I brought it in for a major service; to get the water pump and timing belt replaced. I had called around beforehand and was turned down by other shops, but Shane was fantastic. He was extremely communicative, responded to my email right away, and the final cost was spot-on with the quote. They did a great job, and I'll definitely be back the next time a repair is over my head! I'm very particular about where I take my car--after owning it for 10 years, I can be a bit protective over it, but I definitely trust Shane and the work they do at Advanced Autowerks. read more

I've been taking my car to Advanced Autowerks for a while now, and I couldn't be happier with their service! The team is professional, knowledgeable, and always honest about what needs to be done. They take the time to explain repairs clearly, which I really appreciate. The work is always high quality, and they've never rushed me or pushed unnecessary services. The shop is clean and organized, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. If you want reliable auto service that you can trust, Advanced Autowerks is the place to go. I wouldn't take my car anywhere else! read more

I am pleased with the repair quality and the friendly service. The staff took time to explain everything clearly, which I really appreciated. The waiting time was a bit longer than expected, but the final outcome was very good. read more

This may be the worst and most dishonest mechanic in San Francisco. Brought my Q5 in to diagnose an issue after dashboard lights came on. I spent over a thousand dollars with them and they did nothing other than put a bunch of miles on my car. Shane was completely rude and condescending. They also stored my car on the street and it came back with a new scuff on the bumper. Won't ever go back. read more

Zach and the team are so helpful. My wife and I have been going to them for 3 years and they have been nothing but trustworthy and excellent with their service and work. High rec. read more

Zach is the man! Advanced Autowerks' attention to detail helped us make the best decision we could regarding repairs on our 2017 Audi Q3. Given the issues with the car, we sold it and again relied on Zach to perform a pre-purchase inspection for our new-to-us 2022 BMW X2. Would highly recommend Advanced Autowerks for the level of care our cars deserve. read more

I have been going to Advanced Autowerks since 2023 and had some questionable experiences along the way, but this latest one was the last straw and they have lost my trust and my business. Classic car mechanic swindlers here. On my first visit, they noted my engine mounts were leaking and recommended replacement. I hesitated to move forward since I wasn't experiencing any symptoms, and it felt like an upsell since my car only had 33k miles on it. Looking at other reviews, this seems to be a common recommendation. Another time, they recommended replacing my windshield wipers. I agreed, since it had been several years, and I was told they'd be OEM parts. I naturally assumed "replacement" meant the exact same current part, but when I picked up my car, I found they had installed blades from the previous generation -- not what I expected. I didn't make a fuss, but it didn't make much sense to me. Recently, I went in because my OBD monitors weren't ready and I couldn't pass smog. They drove my car 130 miles and charged me $410 to diagnose the issue, recommending a few part replacements to address the problem. I picked up my car after that because I needed it, and they were supposed to call me back to follow up but never did. Something didn't feel right, so I decided to get a second opinion. I took the car to Das Auto in Daly City, and they got it smog-ready in half an hour for $85. They simply used their computer to set the monitors to ready, which I was told wasn't possible at Advanced Autowerks. The 130 mile road test and recommended part replacements weren't even needed to resolve my issue. They also confirmed my engine mounts had a minor leak but said I likely wouldn't need to replace them for another 20-30k miles (2 years after AA's recommendation). That stark difference in honesty, transparency and cost left me feeling deceived and deeply disappointed. At best, this was gross incompetence. At worst, I was deliberately misled -- and either way, I was strung along while they wasted my time and money. I don't enjoy leaving negative reviews, especially for local shops, but this experience caused me a lot of unnecessary stress--and I'd hate for someone else to go through the same. German car owners, head to Das Auto. Your peace of mind and your wallet will thank you--steer clear of this place. read more

Zach and the team are absolute gems, I'm so grateful for the referral to come here 13 years ago when I bought my first Audi. As others have said, this is the most honest and skilled shop I've ever taken my car to. They've kept my A3 in top shape and even fixed work done by other technicians when I was in a pinch and out of town. If you want to be treated like family by true experts, I highly recommend Advanced Autowerks. read more

Zach is great, finding a trustworthy mechanic is such a blessing. His estimate on some major work on my car was accurate down to the penny. My 2011 VW Tiguan has given me a long healthy life thanks to low mileage and Advanced Autowerks! read more

Advanced Autowerks - Clean shop - Auto Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm more of a browser and rarely take the time to write a review; however, I feel that the service I received today was worthy of mention. This morning, I took my brother's car (2013 VW Passat Wagon) for an oil change. After a quick assessment by the mechanic, it turned out that the car needed a lot more than an oil change. Long story short, the oil change won't happen without replacing the engine mount, which is barely hanging on. After getting the rundown of everything that would need to get fixed to make the car run safely. The guy (I wish I had asked his name) told me honestly that the total cost of repairs would likely not be worth it for this car, which already has high mileage and isn't in great condition (my opinion, he didn't say that). I don't know yet if we will go ahead and get those things fixed for this car yet, but I really appreciated his honesty and his patience in explaining it all to me. He even topped off the oil for me at no charge even thoughI offered to pay for it bc I told him that it was dangerously low. If I'm ever in need of repairs on my mini. I will definitely bring it here. read more

This is one of the most efficient auto repair establishments I have ever done business with. I arrived promptly for my scheduled appointment time at 9am. I actually showed up a few minutes early and I'm glad I did because 2 people showed up right behind me. The energy is good, all staff are super friendly. I was checked in and on my way in about 20 minutes. I received a call about 3 hours later with a detailed itemization of the services provided and the diagnostic of potential maintenance I will need down the line. The price for the service and diagnostic on a foreign was super reasonable. These guys are the truth and very trustworthy. read more

Zak and team deliver a great customer experience. Efficient, effective, reasonably priced and timely service. Every time. They have my biz for life. read more

so happy to have been helped by R&R auto service! I had sadly locked my keys inside my car upon arriving at work but R&R arrived pretty quick and reliably at the estimated time for arrival. Took Ravi about maybe 5 minutes at the most to get my keys! I am so thankful R&R came through; Ravi was a very kind man! Thank you! read more

This is an unethical shop. They will sell you parts and services you do not need. If you take your car here and have expensive recommended items, get a second opinion. For me, the last straw was when they lied to me, wasted my time, and said they couldn't flush my brake fluid on my GTI - claiming the rear bleeders would not back out of the calipers. They tried to offer me more than $2000 worth of rear brake repairs. I took the car to another shop and lo and behold only in an hour the brake fluid was flushed - no problem with the rear brakes. I've had other service items done here. My previous water pump replacement included unnecessary parts that likely did not need to be replaced. There is plausible deniability here so I imagine we can argue about this, but still seems slimy. Several unnecessary service items were recommended over a few annual service visits: engine mounts, cam ladder reseal, control arm bushings, and sway bar links. A second opinion from another shop and none of these items needed replacement. On the lift, I even looked at the integrity of the control arm bushings, and they are in good shape. Avoid this place. I gave them my time, my money, my trust, and quite a few chances to win a repeat customer. I'm done! read more

While I did not have any repairs done to my vehicle at this shop, this review is only to allow others to know that they do not work on VW Euro Vans. The male person who answered the phone stated that it is very hard to track down parts for the euro vans as they no longer make them. I was under the impression that they did work on all VW models but I guess they do not. The person who answered the phone was right to the point and recommended me a shop in San Rafael. Over all good customer service, they just do not work on VW euro vans. read more

Overpriced and Unhelpful. I brought my VW in for oil and brake pad change. After the service the mechanic told me that the brake pads are fine, but the rotors need to be replaced as they are glazed. Quoted me $700 for just front rotors. I rejected the offer, and went to Shell Rapid Lube on 17th and Potrero which showed me that front brake pads were completely worn out, making metal-to-metal contact. The shop replaced the pads and rotors for $430. They did change the engine oil. read more

I took my car in to Advanced Autowerks to have them do a diagnostic test on the vehicle. Zach isolated the key issues, and communicated them effectively, in a transparent manner. Overall I had a great experience. read more

Why didn't I ALWAYS take my Mini to these experts. Really understood my car and issues around keeping it up, chronic oil eating issues with Minis etc. The manager who took care of me had a Mini himself.. He knew his stuff. So professional. I totally recommend Advanced Autowerks to those who have the specialty cars they work on. read more

We had a great experience working with Advanced Autowerks. Noticed a suspension issue with our BMW X5 and they were able to quickly help diagnose and solve the problem. And for a reasonable cost compared to the dealership! Will definitely work with them again. read more

I have received nothing but excellent service from Zach and his team for the last two years for my 16 year old Audi

TL;DR: Zach is great, Advanced Autowerks is great, they performed important updates and work the dealership doesn't, and now my car drives like new again! 5/5 , would DEFINITELY recommend to a friend! -------- Last week, I had two lights come on in my 2015 MINI Cooper Countryman S All4, and since my warranty had just expired, I needed to find a new shop to help me take care of her. I called in and spoke with Zach about the lights and previous issues that the dealership hadn't dealt with under the warranty period, and he immediately put me at ease and booked me an appointment a few days out. Dropping off the car was an easy process, and I was provided an immediate estimate for the initial service and diagnostic. Zach called me later that afternoon to explain what they'd found and why he was recommending the work be performed. Among the issues was an ECU software update that was very, VERY overdue but had never been performed by the dealership. This, coupled with some other basic repairs, would likely solve some throttle and power-drop issues that I'd had for years, so after my approval, he told me he'd call when the work was done. An hour or so later, Zach called back to tell me I could head over to pick up the car, and emailed me the final bill. The services they performed were fairly priced, and Zach was great in discussing a future service plan and what to expect down the road. My beloved MINI now drives like she just rolled out the showroom door and I couldn't be happier! Thank you Zach and the whole Advanced Autowerks team! read more

Initially I had a job done here for $1.2k to change the spark plugs, ignition coil, and wire set in my 2015 VW Jetta MK6 2.0L. At the time I was desperate so I paid for the job and after 2.5k miles the check engine light came back on. Took the car back to Advanced Autowerks and was quoted $4k by Zach for a camshaft position sensor and 4 fuel injector replacement - thought this was ludicrous so I researched and did the job myself. Having never worked on an engine before, I was able to get the parts from O'Reily's (thanks guys on Geary, you rock!) and do it for under $1k and it took only 3 hours vs the 6.5 hours the "pros" at AA quoted me. Avoid this place and go to Das Auto Repairs instead in Daly City for your german car needs - they are honest, transparent and fair unlike this place that preys on unsavvy car people. STAY CLEAR THEY WILL OVERQUOTE AND OVERCHARGE YOU. Hourly labor rate is $215 and they don't post it clearly in their waiting room. Pertinent info will not be shared with you unless you ask the right questions. Learn from my experience and save yourself a lot of worry and money :) read more

Advanced Autowerks in San Francisco, CA provides expert auto repairs with meticulous attention to detail. They efficiently resolved my car's transmission issue, ensuring smooth operation and peace of mind. read more

They gave me an honest assessment of what it would take to repair my vehicle. I really appreciate the transparency and professionalism.

These guys have the customer in mind. I called up because my 2017 911 with 28K miles had a coolant leak and the dealer couldn't get me in in 3 weeks. While Advanced could get me in three days, he asked who had serviced the vehicle (only the dealer) and if the water pump had been replaced (it had not). He advised to get the car serviced at a dealer because Porsche North America should cover it under an extended warranty program and that getting . Advanced was right. read more

I severely call to question the ethics of a garage that quotes $8800 of work on a car with a blue book value of $3500. Whose intelligence are you trying to insult? Mine or yours? Thanks for the oil change. I won't be back, and I won't be recommending this place. read more

Zack is always attentive and helpful around any issues relatedd to my old Audi Q7. They are quick, reliable and I like that they seem to really like working on old Audis. read more

Glad to say I finally found a reliable auto shop. Brought my car in for routine service and they found an issue requiring warranty repair. When I called the dealer to schedule the repair, the service advisor not only knew of, but complimented the team at Advanced Autowerks and said they trust their assessment for the warranty claim. I was able to avoid the need to have the dealer do their own inspection which saved me valuable time. The pricing here (routine service) was in line with the local dealerships. The difference was the competence and professionalism from the first call to the time of pickup. If you're a car person, you'll appreciate the cleanliness and order of the shop. Most auto shops look like a hoarders living room. Not so at this place. It's OCD clean and organized extremely well. If you're unable to reach them by phone outside normal hours, you can text them with questions or help scheduling an appointment (the cell number is on their voice-mail message). Easy 5 stars - highly recommend Advanced Autowerks read more

These guys left a card on a windshield of my VW. I called, make appointment and left my VW for pre-sales and fluid changes; the job was done within a day, and the staff was friendly and attentive to detail. They gave some advice regarding vehicle resources and the possible ownership costs involved in the future. I would recommend this service to anyone with a European car! read more

Staff was easy to talk to, efficient and explained the necessary stuff. Typically I dread going into get my car serviced because mechanics always try to get me to replace a lot of items (sometimes unnecessarily). I didn't feel like they were telling me I needed to do superfluous things. read more

Got an error light on a Mini and I do not live in the area. They left a card on my car a couple weeks ago and had an opening that day, unlike most mechanics in the city I called. Long story short: It's much pricier than other mechanics in Oakland, the peninsula, even the Mission. Pros: - 3 year warranty seems longer than most. - Zach was friendly, communicative and professional. The shop looked clean, organized and well maintained. - Large shop that will get to you quickly. - Emailed invoices is great. Cons: - Expensive. $169.99 / hour for a diagnostic or all labor and the parts themselves were more expensive than other mini specialist shops. The quoted price was so high I ended up calling my regular high end Mini mechanic in LA and it was only 2/3 the price. Ended up somewhere 15 miles away in San Mateo for under half the quoted price to fix my car. read more

I have been taking my Mini Cooper to Advanced Autowerks for several years now and I would recommend them highly. I believe it is employee owned and so everyone there is super conscientious and helpful. They are really well organized, clear communicators and fair. Their rates may not be the cheapest but they definitely don't nickel or dime. My car has been in a tough love stage for awhile now. They have helped me out on multiple occasions and provide me with pragmatic counsel on what is worth doing/not doing. They are really terrific! read more

Not a bad thing to say. From start to finish Zach and the rest of the team were great. Got detailed info every step of the way and never felt like I was being swindled or taken for a ride (sorry I had to). My 2013 Audi A4 Quattro suddenly had the malfunction indicator light (aka check engine light) come on one evening. Zach was nice enough to wait a bit after closing to let me get it towed there. Within less than 48 hrs I had my car back. The work was a lot but they got it done and even worked back and forth with my insurance so I could get some stuff covered. Having your car fixed means a lot of jargon and technical verbiage that you alway don't understand. Zach was patient as I asked for clarifications and tried to get what all was wrong and didn't mind explaining everything. If you need a repair these guys are great and I would recommend them anytime. read more

My car's transmission suddenly went out, and the shop nearest to where it happened referred me to Advanced Autowerks. I called ahead but my phone died, and they called me back twice to follow up before I limped into their shop. On arriving, they diagnosed my cat within minutes, gave me a range of pricing that the repair would cost, and even let me charge my phone and use their restroom. I didn't wind up becoming a customer since I live many miles away, but they treated me as though I was already a valued customer. I would happily recommend this shop if you have a German car and are looking to keep it running well for the long-term while you are treated fairly read more

holy shit - dont ever change guys ;-) What a good eperience with a mechanic. I'lll keep it brief but to the point. 1. 40,000 mile service - $200 less than Royal motors 2. Didn't try to upsell me or BS me about anything uneccsarily wrong with my car. 3. 4 new W rated low profile tires for my GTI at half the cost of tires offered by COSTCO....did ya hear me? HALF !!! (this deserves further explanantion - at the dealer these tires are $250+ at Costco best price is still $200 - Randy found me 4 new Aero 550N W rated tires INSTALLED for $100 each. 4. My bill ended up EXACTLY as estimated. 5. They picked me up from work to go get my car when it was ready. For SF Audi or VW there is no better choice. read more

I was in from out of town & needed my engine light checked along with a 60k service for my VW. Zach really went the extra mile to take care of me and explained everything to me very well answering any and all questions I had. Zach made sure everything was working and was available to help fix all issues. Very knowledgable on VW's and make sure you understand everything going on! read more

Although my Brooke (1999 Jetta, 104k miles) is no young'n, and I've entrusted her livelihood to AA for years, I'm not gonna lie - I was beginning to feel like Advanced Autowerks (AA) was raping me as of late - and not in a good way. The ABS light came on, so I took her in. $300 later, her faulty wheel sensors were cured! For a week. I call AA to inquire about this, and they tell me to bring the car in to plug into the computer to see if the car is okay to drive, or to set up a subsequent appointment if faults are discovered. I work across the Bay and I didn't have time, so I roughed it on BART and carpool til I had a chance to work in the city for a day. Even though I ended up having to set up another appointment, Randy let me leave the car there to be assessed while I did my own thing. THANK YOU. That was all I wanted to hear. And they comped my cab ride Downtown. I bring her back. "It's not the sensors after all. The control arms have exhausted their life span." Ohh...okay. The car goes into the operating room again. "Ooh...you know what? Your car was just about done, but when we sent it to alignment, they found that the inner tie rod is bent, so we'd like to keep it for another day." You've got to be kidding me. Remember the "whack-a-mole" thing I talked about in my last review? A free cab ride in exchange for a repair in the hundreds certainly works out swell for them. I began to wonder... "We'll get you a rental. We'll take care of it, and you can pick it up even after we're closed. We'll put the key in one of the lock boxes near the entrance." Ooh, so they're upping the perks. Alright, I'll bite. I show up around 7pm, open the lock box they told me it would be in: nothing. I look and feel up that lock box all over just to be sure. Still nothing. Alright, well maybe it's in one of the other boxes. I open ALL of the boxes. MULTIPLE TIMES. To find NOTHING. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! At that point, the sun was setting, I began to hear a cussing crazy person closing in on me, and I really had to use the restroom, so I gave up and went home. I felt so duped and betrayed. The next morning, I call AA to tell them what happened. Partially to express my discontent, and also because I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe someone got to the key and car before me and drove off with it? Or maybe I was too stupid to figure out the lock box situation, and the key was there the whole time? They apologize for the internal miscommunication, and offer to get me the rental I was promised. Meh, I'm over it. I just wanted to see what the explanation was, if there was one. I was already en route to work via transit. I can wait until later to get my own car back. Afternoon rolls around and I'm scrambling to finish my work in order to leave early and hope to make it back to the City on time. I arrive at the Embarcadero Station at 5:45pm. F*CK. I'M NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT. I phone in another distress call to AA, and Randy tells me he'll stick around for a while after 6 to close up, and he'll give me a call if he's going to leave before I get there. Praise the T - Third Line Lord, I was able to catch it right after getting off BART. It was a roller coaster ride that ended on a high note, and I swoon for AA again. Their professionalism and customer service are top notch. read more

Zach was really helpful! He took care of my car and did a great job explaining everything. He definitely knows his cars. The only issue is the price. The oil change ended up costing ~$140. I usually pay $100 in South San Francisco but that's likely due to the location... read more

If you have an Audi, then you NEED to have a good Indy, especially if you are out of your 50k warranty Forget the stealer with their $140/hr labor rates These guys charge 100/hr and took some off the top cuz I paid cash They were well recommended on and off yelp at such other Audi enthusiast community sites as http://audiworld.com and now defunct http://1.8t.org , and prolly http://vwvortex.com (All of them are also an invaluable resource if you really want to learn more about your sweet ride) At the garage, It's quite obvious that they are well experienced and only work on vws and audis I had customer provided h-sports installed, Now she rails turns even tighter They said it took 3 hrs, on the allroad forum they say only 1.5 hrs, oh well They also replaced some missing bolts in the belly pan than only the dealers must have lost Even more important is that they will act as your advocate (when it comes to insurance/warranty claims) and gave me an inside referral so I could purchase an aftermarket extended service contract from a large insurer who only sells them thru dealers when you buy a new or used car at time of purchase. In other words you have to get it when you but the car. In my case, I wanted to wait till the last possible moment (b4 the 50k was up) to plunk down 3.5k for a 6yr 100k mi premium plan The shop is not in a hilly area and bicycling to and from the place is a breeze, there is also light rail/trolley line along 3rd st and the have drop-off pickup services Hopefully I wont have any probs, but if I do, I know where to go Update 10/9/07: Same for regular service, I also think Randy in doing meth and running in a hamster wheel, he's always so hype when I go there. Even got another referral for some custom wiring work and contact info for someone else who rides bmx, lives in the city and has an allroad, talk about working the network... read more

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I brought my car (2018 VW Golf R) in for an oil change. This is the first time I've taken a new car to a non-dealership associated service center. I'm glad I did! From the time I arrived, Lance was there to greet me and check the car in. I then head into the shop to do my "paperwork" with Zach who got everything punched into the system quickly. I was in & out in a matter of minutes. Zach asked what time I wanted the car back, in which I said 2pm, and I was off. At 1:15pm, Zach called me to tell me the car was done. I went in to pick up the car and all the paperwork was already in order. Zach explained everything done to the car and advised me that I have a "bubble" on one of my tires (probably due to the crappy roads in this City). Anyways, in & out in 5 minutes! This shop offers awesome customer service, quick turnaround, and reasonably priced service. What more can you ask for??? I highly recommend this shop! read more