I have been looking for a reliable auto shop for a long time, and I'm really really glad I found Yamato auto repair. (Thanks to yelpers!) The guys there are friendly, honest, knowledgeable, and don't appear greedy--i.e. pushing you and talking to replace things you don't need. They take time and talk to you about your car. They went over what was done and explained to you what is needed and what is not. It's their business but they also give out the feeling that they are also trying to help instead of trying to get as much money as they can from you. They sincerely thank you for doing business with them. I mean, maybe it's just me, but I feel their service is far superior than that at the dealer. I'm definitely going to help spread the words. Thanks to Yamato, I'm never going back to use the ridiculous dealer service again!
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Review from Bee S.
Petaluma, CA
8/18/2011
FREAKING EXCELLENT AND PURE QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE. I called here today because of a check engine emergency on my vw bug, they told me to come by so they could take a look. Darryl did a quick computer-car-board-test thing (I don't know) and was so knowledgeable and straight forward with me, it was refreshing. He told me I better go to a specialist and so I did. So I didn't get any work done, but with that kind of quality and honest service I would/will absolutely come back. He even did the test free of charge, and the place I dropped $1,500 2 weeks earlier told me they would start me a $75 fee. HAH puck you Ted and Al's. Thanks again Darryl!
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Review from Joseph F.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2010
I learned about this place through Yelp.
I brought my 1997 Toyota Previa in because it was stalling at the 1st start of the day.
They were very upfront with their information and suggested that those kind of intermittent problems are very hard to diagnose and told me that they could try cleaning the throttle plate, but he said there was no guarantees it would fix the problem.
They suggested that I drive until I get a check-engine light to come on. I wanted them to check other possible sources of my problem, but they declined my suggestions because the check-engine light was not on and did not want to get into parts that are not definitely failed. Going in may cause further problems.
So, I decided to have them clean my throttle plate, but unfortunately, it did not solve my problem. $32 after getting my Yelp discount.
I really appreciated their upfront knowledge, but was disappointed they did not go through a flowchart of some sort to troubleshoot and find the source of my problem. -
Review from Ninja H.
5/25/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Yup, I'm one of those girls who runs to my male friends to help me with my car when something's "off". But yes, I'm also the girl who knows basics like how to check my oil, coolant, knows what the problem could possibly be by the color of the liquid leaking from the car, and can pretty accurately tell you what the sound is that I hear.
So my over the hill VW Golf is acting up and I know I can't fix it so I take it to Darryl as he's looked at a previous car of mine before and I know he'll give me a flat honest answer about what needs to be fixed now, what can wait another 6 mnths or so, and what doesn't need to be fixed at all as long as it doesn't bother me. He always goes above and beyond including asking other professionals their opinions when he's stumped, performing other diagnostics when something "just isn't right", and never allowing me to take the car out of the shop until he could tell me exactly what was wrong with it.
Will always come back when I need any car looked at. Thank you for your outstanding reliable service!! =) -
Review from Devin E.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2011
So knowing my car battery was about to die at any moment I decided to make an appointment here based off other yelp reviews. The day my appointment came I hopped in the car to drive over. Battery dead, wouldn't even start. Luckily I called Yamato who came over and jumped my car to get it to the shop.
They were friendly , honest and the work was good. I found my auto shop. -
Review from Sarah K.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2008
Two things that suck about not having a boyfriend: carrying my own groceries and vehicle upkeep.
I haven't had my car serviced (um hum) for quite sometime. Took it into Yamato because Yelpers love the place. I was ready to thrown down at least $1000 for whatever it needed. Darryl was awesome. When I picked it up, all he had done was an oil change.
$50 + peace of mind + more time being single = happiness. -
Review from Thadd L.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2006
I came here based on the review that my buddy Alex wrote on this spot as well as the other reviewers here.
I can say that I have never felt better about work being done on my car. I felt like everyone there was honest and just wanted me to get me in and out with no fuss. That is exactly what I got.
I dropped off my car on a Tuesday night and was told that I would get a call the next day with a quote, when I got the quote the next day it was about 50% lower than I expected. I gladly agreed to the cost and was told that my car would be ready that afternoon. That is right, I got my brakes all changed out and set to 'non-lethal' in under 24 hours for 50% less than I thought I would have to. Needless to say, I will be back here for anything and everything that my car ever needs. Promise.
ED NOTE:
I have talked a fair amount of shit on and off-line about how yelp is full of a bunch of attention deprived 20 somethings anxious to live out a few more years of 'college-esque' lifestyle, what somewhat abhorrent to me, I can see the draw. Reality does in fact, bite. However it is reviews of places like Yamato that make yelp a real tool for someone that needs goods and services in the city. As long as there is valuable content here at yelp, I'll be here... even if I have to sludge through 300 talk threads about bathroom edict and dating 'advice'. -
Review from Eric S.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2008
I can't remember who tipped me off to Mike Yamato, but I remember the day I showed up with my ailing old Honda Accord with nearly 200,000 miles on it. I got there before they opened and waited. This Japanese guy pulls up in an old beat-up Civic. I asked him how many miles was on that thing, and he said, oh, about 265,000. Then, I asked him if he was waiting for Mike. Turns out, he *is* Mike. Sold. Anyone who can keep a Civic going that long is my kind of mechanic.
I'm a total cheapskate who knows nothing about cars. I tell Mike that every time, and he never takes advantage of me. He's the best mechanic I've ever met. -
Review from Gloria Y.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 10/5/2008
ZOIKS!
They did it again! This time it was my side view mirror, cracked on some protruding thingy or other as I backed down the driveway. Had to be replaced, whole thing! UGH!!!
The deal? I give them the car and key and complaint; they give me back said car, complaint resolved and plenty of money left over to treat myself for being a big girl and not crying over a little stick.
I always feel like I should give them flowers or something for doing so much for so little, but usually I end up over at DSW's checking out new shoes ((I blush)).
Yep! Yamato's the car doc for me.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/8/2008
Yep! Here to tell ya, angels DO walk the earth.
Drove my ailing little Escort right into their bay… Read more »
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Review from L S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/27/2010
I cannot say enough things about Darryl & his team. Whenever I find myself in a pickle, they are attentive and provide quick solutions. Darryl has even referred us to some reliable specialists in case Yamato Auto Repair is unable to do it themselves.
They are fantastic! Just like family...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/12/2007
Mike & Darryl provide EXCELLENT service & prices. I came in for a tranny & coolant flush. They also… Read more »
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Review from Svetlana L.
New York, NY
12/7/2010
Been meaning to write this for close to a year now :) but better late than never.
Darryl saved my vacation. My car died on the way to the airport, I Yelped for reputable mechanics, and got it towed to Yamoto after having a brief conversation with Darryl.
Not only did Darryl communicate clearly with me while I was abroad and fixed my car, but he also came in UNDER his estimate by $50 and I saw a credit on my statement. As it was, his estimate was already one of the lowest and that was a nice unexpected bonus.
What a rarity! -
Review from Alex C.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2006
The other day, I had to bite the bullet and drop some major dough on a timing belt replacement and 100,000 mile tune-up/service. Usually, spending $650 on anything that you NEED rather than something that you WANT leaves you with nothing other than a bitter taste in your mouth, but this time was different.
So, would I rather still have the money in my checking account? Absolutely! But, Mike and his staff did such a great job on my car, I really can't help but feel it was worth the money.
After getting my car back in roughly 48 hours (pretty reasonable, eh?), it's like driving a new car all over again. Well, maybe not THAT good, but it certainly doesn't feel like the decaying, 100,000 mile headache inducer it was a couple days ago. I almost forgot what it was like to drive a car without belt noise, squealing brakes and a mushy clutch!
Anyway - five stars for the repair being done competently, on time, and most importantly, $60 under the original estimate. These guys earned my trust, and I will certainly return to them in the future.
EDIT 12/4/2006:
I just took my car back the other day, and got it back that night. I expected the repairs to take more than a couple days and completely fuck me up the week before finals. NOPE. Yamato succeeds again. Hats off to Mike and the staff at Yamato. -
Review from Hiromi N.
San Francisco, CA
2/28/2009
I took my car into Darryl and the gang in December when my "check engine" light came on without provocation.
Reading all of the stellar reviews about the service and price, I was hoping that they were ALL true. I have a difficult time trusting mechanics because of PAST events with OTHER auto repair shops where I was OVERCHARGED for unnecessary work on my previous automobile. I didn't want to make the same mistake twice.
I live nearby and decided to take my car in mid-morning. Unfortunately, Darryl broke the bad news that they had a full workload that day, but that he would put me down on the appt book.
My boyfriend had taken his car to Yamato's to replace the AC system. He was able to roll into the shop w/o an appt. So, I hadn't even thought twice about calling in advance. Yet, I highly suggest to anyone to call Darryl in advance of bringing your car in, so that they can work you into the daily repair schedule.
In addition, Darryl provided a clear and detailed cost estimate and a pretty accurate estimated time of completion in the case of my boyfriend and me.
For my car it was an O2 meter that needed to be replaced.
All in all, I was happy with the services. I would recommend Yamato b/c they did solid work, were clearly communicative, were reasonably priced (although, I think that their cost for the part needed was a bit higher than what I saw on the internet - not by much, but it was noticeably higher) and they can work on various types of cars foreign and domestic (I have a 2001 Mazda protege and my boyfriend has a 2000 Ford Escort). -
Review from Julie N.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2006
When mechanics see me walking up, I can spot dollar bills twinkling in their greedy little eyes because I'm someone who obviously doesn't know jack sh*t about cars. Car maintenance for me means not letting myself run out of gas on the side of the freeway. I just learned yesterday that you're apparently supposed to get your oil changed every 3 months. My response was, "What?!? My car has oil in it?!?!" Okay, I'm kidding about that, but I really didn't know oil had to be changed that regularly.
Anyhow, as you can see, due to my incompetence when it comes to cars, it is absolutely indispensable for me to use an honest mechanic. And Mike, at Yamato Auto Repair, is just that man. He is my hero!! He recently completely fixed my car for less than what other shops in SF charge just to diagnose it!! And I drive such an old beater he could've charged me anything he wanted for reasons that involved completely made-up words and I would've totally believed him. See? Mike is definitely a trustworthy mechanic. I HIGHLY recommend him. -
Review from CINDY K.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2006
"Little Red Echo....baby you're much too fast."
Well, not really, but my Toyota Echo's been a steady workhorse for me and I try to treat it well. But the Tracy dealership, where I bought the car, and where I've always taken it to get serviced is just so friggin' far away, and I've felt their service was falling off track.
Checking Yelp, of course, I found Yamato's. Everyone's right, Mike is a really nice guy. Their hours aren't very convenient - 9-6pm Mon-Fri - that's when I have to work, too, dang it. But Mike said it was ok to drop off my car at 6:30 - so long as I called ahead. And so I jetted home early and managed to fight evening traffic through the city to their location at Pine & Franklin (it's smack on that corner so stay on that left lane on Franklin).
By noon the next day, I got the call that my car was ready. I'd asked them to do an oil change, tire rotation, and check on my brake pads cuz I'm totally paranoid and I thought after 93,000 they should be replaced.
Mike said I must be a good driver, cuz I still had half the brake pads thickness on there - I could go another 10,000 miles easily. Hee, Mike said I was a good driver.
He could've taken me for a ride cuz I was totally convinced that the pads were near to giving out. But he made no unnecessary repairs and got my car back to me fast.
My steering wheel alignment is a little off, though. That's happened before, and it's not exactly detrimental to the car, it's just annoying to me. And my fuel injection timing's went weird, a week after driving around fine, but that might be cuz I use cheap gas;a bottle of Triple Clean seems to have taken care of it.
I get the feeling that the guys at Yamato's won't go out of their way to do something unless you specifically ask them to. But I'll take that as a trade-off for their honesty and efficiency. -
Review from Cynthia M.
Santa Monica, CA
11/19/2009
I had an oil change and basic service done here, for just under $50. After reading all the great comments on yelp, I was pretty disappointed. I've been to a few different mechanics before, and this place just didn't seem as professional as the other places I've been to.
-Usually, when I get a oil change and check-up done, it costs the same as it did here or less (i.e. less than 50 bucks) and normally the mechanics AUTOMATICALLY check things like brakes, tyre pressure and so on, and they give me a piece of paper with checks indicating what was OK and what wasn't. Here, they just did an oil change and fluid top-up and didn't even check my brakes. I had to ask for anything additional. I asked them to check my tyres too and they didn't.
-Usually when I get an oil change/check up, the mechanic tells me EXACTLY which fluids needed to be topped up, and includes that on the information on the piece of paper I take away with me. I've been to 3 mechanics before and they've all done this. It's useful because then I get an indicator of which fluids tend to run low and how often I need to check on them. That's how I discovered that my transmission fluid needs to be topped up regularly. Here, there was no information given on my receipt.
-They told me if I needed the timing belt replaced on my car, it would be $600. I called another mechanic and they said it would be $270. That's a big difference.
-The place wasn't terrible. They didn't tell me I needed thousands of dollars of work done. I'm just surprised at the amazing yelp ratings because it just wasn't great. -
Review from Torie Y.
12/29/2007
It's so wonderful to see a family-owned business continue to offer great service. My dad has been bringing his car to Mike since before I can even remember (though i still remember the old Bush location!).
following in daddy's footsteps I brought my little Accord to Darryl, who i felt at ease with right from the get-go. he was very pleasant and helpful in terms of what needed to be done/when i could expect the car to be ready. we initially agreed that i would just have the basic maintenance done (check the brakes, fluids, etc), but i later found out that my worry-wart dad actually called Mike to make sure I got a full milestone tune-up. nontheless, the car was still ready and waiting at our agreed time, fully checked and tuned up.
anybody who is able to appease my dad is well worth the full 5 stars. -
Review from Steve D.
San Mateo, CA
3/7/2006
Yamato Auto has been providing very reliable auto repair service in SF for over 60 years! This family owned business was founded by March Dobashi and continues to run today by his son Mike.
You will enjoy working with Mike. He's very easy to talk to, has very reasonable rates, and will not try to take you for a ride like other shops out there.
Oh, just a FYI - Yamato just means "Japan", its not Mike's last name. -
Review from Charles R.
Los Angeles, CA
3/24/2009
I'm happy Yelp led me to this place.
I used to live in the suburbs in LA where I had a garage and could do my own work. Now that I live in the city in SF, well working on my own truck is just a hassle.
So a shop comes in handy. I really didn't know one form another up here, but researched on Yelp to find this gem.
The shop has a cool sort of city/motor city/industrial look about it. When I arrived I was greeted by Darryl, who I take to be part of the Yamato family . I won't say he was over-the-top friendly when I made the appointment on the phone or in person, but he was nice and didn't give a rude vibe. I explained what I needed done, he clarified with me on some details, and that was it.
He said it'd be ready later that today. He called with my approval for some additional work needed (which I was expecting anyway). I mentioned a couple "issues" another shop pointed out, and he checked em out, but gave it to me straight on what was needed and not needed. I'm no mechanic, but have wrenched on my 4Runner enough to generally know if I'm being BSed or not. None of that here.
The prices for labor and parts are reasonable, and the Yelp discount on labor charges is a nice bonus. I'd happily take my vehicle back here for future work. -
Review from Nerd A.
Oakland, CA
1/4/2007
Sadly like many residents of our fair city my car has been broken into. I lost the ducky blanket which is by far my favorite and most meaningful blanket of all time but thats beside the point.
That very morning I took my car over to Yamtao (located above the stable on the second level which can be confusing). It took a moment for someone to speak to me but soon I dropped off my car and walked back home.
My car was ready that night and was replaced very well. It cost me $195 to get my window fixed and I thought that was a reasonable price but honestly I know next to nothing about cars. The service there seemed quite nice and knowledgeable and I definitely didn't feel like I was being ripped off (they even cleaned out all of the glass from inside my car!)
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the credit card machine was broken so it was a bit frustrating to have to withdrawal the money to pay for the window.
Overall a great place and I would go back if may car needed anything. -
Review from Pamela L.
San Jose, CA
1/26/2011
Yamato! You were there when we needed a friend. Our humble tan old car got the driver's side window SMASHED IN completely. Whoever broke into our car smashed our glass for NOTHING because there wasn't anything to find. Grrrr! We couldn't leave our car out all night wide open and we needed the glass to be repaired pronto. Enter YAMATO!
They took our car in and told us they could have it fixed the next day. True to their word, they texted us to let us know that our car was ready for pick up! We asked them if they could help us with our right light connector because the plastic was MELTING. We asked a few other garages and they told us we had to go to the dealership. We figured, eh, with our bad luck with the broken glass, we had to repair everything, but we were stunned when they told us they can fix our right light for such a great price! Like 1/10 of what other people quoted us! And they were genuine about making sure our car was okay.
They empathized with our pain over our glass getting smashed and advised us to leave NOTHING in the car. Not even a tissue box! The car has to be butt naked outside AND inside! So we took out the tissue box. Geez! But it was nice to know that our car was under good care and that these folks cared about the work they did and wanted us on our way safely. I always worried with suspicion that some garages will fix a little but deliberately not fix everything so that they'd keep the customers coming back with more problems. I'm paranoid like that. But with these guys, I knew without a doubt, that they were the real deal and they didn't want us to have more trouble in the future. They want the cars to GO! They were really cool about texting us too rather than calling us because we couldn't hear the phone which gives them extra props for being considerate to ALL their customers and their needs. THANK YOU YAMATO! I am TOTALLY going to you FOREVER for any car trouble we encounter in the future! -
Review from Peter C.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2010
If I ever leave San Francisco I hope i'll be able to find a place as good as Yamato's Auto Repair. This place is amazing for the following reasons:
1. Outstanding service
2. Friendly
3. Competitive pricing (sometimes they come in under their estimate)
4. Honest
5. On time
I'm not sure what else I can say about it. If you live in Pacific Heights its pretty convenient. If you don't I can see why you wouldn't necessarily visit this place. But where I live now it makes a lot of sense to take our car there. -
Review from S S.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2008
I had to find a new Auto Repair shop after my bad incidence with MIDAS in Van ness. Reading everyone's reviews help me decide to try them out. I did not had an appointment, but I had to get my brake's bearing fixed. Darryl the son is one heck of a guy. He is very friendly and he really pay attention to the main problem. He knows I need to get my car fix, and he got it done right. He was into details, he learned Mida's did not have the job done correctly, and it was the bearing causing the problem. Even thou it cost me a bit, he tried and did save me a bundle. Darryl is the son, and it is a family run business. After over 10 yrs business with Midas, and TONI had moved to Midas' Ocean store, they had also lost a long time customer, since Mida's district manager did not get back to me after numerous call. Yamato will see more of me and my car!
What I like about them, courteous, care about their customer's pocket, and the job is done right! -
Review from Jenny P.
San Francisco, CA
8/18/2011
These guys are honest and thorough. I recommend them.
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Review from Julie P.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2010
I came to Yamato Auto Repair based on great reviews from fellow Yelpers, and they didn't let me down. Darryl treats his customers really well, the prices are reasonable, and the service is great. The most important thing though is that they're honest and that's hard to find. I have a Honda Civic, and Yamato has changed the timing belt, rotated the tires, did a tune up, and changed the oil in my car. I'm so happy that I found them and won't go anywhere else for car repairs/maintenance again!
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Review from Jim W.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2011
Yamato's is great!!! My experience has been over the past 16+ years, and it's been all positive... Starting with March, then his son Mike, now with his grandson Darryl. This has, and is, a family run business that treats you like you're one of their family. The first car I took in was diagnosed with a need to replace the alternator for a nearly $200 charge (cheaper back then!), when I came back the bill was $65. What happened I asked, they said, "It wasn't the alternator after all, it was the regulator." I was hooked, most places would end charging you for both, for a bill of close to $300.
So now, you can add they're incredibly honest to fairly priced and super nice!! Thanks Darryl & Mike, Captain Jim -
Review from Jason K.
Boston, MA
10/8/2008
I just relocated Boston and was in desperate need of a front brake job for my chariot. I called on Monday, got an appointment Wednesday morning and by Wednesday afternoon had a new set of front brake that actually cost less than what they originally quoted.
These folks seemed genuinely interested in doing a good job and providing good service, which is all you can ask for from a car shop. They easily have earned my future business.
5 stars for Yamato Auto! -
Review from Nob H.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2011
Done 90 minutes earlier than quoted! And right on the cost estimate. Darryl even complimented my braking skills. Will definitely be going back here for other servicing.
