T W Automotive

TW Auto, you’re the real MVP! My car made some rumbIing sounds the last few days and I got worried so I decided I should take it to an mechanic in San Mateo since I work around there. I was originally supposed to take it to Aki auto shop but I didn’t know that they weren’t going to open until 8:30 a.m. and I have work at that time… I was hustling trying to find a mechanic to fix my car and luckily I find TW Auto right by Aki Auto! William, the owner was super nice and let me leave my car till I got off from work and luckily I work near downtown San Mateo so it was perfect location. Also, they fix Mazda so that’s also a plus!
The mechanic drove with me around the block to hear what the sound was and he was super nice about everything and he was actually able to figure out the issue pretty quickly. I received a call around noon to let me know what was happening and sadly I found out I had two issues to fix. My wheel bearing (originally got it fixed probably 1 or 2 years ago) was needed to be replaced and the other issue was my tire. It was a bit more pricier to fix than when I got it done in Sac but I can’t complain. It was around $ 450 in total. TW fixed my car in a timely manner and that’s all it matter. He also let me know my tire and breaks were actually wearing out which was nice bc I had no idea… He also rotated my tires for me! He’s very detailed oriented which is nice also. I was able to pick up my car at 5:15 ish which was nice bc the shop closes at 5 technically but William said he’d be able to wait for me.
I had a pretty good experience with this place and I’d definitely will be back if I ever have any mechanical problems (which I hope I don’t again). The prices are reasonable, customer service is great and overall the go to place to get your car maintained!

People who know me know that I’m very attached to two things: my car and my puppy. I rarely trust others with either when I’m not around and William is the only I’ll trust with the former (probably the latter, too).
When anyone has something of mine all I ask is that they treat it as if it were their own. Whether it’s the pesky check engine light, a simple oil change or a brake issue, William takes care of it quickly and effectively. He’s very straightforward and has the most reasonable rates in the bay area. It feels great to be able to establish a relationship with a mechanic so I don’t have to think twice about who to call when my light goes on. Even after my move to SoCal I still bring Serenity here!
Dozens of road trips. Three moves. A few accidents. Serenity continues to take me on many adventures thanks to William.

Reasonable price for oil change but know William will get a better job done than Jiffylube, etc. Very friendly and sets right expectations on timing. Definitely recommend especially if you want to build a long term relationship with one mechanic.

I’m only rating the diagnostic work, since I didn’t have any repair work done. After doing our grocery shopping one evening, we came out to a car that wouldn’t start. My husband cleaned the battery terminals, and we barely got it to turn over and drove home. The next day, we took it to O’Reilly’s to have the battery tested. They said they weren’t sure if the battery was bad, but we should have a mechanic test the alternator. After looking on Unilocal,I chose TW Automotive due to good reviews and location.
William had me bring the car in just for diagnostics, saying he could repair it later in the week depending on what was found. He quickly tested it, and said the charging system was fine. We just needed a battery. He recommended several places we could buy one and put it in ourselves. Only then did he quote a price for me bringing it back to him, or buying a battery and paying him for labor to put it in. He charged me nothing for diagnosing the problem.
His willingness to help me save money, and the fact that he didn’t try to pull one over on me, really impressed me. When we needed brakes, another shop refused to let us bring in our own parts – even though we were getting them from the same supplier they use. We just did them ourselves, instead. If I ever need any repairs, I’ll go back to TW. I have confidence that they won’t try to gouge me.

William is definitely an honest guy, who knows how to deliver. I had my brakes done and a new radiator done by him and was able to have my car ready in a jiff! Definitely a friendly man, who does great work for reasonable prices. Definitely recommend this place! He has gained me a new loyal customer. :)

Honest folks. Went in for an oil change. Also got the air filter changed and a check engine light diagnosed. They gave a very accurate time estimate, very reasonable price, and didn’t try to upsell anything (told me I should check with the dealership for an emissions issue on the check engine light as it might be under warranty).

Honest mechanics. I was given an estimate by Harvey Honda in Burlingame, and this shop did the same repair for much less. I trust their work and will definitely bring my cars here for any further work.

I would definitely recommend. Prices are very reasonable and they don’t try to up-​sell you repairs you don’t need.

Had to take my car somewhere in San Mateo because it would barely drive after starting the engine. I discovered TW Automotive on Unilocal and decided to trust the shop due to positive reviews. All I can say is I am very happy I decided to take my car to TW Automotive.
William was very friendly and called me back with a diagnosis a couple hours later. Instead of making me decide whether or not I wanted the work done over the phone, he asked me to come to the shop after work so he could show me the problems in person. I showed up to the shop after work and William gave me about a 5 minute tutorial showing me the issue and explaining the problem. I couldn’t believe it at first since I have never had a mechanic walk me through an issue before. I though this was very honest and professional. Once the issue was fixed, my car ran perfectly. He even gave me a rundown on things I will want to have checked out in the next 6 – 12 months. Great mechanic, great attitude, great customer service. I’m glad I found a trustworthy mechanic in the area. I will return to this shop in the future for any mechanical issues.

TW Automotive service was great! Larry discovered the problem with my car in no time, and made a priority list for me… things that must be repaired now or in the near future, and things that could be deferred for awhile.
He replaced two rear rotors and my tail light, all for under $ 325.00. He also showed me how to purchase low cost parts for future repairs. He is honest and seems to be more interested in forming solid business relationships than gouging the mechanically challenged, like myself.
They have a small waiting room, or, if the repair will take awhile, you can go next door to the Century Theaters, and catch a movie while you wait.
So, if you want honest, fast and economical car repair, then TW Automotive is the place for you!

This is a great place for quality work, quick turn around, and affordable prices. Most importantly, the owner and workers are knowledgeable and honest! The owner listens to concerns, addresses them respectfully, and only sells what you need. I take my car here for general maintenance and trip checks prior to road travel. I feel at ease knowing my car is well maintained. They treat women respectfully and fairly.

William is very detail oriented. Does not try to sell you stuff you don’t need. Will always explain what the problem is and give recommendations for the future. I changed my breaks, oil and transmission fluid here. On top of that he changed my cabin air filter for free (I had my own, but not installed). Will be back here next time I have problem.
Great turnaround time and quality work for good prices.

I like this place. The owner is honest and won’t do you wrong. The automotive repairs industry runs rampant with fraud. Extra charge or extra unneeded services here and there. The owner here won’t do that to you. He’ll do what you need and ethically. Plus I trust his qualifications. I had a good experience here.

The new shop also said that the parts that I paid to replace: the seals, water pump, were OLD and not replaced. The water pump was even leaking. This is totally unacceptable!
Further, my alternator was damaged due to cross-​threading, not just the bolt — the whole alternator had to be replaced.

Great and quick service! Not only did they complete the service ahead of time, the owner explained the details of my alignment problem as well.

I was a little dubious, reading so many positive reviews but my car needed some TLC so I gave this shop a shot. And I am so glad I did. When I dropped my car off, I explained what my concerns were and within an hour I had received a call diagnosing the problem (and an explanation of a separate issue I had mentioned). Price was extremely fair and my car was ready by the end of the day. He did apologize saying they aren’t washing cars currently because of the drought but he washed the windows. I won’t take my car anywhere else.

Just an incredible mechanic shop. The owner is hardworking, knowledgeable, friendly, trustworthy, and reliable. I usually do oil changes here but I’ve also replaced old brakes and put my car in for a service checkup. I always felt like it was a job well done for a great deal.
It’s a small place and it’s been pretty full each time I’ve visited, so you probably want to get a reservation before going in — I’ve always been able to get an open time slot within a couple of days, so it’s not too bad.

The «service engine soon» light came on in my car. I made an appointment and came at 9am on a weekday. William promptly gave me a price for the service and then looked at my car. After taking a look, he told me the issues (I had driven with low gas level) and it was a very quick resetting of the light. He didn’t charge me for the service, and I was able to take my car immediately. I will be back in the future!

I took my car for oil change a couple of times here, and most of the time, they’d change the oil, and that’s that. Nothing special. They didn’t try to sell me any services that I don’t need either, and that’s always a plus. One time, I took my wife’s car there, and the owner called me up and said the water pump and fan belt needed replacement. I’m always skeptical when mechanics tell me what needs to be changed, but since I’ve already changed oil for my car a few times there, and they never tried to do this, I figured they were telling the truth. When I went to pick up the car, the owner showed me the parts that he replaced, and showed me the areas that he saw was damaged. There is still a chance that he was bullshitting me, since I don’t know anything about cars, but he doesn’t know that. So it made me feel more comfortable about the things he did to the car.
Also, the car is always ready by the time he said it would be ready. I hate it when I leave my car at a shop, and when I go to pick it up, I still have to wait. So this is a big big plus for me.

Had issues with my car a few months ago so I dropped my car off at 8am and hopped onto the cal train to get to work.
I was quickly updated by the staff on repair needs within an hour. My Honda Accord was at close to ~190K miles and in desperate need of new coils. They also noticed that the spark plugs were the wrong type when they were replaced at another shop.
At that time, I had started work and was a little short on cash. I told them I’d be back to change the spark plugs in a few weeks. The staff kindly offered to just charge me the cost of supplies and reduced the labor charges to fit my budget.
Since I last saw them my car has been driving smoothly.
I agree with the other reviews about this place being fair and caring about our cars. Thank you Unilocal for this good find!