Battery and alternator crapped out so I ended up coming here. They replaced both quickly and at a reasonable price. Even Tyler was even nice enough to give me a ride back to work while the car was in repair! read more

Finally, after 67 years as a Santa Cruz resident, I have found my repair shop. Until arthritis consumed my 86 year-old body, I worked on my own cars, mostly Corvettes. Unfortunately, many local shops are just not honest. My problem was the fuel vapor canister would only allow about half a tank of fuel. A common problem. Was referred to Ron at Advanced Auto by a friend, and words cannot express my gratitude. Ron allowed me to provide the replacement canister. HIs tech, Curtis, replaced the vapor canister, went to a gas station to fill the tank with fuel to confirm the problem was solved. Not only did I receive courteous, professional service at a great price, but was offered a ride home from the shop, and a return ride to retrieve the car. Advanced Auto has a Water St. address, but the shop is not visible from the street. It will be worth your time to seek out this shop to solve your auto problems. I could not be more pleased to have found Advanced Auto. read more

I killed my starter late Sunday night just as I was about to head home to San Luis Obispo. I found Advanced Auto on here and was impressed by the other reviews so I decided to give them a shot. I had my car towed in bright and early Monday morning, and Ron and Tyler were friendly, knowledgeable, and got me back on the road within three hours from opening despite being absolutely slammed with other work. I wish I were local so I could take my car back here and have them give it a good inspection to look for and repair any other issues. Since I'm not local I hope I'll never need to come back, but if I do break down in town again I will absolutely give Advanced Auto my business! read more

Ron is a great guy! Really enjoyed my experience with him. Honest, straightforward, proficient, and experienced.

This shop saved me. My van broke down in front of Rons shop. He noticed me and came out to check and see if he could help. He confirmed I needed a new fuel pump so he told me he'll do it no prob. He pushed my van to his shop. Did his mechanical genius and realized I needed a new wiring harness also cuz get this. The one I had had burnt out. I was riding around in a death trap. I didn't know. He fixed that also. Called me to let me know. And was almost as mad as I was about the situation. Wow. He still fixed it in the deadline he told me and for damn near the same price just a bit more cuz of extra parts. You helped me Ron thank you. I would recommend this shop to anyone. Quick reliable work for a good price from a great mechanic. Mer. read more

You guys got the job done for me with installed parts I supplied including the trans . The original quote was $550 and I paid over $1000 when I checked out . The price wasn't that bad but next time please quote more accurately especially since I supplied all parts. I would also like to be called when my car is finished or at least be notified when it may be finished . Rons mechanic is solid and everything is correct , overall I would have rated higher , but 3 stars , good work but quote was way off . Just tell me how much next time lol still thanks for the good work on my car read more

"Go see Ron." The best! Advanced Auto is always my go-to place for maintenance and repair for my Mazda. They are always careful and conscientious with my car repairs. read more

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED !!!!! Did I get your attention? Good because this is important. If you value your ride, then Advanced Auto is where you should be taking your car. Advanced Auto is a great business. The owner is a locally grown -family man who understands that people have families and/or jobs and really depend on their transportation. He is honest about diagnostics and will discuss the necessities vs. the, 'you can wait a little longer to replace that.' Advanced Auto is respectful and flexible about turnaround time. I've referred 4 good friends over the years. I discovered that 3 other friends are long time Advanced Auto enthusiasts. Advanced Auto took great care of my ol' granny Ford. Ron and his loyal crew, kept her chugging along for as long as I could afford to. Then recommended when it was time to let her go. He kept my Subaru and me happy for the past 9 years. It was really sad day when I was rear-ended and my Subaru was put to rest. How often does your mechanic console you for losing the car you loved!?! Now AA is keeping my Nissan rolling smoothly. Thank you Advanced Auto, I'm proud Yelp about ya! You're the best! read more

Broke down while on the road.....Thanks to Ron and his amazing staff we were able to have our dodge trucks water pump replaced and back on the road in no time.... Wow! as good as it gets.......thumbs up to simply fantastic service! Thanks Ron, Tyler and your skilled Mechanic for making us a priority on that day. The Ormonde Family from Applegate OR read more

I've been coming to Advanced Auto for about five years. As a hobby I restore classic and vintage cars. After checking out every auto repair shop in Santa Cruz I started working only with Ron because of the stellar reviews. So this review isn't based on one or two times he solved mechanical issues, I have been in that shop about sixty times so I've seen how he deals with the public. His knowledge of every mechanical detail of just about any car is just astounding. While waiting for, dropping off or picking up my cars I've seen Ron treat everyone with focus, kindness, generosity and really spooky good instincts of how to solve the issues at hand, from rushed to complex to nearly impossible. He gives so much of himself and his knowledge for free. He has payment plans for single moms and special prices for single women and those who need some financial help. I've never seen him take advantage of anyone, and I think that's just about unique in the car repair business. The walls of his shop are literally covered with letters and cards from the community, thanking him for his kindness and often saying that he saved them. There's lots of letters from classes of kids that have come to learn about cars. I trust him completely. He and I have never socialized outside the shop so this review is nothing personal, just professional. He is deluged with work because he's so good at fixing cars. I could never have restored my cars into gems without him, and I feel lucky to even know him. Thanks Ron. I honestly don't know how you do it. read more

Ron has been my mechanic for over 15 years. That includes 3 used cars. He also has checked out my cars before I bought them. I highly recommend him. So many times, Ron has done small jobs for me at no charge. Being a single woman, with little knowledge of cars, I feel that Ron looks out for me and takes care to see that I am on the road safely. I have a Subaru and he is ASE certified on them, but I have also taken my Honda and Toyota to Ron. When I was car shopping for this current car, I utilized Ron as a resource and I even called him when I was freaking out during the negotiating process with the salesman! I have sent many friends to Ron, all of them happy with him. I always get a ride, when I drop off my car, too. Ron has a dedicated staff who have been there for years and years. Tyler and the staff are always friendly to me. Ron knows me by name and he cares. read more

This is the only Shop I will ever recommend to anyone!!! Advanced auto saved my bacon when I needed some work done to get my car to pass smog and fix a few things. The owner is wonderful, a great guy who's frank, professional, and extremely knowledgeable. He communicated exactly what was going on and his plan to fix it. He was transparent about costs and I never felt pressured to go outside of my budget. And the turn around time was so fast! The other fellows at the shop were friendly and I swear my car was cleaner when I picked it up. I'm never going anywhere else! As someone who has had horrible luck with other auto places up-selling me, trying to convince me that I need work done/ parts replaced that didn't actually need to be, not fixing core issues, and all together just being mistreated by sexist shop owners (if you're a younger female looking person such as myself you know exactly what I'm talking about) it was so incredibly refreshing to come to Advanced Auto. Never settle again! read more

For those of us who don't like going to a mechanic as much as they don't like going to the dentist, Advanced Auto offers an easy and painless opportunity to get your car checked. After the wonderful treatment by this family run business I will definitely return. Ron, who I want to call "the car Dr." diagnosed my vehicle quickly and thoroughly and probably saved me from a very bad situation on the road. I appreciate Ron and Nikki's kindness and personal attention and highly recommend them. Thank you Nikki and Ron! read more

Had a similar problem as someone else that has already reviewed. 01 Subaru that wouldn't pass smog. The check engine light kept coming back on. Took it in, got estimate, which was $90, but then later was $130. Part needed replacement, Fuel tank sending unit, $120 part, estimate total $630... which became $674. Didn't fix the problem, the light came back on 3 days later. Called them back, they said they could do another Diagnostic... for half cost. $45 dollars to do something that had already been done, and not correctly the first time. I'll pass. The thing I noticed most was that prices never stayed the same. Went to a small local place, found out the connections to fuel sending unit were dirty and frayed at both ends. So he cleaned them(which should have been done sometime in the $500 worth of labor at Advanced), put new connectors on, smoged it for $143. Advanced got enough of my money, I won't be going back. I refuse to give my business to a company that took over $700 to not fix something, when I got the problem fixed for just a little more than Advanced Diagnostic fee. read more

I cold-called this shop to find out about replacing a catalytic converter. Ron immediately questioned whether I needed this expensive and complicated repair and went out of his way to research and determine if the repair was needed. He put me at ease and said just bring your car to me and we will take care of this. A week later he was still well aware of my car, I brought it in on a Friday and the shop generously gave me a ride home to Aptos! Ron was bound and determined to save me from a very costly and complicated repair - I observed him making many phone calls to other mechanics and part stores throughout the county just to save me from a costly repair. The solution to my repair could have cost significantly more than what Advanced Auto charged me. This is a mechanic who will be straight, honest, never sell you on a repair that is not necessary and will go out of their way to keep costs down. Spend 5 minutes in the memorabilia laden front office and you can see Ron demands very high standards from his mechanics and runs a tight ship where the customer comes first. I would not hesitate to bring my cars to them from now on. read more

I was in Santa Cruz on a road trip from San Diego. My rear brake was making a horrible sound and I was very concerned about going any further without having a mechanic check it out. This was very uncomfortable as who can you trust especially on a Friday morning. I prayed about it and was thankfully led to Advanced Auto. Ron got me in immediately and did a great job of getting me back on the road withing two hours. He replaced the rear brake pads and rotors, by the way the pad was actually broken in two. Ron recommended a great breakfast restaurant and by the time I walked back the car was done! Many clients came in and out of the shop and it is very clear Advanced Auto is a community shop with lot's of loyal customers. Kudo's to this very good shop. read more

The crew at Advanced Auto are absolutely wonderful, attentive, and awesome people-- and they'll fix your car perfectly without making you wish you didn't know the value of a dollar. The girl at the front is extremely knowledgeable and will tell you everything you need to know without overwhelming you with information. They also aren't afraid to recommend you to other shops if they feel like you'll get what you need better elsewhere. And it's in a great location. I couldn't recommend a better auto mechanic anywhere. read more

Stopped by here a couple of weeks back for a pre-purchase inspection on a used car I was thinking about buying. The car was a 2011 Civic and looked really clean, but I'd just feel dumb dropping that much money without having someone else look it over first. Anyway, they quoted me $85 for the inspection and said it would take about an hour - all pretty reasonable. I came in at the scheduled time and they got me in right away, saying they'd take the car for a drive, check out the engine, brakes, and tires, and generally give it a thorough once-over. I wandered off to grab some coffee and when I came back an hour later they were just wrapping up. I pulled out a card to pay, but the guy manning the desk (Travis, maybe?) said the only problem was low air in one tire and I didn't owe them anything! Sweet! I think they felt bad charging money to tell me there was nothing wrong. With all the mechanics that charge $100 to scan a check engine light, fix things that aren't broken, etc, the honesty here was really refreshing. If I didn't live so far away this would definitely be my go-to shop! Thanks guys! P.S: Sorry I didn't have any cash! Should have at least left a $20 for the beer fund...my bad! read more

Great customer service and timely. I needed a good tune up (e.g., new plugs, wires, distributor cap, oil, etc.) And Ron and his crew had everything completed in 1.5 hours. First time here and I came because of the great Yelp reviews and I needed to find a new local mechanic. Yes they provide great service and you will pay for it. Their labor rates are higher than average ($115 per hour). The labor cost me 2/3 of the bill. A tune up is a simple job and I could have done it myself (and I am by no means a car expert) for under $100. Instead, I paid $350 after tax. I will go back to them, but repairs that I can do myself are not worth the high labor rates. read more

Ron and his crew are fantastic! I was in the automotive business for 35 years. Ron is the only independent shop I will recommend,

Stayed open AFTER hours to complete my job. Needed new brakes, rotors, and calipers. EXCELLENT job, done in under 2 hours, excellent customer service. These gentlemen know Auto. read more

amazing experience, got my car towed in the morning, Ron picked me up from my house in Santa Cruz when it was done. Then they started on an additional project I was going to come back for the next day, and Ron lent me his car for the night! SO cool! read more

Highly recommend! Ron goes above and beyond to help assist you. I very rarely write reviews but I was very impressed with the service and they deserve credit for how much they care. read more

Ron is a great, honest, trustworthy mechanic. Helped me find a great used car when I was younger, now repairs both my and my husbands cars. One time, I thought I needed a lot of work done on my car, and told him to make a list of things to be done, so I could prioritize and fix what I could afford at the time. He did an oil service and told me to look into some tires- a less honest mechanic could have taken me to the cleaners with a request like that! He's helpful, WAY cheaper than the dealers, and will tell you exactly what you need done... Just what you want in a mechanic. read more

Ron and the team give auto service and repair professionals a good name. I was referred by a Santa Cruz local friend whose family has been trusting their cars to Advanced Auto for a long time - and we are all happy we do. read more

WOW! I called this shop looking for brake service on my 1974 Beetle, and they reffered me to someone who could do it faster and cheaper than they could. Im impressed with their honesty. read more

This location rips you off. These guys charged me $700 for a fuel pump replacement. part was like $100 and i guess the labor was $600 I saw people on you tube doing it themselves and they said it shouldn't take long since the piece that was going to get replaced was visible. On top of that the guy charged me $90 for a diagnostic charge which he did not mention he will do in the beginning when I dropped off my car. He already knew what was the problem, so why did he need to charge for a diagnostic!! I figured this place would be good in pricing but I guess not... The owner is douche I hope he looses customer, he talks to you like he has no time, and he just wants the money greedy prick. read more

I was visiting Santa Cruz on vacation, and the starter on my Acura went out. They got me in and out in just three hours, and the family trip to the beach and then camping was saved. Thanks a ton read more

I have trusted Ron with my car for almost 20 years! He is the best, honestly tells me what I do and do not need to fix, has kept my car going strong, now my partner and stepkids are going to him too. read more

My 2001 BMW 330ci's power steering shut down completely. I brought it to Advanced Auto at almost Friday evening (before a 3 day weekend). Ron was very helpful. He could have gotten my car out the same day, but told me he didn't want to charge me for the over priced steering fluid pump that was available. On the next business day of Tuesday morning, I got a call that the pump was replaced and the car was ready. He found me another pump that was more than $100 cheaper. I can't remember that last time my steering wheel was this easy to turn. I definitely recommend this place. It has a very mom and pop type feel to it. read more

This place is awesome, took my car in for some no start problems on my truck, turned out to be my alternator. I came in at 3 and the guys were able to diagnose and repair my vehicle by 5 the same day. Honest and trustworthy, highly recommended! read more

Ron is simply awesome. I need my brakes done in a pinch, he was able to get me into his schedule that same day and made the necessary replacements of my brake pads. He was sincere and very down to earth. A superb gentleman whom is into business to build long term relationships with clients. I highly recommend! read more

Ron and his employees at Advanced auto are great, knowledgeable and trustworthy. I am confident to recommend them to anyone.

These guys are AMAZING!!! I thought my car was destined for the junkyard... Ron told me not to condemn it yet & to let him take a look at it first. 24 hours later, and less than $1000, I was back in the road. These are the most honest, reliable, and reasonably priced mechanics I've met!!! Thanks you guys!!!!! read more

I actually live in San Francisco, but was in Santa Cruz for the day on business. I knew I needed a new battery, so I stopped in to see if they had time. Not only did they replace it right then and there for me, but Ron was extremely helpful in providing advise for some other "issues" I had going on. He gave me a step by step guide on how to approach the dealership, and I am very thankful I happened upon Advanced Auto! read more

They looked at my car quickly and the follow-up and communication were extraordinary. they are a very rare shop that stands behind the quality of their work unlike most mechanics. read more

I never Yelp, but Ron and his team deserve praise. They are fair, accommodating and professional. They do good work, quickly and for a reasonable price. read more

I am so impressed by the integrity of Ron and the mechanics at Advanced Auto - Their dedication to honesty and customer service is such a gift. Thank you! read more

My car broke down on the side of the road and so I called Liversaver's Towing and Lisa directed me to Advanced Auto. My car got dropped off and was taken in immediately and the owners walked me through each step, and kept me updated with my car and pricing. I was in and out of there within 2 hours with a working vehicle and couldn't been more happy. read more

Advanced Auto is the best place for car repairs! Ron is an honest, caring man and genuinely recommends what you car needs. I can't say enough good things about Advanced! read more