Allen Imports - Car Repair and Auto Service

I have taken two vehicles to Brian for several years. I am a single woman, and appreciate his honesty, and his caretaking, in addition to ability to do a good job. I have recommended him to my co-workers without hesitation. They are all equally pleased with a one-on-one relationship with the guy who looks after your vehicle. You will not regret making him your regular service guy!!!

Pros: Appreciate the service by owner, Brian

Cons: It is not located nearer my home!!

Posted 10/22/09

Hands down, the best mechanic I have ever met. I have a 2001 Toyota Camry with 180k on it. Due to my job, I drive it like I stole it - putting 500 to 800 miles on it per week. I've taken my car to many many mechanics from Los Angeles to Vacaville to Folsom to Downtown Sac to West Sacramento. I've been screwed so many times I lost count. In fact at one point I almost came to expect it. None have done a better job than Brian at Allen Imports. In my opinion he is one of the last honest to good mechanics around. He has my business for life. Even if it takes me a 1/2 an hour to get to him.

Pros: Honest, very reasonable, superb service, a mechanical genuis

Posted 06/25/09

My 96 Honda Civic passenger side and one rear left windows won?t roll back up... I wasn?t sure what the problem was so I took the door panel off from the driver side and discovered that few of the wires were broken. I called few shops around and when I saw good reviews of Allen imports, I called them and spoke to Brian about broken wires. I was told to bring my car to the shop and he will fix it for total cost of $250. He will make sure that all windows are working. Next day, I took my car to his shop, singed the paper work so he can start the work. In order to get to the wires he had to take the fender off. He found the total 5 wires were broken.

He asked me that it will take few hours to fix all the wires and the total cost of repair would be $225. I told him to go ahead with it. He wasn?t able to solder the wire so he cut the wires and made connection directly. For these new wires, he had to drill a hole in car door. Once the wires were connected the passenger side window still didn?t work. He told me nothing he could do in this situation. There could be something else wrong with the wire and could be somewhere else.

I was very upset because he only fixed one window and not the other. I thought, I was getting all my windows fixed. He manually powered the passenger window. I paid him $225 for hooking five wires together with a promise that he will find someone else to look into this issue. He called me two days later and gave me a telephone number for electric shop in Northgate area. I don?t think Brian knew what the problem was before he agreed to fix all windows. He is not an electrician and I wonder why he took the job when he wasn?t sure what the issue is.

Well later in the day, I was shocked when this guy told me that he will charge me $98 to look at the problem. I called Brian back and he said that he can?t do anything more to my car. Clearly, he wasn?t sure about the problem and I?m not sure why he took the job. He would have referred me to another shop.

Beware when you get into this place. Make sure you have everything in writing what he will fix or if you have electric work look somewhere else. Also you will be paying by an hour or a flat cost. I won?t trust them for the any repairs in the future. I think was ripped off.

Pros: Stay Away

Cons: Stay Away

Posted 06/22/09

Sadly, I don't know much about cars beyond how to drive them. I only bought my used 2001 Honda Accord about six months ago, but it was a 'well driven, East Coast car'. But, it ran pretty well, so I was surprised when I brought it into my dealer for a routine check up to find out I needed maintenance that would cost almost $1500!!! I didn't have that kind of money, so I went home and looked up other repair services. That was when I found Allen Imports. Brian was amazing on the phone. He offered to help me out by doing the same job at a much more reasonable price. When I brought the car in, they didn't stop until the job was done, despite running into a few troubles here and there. He did not raise the estimated price, nor did he ask me to come back later. They worked all evening until the job was done! And they were more concerned about my comfort in the waiting room than anything else. I had never had better customer service from an auto shop! They do anything they can to make you feel at home. But, best of all, when all was said and done, Brian explained the service in terms that were easy to understand. He went over all the repairs and the invoice showed exactly what everything costs. Considering the work they put into it, I know I got a deal! The car is running better than ever, and they've definitely gained me as a loyal customer. :)

Pros: Amazing Service and Great Prices!!!

Posted 01/02/09

Outstanding customer service and reasonable pricing. They have saved me a bunch, working on a couple of intermittent problems. Both times, they nailed the cause after brief checkout and troubleshooting. If I have gone to the auto dealer, I would have been hundreds, if not thousands more out of pocket.

Great small owner operator auto repair business. They are friendly, competent and reasonable. These attributes are not easy to find in the auto repair industry. I have recommended many of my friend to bring their cars here.

Pros: Easy to schedule repairs, extended customer service. Wi-fi usage while waiting.

Posted 10/12/08

After relocating to Sacramento in 2006, both my wife and I continue to bring our Nissans (96 Maxima with 203,000 miles & 01 Altima with 100,000 miles) to Allen Imports. They continually provide us with quality, affordable work on our vehicles from routine service to major repairs at a significant savings compared to Nissan dealerships. On one occasion the Altima's electrical system began going crazy (lights blinking, alarm going off etc) and after consulting with a local Nissan dealer they informed us it sounded like a major electical problem and we would need have the car towed in and leave it for a few days. I contacted Brian from Allen Imports and he came to our residence the following morning and took a look at the vehicle and was able to diagnose the problem was a battery issue. Brian installed a battery for us on the spot and saved us the charge of a tow and who knows what other problems the dealer would have found. Most recently Allen Imports was able to diagnose and fix various problems to get the check enging light to go off (and we passed CA SMOG) in the Maxima and save us the headache and expense of buying a new vehicle. The service, cost, and dependabiltiy of Allen Imports will ensure that we continue to take our cars to them for routine maintenance and other repairs.

Pros: Service, Cost, Workmanship

Cons: None

Posted 06/19/08

I went to another shop for a diagnostic to get my 99 Acura check engine light off. They charged me $92.00 and they said it was probably just a loose gas cap. The light was off for 2 days then it came back on. I returned to the shop and they said it was a bad gas cap, so I went to Acura and replaced it for $22. The light popped back up after 3 days, so I went back again and they said I would have to go to the dealer to have them check it. I felt like they didn't know what they were doing. When I asked for a refund they said the charge was for reading the computer and resetting the light, not to fully diagnose the problem. I checked the web because I hate dropping it for days at the dealer, and I found Allen Imports and the great reviews. I called and spoke to Brian about it, and asked if he was confident they could find the problem and he assured me could find the part responsible for it or he wouldn't charge me, so I made an appointment for my day off to drop it off. When I did, he called me after an hour with a diagnosis and said the vehicle needed some valve cleaned out. I went forward with it and had him do the repair which also consisted of a fuel injection cleaning (which was never done prior). The check engine light has been off for 2 weeks now and my car has a lot more power since the diagnosis. It only cost me $85 for the diagnostic and $89.00 to clean the valve and fuel injection. I trust them for the rest of my car repairs in the future and am happy with the service and outcome.

Pros: Very knowlageable on Acura's

Cons: Hard to find, but worth it.

Posted 03/01/08

I was happy to find my new mechanic last week on Citysearch. I saw the great reviews on here for this shop and needed a close by place for my brake repair. The service was great and reasonably priced. My brakes were fixed quickly even though i ruined more parts. My brakes are now quieter than before the problem. I also got some work done myself (Wi-Fi). It's a small shop so I like the extra attention service.

Posted 02/20/08

Brian's service is exceptional. He takes the time to explain the problem and each of your options.

His integrity is outstanding. Once, when another shop pressured my friend to replace her timing belt, I called Brian and he gave me the TRUTH (she didn't need to replace her belt), and saved her $700. Now my friend takes her car to Brian exclusively.

Brian's work is excellent, and he saves you money wherever he can. I wouldn't take my car to anyone else - and neither should you!

Pros: WiFi in waiting area. Fast service.

Cons: None

Posted 01/19/08

I'd like to recommend Allen Imports Auto Repair Shop to everyone in town. They're great, reliable, fast and affordable. I'm always greeted with excellent customer service. Brian is always very helpful, friendly and honest. If your car needs work that may be done cheaper somewhere else, he doesn't hesitate to refer you to that place. He goes above and beyond to provide his customers and their cars with the best care possible.

Thank you!

L. Lewis

Posted 09/27/07

When I found this place they were wonderful on the phone and extremely helpful. When I brought my Toyota Camry in they greated me with great customer service and knowledge. They did my rotors, brakes, and changed every fluid there was in my vehicle, fluids I didn't even know I had. My car now drives like it did when I first bought it over 6 years ago. I love this place, the guys that work there are great. It was the best mechanic experience, I have ever had. When you are a woman and walk into a shop, people usually treat you like you don't know what you're talking about, "NOT THESE GUYS", they treat you as a person, and make you understand what they can do what they are going to do, and when you pick up your vehicle, they make sure you understand what they just did to your car and then let you know what or any work that may need to be done now or next. It was the best experience and I will never go anywhere else.

Pros: customer service, timeliness, mechanics service

Cons: none

Posted 08/20/07

My car was sputtering when I apply the gas and I could barely accelarate. The check engine light was flashing and I couldn't drive far. I found Allen imports on the web. I needed someone close by and saw that they were on my search. They had good reviews, and when I called they seemed pleasant so I thought I would give them a try. I'm glad I did. They said it was the spark plugs and after they tuned it up my car is running like new again. Thanks to guys at Allen imports I found where to take my car for repairs if I need help again. Mark Rodriguez

Pros: Nice waiting room, Internet connection for my laptop.

Cons: none

Posted 08/19/07

Brian and Ernie are very personable, I had a problem with the brakes on my 98 ford f150
that occurred after changing my front brake rotors and calipers. Needless to say the truck was undrivable. Brian arranged the (very reasonable priced) towing and even took care of the tow charge until I was able to get to his shop! Brian even offered to deliver the truck to my home free of charge because he knew I was going to have to take public tranportation to pick the truck up (NOW THATS SERVICE JACK!) It turns out I had installed the calipers incorrectly! The fix was very simple and they had it fixed in less than 2 hours!
As far as I'm concerned thats an honest mechanic! They could have easily taken this easy fix and turned it into a major repair, (which happens everyday at the major service outlets) but they did the needed repair and that was that. I was preparing for a large bill, but to my suprise it was very, very, fair. I no longer have to wonder where I can find quality auto care at a good price! I would recommend Allen Imports to anyone.

Thanks Again Brian and Ernie,
Bob Monahan
Sacramento Ca

Posted 01/07/07

I found Allen Imports by a performing a search on citysearch. It was only because of the good ratings and positive experience from others that decided to give them a try. Brian and Ernie are two very personable guys who will go out of their way to make sure get what you need, when you need it. I've never experienced such as pleasant visit to an automotive repair shop. A+++ work. I would recommend them to my BEST friend!

Pros: Waiting area with coffee and a refrigerator with H20--help yourself they say.

Cons: none

Posted 12/11/06

i am not from sacramento but i wanted to buy a car that was in sac. i didnt know any mechanics so i looked on line and found these guys.they had great reviews so i called them and they got me in that day.totally friendly, very knowledgeable, thoroughand honest.it is not too often you find a business like this anymore and i cant say enough good things about the service i recieved from allen imports. if i lived closer to them i wouldnt hesitate one second to have them service all my cars. to top all that their prices are very reasonable.

Pros: great guys, great service, great price

Cons: 0

Posted 09/27/06

I took my 2001 lexus to the dealer ship to price a starter and intall it, What they told me was that it would cost me $$$$$ to $$$$$ I could not beleave that a simple starter would be that much. So I called allen imports they were less then 1/2 that price and they use factory parts
THANK YOU so much ALLEN IMPORTS

Posted 08/27/06

Brian and his co-owner are the nicest guys you'll ever meet in a car service place. They love what they do and it shows.
I shopped around for the best deal for a 30K maintenance on my Honda Accord and these guys beat the Honda Dealer by 50%+ and did the exact same work.
Their original quote was exactly the price I paid and the car was done in a very timely and efficient manner (about the length of a lunch break).
The check-engine light is off and the car purrs and is happier than ever.
The guys who work here have been working on cars for many years and they take pride in the great work they do. On top of it all they are EXTREMELY friendly and treat their customers better than I could have ever imagined. I have almost never given out 10's in my life but I give these guys 10/10 for auto service and 10/10 for customer service (I wish I could give an 11 !).
Say hi to Brian (one of the owners) when you take your car in !
-Chris T.

Pros: Close proximity to Highway 50 and Sunrise Blvd.

Cons: none

Posted 06/14/06

The service was GREAT! Both mechanical service and customer service. The check engine light was on, after I had my car tuned up by them. I called the shop the next morning and explained to them the problem, they told me to bring my car back in and they will fix it. I took my car in they fix the problem and explained to me what had caused the check engine light to stay on, at no extra charge. Theyre true to their warranty as well as their quotes on price and time. Thanks guys for exceptional service.

Pros: Not Crowed, Very Clean, Great Hours

Posted 05/23/06

I liked the explanation of services done to my car, I also didn't feel pressured and was given an order to tackle the issues.

Pros: Inexpensive, knowledgeable, covenience

Cons: location

Posted 03/24/06