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Laslo's Auto Repair
Category: Automotive Auto Repair Auto Repair [Edit]
2235 Old Middlefield WaySte A
Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 969-3358
Laura S. said: "I have an AWESOME MECHANIC!! (Note: As of 5/3/12, Pedro has 36 5-STAR REVIEWS that Yelp Removed!! Yes, 36. Click on "Filtered" reviews to see em). They even removed one of my friend Robin who RAVES about Pedro (so does her boyfriend)…" read more »
32 reviews for Laslo's Auto Repair
32 reviews in English
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Review from Abraham B.
Palo Alto, CA
5/11/2012
Robert does not really need my review, he's an all star already. Still, I'd feel dissatisfied with myself if I kept this to myself.
Robert fixed both my 323i (1999) and my son's 525i (1993). In both cases he did excellent work, What I want to stress are his honesty and generousness. In the case of my son's car he did the necessary repairs to get it running again, then gave us an estimate of the additional needed repairs, but suggested we'd be better off selling the car an buying a newer one. He did not charge us for his work (checking the car, flushing the radiator etc.).
Guess who's going to be taking care of the new car. -
Review from Elizabeth W.
Los Altos, CA
3/31/2012
I brought my 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio in because it shook when accelerating, and for routine service necessary to pass a SMOG test. Laslo's called that my car was ready on 8/10/11. When I arrived the hood was up and sparks were flying everywhere. I was told that what I witnessed was "inevitable" and therefore my responsibility. Now I needed a new ignition coil. My ride had left. I was stranded without a car.
I picked up my car the second time on 8/15/11. As I drove off the lot I experienced a marked delay on acceleration and noticed that the car made a strange noise when idling. (Soon thereafter the strange noise would be followed by stalling.) I returned to the shop and asked Robert to drive with me around the block. He said it was fine, that I just needed to step harder on the gas.
This is the worst automotive experience I have ever had. Yes, the shake was gone but the car was not fixed and gained two new problems while in Laslo's care. Robert denied that my car still had a problem and denied responsibility for additional damage that occurred in his shop. -
Review from bonnie h.
Mountain View, CA
9/24/2011
After a check up at the BMW dealership in Mt. View, they told me that my car had an oil leak and estimated $1800 in parts/service. Based on all the great reviews I found on Yelp for Laslos, I took my car to Robert at Laslos. Robert was responsive to my calls, very thorough with his explanation on what was wrong with my car, and seemed like a genuine, honest guy. He showed me all the old parts that were replaced in my car, and educated me on the function of each part that was replaced (I appreciated him dummying it down for me). At the end of the day, he had my car for half a day and charged me $700 - saving me $1100!
I'd highly recommend Laslos to anyone looking for an honest, efficient and affordable mechanic! -
Review from Irene S.
11/17/2011
Marrying a mechanic or a dentist are thumbs way up, earning peculiar nods of approval according to my halmoni. Though I married neither, still I can relate to the sentiment about how convenient it might be to have someone exceedingly knowledgeable in car-speak over at every Thanksgiving dinner. Then again, having an expert diagnose your car only goes so far if he's not to be trusted, and we all know family can't be trusted. What? I guess that's why I drive 40+ miles to service the old lady car. In fact, I would probably have it towed to Laslo's no matter the distance. **Knocks on wood** Call me frugal or old-fashioned, but I'm taking this baby to 200,000. With some luck and my mechanic's help, anyway.
Let it be known that Robert Sinanovic, who also happens to be the owner, is tops. After struggling with the bozos of Smythe and various other greasy sales types running independently owned euro car specialty shops, I finally (hopefully) feel very well taken care of here and dare I say a little more educated each time I visit Robert. He's not the type that just swears he's (wink, wink) honest; he has me believing he genuinely is. Kind but straightforward, he could have 10 cars in the queue yet he'll personally explain the mechanics of your car or show you concrete evidence of what's faulty all without talking your ear off or taking you to the cleaners (unless of course you need a new transmission). He is extremely personable, knowledgeable, reasonable and hard-working, which is arguably worth the minor inconvenience and price you pay having to rent a third-party car down the street should you choose to have any major work done. If your schedule is flexible permitting you to instead wait there for your car, you'll be left to your own devices as there's no TV or much in the way of reading material.
Best find of 2011. -
Review from Christina M.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2011
Allow me to add my voice of praise to Robert and his crew at Laslo's.
When I got my very first Bimmer (used), it was an impulse buy, and I knew I needed to take it to the experts.
So, I jumped on Yelp and took a look at the BMW Dealership reviews. Oh my! So hated!
I realized that I needed only to look closer to home for the best service. So, after checking out a number of promising reviews for great German-car mechanics in Mountain View, I decided to try Laslo's first.
I haven't taken my car to anyone else since. Believe the hype. Robert is deeply knowledgable about European cars, doesn't treat you ANY differently because you're a woman (assuming you are), and charges you far less for services than you would estimate. He's even given me a few quick, free fixes before.
I trust Robert completely.
He's the only mechanic I've ever hugged, and he gives me a reason to every time I see him.
I'm in excellent hands. You would be too if you checked him out.Listed in: The BEST Mountain View…
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Review from Monte c.
Mountain View, CA
3/25/2011
I had an intermittent high pitched whistle from under the hood of my Volvo C70 convertible. When Robert had a chance listen under the hood while it was making the noise, and based on my description of when it occurred, he diagnosed that something was in the air conditioning line. Sure enough, he pulled out a little sliver of metal that had lodged near the filter. What a relief! he also rebuilt the air conditioning in my daughters BMW for a very reasonable amount compared to some other A/C specialists.
Great guy, very honest, very reasonable cost. Recommend without reservation. -
Review from Shawn R.
Union City, CA
10/28/2011
Best of the best. Robert is one of those very rare guys in the automotive repair business: the honest ones.
He saved me a TON of money when I bought a used car by telling me exactly what to look for and what to stay away from. He inspected several cars for me at a reasonable price, showing me what was wrong and what was right with each one.
When I decided on the right car, it needed some work so of course I went back to him.
The work was done in the time it was promised, at the price promised. He gave me a list of other things the car needs, told me how important each was and when I should do them.
I will happily go back to him for any work I need done on this Mercedes and any of my family's other European cars. -
Review from Steve S.
San Jose, CA
3/28/2009
Took my car here this week. Though the dealer had told me my Benz needed new brakes/rotors within a month, Robert estimated they might be ok for another 6,000 miles or so. He took some time to show me the sensors built in to my car, and show me how I can tell how much pad and rotor I had left.
The quote I got from Robert for replacement of brakes/rotors was $200 cheaper than the dealer.
So, though I have never had work actually done here, I would already recommend this place for its pricing and honesty. -
Review from Manuela B.
Berkeley, CA
7/23/2007
As a women, I am always fearful of mechanics and getting had. I've finally found my place! Smythe European said both the front and back brakes needed to be changed ASAP and they'd be 'happy' to do it for $1000. I decided to get a second opinion and a friend had great luck with Laslo's. The $2000 quote his dealership quoted him was 1/2 of what Laslo's charged him. They specialize in imports. When I dropped off the car I was shocked at how clean the place was and I was even more shocked when they said my "destroyed brakes" where in perfect condition. He said that according to the Mercedes' User Manual brakes should be changed when they are under 2mm and our brakes measured 7mm. The squeaking that made us think the brakes needed to be replaced were due to rust from the car wash. They cleaned the rust off and for a whopping fee of... NOTHING...I couldn't believe how honest these guys are!!!
I also got a quote for when I do need to replace the brakes and they charge $200 per set and if brake pads and rotors need to be replaced it would run $500 (INCLUDING LABOR).
You can take your car here with 100% confidence and know that you are not going to be taken advantage of, they also have the top of the line equipment that the thieves errrr dealerships have and they treat you like a human being. THANKS LASLO'S!!!! -
Review from Jen P.
San Francisco, CA
2/25/2008
AMAZING.
They were able to service my car same day and for cheaper than any other places I called for Service A on my Benz. And they actually came in *under* their original estimate, how's that for honest?
The guys were SUPER nice and took their time explaining everything to me. They even gave me See's chocolates as I waited the one minute it took them to bring my car around.
And the fact that they're just a few mins away from my work is icing on the cake!
I'm totally going to recommend this place to everyone!
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Update 5/27/08: Ok, so I went in again to get some more work done on my car and words cannot describe how awesome these guys are. Ask for Robert, super knowledgeable, patient and honest. I dunno what I'm going to do if I have to move, I can't trust anyone else now! -
Review from Mr. Y.
Mountain View, CA
6/14/2010
DID-IT-FOR-FREE !!
I took my merc c230 to him as I was getting the "SRS Service required" & "Air bag off" sign on my dashboard.
First he simply cleared the codes and checked if the problem went away, but then it showed that there indeed was a problem. - Passenger seat occupancy sensor issue.
Before jumping to the conclusion that the seat occupancy sensor needed to be replaced (a $600 job) he checked below the passenger seat for loose wires & found a loose one which he plugged in and that took care of it.
When I asked him how much for the work he asked me to simply bring it for my next service & did not charge me a dime. -
Review from Jeff M.
Mountain View, CA
7/13/2009
If someone was the start with a clean slate and create the ultimate customer experience, they would create the same experience I had with Laslo's.
This place is unbelieveably great! Have you ever tipped your auto repair shop? I did and I'll tell you why.
My Mercedes was due for a regular service. I got a quote from Smythe for over $1,000. I called Laslo's and they gave a much more reasonable quote $350. Now I'm thinking that I can save some money but, I'm a little worried that this might be another one of those "you get what you pay for" experiences.
It all started when I called the shop to make an appointment. They were honest that they were busy and that they would not be able to look at my car for a few days. I really appreciated the honesty.
A few days later, I dropped my car off and the place looked pretty average. I was still a little concerned that it might not work out. It turns out that I left my cell phone in the car. When I called the shop, they said they had my cell phone - no problem. Just another honestly proof point.
At the end of the day, I went back to the shop to pick up my car. I got the red carpet treatment. They showed me everything that was done. They showed me how they had cleaned my engine compartment and they showed me the door hinges that were oiled. They even showed me the old oil filter and old air filter. I mentioned that a lock on my back door that had come loose and they fixed it for free.
Then, he spent some time talking about his customer service philosophy. Have you ever had someone from an auto repair shop talk about their passion for customer satisfaction?
The final total was less than the original quote. I was blown over. I could think of one thing that I could do. I gave them a tip for their great service and commitment to customer satisfaction.
If you need work on your car in Mountain View, you should really consider going to Laslo's! -
Review from Irakli N.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/1/2010
I do know that 'true and honest car mechanic' might sound like an oxymoron, but in case of Robert this expression is true.
Brought to him my 1998 Volvo which had 'check engine' light coming on. I've done maintenance on this car just few month ago in another service location to address this problem so it should not be coming back so quickly. So I brought car to Robert to get the second opinion.
First of all - he did basic reading of the fault code FOR FREE and explained why he needed to perform more comprehensive check to find out what exactly was going on. So when I brought the car back next time he worked on it on SATURDAY to make sure that I can pick up the car on Monday.
Next Monday during the meeting he explained what exactly was wrong - in this case it was a purge valve. Robert explained that this detail was replaced during recent servicing of the car at another location.
Most likely the part itself was defected and because it was under warranty (service was done less then one year ago) Robert suggested to take the car back to these service station and ask them to replace the part under warrant. He said that there should be no point to spend money and replace something which is covered under warranty.
Honestly, it was great. Thank you Robert. -
Review from Asinia A.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/20/2009
My car is only 3 years old, but there were some issues that the dealership didnt seem to catch or understand. It was tricky and he found it and fixed it.
You can tell there is a actual interest and passion around german automobiles. I can appreciate that since I have fond memories growing up with a Mercedes in the family (before they were all the hype - wow I am old).
He was always honest and up front and kept me informed about everything he was doing to my car. Prices were very reasonable and I am completely satisfied. What a gem!
THANK YOU. -
Review from Charlene N.
Davis, CA
5/19/2009
I've used this place for about 9 months for my 2002 VW Golf TDI. They have been absolutely spectacular. Friendly, accomodating, and affordable. The place is sparkling clean with beautifully maintained tools. My car is very high mileage (I drive more in a month than most people do in half a year) and I'm also a starving student so my car has to run reliably and run cheaply. Robert has kept this car running great. He has identified problems that the dealers told me were all in my head and he has told me if the problems could wait to be fixed or not, and that's something I really appreciate.
Today I brought it in with no appointment because a piece was hanging and dragging on the ground. Robert fixed it right then and refused to take any payment. I love these guys and I won't be going anywhere else! -
Review from Tomasz B.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2007
I actually took my friend's car into Laslo's after a few phone calls to auto shops were made around the Mountain View area. Edvin, who took my call, just told me to swing on by and they'll take a "gander" at it for no charge. Several mins went by, found what was wrong, gave him my card for a cheap charge.
Make sure to ask for Edvin! He was really helpful and just seemed straight down-to-earth in explaining everything! -
Review from Heather A.
Cupertino, CA
7/29/2011
My husband had a great experience here! Robert was very thorough and took the time to evaluate at the beginning, something many auto repair companies forget until writing the bill. As a plus, the prices are very reasonable.
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Review from Michelle B.
Santa Clara, CA
5/31/2011
Robert has always taken excellent care of my car. Client satisfaction is huge for him. Robert takes the time to explain what he did and will show you with great patience the old parts, what caused the problem etc. His shop is so clean it looks like an OR and furthers my opinion that Robert is more of a auto surgeon than a meer mechanic. I trust Robert absolutely to give me a fair assessment an honest price and high quality labor. I would recommend Robert and this shop over the dealers who look at people with dollar signs in their eyeballs as soon as you drive up.
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Review from Emergencydpt.com e.
6/22/2010
Robert did the front brakes on my 2007 CLS550. My baby. I dropped the car off in the morning and it was done in the afternoon when I got off work. The total was $30 less than the estimate...and much less than the dealership. Rotors resurfaced instead of replaced since they were still within spec. Most places want to replace the rotors also.
Budget car rental a block away made for easy alternate transportation.
Robert was recomended by two of my coworkers and of course yelp. -
Review from Ruslan K.
San Jose, CA
1/18/2011
Completely different experience with Robert than all the other mechanics in the U.S. that I have been dealing with. No ridiculous diagnostic charges, honest opinion and awesome recommendations on fixing the problem. Robert could have just charged me $1400 for ABS module but he gave an excellent recommendation to rebuild it for the fraction of the cost and even showed me how to remove it. Hey Robert, once I'm done with this will send you a bottle of vodka :). Thanks man!!!
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Review from DJ B.
Mountain View, CA
3/17/2011
So not impressed by this guy! If nothing comes up on the "computer codes" there's nothing wrong with the car. Bullshit! There IS something wrong with my car so now I have to take it somewhere else and have someone actually FIX it. I will NEVER go back to this place again.
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Review from Aprileen C.
Palo Alto, CA
6/24/2011
Robert is an amazing, honest mechanic! I use to bring my BMW to the dealer only (because it was still under warranty) but I learned you don't pay for what you get & the dealer charges 2-3x more for the same parts/labor. I was recommend to Robert by Roshan who took his BMW M3 to him. My first visit was about 3 months ago when my ABS, transmission & engine sensors all went on at the same time. The dealer quoted me at over three grand with three issues. Robert simply reset the codes and had the philosophy "don't fix it unless it's broken". He ended up fixing one of the three issues and my BMW is still running as great as ever. I recently brought my BMW back to him this week to check out a rattling noise & break jerk. He did a test drive and told me the number of things it could be (CATS, transmission fluid, etc). He put my car on the lift only to discover nothing was wrong with my car. He took the time to diagnose it for FREE and explain to me the computer breaking system of newer BMW's. He also answered all my questions regarding future maintenance and quoted me on things I will need in the upcoming year (i.e. breaks, oil change, etc). I will definitely be back. That said, I highly recommend Laslo's Auto Repair to everyone who loves their car!
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Review from Scott P.
Menlo Park, CA
Laslo is fantastic. He used to do work on m Saab 900's years ago and even made a house call to fix a bad ignition module.
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Review from J D.
Mountain View, CA
8/6/2010
I took in my 2004 E320 wagon for routine maintenance (oil change). I bought the car used a year and a half ago and this was the 6th time it has been in the shop and the first time here. This is where I am taking it from now on.
Robert charged HALF what I paid for my last oil change AND gave the car a thorough inspection and showed me and my husband a couple of things that will need to be fixed in the future but gave us tips on other routine services to combine them with to save money. One thing would require dismantling a bunch of stuff that has to be done anyway at 100k miles so he said wait until then to save $300.
This is in stark contrast to the HONDA dealer who looked at our old Civic and was trying to tell us we needed thousands of dollars of work or the car was going to disinegrate (still going fine many months later) or the Mercedes Dealership I took this car to last year for a brake job that tried to get me to go ahead and do the oil change that was not due for thousands more miles (several months with the mileage I put on it!).
Really Robert should probably charge more for labor but I am glad he doesn't! Thanks Yelpers for helping me find this place! -
Review from DAN S.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2010
My car stalled on the freeway and I was towed to Laslo's late in the evening. Robert had already locked up when I arrived and was getting into his car to go home. he asked me if I had a problem and I told him that my car, a 2000 S430, was turning off while driving. He instantly knew what the problem was, a faulty crankshaft sensor, and did everything he could to show me exactly what was causing the problem. He told me that he would have the car ready in the afternoon on the next day. Then he took me to the train station, as it was too late to rent a car, and even offered me money for the ticket to get back to San Francisco. The next day my car was fixed and the price was way less than I expected. Robert was great and whatever service my car needs, he is going to be the guy to work on it. Honesty, great work, and great customer service.
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Review from Rajiv A.
Mountain View, CA
7/15/2008
Super service!!! I went there to get my car fixed a few times. Honesty is his middle name.
He wont rip you off for anything. -
Review from Bob M.
San Jose, CA
2/28/2011
Robert is possibly the nicest person, let alone mechanic, I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I took my Mercedes to him almost three years ago and I have never taken to anyone else since. I live 20 miles from this shop, yet I drive to Robert and leave the car for him to repair every time. Not only is he more than capable at taking care of everything my cars need he is also too cheap for what he does. Literally, I tell him every time he works on my car, "You don't charge enough for what you do." Whenever he works on my car it come back cleaner under the hood than when it went in. I tell all my friends with European cars to take them to Robert.
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Review from denise d.
Menlo Park, CA
11/29/2010
I highly recommend using Laslo's. Robert will thoroughly research the problem and fix your car according to what the book recommends. He does not use a short cut method is always so honest.
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Review from Ryan L.
Mountain View, CA
3/2/2011
good stuff. took the benz there yesterday for an oil change. great service.
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Review from devon d.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2010
after my usual volvo-only mechanic quoted me upwards of $3k for work that was 'immediately necessary' (brakes, timing belt, air mass meter), i thought i was at a decision point for my car (a 94, showing its age). i called robert at laslo's auto repair for a quote, and when his quote was about half that original price i thought it was worth bringing the car in.
robert is incredibly honest, and you can tell he loves working on cars. i explained to him all that was supposedly wrong with my car, and he said he would check it all over again. turns out the brakes did need replacing (but not the calipers as the volvo people said, which would have added several hundred dollars). the check engine light for the air mass meter was off since the volvo mechanic looked at it, and robert said it shouldn't be an issue unless the light came back on. the timing belt (the one the volvo mechanic was most insistent on) only had 50k miles on it - meaning there were 20-30k left - according to the sticker; when i pressured robert to see if the belt itself indicated more wear than is safe at this mileage, he assured me it was in fine shape for the miles it has on it already.
all of this really means that the total cost of the $3k diagnosis from the volvo mechanic turned out to be only $415 of actually necessary work, which robert was happy to point out to me. incredible. he actually saved all the old parts and showed me everything new, and even showed me in the engine where he had taken things apart to look at the timing belt.
not to mention, since i needed my car on a specific day and it took him longer than he thought to finish the car before, he stayed until 9pm to finish my car, and let me come pick it up then.
incredible service, a very honest diagnosis, and a trustworthy mechanic. i'll never bring my car anywhere else. -
Review from Peter A.
Menlo Park, CA
12/12/2005
Laslo was recommended to me from a guy who knows cars well. Laslo is high integrity and always does great work at a fair price.
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Review from Ekta A.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/29/2008
Robert is a great guy, he is good technically, he explains you in layman terms, and he is good at work.
