Austin VeeDub

Really liked my car repair/​maintenance experience with the guys at VeeDub. I called ahead, showed up and got an estimate for the part installation and one part replacement I needed to get done on my VW. The estimate was exactly what I ended paying for and they got it done in 2 days instead of the original suggested 3 days. Fast, reliable and friendly service. Thanks!

These guys are amazing. I drove from Houston because they were so highly recommended. I was only in town for a few days and they squeezed me in while completing 10 hours of labor on my Beetle. They were so nice, helpful, and honest. I will never take my car anywhere else and have started recommending them to all my VW friends!

I was a bit worried when I called on Tuesday, hoping to make an appointment by the end of the week to get my Jetta worked on, and Brett, the service manager offered Monday as the first possible time to come in. I was crushed. I have the week off from work, and I needed the service done (my drivers side window was stuck down, and my futile attempts to keep rain out had already cracked my leather seats). I think Brett heard the desperation in my voice, and said if I could bring it in and leave it, he’d try to squeeze it in.
I immediately brought it over at 4:30 on a Tuesday, and Brett arranged for a ride home for me from a very nice gentleman that worked there.
Wednesday morning about 9 am I got a call from Brett. The car is ready! «Wait, what?» I thought. I haven’t even had a chance to call and beg the progress of my repair yet. I just dropped it off! I was hoping for Friday. Hoping with no guarantees.
So, delighted, I went to pick up my car. The bill, you ask? 40% of what I had casually discussed with the parts guy and Brett. (BTW, another shop in town had given me an estimate of OVER $ 700 for the exact same repair that I was charged UNDER $ 200 for)
As if that weren’t enough, the duct tape that I used left an awful residue around the window (remember those futile attempts to keep rain out? I tried duct tape and packing tape, and both took and unappealing toll on the paint), well, the residue was GONE when I got the car. I dont know how or why they did it, but that small act of awesomeness just got them a customer for life. That is outstanding customer service!

I was having a battery issue with my VW Golf, and I took it in to two different shops who both couldn’t pinpoint the issue. I finally decided to give Austin Veedub a try. They fixed it within 24 hours and didn’t even charge me for diagnosis or labor.
I was already really happy with the service, and on top of that the battery was under warranty with one of their retailers, so I paid a grand total of ZERO dollars.
These guys are great — I will never go to another auto shop.

Do not bring your car here! Not only do they charge way above what is quoted they also leave you no option but to pay after service has been done. On top of that I waited 2 hours longer than expected due to how disorganized they are. Other reputable mechanics quoted me $ 200 less than what I paid here. This is not the honest local business I was led to believe. Never again!

There are only three things you need to know about Austin VeeDub
1. They are honest
2. They are very nice
3. They have Awesome customer service!
If you would like to hear more about my personal story, then read on…
I had a 2001 VW Cabrio up for sale because I was moving to Chicago and no longer needed a car. I was letting a possible buyer test drive my car, and he told me he had NO problems driving a stick. Then before he could even pull out of the parking spot, he stalled my car a good 4 times… and then my car shuts off…
Knowing absolutely nothing about cars, I have it towed to Austin VeeDub (decision made completely on Unilocal reviews). I told Daryl my story and even though they were really backed up with work in their service department, he fit me right in! The bill only ended up being around $ 100, thank goodness! Then I asked if they could also take a look at my air conditioning. It had stopped blowing cold air and I had been quoted $ 600 to have it fixed some place else. Daryl, still super busy, took his personal time to run a few tests on my air conditioning. I told him about my other quote of $ 600 and everything, but he determined that my air conditioning did not have any leaks and it only needed to be recharged, and then he didn’t even charge me for the diagnostic and recharge of my air conditioning.
Thank you Austin VeeDub… All of you are awesome!

Got two things «fixed» here at this very out of the way location and had a rough time both times.
First was an oil leak. they said i needed vacuum pump resealed, $ 350. paid it and had them do it. but then oil kept leaking. So had to go back and they used a bit of silicone to fix it. Unsure what the vacuum pump resealing was for exactly then but at least now it didnt leak.
Second, my car kept popping out of gear when driving, but only when it was hot outside. very annoying and dangerous. they recommended a transmission maintenance with fluid change etc. said it had a «50−50 chance» of fixing it. another $ 350. i decided to chance it, which was my mistake. they said i’d have to come back on another day since they didnt actually have the transmission fluid in stock. so i came back several days later. after waiting around for more than an hour they told me they mistakenly used the fluid on somebody else’s car and would have to reorder it. so then i came back a THIRD time and they finally did the transmission maintenance. did it fix my problem? nope, not at all. they did warn me it might not help so thats my mistake, but next time i think ill take my car to somebody who is sure how to fix the problem.
basically, i went there four times, spent many hours in their waiting room and paid $ 700 the only thing i really got solved was some silicone to stop an oil leak.

These guys have been really great. They have checked my ECU (engine computer) three times without charge, worked with me on the price a bit, worked quickly, and all of them were so friendly!
If you have a VW, take it here.

Let me tell you, these guys eat and breathe VW.
Recently, I had to face the music and get a big tube replacement job done on my 1.8t GTI. This was really daunting as every shop in town wanted upwards of 700 to 900 dollars. Since they’re so far out of town, I gave them a call as a last ditch effort and after talking with a mechanic on the phone, I decided to bring it in.
Not only did the job cost less (by hundreds of dollars) but they got it done in a timely manner, they used better than OEM parts that will last three times longer and they also performed a few other minor fixes at no cost.
And the best part is when it was all said and done, they didn’t try to cram sales pitches down my throat with ludicrous future maintenance issues. They tell it how it is.

This place is worth taking the time to review. Great customer service from initial phone conversation to the check-​out. It was a genuine conversation, with listening and sharing information on both sides. The technical service was impeccable; cost within quote, no additional charge for system scan, additional work carefully explained and very reasonable for the labor involved. The scan results were explained in detail and future plan recommended. Even the other customers are exceptional, had a few pleasant conversations and made a new acquaintance I look forward to making a friend of!

Awesome service! Friendly staff, and very Austonite! This is the only place in town I trust when my beetle and my husband’s jetta need a check up or any kind of fix. We’ve been going there for years. Highly recommended ;)

After driving from Cedar Park all the way down south and arguing with Google Maps for 30 minutes about where this place was, we arrived. We were giddy. We were about to find some of the parts our baby needed that we’d otherwise have to order online.
We visited the pull apart area and asked the attendant if he could come look at our car and tell us what the hell some of these interior parts were called so we could create our checklist and go to town.
«Come back next week.»
What? Dude. No. We just drove forever to get to you. We were informed that he was the only staffer out there on a Saturday (isn’t that when people rebuild their cars? weekends?). He flippantly directed us to the junk yard and wished us luck.
We found one car similar to ours, was the wrong color, we struck out. We thanked him on the way out, he kind of grunted in disgust — maybe because we’re super white, or maybe because we’re cartards, I don’t know, but he was pretty damn rude.
THE ONLY REASON THIS PLACE GETS ANY STARS is because (a) we can tell it has tons of parts for old VWs, so that’s neat, but not helpful to us, and (b) the new parts division informed us they were bidding on a car like ours and this week, they might know better how they can help us, and © the lounge was clean and didn’t smell like oil.
I think we’ll stick to the internet — this place is for experts who can go in and spot wtf a thingamajig is and buy it. DO NOT RECOMMEND FOR NON-​AUTO-​EXPERTS. Waste of a Saturday.

Ive had several disappointing experiences with these guys time after time. Ive had maybe a couple of experiences where I felt satisfied with the work. The problem with this shop is that they are the only shop in the Austin area that specializes in working with Volkswagens so they take advantage of that. It has been my experience with these guys that they do a half assed job on any issue that has come up with my vehicle. I have wasted a lot of valuable time and money dealing with this shop. I would definitely not recommend this shop to anyone they have been nothing but a headache and has resulted in nothing but frustration for myself and my family. However their parts department and auto body department had good.

I work with body shops from all over the city on a daily basis as an insurance claims adjuster, and I can say from experience that this shop is the best shop in Austin for VW owners. The guys here treat you with respect and handle your repairs quickly and at a fair price. I have never felt like I was being taken advantage of as a woman needing help with her vehicle. I have used German Auto Center in the past when I lived further North, and would recommend people stay far away from that place. Austin Vee Dub is the only shop you’ll ever need for your VW!!!

Being a woman I get skeptical about taking my car anywhere, I’m always getting the feeling that I’m going to get taken advantage of. Fortunately I found these guys. They have always been great to work with, they respect me, tell me exactly whats going on and most importantly they don’t over charge. Out of the many times I took my car in throughout the years, there was one time where the problem did not get fix but fortunately I called them back a few days later and they took my car in and got the job done at no extra charge. Thank you guys for always doing such a wonderful job!
Do not hesitate to trust this place with your VW.

My son wrecked his Jetta and Austin VeeDub gave us a fair price to salvage the car. I was surprised to find out that they also sold cars and got a fantastic deal on a 2004 Passat. Price and quality was much, much better than Craigslist.
Laid back group but very professional with fantastic customer service!

Great first experience with Austin VeeDub. I’ve been wanting to try them for a while now and finally figured out how to get over there. They aren’t all that far from my house, but it’s a little hidden if you aren’t familiar with the area. If you are driving north on 183, take the first right at the first flashing yellow light. It might be a little tricky to get over in traffic but it can be done. That road will T and you take a right, Austin VeeDub is on the left. Sane dealer alternative service is yours.
I hit a coyote one evening recently in my A4. Poor coyote. And ever since my brake light would come on while driving. It was driving my wife nuts. It also knocked out a fog light and plastic grill. I needed an oil change anyway so decided to try Austin Vee Dub. Over the phone they even tried diagnosing the problem as low brake fluid! I was 99% sure that wasn’t it since I had all that drained and refilled last year. But good free advice!
I brought in the car and they kept it overnight and drove it around a few times. After just cleaning the brake sensor everything seemed to be fine! The price was so reasonable for that and the oil change I went ahead and let them order a new grill for me and foglight which I would have probably just gotten around to doing myself someday. Brake light hasn’t come on again. I am a happy customer.
Looking forward to returning for the next oil change. I will likely be coming here for the timing belt change as well when that’s needed. Hopefully Austin VeeDub can keep my car running for years.

A friend with very limited resources bought an early 1970’s VW camper bus… when I first saw it I thought oh crap, X doesn’t have the $ or the experience to make this happen, have no idea how he was able to drive it from Tyler to Austin… Anyway, in short time the clutch went to pieces, charging system didn’t work, ran poorly, etc. Time to help a friend and hopefully have some fun.
Austin VeeDub had everything I needed in various price ranges… German, to Chinese, to used. Also had good advice and understood modifications… I replaced clutch, swapped generator to alternator, resized carb jets to suit level of engine modification and tuned… inspected…
What could easily have been a relatively unpleasant task was actually somewhat fun due to the existence of Austin VeeDub, a great VW resource for Austin.

Not just for VW owners…
I am a fan and have never even owned a VW. If I had a VW though, visiting Austin VeeDub would be a no-​brainer.
WHY VISIT AUSTIN VEEDUB???
Going out of town — The location makes it easy to drop off before a trip out of town even if the car just needs some average maintenance. When you return, your car is maintained/​repaired, you did not pay to store it in some skeevy airport lot, and you just take a cab to the shop and then drive home. Easy.
Repairs — they will search the intarwebz for the best deals on the parts you need and they are transparent about passing those savings on to you. A friend was in a crazy accident and they handled all mechanical issues as well as bodywork. In the end, no one could tell the car had been in a wreck. They repaired my old Ford Exploder and later a Lexus Sedan and did a great job on both
Selling a car — If you have a car to sell and do not want to deal with the worry of a stranger driving off in your car, they will handle the sale. I think it cost me $ 250 for them to have my car on their lot, show it, and sell it… for the price I was asking. (When a big dealership is not doubling the price for their own profit, cars sell quickly because they are quite reasonably priced.) Yes, they helped determine the price, but ultimately that was my choice. They provide a letter revealing the bill of health of the auto… you never even have to meet the new owner. Sold.
Buying a car — see «Selling a car.» Prices are reasonable. Remember, dealership or the used car lot is not getting an outrageous sum to handle the deal. VeeDub is providing a service and they make sure it is not a lemon before offering it.
Austin VeeDub, not just for VeeDub owners anymore.

When my Jetta starts fretting, my broken heart expresses sadness in short Clue-​like sentences. The Jetta, in the garage, with the turbo. Or: the Jetta, in the driveway, with the air conditioner. A little part of my soul dies each time, and the proper authorities need to be summoned.
In the most recent malfunction mystery, the air conditioning had been done in, again. I had brought the suspect vehicle into Austin VeeDub back in May and had the compressor replaced. This addressed the AC issue while simultaneously squeezing the ever-​loving life out of my pocket — but less so than other businesses had estimated. It had been suggested by another repair place that some fans also needed replacing. Lies. Austin VeeDub saved me at least $ 200, easy.
This second time with the AC was more like payback. I returned from a trip to find it non-​operational, as if to say «thanks for leaving me alone for 2 weeks. This is what you get.» I called Darryl, and speculated it might be hot flashes and not the car’s problem. He assured me it was not hot flashes, and suggested I bring the car in.
After a few hits and misses and scheduling catastrophes patiently managed by Darryl, I dropped off the patient/​perpetrator. A day later, the team had conducted countless diagnoses to determine the freon was missing, there were no discernible leaks, and other mechanical mishaps shouldn’t be causing the problem again. Therefore… free of charge… the AC was fixed. They even moved a few things around the get the passenger-​side air working again. Lucky passenger.
Talk about accommodating. Not only could I drop off the car during the weekend/​over night, I could’ve also paid over the phone and picked it up at my leisure, if paying was in the cards. But paying was not in the cards for me, dear car-​aficionados. Rather, love was in my future. Love of a working AC. Love of your fellow man. Love for Austin VeeDub. And that Darryl cracks me up, too.