Palo Alto Auto Repair

I have had two different vehicles (a toyota and a nissan) serviced here several times and have found the staff to be generally professional and courteous. They can usually perform the service in a timely manner and seem to be reasonably priced. They also do a good job of explaining what they've found during the service and your options in the case of repairs. Last time I was there, they even gave me a discount because I go there so often!

I needed to smog my new used car. So I go online to smogtips.com for coupons. At the first location I stopped at, there was a line. I waited and when my smog test began, they had trouble holding my idle. They said my car's electric throttle was too sensitive; which was true. They decided to give up and I took their coupon with me. I stopped at another Shell Station on El Camino, and it was too expensive ($68) and wouldn't offer me any discount. When I got to Palo Alto Shell, they said their smog was $67. I asked if he would accept a competitor's coupon and he said yes! So I was stoked but worried whether they could smog my car. They turned on all the electronics in my car to reduce the power/ sensitively to the throttle and I passed! They offer me a Discount Price, gave me advice and provided small talk, and most important, they SMOGGED my car! NO WAIT at 12:30PM during the work week. Awesome!

Jay is your Man! He works with passion ... and humility! Always a smile and great attitude! I go here all the way from East or South Bay ... all worth it!

I used to live down the street from this place, and have stopped there before for so-so service. Last week, my wife's check engine light comes on so I suggested we stop by. The guy told her it would cost $90. I said "don't you just have to plug your tool in to read out the code?" He said Yes, but the tool to do that "literally costs ten thousand dollars." I said "can't you buy one at kragen's for $150 or so, isn't it just a usb dongle?" He said yes but then you won't have our highly specialized knowledge. He then misquoted their competitor's rates, and complained about how much rent they have to pay. We ended up driving over to 9 minute oil change (with 5 stars and 200 reviews) and they let us know what the code was saying for free. A few minutes later, my wife had fixed the leaky gas cap and we were set. I don't mind a repair shop that charges $90/hour, but it really bothers me when they try to bully you into thinking they know more than you instead of just being helpful to gain your respect.

Stopped by here this morning on my way to work to see if they could do a smog on my car. I noticed that one of the garage doors was open. The guy in the snack shop told me the garage wouldn't be open till about 8:00 or so. I gave my name for a smog at 10:00 am but turns out I didn't go there after all. Very nice of the snack shop guy "Antonio" to pencil me in to the schedule. Thank you very much for the nice service and not turning me away.

I went there for a smog check. I parked the car on the side and gave the keys to the mechanic. 5 mins later, he told me my car wouldn't start and that the timing belt was probably broken!! He estimated the repairs to $900 ($150 to check the belt and another 800 to change it). I felt really shocked and told the mechanic i would think about it as I was not really convinced by his diagnostic... Later in the afternoon, i eventually called AAA and they towed my car to my usual mechanic in Redwood City. He diagnosed the problem almost instantly (malfunctioning ignition coil) and the part was changed for less than $100... I don't think i'll ever go to this shell again for any kind of service on my car. I really feel they tried to rip me off.

i came here only to buy beer, which you can when nothing is open around...nice cold beer sierra nevadas .mmm...and then lotto tickets and scratchers....