This review comes 2 years late but every now and then I still catch myself thinking about this experience and honestly it deserves some love. So here's the story. I had been on a six month obsessive hunt for a unicorn: the perfect Escalade. Not just any random one I'm talking the right year, make, model, trim, options, single-owner history, the whole checklist. Then one day... there it was. Only catch? It was hours away in the Central Valley. The price? Let's just say it was suspiciously good. Better than any other listing I saw which specs weren't as sweet as this one Like, "Did they put the numbers wrong on this?" good. My scam radar was beeping. So I did what any car nerd with a dash of anxiety would do I called every shop within a 20 mile radius for a pre purchase inspection (PPI). Most shops wanted more lead time but then came Promotive. Solid Yelp reviews, cross checked elsewhere, I called, and Brad picked up. Told him the deal, gave him my ETA, and hit the road. Once at the dealership, I ran my own backyard inspection, magnet on the panels for bondo, checking the usual rust traps, crawling underneath like I was trying out for a low budget episode of Top Gear. Everything looked right, but hey, trust but verify, right? I needed the pros to confirm. The salesperson handed me the keys, and off to Promotive I went. At Brad's shop, I was immediately in my element. Brad and his team weren't just mechanics they were car people. Within minutes, we were talking classic builds, lifter quirks on the GM 6.2L V8, 700r4 vs the 4L60E, Vortec, you name it. He ran a full scan, pulled up historical codes, and gave me the lowdown. Main flag? Tiny oil seep near the filter no biggie, just something to monitor. He clocked the uneven tire wear, which might have been from negative camber or an alignment gremlin, or even the truck being lowered previously. When I told him the price I was getting, Brad literally grinned and said, "If you don't buy it, I will." That's the moment I knew this Escalade wasn't a trap, it was a score. Brad was a total pro thorough, honest, and a gearhead's kind of guy. If I could teleport his shop to SoCal, I would. And if I ever buy another vehicle from Elite, you better believe I'm bringing it back to Brad for inspection. Thanks, Promotive. So you may be wondering how that Escalade is doing? It's still solid, still turning heads, still a dream. I'm still grateful I had the right people in my corner that day. read more

Car broke down in lost hills on our way back from LA. Got a tow to this mech and let me tell you they are 100% the place to get towed to. AAA certified Great service, cool owner and mechanics that are the goats. They got the part in 30 minutes and Expedited the process because they knew we were out of town. had us rolling in a jiffy. 10/10 365 24/7 read more

If you are reading this review, then you may be considering doing business with this automotive shop. Look no further. The bottom line? This is a fantastic AAA-approved automotive repair business owned and operated by a great guy named Brad Thompson. Here's the backstory: My wife and I were driving out of Sequoia National Park in our recently-renovated '92 Dodge Ram van (original owner), and as we exited the park gates at lower elevation, the brakes froze up. Started with a long tow to Promotive (it was AAA who recommended them - so thank you AAA!). Considering we were hundreds of miles from home, we were concerned about being helped right away. We were - by Tom, one of the senior mechanics (and a very friendly guy), who said they were "waiting for us." They immediately started to work on the brakes which were completely fried. Tom took the time to carefully explain to us what had happened and showed us why. Essentially, we needed a complete brake job which we were happy to do so we could be on our way. We had a considerable amount of time to burn (there's an amazing Mexican restaurant across the street which they recommended). After we came back to the shop, we saw that they had run into some problems with the parts that were delivered from the part supplier, but getting new parts was very fast - within minutes. At no fault of theirs, they installed the second set of parts and continued to work on bleeding the brakes. Here's what's amazing: several of their fine mechanics stayed over almost two hours beyond closing time to work on the vehicle. Who does that? These guys did. Unfortunately, we had to spend the night in town so they could continue to work on the vehicle in the morning. They didn't want to release the vehicle unless the brakes were in perfect working order. That's a safety issue and I'm glad they were as concerned as I was. They recommended a local hotel, and Josh, another great mechanic there, drove us over. It was close by and convenient. They spent an additional three hours the next morning rebuilding an additional brake part (because it would've taken three days to get that part from a supplier - it's an older vehicle) and re-bleeding the brakes. These guys were so fastidious and careful about test driving the vehicle and making sure it was in perfect working order because we would be driving south and going over the Grapevine. Brad test drove the vehicle (twice) and picked us up at the hotel on the way back from the test drive. So how do you know when you are choosing a good mechanic? Well sometimes you don't, but for this shop, there were all the right signs. First, the shop is very clean and professional looking. The mechanics are friendly and engaged. You can tell they love what they do. Brad owns and races a dragster and he's on the team of an NHRA car. That should tell you something about his capabilities and that of his shop and the type of work they are able to do. The price was fair, and they didn't charge me extra for the second day's troubleshooting and work. How cool is that? These guys know cars. And they're super friendly. This is a special automotive shop and we were very fortunate that we came across it. You will be too. Thanks Promotive! read more

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My tacoma broke down in Sequoia and my tow truck driver recommended Promotive Auto. Brad and his team were quick to find the problem, fix it and at a good price. (AAA approved). Thank you for helping me and my family get home in time. read more

Please do not take your car here. They messed up my brakes which I took to them three diffrent times. I paid over $ 1,000 for my front and back brakes. Several months later a started to hear a grinding noise and took it back to them and they said it was just me and my brakes were fine. The third time I took it to them they kept my car for 4 days and when I was finally able to pick it up they said they redid my front brakes. They didn't provide me with a receipt and I also noticed my window tint was messed up as if they put a hot blow dryer to it. My car is a 2013 and I purchased it brand new fron the Toyota dealership amd they did my tint and I had never had any issues with it. My car also had a lot of random scratches all over my car which I knew it didn't have before taking it to them. I truly believe Alex and Josh the mechanics did that to my car because I kept on complaining to them because the owner BRAD IS NEVER EVER THERE. The grinding noise just got worse and worse and since they blocked my number I took it to the Toyota dealership and they told me that I need new front brakes. They also stated that it was as if my brakes were never done. I've been working from home for over two yrs and very seldom drive my car so I know my brakes didn't go bad due to milage. I believe I was treated so poorly my this auto shop because I'm a female. My brakes were still under warranty but they blocked my number and I just decided to get confirmation from the dealership. They used the excuse that my brakes went bad because they used after market brakes which is nonsense. I plan on taking them to court because they can't continue to get away with this. read more

I would give them 10 stars if possible. I was first introduced to this shop a little over a year ago through a referral by AAA after the serpentine belt on my car broke. Tom prioritized my car since I was an hour from home and still bleeding from a recent surgery. The job was finished in short order. Today I experienced the same one-day professional and efficient service for a brake job and tuneup. Recommendations were made for future services without the hard sell. I felt the prices in both cases were fair. Thanks Tom and Paul for a job well done! read more

We ran into a transmission issue while travelling. Promotive was listed as a AAA approved shop. It was the best decision ever to choose them. They were professional and honest. We were back on the road the same day thanks to Steve and crew. read more

My truck threw its serpentine belt while down in the area. They got me in very early and took care of my truck while also giving me a ride to and from the rental care place. They were very informative and showed me everything through the process while I was there. Got my truck back and was able to tow our trailer 5 hours home! Thank you again gentleman for saving my trip! read more

My boyfriend and I are on a road trip up the coast from Colorado and were worried about our car after running over a piece of metal laying in the highway. After some Yelp searching we stumbled upon this spot and are so glad we did! They took great care of us! Brad made room to check on our car when we said we were trying to get out of town as soon as possible. He gave us a very thorough and assuring inspection and update, topped off our coolant, and checked our breaks and oil all for free. Even when we offered to pay he declined. It was a great experience top to bottom. I would definitely recommend these guys- no bullshit, straight to the point. read more

Promotive Auto is the best place in Visalia to take your car when it needs to be fixed! Tom is such a quality honest and straight forward guy! read more

I see the other review and am surprised. On May 19 my car broke down the I5 and I called AAA for a tow truck and recommended mechanic and they sent me to Promotive. I called them to tell them what I needed. They ordered the part and Josh even waited for me to get there instead of going to lunch. They fixed my car and I was able to continue on to my destination of Chico and see my son graduate on Saturday morning. Thanks to Josh and Brandon for getting me back on the road. read more

Everyone I have encountered here is super nice, fast, and honest about my repair options. Been taking my vehicles here for several years and couldn't be happier. read more

Expected pro to mean real professional, don't look here. but at least I only wasted my time and $86.

Do not go here! I had $1,500 dollars worth of repairs done here and when I got it back, more things were wrong with it than when I brought it to them. Sensors were not working after they worked on it. Then they wanted to charge to look at it again. read more

Been takings vehicles for 2 years. Owners nice. Seems trustworthy. I've always been satisfied this far. A d that's saying a lot. I've dealt with air of shady shops!! read more

DO NOT GO HERE! They couldn't care less about being professional, prompt or ethical. Took my car there and owner couldn't be bothered with calling me with an update; took days for him to follow up on parts, etc. .. meanwhile I'm without a car. When I called he was never there and guys in shop weren't able to be of much help ... seems all decisions are made by him. He didnt seem to understand it was a big inconvenience to be without a car. Finally got my car back and by the time I got it home I realized the problem hadn't even been fixed! By then he had my money and refused to make good on the warranty. Getting any further action on his part was almost impossible. Again, same result ... car not fixed! My car never was repaired by Promotive! I finally realized they were either unwilling or unable to do the job. I took my car to a professional and capable shop where it was actually QUICKLY AND CORRECTLY repaired. read more