Moonlight Automotive

We’ve been taking our Subarus to Gilbert for over 20 years and it is always a positive experience with the work well done and reasonably priced. Gilbert’s always honest, friendly and is just a great person. He’ll also work on our Honda when needed. We wouldn’t want take our cars anywhere else and the drive to Buda is totally worth it, traffic or no traffic. I will panic if he ever retires!

If you have a Subaru, this place has the best service you could ask for. Honest and direct about what you do need and what you don’t need. I had a rainy drive into Austin for Thanksgiving and slid on wet pavement. I was worried that my brakes needed attention. I was shown that I did not need new brakea, I had just slid on oil, but I was right that my battery was nearly dead. I got a new battery and an assurance my brakes were fine for driving home. I would go to Moonlight Automotive again. The waiting room is very unglamorous but for honest, quality car care, aesthetics don’t matter.

Don’t risk any major service to a non-​subaru mechanic, they just don’t understand these cars. Moonlight was fast and honest. No up-​sells and done at a very reasonable price.

Gilbert is unquestionably the best mechanic on the planet. So good, in fact, that he is a *reason* to own a Subaru.
«Why do you keep buying Subarus?» they’ll ask.
«Why, because Gilbert!» Trustworthy. Honest. Inexpensive when at all possible (he’ll salvage parts from other cars, tell you what you can skip and what needs to be fixed).
He takes these already reliable tanks and makes them unstoppable. With Gilbert a phone call (and short hop from Austin) away, 10 years on a Subie is nothing. Laughable. Just getting broken in. 200,000 miles? Yeah, check back at 300k.
Oh, and he can find you cheap (well cared for/​worked on) cars, to boot!
He’s also worked on Acuras and Hondas for us in the past… just no German or domestic stuff.

I have been taking my Subaru to Gilbert for about 6 years. I found him through a friend and have been thoroughly impressed ever since.
My Subaru has had it’s fair share of problems since I drove it off the lot. I have tried many other «subaru» or «japanese» mechanic shops simply for convenience since I’ve lived in North Austin for several years and always end up back with Gilbert. Most of those «specialty» shops charge an outrageous amount and don’t provide near the quality you get from Gilbert.
I would go into a specific story of how he did so well with my car, and typically do this type of thing on Unilocal,but there are just so many.
I can guarantee if you take your Subaru to Gilbert you will be satisfied.
I am not at all surprised that every review for moonlight automotive has 5 stars.

I’ve been taking my Subaru into Gilbert for a couple of years now and I can’t say enough how great of a mechanic he is or what a nice person he is. I can absolutely trust what he tells me… it’s like having my dad work on my car. My car has over 200K miles on it and shows no sign of stopping.
We are looking at getting another car in the spring and I’m seriously considering getting another Subaru just so we can keep our mechanic!

Gilbert is a master mechanic. My 2003 Subaru Baja has been maintained by Gilbert for years – 173k and purrs like a kitten. He is an honest guy, won’t take your money till he earns it, and will always steer you straight.

Went back to Gilbert again for head gaskets on my Subaru… as always a PERFECT job at a GREAT price. He is the Subaru mechanic to go to. Yeah he’s in Buda, but he’s worth the 20 – 30 minute drive

I love Gilbert. He’s gotten quite busy too. I totally agree on having someone Subaru specific. He is a great guy. Take your Subaru there. Nice for South people especially.

Short story: This is a very favorable review. Gilbert is an honest, skilled mechanic and a good person to work with.
Last week I was researching repair options for my Subaru Outback, which had a little, tiny oil drip, when I came across these recommendations for Gilbert and Moolight Automotive. I called and set up a visit to his shop for an estimate that afternoon. When I walked out to my car to head to his shop, I found that my car had unceremoniously dumped a tremendous pool of oil under my driver’s side front wheel. What had been a little drip had turned terribly serious — thankfully I was already planning to take it in.
I drove, very gently, to Gilbert’s shop, fearing the worst. Oil was everywhere and a woman never knows if a mechanic will try to take advantage of a situation. I mean, it looked horrible under the hood & he could have talked up the problem and sold me a whole lot of stuff I didn’t need. Instead, he put it on the rack, showed me exactly where it was leaking, described his plan to repair it, called & ordered the parts with me right there, and gave me a very reasonable price for work I could understand and see for my own eyes badly needed to be done. No telling what the dealer would have charged, but I thought the price was totally fair.
I hadn’t planned to leave the car, but it would have been dangerous (if not impossible) to drive it at that point, since oil on the front brakes could catch fire or the cam shafts could have locked up. I left it there.
I picked up the car today; it runs great; I’m confident it no longer leaks and I can’t say enough good things about Gilbert and Moonlight Automotive. I’ll be taking all of my repair work to him from here on out.

Gilbert is the man!
He specializes in repair and maintenance of Subarus.
If you own a Subaru and aren’t taking it to him, you’re wrong.
He is an honest fellow and a great mechanic.