These guys are really good. Hard to come by. For the folks who relied on the Harris Radiator people that were there forever, look no further. I have been real happy with the service at Moonlight Motors. Michael McBride-Owner at Peak Electric read more

Took my Bmw in to fix a persistent oil leak. It has been ruining the overall all experience and smooth operation of this beautiful beast of a car . Anyways at first they were very communicative and sent me detailed list of what was wrong with it and what fixes needed to be addressed. I felt confident they could get it done, also called around and the price seemed fair. I decided to go with the more urgent fixes that being the valve cover gasket and a couple other things . I can't remember off the top of my head . But Marty reassured me this would stop most of the oil leak and that there would be only residual dripping here and there . Also That I would be good all the way until my next oil change and fix the rest, that being and oil pan gasket. Not only a few days later and $2500 less richer . This thing was leaking worse than when I originally brought it in . Hmm that's not right that can't be right . So I followed up with Marty and he said bring it by we'll take a look at it and fix it. So again I picked it up expecting it to hold up as he had originally told me . But again this thing was way worse off . All the oil leaked out within two days not even driving 100 miles . My car prompted me to fill it up with oil immediately otherwise my engine would suffer permanent damage. Seems like a pretty bad shop to me , wouldn't trust them with any major repairs, not even an oil change . I feel like I was robbed . Probably should of just taken it to jiffy lube for a better job . And yeah Marty i know you respond to bad reviews . But dude seriously this is pretty sad . You could respond by giving me my money back or actually fixing the problem . But I'm I have to pretty naive to thing that would ever happen . Be weary folks just because they have a responsive team and cool gadgets to Tell you precisely what's wrong with your car . Doesn't mean that can actually fix a thing . read more

Marty and his team have been taking care of our cars for many years. They are excellent mechanics and we trust them. Marty has been servicing our used 2009 Subaru Legacy since the day we bought it in 2013. A great "peace of mind" service that Moonlight Motors offers is a thorough inspection of the car before we purchased it. Marty pointed out what should be taken care of right away, what could wait and what we should expect down the road. Last week the car wouldn't start and we had it towed to Moonlight. Marty called us to let us know what was wrong with the car, quoted us the price to fix it and then gave us his expert opinion that the car wasn't worth putting the money into it. Thank you Marty for taking good care of us, as always!!! Honesty, integrity and expertise are why we use Moonlight Motors. read more

So personal! The two ladies up front are always so kind, but Saturday was especially wonderful! I had let them know I had no one to pick me up and that I had to wait for the car. When I asked how long it would be, one of them just got up and started to change my headlight right there, on the spot. It was such a personal touch and I greatly appreciated it! I live all the way down in Mission Valley, but this is why I continue to come see Moonlight Motors! Thank you! read more

We started using Moonlight Motors and trusting Marty and Adam over a decade ago and have never waivered in trusting them since. I actually stopped using my extended warranty with the dealership because I trust Moonlight Motors and know that they'll tell me what I really need to take care of to keep our cars running well. Our Acura was 14 years old when we retired it because the cost of repairs was getting too high, but the last few years it wouldn't have been the great car it was without Adam, Marty, and their team. Now my 8 year old Honda is passing 100,000 miles and they're keeping the family hauler in business. Once you trust a mechanic, you're done. No reason to search any more. We started going to them based off a great recommendation and would share the same recommendation with anyone that asks. read more

I have been going to this place for over a year and they have been thorough and helpful and Marty has even gone beyond the call of duty. This last time, I was going through a lot personally and my malfunction light going off was the last thing I needed. I resent owning a car but I take it to an auto shop for any problem bc it's not my area of expertise. Turns out a diagnostic test is $149. Also turns out my fuel cap just needed replacing. Having already paid the $161, I did some extensive internet research, and a cracked fuel cap is often the main cause of the malfunction/check engine light when the car seems to be running fine otherwise. Would have been great if they could have checked that first or asked me to go get it replaced at Autozone for my best interest, as a loyal customer. I don't have $149 to be throwing around right now and would like to go to an auto shop who has mutual interest and give me a break in an easy diy case such as this. Especially since I've already spent collectively over $1,000 here. read more

Ken was so awesome working with me at the front desk. They quickly fixed my brakes and turned around quickly. They also did a full report and sent it over to me which was very helpful to see issues wrong with my car. They did an extremely thorough job with this report which also in turn meant there were a lot of things wrong with my car that they could fix. Some of the issues were not as pressing so I did not want to drop over $1k to fix everything at once. They had a LOT of recommendations for maint upgrades on my car which I did not take advantage of. Overall good experience, just don't want to pay for every possible upgrade from new radiator hoses to new transition fluid. read more

So at first there were some issues with the serpentine belts. They installed it and it didn't quiet work out. My Honda didn't like it. I was very upset and frustrated at first with it.However, Marty, the owner, went above and beyond remedying the situation. He took care of my car like it was the queen of England. He put in new belts, free of charge, had two of his guys guys, and himself drive-test my car. Not only that, but he hooked it up with a free oil change voucher, and compensated me for the my loss of time. He even left this cute little box of candies in my car, and I swear my car was cleaner from the outside, than when I had left it. I cannot thank Marty, and this crew enough for their help. I WILL be back. Thank you so much! read more

I have been going to Moonlight Motors for 3 years and I have spent thousands of dollars here. Much to my dismay, over the past year I have not had any positive experiences with them. I have been told things were wrong/needed to be replaced when that was not true; discovered that quotes for 'needed services' included an excessive amount of suggested preventative maintenance (failing to disclose that most of the quote did not actually NEED to be done); and quotes for services have exceeded what the dealer would charge. I can no longer trust them. Don't be fooled by the cookies! read more

I recently brought my car into the dealer to get serviced and they suggested that I replace my brakes and tires replaced immediately. I was skeptical of the recommendation so took it to Moonlight to get a 2nd opinion. The experience was excellent. They performed a free inspection and confirmed that there was no need to do any work at the moment. They were very helpful and even took me back while my car was on the lift to educate me on how the wear of brakes and tires are measure. There no pressure from them to upsell any work and even apologized for my experience at the dealer. I will gladly go back to them in the future as I have complete trust in their mechanics. read more

I had a lot of work done there between 2004 and 2007. Seemed like an honest small shop, and I still believe it was. At a point in 2007 Marty started recommending work that I believe was not very necessary. For example, he firmly recommended replacing all cooling system hoses. And a lot of other stuff which was various shades of necessary. He lost my trust, and I never came back. Sure, if this was a police car or something, an aggressive preventative maintenance program might be suitable. But this was a 7 year-old minivan, and I believe he was pushing way too hard. He was not on my side. (4 years later those hoses are still fine, thank you.) A lot of shops push customers into the gray zone, without committing actual fraud. But it's very wasteful, and it's not right. read more

Brought my vehicle in with the replacement part since it's hard to find and upon approval of the management at Moonlight. After a couple hours I was told they were pissed with the part, couldn't make it work, and that they were going to put the old part in so I could come get my car. I did that and took the whole thing to Pep Boys where they put the part in, replaced parts broken standoffs on the door panel broken in the previous attempt and the all worked well. Someone must be stuffing the box with 5-star comments because I have never had such unprofessional service 37 years of owning a vehice. read more

My aging car seems to need a bit more TLC these days, and I was fortunate enough to be placed in touch with Marty and his team. After an overwhelming painful diagnosis from the Honda dealership I sought out a second opinion from Moonlight Motors. I was seen right away for a quick assessment and they determined they could help me buy a bit more time with a quick temporary fix, which helped me immensely in planning the most convenient day for me to bring my car in that worked with my schedule! Marty was so thorough in helping this car-illiterate woman understand what the current issue appeared to be with my car...and even used lovely posters to explain! As a single mom to 4 children Moonlight Motors worked not only with my schedule, but was considerate in helping with my fixed budget in determining which repairs were absolutely necessary, and which ones could wait a bit. And, they helped me to even be prepared with some larger issues that are expected down the road (good to know and prepare for!!). The GREAT news was that the team actually determined the dealership was not accurate in their unnecessary recommendations. They saved me from overpaying for repairs that were not needed. The staff was such a pleasure to work with and made the entire process so painless. I am just so excited to have found an amazing mechanic that is in the north county area that I will recommend to all my friends and family! Yay! read more

Just had Moonlight fix a design defect from Ford. Quick complete and reasonable price. You can really trust Marty and Adam to give you an accurate and fair quote as well as do the work quickly and correctly. Thanks Moonlight! read more

Review is long overdue. We have been taking our vehicles to Moonlight Motors and Marty's team since the doors opened nearly 10 years ago. They are friendly and reliable and we can always count on their pricing to be fair and competitive. They seem to treat their staff like family. This type of culture is noticeable and spills over into their customer services. I have recommended Moonlight Motors to everyone when I hear any discussion of service needed. The waiting area indoors and outdoors is always clean and tidy. Not to mention free wi-fi if you do need to stay to wait for you car. They are in close proximity to Moonlight Beach as well as several great coffee shops if you need a fill-up or snack. These guys go above and beyond, give them a shot on your next go around. read more

I visited Moonlight motors when my wife's car started experiencing some issues. I picked them based on their Yelp reviews and hoped I wouldn't get taken. It wasn't an inexpensive service. We had to have a replacement done on some computer - and it stung. I called a dealership to price check what they would charge and it was pretty comparable - so I was content. I came back several months later with another issue, I had feared the same one - but after checking it out and testing it - it appeared to be a dirty sensor that was an easy fix, just difficult to pinpoint on the problem. I expected to pay a nice chunk, but when I called to ask about the cost, they said they would only charge $40 for the time it took. I considered that to be very fair and will continue to go back to Moonlight Motors for my maintenance. read more

Supporting my local community by taking my vehicle in to get an A/C issue diagnosed. They charge around $45 for a diagnosis. What I liked was they check out everything - not just the issue I came in for - and send pics / details via a 3rd service app. They found the issue and said it could be fixed by end of day the next day... then they called at the end of the next day and said it wouldn't be done til the next day. Not a fan of waiting another 24 hours, also don't like when I need to wash my truck due to mechanic's grease / scuffs on and around the front of my vehicle. I would categorize this as a more expensive shop, as the parts needed were particularly inexpensive and the labor rate is pricey, in my opinion. It's cheaper than taking it to the dealer, of course, but not what I would say is a great deal. It is what it is. So far the issue seems to be fixed. I would recommend this place. read more

Marty and the team were great to work with - honest, responsive and quick to turnaround. My Mercedes was in need of a water pump and his quote was quite a bit less than my other quotes. Although he needed to keep the car overnight due to the length of the job, he kept me posted on progress of repair, post repair testing and when ready for pick up. I'll be back! read more

Had a great experience here. The service was fast and the shop personnel were very helpful. I was happily surprised to find a yelp coupon that saved me $50. I would definitely return for auto service. read more

Moonlight Motors - Auto Repair Near Me - Encinitas, California

I cannot say enough good things about moonlight motors. The staff, mechanics, and everyone in between is nice and extremely helpful. The quality of work is the best! I e been to many different places for car repairs over the years, and moonlight is by far the best. They are honest and don't try to sell you on services and products you don't need. I've used them for services to complex car care. I always leave knowing my family will be safe when driving away. Highly recommend them! read more

I was referred to Moonlight Motors by a coworker, saying they were accommodating and the prices weren't outrageous. As a girl, I always feel like I'm at a disadvantage when it comes to getting my car serviced. I try to do my research, maintain my vehicles as my wallet permits, and know roughly what I should expect pricewise, depending on what I need. Regardless, most places always try to sucker me into crap I don't need, or parts that are way too over-the-top for my car (it's an older car). As a result, I have a really difficult time trusting mechanics with my vehicle. Moonlight Motors earned my loyalty and my trust. I needed a fair amount done (serpentine belt was pretty cracked, new spark plugs/wire set, and ultimately my intake plenum gasket was shot) and as such, spent quite a few hours over the course of two-three separate trips sitting inside playing on my phone passing time. Marty was a fantastic guy. So are his mechanics. I was curious about my spark plugs and serpentine belt and had a few questions about them, so one of the guys working on my car took the time to pop the hood and go over things with me. Marty was insanely accommodating regarding what I could afford at each visit and did his best to work with me on affordable options. He gave me choices and didn't get irritated when I needed jargon clarified. He did his best to get my car fixed on barely any notice and as quickly as possible. The time I spent waiting on the office while my car was being worked on helped me establish the trust I have for the people that work there. I liked the way Marty spoke to his customers. He was courteous and seemed to genuinely want to help them in the best way that he could and within the budgets of the people needing the help. The mechanics weren't jerks. They were all knowledgeable and accommodating, which made me feel like my car and wallet were in good hands. I won't be going anywhere else to get my car fixed from now on. Heads up: if you want a discount, pay in cash. On my second trip there, I saved almost $30 on my spark plugs. It makes a difference. There are a few ATMs in the area. Everyone has good and bad days, and maybe some of the negative reviews on here have just been an unfortunate result of working with human beings. Sometimes you just have a bad day. But I've been to my fair share of repair shops, and Moonlight Motors was good enough that I felt compelled to make an actual Yelp account to write a review about it. Definite thumbs up. read more

Had a great experience at Moonlight motors, thank you to everyone who helped evaluate my car. Jenny read more

Took my car there on Saturday to fix some horrible noise I had from the front axle of my Honda. I was ready for the worse and was prepared to spend some $$$ to fix it. I left my car there and got a call after an hour from the shop with the description of the problem and the cost to fix it. The problem was minor comparing to what I thought it will be and cost much less than I expected. The guys in Moonlight are honest, their customer service is excellent and so is their workmanship. I will take my car there again for regular maintenance and will recommend them to anybody that need service to their vehicles. read more

I was referred to Moonlight Motors by the AAA tow truck guy. He said his family does business next to them and that they were honest and did great work. He seemed sincere so after the dealer's estimate of $800+ for my 2006 Toyota Corolla S I took it to Moonlight. They were very friendly, straight forward and knew what they were doing. I had serpentine belt changed, throttle body cleaned, transmission fluid done, oil changed, rear brakes done and an inspection of the exhaust. They finished this all in one day. The bill came out to $440.00, HALF the cost of the Toyota dealer! They are upfront about their charges, didn't try to up-sell me on anything and they clearly list their hourly rate on the invoice, along with the actual time it took to do the work...and the hourly rate is pro-rated. Drive belt, .55 hr Throttle body clean, .60hr Trans Service, .80hr Rear brakes, 1.80hr Inspection, .20hr Oil change, .11hr All very honest in my opinion...you can't do an oil change much faster than about 7 minutes which is around what they billed for. Same with all the other services. They had about 3 Porsche's they were working on so people must trust them locally with their expensive cars. I've definitely found my regular shop! read more

First time at Moonlight Motors. My experience was excellent. Used the website for an appointment. It was simple to use and I quickly received confirmation. I received my inspection report link via text. The web presentation was clear, and shortly after receipt I received a follow up call from the technician regarding the scope of work. The combo of website, email, text and personal call was seamless and made my car servicing so easy. read more

Brought my 2008 Jetta here because it was having problems while driving in traffic and neighborhood streets. I had no idea what was wrong but the guys at Moonlight Motors sent me a diagnostic link that explained everything and what was most important to get fixed. Will for sure bring my car back here! Thanks guys! read more

I needed a last minute repair and they were so good to me! Got me in an hour before closing on a Saturday and helped me so much! I never leave yelp reviews but this was necessary because I appreciated their help so much!!! Thanks again! I'll be back! read more

We were in San Diego from out of town and our car started behaving badly...not wanting to start and having some electrical issues. It's a little nerve racking having to find a trustworthy mechanic who will do a good job when you're away from home. (Let's be honest - it's hard enough to find one AT home.) We saw all the positive reviews on Yelp and picked Moonlight Motors...and I'm SO glad we did. We called first thing on a Monday morning after experiencing the issues over the weekend. Marty was friendly and straightforward and got us in right away. He was kind enough to drive us to a great little breakfast place where we could eat with our kids while we waited. He pointed out a couple parks on the way where we could easily walk to with the kiddos and told us he could pick us up at after the car was ready. He was kind and thoughtful and knowledgeable. I haven't experienced customer service this good in a LONG time. Our car ended up just needing a new battery which we got at a fair price and it is now running great and starting easily. We would highly recommend Moonlight Motors!! read more

Marty and his team at Moonlight are the best! A couple of weeks ago he got my work truck going in record time! I needed a clutch, brakes and a rear main replaced. I figured it would take a couple days at best. It took ONE day! Awesome, back to work I go then another unrelated problem this past Monday. I got there at 8 am without an appointment told Marty what was going on and how I thought I fixed the problem on Friday. Said they'll take a look and let me know. I was running some errands and about fell over when I pulled into my driveway about 2 hours later. My work truck was sitting in the driveway ready to go! I called and asked what you don't like working on fords or what making a joke and he simply replied it was easy so we did it and you are ready to go! Thank you thank you thank you! I will not go anywhere else or try a fix things myself! A VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER! read more

I was pleasantly surprised with the level of service and friendly demeanor of Moonlight Motors. About to embark for my first long solo road trip, I took my car in last minute for an oil change and walked away feeling safe, secure, with a full report of my vehicle, a new brake light, and suggestions for a few things I could fix when I got back. I also loved that I had never been there before but they treated me like family and a valued customer, making sure I felt safe and good to go. I am going to make this my regular mechanic and suggest everyone do the same. read more

The service at Moonlight Motors is exceptional and friendly. Their prices always much better than anywhere else! I recommend this shop to all my friends and family who are equally impressed. read more

I love taking my car to Moonlight. They are clear, thoughtful, and provide excellent customer service. I have taken three different cars to the team over the years. I especially like that you can choose to hear from them via email text or phone, and they provide a thorough synopsis in understandable language of everything going on with the car. They use a red yellow green system to help diagnose and prioritize issues. read more

Feeling disappointed. Back in April had oil change, air filter replaced and transmission service. They also told me a fuel sysytem flush was needed for several hundred dollars, I declined this. Last week, went to Honda dealer for next oil change and the transmission service alert came up, so now I'm not sure if moonlight did it or forget to turn off the alert. Also found out that fuel line flush is not needed that moonlight recommends. . Why would they do this, doesn't seem right. In response to Martin: I did not leave your business confused. As I indicated I had the transmission service or at least paid for it but the maintenance alert in my vehicle was not cleared when or if you did the service. Second point, according to Honda , there is no requirement to do anything to fuel system by its design. read more

Nice to find an honest mechanic close by. The last shop I took my car too ripped me off. I was really happy with moonlight motors. I will definitely be coming back again. read more

Friendly, professional. Great communication in terms of reminders, estimate, findings, ready for pick up etc. The new location is convenient. You can walk to restaurants, train station etc. read more

These guys helped me out on short notice when I was in a bind before going on a long overland trip. While doing last minute checks I noticed my battery connections were going bad and needed immediate attention. They got me in and out really fast. Super nice people and great value. I'll be going back. Tomorrow in fact to get my starter replaced. read more

Donna at the front desk was very helpful! I came in for a maintenance/oil/fluids check on my Prius and their prices were fair. A friend recommended this business to me and I plan to make Moonlight my go-to for any work on my car. read more

Have 4 vehicles and that's a lot of regular maintenance. Dona is alway very helpful getting me in on short notice and the staff is just great, repairs always done perfect, and the one time had an issue, they fixed it immediately! Was with former mechanic for 10 years, so glad we found Moonlight Motors! Geoff H-Encinitas read more

My husband got a $400 estimate to repair his Ford van from one shop, and a $180 estimate from Moonlight. Moonlight ultimately found another problem that required additional parts but didn't charge my husband for the parts because he had to bring the van back. They were FANTASTIC in attitude and effort to keep his van running at a very reasonable price! We recommended Moonlight to a friend who had received an estimate of $6000 from the Ford dealership to repair her car. The dealership strongly suggested she buy a new car. (No surprise there.) Moonlight said they would repair it for $4800 but if she didn't want to repair it or buy a new vehicle right now, she might get 6-12 more months out of it. She is very pleased with their rates and honest advice! Moonlight is s rare find these days -- local, competent and honest. And did I mention reasonable? Thank you , Moonlight, for the service you provide to Encinitas. read more

The experience was absolutely the best. Complete brakes service and fluids changed transmission, power steering and some other minor replaced. All was done in timely and professional manner read more