Well its interesting and I will get to the point. I brought my VW Jetta in for an oil change in March 2021. Because of COVID-19 I did not drive the car much in April or May. Last weekend (June 12th) I opened the hood to check the oil and the engine cover was missing! Specialized Auto had my engine cover sitting in the corner of their shop for 3 months. NOW don't you think that management would realize after 2 months or better two weeks that this thing Its big like 20x20 inches belonged to some customers car and searched the recently services VW diesels to see who it belongs to? I called there yesterday and Paul said yes its here! So if you, after reading this still trust your car to Specialized Auto shame on you for what happens Service: Oil change read more

Specialized Auto - found! missing at Specialized Auto for 3 months - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Michael has been my service rep since I came to Specialized a couple of years ago. Just had my Volvo smog checked today. I was pleased to experience the consistent attention to detail and quality of service. Ron read more

Took my car in for service because it sounded like right side wheel bearing was going out with a thump thump sound at about 10mph. Service guy called and said I needed two new back tires because tires were cupping and making sound? I asked him if rotating tires could be a better option as the existing tires were fairly new and he stated back tires are a different size it will not work. After spending almost $800+ dollars I drove my car for two days and still the same sound. I called service guy and said not fixed same issue! He said bring it and we will check again. I decided to get a second opinion and took it to Precision Mercedes. All 4 tires were same size and he rotated them and fixed the issue. He did say my right motor mound was cracked and needed to be replaced. I will NEVER return to Specialized auto as they were not truthful about original repairs needed on my car. Do these knuckleheads even know what they are doing? No thank you! The $800+ spent was not necessary. Buyer beware... read more

Specialized Auto is top of the line. We have been bringing our cars to them for service for several decades. They always evaluate the cars for what they need now, and help us make clear informed decisions in planning for future service. BEST!!! read more

We're from Southern California and were just dropping our daughter off at UCSC for the week. We discovered we were having a coolant issue in our Volvo hybrid. It was too late in the day to go to a dealership service outside of Santa Cruz. We called Specialized and spoke to Tyler. He was so incredibly kind and helpful. He said he was only taking full service appts a week out, but he could take a look at the coolant level and top us off if needed. We arrived in our giant tow truck and Tyler came right out (as the shop was getting ready to close) and helped us out. Unfortunately, we discovered we still needed to be towed to a dealership, but he let us keep our car on the lot overnight so it could be towed in the morning to Monterey. He never charged us for anything and helped us so much when we really needed it. He was so friendly and insanely knowledgeable with our car (which is rare to find). We'd come back here in a heartbeat. read more

I've taken three different Volvos here on and off for the past 15 years. If you don't mind paying top price they are usually very thorough and will squeeze you in with little notice. However lately the attention to detail has declined and the nickel and dime-ing has increased. Tires are often not rotated despite requests to do so, car is often not washed when they say it's ready to be picked up, and the sales guys have gotten a lot pushier. I feel like if I knew nothing about cars I would allow myself to be talked into several thousand dollars of unneeded work on my Volvo with over 200k miles. I've found another local shop through yelp (just search Volvo repair) which I'm much happier with. I hope specialized can turn it around though, I hate to see a Volvo place go down hill. read more

Only place in Santa Cruz county I would take my foreign car to. The guys here are so genuine and service has been on point. Best price for five star dealership maintenance read more

Specialized Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

As always Specialized is a pleasure to deal with. Quality work and great customer service. We've been dealing with them for over 15 years and have never had a bad experience. read more

Had appointment for a smog check. Very friendly service and best price around.

Excellent service and great advice, highly recommend. Clear communication and honest guidance.

I have been taking my cars here after moving from San Jose. (Over 7 years). I have found Specialized Auto to be a honest car maintenance and repair shop. The normal service has always been preformed with a high degree of quality first. Replacement of used parts are replaced with high quality components. I can rely on both of my cars to start and deliver me safely to my next stop because of the quality of service preformed by the Specialized Auto team. I have never needed to return for any car problem they resolved. They fix it once and they fix it right. read more

I don't generally give 5 star ratings especially not to auto repair facilities. However, I have been doing business with Specialized Auto for many years and they are the most honest auto repair company that I have ever encountered. My first contact was after the dealership on my Volvo had recommended several thousand dollars of repairs. Specialized looked the car over and informed me that the repairs called for by the dealership were not necessary at that point in time. They have consistently handled all of my issues with the car in a prompt and reasonable manner with a friendly and personable staff. If you have a Volvo you should be going to Specialized. read more

Always great service and very reliable. Usually go out of their way to get you in if it's urgent.

Specialized may not be the cheapest game in town, but they do good work, the do it in a timely manner, and they always fit me in when I really need it. read more

Today was my first experience with Specialized Auto. I went in for a Smog Check and left thinking "The next time I need service, I am coming back here!" The office is very well organized and clean. The staff assisting me were polite and helpful. I was in and out in under 30minutes. Not much else you can say about a Smog Check :) read more

These guys are great! Our daughter bought a Toyota 4Runner with a myriad of issues and Larry was amazing! He walked us through the CARFAX report , looked for a mechanic two hours away so we could get the car up and running, and even gave us some suggestions and ideas for our next steps with the vehicle. I have been going to these guys for years and they always take care of my Volvo XC70. Most recently I needed a bulb replacement which was a challenging bulb to locate on my vehicle. We got there on a Friday, just before closing and Stu, in the Parts department was so helpful. He, Michael and Randy found which bulb needed to be replaced and it was installed in a jiffy. I appreciate their commitment to their customers! read more

Mark and Andy are the best. Always timely, clean, highest quality work. Honesty and integrity in everything they do. Local business with loyal customers for years. Have used them exclusively and will for the foreseeable future! reasonably priced everything. If you have Honda/Acura vehicles , no reason to go to the dealer. Trust this business. read more

I recommend you avoid Specialized Auto in Santa Cruz. Apparently, they have so many customers that they feel like they can give longtime customers the cold shoulder (or worse) for daring to question the quality of their work. In my case, I dared raise questions about damage that they may have caused on one car only to have them provide shoddy servIce on my other vehicle. It almost seemed like they were telegraphing their displeasure with me, saying in essence: go find service somewhere else. They have been great for years, but apparently have grown too big for their britches. They are a quality shop, but god help you if you dare complain. read more

Always have excellent service here. Quality parts, fairly easy to get an appointment and they are good with letting you know how long it will be. read more

Brought car in for service - wipers worked before I took car in, as something else was serviced , wipers not worked after brought in - now they want to charge me 350 bucks to fix there error - last time I go there read more

Very expensive repair. They quoted $600 but I was able to get the job done elsewhere for $125 including genuine parts directly from Mercedes Benz. read more

Everyone at specialized auto is awesome they care they're very welcoming they're very attentive their personable you feel like your family I've been with them for several years and it's the only place that I would go!! read more

My wife's BMW X5 has been to this shop a couple of times recently and the service has always been excellent. Paul is the nicest guy and makes sure that the car is ready and running properly and cleaner than when it came to the shop. The last visit was due to an error message saying the car was operating at reduced power. They could not find anything wrong with the scanners but updated the cars computer software at no charge and it's running better than ever! read more

Everyone was wonderful and very professional. Martha is a great auto tech, and fixed my issue in 10 minutes while I waited. Great place.

Got new tires for my wife's BMW at Costco. Since they don't do alignments you can get a 15% off coupon for specialized Automotive. I called on a Monday morning not expecting to get the car in but they were able to squeeze us in. I was impressed by the professionalism of the guys working the front counter. If needed I could have got shuttle service. They did a great job washing the car after they finished. Even though it's a hand wash it rivals the big boys. I would definitely recommend them. read more

I've been taking all of my cars to them for over 11 years. Actually bought 2 cars from them over that time. Up until 2019 I thought they were great -- never had a complaint. The past year has not been so good. Car One. Said the car would be ready in 1 day. It took them 3 extra days to fix my car (not getting part, technicians not available, ...). When I got it back they did not do one of the tasks (did not charge me but did not do the work). Car Two. Car was making a screeching noise when cold. They said they fixed the problem. It came back 2 days later. Car Three. Check engine light came on. They suggested 3 possible solutions. I had the first suggestion work done (over $500). Two weeks later same problem came back. They suggested a second possible solution. Would be over $1,000. Decided to pass. I have many more. Not sure what happened last year. Reluctant to take any of my cars back. read more

Yup, they have 2 great service advisors, Rick and Larry. But if you don't mind paying way more than the original estimates, them keeping your car for two days to do an hour or so brake job, taking 3 hrs to put in a seat belt in a BMW, and scratching and tearing your lovely leather seat, and breaking a part they have to reorder and you have to come back yet again, on your time, losing work hours, while watching someone work on your car who clearly shouldn't be because it is incredibly obvious he has no real clue what he is doing and keeps calling for help... and them not checking things you specifically asked them too, Go here then. I've had 3 experiences there, The 1st one was okay... the last two.. nightmares. Just because I am a woman, doesn't mean I don't know when I am being taken advantage of. Manager got a call by me, still hasn't returned it. My car is supposed to go back in for them to replace a part they broke while replacing the seat belt. I guarantee you, that when I am dealt with, it will be completely different from how they would handle it with a man. I am strongly considering filing a complaint with the BAR. With all of the same complaints I see on here and on google with overcharging and shoddy work.. they need to be put on notice that people aren't going to stand for that kind of lack of professional work ethics. You'd be wise to do your research well on any shop before you go, including looking on the BAR website (Bureau of Automotive Repair) and making sure your shop is clean. I'd pass on this one! read more

Specialized Auto "specializes" in doing business with people who have more money than brains. Unfortunately, I learned this too late, with my nightmare of an experience. I wish someone had warned me. If you have a newer Volvo, and you have too much money to care, then Specialized Auto is your dream of a service center come true! My Volvo, however, is a '94, so their computers (who are apparently the only trained automotive professionals) were not able to carry out their jobs for them. Thus, having to resort to actual automotive mechanic skills, they misdiagnosed her THREE times in a row before discovering the real problem. I'm not exaggerating. Imagine: the Volvo is towed in, "diagnosed", worked on, they charge an obscene amount for the misdiagnosis, "labor" and incorrect part-replacements that were never necessary, the car runs (more sluggishly than before they worked on her) just long enough to get me home, and then in the morning when I attempt to leave for work, she doesn't start. This happened THREE times in a row. Three separate visits, and they only made her worse. (She was also spewing dark smoke exhaust all the way home after the first visit. I had not seen that before they did their damage) Of course, they offered a fee-waiver for one of the misdiagnoses, that is after charging me $315 for a part that retails at $125. (I called my old, trusted mechanic in Georgia to confirm this) If you want to do business with automotive service professionals who actually know their craft, work with their brains and hands, are reasonably priced, find anyone BUT Specialized Auto. You have been warned. read more

Ignore anyone on this board who has complaints about Specialized Auto. They are either working for another auto repair shop trying to confuse you, or they are straight-up morons. I have been using Specialized exclusively for 10 years for all of my autos. I currently have a BMW, a Mercedes, and a Honda. In the past they have serviced many of my cars from a variety of manufacturers. Jeremy is the person I typically deal with. However, everyone who I have worked with has been very kind and helpful. Are they expensive? Depends on what your time is worth. I don't consider it expensive to have my car fixed properly the first time. On the few occasions where I had to return for follow-up work they could not have been more helpful. My only complaint is they have become too popular and sometimes it takes longer for me to get an appointment then it used to. No one touches my cars but Specialized. They stand by their work, honor their word, and have a superior attitude about customer service that is non-existent at most shops in the Santa Cruz area. If you take your car anywhere else you are either a fool or a risk-taker. read more

Santa Cruz seems like the hot-spot for classic pre-Ford Volvos. I, like the countless Santa Cruzians, had one of these bricks too, an '88 240DL. While she was still alive (she got backed into down in LA, and had to be let go), Specialized was the only place that I trusted to take her to get her insides all fixed up. Sure, they were pricey, but you get what you paid for. Their work quality has always been top notch. They're always there to help and answer your questions too, even if it doesn't result in a sale from themI've called and e-mailed them countless times for suggestions, and they've always been happy to help. Over the time that I've been bringing my car here, I've also gotten to know some of the head mechanics pretty well. They recognized my car and treat it like their own child. One has even offered to buy my car and its aftermarket parts I've put in. It goes to show that they really care about the work they do. Specialized is definitely worth those extra bucks. If you love your Volvo as much as I did, you'll definitely appreciate their workmanship and customer service. ____________________________ -to all tree-huggers- Specialized runs off solar power. VERY cool. ____________________________ read more

This is the third time I have had my car (Volvo V50 T5) serviced here and they always do a great job. One of my first experiences was when my alternator light came on, so I of course brought it in to be checked and it turned out the chip inside broke. However Volvo Worldwide was out-of stock, Specialized called every dealer in CA, distributor in the US, and there were none available. I even called Volvo North America...they were on back order from Sweden. To make my life easier Specialized gave me a loaner car...for over a month while we waited for the part. Once it arrived they were fast and got my car back to me quickly. This trip a basic maintenance and some minor issues were all resolved the same day! It is so nice when the mechanic tells you those noises you hearing were a problem, but only a minor issue less than $100 ! read more

Great service, Aaron helped me out they are so professional. Rides to and from the service station make life so much easier!

I have nothing but praise for the mechanics at Specialized Auto. I've brought my 1997 BMW M3 there for a variety of problems and they've been efficient, effective, friendly, and best of all, AFFORDABLE! Their care and coverage are very personal, and whenever I call, they know my car and the history since they've been looking after it. One of the best group of mechanics in Santa Cruz. read more

I scheduled a brake&lamp inspection days in advance with these guys and brought it to them in the morning. They took 8 hours just to tell me I had to put in a couple of bulbs and tighten a brake line (though they claimed it had to be replaced). So I fixed these issues myself and brought it back to them and again they took 8 whole hours just to tell me at the end that my brake line still leaked (I verified afterwards that it was not leaking) and that my sidemarker lights were not supposed to be on with my parking lights. I bought some JDM (stock factory part from Japan) headlights for my car as both an appearance upgrade and to remedy this issue, which turns out not to be an issue. Before coming in for another reinspection I asked them about these lights and the inspector said that they would dig into the manuals to verify my equipment was stock, though this is not part of the inspection.. I guess they just had it out for me for some reason... I ended up finding some small gas station shop that took only 4 hours and they passed me. These guys are a dealership type shop and are not a great value to begin with. But I am apalled at the improper service I had to deal with. I've dealt with a lot of mechanics and service people, but this experience was ridiculous. Overall, I find that this experience was a big waste of time and money. I wouldn't recommend this shop even if you have one of the European brands they claim to specialize in as I'm sure you can find a much better value. read more

I've come down with the BMW blues.. I know vehicles very well. I have had a 1971 Chevelle, a 1999 GMC Yukon, a 2002 Maxima, a 2003 TL Type-S and now for my most current vehicle a BMW coupe. All my prior cars were serviced at a dealership, and some serviced on my own. I was not so keen on taking my 'baby' to a shop other-than a dealership. That was until today, when Specialized Auto has converted me to a 'dealership go-er' to trusting these guys here. Specialized Auto was the only thing that brightened my day. I set up an appointment to fix a leaking radiator expansion tank on my 3 Series Coupe. I was greeted at 8am with such a welcoming attitude by Matt, him and the other guys at the desk namely Rick and Dane are a pleasure to do business with. They are very honest and kind. The work they did: Initially, they were to run a pressure test on the radiator to locate the leak, in which they did. I already knew it was the leaky expansion tank. So they fixed it swiftly and with no pain on my end. The BMW mechanic there ran another pressure test to make sure everything was in order. And there it was, another leak. I was stressed out and frustrated because I couldn't believe I had succumbed to the renown 3 Series cooling system issue. I had to have a Transmission thermostat and the Radiator thermostat changed. This almost doubled the initial cost estimate of just the expansion tank. But they consoled me and told me it was cheaper to do this preventative maintenance rather than letting it evolve into a disastrous multi-thousand dollar ordeal. So I took their advice and left it there. They also set me up with a great rental car service. The Now: My car is sitting in the shop, waiting to be worked on tomorrow. This is the second time in my experience where I had to leave a vehicle over night. The other vehicle was the Acura. A bit Ironic the cars in which are more costly, have the most damage. I hope tomorrow I am not greeted with more problems with the car, but rather a " Thanks for your time Chuck, See ya next time." But this is all in good hopes in wish I am crossing my fingers. Recommendation: Do I recommend this place? Yes, if you own a Volvo, Audi, VW, Mercedes-Benz, or BMW. GO GO GO GO here. Trust me, as a dealer-only type of guy, it took me a while to get over that. But if you are looking for a trust-worthy establishment and very intelligible mechanics. Come here! read more

Specialized is Super! Reliable and trustworthy, they are top notch trouble shooters, they really know what they are doing. They explain all issues really well, lay out the options for you, and deliver quality work. Absolutely no hint of attempts to "up-sell" you on doing work that you don't really need, in fact quite the opposite - they will help you weigh the costs and benefits, determine which work needs to be done now, and which can safely wait. I brought my Volvo here after many years of patronizing another place in town, that used to be great, but sadly has declined since the founder retired and turned the business over to his son. Specialized is just as good if not better than that place in its heyday. They deliver your car washed too. How cool is that! read more

I brought my Volvo to Specialized to diagnose an engine noise. They quickly diagnosed the problem and were quite frank about whether or not made sense to fix the car (It didn't since it either required an engine rebuild or swap, both much more than the car was worth - 18 years old, 191,000+ miles). Rick was quite helpful and also gave me a good price. They also had a rental car waiting for me. They also seemed to be as well equipped as a dealer for servicing Volvos in terms training and special equipment. I would recommend these guys highly for service. read more

I've come to specialized auto three times now for small services and I'm blown away by the great customer service I've experienced every time I bring my vehicle in. Michael has been my service rep and his demeanor and recommendations have been exceptional. I feel that my vehicle is in good hands here, without the deception of extra, unnecessary, expenses. After so many frustrating experiences elsewhere, I know that this is the only place that will continue to have my business in auto care. read more

always friendly, professional, and perform qua work.

Larry is the man!! He is the magic behind this auto business. This place is never out to rip you off or do you wrong. They are an incredibly talented team of mechanics and you can always be rest assured your car is in great care. If you have a foreign car/luxury vehicle this is where you want to take your car. They are experts. I have a BMW 3 series and I always feel confident that they are doing exactly what is best for my car. Yes, repairs on these types of cars are expensive, but you knew that when you bought your car. I would rather pay a little more to bring my car to Specialized Auto than do a cheaper repair at a shop where they don't know what they are doing. A few cool things about this place: - they'll give you a loaner car if you need one. They have drivers that can give you rides too! - Larry usually has a few great used vehicles for sale in their lot. If you are on the market for a used car, look here. - they wash your car before they give it back to you! Just go here. Do it. This place is LEGIT. read more