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Auto repair shop - Henderson Automotive - in Santa Cruz

22 reviews

Location: 982 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Office phone

+1 (831) 464-8667

4.4

22 total

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(18)

11/04/2014

I have been taking my cars to Greg for about 10 years.
He does a good job and he is HONEST.
He does not try to sell repairs that you don't need.
I highly recommend Greg to anyone who needs an honest, reliable mechanic.

Bill H.

Source: YELP

02/08/2016

I brought my 2004 VW Jetta in Thursday morning to get a leaking radiator replaced. They called me that day for a quote of $535 and said it would be done no later than Friday. I called Friday afternoon to see if the car was ready to be picked up and Greg the owner told me he had not touched the car yet because he had " emergencies " come in .. Guess my service isn't that important. THEN he walked over to my car while on the phone with me and then told me now my radiator support had to be replaced after writing out the previous quote .. I told him I would be in within an hour to take a look - when I got there the car was up on a lift with everything taken apart so I couldn't even take the car if I wanted to to get other service. AFTER all of this he proceeded to bump up the quote another $200 and said it would not be ready until Monday.. So I wait - call him Monday and he said the car wasn't ready yet- and on top of that the secretary begins to yell over me while I was just trying to simply explain my dissatisfaction with the service I have had. Finally Tuesday we got the car back- and the hood wouldn't latch and the radiator fan was hitting the pump and wore a hole through the actual pump by the time we got home. SO the next day I brought it back and he pulled back the pump with zip ties and wrote me out $1200 quote to get my hood replaced. Thankfully my boyfriend is a handy guy and was able to fix the hood with a simple 15 min adjustment of the latch. Following the next day my check engine went on as a result of Gregs repairs...looks like I'll be taking my car to someone else for now on. PS: while I was there waiting for my car to get rechecked Greg the owner was smoking a cigarette out of his secretary's hand and blowing the smoke in my face, how unprofessional!!

Hannah M.

Source: YELP

27/08/2015

My girlfriend recently got a quote from the shop she has been going to for years. She is going on a trip and to be safe wanted to have some work done to her car. The shop quoted her a price of over $700. When she told our friends about the quote they told her it sounded high and she should try the shop they go, Henderson Auto. To make a long story short, they did all the work that was quoted plus some additional fixes for $500. Not only was the work done well it was done quickly and everyone was very friendly and professional.
We will be taking both of our cars here. My friends and I feel Henderson Auto is the best Auto Shop you can find.

Rick C.

Source: YELP

01/01/2015

Terrible service, rude employees to the point that they seemed to be threatening me. I would go anywhere else but here in all of the bay area.

Tim W.

Source: YELP

04/03/2014

I don't need a mechanic often as I only put 5K miles or less on my car, but when I do I will not take it anywhere else but to Greg. He has saved me a couple times from over spending to repair a car that was not worth another dime. He could have let me put his kids through college with my repairs to my Volvo, but he was honest enough to tell me not to spend the money and dump the car. That hurt, but was great advice, and how many mechanics would be that honest. This was a 2001 Volvo and looked like it had plenty of use left at 170K miles, but when digging deeper, it just wasn't worth any more costly repairs. He also gave me good advice to stay away from Volvos..... I thank Greg once again!

Paul B.

Source: YELP

22/11/2013

I think most of the reviews express my sentiment... I was worried when my extended warranty was up and the car had over 100K miles on it... Thankfully, we found Henderson Automotive in a round about way (actually bought an old veedub from him). I took my 330i for a bunch of work and was SO grateful to not have to pick and choose which work to do. I wasn't upsold a bunch of unecessary repairs so labor and parts combined were actually less expensive than I had figured (from experiences elsewhere). Most importanty, Greg is an incredible mechanic who really knows his craft. Combine that with the honesty and integrity he exudes... and you won't take your BMW anywhere else.

Bonita S.

Source: YELP

19/07/2010

Greg is great. He does good work, and won't do anything unnecessary or overcharge you. He's helped us out when things were potentially expensive- finding used parts and figuring out ways to cut costs. He tells you exactly what is going on with your car (or shows you) and is overall an honest guy that you can trust.
He's been great with all the friends I've referred as well. Wouldn't go anywhere else in Santa Cruz.

Anya G.

Source: YELP

14/09/2010

I first took my 1993 325i to Aptos Garage (great shop as well) for a smog check, where it sadly failed. They told me to try taking my Bimmer to Henderson Automotive in Live Oak.
Called up Henderson and they said "Bring it on over".
Bit of a hole in the wall - last in the row of auto repair shops on 17th. Greg Henderson, the proprietor and mechanic was friendly and eager to take down details of my problem(s) and vehicle history. He was crystal clear on what he planned to do, and promised to call as soon as he determined what was going on. I left feeling very upbeat (justifiably).
About 90 minutes after I left my car there, Greg called me to tell me that he'd smogged the vehicle successfully, solved a nagging performance problem AND an intermittent signal light issue. He only charged me for the smog check and 3/4 hr of labor for the other work (he cleaned and fixed a part instead of a costly replacement).
I highly recommend Henderson. Good work, fair price, friendly and honest proprietor. Happy Birthday, Greg!

Bill W.

Source: YELP

11/03/2013

I have sampled quite a few different shops in Santa Cruz over nearly 3 decades and I have never experienced one like Henderson's. Greg Henderson, also known as "Hendu", was very professional in our dealings. In attempting to find out why my Toyota truck was not getting good mileage, he spent a great deal of his time. When it was determined that the possible solutions would be pricey and may not deliver a significant improvement , he suggested that it probably wasn't worth the cost to do further work. However, I do recommend shopping around before having the work done - several times I've found a much better price.

David G.

Source: YELP

28/12/2011

VERY honest, doesn't do unnecessary work - really helped us out on several of our cars. My daughter and son-in-law live in Santa Cruz, and normally my husband would work on their cars, but distance makes that impossible. So finding such a great mechanic and repair shop to work with has been a blessing. I would strongly recommend Hendersen for your auto repairs.

Ilona C.

Source: YELP

03/12/2012

Great place. Kind of hard to find, but Greg and crew were very honest, helpful and professional. Will definitely go back.

Valentina P.

Source: YELP

20/10/2009

As the owner of an aging Volkswagen Passat, I'm understandably apprehensive when it comes to car maintenance shops. It's not that I expect it to run perfectly forever without doing proper maintenance, but it seems that most shops JUMP at the chance to replace EVERY part that is even just a teensy bit worn, regardless of how much life might be left in said part. They make a lot of $$$ for their shop this way, but I leave feeling like I got swindled. Don't even get me started on the VW Dealers in the Bay Area. Yikes.
Anyways....because my car is somewhat elderly (10 years old), things are starting to, well.... fail :( I took my good ol' Passat to Greg at Henderson Automotive for new brakes, to try out his shop. In addition to the brakes, he offered to have a look around and gave me a basic overview of what is good about the car, what's going to need work in the future, and what's going to need work sooner than later. I appreciated his honesty, had him replace my brakes (which he did in a couple of hours) and was on my way. I was very happy with the work and the price, and I will definitely be back for my car's remaining maintenance needs!
SUMMARY: (if you're too lazy to read that long review, which I totally understand): Take your car here for maintenance. This is a shop that cares about what they do, they're honest, and they don't try to make $$$ off of you with unnecessary/excessive repairs. Quality work done efficiently for a fair price. I like it!

V Equals I R.

Source: YELP

20/10/2015

So appreciative of the excellent service I received from Greg...not only has he fixed my car, he also sold it for me...personal, knowledgable and super wonderful to do business. Thanks so much!!!

Kristin Nystrom Rohan

Source: FBOOK

22/06/2016

Great service with a smile:) Gregg knows his stuff.

Anita Yardley Norman

Source: FBOOK

23/06/2016

Jason Lindgren

Source: FBOOK

22/06/2016

Gabriel Kyra Bahchu Cante

Source: FBOOK

23/07/2015

Mary Tausheck

Source: FBOOK

10/08/2014

James Andrew Alderete

Source: FBOOK

07/10/2015

Greg can fix anything on my Audi! He knows his stuff. His prices are reasonable and the best thing about him is he is trustworthy. He'll walk you through the issues and explain what needs to be done. His quotes are fair and he usually comes in a bit lower! His customer service is also outstanding. He and his staff have given me rides back to my office and they always work around my crazy schedule.

Courtney Hagan

Source: GPLAC

20/10/2015

Very much appreciate the service I've received...takes the time to get to know my car and takes pride in his work...also sold my car for me -- thank you very much!!!

Kristin Rohan

Source: GPLAC

03/05/2015

Very reputable business. Explains the how and why in layman terms. Fair prices and they go the extra mile in exceeding customer needs.

Stacie McDonnell

Source: GPLAC

23/09/2008

I hate to have to write a bad review, but here it is. Took my car in for a service. When I got it back I didn't get a clear itemized list of what had been done, but I did get a huge bill. Small thing, but there was no wiper fluid in the car after the service. So, no check list of services performed and a basic service item was missing. Hmmmm. Called, then went back to get some fluid and there was no one there. Called. No call back. For $115 an hour I was pretty disappointed.

A Google User

Source: GPLAC

We work with these brands

Alfa Romeo
Audi
BMW
Bentley
Chrysler
Fiat
Infiniti
Land Rover
Lincoln
MINI
Porsche
RAM
Toyota

We perform these services

Body Work

  • Collision repair
  • Paintless dent repair
  • Auto body painting

Customization and Performance Upgrades

  • Performance tuning
  • Aftermarket exhaust systems
  • Suspension upgrades

Diagnostics

  • Computerized vehicle diagnostics
  • Troubleshooting and repair of warning lights

Electrical Systems

  • Battery testing and replacement
  • Alternator repair
  • Starter repair and replacement
  • Electrical diagnostics and repairs

Fleet Services

  • Maintenance contracts for business fleets
  • Priority service and scheduling

Tire Services

  • Tire sales and installation
  • Tire rotation and balancing
  • Wheel alignment