BEWARE! I had my Honda Element towed here after reading positive Yelp reviews. My Honda Element overheated in Paso Robles, so I immediately had it towed to Moonlight Mechanic. Julie and Shirley seemed like great peopel as everyone else has mentioned. THEY OVERCHARGE FOR PARTS: I was charged $99 for a $30 part ( Thermostat housing ), which did not fix the issue, then... I was quoted $210 for a $80 part ( TYC Radiator fan assembly ) fortunately, the part they ordered did not fit, then... I was quoted $380 for a $100 part ( Radiator fan motor ). feeling hoodwinked, I ordered the part online and picked up the car that day. THE SLOW SERVICE: After they ordered the wrong replacement part, "luckily", today I picked up my car 6 days and $400 dollars later and it's still not completely fixed. I feel misled. I believe that a "retail" markup of 300% to 400% is very dishonest. I would rather have been charged higher prices for quality labor than to be misled and charged high prices for low quality automotive parts. They might be an alright place to get a standard Oil Change, but I would ask that they sincerely revisit their business practices. Avoid for auto repairs! - Mike read more

After what we've been through this weekend, I can't extoll Julie's virtues any higher. She literally salvaged our weekend, and made a very bad situation tolerable. We also found a jewel in Paso Robles - you are very lucky to have a good, honest, 24/7 car repair shop right in your town. Long story short, our car broke down on the side of the highway outside Paso. We were headed down for a birthday weekend get-away of wine tasting from the Bay Area. This was a mini-vacation we'd planned and to which we'd been looking forward. After the car stopped and we pulled off the road, I called AAA for a tow and called all over the area to try and find a mechanic who could look at the car over the weekend. Found Julie's shop, the Moonlight Mechanic. Her mechanic spent a couple hours diagnosing this problem, for a very reasonable fee. Turned out that without warning, our car ran out of oil and the engine seized... not good news. This was something the last shop that worked on our car needed to fix. We were not going to get back to the Bay Area anytime soon and all rental car places were closed for the weekend in Paso. So Julie helped transport us over the weekend, which included letting us use her car for a bit. She allowed us to keep the dead car at her shop, and helped us coordinate another AAA tow and gave us advice and diagnostic information to help with the fix. She is absolutely the most accommodating, generous, and warm-hardhearted person - she knows customer service. If we lived in Paso, I wouldn't hesitate to ever give her my business as she has a wonderful business ethic. She is honest and the work is quality, and all at a very fair price. She will even come to your location if your car is stuck. This is one of the best car repair experiences I have ever had despite that our car was in such bad shape. Moonlight Mechanic is a woman/veteran-owned business that deserves yours. read more

I was looking for a weekend mechanic. Now normally that's impossible. But this place seemed like a god send. But after seeing the reviews I felt skeptical. When I pulled up I saw the open weekends banner and the "24hr mechanic" sign. Given that it was a lil after 1145 I figured they were out to lunch. So I waited an hour and nobody was their. Now I understand that this is a local shop and they set the hrs but if you claim to be open 24hr then you should hold to that. Especially if you are flying a US army flag. We soldiers don't stop working and if you are 24hr....then well what does that say about you? This place maybe a good shop and I was simply unlucky. But as a review I can't in good justice give this a good rating. read more

So update to this review. Less than 1 week after picking up my overpriced repair, I have to take it back because the radiator coolant is boiling. I get a call telling me my motor is blown due to warping from overheating. When I started questioning the owner she called me an asshole and actually hung up on me TWICE!!!! Once again avoid this place at all costs. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!! If you go here you will be sorry. Go with very very deep pockets if you do and plan on getting screwed royally. This business deserves no stars whatsoever and should be closed as a criminal enterprise. I dropped my car off for brakes and a water pump. Quoted $1000 for the job. Cool. Then 4 days later get a call telling me the job is almost finished but is now $2000. Imagine my surprise when I found my bill containing a $70 charge for a $20 part. Almost $1000 were front brakes and rotors when the competition up the street was $389.00 for the exact same job on the same car. Even when I confronted the owner over competition rates and dealer rates they were unapologetic. So if you've got lots and lots of money to throw away then this is your place. If you like getting screwed massively on the first date this is the place. If you prefer to be treated fairly and not ripped off by a greedy business than take my advice and avoid this place at all costs. You won't be sorry. read more

I would like to give this place 5 stars, but my car was mis-diagnosed and I was left stranded in the LA area! A star for atmosphere and a star for customer service. Julie was very nice to help me out when I needed it last minute when we were stranded in the area. After getting a tow to the mechanic, she was able to find the problem and get it fixed the next morning, but the car problem wasn't fixed. I appreciated it that it catered to women though. I made it as far as Woodland Hills where the car finally stopped within a few miles of a Pep Boys. read more

I use my truck for business trips all over the central coast. When I rolled my Ford Explorer way out at Ft. Hunter Ligget pitch dark, it was totaled. Julie came to my rescue, handling the towing, the wrecking yard and when I got a new truck, she did the safety inspection, which made me feel safe. As a single business women, safety is cruitial. The other day, my truck wouldn't start, I called Julie and she listened to the engine while I tried starting it, she could tell over the phone I needed a new battery, so she sent her mobile mechanic, double checked it and put in a new battery. I was so thankful she was able to come to me right away as I had several appointments that day. Brigitte F. read more

Excellent, excellent and excellent. My van broke down during a wine tasting trip. I was really stressed out because of having to toe it from our friends house. I was so happy to find out that there is a professional mobile mechanic service in town. Julie and another mechanic came out and replaced the water pump without me having to go anywhere. They were quick and professional. I am so happy with the convenience of being mobile and doing a wonderful job for a good price. I highly recommend using moonlight mechanics. What was looking like a nightmare turned out to be just a speed bumb. We were back on the road in one day. Hubby and I finished our wine tasting and had a fabulous weekend. read more

Absolutely amazing service and quality. I was in a bind. I was heading up to Yosemite for a fun weekend, until the muffler of my generator fell off. So I called on Saturday morning at 7:30am expecting to reach a message machine. All of a sudden the mechanic answered my call, I told her my issue, she had me come in at 8am, she fixed my muffler, and I was on the road by 9:00am. Completely surprised me and the rest of my weekend was amazing. Prices were definitely fair too! Thanks again! read more

My VW broke down about 20 miles N of Paso and after being towed by an extremely nice man (Bill's Towing) he showed us Moonlight Mechanic and gave us Julie's (owner) telephone number. It was late so we stayed in a hotel and brought it over to Moonlight that morning. They were phenomenal and got the specific part we needed, quickly fixed it, and got us back on the road to WA. She was very helpful and descriptive, while also telling us not to hesitate to call with any questions along the way! They were truly amazing!! I could not have asked for better service! Thanks Moonlight Mechanic :) read more

Given how hard it is to find a good mechanic, I wish I lived closer than 150 miles from this shop. As with other reviewers, I ended up at Moonlight Mechanic after my truck started misfiring while driving from San Jose to San Diego. On a Saturday the first shop I tried was closed and the second might have been able to take a look if I waited 4 hours. Julie promised to get started within an hour even though she had 3 cars in the shop, had just come back from getting a battery for one unexpected client and had yet another one wanting help with a dragging bumper. She started right on time and her analyzer quickly pointed out a problem. Neither of us thought that it could be the cause of the misfire so she continued to work on the truck, eliminating other possibilities--all covered under her initial diagnosis quote. With everything else ruled out she replaced a part and had me successfully back on the road. While her shop may be a little more dependent upon computer aides than on years of experience from some crotchety old guy with stained coveralls, Julie obviously knew what she was doing. With all the electronics in modern vehicles I guess computers are just another tool in the box. I'd recommend her shop without hesitation. read more

The car repair business at its worst . Price gauging on parts so bad we just ended going to dealership. We happen to be there when O'Reilly dropped off the new fuel pump we scanned the label and it came up at $350, these guys were going to charge $800 for part . We questioned this and they said "that's how we price parts " . Dealership got us out the door for less than $900 with labor . read more

Horrible service! My family and I spent 3 unplanned days in Paso Robles as a result of Julies/Moonlight Mechanics lack of knowledge and supplies. My car was towed from her place after 3 days to another mechanic (per her suggestion) to have my repairs completed, only to break down again a short distance down the road. The 3rd mechanic (a dealership I chose) informed me that none of the repairs she charged me for were necessary and they quickly and inexpensively repaired my vehicle. I should also mention that we came to her with a very clear suggestion as to where the problem might be and indeed it turned out to be what we had originally suggested. read more

My car broke down driving up the 101 North on a Friday at 5pm. I thought for sure I would have to get a hotel room and wait for a mechanic open on Saturdays. Then I found out about Moonlight Mechanic. I took my car to them at 8:00pm and it was finished by 11:00pm and I was back on the road to finish my drive. Not only is it great that they are open all hours but Julie is very knowledgeable and thorough. If I lived in Paso Robles, I would be a regular customer! read more

I have to be honest and share I did not end up taking my car here because I was coming from out of town to bring a car for them to check out as I wanted to buy the car but it ended up getting sold... anyway... I was very impressed at the professionalism of Julie. read more

Have been calling for a week and the message still stating "MAIL BOX FULL" Don't think they are in business anymore !!!

Took my car in today to have the brakes looked at after reading a review here on Yelp. I was so pleased with my experience! The owner(s) took the time to explain everything they found, what may need to be done, etc. In particular I was struck by their waiting room. 1/3 comfy couches, 1/3 desk for running their business and 1/3 SPACE FOR KIDS TO WAIT:) with the usual kid things like a tv/vcr, small toys and video tapes. I've never seen this in a mechanics office before but I really appreciated the thought. I was fortunate to visit without bringing my kids along but on the off chance they were with me it sure would have been a relief to have a little distraction for them while I go about the 'boring' business of getting the car repaired! read more

We had a problem with our RV, it was late in the afternoon and we were scheduled to leave that day to go camping. I called Moonlight Mechanic after reading the reviews on Yelp and they got me in right away and fixed the problem so we could go on our camping trip. They were great! I recommend them to anyone who wants fast, efficient, quality service. read more

Awesome mechanic! Honest and was able to help me out in a jam. Even came and picked me up when I didn't have a ride. I would definitely recommend this place read more

Perfect! I needed an oil change for my new car. This will be the first oil change ever on the car and I'm trusting it with Moonlight Mechanic. Julie was great and got me in right away :) read more

Only open to the public 8 am to 5 pm. Not 24 hours.

I went to Moonlight for a "free" oil change that I won from KPRL radio. After one hour Julie comes out to tell me my car that has 27000 miles on it may be due for a brake fluid flush, I declined. After TWO hours she came out to explain that my oil filter housing wouldn't come off, they had to HAMMER it off, broke it, then charged me for the part. Unbelievable. My son-in-law is a mechanic and said in twelve years he's never had to hammer an oil filter housing off. My "free" oil change cost over 40 bucks. She made it sound like a deal, because Toyota charges 100 bucks for the part. Never again. read more

I can't say enough good things about my experience with moonlight motors. my car broke down on my way home to santa barbara from the bay area. it was saturday night cinco de mayo weekend. i was very concerned that i wouldn't be able to find a show that would be open. furthermore, i drive a vw golf tdi. diesel engines are still rare in california and often mechanics have only limited understanding and experience with diesel engines. i called them on a whim, julie said she'd be working late so i had y car towed to their garage in paso robles. i was delighted to find a female mechanic who immediately inspried trust. not only was moonlight motors open but it turns out that in julie's 17 years of military service where she served as a mechanic her first specialization was in diesel engines (then tanks and then wheeled vehicles and then she became shop foreman)! in no time she'd diagnosed the problem. the hang up was that the part i needed wouldn't be there until the following day, thus she worked her magic and jimmy-rigged my engine (with a piece of trash and a baseball!!) with the intention of getting me home that nigtht. which i did safely and gratefully. in fact i drove my car with the improvised solution of the baseball for two more days because my shop here in santa barbara couldn't get the right part for my motor for another two days. i highly recommend julie's shop. what a delightful experience in a potentially nightmarish situation. thanks moonlight mechanics! read more

We are a small business that wanted our water truck looked at to find out how much it would be to fix it. The young lady that answered the phone was nice but kept putting me on hold. We finally made the appointment. Then the day before the appointment she called to say that it would be $90.00 for each issue and it would take an hour per issue (we have 3 issues) in addition there is a travel fee on $7.00 per mile which would be 119.00 just for travel. She said she was sorry about the fees because no one had told her. I think they should have a more experienced person on the phone and there should be separate charges for diagnostic and someone who is broken down beside the road. read more

Great find in Paso. My RAV4 wouldn't start in my garage and I was able to use their mobile service. The mechanic had to come to my house a couple times, but he got it started. Also, a few fuses had blown so I took it into the shop and they got it fixed quickly. Julie, the owner, is very friendly and runs a very honest business. We'll be back for any future car repair needs. read more

We were headed to LA for a weekend of performances but our van seemed to have other plans; it died coming off of the 101/46 exit. It was Good Friday afternoon an a lot of businesses were closing early that evening. Luckily we found Moonlight Mechanic! We ended up renting a pickup and car from Enterprise (another great Paso Business) and making it to our gigs on time. The van was fixed over the weekend. We were home by Easter Dinner! read more

I think they must be deleting reviews, I just have to say stay clear of this shop. They turned a $600 repair into a $14,000 dollar repair at the Ford Dealer. Mine was one of multiple complaints that have been filed with the Bureau of Automotive Repair. I was informed that BAR can not shut them down only the public can by not using them. Consider yourself informed. Don't end up like I did. Oh and when we went to move the truck to the dealer they increased the bill to $900. Such a peach these people are. I also filed complaints with the BBB and Moonlight rebutted with outlandish untruths, they should be searching for work as fiction writers atleast that is something they would be good at.. read more

excellent service and a good deal too!! thanks Julie and staff. got my AC fixed the diagnostic was about $30 less than the Ford dealer the AC now work better than when the explorer was new -very cool,. read more