Fuji Auto

I went there after having many bad experiences with mechanics. Hajime is very knowledgeable, honest and helpful. He put himself in my position to think about the best way to go with. I finally found the car doctor! I highly recommend him.

If you don’t have a high comfort level with mechanics in the past — Haji’s your man. He’s the best!

Easy to deal with. Fair prices. Is definitely our go to guy for any future car repairs and tune ups.

This place is the best Japanese specialist auto mechanic in the area. I’ve been coming here for years and their estimates are always honest, forthright, to-​the-​point and dependable.
As an example of their solid service, my Prius had been hit by another driver to the point where the insurance told me to go to one of their designated repair shops for an estimated $ 8,000 & two week repair process. After waiting and going through all the paperwork, I noticed some unusual leakage and took it to Fuji. With just a couple of minutes of diagnostic time, Hajime saw that the insurance designated place had failed to properly put back the car in a critical spot. He fixed the mistake and charged me $ 0.
I can’t recommend this place enough.

My boyfriend has been using Fuji Auto for many years. I went there this morning. My toyota camry started to behave strangely. It would not start sometimes. They took me in the same day and it took the owner 5 minutes to figure out what was wrong and he fixed it right away. He did not charge anything.

Hands down the best mechanics I have used. Hajime, the owner, is always courteous, helpful and keeps me informed on what I need to do without going overboard. Gives a girl who doesn’t know anything about cars a peace of mind. Guess I will still be driving a Japanese car for my next ride, so I can keep having Fuji take care of my car.

I was very pleased with the attention to detail and also taking the time to explain the different services that I need. I will be taking my Honda there for further service.

I came here last year based on reviews from Unilocal,a recommendation from a friend, and the fact that my car is Japanese (Mazda 6). Unfortunately, I had a really bad experience that needs to be shared.
My car was hesitating (Mazda with a v6 engine), so I took it in to Fuji to get it checked out. They were busy, so I dropped it off and took public transportation to work.
After work I went back to the shop. They told me that the misfiring was due to a bad ignition coil in the back of the engine, which required taking off the intake manifold and disconnecting a bunch of tubes and wires to service (a 3 – 4 hour job; really crappy designed car). The estimate they quoted for the repair was going to be a few hundred dollars for parts and labor and that I might as well replace all 6 coils due to the high cost of labor involved to replace the back three coils. I was billed $ 75 for the diagnostic (which was just checking codes) and another $ 25 for replacing the gas cap, which I didn’t ask for. I told him that I needed to think it over and left, paying the $ 100 for the diagnostic and new gas cap.
I took the car to a DIY shop, took the manifold off myself (took me ½ a day), and found that the back ignition coils were not the originals and had recently been replaced (I bought my car 2^nd hand and was unaware that the back coils had already been replaced). Regardless, I replaced the back 3 ignition coils & spark plugs, put the engine back together, and drove home. Unfortunately, the engine was still hesitating, so I decided that I needed to get a 2^nd opinion.
I took the car to Palmers in Highland Park. Jeff (the owner) pulled the codes for me for free and in less than 5 minutes told me that the misfiring was coming from one of the FRONT ignition coils, not one of the BACK ones. This makes a HUGE difference because the front coils only take minutes to replace because they are not covered by the intake manifold. I replaced the front 3 ignition coils (Jeff told me that they were the originals) and spark plugs in less than 15 minutes and the hesitation immediately went away. Problem solved!
Long story short, Fuji (purposefully or accidentally) misread the computer codes by telling me that the engine misfiring was coming from a cylinder in the back of the engine and not the front, which they charged me $ 75 for and tried to rope me into another $ 300 – 500 bill to do a repair that didn’t even need to be done. On top of that, they replaced my gas cap which I didn’t even ask for. They are expensive and either dishonest or ignorant. Palmer correctly diagnosed my problem in 5 minutes and didn’t charge me a thing for pulling the codes. This could be a one-​off occurrence, but after dealing with Fuji and dealing with the honest guys at Palmer in Highland Park, I would never go back to Fuji again and have made Palmer my trusted mechanic.
Again, Fuji may have been having a «bad day» when I took my car in, but be warned, if you find yourself in a similar situation, take the car somewhere else to get a second opinion, and don’t let some jack ass charge you $ 75 to pull computer codes only to give you the wrong diagnosis and try and rope you into an expensive repair that didn’t need to be made.

we love Haji and his honest service– we stopped taking our car to the dealer and it has been the best decision ever!

The bomb diggity of car repair places!
I’ve brought my Camry here on a number of occasions for basic servicing, and the guys at Fuji have always been fantastic. They are really quick at turning your car around and they tell you everything that’s wrong with your car. I mean everything.
I brought my car here maybe a year ago for service and inspection, and they told me my shocks were leaking (a common problem with the Camry model I bought unfortunately). Replacing shocks is a pretty costly thing, so they told me I didn’t have to do it then because I had a while before it would become a problem. Right away bonus points for honesty. About a month ago, I noticed my car was driving much less tightly, so I figured it was time to get those shocks replaced. I brought it to a well reviewed mechanic where I am now living, and they quoted me a price that was literally twice the cost of what Fuji Auto quoted me last year! So I said screw it and drove my car all the way back to Fuji to have them replace my shocks. The best part is they did it all for half the price and in 1 day’s time — brought it in on a Friday and had it by Saturday afternoon.
It seems they specialize in Japanese cars, but they may service others though you’ll have to call and check. And you definitely should make an appointment. They are pretty busy but also very respectful to their appointment schedule. If they tell you to be there at 9am, they will take your car at 9am. Overall a great shop and would highly recommend it.

My 2008 Prius, at 160,000 miles, needed a new 12v battery. We were on the road, staying in a cheap motel in Pasadena, and chose this place because it was close and the guy answering the phone sounded intelligent and his price was right and he could take care of the whole thing within an hour. I was impressed with the order and cleanliness of the shop and the knowledge and good humor of the guy in charge. If only it were always this easy!

I’ve been taking my car here for the past few years and I can’t recommend this place enough. They are open Saturdays and you get your car back by the end of the day if you’re doing major maintenance. Oil changes take 30mins to 1 hour. Hajime and his crew really know what they’re doing. You pay a little more but you get premium, honest service.

After all these years, my 20+ year old Nissan Maxima is still running great. All of it is due to the competency and honest workmanship offered from Fuji Auto. Haji knows how much I love my car, and he has gone above and beyond all reason to ensure it runs top notch. From resurrecting it after it was inactive for years (previous Unilocal review) to even having the transmission replaced in late 2013, I can never thank Fuji Auto enough for the utter joy of being able to enjoy my «old» car.
My husband has his Hyundai Elantra serviced here, and he is just as pleased with the establishment as well. My brother brings his Toyota Camry here too. My mom has a Toyota Camry also, but has not needed any services yet. Our family loves this place!

Car mechanics can be like car salesmen, you think they are feeding you a line and trying to get you to pay for more than you need. It’s hard to find one you can trust.
Not me, I have found the place that I feel totally comfortable at and know I am being told the truth about whatever needs to be done to my car. Fuji Auto and Hajime are the BEST! I can trust whatever he says and will know he is charging me less than other repair shops or dealerships. He requires an appointment but always delivers on what he promises.
He and his talented mechanics have taken care of my Japanese cars for over 15 years and I have been pleased with every visit. He has kept my aging cars young and vital as well as taken care of my new cars with care and quality. They are HONEST, clean, careful, fastidious, and experts. I never have to worry about trust or fear of a shoddy job from this great establishment.
PS. as for the waiting room, it’s better than the splintered table with the mini umbrella that was their waiting room in the past. Glad to see he grew to the level of his expertise. He added a new waiting room that has nice seating and some shade but I never went to wait, I went to have my chariots worked on by expert techs and this is what you get at Fuji Auto!

Fast and competent service, with a staff of what appear to be all Japanese technicians speaking Japanese.
Pros:
+ The wait for an appointment was only three days, so not bad at all.
+ They got me in right on time, and my car was ready right on time. Punctuality is not always a feature of auto shops, but it is here.
+ They found a couple things wrong with my car (blown shock, worn tire patch) but didn’t try to upsell me or pressure me to fix it with them.
+ There’s something comforting about a Japanese business handling Japanese cars.
+ They were full of Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan cars when I picked up my Mazda. They clearly have a good local reputation for Japanese car work.
Cons:
— Their waiting room is quite spartan and in direct sunlight in the morning, so I recommend taking a walk to see local shops until your car is done.
Overall they did a great job my first time here, and I will be back.

Hajime was very accommodating and kind. I had a spark plug gasket that came off and oil flowed right into one of my ignition coils. Fuji auto replaced all my valve cover gaskets and a fine job they did. No oil leaks anymore! For such a great deal too! My 97 i30 is a happy car again!

Can’t say enough good things about these guys. Always completely professional, to the point, and trustworthy. You can breathe easy when you go to them, you’re in good hands.

Japanese mechanics working on Japanese cars! What a concept!
Hajime is Toyota Factory trained in Japan. He also specializes in Hondas, Nissans, etc… If it was made in Japan, Hajime’s your man!
Sorry but you’ll have to take your GM ride elsewhere.
He gets a lot of business so you may be without your precious sled for at least a day. But he takes his time to diagnose. He’s always very thorough and will even prioritize for you what is most important to keep your car running. His prices are always less than the dealer’s quote.
Besides that, he’s friendly. What a concept!

I rarely give out 5 stars, but for this place I will make an exception. I have never met more honorable and honest people let alone mechanics in my life. My car a black 2005 honda civic was making this crazy noise that made it seem I was a stunt double for the Fast and Furious franchise. I was dreading the transmission had gone out or some engine trouble. I honestly though I would have to pay $ 1000+. I read the reviews on Unilocal and thought Fuji Auto was the best option for me, and oh boy was I right.
I called Hajime and set up an appointment. He said it would cost 75 bucks to have that sound checked out. Cool. I dropped it off and kicked it with a buddy. I get a call from Hajime saying that it was my front wheel bear. He said the cost would be 275 to 450 bucks. In my head im like, yeah Hajime will probably charge me the maximum 450. I head back to Fuji Auto late afternoon and Hajime quoted me 275 bucks… and he didn’t charge me the 75 dollar inspection fee.
However, there was one thing he said afterwards which made me want to give him 10 stars if that was possible. I told him that his reputation preceded him and that I will put in a positive review on Unilocal.He told me «Oh those are just my friends and family members» who reviewed my profile. Not only is this man hard working and honest, he is humble. A true Japanese Samurai! Guys like this live by a code. 5 stars.

Fuji Auto is one of the best places to go if you want an honest mechanic. I trust Haji to give me a straightforward estimate of what services I need and to charge me fairly.
To give two examples:
I needed a fair amount of work done for a major mechanical problem that I didn’t (and frankly still don’t) quite understand. The dealer quoted me nearly double what Haji charged.
My AC broke in the middle of the boiling California summer. I drove to a mechanic close to my job, who said that the AC unit was unfixable. Went to Haji for a second opinion, and he proved otherwise.