Japanese Motor Works

Extremely attentive and engaging. They turned back the clock on my 2006 4Runner. Its running as good as new. These are my guys now.

I recently took my 2000 Toyota Avalon to Japanese Motorworks because the check engine light came on. This was my first visit, and I was greeted by their big yellow lab, Preston. This is a very friendly business. I also like the idea of supporting a local small business instead of a large chain.
They diagnosed and solved our problem very quickly, and at a price that I felt was fair. I had left my (very expensive) digital camera in the backseat, and I called to let them know and they assured me it was safe and sound. I totally trusted them, and when you can say you trust a mechanic, that’s a good thing.
I will bring my vehicle back here again, and I encourage you to use them for your vehicle needs as well.

Very disappointed with the service I received here. Miscommunication abounds. I made two fruitless visits there attempting in vain to get my car and key fob reprogrammed (my keys had been stolen).
First, they said they could reprogram my key fob for $ 90. I got there, only to discover after waiting forty minutes that they had completely misunderstood me, thinking my fob had stopped working. I was a little frustrated because I had hoped to get this fixed soon for peace of mind. I had also just spent $ 250 on new locks for the car and $ 115 on new locks on the house. They then said they would do the fob for $ 140 by ordering a new fob. To smooth over the misunderstanding they promised only to charge me the $ 140 for the key and not for labor. So I agreed. It seemed like a very kind gesture on their part.
All along I have known that I can reprogram my key fob 4x myself following directions in the manual. And that I could find a second key fob on ebay for about $ 20. I was still willing to let Japanese Motorworks do all of this for me for $ 140 just for peace of mind.
At this point I cannot tell whether they are clueless, bad communicators, genuinely forgetful, fickle, or devious. When I arrive 3 days later the guy wants me to sign an agreement to pay an estimate upwards of $ 180. He promised me the whole thing would cost $ 140, then 3 days later decides to charge $ 180+, claiming that he agreed to do it for a half hour instead of an hour. He never said anything of the sort to me – he promised not to charge for labor, to make up for the first misunderstanding. I don’t know what happened to make them change their minds or forget about this – perhaps they thought I would forget or not care?
These are very friendly folks, but I don’t have time to put up with so many misunderstandings. I’d rather drive an hour to the dealership. In the meantime I’ll keep going to Auto Tech of Athens for service and repairs. They seem to understand me better and their prices are much more reasonable.

I brought my used Honda Odyssey to Peter and his team at JMW when the «check engine» light came on. There was a valve that needed to be cleaned, not replaced. Other shops I went to beforehand told me it would have to be replaced. The fact that they specialize in Japanese autos made me feel better about my choice. They even gave me a ride home in their shop car — a 1990 Acura that has over 300K miles on it and purrs like a kitten.

As long as Japanese Motor Works is in business, I’ll continue to buy and drive Asian cars.
Whether going in for a routine maintenance appointment or diagnosis of a problem, I receive top notch service every time. The folks at JMW make sure you know what’s going on and what it’s going to cost. No surprises when the bill comes!

Getting my car repaired is not one of my favorite duties. In fact, it’s one of my least favorite things ever to list on my «Things to Do» list, and it would never be marked off were my dad’s voice not ever-​echoing in the back of my head. (Also, driving a car he gave me tends to make me realize I need to take care of it.)
Have a car made in Japan? (Or maybe even one not made in Japan? Perhaps they service those, too – you’d have to ask them that, too.) Why not go to the extraordinarily TRUSTWORTHY, KNOWLEDGEABLE, and HONEST mechanics at Japanese Motorworks? They’ll take a look at your car for free and let you know how things are working. Several months ago, I was going to sell a ’96 Maxima and the owner of the shop told me all the things I could fix, how much they would cost, and what of those things I would NEED to fix before selling it.
The scariest thing about going to get a car fixed is that you’ll be swindled. At least that’s my fear as a woman who doesn’t know a whole lot about cars. What I do know a lot about is how NOT to get swindled – I wasn’t born yesterday, and I know enough about my car to know that a squeal from a maladjusted new fan belt doesn’t mean I need four new brakes. (Yep, another place tried to pull that one over on me.)
At Japanese Motor Works, NPR plays in the lobby as you wait for your car. Leaf through some magazines as you await the mechanic’s thorough, easy-​to-​understand report on what’s going on with your car. I know at least seven different friends who don’t go anywhere else to have their cars taken care of.
So that’s it. Go there.