They really took care of me. I had what I thought was engine trouble on the freeway and pulled into their shop to get help. They quickly came out to help and found a big screw in my tire! They got my car into the shop right away, took out the screw and patched the tire quickly while my young daughter and I read books in their cozy waiting area. Everyone was so nice and helpful. read more

I brought my 2007 Volvo V70 station wagon in for a repair: the fuel filler neck had become detached from the filler tube ($64.) I was also reminded that the 150K service was due ($419.), ouch. But I've relied upon Specialized Auto before with consistently satisfactory results. When I got home, I opened the fuel hatch to see what they had done, but now, once opened, the fuel hatch cover flapped loosely and would not close properly. It wasn't this way prior to bringing the Volvo in. I went back the next day, explained what I had found, and arranged to bring in the car for a repair after the weekend. The added cost $ 60.30 for parts and labor was, much to my relief and satisfaction, picked up by Specialized Auto. Had it not gone this way, my review here would have been different. As it is, I am happy to give Paul and Specialised Auto 5 stars and an applause for keeping this customer happy and doing the right thing. I have no reservations in recommending them to you the reader, and won't even mention the included free Uber ride home service provided by Specialized Auto. Bravo! read more

I wish I could give these guys 6 stars. I have brought my Audi A4 in a few times with epic problems. The car is hexed but I am convinced that Specialized has done a good job at a very competitive price, especially when compared to the dealership. Furthermore, in every case, they have gone out of their way to actually reduce charges and even bite the bullet a few times on items or service for which there was any discrepancy. Expertise: 4 stars. They are not the dealership and don't know my stupid complicated german car as well as the dealership so on unusual work, they have had to learn new things. Honestly: But, in those cases they actually reduced the charges to me. Overall, they have probably broken even or maybe even lost money on me after considering the parts and labor they have put into the car. In the latest case, I had $1200 of electrical damage because a relay box was compromised and water got in. Did they break it when they did the wiper mechanism repair a few months ago? No way to tell for sure. They don't think so, I kind of do. A dealership may have been in there and done the damage. At first they offered to split the cost with me. I pushed back a little and they chose to do the repair, including parts, at no charge. They don't believe they caused the problem and didn't have to do this but they did. No one is perfect but their level of responsibility and commitment to customer service is near perfect. I had a similar experience with them on another repair. They have earned my loyalty. Now, does anyone want to buy an Audi A4? read more

Been here twice with my 2005 Nissan Murano and had a great experience both times. Staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. They seem to really care about their customers, and get the job done without "selling" you on other services/stuff you really don't need. They recommended buying a part that saved $50 instead of the factory part. Free tire rotation too while it was there. Great shuttle service too! Very glad to have found them and would highly recommend. read more

I love doing my own auto work at home, but for the tough repairs that are more time consuming (and complicated) than I can complete I trust Specialized. Today I brought my 1995 Volvo in and Rick and Randy were efficient and friendly. Both were willing to answer my questions and not once did they make me feel like I was a bother - even though the shop was slammed. I highly recommend the staff and service. read more

Our car was serviced at Specialized Auto in Santa Cruz. Larry, the owner, authorized a fix on my AC that: 1) Didn't address the problem; 2) Went outside my extended warranty and; 2) Cost me $203.16. Mini of Steven's Creek diagnosed the real problem. We emailed Larry. He didn't budge. Last week, the AC issue reared up again. Mini of Steven's Creek fixed it AT NO COST - the issue was covered. We went back to Larry yesterday. He defended his stance after seeing the Stevens Creek fix. Told us Stevens Creek were liars, frauded the insurance company, and with a smirk, did nothing once again to right his error - and didn't care that he lost our business or yours. read more

I took my 2004 Volvo in for a problem with the head lights. The charged me $100 to tell me that the system needed to be replaced - $1000. I took it to some one else and they fixed it for $35. I went back to Specialized to complain about the mis-diagnosis and they didn't seem to care at all, in fact they were even rude. Still working fine 4 years later. read more

Edward P. Yelp Review Your review for Specialized Auto Service and Repair is now live! 6/7/2016 Last August, my 1998 Volvo V70 couldn't pass the Smog test at another repair shop. They said there was nothing they could do to make it pass and suggested that I "junk" the car and sell it for parts. I took it to Specialized Auto Service and they found a couple of "alterations" in my smog system and got my car to pass the test. The funny thing is that the alterations were done by the very repair shop I originally took my car to get tested. I can only guess they weren't keeping track of the alterations. My hats off to the folks at Specialized, they saved my car from being sold as parts or scrap metal. I recently purchased a 1996 Volvo 850 sedan. I first took my car to the shop where I took my V70 wagon to get smog tested but I was told the smog system had been tampered with. In its present state it wouldn't pass and there was nothing they could do about it. It turned out the previous owner worked on the smog system himself and then paid an unknown smog testing shop to "make it pass", even though any reputable shop never would have passed it. My only option was to hope that Specialized Auto Service could work their magic again and repair what was needed to make the car pass smog without breaking my bank account. They replaced an oxygen sensor and ventilation hose but it still wouldn't pass. They kept the car for a couple of days trying to get it to pass. They finally succeeded on the 4th day, and my bill wasn't that high. I don't think they charged me for all the time they spent fiddling around with my car to get it to pass the smog test. One of my clients had a 1997 Volvo 850 turbo that needed a door replaced. He told them to replace the passenger-side door when in fact; it was the driver's-side door that needed replacing. Well the folks at Specialized told him it was their fault for not checking which door needed replacing and replaced the drivers-side door for free and let him keep the new passenger door as well. That says a lot about a service garage. That's two cars saved from the wrecking yard. Yes, Specialized is a bit more expensive, but as they say "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". A lot of the negative Yelp reviews stated Specialized was too expensive compared to other shops. I have my doubts because another shop quoted a particular job at 5 to 6 hours and Specialized did it in half that time, and their labor is not twice the other shop. read more

I've taken my many Volvos to Specialized over the years and continue to depend on them for great service and quality work. I know that I can call with questions and get a solid response so I understand what the car needs and what it is going to take to keep it running. I have two Volvos now, both with more than 250K miles. Specialized keeps them on the road. I've purchased two cars from them, too - always reliable. read more

Isn't it interesting how most of the 1 and 2 star reviews are from the past year or so? That's when I first started realizing something was very wrong w/ this shop. I didn't want to believe it at first, since I'd been a loyal customer and spent a LOT of money here. I really didn't want to believe these friendly guys would shaft a very low income person on purpose, a person who trusted them wholeheartedly. In denial & not wanting to believe the worst of them, I returned to this shop 3 times after I started suspecting something was very wrong. First, there was a crack in my coolant reservoir and my car began to leak fluid. I was told that there was no way to replace the reservoir alone and my entire radiator would have to be replaced. I trusted this without question and had it done, and paid the tremendous bill. THE SAME WEEK I picked up my car, my car is dumping coolant again. At this point after that bill, I barely had grocery money, so I knew I wouldn't be able to afford a second bill. I made do by replacing the coolant often, and focused on saving up again. When I finally had enough saved up for another repair, I returned. Their greeting? "That'll be $65 for a re-check." I was shocked and asked another worker there if it was true, if I would be charged for a re-check for a problem that was already "fixed." He said "oh you're right, we don't charge for those kind of re-checks", so I was momentarily reassured they weren't just trying to scam me. Well, after they inspected it, I got the estimate back and was shocked - there were things on the estimate that had absolutely zero to do with the current problem such as, replacing the timing belt. I was shocked bc I'd told them I make less than minimum wage & this is my daily driver, so right now I can only do the necessities. But I was given the hard sell that I had to replace the timing belt as well and it "made no sense" not to. I checked in with others that know more about cars than I do, and they assured me the timing belt had nothing to do with my problem. So I told this to the Specialized Auto worker and he admitted it and said, "well timing belts eventually have to be replaced anyway and we'd have to remove it anyway to do this repair, so you might as well replace it." Wow, that was NOT how it was presented to me, it was presented as something that had to be done and was related to the current problem. I asked if there was currently anything wrong with the timing belt and the answer was no!!! I decided not to do the repair (which would be the SECOND repair on the same issue) and save up more, and maybe go to another shop. In the meantime my battery wore out, & I bought a new one. I asked the shop if they could put it in for me and they said yes -- and the charge would be $80 for labor. My knowledge of cars is low, so I have to rely on others to know if something is a fair charge or makes sense as a repair or not. (Tho the more I deal with these things, the more I'm learning.) I asked around about this and everyone who I asked was absolutely horrified and wanted to know the name of the shop who would charge a regular customer $80 to put in a battery. Many people were so horrified they offered to do it for me for free and show me how to do it myself for the next time! So that worked out. Summary of the final straw: my ignition wasn't releasing my key even when my car was in park. I was charged $65 for "diagnosis" which is fine, and then quoted over $300 for taking apart my shifter and cleaning it. Also, my car had a check engine light on and I was offered they would check my codes -- for $121 dollars. Yes that's what I was quoted to check the codes. Needless to say I paid for the "diagnosis" and left. I have told this episode to a variety of people with car knowledge and each of them was absolutely horrified. "WHAT???" was the most common quote from them. I told this episode to another mechanic who was also stunned and horrified. I have an appointment with him to look at these things and afterwards if he wants me to, I will add his name to this review as well as the $ amount that I am charged. (Update: local mechanic David Miller did this job for me for $30. That is not a typo. He also checked and diagnosed my codes for free. Also, Specialized Auto quoted me 2.5 hours of labor for this job. It took a fraction of that time. He also showed me how they'd broken many interior parts of my console in dismantling it - many tabs that help parts lock together were wrenched completely off.) Bottom line: some of us don't know much about cars & have to fully trust in someone else when it comes to car repair. Trust them that they will be honest with us & really want to do a good job for us. Not just see us as a piggy bank to be smashed. If that's you, if you rely on trust in others about car repair, it's not safe for you to go to this shop. I don't know what happened in the past year. Maybe someone's trying to make payments on his vacation home? read more

These guys are nice - but BEWARE!!! They are EXPENSIVE! Much more expensive than going to a dealership, and sorry Specialized, not nearly as good. These guys are also MASTERS OF THE UPSELL, so you go for an oil change, but WATCH OUT - they'll add changing the windshield wipers... FOR $60!!! Really? Pep Boys replaces them for FREE! Also, we have an extended warranty on our Mini, which, when we go to the dealership, they call, and we pay the deductible. NOT SPECIALIZED!!! Specialized finds it inconvenient to deal with the extended warranty company, and it's just easier to bill the customer than it is to do the right thing, and work with the extended warranty company. Again, these guys are nice. They are professional. They charge more than the dealership, and you don't get a loaner car. They find every opportunity to separate you from your money. They'd rather bill you than the warranty company. Nothing's worse than someone who overbills you with a smile on their face. But that's Larry. That's Specialized. BEWARE!!! read more

Watch out for Paul in the service department. He has now twice added repairs to my car and then argued with me when I refused to pay. An oil change became $140. They used to rotate tires for free, but Paul charges you. The first time I worked with Paul, he tried to charge me $200 for a diagnostic test that, had he read the notes on my car, was done six months before. More recently he quoted $1500 to fix a rattle in the suspension of my car. I said no then called back, twice, to inquire about just getting the part that rattles replaced. He never bothered to call me back. He is rude and unprofessional. Go to Terry, who is friendly and fair. Avoid Paul, at least until he has had some customer service training. read more

Yeah, heard all about this place even back in MA (Amherst, at Performance Volvo); mostly good... um, no. Had door limiter problems on my Volvo XC Cross-Country wagon. Asked that they be switched out, as they were beat. They did that, but neglected to tell me they used crap parts, not Volvo parts- the off-brand parts they used went bad in two months of light use, despite charging me the Volvo going parts rate, with markup. Despite the little voice in my head warning me to go elsewhere, soon after this fiasco I had to move cross-country (no pun intended) on a tight schedule. Had Specialized go over the car for a safety check and a full diagnostic check of all systems for over $200.00. Long-story short- Friday afternoon on the way out of CA through the Sierras an engine light came on, the power went to nil, and had to waste $300.00 for two nights at a local hotel in the middle of nowhere until Monday morning. Hangtown Auto Repair, bless their hearts, fixed everything that Specialized missed (over three separate appointments), and got it running right in a little over three hours. I was so mad at the owner of Specialized I called him immediately and convinced him that HE should pay the $678.00 repair bill from Hangtown Auto Repair, since this worthless employees overlooked vitally everything I asked them to specifically CHECK, and that Hangtown Auto Repair actually fixed. The owner of Specialized after about an hour on the phone finally relented and paid for the repairs via his credit card over the phone, with apologies for his careless and lazy mechanics. Too little, too late- we'd already wasted over $400.00 in food and lodging and an entire weekend in nowhereville, a day getting our car fixed by REAL mechanics and our moving schedule went to hell because of Specialized Auto's lack of skill, care and knowledge. In the last 12 months, virtually every thing they did (five or six seemingly minor repairs under the hood and on the running gear) had to be fixed AGAIN by a *competent* Volvo repair shop, Performance Volvo in Amherst, MA. The only good that may have come out of this entire ordeal is that I hope he fired the 'mechanics' who 'worked' on my family car. If I could give zero stars, I would. A terribly overrated place that must be frequented by either very easily impressed Volvo owners with money and time to burn or Volvo owners with ridiculously easy mechanical issued to address, like smog checks. Terrible place, indifferent personnel and mechanics who apparently got their certifications at Chuck E. Cheese. In 37 years of paying for good service from honest mechanics all over the country, what a letdown. read more

I brought in my Volvo S40 for an Urgent Service Transmission Light that had come on. The car had just been purchased with immaculate interior and new rims. Specialized Auto Service and Repair was unable to find any issues and said the car had all the software updates. Shortly after I had to bring the car back again for the same issue. Car not shifting properly. Car brought in both times first thing when shop opened said it would only take an hour or two. Both times did not receive the car until closing. Upon getting the car back the second time...the car had been stripped of its tools, center/CD console removed and replaced with a damaged one and the new rims replaced with scratched ones. Not to mention that night the service light came on! Will not be back here! TAKE YOUR HARD EARNED CASH SOMEWHERE ELSE! read more

I went to Specialized Auto for a simple oil change service on my Volkswagen and I am very happy with my service. Being a first time customer I used their $50 off coupon found on their website which was great. Even without the coupon their oil change would have been less expensive than the estimates I received from other places. Aside from the oil change they washed and even vacuumed the inside of my car which I thought was excellent. The staff was friendly and my girlfriend feels the ladies restroom deserves a mention. I will definitely return to this business next time. read more

We have been taking our volvos there for years, and now our Mini Cooper as well. We have always received high quality customer service and work on our cars. They are always able to diagnose problems that come up right away. I've never felt like they were recommending things I didn't need. Whenever I had a lightbulb go out, I could always drive in, buy the bulb from the parts dept and they would pop it in for me for free. I have a hard time getting my hands in those tight little spaces without dropping the bulb never to be seen again. And anyone who owns volvos knows they go through a lot of tail/brake light bulbs. My car is always ready when promised and never cost more than the estimate. That is important to me. I don't like surprises! read more

I want to compliment Specialized Auto for doing the right thing. My car was towed in after breaking down. It was fixed only to break down two days later 20 miles outside of Los Banos! I was towed to my family in Visalia, an expensive trip. My car was correctly diagnosed and fixed there. When I got back to Santa Cruz, I went in to Specialized to speak to Larry. He could not have been nicer. He apologized for the error they had made and expressed regret that I had such a hard time with my car. He refunded my money for the "fix" they made AND for my towing expenses. This kind of concern for their customers is why I have been with Specialized for so long. read more

My review involves the work done on my wife's 2006 Mecedes C230. Brought it in for a automatic transmission inspection on Tuesday, spoke to Manny (the service rep) on Wednesday morning by phone because my office is in San Jose. They require Mercedes car owner's to give them a copy of both sides of your drivers license PRIOR to ordering parts! I scanned my DL, emailed it to them just after I spoke to Manny in the morning. Manny then informs me that the car should be ready that afternoon. I then drive back over and drop of a cashiers check for the entire bill, figuring the car will be ready for my wife to pickup in a couple of hours. Manny then informs me he hasn't yet ordered the parts because he found out that he also needs a copy of my wifes's DL. At no time did they attempt to contact me or her. No work had been started or parts ordered, as of Wednesday PM. I am now figuring that they may order parts tomorrow (Thursday) and the car may or may not be ready Friday. We live in Watsonville so we had to get her to copy her DL and get it to there Watsonville office, not good. They should have known their parts ordering requirements when she authorized the inspection, and later at the service request. I know of NO other car repair facility that requires a copy of both sides of your drivers license prior to ordering parts. If this was explained at the outset we would have gone to the other independent service facility in Santa Cruz. Communication skills with their Santa Cruz are at best lacking, this will be sadly our last time at this facility, and it will also be the last Mercedes we purchase. read more

I've been a customer of Specialized for over a decade. No more. This is the last time I will put up with their shoddy work. The low oil light came on 150 miles after they serviced my V70. No oil on the stick. I called them for an explanation, and what kind of oil to use. They told me the engine was burning oil. The tailpipe was clean of soot because of synthetic oil. 4 quarts topped off the oil. 3000 miles later the oil is still topped off, in other words, the engine is NOT burning oil. They didn't fill the engine! They nearly cost me an engine. They still insist the engine WAS burning oil. read more

My family and I have been regular customers of Specialized since they opened many years ago. They've always been THE place to go for Volvo and other import car repairs. Recently, after struggling to fix a problem with my Honda's hatch, I phoned Rick at Specialized. Following his suggestion, I brought the car to him. He came right outside and within 10 minutes, had found a screw had fallen out and fixed the problem. He accepted a grateful hug as payment. Rick is an example of the warm, knowledgable, small town style service we have always experienced at Specialized. read more

The guys at Specialized are friendly and knowledgeable. The prices are fair and I never feel like Im getting ripped off. Fast-Same Day Service! read more

I was a new customer at this shop. There were unable to properly diagnosis or fix the problems with my car. They only made suggestions of what the problem might be. Then they quoted me prices on the suggested work to be done at twice the rate of other local shops. These guys are friendly to deal with but are overall a waste of time and money. I do not recommend taking anything to this shop ! read more

I've been going to Specialized for over 20 years. I've had only good experiences with repairs and with the three used Volvo wagons I bought from them over this period of time (one each for me and my two boys). Larry manages the business and is terrific. I never feel pushed or squeezed, repairs are always explained as are various repair options. One sign of the quality of any business is the longevity of its employees. If employees are treated well and stay, customers will be treated well. Specialized has many repair people who've been there for 10 years or more. read more

Quick efficient oil change, tire rotation and liquid top up for approximately $55. Checked in at 10.30 am, told maybe short wait but out of there - with car wash too - after 11 am. Highly recommended. read more

I have brought my Volvo here several times, and am now writing my review after many unpleasant experiences. I will not be a retuning customer, and will put that out here plain and simple. My belief is their technicians are well trained, and do a great job. However, I am not a car person and can not tell if they are honestly doing a good job or not, that is only my belief. In steps my service person, someone that you hope will be honest, helpful, understanding, and caring since I am not a car expert and am hoping and expecting to not be taken advantage of. But in every time I have brought my car in, how does Paul make me feel. You got it, like I'm being nickel and dime and completely taken foal of. He is condescending and rude not only to me, but also to mother who was so nice to bring in my car for me. I have brought my car in several times, and Paul always calls me back with a laundry list of "other things" they have found wrong with my car. It sure makes you feel like he (and/or the technical team) is being paid to increase my invoice price. I have brought my car more than a dozen, and every single time he has called me back to increase my invoice with something, not everyone one time has the original amount been what they final amount is. My final result, they are not cheap and I will demand a much better experience and service for my hard earned dollar. Specialized Auto doesn't add up and they will not get my business anymore. And my recommendation to anyone that reads this, take your hard earn dollars and give it to another service center. read more

They are expensive! Look at their facility and then think about who pays for all of the glitz. The staff are nice enough but my experiences there have not been positive: misdiagnosis but being left with the tab, etc. read more

Specialized Auto has been servicing my Volvo, and other cars for years. I highly recommend them. In addition to great and consistent service over the years, they've gone above and beyond in emergency situations. For example, I recently went in without an appt. because my car was making loud noises. They were able to do an assessment right away, found the problem and was able to correct it. This took about 30 minutes of their time. Since no parts or mechanic labor were involved, they refused to charge me anything in appreciation for being a loyal customer. I also like that they make recommendations for repairs based on safety, age of the vehicle and budget. read more

Loyal customer for 6+ years due to their excellent attention to customer service. I never like signing the bill, but Volvo parts are expensive, and I always feel like the reps take care to explain what's necessary to do now and what can wait till later. In the past they've changed bulbs for me for free (wear their license plate holder on the back and get freebies like this). On a busy Friday afternoon, after the rep was staying late to accommodate me, I left my phone in their loaner car. Even though they're closed on Saturday, someone picked it up, checked records and traced it to me, and called me at home to make sure I could come in and get it over the weekend. Thanks, guys! read more

Thank you, Larry and crew. You always deliver, and we appreciated the same outstanding service the other day (smog check, which also involved a new hose) as we have been receiving since we first discovered you more than 25 years ago. Quality mechanics, along with a top notch facility, also make Specialized the best in the business. read more

Specifically for Rick who was my service writer and Martha who was my technician. What a great team! Martha who didn't have to talk with me about the work, did so and was happy to answer my questions. This establishment is blessed to have such competent and intelligent employees. Excellent A+ read more

I had high hopes after reading all the good reviews. I took my volvo in because it wouldn't start. In the end the problem was fixed, and they were friendly throughout the process. They were going to be done by the evening, but I told them I would be there the next morning at 9 to pick the car up. No problem they said. When I got there at 10 the next morning, they hadn't even started replacing the part that needed to be replaced. So I waited while they did it. They apologized, said they were embarrassed, and got it done within 25 minutes while I waited. Then when I went to get in the car, a piece of my car was still not assembled and was sitting in the front seat. I took the part in and they came out and bolted it all together. Overall, a little sloppy. Judging from the other reviews here, maybe they were just having a rough day. Either way, I'll try somewhere else next time around. read more