Over the years we have brought our Audi and Mini here for various service/repairs. The mechanics are very knowledgeable and trust worthy. On numerous occasions they turned us back to the dealer for warranty/recall related work we would't have otherwise known about.l The owner is super nice and has personally given my husband a ride home after dropping the car off. We just brought a car under warranty so we won't be seeing them for awhile...but I'd recommend them to friends and family. read more

I can't believe I've been taking my car to Royal Motors for so long and never bothered to check Yelp. Could've saved tons of time and money had I done my research. The biggest plus of bringing my car to Advanced is that they don't simply plug your car into that "diagnostic computer system" and then charge $300 to tell you your gas cap is loose. I had a number of issues with my car and decided I had enough of Royal Motors- and tried Advanced. Aaron was very friendly and personable and immediately gave his thoughts on what may be wrong with my car (strange wax smell in my car...he thought a plastic bag may have melted in the exhaust)... In anycase, they treat you well and speak to you in layman's terms as opposed to trying to pretend that there are lots of technical issues with your car. Their billing is easy to understand- and I was happy to give them my money as they fixed a number of problems and didn't charge me for things that were no-brainers (loose gas cap causing engine check light to come on). They also have a shuttle that will drop you off where ever you need to go in the morning- this is very helpful, and the drivers are really nice, which I appreciate. One thing I would suggest to Advanced is to offer a basic vacuum/car wash, as I'm sure most customers would pay extra for that just so they can come back and pick up a nice clean car. (Although I'm not a fan of Royal Motors- I guess they were able to clean my car "for free" because they were overcharging me on everything else). Thank you Advanced, thank you Yelp. read more

Took my TT in a handful of weeks ago to replace a few slashed tires and busted rims. Car was returned with dirty interiors, they were sluggish to update me by phone (I had to call multiple times after dropping it off to enquire about time estimate and status), and Jason, the main person I dealt with at the desk, was patronizing and antagonistic. (Everyone else I ran into there seemed fine.) Driving it long distance for the first time from SF to LA, tire pressure warnings flashed on after about 80 miles. I had to find a garage to take a look at the car in the middle of nowhere and turns out Advanced Autowerks had way overinflated the two tires they'd "fixed." Cost me over an hour in detour on the already long trip, pushed me into rush hour traffic which I'd set out early to avoid, and made me miss dinner with a friend in the end. The bad front-of-the-house manners aside, I had been psyched to find what seemed like a decent shop. Bummed at what ended up being sloppy service, with rookie mistakes. read more

After 8 years on warranty with Royal Motors took my A6 here for the first time. Overall - very positive experience. Yes, they did find more issues than what I brought it in for and yes it was costly; however, that was my expectation for an 8-year-old car. The repairs were done within a day, all the problems I had were fixed, and guys were very professional. Definitely will continue using them for any major repair work needed in the future. They are a bit off the way but T-line makes it suck less and they happily give you 4 coins for a round trip MUNI ride. One wish for improvement (if you guys do read these) is to have the car washed when it's handed back. It's a nice touch - easy to do and goes a long way: "here is your car - all fixed and clean and ready to be loved". Perhaps you just didn't have time; I'm still a happy customer and definitely recommend this shop to Audi owners. read more

The basic requirement for any repair shop is they have competent staff to address your car's needs. Advanced Autowerks has that of course, but where they separate themselves is the level of service they provide. I had to do some pretty extensive repairs recently that started as something small and grew to a much bigger job. Throughout the whole process they were in touch with me about what was going on with the car, how any work they were doing changed the price, and why they were doing what they were doing. If they said they would call me then they did. They even gave me a loaner since the repair was dragging on. I'll definitely be back for my service and repair needs in the future. read more

Would it be wrong to patronize a repair/service shop because they owners and guys who work there are hot? If so, I don't ever want to be right. But seriously, these guys seem to know their stuff, are straightforward, honest, (and yes, dammit, nice to look at). read more

I've been going to Advanced Audi for the past 2 years. Just so you know this isn't a reflex review of good or bad service. The simplest way to describe service at Advanced is honest and thorough. Aaron and Randy are a great team. Aaron handles the customers and business while Randy wrenches. Compared to dealership service, these guys are great. They're cheaper and will only fix what they need to fix. That is, they don't invent non-existent problems or suggest you replace things that don't need replacing. Their hourly rates are on-par with other Bay Area independent repair shops. Randy is an excellent tech. He used to work at Sonnen's service center before reaching his tipping point of disgust. Thankfully, we're the benefactor of Sonnen's screwup. Thanks Sonnen! Randy also gets bonus points for finding a rattle in my S4 that four Audi dealers across two states couldn't diagnose. He also fixed it in a super cheap manner. They also have a shuttle which is nice touch for an independent mender. read more

Last year, I got pulled over because both of my rear tailights were out. With my dad in NJ (a car buff to the extent that he had a separate garage built to match the house with drainage and heat so he can wash the car in the dead of winter) I was forced to go to a mechanic, as I know as much about cars as I do quantum physics. I pulled up, and Aaron changed them while I stood there and ushered me off to work. When I asked how much, he told me to return when something went wrong with the car. At 71k, it was time for a Jetta check up, and when I got there at 6:45pm, I had all the instructions for the lockbox. Aaron was still there and working on cars. The price came out to be $15 below what he quoted me. My only complaint was that they switched the license plate cover to one that advertised their services. Without my NJ cover, how will I convince people that my scary driving isn't because I'm new to town (although it's year 7 and counting), but just because I feel like it? Oh, and the neighborhood is a bit shady, but the new rail system may improve it....I hope. Update, 7/07: When it turned out my catalytic converter had failed and it was still under warranty, Advanced DROVE IT to Royal Motors for me, where I picked it up when the work was completed. I wasn't charged a penny. read more

I own a 2001 VW Golf 1.8 Turbo. The check engine and EPC light came on. I went to a so called "european car specialist" and they told me that I needed to replace the oxygen sensors, foot pedal sensor, and Mass Air flow sensor. This set me back approximatey 2500 bucks. The problem didn't go away. I was fed up and went to a VW dealership. They told me that I needed to replace the fuel pump, the throttle body, the ECM, and a bunch of wires. This set me back a lot. It makes my stomach churn when I think out the amount of money I spent. The check engine light and EPC came back on after 2 weeks. I got a referral from my friend to go to Advanced Autowerks. I dropped off the car and they gave me a 15 dollar voucher for yellow cab. This was handy because the taxi got me back to work in 10 minutes. Jason called me back in a few hours and told me what I needed. I needed spark plugs and there was some type of vacuum leak. All this was done for a little more than 700 bucks. All the other shops were charging me for all the big ticket items and none of them wanted to look into the smaller things. If I went to Advanced Autowerks first, i may not have to replace all the other items I previously paid for. If you have a problem with your VW, don't go anywhere else. The prices are fair and they will not upsell anything you don't need. People tell me that you must have a good doctor, a good attorney, and a good mechanic. I think I have found a good mechanic and can't imagine going anywhere else. read more

Again advance auto is the best. LADIES listen up if you want honest and taken care of. Then go to advance auto and have Zachary Take care of you. I would call and ask a sensor light has come on and not sure what to do but zach would calm me down and just bring it to the shop and he will have someone look at it. Then take care of the issue at no cost to low cost. In my culture (Hawaiian) that is RESPECT! I'll always take care of these guys as they do to me. Thanks advance auto wreck and especially Zach. MAHALO! read more

So ,,,,,, it's been almost three years now and my Audi A8 is still running just fine. The guys at AA said it would cost me 8k to do the repairs. Well. I spent a total of $150 for rear brake repair and $250 for an oil change where they also clean out the tiny little drain holes. So much for the engine and tranny going out They told me it would be a matter of months before it was undriveable. HA!!!! Just picked my car up from the guys at AA and to say the least I was truly disappointed.... Not with AA, they were great with me, I was disappointed with myself and my Audi A8...... I should have taken the car to these guys before I purchased it to have it inspected. Too many problems for me to fix and come out ahead on the price. I was happy to have an honest accessment of the car finally. I had the sneaking suspicion that it needed a torque converter when I first bought it, and turns out to be true, along with many other things. I can live with out AC and even heat usually..... I did all winter...... but getting under 10 miles to the gallon is eating away at me......and don't get me started on the brakes and oil leaks. So, when I unload this car, I will definetly bring my next one in for inspection first. Thanks AA..... Oh yeah...... Anyone want to buy a good looking 1998 Audi A8?? Cheap read more

There are few things in life when you feel so helpless. Having your car towed to a mechanic is more similar to sitting in a dentist's chair than it is going to a restaurant where you can just walk out if the experience is unpleasant. This is my 4th time here. I've never brought my car to any mechanic proactively only after something has gone wrong. Over the last 4 years this shop has consistently over-delivered. Competent mechanics, fair prices, friendly people. Spotless work space, comfortable waiting area with wi-fi, free coffee, one block off 3rd/Muni. Ultimately, a relationship with a service provider is built on trust. I wouldn't consider taking my car anywhere else. Bravo Zulu Advanced Autowerks! read more

Long overdue review: You are driving a Volkswagen? There is only one place you can go to and that's Advanced Autowerks. I needed my brake pads replaced, oil change, Engine light was on and there was some rattling noise coming from the front. The guys at Advanced Autowerks are fantastic, I agree, they are a little out of the way, but I dropped of my car after work and they took care of everything - including a ride home, that what I call service! They called me later to give me an overview of what they found, what they recommend (also what not). They basically did a full service, discovered one major and two small leaks, changed the pads, rotated the tires, exchanged some parts, oil change all within 1 day. My Volkswagen came back washed and detailed and it not only looked like back from the future it also felt like I was driving a completely different car. Thanks guys read more

My husband takes is 1991 Audi to this place. I am not going to tell you that they are the cheapest place around because this is SF and I am not sure if that is possible. All I know is that when my husband would take his car to the official Audi repair place, he would return 30 lbs lighter because of the chunk that they had gouged out of his ass. That was graphic, sorry. The point is that he never walked out of the Audi place without paying $1000 + to them for something, only to return a few months later to plunk down some more change. The folks at Advanced are knowledgable, kind and truly passionate about what they do. They are the kind of people you want to get to know and bake a chicken for. I don't get crazy anxiety when my husband takes his car there. I know that they are only going to fix what is broken and nothing else. They are also really into his car, which makes both of us smile. Apparently, 91 was a good year for the Audi A4. I hate long reviews. Go to Advanced Autowerks! read more

So I'm cruising along after picking a friend up from the airport when I notice, to my consternation, that my Jetta's battery warning light has come on. This is concerning because, although I have seen a veritable christmas tree on my dash before, this particular light is new. We get to our other friend's house and as we're over in the parking lane idling, waiting for her to come out - the car just putters out and dies. Turns off. Won't crank. Fuck. Mind you, it's Saturday night and I've got two girls here waiting to go out and my car, my baby machine that has my own blood mixed in between the threads along with Loctite Blue and who knows what else, has just shut off with no indication of why. Well that's not entirely true. I had the battery light and the other symptoms, from which I deduced my alternator had had the gall to up and die on me. I brought my crippled stallion into Advanced and in short time they set her right. Replaced my alternator, and at my request refreshed her oil and raised the front suspension 1/2". Reasonable rates, really cool guys, and no problems. read more

These guys destroy the reputation that auto mechanics have gained over time for their profession. I initially met Randy, and my second time there I met Aaron. Both these guys are super cool, that dont look at us as "walking ATM's". While hanging out in their lobby, I came across a guy that was pleasantly surprised to be charged less than he was expecting to pay, another woman happy to be back and to deal with Aaron, and another dude that felt comfortable enough to talk to Aaron about his car, like I would talk to my kids pediatrician about a bad case of gas (not that I have either kid or pediatrician). Having found mechanics I can trust, Im going to have them replace my timing belt. Im confident that they will price me well and do a fantastic job, so look for my addition to this review once that is completed! read more

Gidget has been my best friend since I was 17 years old. She's cute as a button, has been with me through thick and thin and has gotten me out of some truly sticky situations but MAN is she a troublesome, high maintenance, tempermental bitch. I should probably mention that Gidget happens to be a purple 2001 VW New Beetle. When the check engine light came on while I was driving, I thought that Gidget was going to explode and panicked. The trunk latch had already stopped working and this just reaffirmed that the shit was starting to hit the fan. After reading reviews on Yelp, I promptly called up Advanced and Randy picked up within one ring and told me that though he had no appointments for a few weeks, he'd be more than happy to hook the car up to his computer to see if the problem was serious enough the day that I called him. The last time I took my car to a dealer, they told me that in order to investigate and diagnose each problem, they would charge me $135 for each per glitch NOT including the actual fixing of the problems. Randy analyzed Gidget and pinpointed the problem for free and scheduled an appointment as early as he could and turned the engine light off for me so I could drive in relative peace. I brought the car back to them a few weeks later and within a few hours, everything was taken care of for half of what I thought I was going to have to pay. They were so helpful and witty and great to work with and I am so happy that I've finally found a VW repair shop that I can trust. read more

I heart Randy, Aaron and Kevin. I can never stay mad at them for long. Yes, they forgot to call me to give me a status on my car. Yes, they forgot to include me in the shuttle pick-up and I had to wait around for pickup for an extra hour. But as soon as I finally made it to the shuttle and was greeted by Kevin with a warm smile and some ambient toons (Kevin will be buried with his ipod), my surly attitude subsided and I had to go back to loving these guys. Only 4 stars cause they have, on occasion been a bit flighty. But they are totally above the line and they make taking my car to the shop an adventure. And most importantly, they are all totally hot MILF's (Mechanics I'd like to F*K). The world needs more of that. My world anyway. And incidentally, they always do a great job fixing my car for a fair price and are honest about what really needs to be fixed vs. dealership "guidelines". I like that in a mechanic. But all other things being equal, the shops overall mojo pushes them over the edge. read more

First experience with the team over at Advanced Autowerks and I couldn't be more pleased. I called on Monday and Randy walked me through the service needs for my 2009 Audi A3, especially the periods in between the large mileage points (25k, 35k). He was very knowledgeable and suggested all I probably needed at this point was an oil change. I set an appointment to drop the car off on Wednesday, which was pretty quick, in my view. Wednesday morning I drove to their garage, which is a bit remote but a few blocks from the light rail, which is nice. I arrived around 7:30am and they gave me an estimate of the cost of their work, promising to call by 2:30pm, which they did. Later that afternoon, I took the light rail from the Embarcadero (downtown) and was at the garage in 40 minutes. Upon arriving I noticed a lot of other Audis and VW's no site, putting me at ease that theys guys know how to service European cars the right way. The ultimate bill was actually less than the orginal estimate, and communication was great throughout the process. All in all, a very pleasant experience. I'll definitely be coming back in the future! read more

Come on... 5 Stars you ask? Can't say I've ever done this before, but AA really brought me back to Jesus yesterday as I slogged around town trying to find a F%$#!King gas cap for my beloved bio-diesel Jetta Wagon. To be fair, I am the one who lost the cap earlier that day as I filled up at Dogpatch Biofuels, but that's a different story... Anyway, I called AA out of the blue from the road, 10 minutes before they were going to close on a Fri, and they actually had the item (hard to find part - they were the only folks in the city who actually had one; the VW dealer said it would have to be ordered) and the desk jockey actually encouraged me that it would be cool to make it to the shop in 15 minutes. When I got there, Jason helped me right away, and since it was after closing time by the time we got done, he sent me on my way -- free of charge. If I was more metro sexual, Jason would have gotten hugs & kisses, but I'm guessing that this Yelp review is way more appreciated by us both. Point is, AA seems pretty much tops in customer service & giving a good deal, so take your ride there if your into that type of stuff... read more

Based on the great Yelp reviews I took my Volkswagen Passat to Advanced Audi & VW. The service there has been good on both visits I have had. This week, they were excellent about letting me know what my options were. Unlike some places they don't find something wrong with your car just to rack up your bill. They only have one shuttle run to drop you off in the morning so if you want a ride you have to get there early or you are SOL. I find the T line on the muni at 23rd is very convenient to them so I can avoid the whole suppershuttle effect of going all over town when I need to get to work. read more

Updated review.... The guys at Advanced have worked really hard to make this right. Turns out there is a problem in the engine that at some point will have to be addressed, but it's a bit of a grey area according to the terms of the Audi mechanical warranty (now expired, natch). Bottom line-- do not buy a (several-thousand-pound) pre-owned Q7 TDI and expect it to do well on the terribly potholed streets of SF. Advanced addressed another issue that needed attention while the car was in the shop without charging to make good on the disagreement. Randy and Zach were diligent in their follow up and clearly do want their customers to stay with them for a long time. read more

I have been coming here since 2005 when they were a two-man shop in the middle of nowhere. They have always been super attentive, and it has been wonderful to see Randy's amazing care and customer service shine in the age of Yelp to make this place into stellar professional repair shop. I drive a custom "supped" up biodiesel TDI, and Advanced has not only worked with my car, but helped me work out weird bugs specific to my vehicle. In addition, when VW had a recall on a repair AA had done earlier, they re-formatted the receipt two times to help me submit for reimbursement to VW; I needed to separate the charges from other repairs and combine specific repairs from different visits. Advanced is far from the cheapest shop in town by hour, however they are many times better than the VW dealer others I have been to in both quality, speed and attitude. I am happy to pay for customer service and quality repairs. They are great, I send everyone with a VW there. I have been repairing cars since I was a teenager, consider myself pretty car savvy and don't feel I have ever been steered wrong. I will be sad when I no longer own a VAG car and stop coming here. read more

In another life, I actually worked on heavy equipment and learned a decent amount about machinery repair...so I can have a decent conversation about things like changing your transmission fluid, stripped oil pan plugs, and leaking CV joints. Generally have a slight clue as to what's reasonable and what's not in terms of service and cost. I also know that I am nowhere near qualified to actually do anything more than minor work (plugs, not timing belt) myself on cars designed by demonic German engineers who have been getting subtle revenge for their national honor on unsuspecting Auslanders for the last 50 years or so. (Ask Randy about the Phaeton he serviced if you want to feel better.) Well, when I went to start looking for a car and decided I wanted an Audi, one of the people I was talking to referred me to Advanced to talk to them about the repair history of their car. Immediately impressed about how much time they were willing to spend with someone who wasn't a customer, and how they would be willing to install a junkyard part if you brought it to them but wouldn't ever order the parts themselves since they warranty their work. Didn't end up buying that car, but did another Audi, and glad I found these guys. They know their stuff and have talked me out of spending money that I probably would have at another mechanic given they know what tends to be worth messing with and what isn't. They're certainly at market rate now at $100 an hour, but I'm willing to pay up for people who actually have a clue...it'll save money down the road. Nice guys too; I've heard them talking to people with major problems and saying "just get it towed down here, and I'll take a look at it to at least give you an idea what's wrong and if it's worth fixing." A good mechanic is harder to find than a good doctor. Seriously. Only drawback is that it can take a few days to get an appointment for routine stuff, but such is the price for quality in demand. I did have one slight emergency that got diagnosed as a non-emergency same day before a long road trip, so kudos for that as well. YAFSR, but deserved. read more

Warning to everyone that reads this and is vetting Advanced Autowerks. Save yourself from losing your hard-earned money on unneeded fixes! At Autowerks You will get the works when it comes to smooth talking sales. They look like no other shop- clean, young and going somewhere. Even unassuming. They talk like no other--polite, hip, to the point (as suits the, in hindsight). So many persuasive signals to lure you into trust. Silver tongued front office people to schedule you, update you and show you printouts, reports and diagnostics. The optics are all impressive. In hindsight, I remember they were smug and very confident. And with the works, they will charge you like no other shop. Not by 20 or even 50% more. Orders of magnitude higher! In my case they asked five times more than the other downtown reputable shop. I am especially galled because I made it crystal clear form the outset that I was looking to sell my car so needed only an adequate fix. Not a 10 year fix...do I really even need to say that? What they proposed, unequivocally with no options, was estimated at 70 % of the cars value. In fact, I have good proof that the greatly inflated the scope because two other mechanics looked at the car after the fact and proposed less than $600 dollar fixes, all of which did not involved replacing the alternator and other associated parts that Autowerks insisted needed to go. They reminded me of the overall US medical industry. Over-testing, over-prescribing, giving the knee replacement when you may need far, far less. They will cite their motto. Fix it once, fix it right. They cannot advocated for the car more than the customer--but they might even admit that they do. It's absurd. This well oiled business knows exactly what they want, and I'm betting it's not a holistic well-being for car and owners. This reckless (arguably fraudulent) treatment of the client (in case they forgot) is simply put, a very polite, good looking ripoff. Classic ripoff. Heartless machines, the "management" of this shop. Yeah Rand, the owner, called me too. This was after they'd even refunded my "diagnostic" bill of $260. The fact that he was so rehearsed in these calls should indicate that they are running damage control on a regular basis. Yeah, he was polite but, Id say, disingenuous. No doubt he was hoping I would not speak ill of their shop here and elsewhere. I speculate that it is very likely that Rand makes so much margin with these practices and his well trained staff that he's not even in the garage much. But here I am. Warning to everyone that reads this. Save yourself from losing your hard earned money! read more

This is my first review - I've owed it to them for a long time, but unfortunately I am a procrastinator. You want this mechanic. That's all I can say. They're all reasonable, friendly guys who do everything they can to make things easier for you. And I've never had a single complaint about the results. I used to have a friend who was my mechanic before I moved here, and I thought I'd never get that kind of service and "hook-up" again. But these guys basically act like that. I went to them fairly regularly for minor things, and they always did the opposite of nickel-and-dime me: they took every opportunity to shave minor costs off my bill and communicate with me, while charging a reasonable price for the primary services I went to them for. The reason why I owe them this review though is that I once had a major repair for which they gave me a quote over the telephone. Unfortunately somehow I misunderstood what they had said, and ended up agreeing to more than I could pay. After speaking with them about it, and I suppose due to the shop/customer relationship we had built, we came to an agreement that not only made me happy, it made me feel incredibly lucky. I've sold my car now, after having these guys check it out for the new buyer. I even put this shop in my craigslist ad as a selling point: "comes with a friendly reliable mechanic." So I certainly hope, and I'm sure it is, continuing to go there. I want to do all I can to get them more business. GO THERE!! read more

All I can say is, when I know I have to take my car into the shop, I throw up in my mouth a little bit. I HATE dealing with my car and it's issues. As a single woman who knows nothing about cars, I turn into a one year old when I walk into a car shop. Completely vulnerable and insecure. Basically speechless with a little bit of drool. Then one day I walked into Advanced Audi-Volkswagen and my car shop fears disappeared. It's a very nice feeling to find a place that you feel comfortable in, trust and actually like going to. Everyone, especially Randy, is really friendly, down to earth, professional and helpful. Their customer service is great. They offered to pick me up at home and even offered me a rental car. Plus, they have mini cupcakes and free keychains. Rad! Thanks guys! read more

Happy to work with Jason and Zack on getting some replacement small parts for a project car. This is not their primary sales ($20 in bolts vs major repairs) but they still handled me with time and care, even offering me something to drink while I waited for Zack to find some obscure torque specs. Highly recommended for everything large and small on your Audi/VW. read more

When you've lived in SF long enough, you become accustomed to "financial leakage" where over-paying and being taken advantage of is a normal part of day-to-day life (not that different from other types of leakage, if you know what I mean). In the land of $4 toast, the ticket-happy SFMTA and inflated rent, it's a welcome relief to deal with fair, honest people. Thank you, Advanced Autowerks, for not taking advantage of me when you easily could have. Very easily deserving of 5+ stars. read more

I've been here twice. Both times were very positive. The guys up front (sorry I don't know their names...not because I'm snobby but because I just have a crap memory) were always very helpful and friendly and honest about some issues. Having just moved into the area not even a year ago, I have been crossing my fingers hoping that my car wouldn't give me some kind of issue. It's not a lemon but it seems to be the runt of the litter and although dependable, it whines here and there so I was hanging on. Well, it did start to give me a little issue some months back and finding a good mechanic is like finding a good doctor. There are a ton of quacks out there and I was really worried. So I did my yelp search. I read a ton of reviews on different places and this place seemed to have a pretty good record so I called them and made an appointment. I let them know that I didn't live close by and asked if I could wait after the guy told me that it would be best if I left it. He didn't argue with me. He said no problem but to bring my car as early as possible. So I did. And they led me to a waiting room which I think is their break room and I sat there and looked over some emails and stuff. They got back to me with a report, a price and a plan of attack and asked me if they had permission to move ahead, as most good mechanics should, and I gave them the go-ahead. They fixed it. I paid it. They warned me about some issues I may have in the future but that they didn't want me to take care of it now just in case it didn't really become and issue and have me waste money. I drove home. No problems. And it hasn't become an issue. Second time, they were really busy. They told me I probably shouldn't wait so they gave me cab fare going back home and coming back. Really convenient. Their customer service is really good and they called me several times with a diagnosis and with advice. I told them about some other thing while I was there (fuel filter and fuel pump issue) and they fixed the fuel filter. They told me that they were going to take a chance and to switch out the filter since they said it was most probably that issue and that the pump itself would be really expensive so they wanted to avoid it for me. Again, great honest customer service. Personable, respectful, informative, etc. I coudn't recommend them any more. They are my go-to guys from now on. read more

Quality of work and personalised services is what makes this place an excellent and reliable workshop for all your car repairs.

I am not a regular "Yelper", which will make the regulars not believe my review maybe? Still, While I've used Yelp a lot for restaurant recs and such, I've never felt a COMPULSION to really get on here and say "hey, you gotta go try this thing here..." Until now. I have to also admit, I had no idea whether I was talking to Randy or Aaron, but all the guys down there were incredibly nice, tried to fit everything to my schedule (picking me up and dropping me off well after their official shuttle time). It took them a while to get to my car (I mean, you can't do them all at once and actually fix anything, right?), but when they did they had my problem nailed in probably 20 minutes, fixed in an hour, and I was charged parts and one hour's labor... This wasn't something like a blown fuse or anything... My car had been running really unhappily for a few weeks, and now it's smooth as silk, and really a blast to drive again. If they had done just that, for a fair price, I'd probably recommend them to whoever ASKED me. But they had to go and be REALLY NICE all the time, ALWAYS offer to help me out without upselling, and offered free rides to/from the city, and wireless internet while I was in the garage to catch up on work. So, here I am, not being terribly descriptive about my issue - honestly, I don't think it's that important. If you car needs fixing, these are the guys. JUST GO HERE, tell them what's up, and they will help you out in a way that makes you certain you're not being scammed somehow. If you can find another mechanic/dealer/whatever that's car-related in the bay area, please let me know (can't hurt to have a backup). But, in the meantime, man, just use these guys. They are the greatest! (btw - I live in the East Bay, and while it's kind of a pain to drive all that way, it was WELL worth it) read more

Went here quite a while ago with my GTI but was inspired to write this now after looking for a new garage for my Golf R. I went in for an oil change and a headlight that went out. I brought my own replacement bulbs. The estimate for labor for simple oil change was less than $100 when I walked in. Fast forward to the end of the day when I pick up my car. $125+ ($65 @ Royal) for the oil change/filter and they didn't give me back the second bulb that wasn't replaced in the set. After asking for my other bulb back (they pulled it out of a parts bin) why the oil change was so much after the initial estimate, the owner (I think) said "Mobile 1 is expensive" and oil changes are a "loss leader" anyway. I guess he must have went to "business school". Not sure what the fuss over this place. Maybe anti-dealer-establishment-ism? The service at Royal actually has gotten really pretty good. Never have come here again -- you aren't touching my Golf R, dudes! read more

They rule. The End. I drive a '91 VW Cabriolet. Needless to say although she is beautiful, she seems to love going in to the shop. Lucky Rand and Aaron have a special place in their hearts for her...The only problem is that the shop is getting so popular that it always takes a week to get my car in to get serviced! Have never been more happy with my mechanic. I will only be sad when Rand finishes his Firefighting certification and leaves to go save lives... read more

Ok, before i star my story, i have to say these guy are clean, smart and give good service, but they are not cheap. If you are looking for a deal, this is not the place for you, but if you need to keep your Euro car running for longer than 10 years you need a good mechanic who knows what to look for in your particular car. So i bought my girlfriend a car for her new job in the south bay and since i got it off of Craigslist i decided to get it checked over. Let me first say, i have not owned a car since 94 and have been either using public transport, motorcycle or my trusty bike. so when i had to find a place i did a lot of research. Advanced Autowerks came highly recommended by several people and yes, the Yelp reviews helped. I brought it in and had them give me a once over and told them about a few issues i wanted them to check. Breaks, transmission and alignment. I think you get the picture. Anyway, they found fuids were low in the transmission, back light was out, AC hose out and the fuel injector was not properly distributing O2 into the fuel mix. Well, that was unexpected, but it made sense due to the way the car was behaving. I liked that they were through and looked for issues and were cool to look and not charge. I know most shops do that, but they were cool about it and it made me feel well serviced. Anyway, they made the fixes and teh car is running much better. =) read more

I have had my 99 Audi A4 serviced here twice. This is the most professional and efficient car repair shop I have ever dealt with. They seem very knowledgeable about Audis and the common issues/problems. The pricing is fair and straightfoward. Randy helped me get my car evaluated and fixed in less than 45 minutes. I highly recommend AAVS to all of my friends who own Audis or VWs. Now if only I could find a BMW shop that was 1/2 as good. read more

Jason Hair. Two thumbs, two big toes up for your consistent professionalism. Everyone here is awesome and if you're lucky enough to get Jason, you'll not be disappointed. It's true that these guys may be victims of their own success as they were swamped the whole time my car was down there... Phones ringing off the hook... But they get the job done and done right every time. Cheers fellas. Shawn- read more

Five star service; always great working with this shop... timely and expert recommendations... honest, upfront. Glad they now have (2) sites. Look forward to our continued relationship for all my VWs... Cheers guys. read more

These guys are awesome. everyone from the front desk, to the service guys, to the owner. Although they are out of the way, they will give you partial reimbursement for taxi fair and when my car was running late for pickup, they gave me an overnight car rental. They are also very thorough in listing out and explaining what repairs need to be done and what the costs are. Hats off to Advance Autowerks, they get it when "it" comes to customer service and earning repeat business. Now if I can convince them to open up an East Bay location. If you get a chance, ask them about the vintage Donkey Kong game in the back rest area, all the Donkey Kong you need in a full upright arcade game. Cheers AR read more

I heard some unusual sound emanating from from right rear wheel of my Mini Cooper and went to Autowerks. Ive been there once before and I was pretty pleased with my experience. Jason patiently heard my complaint with rapt attention. After NAD (nothing abnormal detected) pronouncement he volunteered to test drive the car for settling the issue. Fifteen minutes later he was back back with previous diagnosis intact. "You have a mind set not rooted in reality". Automobile folks being metaphysical in their analysis is a rarity and hilarity. Further mention of rear number plate bottom screws missing was attended to immediately. Casual mention of car body needing a shower/shampoo was countered with "Can you wait for fifteen minutes". We spent the time in inspecting the innards of Audies, Hondas, Minis, in different stages of Stripping and overhaul. Professionalism was the unwritten credo all over the place. Sooner than expected our scrubbed Mini materialized. On enquiring about the billing a very gentle rebuff was administered."please come back with real problems next time" We silently promised ourselves that we shall never go elsewhere. They really care about building relationships and ensuring safety for their customers. This is a new high in terms of service for me. read more