Best 12 Auto Repair Shops Near near Me in Santa Cruz, CA (Update 2025)

E Z Staff is very friendly and communicative, but I unfortunately have to give this rating due to my experience here. I came in to get my A/C serviced/charged. Was initially quoted about $700 (which is on the pricier side, but thats ok I understand Santa Cruz is expensive etc.), but later on, I was then informed that unfortunately the AC compressor was leaking and needed to be replaced and quoted $1300. Due to my car being under warranty w/Repair-Pal, I declined to have it replaced out-of-pocket and went to another shop that would work w/my warranty. The new shop tested everything (compression tested, and held vacuum for 2hrs, and machine scent tested detected no leaks), found no leaks-no need to replace the compressor, and recharged it for $238 (for reference I have a 2018 Honda Accord w/60k miles). I am writing this not bc I think that I was being scammed or taken advantage of, I am giving the benefit of the doubt because it could have been a mistake on Santa Cruz Motor Sports end... but I still had to pay for them to look at my vehicle and "diagnose" it $125, and the diagnosis was unfortunately wrong AND potentially extremely expensive.

Meliya Wilfing I was there this morning for my Jeep smog test. The process was so smooth I was out in 40 minutes. Best bonus was the staff were all so nice. I have found a new place for my beloved Jeep to have all its essential needs. I highly recommend this place.

Brendan Richards These guys are great! Smart, great communication and good value. All our cars go here.

Paige Kouba Well I ended up here because somebody hit my car and smashed up the bumper, less than a month before we are moving abroad (needing to sell the car and everything). So needless to say it was not the best circumstances. But the folks at Santa Cruz Auto Body were helpful and professional, clearly communicated my timeline for repairs, and even cleaned and *vacuumed* my very neglected car interior. I was so touched that they went that extra mile, having no idea how much it meant during this crazy and stressful time! Thanks so much for a wonderful experience and great service too!

Michael Linback Jr. Took a Tesla in to Santa Cruz Auto Body that had received parking lot fender bender. The incident gouged the wheel rim. Was recommended this shop as a Tesla approved collision center in the Tesla app. Was able to schedule an estimate online. Santa Cruz Auto Body got me in and out in about 30 minutes for the estimate and was able to add me to their work schedule very quickly. Very friendly folks there! When organizing the drop off, they were able to provide a payment link for the other party to pay the estimate directly which streamlined things a lot. Overall work was high quality. The wheel looks like new and the car was even cleaned, vacuumed, and detailed at pickup, which was amazing! Hopefully I wont need to use their service again, but will definitely take the car back to them again if I do!

Daniel Bow The place was recommended to me by USAA after our car accident. I didnt really care where at the time since the repairs were being covered, but I am glad that we did go to them. They made the process very smooth doing the inspection and drop off, even called Enterprise to come pick us up from the shop to go and collect our rental car. The system they use also provides you updates via text on the status of the job, the estimate, whats due at pickup, the number for the person who doing the work and our insurance claims adjuster. The whole experience was seem less while keeping me informed throughout.

Eric Schnaible Scott at Harbor Service has been my mechanic for about 12 years and 6 cars. Hes the best. Knows exactly what to do, super fast and consistent. I got in a friendly argument a couple years ago with a friend of mine. We were arguing over who had the best mechanic in town. Turned out we were both right. It was Scott at Harbor service.

Keith Gudger Great service & price

Johnny Hampton A great mechanic and very knowledgable and honest. Did everything he could help me pass smog test.

Justin Great service and these guys really know what they’re doing. Whether it’s a work van or a new BMW, they can handle it. Best to call and set an appointment, was really busy when I went there.

Damaris Garcia I live nearby and have used this place a few times. They have always been super quick. Theyre also very friendly and nice. Went there again today and they got it done in minutes. Totally recommend when you need your smog check done.

Chris Brown Nguyen is amazing a goes above and beyond doing many things for free. I trust him with my life.

Austin Hopiavuori John and Isaac at Goodyear were absolutely awesome to work with. I first called them to re-secure a sagging engine splash guard and they were able to fit me in within the hour and completed the job within 15 minutes of my arrival. I then called them to get an oil change, alignment, and safety inspection for me as I was preparing for a cross-country trip. They got me in right away again, and the work went very smoothly; they even managed to replace my broken passenger-side mirror on the spot without any notice when I went to pick up my car (I had brought a new mirror assembly with me and they swapped it in under 30 minutes.) Friendly and honest guys, good prices, no-nonsense, 10/10 recommend!

Pat Colby I am a long time customer of this mechanic. Issac has always given excellent service, honest work in a timely and affordable way! This Goodyear is hands down the best choice for your cars needs. I have been able to drop off my car worry free know it will be fixed correct the first time and in a quick turn around. Issac goes above and beyond with personal service, repairs done fast and worry free. He and his crew of mechanics care about doing an excellent job for all their customers

Ryan Barton Goodyear gave me a breath of fresh air in bringing my car to the mechanic, as they gave a super fair price, explained everything thoroughly, and were extremely accommodating to my needs. Issac the mechanic fixed my exhaust and had to make adjustments because it’s an old truck, but he and John easily solved those problems without worry. If you’re in Santa Cruz and need new tires or other car maintenance I can’t recommend them enough.

Valerie Moreno Renee is very professional and knowledgeable. He gets customers scheduled as soon as possible. He goes over exactly what work/parts he recommends and why. He lets his customers take his loaner car if vehicle needs to be in the shop for an extended period of time. He is also very personable.

Angelique Rene and his team were professional, efficient and thorough. After a week, my car has been running smoothly. The brakes are doing well, nomore clicking in the steering wheel and all my signals are finally working again. As a woman, it’s not easy trusting auto shops, esp with my past bad experiences. Rene took pictures and showed me the parts he removed from my car. This made me feel comfortable in trusting him and I think I found my new Santa Cruz auto shop! :)

Christine K I had a severe time crunch and Rene fixed the faulty electrical brake system / braking system within a few short hours. He was extremely communicative, calling me promptly to give me all the updates and options before pursuing any work, and being upfront and honest about the prices. I am immensely grateful for him doing a great job fixing the van, and his overall friendliness!

Sophia Larney Ron saved the day! We were driving through on a road trip when we started having car troubles. We called around and Ron was the only mechanic who was able to look at it right away. He diagnosed the issue, gave us a quote, and even arranged a ride to the car rental so we could continue our road trip down the coast. We dropped the car off with him Friday and he had it ready for us on Monday to drive back home. Im always nervous to bring my car to new mechanics but Ron made for a trustworthy and positive experience!

layla g Ron helped me out by doing a pre purchase inspection on a car I was considering buying and thanks to him, I saved thousands of dollars on repairs as the local dealership was dishonest about the condition of the car. He went over and beyond, and spent a good chunk of time explaining the inspection findings and recommending other more reliable car buying options. I would recommend this shop without hesitation!

c n Ron is a gem! He helped me identify and fix my problem in a matter of minutes, and earlier I called and he gave me sound advice as well. 10/10, will definitely be coming again! Thank you Advanced Auto!!

Tati Slepica So friendly and super helpful. Got my car checked out and battery changed in a few hours and they were really nice on the phone and in person! Convenient to get to and a great overall experience.

Alyssa Bondi I will definitely be coming here again! Got a full service oil change done quickly and was the most affordable oil change I’ve ever had!!!! They found a slash on my tire and were even able to recommend me to a fantastic tire shop that got me in immediately!! Thank you Glenn!!!

Michael Worley Ive taken both my 2006 Mazda 3, and my 2009 Jeep Patriot to Glens Auto. They are trustworthy, polite, honest and absolutely friendly and welcoming. I recommend Glens auto to friends and family with 100% certainty they wont regret it.

Stephan Shaffer Great Local Shop friendly and knowledgeable, they have taken good care of me and have made a loyal customer out of me.

Reed Welch Good folks that take care of customers

M! Andy (Cackling Crow) Nice folks, did good quick work. To the point, and straightforward but never impolite.

Beth Hecht I have received exceptionally great service from everyone at Mick’s Automotive for years now. All the techs are incredibly thorough, knowledgeable, courteous, and very good at communicating everything about the services they perform on my vehicle. The shop is reasonably priced and they operate with honesty and integrity. The whole staff goes above and beyond to help their customers, such as referring you to recommended tire shops or other repair shops, giving advice about maintenance or tire purchases, etc.. So glad I found Mick’s and I highly recommend them!

Thomas Rohlf Micks did a thorough job in my in rebuilding my front end as well as other needed repairs and replacements. They keep me informed at every stage of the repairs so no surprises related to the costs. I would recommend them for all you auto repairs.

sean crossno The staff at Micks is very thorough and send you a very detailed breakdown of what your car needs, now, soon, and later. This is not free, but a free diagnostic doesnt incentivize a shop to take their time and find it all. They did a transmission pan reseal for me and it was super smooth, and I would feel confident bringing my car into Micks for anything to bog to tackle on my own.

John Dickman Simply superb! I Googled the best smog check near me. Water Star Motors popped up with a 4.8 rating from 509 responses. Pretty respectable, right? I called...they said no appointment necessary, come on in! I showed up, was met at the door, incredible customer service, handled immediately. I love efficiency and this was a gold standard moment. My car was given to the tech and I was told we should be done in 30 min. I did a nice brisk walk came back in 25 min and my car was coming out of the garage. I paid the service fee and was off in 5 min. or less. Awesome. If you need quick and efficient service? Go to Water Star Motors. Seriously!

Edward Prashanth I’m new to Santa Cruz and recently had an issue with the splash shield on my Toyota Prius dragging on the road. I searched for nearby auto repair shops around River Street and found a handful in the neighborhood. I visited three different places before ending up at Water Star Motors—and I’m so glad I did. Unlike the other shops, where no one really took the time to investigate the issue, Water Star made me feel welcome the moment I arrived. I was greeted by a gentleman who introduced me to Stephanie, who was incredibly kind and took the time to fully understand what was going on with my car. The whole experience felt genuine—like they truly cared and were committed to helping me out. They got the issue fixed quickly, and the price was very reasonable. Eric was also great and made the checkout process smooth and easy. Overall, it was a 5-star experience. I felt respected and well taken care of, and I’d absolutely recommend Water Star Motors to anyone looking for honest and helpful service in Santa Cruz.

k flores y Excellent service: upfront, honest, reliable, fast, thorough, and friendly. I was out of A/C in mid-summer on a road trip, and they were able to do same-day service with an accurate window of time. I was on the road again soon after. Eric and Stephanie are true professionals with great hospitality. I highly recommend the business; the mechanics are thorough, friendly, and the prices are on point. No hidden fees, upfront estimates. Great shop!

Hugh Jones What a terrific experience! Tyler and his team are good people. The kind where you can feel their authenticity and consideration. When you talk to Tyler you can tell there’s no nickel and diming going on, just someone who’s happy to help and team of genuine people to back him. I had the pleasure of chatting with Genia (front of house) and Sasha (technician) who were so welcoming right off the bat. I ended up having a 15 minute conversation with them because of how genuinely engaged and kind they were. When I came to pick up my car they refused to charge me for the front headlights they repaired. I’m still blown away by this! This is a rare business that has real honest and friendly people. Please do yourself a favor and bring your car here for any repairs.

Darrow This shop is what we need more of in our community: locally owned and run by honest people who genuinely want to get you out safely on the road. They won’t upsell you or give you something by you don’t need. They’re going to do a great job. Ty and Genia, thanks for always having my back and being a gift to our community!

missy mckinley Excellent service! I had a screw in my tire and stopped by Almar Tire, and I’m so glad I did. The team was incredibly friendly, professional, and quick. They had my tire repaired in no time. They made the whole process stress-free. It’s rare to find such fast and courteous service these days, highly recommend them if you ever need tire help!