Oil & filter change
$49
full-synthetic +$30
Filter included, fluids topped off, and a quick once-over with photos of anything we spot.
Auto repair · Burnet Road, Austin
Finally, a shop that explains.
Ruby’s rule since day one: we explain everything before we fix anything. What broke, why it matters, what it costs, and what can honestly wait — in plain English, before a single wrench moves.
- Woman-owned
- Straight answers
- Loaner bikes
- 4.9★ · 412 reviews
“If I can’t explain it, we don’t charge for it.”
Our signature
The plain-English estimate
Every estimate we hand you looks like this real example. Each line gets a “what this means” note in normal human words, plus an honest tag: do it now, can wait, or — yes — not needed.
You approve line by line. Nothing gets fixed until you understand it and say yes.
Sample estimate · No. 4207
Priya’s 2019 Honda CR-V
Inspected & photographed · 74,200 mi
Front brake pads & rotors
Do it now$312What this meansYour pads are the part that squeezes to stop the car — yours are down to 2mm, which is why the pedal feels soft. This one is a safety item, not a suggestion.
Serpentine belt
Can wait ~6 months$89What this meansOne belt spins your alternator and A/C. Yours is cracking but not slipping yet. Budget for it by winter — no need to do it today.
Cabin air filter
Can wait$34What this meansThis just cleans the air blowing through your vents. Dirty, but harmless. Do it next oil change — or grab one at the parts store and we’ll show you the slot.
Coolant flush (quoted elsewhere)
Not needed$0What this meansAnother shop quoted this. We tested your coolant — it’s clean and protects to −34°F. You don’t need it, so we’re not selling it to you.
If you only fix what’s urgent today
$312
Everything else is written down with a date, so you can plan for it — not panic about it. $79 diagnostic already credited.
Services & honest prices
Flat prices, posted on the wall
The same board hanging over our counter. The price you see is the price you pay — if a job runs different, we call before we continue.
Brake pads (front)
$189
parts & labor
Quality pads, hardware, and a rotor measurement you can see. Rotors only if you actually need them.
Diagnostic
$79
credited toward the repair
We find the real cause, explain it in plain English, and the fee comes off the bill if we fix it.
Alignment
$109
four wheels
Before-and-after printout included, so you can see exactly what changed and why the wander stopped.
A/C recharge
$149
leak check included
Refrigerant, dye test, and vent temps measured. If there’s a leak, we show it to you first.
Battery test & replace
$39
test is free
Five-minute health test, no charge. If it’s dying, we’ll say how long you realistically have.
Something bigger — engine, transmission, suspension? Same deal: written estimate, plain English, your call. Ask us anything.
No dumb questions here
Ask Ruby
The questions people ask at the counter every week — answered the way Ruby answers them: straight, specific, and without the upsell.
Nine times out of ten it’s one of three things: worn pads (the most common), air in the brake lines, or a slow fluid leak. Worn pads make the pedal travel farther before anything bites. Air in the lines makes it feel spongy, like stepping on a marshmallow. A leak makes it sink slowly while you hold it at a stop light.
That last one — the sinking pedal — is the one you don’t sit on. If your pedal drops while you’re holding it, come in today, don’t book for next week. The other two are urgent-ish but survivable for a careful drive to the shop.
— Ruby
Honestly? Usually not on the schedule other shops push. Flushes are high-margin, which is why they get recommended so often. Coolant, brake fluid, and transmission fluid all do wear out — but on the schedule in your owner’s manual, not every visit.
Here’s our deal: we test the fluid instead of guessing. Coolant gets a strip test, brake fluid gets a moisture reading. If the test says it’s fine, we write “not needed” on your estimate and you keep your money. If it genuinely fails, we’ll show you the test.
— Ruby
A steady light usually means “get it looked at soon” — often an emissions sensor, a loose gas cap, or something similarly unglamorous. You can generally keep driving for a few days without drama.
A flashing light is different: that means the engine is actively misfiring and dumping unburned fuel into the catalytic converter, which turns a $200 fix into a $1,800 one. Flashing = pull over, call us, and we’ll tell you whether it’s tow-it or limp-it. The $79 diagnostic gets credited toward the repair either way.
— Ruby
Dealers usually quote the “replace the whole assembly” version of a repair — new parts, book hours, dealership overhead. It’s not a scam, it’s just the most expensive correct answer.
Often there’s a cheaper correct answer: repair instead of replace, a quality aftermarket part instead of the branded box, or fixing the one failed component inside the assembly. We’ll lay out both options with real prices and tell you which one we’d pick for our own car — and why.
— Ruby
Simple version: finding the problem costs $79 of real technician time. If you have us do the repair, that $79 comes off the repair bill — so the diagnosis effectively becomes free.
If you take the estimate and walk — to another shop, to your cousin with a driveway and a toolbox — you pay only the $79, and the written diagnosis is yours to keep. No hard feelings. People come back anyway, because the estimate makes sense.
— Ruby
The “every 3,000 miles” rule died decades ago — it lives on because it sells oil changes. Modern engines on full-synthetic are typically fine for 7,500–10,000 miles; your owner’s manual has the real number for your car.
The honest caveats: lots of short trips, towing, or Texas-summer stop-and-go all count as “severe service” and shorten that. When you come in, we’ll write your actual next-due mileage on the windshield sticker — not the scary short one.
— Ruby
Got a different one? Call (512) 555-0148 and ask for Ruby. Really.
The people & the promises
A neighborhood shop that treats you like a neighbor
Ruby opened the garage in 2011 after a decade of watching customers get talked over instead of talked to. The fix wasn’t complicated: explain everything, charge fairly, and let the work speak.
We show you the part
Old parts go in a box with your name on it. Want to see the worn pad or the cracked belt? It’s right there.
No commission, ever
Nobody here earns a cent for selling you work. Recommendations come from the inspection, not a sales target.
Loaner bikes at the door
Car staying the day? Grab one of our orange cruisers and pedal to the coffee shop two blocks down.
Plain English, always
If an explanation needs jargon, we haven’t explained it yet. We’ll draw it on the whiteboard if we have to.
Ruby Delgado
Owner · Master tech, 19 yrs
Sam Okafor
Lead diagnostics
Mari Delgado
Front desk · Chief explainer
4.9★ on Google · 412 reviews
Neighbors who finally get it
“They sent photos of my worn brake pads before doing anything, with the price up front. First shop I've ever fully trusted.”
Rachel M.
2019 Honda CR-V · Brakes
“Dealer quoted $2,400. These guys fixed the actual problem for $410 and showed me why. Customer for life.”
Derek T.
2017 F-150 · Electrical
“Booked online at 10pm, dropped off at 7:30, had my car back by lunch with a video of the inspection. Wild.”
Priya S.
2021 Mazda3 · Oil + tires
“As someone who knows nothing about cars, they explained everything without talking down to me. Fair prices, zero pressure.”
James W.
2015 Camry · Suspension
“They turned away work another shop said I needed. Told me my transmission was fine. Who does that?”
Alyssa K.
2018 Jeep Wrangler · Diagnostics
“EV-certified and it shows. Fixed a charging issue two other shops wouldn't even look at.”
Marco D.
2022 Model Y · EV service
Come say hi
Visit the garage
Hours
- Mon – Fri
- 7:30 AM – 6 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 4 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
