Automotive Unlimited

Friendly, quick service — I made an appointment and the car was done by the time I walked to the bank next door, did a transaction, walked to the Chinese restaurant around the corner and picked up my takeout, and came back. Less than 20 minutes, yay!

I took my Honda S2000 there and I couldn’t be happier.
I work 2 blocks away and they invited me to see some issues that popped up during the inspection. When I arrived, they put the car on the lift and showed me what was going on, the work that needed to be done, parts needed, time to fix etc.
They were willing to use parts that I bought (should not be taken for granted).
All of the issues were resolved. I knew exactly what to expect throughout the process, all of the work was done on time (I dropped the car off at 9:30 and it was ready by 3:30 same day). And the pricing is reasonable — not a cheap, but they let you know what to expect, and for what I got it, was more than fair :)

The guys that work here are super helpful. Just had a minor issue with my car and went over twice to get it corrected. Definitely Recommend this place for good customer service.

I made a huge mistake purchasing a car that I, first off, could not really afford to maintain, and secondly, had more hidden problems than a poor marriage. Either way, I brought my car into Fred and not only was he able to fix everything very quickly and very well, but I always ended up paying much less than I expected. He will always give you a call and ask before he does anything to the car, and never tries to sell you anything unnecessary or superfluous. On top of that Fred is always in a good mood and happy to help with any problems that you have. Just make sure you get there early, sometimes he can get pretty busy.

Fred does a good job and his price is very reasonable. We have used him for over 10 years now, great service, highly recommended!

Although, Fred is a nice and friendly person, he does not have the necessary knowledge to repair or rebuild transmissions. He repaired and did some transmission rebuilding for $ 1,500.00. Instead of being forthcoming about continuing forward clutch issues he was supposed to have eliminated, he passed it over, acting as if the downshifting problems the transmission was experiencing after his repair work was conducted was due to a «hose being held down by a little lever on top of the air filter pan.»
This was not the case and Fred didn’t want to diagnose it properly after setting an appointment with me for which I drove from Santa Cruz to Mtn. View. Unfortunately, the transmission took a complete dump and broke down. The transmission work listed on the receipt were the same elements which broke down — Fred Chung and Mountain View Valero’s did not conduct professional work on my transmission, nor would they stand behind their work and perform a professional diagnostic so we could ascertain what was wrong with the transmission. I think this was the case because it was apparent that the original transmission work had not been performed correctly.
I explained to Fred I wasn’t asking for free work, but that he discover why the transmission which he said he had fixed was breaking down. I told him I would figure out how to find the money to pay him AGAIN to repair/​fix/​replace the transmission. I knew something was not right with the transmission rebuild, but he didn’t want to take responsibility and acknowledge the continue problems which he was supposed to have repaired for that $ 1,500.00.
Fred Chung received $ 1,500 to repair the transmission in my truck. Fred Chung did a bad job on rebuilding the transmission and then refused to be accountable for the work. Fred Chung is a nice person, I agree when people write that … but I would strongly suggest that no one take a vehicle experiencing transmission trouble to any gas station or to Fred and Ray at this specific Valero’s in Mountain View, Ca. It best to find someone who only works on transmissions. They’re more skilled.
You want a friend go to Fred, you want a professional and experienced transmission repair, go elsewhere. Peace.

My car completely craps out on me at 7:30 pm and I am conveniently near a gas station. When I go in to ask the attendant if he knows of a garage, he says, «There’s one right next door, and they are really nice there. They’ll take care of you.» That was the understatement of the year. Not only were they magically open later than their normal hours (7pm is closing), but they immediately looked at my car, and tried to get it to start. As suspected, my alternator was broken and he assured me it was a relatively easy fix and he’d get it done first thing in the morning. That was all well and good, but I live in San Francisco AND had just finished grocery shopping. He told me not to worry, there was a Caltrain station nearby (less than a minute drive, maybe 5 minute walk) and he drove me AND my groceries to the station, telling me that he would gladly pick me up in the morning from the station if I needed a ride.
I went to pick my car up, after talking to him on the phone, where he informed me (and priced) that I needed a new drive belt and something was wrong with my oil intake valve. When I went to pick up my car later that afternoon, it was the exact cost he had quoted me, and his final words were, «if you have any problems, call because we stand by our work.» My car runs just as good as it did when I first got it (which says a lot for a car that has over 180,000 miles.
I am extremely satisfied with the service I received and if I am ever broken down again in Palo Alto/​Mountain View area, these are the people to call.

Fred is that rare mechanic you can trust.

I’ve been a customer since July 2005 when I used to live in Mountain View, I chose this place for an oil change so I can walk home.
Fred and Ray has taken care of my 325is and 525i ever since and I refuse to take it anywhere else. Fred is a BMW expert and the work is meticulous and borderline OCD. They are trustworthy and get it right the first time.
If you want a straight forward mechanic that does not make you feel scammed, look no further.

After purchasing my first car (used), I quickly realized I needed to find a mechanic to help me figure out what needed to be fixed or replaced. I had no idea where to start, but luckily, a friend of mine directed me to Automotive Unlimited…
Upon arriving at the shop, I saw two guys dejectedly walking away from an Audi.
«What’s wrong with that car?» I asked the mechanic who was standing there.
«It’s toast.» He explained,
«They drove it around with no oil. When you see the warning light, stop.»
«I see…» I responded, hoping my newly acquired vehicle did not turn out to be a piece of charred pastry as well.
It is easy to miss this place; the small garage has three bays and is situated on the premises of a Valero gas station. Inside of this inconspicuous shop you will find Fred the mechanic. He speaks English and Cantonese and always has a friendly demeanor about him. I brought my just-​purchased car to him and asked him to give it a thorough inspection.
When he called me later he took time to carefully explain to me exactly what was wrong with the car, which problems needed to be taken care of right away and which ones could be left alone for now but kept in mind. Thankfully, my car was not toast!
I have since taken my car to Fred several times over the past year and a half and the quotes he has given me over the phone have always been what I ended up paying when I went to pick up the car; I don’t think I need to explain why this is good!
I enjoy wrenching on my mountain bikes and car, and so sometimes I prefer to do some of the work myself. I’ve never once felt pressured to buy or fix something I didn’t want, and he will open the car up and show you exactly what’s broken.
Finally, this place has very good rates, and so despite the long drive from San Jose, I always take my car here. The only bad thing I can think about this shop is that sometimes it can get quite busy.

Always got it right in first time. Never go back for something undone. Very honest and reliable shop