Customer Reviews for Chow's Automotive Inc

“Best shop in the city. I have trusted my vehicles for years with Larry and Kevin and would recommend them to family and friends.”

“I have been bringing all of my cars to Chow's and they always do a great job whether it is auto body work, changing timing belts, or regular maintenance. These guys are great. You won't regret bringing your car here. Be sure to call in advance as they get busy!”

“Automotive Larry is a great reliable and nice person I met. I was on the freeway it was a Tuesday rainy afternoon and my right windshield wiper broke. I was near by and said I will bring it to Chow's Automotive and hopefully it can be fixed. Larry replaced the right windshield wiper for free. I was so relieved to have it replaced by Larry he was my life saver that day cause it was raining really hard. Also did a great job replacing the timing belt on my Honda 97 Civic. Thank You Chow's Automotive Awesome Work!”

“Good service, I felt they had my best interests in mind. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a mechanic”

“I've had occasion to refer friends to Chow's Automotive. I am biased in that I have known Kevin for almost 20 years. I worked in the Auto Body and Insurance fields for over 22 years. A few of those years we worked together. Kevin is just one of the best. He is a consummate professional. Rest assured, when you entrust them to work on your vehicle, you made the right choice!”

“Been going here for years to fix our car windows, air conditioning and various car maintenances. Kevin and Larry are friendly, knowledgeable, and reliable. Their prices are reasonable.”

“I believe that Chow's Automotive is the most honest and professional that i ever met in the Automotive industry. It puzzles me to see a family member write false information because of other reasons. The services that they do are always less than anybody else.”

“I rarely give out five star reviews, but in this case, if I could give them the option of more than five stars, I would.

I would agree with the other reviewers that the owners are honest and trustworthy. I had the need to repair some scratches on the car; my wife asked about a repaint job, but Kevin was adamant that it was not worth it given the price and would recommend cleaning/touch up paint.

He told me to bring it in the next day and it would be done by the end of the day. I brought it in a few hours after the place opened, and Kevin mentioned that he might not be able to have it done by the end of the day, but a few hours after delivering the vehicle, it was ready for pick up.

The results were remarkable. The car looks like new from afar; you can barely discern some of the deeper scratches only with careful scrutiny. They even cleaned the exterior of the car for me as well.

The proprietors easily exceeded my expectations, and gave what I believe was a reasonable price. I did not shop around for a better price given the overwhelming positive reviews that I saw on this site, but I doubt that it could be beat.”

“What more do you want, Fast service, Kevin is Very honest, Great work done, got my car painted here, PERFECT JOB!”

“I have been coming to Chow's for the past 6 years, for body and mechanic work. Kevin and Larry are very honest people. Every time I get my car back, it runs and looks brand new. Thank you Kevin and Larry, keep up the good work. If you need work done on your car, come see Chow's.”

“They make you car safe and clean for a fair price.

Thank you Mr. Chow!”

“Kevin and Larry helped me out with my Mercedes Benz C 240 and Ford F 350 truck many times. As a small business owner, I salute these guys. We are in the same boat!”

“Man, I love these guys. Larry and Kevin are some of the nicest guys in the automotive shop industry in SF.

I've been bringing my Jeep to their shop since the day I needed my 1st oil change. Every 3 or 4 months, I've been coming here to get my car tuned, checked and oil changed. They take such good care of me and my car that I've never had 1 day of engine issues. My car runs beautiful.

Also, I've had many 'break ins' and they are so courteous and sympathetic. Always going the extra mile. They vacuum my car. They add window cleaner when I don't even ask. They fill my tires with air.

I think it's because I'm a 'chick' they are always considered that I won't know how to put air in my tires or forget about coolant and things. They are very attentive. It's like my boyfriend is taking care of my car!!!

They also are such hard working guys. They do so much and charge very reasonably.

I know and I've seen them get tickets while watching a client's car. And never once have they ever asked their client to pay for the parking ticket. You see, the shop is on a busy street and there is nearly no street parking so when they park a car they are working on, they take the liability of a ticket if time runs out....and these guys just 'take the hit' for their clients. Boy, I really am going to miss the day I have to move away from SF.

Larry and Kevin --- really good guys!”

“Customer Service is their middle name!...Kevin and Larry are the best when it comes to mechanical and body work. More importantly, they are HONEST!...no b.s. on things you don't need for your vehicle, just what's needed....they set the bar very high for the rest of the repair shops in the Bay Area!”

“Not only did Larry save me $700 (vs. another shop that quoted me 1200 for the same job), but he finished it in less than a day.

A month later, my brakes aren't working very well. So I call and he tells me to bring it in on Friday. While the tow truck guy is loading my car (no brakes in downtown SF=bad), Larry calls. He wanted to make sure I'd bring my car in, cause he was worried. Then, when it turned out my brake fluid was leaking, he fixed it for free, and in record time.

I recommend these guys to anyone in SF. Great mechanics for a good price!!!”

“If you ever have car problems, whether it's a simple battery replacement or an auto collision repair, come to Chow's. Not only would they repair your car, they would notify you of any existing issues such as brakes or any fluids that would need to be replaced soon. They are one of the best in the business.”

“It's about the 5th time I've been into this automotive. They get things done quick and will work with your schedule getting your car back on time. Very good customer service.”

“These guys are awesome. I had my car repainted there and they're not like cheap shops that just sprays on paint while the parts are still intact with the car. These guys took apart my car and painted it. They took great care of my car in a timely manner or even faster. These guys are honest and trustworthy, and best of all, they don't lag!

highly recommended.”

“Great service and very nice people. I was very impressed. Nothing to delete stars for.”

“Great service, I was thinking about getting a transmission flush and he said no you don't need it yet come back later! Thanks.”

“I had a little scrape with another car on a Thanksgiving road trip. Nothing major, but cosmetically an eyesore. Trouble was, my insurer AAA wanted me to go to 'their' repair shop, and knowing my deductible was high, I anticipated a whopping estimate.

A whopping estimate I got. They wanted to replace the entire side panel, at well over a thousand bucks. I asked if they could simply bend it out and touch it up for the time being, but they said it would be cheaper to replace the whole thing.

That's when I called my mechanic Victor (from T-H Auto Repair in South San Francisco - another super reputable, amazing local treasure) and he referred me to Chow's. Kevin at Chow's was super cool, friendly, and gave me a range of options. He said that he could, indeed, bend it out and make the car's appearance passable until I had the money to do it right. I gave him the green light to do the work.

Less than 3 hours later, Kevin called and said the car was ready to pick up. It looked amazing! Not only did Kevin fix the panel and door so well I could hardly tell there was damage, but he fixed a burned out taillight (didn't even ask for this), refilled the washer fluid, touched up some other scratches, and gave me a price break on the estimate because it took less time than he thought.

Total cost: 200 dollars.

I told Kevin he had a customer for life. These guys rock. Can't recommend highly enough.”

“I have been taking my cars to Kevin and Larry for years. They are completely trustworthy, fair and honest mechanics. They will also help if I need a tow or a flat tire fix. Most times I'll just call or pop by with car questions and they are quick to help. They can also repair all cars - I've had both a Honda and a lemon Volvo and they have been extremely knowledgable with both card. They will even tell you to go to the dealer instead of them if the dealer is giving you a fair price for a big fix - ie. new tranny in Volvo. It's hard to find a good mechanic, but you can definitely trust these brothers!!”

“If your looking for a fast, reliable auto body shop, this is the place to go. The guys at Chow's Automotive are so honest is shocking. They don't try to rip you off, they tell you exactly how it is and how they can save you money. I won't take my car anywhere else!!”

“Larry and Kevin are really honest mechanics, who really care about the lifetime of your car. I just went there for my timing belt/water pump and a few other replacements. In the past, I have not been very good to my car, but NOW it's in tip-top shape, and they told me I should be good to go for another 30K without worries. Phew!
These guys were so kind and they seemed very honest. 2 other friends of mine had gone to Chow's and both highly recommended these guys.
Good guys, good service, good prices, honest and reasonable... Friendly and oh, they drove me to the BART station!”

“Larry and Kevin (brothers) at Chow's are a haven in the world of auto problems. They've consistently been readily available and offer solid work as well as reasonable rates. On top of that, they're friendly and remember who I am!

I just finally had to write in because our car wouldn't start this afternoon, and Kevin offered to stay there late (past 6) if the tow truck hadn't yet arrived. It's looking like our car will arrive in time - or just in time - yet that was a supremely kind gesture to offer peace of mind and convenience.

I am anxious about what potential problem(s) await their discovery, yet also feel at ease knowing that I won't get ripped off and that repairs can be made within a reasonable amount of time. Considering there are only two of them, they are super efficient, knowledgeable, organized, and extra hard-working, yet always as pleasant as can be.

I am really grateful to our contractor who introduced us to them and feel that it's a service to share them with others....”

“After getting my 06 Highlander smashed in the frontend by a CRAZY midaged lady who ran a red light while talking on the Cell PHONE! GET OFF THE DAMM PHONE. Man, she caused over $15k in damages on my new SUV which I barely put 11k miles into it! (I drive a gas saving car for work commute). One more year and it would've been paid off!...but enough of my ranting.

These guys took care of my truck. Got me all OEM parts (Insurance wanted to put reused and imitation parts instead...bullshit! For them, ....penny saved). They helped me steam cleaned the engine and cleaned up my car. Right now, it's purring like a kitten.

They're honest brothers doing great work. They take pride in their jobs. Along with other yelpers, they changed my crappy toyota license frame and gave me a nice 'Chow's Automotive' frame....I guess I'll be doing advertisement for them while driving around!”

“Always courteous and calm, these guys run a very good shop. If you ask them to just fix your car, they will explain all the things that need to be fixed. I always enjoy taking my car and my fiance's car there.”

“Reliable and trustworthy. I brought in my truck that had a fender bender. They delivered on time. Good folks.”

“These guys are really great. Every time I need something done Kevin takes care of me. Their body work is outstanding. I've had multiple things painted there and the quality is great, very little to no orange peel. Prices are very reasonable.”

“Kevin and Larry are the most honest and trustworthy people i know in the business. although people complain about their hourly rate and that things are too expensive, they don't take in the consideration that they are professionals that do things to get it right. i have been to many other shops and have been quoted ridiculous prices for things i either don't need or never solves the problem, not the case here for chows automotive, Kevin is always advising you not to spend money on things you don't need. He doesn't just say 'OK' and take your money. he explains the importance or how unimportant it is to do what is needed, saving you money when he can.

I am there enough to see people who know nothing about cars complain about the price and i am there enough to see the people who know about cars appreciate the service he provides, an I'm rarely there, just an average customer.

I drive a 2007 Subaru Sti, things i have gotten done there were, my struts, springs, paint job, strut tower repaired and also many other minor things.
i have been to countless of other places and they are just not trustworthy in comparison and do not make you feel that you can leave your cars in their hands. which i learned was important

a few months ago, i brought my car to THE SHOP
yelp.com/biz/the-shop-sa…
to simply get my tires mounted and removed, i had my gut feeling that a place owned and staffed with skyline graduates shouldve raised a sign which proved to be so, which they were not capable of even doing the task i went in for. Run by young kids with no business profession to their demeanor they used an IMPACT GUN to remove my tires, which stripped the bolts on my rims, leaving them unable to be removed and leaving my tires stuck on, not only were the bolts stripped, they also stripped the studs that hold them. not only that, they also scratched my rims trying to cover the fact that it had happened. from trying to save 50 dollars and spending 150 dollars. i ended up spending more to remove them. they also made me pay for the hours they worked on the tires for messing them up. THEY DENIED EVERYTHING so i had to pay,
sad part was that i was not there to see them use the impact gun, so i had no real evidence. but the damage was clear on the lug nuts and stud holding it, no human being but superman could have done the damage they did without a impact gun. i left this place and headed to chows automotive.

Kevin and Larry helped me, they saw that i was in distressed and explained to me what had happened, although i already knew.
NO ONE USES A IMPACT GUN TO TORQUE OR REMOVE LUG/BOLTS OFF A CAR, Kevin and Larry worked on my car for hours and in the end did not charge me the full hours they worked. i am grateful they exist. this is only the most recent occasion that they have helped me.

i have shopped around many places, what Kevin and Larry have, they lacked all together. From either having that 'I'm trying to make money off you' attitude or just unprofessional quality and results.

Kevin and Larry at Chows automotive have everything you want from a mechanic, someone who is not trying to rip you off and the quality that comes from it.

visit them and let the good post on yelp testify for me, what i am saying is true. truly keep in mind that YOU DO PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET,for auto body shop that is the case ( if you pay for a 50 dollar paint job, you get get a 50 dollar paint job quality). dont bash these guys for the price, that is not a fair judgment of service and quality compared to else were.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AHEAD OF TIME, THEY ARE ALWAYS BUSY.”

“A friend told me about the Chows. They are fantastic: trustworthy and reliable. They are on the opposite spectrum of the kind of slimy dealer mechanics I've encountered on occasion in the past: you almost have to convince them you need to buy a new part, not the other way around.”