Mr. Ruiz has been working on my cars for over 15 years. I was a young single woman when I first took my Oldsmobile to him for repairs. He has always been honest, hard-working, and reasonable in both his advice and his pricing. Very pragmatic and trustworthy, from changing alternators to changing headlights, he has always been a great mechanic I still go to after all these years. 3 different vehicles and over a decade later (now with a husband and a mortgage), he's still the reputable mechanic I refer folks to. He cares about people. Legit. Fun fact: Mr. Ruiz also builds amazing BBQ pits :) read more

If you are looking for a auto shop which genuinely cares for their customers, are reasonable, not looking to rip off, advice you what is actually needed and charge you reasonable amount then this is the right place to take your automobile and get it fixed. The owner Mr. Ruiz personally deals with the customers and makes sure he delivers what is needed to get one back on road safe and sound. I have been to this place just 3 times in past 8 years and have always returned satisfied and happy. Would highly recommend this place!! read more

Joe Ruiz is far and away the best car mechanic I've ever interacted with. I would recommend anyone with an auto issue bring their business here. read more

The best mechanic in Austin. Fast efficient and reliable. He is my forever mechanic.

I went to Ruiz Automotive today and Joe kindly helped fix my AC for free. Although the process wasn't very difficult, another shop quoted me $150 for the same procedure and Joe took about 20 minutes away from his busy workload to help me. To top it off, he tried to find me a free replacement cap for my freon line, even though it was already missing and I didn't bug him about this. Honestly, I don't have much experience with this shop or mechanic but he's clearly just trying to make a living and has been in business for 16 years, which says a lot. I'll be going back to Joe if I need any auto repairs. read more

Ever think it doesn't make sense to have a mechanic look at your car for several hours - charge you for all that time, and still not know what the problem is? Ever have a mechanic play a guessing game on your dime, only to leave you relieved that the part that was actually broken is inexpensive and easily fixed (except that by this point, the repair bill already totals hundreds of dollars and weeks of hassle before it got fixed?) - you NEED to bring your car to Joe. Seriously. I have known him several times to take several hours diagnosing the problems with my car, make up a list of what all it needs - BEFORE having charged me a penny. I've even gone in afterward and found that he did other things to clean it up under the hood (tuck wires away for example) to make sure the car was in tip top shape - and all without even advertising how much help he gave! I took my car in recently and had my radiator replaced. He charged a fair price the first time and sent me back on the road. A few weeks later, I had another problem with the engine overheating - brought it in, and he found an additional problem had surfaced. This time, he did the work and put me back on the road... no charge - even though the repair required additional parts he hadn't charged for the first time. He even offered a free oil change for the hassle! Who does that anymore?? A mechanic who stands behind his work and sticks to his word - even driving me to and from my home himself so I can take care of things for the day. Joe isn't just a mechanic, he's a decent human being who cares about his customers. How often do you hear things like that about a mechanic?!? read more

Joe recently installed a AC unit in my Jeep Wrangler. I've been without AC and heat for about 3 years just because I didn't want to spend over a thousand dollars to have it replaced. He did an exceptional job at a more than reasonable price. The even CRAZIER thing was he let me use his own truck for one day because he couldn't finish the AC due to some problems with my dash controls. WHO DOES THAT? I was absolutely blown away! He said "I wouldn't feel right having you driving around with an unfinished product." The really cool thing about working with Joe is that he shows you exactly what is wrong with your car so that you can actually SEE that it needs replacing or repair. He explains everything thoroughly in laments terms so you can potentially diagnose your car next time a problem arises. He does not work on your car unless he knows that he can fix it the right way. If he can't, he will direct you to somewhere it can be done. He also charges you for the time it takes to repair something. If he bids you a two hour job and it takes 45 minutes you are charged for that amount, not the fixed hourly rate these other chain body shops charge. He replaced some gaskets for me about 2 weeks ago and the price I was charged was less than the bidded amount. The same thing was done with my air conditioner; he bidded one price and the final price was cheaper. This is the most geniune mechanic I have ever came across and I will continue to utilize his services. He's won me over and has a customer for life and I will reference him to anyone that is in need of mechanic work. Joe is a fantastic, friendly, down to earth guy. I couldn't agree more with all of the other 5 star reviews he's received. Don't waste your time by shopping around. If you need something done, want a good price and quality, trustworthy work, call Joe Ruiz. THANKS JOE! read more

Joe is not only the most honest mechanic in Austin, he's the most honest mechanic I've ever met. There have been multiple occasions when I have brought my car in to have one thing fixed and he found some other things wrong with the vehicle. While this is common, what isn't is that he didn't charge me anything extra for the labor. When I offered to pay him for the work he stated that he he qouted me a price and he was going to stick to it! I've sent many friends there and they all thank me for it. He saved my roommate over a thousand dollars in needless repairs quoted at a not so reputable competitor whose name I will not divulge. Let's just say it rhymes with rep roys. He'll even give you a ride to work if you need to bring your car in during the week. He's just the nicest guy and a great mechanic. I've even had some of his BBQ, and let's just say that if he ever gets bored of working on cars he has something to fall back on. read more

I had engine trouble and happened to be .5 miles from Ruiz Automotive. A coworker I had called to ask for suggestions in the area sent me their way, and boy am I glad he did! I was a little put off by the location (it's in the back of a commercial park) but looks can be deceiving. Joe and his crew were friendly, honest, fair priced, and saw me right away. I wish I lived closer just so he could be my regular mechanic! I'd never hesitate to send people to Ruiz. Stand up people running a stand up business - You can't ask for more than that. read more

I am so glad I was recommend this location! Great service and owner/customer service. They did a great job and sincerely care about what your car actually needs. The owner took his time to explain what services I would need and helped save me money! read more

This shop is well managed. I needed an inspection right around lunch time and the mechanic stopped what he was doing to get me inspected and back on my way to the DMV. Great customer service. I'll be back when I need service for my vehicle. read more

Based on a number of previous experiences, I am hesitant to take my car to a mechanic. I prefer to handle all regular maintenance, and most issues except for drivetrain. I recent had a leak on the AC evaporator, which is very difficult to access (entire dash has to be removed). I took the car to Joe Ruiz, and he did a very good job at an affordable cost. He gave me an estimate before I took the car in, and that was the price out the door (no upsell whatsoever), along with a one year warranty on parts and labor. He struck me as a very honest guy. read more

No BS here. Got my oil changed a few times. Had the CV joints done for a decent price. Good people. Not to terrible on the wait. I like to get something to eat at the Taco Cabana or Mr Tramps while I wait. read more

I've taken my car to Joe at Ruiz Auto many times, for basic maintenance. Always reliable and fare priced. It's an honest Mom & Pop shop and I'm glad I found it! read more

This place is run by a very honest and candid gentleman who is friendly & knowledgeable. The fact that the rates he charges are very reasonable is just another reason to take your car here. I trust his work and will continue to use his services. Honest. read more

Easy-going, honest, and no run-around. I originally came in because of a coupon but now it's my place. Good people and good work. So friendly my kids even ask if they can go with me for the oil changes. No joke. read more

- honest (no. seriously.) - VERY reasonable prices - really nice guy! Joe is simply amazing. He was recomended to me by a friend when I moved here and I have never taken my car to anyone else. I didn't think that honest mechanics even existed but Joe Ruiz is living proof that they do. I have frequently taken my car in for him to look at just to have him tell me A) it wasn't really a problem or B) how to fix it or C) where to go to fix it and never charged me for his time to look at it! His hourly labor fees seem expensive at first ($90/hour) but he only ever charges for EXACTLY how long it takes the guys to work on my car- sometimes only 20 minutes! This is weird to me as I'm used to mechanics charging for multiple hours of labor when I'm sure it didn't take them that long to do the job. Joe is a really nice and personable guy and I've had more than one conversation with him about various things. He treats me with respect and doesn't talk down to me because I'm female (which I get everywhere. No, I don't know much about cars but it isn't because I'm female, it's because I don't care and I'll pay someone else to do the job for me.) He's really great and I give everyone I know who needs their car looked at his card. He always seems to have cars to look at in his shop but he's never too busy that he can't squeeze you in when you take your car in. He has employees and other mechanics who work for him, but he is frequently out of his office and out there looking and working on the cars as well. The only disadvantage is that he is a little farther up north from most people in Austin (practically the intersection of 183 and I-35), but he is DEFINITELY WORTH THE DRIVE. DO IT. read more

I drive from Round Rock to get my car taken care of here, as I can depend on Joe to tell me exactly what is wrong, and if there are different options of how to fix it. There haven't been any "surprises" as he checks with us and lets us know what the total cost will be before doing the work. We have also brought cars here that we were considering buying and were saved from getting a lemon a couple of times. I feel fortunate to have found an honest mechanic and want to share the info. read more

Joe Ruiz has been the best mechanic! He treats my husband and I like family. I recommend him to all of my friends. My dad has always worked on my car, but since he doesn't live here, it is nice to have someone that I can trust and that someone is Joe Ruiz. read more

My son-in-law suggested Joe's shop when I was visiting from out-of-town. My 2007 Tahoe was having problems. After taking a ride and taking a look at the underside of the car, he diagnosed the problem quickly, repaired it in one day, and only replaced parts that absolutely needed to be replaced. Joe even kept the old parts to show me. He didn't take advantage of us on the price, especially since I was in from out of town. I would highly recommend Ruiz Automotive, and if I lived in Austin he would definitely be my personal mechanic. read more

Had my oil changed at Ruiz Automotive, ever since then I have had problems with oil leaving my car, and never had any problems prior to that. Paid over a 1000 dollars to get my A/C fixed and it stopped working a few weeks later. Now I have to pay another 1400 to fix my A/C (from someone who knows what they are doing). He may have good prices, but you get what you pay for if you know what I mean. Spend a little more money for quality work rather than saving money in the short term and regretting it later. read more

This is a great place. Joe is very honest and will not try to sell you on anything you don't need. I went to another place that told me I needed to replace my brakes, which would cost about $300 and gave me a long list of other things that needed to be done. Joe took a look and said my brakes had at least 2 years left on them and he said the rest of the car looked great too. He even rotated the tires at no charge. read more

Joe has helped me on numerous occasion with multiple vechiles I've had and I firmly believe I have located the best mechanic in Austin. Joe provides excellent, fast, friendly, and honest service. I once thought my brakes were bad, Joe pulled them apart and let me know I still had a good 20,000 miles on them, but that my power steering line was leaking. He quickly and cheaply fixed me up and I was on my way. I highly recommend this place. read more

My wife and I have been going to Joe for car repairs for over ten years and feel like family. We always get great service and fair prices. He's honest and often goes out of his way to show us things we can do to improve performance and save money. The last time we were in, they even washed our car! I highly recommend taking your vehicles in to Ruiz Automotive. He's the best mechanic in town! read more