Does anyone think that women are the only ones that can multi task, if so come on down to Advanced Auto where things are ALWAYS shaking and moving and you will surely be proven wrong! From the moment you arrive you are greeted by a smile out of the corner of the owners mouth, a nod of the head, directives, as you are immediately told where to park your car while, coinciding, Ronnie Shoemaker, Master Mechanic, is finding solutions for his clientele, on the phone. Ronnie IS the Dr. Phil of Auto Mechanics, after all, how many mechanics do you know that have actually earned a degree in an accredited school? If you are wondering if Ronnie is a mechanic to be trusted, just sit in one of his comfy couches, have a cup of coffee and glance at all of the thank you cards that decorate the walls of His spiffy office with newly painted floors. Michelle, his "hottie" office manager is very pleasant and as well as Ronnie, always on the move. You really feel like you are a part of the family at Advanced Auto, heck, you can leave there with a new magnet for your frig, a new key chain and learn how to cook a new dish from one of Ronnie's current calendars', who do you know that has functional promo giveaways? Hey Ronnie, why don't you get some Advance Auto coffee cups? Last Wednesday, I was driving down the road, in the smoldering heat wave that was suppose to last a couple of days, turned on my A/C and nothing but warm air flowing from my vents, panicked because I had to chauffeur my friend that I had not seen in 29 years the following day, I was in trouble....so, I called Ronnie. "Bring the car in" he said "I will take a look at it" I pulled up, parked and was greeted with the infamous directive, moved my vehicle to the desired location and the activities began, my hood was popped open, car was turned on, A/C running on high, Ronnie, still working with a client on the phone , furiously looking for some blue gun, can't find it. Ronnie immediately ends the conversation with the client and dials his supplier and spouts, hey, can you bring a blah, blah, blah, gun down to the shop, "thanks" Ronnie replied. Within minutes the new Blue gun arrived, Ronnie humored the gentleman who delivered the A/C gun with his witticism and within minutes the gun with a can of something that had green goo oozing out of the opening, was attached to my air conditioner, solution in progress. Seconds passed when a green Subaru pulled up, a man and his wife stepped out of the car and in the flash of an eye, Ronnie was on it, looked at the tire that was immediately pulled out of the back of the Subaru, walked straight into Big O Tires and grabbed Jason, it was mind blowing, within five minutes of the Subaru's visit another solution was taking place it, it is almost surreal to watch. What I learned in this flurry of activities is that Ronnie Shoemaker specializes in Subaru; this along with the fact that Ronnie has been a trusted mechanic for years is the reason that this family had chosen Advanced Auto for all of their mechanical needs! A cup of coffee, a couple of really good laughs, a bit of education and A/C fixed for now, I was on my way, thank you Ronnie Shoemaker for always accommodating your customers, it is comforting to know that my car is always in good hands. Your work is applauded. Thank you. Stacie read more

Hi, this a couple questions directed towards AF in Santa Cruz. First let me state I have been a customer of advanced auto for over 20 years and I can't imagine not having Advance Auto for my car care. They are first and foremost honest, knowledgeable and explain the repairs on my car in layman's terms. And, if for some reason a repair goes wrong because of a faulty part or an honest mistake, they have always stood by their work and made it good. Now, I would like to ask the obviously upset, had a bad day, customer AF from Santa Cruz this 1) was your car at Advanced Auto for 5 days waiting for you fuel pump because it was not available locally because your car is an older model? 2) Did you confirm when you broke down and had your car towed that It was related to the fuel pump repair or something completely unrelated? I buy used vehicles and have found sometimes a repair is done and then instantly I have another unrelated repair on my car. Used and older cars are wonderful, especially if you can't afford a brand new car, but they do have a bit more maintenance because of high mileage. Lastly, I am sorry but I can't ever I imagine Ron at Advanced Auto to be dismissive to anyone because he was not there when your car was repaired. Ron takes full responsibility of all repairs in his shop good or bad. I hope you have had time to sit and reflect. read more

I've taken my car (older Honda) to Ron/Advanced Auto many times over the years. Every time I call instead of "Bring it in in three days" it's "Swing by now." There's never a wait, and they finish everything in a timely fashion, with great communication. This is both quick tune-ups/oil changes to larger repairs like broken radiator, timing belt replacement, etc. They always fix it right the first time, and don't try to upsell me on a bunch of unneeded stuff. There's trying to sell people parts/repairs they don't need, and then there's telling people "you've got another 5K miles on this part before it goes out so no rush but keep it in mind." Advanced Auto is always the latter, only telling me about things that are actually wearing down. Also, their estimates are always spot on, and sometimes under budget. It's hard to find a mechanic you can trust. Ron and his team do great repairs and have kept my car safe and operating for years. These days I live in San Francisco, but will not hesitate to bring my car to Advanced Auto if I am in town. read more

I grew up in a small town in New England where family didn't trust car mechanics so would always have a friend in the neighborhood come over and get the job done. Being a kid watching the guys scramble for where to get the parts for a decent price . . . . . . turn the repair into a drinking & extended family social gathering . . . and often times wait a week until my relatives (who looked and talked like the guys in Perfect Storm) came back from sea to get the repair started. Honestly Ron, Tyler and the hard working team are the first mechanics I have trusted since I left my home town few decades ago. Down to earth, talented, and they really do get the job done right the first time. This is my second car I have taken to them and highly recommend without a doubt. The place is efficient and the waiting area has super cool collections on walls. Besides always being super pleased with work done, and COST charged, I have no stress moving forward when something happens to my car because I know i am in the best hands. Thanks Advanced Auto! read more

3/14/17 My car is a 2000 Toyota which Ron has kept running for me for years. When I first went to him it was the letters on the wall from women saying THANK YOU RON that made me give him a try. I hit a deer on Graham Hill Rd. The deer ran off, I looked at my passenger side and front end. I'd hit it right on the corner which pushed the panel over the tire in & down and fracture the light panel. I could tell I could still drive so off I went to Ron and the great guys at Advanced Auto. I was shaking all the way. Ron looked at it and said he could bang the panel back out, tie everything together and get me back on the road. He could see I was shaking, told me to go inside drink some water and sit. He was so calm and informative that when he went back into his shop I almost cried. I drove it home after he did the oil change which I knew was overdue and gave my car a once over. All done with care for me, the car and at a reasonable price. I love these guys. Rosemary read more

Ron and the entire crew at Advanced Auto are incredible. My girlfriend who has been bringing her car to Advanced Auto for a few years now, has always spoke highly of them, and about how honest they are. She always came back feeling good about what needed to be done or not done to her car. So I decided to take my car in to them when my clutch got fried... :(. I needed my car back in 2 days, as I was headed for a camping trip that week. Ron assured me that they could do this. While fixing my car they saw that my car had a coolant leak and fixed that as well. I got my car back in two days and it has been driving like a new car ever since. Tyler who works the front desk is unbelievably friendly and super helpful over the phone. In summary if you are looking for service that is: Honest Fairly priced Amazingly efficient and Detail oriented You should go to Advanced Auto! Thanks Ron and the crew! read more

We were from out of town, visiting Santa Cruz for a few days when the check engine light and a flashing brake light came on in our 2013 Subaru. This happened on a Friday afternoon, so timing was a concern for us. Previously, we had spent six months working with the service department of our local Subaru dealership to address issues with the radiator hoses, radiator, head gasket, etc. The dealership service was expensive, and we still didn't know if our car was completely fixed. Ron was brilliant! He was recommended to us by a friend and truly put our minds at ease. He spent time reviewing and clearing the error codes and testing the vehicle to ensure it was running well. He also guided us on how to interpret the check engine lights if they reappeared on our journey home. Remarkably, he did all of this and then insisted on not charging us! We really appreciated the service he provided! read more

Simply and sweetly: GO HERE FIRST Had a diagnostic done on AC from another agency which recommended a complete air condition system replacement. $1,500,00. Didn't feel right about that because of some things that were said and not said so went on UTUBE, learned as much as I could and called several other local shops for a second opinion. Settled on Ron at Advanced Auto because of his straight forward manner and five star yelps. Dropped off the car in the early afternoon, got it back a few hours later with second diagnosis done to find the system just needed to be recharged and an O ring replaced. $180.00. Went around the corner to the tire store did the first incomplete and incorrect diagnosis and retrieved my money. $149.00. Motto: Don't go to a tire store for an air conditioning analysis.... read more

I have been to Advanced Auto twice this month. The first time I dropped in with an almost flat tire and did not know why. The guys there were very helpful and not only put air in tires but checked the cars fluids! Since I had never been there before I was amazed by the friendliness and care. I came back a few days later to have my car thoroughly check over for any possibly problems. Again I met with friendly and helpful guys who made sure I got a ride home. Ron called me with the news I needed brakes and that it could be done that day! That saved me time with out a car! I got my car at the end of the day and drove away feeling confident that I had great brakes and paid a fair price for great work. I have recommended Advanced Auto to all my friends and family! Kathy A read more

I took my car in for service. when the mechanic came back from a test drive he was talking on his cell phone as he drove up. it was a long test drive. and the guy was talking on his cell phone while driving my car. when he parked and got out he was still on his phone and ignored me- I was standing there waiting for him. pretty nervy. not sure how he can be focused on "test driving" a car when he's on his cell. not to mention it's against the law!!!. hope his employer has good insurance. The guy at the front desk was suppose to get back to me with prices for quite a bit of work. He never called! When I called to check they made an excuse and said they would get back to me... surprise... they never did! read more

Ron is a honest mechanic! I was needing new brakes and took my car to another shop to get them inspected. I got a call estimating that the work on my car would cost $4,400, due to rust on my vehicle. I was obviously very concerned and frustrated. I called Advanced Auto and talked to Ron, telling him my predicament. He scoffed at the price I was quoted and told me to come in and get a brake inspection that day. He checked my brakes, calipers, and pistons. He also walked me around my vehicle explaining what he was doing. After the inspection he fixed my brakes and literally saved me THOUSANDS of dollars. THANK YOU! I will always go back when I have car troubles and always recommend Advanced Auto. read more

Ron, Thank you to you & the crew at Advanced Auto for getting my daughters Ford Explorer driver seat taken care of last Thursday 6/11/15. I was visiting from Washington and had just a little time to get the job done myself, you solved the problem. A great price of the used seat,(great condition) installed and back on the road in an hour. My daughter was ecstatic, after dealing with a bad seat back for the last year. A Happy daughter makes a Happy Dad!! We'll be seeing you for all of her Ford Explorer service needs in the future, and will always recommend your shop to all her friends and parents in the Santa Cruz coastal area. Thank you for a great experience. A Very Happy Dad. read more

Ron goes above and beyond for his customers. I am a single mom who was moving across country and I decided to take my 10+ year old car to be serviced. So I brought it in to advanced auto to have him check it over. He did the work that needed to be done and gave me a fair price on it. The thing that really made me sad that I was no longer going to be in the area to use his shop anymore was that he called me and followed up after I had made the long trek across the country. When do you see customer service like that these days? Thanks Ron, you guys are the best! read more

Ron and his staff do it again; saved me time, money and a lot of stress by doing a great job on my car and getting me out in time for my appointment. Ron reminds me of a great conductor of an orchestra. He moves between clients, phones, staff and cars confidently, giving each his attention in turn with a word, a nod, a suggestion, an order. I know why my daughter tries to schedule her trips up from L.A. when her car needs some sort of service. I am very grateful for the great service each time. read more

Trust and competence. Advanced Auto delivers both in spades. Despite being constantly busy, Ron communicates so well with you that you have the confidence that the work he's recommending is exactly what's needed, and that it will be done properly. We've trusted our cars to him for several years now and have always had an excellent experience. The work is done on time, at a reasonable cost and with great quality. We give Ron and the crew at Advanced Auto our very highest recommendation. read more

Ron and his team have been readily available on last minutes notice to help me with my car. I have an older car that always seems to have some little thing happening. The light going on for this or that, a strange noise, a loose gas cap. They are affordable and always take me right away and figure out the problem pronto. additionally they are just plain nice, honest, people. You will not regret going to this shop. read more

Ron at Advanced Auto is the best Auto repair shop in Santa Cruz hands down. Our vehicles are our most important tool. Being a local contractor we use our vans and trucks everyday for work. Not only does Ron get them out and back to work on the same day but he uses only the best parts not the cheaper parts that other shops use. If you are looking for an honest mechanic that knows his stuff look no further. read more

My headlight diffusers were old and cloudy, allowing little light. Replacements were quoted at about $400. for the set. Ron at Advanced said he could clean them up almost like new for about $110.00 for both. I was shocked and very please with the results. Ron saved me so much money, I took my wife's car in also, and it too looks great. Thanks Advanced Auto. read more

Unbelievable service and quality! Utterly professional, and couldn't get better customer service. Nice to know the small shops still exist. Need an honest mechanic...Ron is your man. They go out of their way to take care of you, give you a ride if you need one, and explain everything in a way you can understand it. They are the very best!!! read more