Hower Auto Repair

We have used these guys for years. They are amazing — and an institution in Burlingame. They are super honest and trustworthy. And they always charge a fair price.

I took my car in a few weeks ago for an oil change and 60k tune up. It took them about a week before they could fit me in but this wasn’t a problem for me. They did a great job and it was very affordable. One of my tires needed to be replaced, but they don’t have the right equipment to do it themselves. John was very kind in giving me recommendations as to where to go for tires and what I should be paying. He was very clear that they hate to have customers put unnecessary money into their cars. I’ll definitely be coming back here for all of my car needs.

Very honest and helpful mechanic. My family has been taking our cars there for over 15 years. I really trust them and they communicate quickly and explain this well

They are the best! Very helpful whenever you need them. They even helped me over the phone to figure out a weird noise my car was making. Have done engine work, car inspections, and oil changes here and they are great every time. Jimmy and John are the best!

My wife recommended them. THey have been servicing her parents’ cars for years. Very ethical, fair rates and replaced my starter motor very quickly. Very refreshing to have guys like this in town!

Finding a mechanic you can trust to bring your vehicle to is one of the hardest things to do.
Exceptional service, reasonable prices, reliable and honest mechanics are what you will find when you visit Hower — John and Jimmy are genuinely kind and knowledgeable and it shows in everything they do.
They go out of their way to find the best prices on parts to save you money and they take the time to explain everything carefully — only charging you for the work that they do. We have been thrilled with the service and repairs that we received on both our Honda and Jeep.
I appreciate that they are a family-​owned and operated business and that they treat you like friends. I have recommended them to other family members who have also received outstanding service.
My husband and I will continue to take our cars and recommend others to Hower because we have finally found a place that we can trust!

I dealt with John Hower also. Guess what he is great too!

I rarely take the time to write reviews here but wanted to make sure to do this for Hower! John provided outstanding customer service, was up front with the problem and the cost, which was less expensive than my prior two quotes that morning, and for the second problem they couldn’t fix, a broken window, he called another shop up the street and got me an appointment. Moved to Burlingame a year ago and relieved to have found this place. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Based on the reviews I’m sure this is a decent place to repair your car. However I pulled up and was not greeted for about a couple of minutes even though I made eye contact with 2 of the workers. I was finally approached after I walked INTO the garage and I asked if I could have the code on my car read since my Check Engine light came on. After this the worker replied he «didn’t have time» and that he was «pushing it already» assuming he had a lot to do. Based on previous experience with my car it takes about 5 minutes to read the code. Like I said I’m sure this is a decent place to repair your car except I was extremely dissatisfied with the customer service today.

Most reliable, trustworthy, excellent service you can find in a mechanic! If you’re on the Peninsula, you owe it to yourself to take your vehicle to Hower.

Hower is the most reliable, trustworthy, and reasonably priced mechanic I’ve ever been to. My mom has taken her cars here for years, as have my grandparents, and for good reason.
I bought a high mileage Mustang GT in September of 2012, and of course have had to do regular maintenance as well as other minor repairs. I’ve brought it to Hower every single time-​from the initial inspection after I bought it, to oil changes, to actual repairs, to an inspection before my recent move, and Hower has never failed me.
Service is quick, well done, and never unfairly priced. If you bring it in to diagnose a problem, they will always call you to give you a quote before doing any repair work. If they replace a part with aftermarket, and it is faulty, they will replace it with OEM for FREE-​that is not only good customer service, it is good business sense!
I have recommended this shop to anyone needing anything from regular maintenance to repairs, and will continue to do so.
Best part? They even have that personal touch-​they know who I am when I call, and ask about my mom whenever I’m there. If I could bring all my cars here forever, I would. I wish they had a shop in my new town!

Back in my younger days, I had a guy tell me that women were like cars — they could be high maintenance, or they could be low maintenance. Naturally I asked him which type I was, to which he replied, «You’re the worst type. You’re high maintenance, but you THINK you’re low maintenance.»
I should’ve known better than to date a guy who would compare me to an automobile.
But those were my young and foolish days. Now I am older and wiser, and have learned to make better decisions — such as where to take my car when the tire guys at another garage told me my strut was leaking. I don’t even know what a strut is. But given the honest reputation of Hower Auto, I brought my car in to John for a look and guess what? No leak. Surprise surprise.
These guys have a great reputation and deservedly so. Service is friendly, and you won’t have to worry about getting ripped off. Definitely a keeper.

These guys are so good, so good that I decided to write my first Unilocal review. I haven’t lived in the neighborhood that long but lucked out in finding such an honest and reliable auto shop. John Hower is extremely helpful from beginning to end, to the point where I probably tried to rip myself off on my last two visits, only to have him tell me something wasn’t necessary, the reasons why, and to save my money! All the mechanics appear to take great pride in working there as well!

When my usual mechanics began to raise their prices unreasonably, I was at loss to know where to take my vintage Miata for service. The Hower Brothers were recommended to me by a friend who has gone to them for decades. They did superb work at a fair price, in a timely fashion, and were friendly and accommodating to boot! I would recommend them to anyone looking for old-​fashioned craftsman-​like excellence in work and service for more-​than-​reasonable prices.

They are honest and I would recommend them to everyone! As a woman im used to being taken advantage of by auto repair shops ;(These guys will fix what needs to be fixed and not try and charge you for other things that don’t.

This is the only shop I will go to unless it’s an emergency. Until recently I was a single girl and definitely trust them for an honest assessment. They call me to approve any additional repairs needed and don’t work until I approve it. Prices are straightforward and itemized. I found them randomly 3 years ago when my mom was visiting and her car started smoking. We took it in there because it was the closest place and they literally charged her $ 20 for a new hose. That was it. These guys are great!!!

I live in San Francisco but will drive out to Burlingame just to have John Hower take care of my car.
Recently, a repair shop in the Mission quoted me for $ 1500 worth of repairs. I drive a really old Toyota with over 250,000 miles on it. So when I heard that quote I thought maybe my work horse of a car was starting to really break down. Then a coworker told me about Hower and extolled their honesty and integrity. I sought them out for a second opinion and John said nothing needed to be fixed. The $ 1500 of repairs were not necessary. At all.
It’s such a relief to have someone willing to look at my car and give a straightforward assessment about what to do. I was willing to spend on repairs but instead John saved me a ton of money. I can’t thank him enough.

These guys are just a delight — honest, helpful, and straightforward. They have helped me on more than one occasion and I recommend them to everybody nearby. Good people doing excellent work. Highly recommended.

Incredibly honest and knowledgeable.
I was referred to Hower by a friend.
I bought a used Chevy Suburban and had a list of things to fix which had come from a pre-​purchase inspection. Not only did Hower quote me a great price, but they took me through each item and explained which items I «didn’t» need to fix, and why.
And, they suggested a very inexpensive item to replace (the serpentine belt) which was due for replacement.
The kind of local auto shop you always hoped you’d find.
Bravo Hower.

As a female in my twenties, when it comes to automotive repair shops, I am uncomfortable and jaded from many bad experiences!!! However, I went to Hower Auto Repair based off of Unilocal reviews and I could not have been happier!
I came in with a plethora of problems diagnosed to me by a quickie oil change place, and also a service engine soon, ABS, and emergency brake light on. My 2003 Saturn SUV was there for one day, and after they went over the vehicle they found nothing wrong aside from my dashboard panel, hence the lights.
They could have easily charged me a ton of money to fix problems that a con mechanic had already lied to me about. But instead they were honest and full of integrity– a TRUE family business if I’ve ever seen one! And guess how much it cost… nothing. As other Unilocalers mentioned, they will not charge for things they do not fix.
Now, as I get ready to bring my vehicle in for a serpentine belt replacement, I know that it is in good, moral hands. Thank you, Hower Auto Repair for restoring my faith in the auto repair industry!