Sincere Affordable Motors

Been going to S.A.M for over 4 years! Prior mechanic I used not only was more expensive, but also recommended repairs that were not necessary. That was why I started going to S.A.M. How I stumble upon this shop was through word of month (my neighbors). I rarely bother reading Unilocal reviews due to biased /​personal attacks /​unfair or even fake comments that put shops’ business in jeopardy. But after all these years going to this shop, I felt needed to give back. The folks at S.A.M have always taking care of me and my car. Price wise, they are pretty good. But if you shop for cheapest price in town, go elsewhere since you get what you paid for (cheap parts). Also S.A.M has always been accommodating to, they CARE about my needs and wants, always able to drop me off /​pick me up whenever possible which not that many shops can do. They make recommendations and fully explain to me why such and which one to tackle first if $ and time becomes an issue. If you want a place who CARES about not just your car but you as a person or friend, go to S.A.M. Don’t rely too much on Unilocal reviews, bring you car over and talk to these folks and you’ll know what I mean. If you don’t like what you see, you can go elsewhere. You’ll never fell being pressured! Honest, up front people.

I referred this shop to a potential out of town buyer for a car that I am selling based on Unilocal reviews. The buyer wanted to get a mechanic to take a look at the car before purchasing it, totally understandable.
The report came back that the rear axel seal on the right side of the car was leaking fluid and that the differential needed a new gasket, a $ 350.00 repair. Well this is completely untrue! I personally had the rear axel seal replaced 9 months ago along with a new differential gasket, new fluid and rear brake pads and there has not been a drop of fluid since I had this done (I would know as its parked in my driveway).
So, giving the mechanic the benefit of the doubt, thinking maybe the issue wasn’t repaired properly, I jacked up the car this morning and looked for any signs of fluid leaks — there were none. It is apparent that there are new gaskets on the car and the rear differential fluid was clean and full. I may add that the car rear does not hum or howl as it did when the axel seal was bad in the first place.
This shop ultimately cost me the sell of my vehicle to this buyer. I believe that mechanic the did the inspection poorly and has no merit that there was axel seal issue.
It is disappointing that this shop did not live up to the expectations I had given the Unilocal reviews. I cannot recommend this shop and suggest you look elsewhere.

If I could give this place a Zero, I would. I was very excited to find this place based on the reviews I read. I had faith and trust that it would be great place.
Brought in car for repairs, was returned car with a HUGE scratch/​scuff on the rear bumper. When I confronted the shop about it, they magically produced a photo of my car with the scuff, but after it had been pulled into their garage. The manager refused to speak to me, but also walked out and looked at the car when i showed up — walking straight to the spot where the damage was– without being told where the spot was. Quite strange that he knew EXACTLY where it was…
I was extremely pleasant and would have been happy to settle for some money off of my bill, but they blatantly denied it was their fault and refused to work with me.
I wasn’t going to leave this review, but my friends convinced me to in the event that I could help someone else. If you decide to go here, just make sure to do a walk around your car before turning it in so that you at least know if there is any damage inflicted while they have it.

Like other reviews, I searched on Unilocal and decided to try S.A.M which is very close to my company. Within a minute, Jason identified the issue and fixed it quickly. I would highly recommend S.A.M with their professionalism, friendliness, and affordability.

I searched Unilocal for auto repairs near San Mateo and I decided to give S.A.M a go since reviews were great.
Jason was friendly and explained to me what was going wrong with my 2004 VW Golf. They delivered my car on time as promised and even recommended me the next action to take to rectify my airbag problem.
Would highly recommend SAM!

You know those days when something goes wrong and it has the potential to ruin your whole day? I had one of those this week, but thanks to SAM, it went the other way.
I was driving to my office when I heard a loud repetitive noise from my car. I stopped and checked the tires. Pressure gauge said tires were okay. Didn’t see anything loose on the car either. Called my husband and he said to see these guys at SAM. Owner was super helpful, even though I just dropped in. They gave me a ride to the office. Called to let me know the problem a short while later, then arranged to deliver my car.
Fabulous, courteous service. I know which mechanics we’ll use from now on…

Sam is HONESTLY the best mechanic on the peninsula!
I have had some issues going on with my 2007 Honda Civic, and a girlfriend of mine directed me to Sam.
He is so nice, so honest and understands that I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on fixing my car. There’s no sales gimmicks, no B.S.
Thank you Sam!

Came highly recommended from a couple of my friends for smog check and they weren’t wrong. Great customer service, very affordable price, and I was out the door in about 20 minutes. Will definitely bring my car back again!

My car got rear ended in an accident and had to have the bumpers fixed. I dropped off my car at the shop and Sam took care of everything! Not only was he able to fix my car quickly, but he also communicated with the insurance company for me and made every process (such as Hertz rental car drop off and return) hassle free! Sam is AMAZING!

Sam is the best in area!
Was able to come in really early for a smog check and was out the door in no less than 30 mins! Superb, reliable and fast service! Thanks Sam!

My father-​in-​law used to own a body shop for many years in San Francisco and he knows a lot of decent mechanics in the Bay Area. He told my husband to bring our cars to Sam because of the following reasons: 1) good pricing, thorough jobs; 2) honest company; and 3) excellent customer service. We have been going to Sincere Affordable Motors for a couple of years. Sam is a great guy and takes pride in his company. We definitely recommend him!

Guys were great ! Brought my car in for a brake check up and an oil change. No sales pitch thrown at me, just… you car is ready, have a nice day !

I used to take my two cars regularly to him for all oil changes, smog checks, and maintenance when he was at ARCO on Edgewater. I was a bit upset to learn that Sam was not at this site anymore. Sam and his crew are simply good with car service skills and mainly I like his plain nature of telling the facts and honest about labor/​parts and throwing all options. I am happy to find him back at this new place and took my car back to him for an assessment of its condition and after his honest remarks about it being old and worth of spending more to recondition I even decided to trade-​in my old car and bought a new green car. The point is I based my decision based on his unbiased assessment of it because I think he is trustworthy!
I WISH HIM ALL THE BEST FOR HIS NEW VENTURE.

Don’t be fooled if you go to the Arco in Foster City and there is someone named «SAM» and they try to convince you that is the original SAM. He has moved and has his own business! Finally!
My neighbors & friends & I, who LOVE Sam and his same crew, always go there as do many of his previous customers from Foster City. They are so reasonable, honest, and fast. They are also a STAR rated smog station and charge less than almost anyone around for a smog check. I can’t say enough great things about them. If you have an immediate need Sincere Affordable Motors will try to attend to you right then.
AND…the REAL Sam is only 5 minutes from the old location. Very easy to get to and plenty of parking. 92 to El Camino South… left on 20^th to Leslie. Great location!
Smartphone app… senior discount… coupon! All this and the best, most honest mechanics ever!

Great oil change service! Sam really has a sincere way about him. I came in and was immediately acknowledged. Service was quick and really more affordable than competing locations.
I’m a girl who don’t usually trust car services, but I would be comfortable coming back to SAM anytime.
I highly recommend SAM for oil change service!

Highly recommended. Anything he will take care of your repair. What else I can say! Very good!!! Excellent!!!

First review in my life. It’s unfortunate it has to be a horrible one. Brought in my car because my engine light was on. Sam was extremely kind and seemed honest so I left my car there. He even offered to drive me back to my place not so far away. I will give him an extra star for that. Engine light on because system was too lean. Why? Because of a small tube which he charged 2 he’s of labor for. I’m no mechanic so I didn’t complain.
He charged me 175 for 2 hrs and a tube (10 dollars). Everything is fine for 2 days.
Engine light goes on. I’m in Los Angeles. My car starts stuttering (misfiring) so I take it to a shop in LA, which is known to be more expensive. The guy looks at my car within 2 minutes he starts sighing and cussing. I was in shock. He explained that he was extremely disgusted by the low quality work done on my car which could have led to serious engine problems. My LA mechaniC showed me Sam’s tactics, as he reset the engine light and told me to drive a few hundred miles and come back because he was busy that day. I did as he said. after 400 miles, which is about the same distance I’ve travelled from San Mateo to LA, my engine light was on again. I’ve come to a conclusion that this place is not sincere at all. They pretty much changed a tube, which took my other mechanic 20 minutes, and reset my light and called it a sincere job.
I can’t judge SAMs character or his work because I am not a mechanic but comparing the job I got in LA to this place, I can say that I will not be back.

We’ve been taking our car to Sam for years now. Met Sam when he was at Arco in Foster City and have now followed him to his own location. It’s not as close as Arco in Foster City, but knowing Sam is honest and gets the job done, it is worth the slightly longer trip as we know our cars are in good hands.
He recently changed our transmission in our Odysee and the thing is running better than new now.

My car’s registration is due by next week, so I need to get a smog check done ASAP, but I’ve been entirely busy for passed couple months. However I was too early for a baby shower in San Mateo yesterday, and I went to this place base on Unilocal review (It seems they are the only one open on weekend around my friend’s house).
Actually I was hesitating about trying a new place to maintenance my car, because I wasn’t with my boyfriend. Surprisingly, I got my smog check done for my car while I wait without appointment.
The service was great and the shop is clean (happy to read my favorite magazine in the waiting area). I’ll definitely go back if my car needs service or repair. Therefore I can also visit my friend’s baby at the same time.

The owner Sam used to be the manager at Foster City Hillsdale Arco car repair shop for almost 12 years, before that he had other 10 years work experience as a mechanic in San Francisco Bay Area.
I just recently had my Cadillac Seville towed to Sam’s new shop on Leslie St in San Mateo. My car overheated and I had no clue why. Sam was able to diagnose it immediately when I told him there was smoke coming out of the A/​C vents.
He replaced my heater core and my car was ready to be picked up by the end of the day!
When dealing with any auto shop there are always three main things that always come to my mind:
Can I trust them with my car to make the right diagnoses and repairs?
Can I get a good price on my repairs?
Will my car be fixed in a reasonable amount of time?
At Sams new shop-​Sincere Affordable Motors, the answer is YES to all of the above very important questions!
I live in Sunnyvale and go all the to San Mateo for all of my car needs at Sam’s.
I guess that says a lot if I am willing to travel that far for an auto mechanic.
Sam is the best, please go to him for all of your auto needs, you will never regret it!
Les