Allen Imports

Went to allen imports with a check engine light and the corresponding code. I had taken the print out from auto zone and i knew what the code was. I request him to check if it was nothing major. He worked on my car for 30 mins, in that 30 mins he (Brain)was searching for the right tool for 15 mins, i.e. never actually working on the car. In the end he said the catalytic converter needed to be changed, I disagreed he charged me 95 $ for the diagnostic (it was saturday morning and he had one more customer waiting). 50 $ would have been more reasonable price, I paid him anyway.
The place is extremely small, The couple of lifts they have are used as a garage for project /​hobby he is working on. So he uses jacks to get underneath the car often crawling.
I have absolutely no issues with lifts being occupied with other hobby projects, I do not want to pay for time he spent searching for the tool .100 $ for a 15 min labor is very expensive and he cleared the code for me (may be he charged me for clearing the code, but that can be done if you have a 10 $ obd2 reader yourself– which i now have) and since then it’s more than 4 – 5 months now and the light has not come back (fingers crossed), car drives smooth and no funny noises either.
This is just another auto mechanic shop, nothing out of the world, did not work out for me unfortunately .
Hate to write a –ve review. I hope it was one bad day.

I have been coming to Allen Imports for several years. I could write multiple reviews and but they would all be the same 5 stars. Brian is 1 of the best mechanics that I have worked with. He fixed 3 bad engine mounts on my Accord today. The car has over 300 K miles but it runs like a champ. No more vibrations when the A/​C unit is running or idling. I would definitely recommend Brian, Allen Imports, over any mechanic in Sac. Totally fair on the parts and labor costs. Honesty and Integrity are his best qualities as well as being a top notch mechanic.

Brian is probably the most honest mechanic I’ve ever met! I was completely disheartened with my new purchase from Black Diamond Auto Sales (see review here–
), until I brought my truck here. Brian told me everything that was wrong and even though I couldn’t afford the big fix, we came up with a solution that got me back on my feet (wheels). And just in time, as I had a job 50 miles away! It’s still running well and the cost was completely reasonable! I should have followed my gut and brought the truck for a pre-​purchase inspection (I was talked out of it by the dealer, who then threw in a worthless warranty). I will not hesitate to bring any of my vehicles here for work. It’s the only place I would consider going.

I just wanted to say thank you! I cannot recommend Brian and this shop enough. Excellent work, honest and timely. I will definitely bring any vehicle of mine here that needs attention.

I would recommend anyone to Allen Imports. Brian went above and beyond the call of a normal mechanic. My mom has been going to him for a few years now and I too will be using Brian moving forward. Thank you for all of your hard work and going out of your way to ensure my car was safe to drive.
Best,
Eric

Great shop that you can trust. I brought in my old Nissan Murano, which was having leaks among many other issues, and Brian told me outright he could fix the issues and gave me an estimate of how much it would be, but told me it would be better just to trade in my car (which meant the shop losing out on money). You can trust these guys, they’re not trying to rip anyone off.

Stellar Customer Service on top of being an excellent mechanic. Brian makes you feel like you are his #1 customer and earns your trust with efficient and top notch work. You can tell he loves cars… and his family!!!
A great shop is hard to find. Brian is the best!

I have been going to Allen Imports since Brian took it over years ago. I have had 2 different cars & he has taken care of both of them. He does excellent work! He is a very trustworthy mechanic & a nice guy. He has saved me so much money over the years. I would highly recommend him. I live in Lincoln and I will go all the way to Rancho Cordova to have him service my car. He’s the best!!!

Brian and his guys are top notch! Brought in my 2001 Civic for a timing belt, tensioner and water pump last week. Great prices and solid work. Running like a top and now I don’t have to worry about it breaking down on me. Gave the car a quick once over and an idea on what I need to fix next. Always gotta keep up on the old suspension on this car due to the speed bumps where I live.
The ac belt was squeaking the other day and I gave him a call for a quick tighten up. It’s hot out 100+ and new belts loosen up a bit in the heat and after break in (expect that when you get new drive belts with manual tensioners). I swung down and 20 minutes later I was on my way. Super helpful and very easy to deal with.
The lobby isn’t great but I’d rather have a dated waiting area than a horrible shop working on my car. My buddy’s shop down in OC is similar and I don’t mind. Keep putting money into your tools and paying your guys, as the end product is what we all come back for, great service and quality repairs. Happy I have a Honda shop here now.

This guy is Great! Explains things clearly. He also goes above and beyond to get the job done!

Excellent service. My car was not passing smog. Brian fixed the problem cost effectively step by step to give me the best price. Trustworthy mechanic who works for his customers not for himself. The car passed smog with flying colors. Thanks Brian!!!

Great mechanic that you can trust. I’ve got a 1997 Subaru that needed a few things fixing and Brian at Allen Imports checked everything out and confirmed what needed doing vs what could wait. My front axels needed replacing and when I said I’d had them done 2 – 3 years ago at Les Schwab he checked with them and confirmed they would fix them for free under warranty. The check engine light came on after Les Schwab replaced the axels and he saw they’d bent/​broken the oxygen sensor above the axels and got them to pay for the fix. His prices are reasonable and even more importantly he is someone you can trust.

Very honest and competent.
Does the job and doesn’t complain or try to up-​sell you.
If you like your auto mechanics «Straight-​up» Brian is your dude.

I been meaning to write a review about Allen Imports.
I have taken my car to Allen Imports about 4 times. I heard about Allen Imports through Unilocal,and read a lot of positive reviews, which is why I decided to check Allen Imports out.
Brian (owner/​mechanic) is awesome, and demonstrates excellent customer service, which is one of the main reasons why I am repeated customer. I had a serious car emergency on a Friday night, and Allen Imports was about to close. My car was shaking and decided to call Brian. Brian offered to call a tow truck for me and get it towed to Allen Imports. I wasn’t sure if my insurance covered tow truck service, and I didn’t want to wait for a tow truck, so I decided to drive my shaking car to Allen Imports. Even though it was closing time, Brian offered to wait for me and check my car (which I truly appreciated). I told him I desperately needed my car by Monday, and he said he would come in on a Sunday (keep in mind, the shop is open Mon — Sat), and work on my car. By Sunday afternoon, my car was fix and ready to go. Def awesome customer service!!!
I highly recommend Allen Imports!!!

Update:
Had to take the car in for a minor repair — the brake light switch wasn’t working anymore. Left overnight, and Brian fixed her up for me, and saved me about half what I would have paid elsewhere. Thanks, Brian!

Awesome shop. Dealt with Brian. Had failed a smog test because of the idiots at a local smog shop. Brian checked the car for an «evap leak». Finding none, he advised me that it was most likely a loose gas cap and to go re-​test. Sure enough he was right. He even cut his price in half because he didn’t find anythign wrong with the car and I think he felt bad for me since the idiots at Smog n Go had mis-​diagnosed my car. Brian went out of his way to try and make sure I got my car back on the road for as little out pocket as possible. Solid shop, honest mechanic. Will be back when I need a mechanic.
**UPDATE**
Have been back to Brian twice since my last review. Both times, he was as awesome and honest as ever.
I came back after the smog incident because I bought a used 4runner and it was leaking transmission fluid. Turns out, the dealership had replaced the metal tubing that transports the fluid and hadn’t tightened it in all the way. Brian charged me a very nominal amount for finding and fixing this because he said it took him less than 20 minutes.
2^nd time I came in was to install a bolt-​on part I’d ordered from Ebay. The bolt was stripped on the bad part and I couldn’t get it off. Brian charged me $ 50 to remove the old part and install the new one.
Again, Brian is as honest as they come. This is such an invaluable quality in a mechanic. If only doctors and dentists were like this! I’ve referred Brian to everyone I know that needs work on import cars.

Hmmm, what can I say that hasn’t already been said? It’s not a mistake that most of these reviews are 5 stars…
I own a 4^th Gen Prelude VTEC… you know that sexy one with the dumbo ear doors and the instrument panel that reminds you of the Star Trek command center.
I found Allen’s Imports in late 2010. Probably through google or Unilocal.They were local, specialized in asian imports, and it was another chance for me to find an honest mechanic. Glad to say, I found one.
Brian is a super knowledgeable and cool dude. He will tell you the possible problems and if it’s something needed right away or not. No pressure, all smiles. I’ve never dealt with his co-​owner, but would expect the same. One day I was leaving from work and when I started my car it made a sound that would make a proud owner cry. After three attempts at starting it just died. A buddy and I pushed the car over to AI, just a few blocks down. I left it there and spoke with Brian the next day. We checked it out and he took it in. It took a few days and he kept me updated on what was going on. Sure enough he had my baby back on the road and running smooth.
I’ve since been bringing my vehicle to Brian at Allens Imports. These guys are as legit as they come and don’t BS. The shop is a little hidden, but most gems are right? Highly recommended! Thanks guys for your hard work and getting it done right the first time.

Brian and his team at Allen Imports are the best at what they do. Period.
Seriously– how many times have you had to repeatedly take your car back into the shop to get it repaired because the problem seemed to be reoccurring over and over again, or even finding out that you car majestically broke down while you left it at the mechanic’s for an hour? I swear, before coming to Allen Imports I always felt like I was being duped by mechanics at different shops throughout Sacramento. I’d go in for an oil change and then suddenly would find myself (or my mom) shelling out a ton of money to fix what was always made out to be a life-​or-​death situation if I didn’t get it fixed that day. It always made me wonder, «Is there ever a time where I will JUST get an oil change without the option of immediate danger following my departure?»
Well Brian has made it so my family and I no longer need to worry about being scammed by other shops. He and his team are up-​front about the needs of our cars and he doesn’t attempt to push us into get something new fixed every time we go in there for routine maintenance. If I go in for an oil change– he’ll do just that. But if he notices that my breaks are going bad or something else is going wrong with it, he’ll give me an estimate on how much longer they have on them before I absolutely need to change them as oppose to consistently urging me to get them fixed right at that moment. Instead, he’ll say something like, «We’ll take a look at it again the next time you come in to see where you’re at,» which I really appreciate because I can anticipate the cost in the future instead of forking over money that I don’t have at the time.
A couple of other good things about this shop are that they will shop around for the best price for a part that you’re looking for or beat competitor’s prices if you find someone who will do the work for cheaper (which happened once for an expensive part for my mom’s Tahoe about a year ago). What I like best about the shop, however, isn’t just the trustworthiness of its owner– even though it’s greatly appreciated– it’s the friendly and quality customer service Brian provides to his patrons. He’s always ready to assist you if you need help, but does so with a smile on his face every time, which goes a loooooong way with this girl.
All in all, if you need your car fixed, you should pretty much go to Allen Imports. You may need to schedule an appointment with them to get your car serviced because it’s a bit of a small shop, but it’s worth it when don’t have to take your car in again for the same problem in the future.

Brian is the most hard-​working and honest mechanic I have ever come across. He works efficiently and quickly and will not perform unnecessary repairs.
Highly Recommended

I have had nothing but great service with Brian and his staff at Allen Imports. I first found out about them from another website that shall remain unnamed. He had a perfect 5 star rating from them so I thought I’d give them a try. That was in 2007. Since then, I have tried another place which was also highly rated and closer to me here in Sacramento, but always found my way back to Brian.
I am fairly skeptical when it comes to mechanics. Having spent a lot of money on my previous cars will do that to a person. But I felt at ease from the very first time I brought my car in. Brian was always available to talk, either at the shop or on his cellphone. I called on a Sunday hoping to leave a message on his machine at 9 pm but he picked up, took down my information, and slotted me for an appointment.
Since then, I have had more than 5 oil changes with him, 2 wiper replacements, 1 rotor and brake job with the brake pads still at 50% after 3.5 years, which is pretty impressive given my driving methods, 1 passenger side window motor replacement, one major tuneup, and one front strut job so I feel qualified to comment on his services. He doesn’t ever try to upsell you. He only does what you want done, and even goes as far to tell you what needs to be done urgently and what can wait. For example, we had a rattle in the driver side front for at least a year and Brian never pushed us to fix it, just told me to give him a call if we wanted to take care of it. Period. No hard sell. Just what needed to be done.
I’ve tried other places because it would be more convenient to be in Sacramento then having to drive out to Rancho Cordova, but I only really trust Brian.
He does free brake checks which is unheard of these days and his fees are entirely reasonable. He explains everything very clearly. I give him my highest recommendation and only bring my car here. He is honest and forthcoming. Definitely the best mechanic I’ve ever encountered.
TIPS:
*Free WIFI while you wait! I usually just bring a book to read or my Ipad to surf while I am there
*The waiting area is small. Maybe 4 chairs, so it would be best to have someone pick you up when you drop off your car