In another life, I actually worked on heavy equipment and learned a decent amount about machinery repair...so I can have a decent conversation about things like changing your transmission fluid, stripped oil pan plugs, and leaking CV joints. Generally have a slight clue as to what's reasonable and what's not in terms of service and cost. I also know that I am nowhere near qualified to actually do anything more than minor work (plugs, not timing belt) myself on cars designed by demonic German engineers who have been getting subtle revenge for their national honor on unsuspecting Auslanders for the last 50 years or so. (Ask Randy about the Phaeton he serviced if you want to feel better.)Well, when I went to start looking for a car and decided I wanted an Audi, one of the people I was talking to referred me to Advanced to talk to them about the repair history of their car. Immediately impressed about how much time they were willing to spend with someone who wasn't a customer, and how they would be willing to install a junkyard part if you brought it to them but wouldn't ever order the parts themselves since they warranty their work.Didn't end up buying that car, but did another Audi, and glad I found these guys. They know their stuff and have talked me out of spending money that I probably would have at another mechanic given they know what tends to be worth messing with and what isn't. They're certainly at market rate now at $100 an hour, but I'm willing to pay up for people who actually have a clue...it'll save money down the road. Nice guys too; I've heard them talking to people with major problems and saying "just get it towed down here, and I'll take a look at it to at least give you an idea what's wrong and if it's worth fixing." A good mechanic is harder to find than a good doctor. Seriously. Only drawback is that it can take a few days to get an appointment for routine stuff, but such is the price for quality in demand. I did have one slight emergency that got diagnosed as a non-emergency same day before a long road trip, so kudos for that as well. YAFSR, but deserved.

Took 2004 VW Jetta 1.8T wagon in last week for 40k service ($530). Work is excellent, service is outstanding and I simply do not have the right words to do this place justice. THANK YOU YELP ! Almost took our baby into dealership, such a bad experience last time but didn't want to go to Mark Morris for such a big service. Advanced fixed our outlet, told us to stop using after market cell phone chargers, we hear you ! We'll be upgrading to an Audi or getting another VW and have yet to find a really good service place - well, this is the holy grail. It's off the beaten path just a bit but well worth the trip. Shuttle service was offered but we've been trained by other less service oriented places to arrange our own ride so I can't review it. Gave me advice about our tires and brakes that was sensible and did not up sale whatsoever. Refreshing.Thanks Randy, keep up the good work.

Awesome.1. Loved the Shuttle - very convenient! Took a while to get home, but saved me taxi fare!2. Randy is HOT. No, you don't understand. HOTTTT.3. He is also NICE! He offered to take a look at my cruise control problem, no charge!4. He did not "over-recommend" things. I asked him whether it was worthwhile getting the 80 dollar oil change with them, or if I should go with someone cheaper. He gave me pros and cons of both, rather than just, "come to us, they will ruin your car!" I asked about using synthetic oil, and he told me I didn't need it. 5. Again...HOT. I can't stress this enough.Really, though. I left happy, not feeling raped, price wise. *yay* for finding an awesome Vee-Dub shop!!!

They are the tops!

My transmission is starting to go...well I think it has been 'going' since I bought the car 5 years ago, but I'm starting to notice it more now at 90,000 miles. I called the guys at VW-Advanced Audi and explained the situation to them. I also mentioned that a few months ago I had my transmission serviced/flushed at Royal Motors. Randy told me straight up that he wouldn't have touched my transmission over 50,000 miles just for a service. He said that VW transmissions are crappy and that messing with the transmission for a service can make it even worse...which is probably what happened in my case. Royal Motors gets the $400 for the service and then gets to see me in a few months when I need a new transmission for $3,800. So I brought my car in to Randy to have it looked at. At the end of the day he honestly told me that my transmission was 'misbehaving' but not failing. He told me not to waste my money on the repair that would cost more than my car is worth. I was very happy since I am pretty sure that I would have been told that I absolutely NEEDED a new transmission elsewhere. Now I don't have to hunt for a new car, because this one might last me for longer than I thought. Thanks, VW-Advanced for the FREE assessment.

Fantastic place - got me out of a jam for much less than I expected. Over the weekend, I hop in the car, drive 3 blocks, and my car's engine starts going nuts. The tachymeter (i think that's the dial that tells you the RPM), drops to like 500, and won't go above 1,000, even though my foot is on the gas. Damn.Unfortunately I live at the top of a big hill in Pacific Heights. To drive to the top, you generally have to downshift to 3rd (or lower) and rev above 3,000 RPM. So I was screwed. I tried going uphill, but the engine sputtered out. I had to swallow my pride, put it in neutral, and roll BACKWARD into a parking spot.I looked up Advanced on Yelp and was sold by the great reviews.So how do you get a car to Potrero if you can't rev above 1,000 RPM? Answer - very carefully. I got it moving, and coasted down the hill, and drove across town at like 15mph, running stop signs the whole way. I left it with Advanced, and braced myself for the worst. But they hooked it up to the computer, found the problem fast, and fixed it quickly and inexpensively. The whole experience was too good to be true. I can't remember the last time I heard a mechanic say "Take the care back now - I don't want to do extra work if I'm not exactly sure if there's a problem." The honesty and competence is a refreshing change of pace...

I'll echo the previous reviews. No-nonsense, easygoing, honest, fast, personal. All these words apply to the service here. They offer a shuttle that will drop you off in the morning and come pick you up in the afternoon when your car is ready. How cool is that? The dealer ain't got nothin on these guys.

holy shit - dont ever change guys ;-)What a good eperience with a mechanic.I'lll keep it brief but to the point.1. 40,000 mile service - $200 less than Royal motors2. Didn't try to upsell me or BS me about anything uneccsarily wrong with my car.3. 4 new W rated low profile tires for my GTI at half the cost of tires offered by COSTCO....did ya hear me? HALF !!!(this deserves further explanantion - at the dealer these tires are $250+ at Costco best price is still $200 - Randy found me 4 new Aero 550N W rated tires INSTALLED for $100 each. 4. My bill ended up EXACTLY as estimated. 5. They picked me up from work to go get my car when it was ready.For SF Audi or VW there is no better choice.

These guys know their stuff. I got a good deal getting a bunch of work done on my Audi, including an APR chip. I will definitely continue to have my car serviced here.

These guys are great. Professional, courteous, and straight arrow. In other words, they only fix the stuff that really needs to be fixed. My VW seems to have some kind of problem every couple months, and Advanced has probably saved me hundreds compared to the dealer, plus they're super convenient with their courtesy shuttle service. The only downside is that they're so popular, the waiting time for an appointment for major service can be longer than a week. However, for minor things (like my power windows which recently died) they may be able to accommodate you the same day. I wish every repair shop was this cool.