Car care, dealers and service in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a good place to own a car without loving one. Almost everything you need for routine upkeep sits on two corridors. Embarcadero Road just east of Highway 101 has a cluster of franchise dealers. El Camino Real in south Palo Alto has more dealers plus the tire, oil change and rental counters. A few independent shops and a smog station fill in the gaps. Electric car owners have more public chargers than in most cities this size.

This guide lists the businesses in our directory by type, with links to their full pages. It also covers the state's smog rules, EV charging and how to get rid of used oil and old batteries. We do not rate shops. Ask for a written estimate before any repair and check a shop's state license, which takes a minute online.

Dealers and showrooms

Embarcadero Road

Three franchise dealers sit side by side on Embarcadero Road between Highway 101 and the Baylands:

• Mercedes-Benz of Palo Alto, 1700 Embarcadero Road, part of Swickard Auto Group. It sells and services passenger cars, the Mercedes-EQ electric range and Sprinter vans.
• Audi Palo Alto, 1730 Embarcadero Road, with service from 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and on Saturday mornings.
• Anderson Honda, 1766 Embarcadero Road, a family-owned dealer that says it has served Bay Area drivers since 1997.

South El Camino Real and San Antonio Road

The other cluster sits on El Camino Real near Arastradero Road, with the Toyota dealer a short drive away on San Antonio Road:

• Tesla, 4180 El Camino Real, a combined showroom and service center.
• Volvo Cars Palo Alto, 4190 El Camino Real, with new, certified and used cars and weekday service from 7:30 a.m.
• McLaren San Francisco, 4192 El Camino Real. Despite the name, it is in Palo Alto.
• Magnussen's Toyota of Palo Alto, 690 San Antonio Road, with a service center, parts counter and Rent A Toyota.

Mall showrooms

Two electric carmakers have spaces at Stanford Shopping Center. The Tesla store near Neiman Marcus handles questions and demo drives. Rivian's space lets you sit in the R1T and R1S and book a demo drive. Neither does repairs. Tesla's long history in town is told on our Tesla in Palo Alto page.

Repair, tires and oil changes

Dealers handle warranty work and recalls for their brands. For everything else, these independent and chain shops are in our directory:

Say Ray says it has served the Bay Area since 1959. Its short week matters: it lists Monday to Thursday hours and is closed Friday through Sunday. America's Tire belongs to Discount Tire, which uses the America's Tire name in some regions. Jiffy Lube's Palo Alto store is a franchise.

Checking a shop's license

California requires auto repair shops and smog stations to hold licenses from the Bureau of Automotive Repair, part of the Department of Consumer Affairs. You can look up any shop by name or license number on the Department of Consumer Affairs license search. The bureau also takes complaints if a repair goes wrong. State law gives you the right to a written estimate before work starts, so ask for one and keep it.

Smog checks

The state requires a smog inspection for many vehicles when you register or renew. The California DMV's smog inspection page lists the main exemptions: electric vehicles, gasoline vehicles from model year 1975 or older and gasoline vehicles less than eight model years old. Owners of those newer cars pay a smog abatement fee instead. Diesel vehicles from 1997 or older are exempt too. Your renewal notice tells you whether a check is due.

In Palo Alto, the Bureau of Automotive Repair lists Palo Alto Shell at 2200 El Camino Real as a Smog Station, Test and Repair, with a license valid through June 30, 2027. A test and repair station can inspect the car and fix it if it fails, which saves a second trip. If your notice says you need a STAR station, use the Bureau of Automotive Repair's smog check page to find one, since not every station qualifies. The Car Doctor Tire Pros does not mention smog checks on its website, so call before you go if you hoped to combine jobs.

Moving from another state? Registration rules for new residents are on our DMV offices and IDs page.

Car washes and fuel

Auto Pride Car Wash at 841 El Camino Real, close to Town & Country Village, is the car wash in our directory. It sells an exterior-only wash and three full-service tiers that add interior vacuuming, glass cleaning and coatings. Each tier comes as a single wash or an unlimited monthly plan, which you sign up for in person. It also runs a detail center by appointment. Chevron fuel is sold on site. The chain says it recycles its wash water. It posts hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or dusk, so arrive early on winter afternoons. Combine the stop with errands at Town & Country Village.

For fuel at odd hours, the Shell at 1161 Embarcadero Road lists its station and convenience store as open 24 hours. The Palo Alto Shell on El Camino Real lists its fuel pumps as open 24 hours too.

Rentals and loaners

If your car is in the shop for days, ask the dealer about a loaner first. Otherwise, three rental counters are in town:

• Avis and Budget, sharing an office at 4230 El Camino Real, with weekday hours and short weekend mornings.
• Hertz, 816 San Antonio Road, weekdays only.
• Rent A Toyota at Magnussen's Toyota, 690 San Antonio Road.

For a single trip, a robotaxi or rideshare can be cheaper than a rental day. Our robotaxis and rideshare guide explains what operates here.

Charging an electric car

Electric cars are common in Palo Alto. The city runs 121 public charging ports at 10 sites, mostly in its downtown and California Avenue garages, plus libraries and the Junior Museum. Tesla runs Superchargers downtown on Bryant Street and at Stanford Shopping Center. Our EV charging guide has the full list, the city's price per kilowatt hour and etiquette tips.

For charging at home, City of Palo Alto Utilities runs programs for residents. Its EV charging at home page explains rebates, including help when a home charger needs a bigger electric service. Older houses often need panel work first. Our utilities guide covers time-of-use rates, which make midday charging cheapest.

Used oil, batteries and tires

Car fluids never go in any trash cart. The city's Household Hazardous Waste Station at 2501 Embarcadero Way accepts motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline in a non-returnable container, car batteries and brake cleaners from Palo Alto residents. It is open every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. and the first Friday of each month from 3 to 5 p.m. Our household hazardous waste guide has the full rules.

On your Clean Up Day, you can also leave used motor oil at the curb in the clear one-gallon screw-top container that GreenWaste provides. Old tires can be collected for a fee outside Clean Up Day. When a tire shop replaces your tires, it usually takes the old ones, often for a disposal fee. Check the line on your receipt.

Frequently asked questions