Our Story
Four Generations. One Family Name.
The Kuroda story in Hawaiʻi began with Toyoichi Kuroda, who came to the Islands from Japan and built a life for his family here.
In 1938, he established Kuroda Chevron on Kamehameha Highway in ʻAiea. What began as a service station and auto repair business would evolve over the decades into Kuroda Autobody.
Today, the Kuroda automotive tradition spans four generations, carrying forward a family business that has been part of Hawaiʻi for nearly 90 years.
A Legacy Beyond the Business.
The Kuroda family story is also part of a larger Hawaiʻi story. Four of Toyoichi’s seven sons served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Among them was Robert Toshio Kuroda, a Farrington High School graduate who volunteered to serve with the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
On October 20, 1944, Staff Sergeant Kuroda was killed in action near Bruyères, France. He was just 21 years old. For his extraordinary bravery in battle, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
More than seven decades later, Robert’s story took an extraordinary turn.
In 2021, a military historian searching the forests near Bruyères discovered a high school class ring buried in the earth. Inscribed inside was a name: R. Kuroda.
It was the Farrington High School class ring Robert had carried with him to war. After nearly 80 years in France, the ring was returned to the Kuroda family in Hawaiʻi, a remarkable connection between Robert’s life here and the place where he made the ultimate sacrifice.
His legacy lives on in other ways as well. Kuroda Field at Fort DeRussy in Waikīkī bears his name, honoring his courage and service.
Robert was one of four Kuroda brothers who served. Ronald survived the war and received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in Italy. Wallace served with the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion in Hawaiʻi, while Joseph, the youngest, entered the Army near the war’s end and later became an Army Reserve colonel and Hawaiʻi state senator.
From Service Station to Collision Repair.
In the years that followed, the next generation of the Kuroda family carried the automotive business forward. The family’s roots in service and repair evolved into Kuroda Autobody, which became a familiar presence in ʻAiea, across from the Sumida watercress farm.
As Oʻahu’s communities grew westward and vehicles became more sophisticated, Kuroda grew with them, eventually moving to a larger, modern facility in Waipiʻo and continuing to invest in the people, training and technology needed to repair the vehicles of each new generation.
Some Things Never Change.
Nearly 90 years after Toyoichi began the family business, the third and fourth generations of the Kuroda family are carrying it forward.
The shop looks very different. Vehicles have become more sophisticated. Repair technology has changed dramatically.
But the values haven’t.
“Do it right. Treat people with respect. Take care of your employees. Take care of your customers.”
The Kuroda Way
Do It Right. Treat People Right.
Those values aren’t simply part of our history. They shape the way we work every day.
For our customers, that means quality workmanship, clear communication, honest guidance and doing everything we can to make an unexpected situation easier. For our employees, it means creating a workplace built on respect, teamwork and pride in what we do.
Many of our customers have trusted Kuroda for generations, while members of our team have built careers here spanning decades, including employees who have been with us for nearly 40 years.
Because when you take care of people, they take care of each other, and the work reflects it.
A Modern Collision Center
Built for Today’s Vehicles.
Kuroda Autobody’s 28,000-square-foot facility in Waipiʻo was designed from the ground up for professional collision repair. Spacious, clean and highly organized, it gives our technicians the environment and resources needed to meet Kuroda’s high standards for quality.
Dedicated areas support every stage of the repair process, with advanced collision repair and refinishing equipment throughout. Our secure lot keeps vehicles safely stored while in our care. And with easy freeway access, Kuroda conveniently serves drivers from ʻAiea, Pearl City, Waipiʻo, Waikele, Waipahu, Koa Ridge and Mililani, as well as communities across Oʻahu.
For our customers, it all adds up to a professional, efficient repair experience designed to keep work moving smoothly and get you back on the road.
Environmental Responsibility
Doing Our Part.
Kuroda was the first collision repair facility in Hawaiʻi to convert to a waterborne auto refinishing system. Our Sikkens Autowave® paint system delivers the quality and performance we expect while substantially reducing VOC emissions compared with conventional automotive paint.
That commitment extends throughout our facility. Our rooftop photovoltaic system produces clean solar electricity, while we recycle metal, aluminum, cardboard and reusable paint materials whenever possible.
For us, doing the job right also means doing our part to take care of the place we call home.
Why Kuroda
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