Our Mission
Affordable, Honest, Customer Friendly
The cars we focus on require specialized tools that most independant shops can't afford. We are always purchasing new tools, programs, and scanners to ensure we can fix your car timely and properly.
CUSTOMERSATISFACTION
We strive for 100% customer satisfaction or your money back. We pride ourselves in making sure your vehicle is performing as it should.
We are professionals - let us do what we do best for people like you, so you can do what you do best for people like us.
Management Team
Chris grew up in Europe where he learned how to repair European automobiles at the age of 16. He was taught by professional technicians and studied at an automotive college.
Chris has a life long passion for cars and has spent many years training to become the best at what he does.
In the early 1980's he worked in West Germany as an auto technician for Audi, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen.
Upon arriving to the United States in the late 1980's, Chris opened European Motors repair shop in California knowing he could perform affordable and accurate repairs for customers.
Chris specializes in the repair of fine European automobiles.
 OVERALL RATING:  (4.9) - Based on 35 Reviews |
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5.0 star rating |
| Johanna M. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 8/3/2021 |
My mother went to Chris for over 12 years with her Audi and I starting taking my Mercedes to him 9 years ago after trying many different shops. He is so talented, helpful, honest and does a great job all around. His prices were equal to or lower than other shops I had tried and I really liked him. He has saved me numerous times when my car broke down and I had to get the car to the shop right away. He is flexible when I need to bring the car in for regular maintenance and can usually get me in within a couple of days. I would recommend anyone to him. I just got a new car (well new for me, a 2018 BMW) and I will continue to use Chris for all my needed work and maintenance. He is awesome!
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5.0 star rating |
| Matt S. | ||
| San Francisco, CA, 5/7/2021 |
I was referred to European Motors about 4-5 years ago and have been a customer ever since.
I am very particular about my cars so I usually do my own maintenance and rarely trust anyone else with them. That being said, when I leave my vehicles with Chris, I know that they are in the very best of care. He uses OEM parts, has very reasonable pricing and gives timely, honest advice.
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5.0 star rating |
| Jordan M. | ||
| Menlo Park, CA, 8/6/2020 |
We've been taking our Q5 to Chris for several years now. Always super honest, reasonably priced and does a quality job. Really happy to find a dependable mechanic that we trust and will absolutely continue to use him.
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5.0 star rating |
| Peter P. | ||
| Redwood City, CA, 8/10/2019 |
Had my Audi serviced here recently. Chris was great as always: fast in diagnosing the problem, thoroughly explaining what and why to fix, and performing the repair quickly using OEM parts. His expertise, attention to detail, and passion for European cars is hard to find elsewhere. My car runs as new, thanks to Chris! I have been going to European Motors for 7 years with multiple cars, and will continue to do so.
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5.0 star rating |
| Jonathan F. | ||
| Milpitas, CA, 6/19/2019 |
Took my Maserati for an oil change. Great service and conversation. Pricing was fractions compared to dealer.
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5.0 star rating |
| Eric L. | ||
| Redwood City, CA, 6/7/2019 |
Chris was wonderful and a lot of help with my Audi.he know his stuff.thanks Chris. Eric
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5.0 star rating |
| Alexandre G. | ||
| San Francisco, CA, 6/6/2019 |
Great experience! Highly recommended. Chris fixed faulty electronics in my Audi A5 within a day, with great customer service, and charged me 1/3 (yes, one third!) of what a local Audi dealership quoted. Thank you, Chris.
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5.0 star rating |
| Matthew S. | ||
| Cambridge, MA, 8/6/2018 |
I'm very happy with Chris and his European Motors shop. I bought a used Audi A3 that had several mystery issues that Chris was able to fix. He has been very fair with his pricing and always respectful in his interactions with me. Recently he was extremely dedicated, helpful, and responsive in getting my car going for a drive across the country. If I were still in California there would be no question that I'd continue to work with Chris and his European Motors shop. Very grateful for his taking care of my car, I trust his work and offer him my highest recommendation.
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5.0 star rating |
| Greg L. | ||
| Los Gatos, CA, 2/26/2018 |
Asked Chris at European Motors to help me with my 76 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. The car is old and for a long time wasn't properly maintained. Chris was able to find and fix engine oil leak which was bothering me for a long time. During second visit he found and fixed vacuum leak which caused huge loss of engine power. I'm planning to book another visit to European Motors with my Rolls since I trust Chris a lot after two successful repairs. Thank you!
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5.0 star rating |
| Ginni V. | ||
| Redwood City, CA, 2/22/2017 |
Chris is great! My mother has been taking her Mercedes ML350 to Chris for 5+ years. I've inherited the Mercedes and now I will only take it to European Motors for repair & maintenance. Chris's prices are extremely fair. He's quick and professional and honest. He really knows his stuff. Best European auto shop in the Bay!
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5.0 star rating |
| Marcel N. | ||
| Redwood City, CA, 1/6/2016 |
As soon as you step in to the shop you immediately know that your car is in the best hands .. exceptional craftsmanship .. thanks Chris!
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5.0 star rating |
| Maggie Z. | ||
| Los Gatos, CA, 11/2/2014 |
Outstanding service!!! Every time I bring my BMV in Chris is excellent in providing the care my car needs. He is really good in finding problems and fixing them in timely manner. I'm always recommending him to people. Thank you Chris!
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5.0 star rating |
| Christopher R. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 10/31/2014 |
European Motors was highly recommended to me by a good friend and I am so grateful for his recommendation. i first brought my Mercedes to Chris about three years ago and not only is he a great guy, but also very professional and very trustworthy.
It is sad these days that so many car service businesses fleece their customers by charging for unnecessary work, but Chris is an honest guy who charges very reasonable rates. In fact, on quite a few occasions, the cost of his service has been less than the estimate which is a rare occurrence elsewhere. There has never been an occasion where I have had to bring the car back because of poor servicing.
My car is eight years old now with 120,000 miles. As long as Chris tends to the maintenance and any repairs, I know that I can add on another 100,000 miles.
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5.0 star rating |
| Phil T. | ||
| San Francisco, CA, 10/24/2014 |
Not sure why my first review did not get posted. So this is a rewrite. Chris has been working on my '04 Audi S4 for the last several years. Being one of the last Audi S4 wagons, I wanted to make all work was done properly to keep it running. I'm now at 160K miles and it is still running as solid as ever. My car is tuned for performance, ECU programming, exhaust, brakes and aftermarket suspension. I care very much about how the car is running and have been to a few performance and specialist shops.
Chris is without a doubt one of the best mechanics I've met. Honest to a fault and always willing to accommodate. Quality of work is as good as it gets. He always insist on OEM or better replacement parts, and provides no nonsense advice on what my car needed and when it should be done.
If you want it done right. Go see Chris.
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5.0 star rating |
| Innopulse I. | ||
| Los Gatos, CA, 10/23/2014 |
Truly first class service. Chris new right away what my Mercedes needed to run as good as new. He was able to fix it the same day using genuine Mercedes parts. Great personalized service at a fraction of the cost
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5.0 star rating |
| brian t. | ||
| San Jose, CA, 2/18/2014 |
I take my A3 to Chris and I couldn't be happier. He is always willing to work around my schedule. My Audi always comes home freshly washed. Honest mechanic, which is refreshing. Good pricing.
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5.0 star rating |
| Major G. | ||
| Portola Valley, CA, 12/14/2013 |
Have no doubts. Take your car to European Motors. They work on BOTH my 2010 VW TDI and my '73 Alpha Spyder. Chris and his team are exactly the kind of people you want working on your car and exactly the kind of people you want to do business with. They do great work at a reasonable price.
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5.0 star rating |
| Jesper J. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 8/10/2013 |
For the last 5 years I have taken my Audi RS6 and Audi S6 Avant to Chris for repairs and service. The service is outstanding and personal. I tried 2 authorized dealers in the area first but found that if I want 100% HONESTY and GUARANTEES, this is the only place where I get it. My cars always got back to me in perfect condition (and I drive them both very hard so I need to count on the work being done to them).
As long as I live in the Bay Area, Chris will be my mechanic for life!!!
Thanks Chris!
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5.0 star rating |
| Ruby Dee T. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 7/18/2013 |
Just picked up my 2001 Passat, and couldn't be more pleased with the experience I had with Chris and European Motors. Needed a new fuel pump and sensor, and I saved $500 from what was quoted to me by the dealer. Plus, he kindly threw in some freebies. So professional and qualified! Assuming my car has problems in the future (and it will, let's be realistic), I'll be back! Thanks again, Chris!
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5.0 star rating |
| Lina L. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 4/5/2013 |
Chris keeps my car running great. Have been taking my VW Eurovan there since I moved to the Bay Area and have had reliable, dependable service that has been trouble-free with no hassle and no haggle honest repair work.
There's no need to take my car elsewhere or to the dealer. Have taken my car elsewhere when Chris was busy with some regrets. Chris takes good care of his clients and takes pride in doing high quality work.
Have recommended him to friends looking for a trustworthy and well-trained mechanic.
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5.0 star rating |
| susan m. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 2/7/2013 |
I have been going to chris for 10 years.. I could not be a happier customer!
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5.0 star rating |
| Terence N. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 8/7/2012 |
I have been coming here for all my repairs and maintenance services on my Audi since 2011. Chris is trustworthy and reliable. He always gives honest advice and never charges me misc. items, like light bulb.
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5.0 star rating |
| Jean M | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 7/6/2012 |
Another lovely interaction with this business a couple of weeks ago--he refused to charge me anything for changing a light bulb (even though it wasn't easy to get to). Chris takes excellent care of his customers. I'm so happy to have found him.
1 Previous Review:
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3/6/2012
I'm very pleased to have found Chris. He takes great care of my car, makes everything as convenient as possible, and charges reasonable prices. It's a privilege to do business with him.
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5.0 star rating |
| S R. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 4/25/2012 |
Chris Zygadto is one of those one-in-a-million really HONEST (not to mention a master at his craft) mechanics - he's been taking care of my Porsche for the past nine years now and I couldn't be happier. He does great work at very reasonable rates - far better than what dealers (or for that matter most other European shops) charge.
I wish he worked on late model Honda's too (our other 'practical' car) - then I still wouldn't be looking for another mechanic just like Chris (and I HAVE looked)...
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| Pat Y. | ||
| Mountain View, CA, 12/27/2011 |
Took my dad's car to Chris this morning (Dec 27, 2011), apparently, Wheelworks can't figure out the issue with the Check Engine light.
Chris (the owner) told me it will be fixed THIS YEAR (meaning.. this week)
Nice! Thanks Chris, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
3 Previous Reviews:
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5/21/2010
Good Service
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5/5/2010
Called Chris (Owner at European Motors) at 4pm to ask whether he is available for an oil service for my 2001 BMW 530i (77532 miles). He said yes. Stopped by at 430pm. Went to San Mateo downtown (2.5 blocks away) for a starbucks coffee. 508pm, received a call from Chris saying the car is ready (Oil Service) is done.
I saw him using original BMW oil .. (usually, I have no clue what people put into my car). What else do you want more? This is THE place for BMW.........unless you want to pay more at the dealership (they might throw in a carwash for free)
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3/25/2010
From my experience, European Motors has very competitive price as compared to dealership (BMW & Porsche) as well as other "local" places that specializes in BMW repairs.
I can drop off my car, and see the parts being replaced and the new ORIGINAL parts being added to my car.
Good Service, Good Price, Friendly owner (Chris), what else more do you want. Speedy Service too.
If you have a BMW, unless you are under the 4 year 50K warranty, this is the place to bring your car for service. (Service I, Service II, brake work, tire work)
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| Roberto N. | ||
| Hayward, CA 12/21/2011 |
The owner, Chris is extremely friendly, honest, efficient, and he will not get you disappointed. His work is awesome, extremely detail and can be done in record time depending on his schedule and the car issues of course.
Chris can answer all your question and fixed everything related to BMW, VW or MBenz. Also, the prices here are very reasonable and you will save a lot of money in compare to any European dealer.
He is my Mechanic and have kept the car running for 6 years now. Chris's awesome!.
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| dina r. | ||
| Montara, CA 9/12/2011 |
Have a 99 Audi A4 that I want to keep on the road for many more years. After taking it to another local shop and dumping loads of cash into it, I was referred to Chris by a pal. I am so glad... turned out to be some issues that were fixed, for over 1200.00 cheaper than quoted by other mechanic I had been using. I will remain a customer of Chris' in the future. Thanks Chris!
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| tomek h. | ||
| San Bruno, CA , 6/3/2011 |
I use Chris service for over 10 years, he is taking care of my 2000 Volvo S-80, my 1994 850, my wife Toyota Echo & cars of our friends, we are very satisfied and happy motorist, all cars are service or fixed on time washed gratis, in case of longer repair Chris supply with rent a car He is very honest, prices are lower than the competition, my S-80 has 267000 mil, the 850 over 240000, and Echo 186550 trouble free, He is another hard working Polish, good luck
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| Liz R. | ||
| San Mateo, CA , 3/4/2011 |
I just had my 40,000 mile check up done on my VW GTI I.8T 04, the dealerships in the area quoted me $550 plus, and Chris at European Motors did it for $450, included car wash too! :) Very friendly and honest service. My fiance was with me and his rear light had gone out in his VW CC and Chris fixed it for free! I highly recommend this business and plan to use it for all further service on my VW.
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| Gilbert Nolly A. | ||
| Daly City, CA , 2/24/2011 |
Hello everyone, my is gilbert and I recently took my 03 A4 to European Motors for timing belt relplacement and major tune up. I met Chris whom by the way a great and honest. Chris is very talented, smart, and fair when it comes to his customer. He values them and doesn't rip them off unlike other shops outhere who likes to screw you up and charge you tons of money for a simple work like (check engine light on the dash) . Come, check it out and see it for yourself.
Keep up the good work buddy and see you later,
Gilbert
Suisun City
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| Nick N. | ||
| Pacifica, CA, 9/1/2010 |
Don't waste any money and time at VW dealer for maintenance. Just call Chris with European Motors and he's gonna take care of everything. His service is much more reliable as he fixed the problem that the dealer couldn't even figure out. He is honest and does excellent work at reasonable price. Highly recommended if you have European car.
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| i. o. | ||
| San Francisco, CA, 7/6/2010 |
I have an '87 BMW that is not quite "vintage" (yet) but is still considered "high mileage" (haha!) .... and thus needs "extra" TLC to keep her running smoothly!
I used to take it to Phaedrus BMW, and while they were very good with the basic care, they were very expensive and in a few cases, not particularly thorough.
Enter Chris, who gave me an honest evaluation of my car, found potential (long term) problem areas that Phaedrus BMW had overlooked. I was only getting my brakes fixed and was grateful for the "catch". Now I take my car to him regularly and have been very happy with Chris' no-pressure, easy going service!
5 Stars!
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| Rebecca O. | ||
| San Francisco, CA, 7/5/2010 |
Chris at European Motors has been taking care of my beloved TT in addition to my family's cars for the last several years. He is honest and does excellent work. His prices are fair and he generally costs less than the competition, and always significantly less than the dealer. He consistently provides accurate estimates and meets his completion time frames. He often includes nice extras that a bigger shop would typically offer, such as washing my car before returning it or covering the cost of a rental car when I've had to leave my car with him for extended repairs. I recommend him very highly for anyone wanting to give their German engineered auto a little TLC, whilst not going broke in the process.
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| walter n. | ||
| San Mateo, CA, 5/5/2010 |
I am amazed at the thoroughness Chris performs his work with. He is knowledgeable and well trained in European repair as well as Repairs on my old Toyota pick-up truck. I have had European Motors maintain several cars for me including my Classic 1974 2002tii BMW. I recently purchased a used BMW and am going to have Chris check it out.
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| Zhanna L. | ||
| Redwood City, CA, 5/21/2007 |
Cheaper then the dealer.