Advanced Autowerks

I have a 2012 Mini Countryman that has reached the point of occasional dramatic breakdown. The folks at Advanced Autowerks have done a great job diagnosing the issues, including ones the Mini dealership was unable to figure out. They then turn the car around quickly, and always keep me informed on the repair plan, costs, and timing. I’m considering getting a new car, and a model they don’t service, and they already recommended a shop to bring it to when that time comes. Also, everyone is just plain nice and respectful. The kind of people you want to have a beer with.

My wife and I had been taking our 2 Passats to Advanced for years with great satisfaction. In 2013, we sold both and downsized to one car, a new Jetta hybrid. Wouldn’t you know it that 3 months after the factory warranty expired, the windshield wiper started making a groaning sound. Protected no more by the warranty, we took it into Advanced and they diagnosed it as a failing wiper motor which also damaged the linkage. They ordered parts and fixed it quickly and competently. They even threw in new wiper blades gratis. They are friendly, forthright, and will go the extra mile for you.

Went here for a standard oil change. I confirmed the price on the phone with the service tech for the exact make, model and year. I waited at the location and sat for 1+hr to do the oil change. Went to check out and the price changed dramatically. I held my ground and told him the price discussed, had it written down in an email and he finally said ok and he was doing me a huge favor doing the oil change for $ 140 as quoted vs. $ 180.
Went home, pulled the oil stick and the oil was so far above the high mark. I did my own research and it turns out this VW engine has two oil drains and they didn’t drain the second one and refilled standard amount without checking. IF you overfill the oil on modern VW cars the oil will be expelled in the exhaust to the catalytic converters (emission thing) and ruin it. They are very expensive to replace. The VW dealership said do no drive it until oil corrected. This shop said drive it. I called, talked to the manger and he said it was fine that it was over filled and oil would come down as it was burned off. I drove it a few more days and it never came down. It was soooo over filled. I called and asked for the owner. He was very nice and apologized, admitted to the mistake and said bring it back and they would suck some oil out to the proper level.
Not only are they not trained to do oil changes correctly, but they also played a bait and switch on the payment. I have no problem with the owner. He seemed fair and nice but the service tech and mechanic need to be fired.
I have since done the oil change myself twice and it was a no brainier. It was not hard at all!!! I can’t believe they could screw this up that bad.

As always, I have had yet another fantastic experience with the folks at Advanced! Zach and team have been working on my cars since approx 2001 — I am pretty sure I am one of the oldest customers and have gone thru a Jetta and now a CC — while I admit that VW has had some issues over the years, I have to be honest, I have not switched manufacturers due to my complete faith and trust in Advanced. Randy, owner, is an amazing person is just someone you can trust — thus he has built a business around that. I wouldn’t hesitate for one second to recommend Adv to anyone, anywhere

Still awesome.
They are expensive, and as mentioned in other reviews, don’t always call back when you’d expect. The latter isn’t really a complaint — I will email them or call them back myself — but it’s good to know what to expect.
I have nothing else to add or improve upon my original review except to re-​emphasize that you can trust these guys.

I LOVE you guys! I took my jetta to your dogpatch location 3 years ago and had EXCELLENT service. I bought a 2012 mini 2 years ago… check engine light came on last week so I took it to Mini SF. They charged me $ 225 for «diagnostics» and then listed a bunch of things I desperately needed, totaling $ 3500. I then remembered my amazing experience with Advanced Autowerks and decided to take my mini to them instead. Makenzie gave me a quote over the phone, I dropped the car off on Friday morning and it was done Friday at 2pm for $ 1500! I didn’t need a couple of the things Mini said I needed and Advanced Autowerks didn’t charge me an arm and a leg for labor. I am a customer for life!

Great experience at Advanced Autowerks! I was really impressed with the service level and integrity. I took my beloved (but struggling) VW Passat here for evaluation due to multiple leaks from different engine sources. They spent time investigating the issues and explaining my options, and did not try to sell me on expensive repairs — instead, they gently suggested that in my particular case, it might not be worth investing further money into the car. If I’m fortunate enough to get another Audi/​VW in the future, I will definitely be bringing it to this shop!

Updated review…
The guys at Advanced have worked really hard to make this right. Turns out there is a problem in the engine that at some point will have to be addressed, but it’s a bit of a grey area according to the terms of the Audi mechanical warranty (now expired, natch). Bottom line– do not buy a (several-​thousand-​pound) pre-​owned Q7 TDI and expect it to do well on the terribly potholed streets of SF. Advanced addressed another issue that needed attention while the car was in the shop without charging to make good on the disagreement. Randy and Zach were diligent in their follow up and clearly do want their customers to stay with them for a long time.

Zach did a great job assuring that I would get the best job done on my Jetta. I was very price conscious, and he was able to provide the same (almost better) service than Royal Auto – and he even provided free service add ons! I will definitely be coming back.

I love taking my car here. I always feel like I’m in good hands and they are honest, o really appreciate that. They aren’t the cheapest, but I’d rather take my car somewhere I can trust and pay a bit more than somewhere i don’t and get ripped off in the end. Plus, Zack is awesome, he alone makes it the best experience ever!

I went here based solely on the good Unilocal reviews and they were amazing! Shout out to Zach for being so helpful and awesome. My car broke down in SF on my trip from LA and I was stuck. Zach went above and beyond. I couldn’t be happier with my experience.

I am and have always been a «car guy.» I have many friends who work in the automotive business, auto repair, etc. It is AMAZING to me how well run Advanced Autowerks is. From the first phone call to picking up your car and everything in between, these guys just do it right. Part of the reason I bought a car with higher mileage and more complex engine, is that I knew that I had an honest and dependable shop to rely on.
I can’t say enough about how great Advanced really is.

Phenomenal service from Mack and the great people at Advanced Autowerks. They were timely in their service, response times, and very accommodating to my after-​hours drop-​off and pick-​up needs. Thank you!

Fantastic service, nice people, clean shop.
Will definitely keep taking my VW to them when they open their Valencia Street location.

The folks at Advanced Autowerks are fantastic. They’re super friendly and really know their stuff, which is so appreciated with brands like VW and Audi who need a lot of TLC to keep them running well. They explained everything that needed fixing and even diagnosed an issue I was not aware of. When it came time to making decisions about what to fix now vs later, they helped me prioritize the fixes in terms of necessity not just price. I felt very cared for and my car is running great after going to them.
Highly recommended!

UPDATED: 2-​stars after the owner Randy sincerely inquired about my experience.
Took my 2009 Q5 here after moving to the city when my check-​engine light came on. All the Unilocal 5-​star reviews led me to make an appointment despite being warned on the phone that it would be $ 139 just for the diagnostic but that would «apply to the repair». I drop the car off at 9AM, and by 4PM, I’m calling them (not a good sign!). They tell me that I have carbon build up and that it would be $ 2500 to clean it out. As I do a good bit of repair on my own (brakes, radiator, water pump, shocks, etc), I literally choke/​laugh in response. I decline the service and head in the next morning to pick up the car and pay the outrageous $ 139 for them to have read codes for 15 minutes. After a $ 12 bottle Techron Fuel System cleaner, the problem has not returned over the past 8 months. I didn’t post a review earlier, but looking for service again, I saw a number of people reporting the «carbon fouling» on the reviews here, so wanted to share my experience.

In short, a friendly, professional and honest shop with experienced VW mechanics.
Here’s how I ended up there:
After my VW’s warranty expired I decided to try an independent shop instead of the dealership service center.
It was time for my 50,000 mile service and I had called the dealer to ask what exactly that service involved. I haven’t had problems with the dealer before but they *are* expensive.
The VW dealer’s service rep read off a list of things for the 50K service which, frankly, sounded *exactly* like what they normally do for an oil change (including free brake inspections and other visual checks) plus a tire rotation.
The price? About $ 256. When I asked how that was different from their oil change ($ 90 with the usual visual checks, another $ 30 for the rotation), the dealer couldn’t give a very specific or satisfactory answer.
So I called Advanced Autowerks after being recommended by my previous mechanic at Action Auto Care (who, sadly, doesn’t work on VWs).
Advanced Autowerks’ price for an oil change plus the usual inspections for the 50K service (no rotation needed this time): about $ 120.
That’s less than half of what the dealer would have charged for the same thing.
AA was able to tell me exactly what was going to be done, did the job quickly, I was able to schedule an appointment for the time I wanted, and, like the dealer, they threw in a free car wash. They also tested my brake fluid (it was fine and they didn’t pressure me to change it just because).
They patiently answered my many questions about my car and the next service I would need, and I never had the feeling they were trying to sell me a service I didn’t need. They were friendly, personable and professional at all times.
If you’re looking for an honest and experienced team to care for your VW, at a lower price than the dealer, give Advanced Autowerks a try.

This December marked 9 years that i have been taking my VW GTI to be serviced at Adavanced. Time says it all! I have complette confidece and trust with this shop.
Over the years I have only positive things to say about eveyone that I have come in conatact with. All the folks that Randy has employed have been Polite, Knowdlegable, Trusting and Caring individuals.
Most important and most comforting, they will not let me drive a car that is not safe. Be it brakes. tires. leaks, they make it clear what should be fixed and what may wait.
I LOVE my VW for many reasons, i can also say that the relationship that my car, Advanced and myself has made over these past 9 years is certainly one of the reasons i continue to want own a VW.

Advanced embodies continuous improvement and it shows. I bought my A4 in 2004 and shortly thereafter I started to visit Advanced for my non-​warranty work. This included adding an aftermarket exhaust, amongst other goodies. Back then it was a much smaller space run by Aaron and Randy, operating under a slightly different name.
After my warranty expired, Advanced became the one-​and-​only place I could trust with my Audi.
Over the years the business has grown and now it is better than ever. Their staff is extremely courteous. The work they do is exceptional. The additional touches they provide (bus fare, car washing, etc.) are an added bonus which wasn’t always there. Best part of all — Advanced is extremely competitive with pricing. For what you would pay at the stealership, Advanced gives you so much more.
My only disappointment is that I have parted ways with the makes of vehicles that Advanced specializes in. As a result, I expect to find myself poking my head in to say «Hello» and looking for a new equivalent in the BMW world. Advanced has certainly set the bar very high for my next independent shop!

As good as it gets! A 10 all the way. Customer service that you can trust and mechanical work that speaks for itself.
Customer for life~