German Auto Center

Had to have a stand up shouting match to get them to fix things they had broken during their repair. They did diagnose the original issue correctly and they did fix this issue but broke peripheral items in the process and left the interior with left over screws and filthy.
I pointed all this out to them when I came to collect the car and the tech who worked on the vehicle did acknowledge some of the damage was his fault and he had taken steps to fix but I had to have it out pretty aggressively with the owner to get remedy on the rest of the items.
In short, they ultimately did the job and did put things right but the experience was not a pleasant one.

I wanted to write this review earlier, but also wanted to check the long term quality of the work. It’s been over a year since I brought my 1995 911 in and I could not be more happy about everything Len and his team did. I had about 30 different items that needed to be fixed. (Convertible top, faulty electrical components, lights, power seats, airbag light, horn kept honking, etc) the crew fixed everything in a timely manner, even considering the random parts The car needed and were very honest about cost. Excellent experience and I’d recommend them to anyone!

Len, the owner, and the entire staff here are so knowledge about my Audi and also are more affordable and offer the same service, if not better than Audi. They have gone above and beyond for me, even when I drove my car out of state, Len helped me when I had to get new tires in New Mexico! Love the personalized touch, and the quality product.

Had an appointment at 10am, I called at 2pm to check on an update. They informed me that they still haven’t had a chance to check on my car, finally by before 3pm I receive a call.
I was informed of the issues/​potential issues with my car which would have to wait till tomorrow to get repaired to due it being so late in the day. I asked if I could pick up my car today and give them a call by the end of the day with a decision to give them the go ahead. They said they needed to know Now! or my car would go to the back of «the line» to get repaired.
Which I thought was unreasonable, I admit I don’t know much about cars but I like to be informed when making a decision and they weren’t giving me that chance. I quickly called another shop in the area and asked for a quote because I felt like I was being pressured by the german auto center to give them the go ahead to repair my car and that made me feel really uncomfortable. Sure enough I am glad I didn’t because I was quoted half the price elsewhere.
So I just decided to pick my car up immediately. I knew there would be one $ 54 fee but when I got the shop I was charged a $ 127 fee that I wasn’t informed about. Very sneaky.
I get it they are a busy shop but they might want to work on their customer service area and maybe even be a little more clear on the fees/​quotes given. Sorry but I don’t believe I will return to the German Auto Center, I really would have loved to have had a better experience here. But we live and learn.

Great group of guys — know German cars inside and out. Friendly, knowledgable and very patient in explaining how my car works. The have consulted me by phone 200 miles away about issues my car was having, knew exactly what the problem was sight unseen, made room in the schedule to take the car in immediately when I got back to town and got me back out that day. Also have been great with helping choose wheels and tires to bring my car back within factory specs — above and beyond. I will note — as it may be with your business too — time is money and you will be charged for their time and expertise examining your car so if you want a free diagnosis, take your ride elsewhere. I believe they wave that fee should you choose them to do the work. Very happy with their level of expertise and service.

I have taken my BMW Z3 to GAC twice now, and both times were great experiences!
Len and his staff are friendly and professional. Same day turn-​a-​round on my repairs. Will take my German (BMW, Porsche, Opel) cars there again!

Len, owner of German Auto Center is trustworthy, extremely fair, and solves all my issues promptly with regards to my 2009 BMW X6. They go above and beyond in terms of scheduling. I have noticed complaints with import service centers, and they usually reflect the cost. The cost of parts in these higher performance vehicles are expensive but the culprit is not the repair facility in general. I trust this shop with three of my vehicles (Volvo, Porsche and BMW) for several years. I wouldn’t think of going anywhere else.

The dudes could be a little more friendly.

Expertise in German Cars for sure.
I can recommend this business when dealing with today’s complicated cars.
The service is explained in detail and you drive off the lot with a peace of mind

Let me preface this review with the fact that I think Clay Jones and the rest of the technicians in the back are GREAT! They helped me as much as they could throughout this whole endeavor and were very timely with updates and overall very compassionate about making the best of a bad situation. Clay Jones even paid $ 60 of his OWN MONEY to right the wrongs that Len wouldn’t agree to.
With that said, my main concern is with the owner as he was unwilling (after multiple conversations) to reimburse me for a part I never needed as well as 2 Diagnostic Fees. Ultimately, German Auto Center had to take my car to BMW whom remedied the problem within 2 hours. However, German Auto Center wasn’t willing to reimburse me for BMW’s cost for their 2 hours of service. In the end — I paid for 4 tanks of FULL gas, 2 Diagnostic Fees (German Auto Center & BMW) 1 Fuel Sensor and 4 hours of German Auto Center’s Technician’s time.
***FULL STORY***
I recently bought my vehicle and realized upon filling it up with a full tank of gas, the gas gauge only went up to ½ instead of FULL. I took it in to German Auto Center as (I’ve been a long time customer since 1996) hoping it would be a quick fix — I couldn’t have been more wrong. They asked that I run the vehicle out of gas before I brought it in — I asked about this process and was told that even BMW would ask the same thing of me (incorrect as I called BMW whom stated they siphon your gas out into a container, and put it back in once the job is finished). So I had to drive it for a couple of extra days, and brought it back in without any gas.
Once in the shop, they noted it was a bad fuel sensor within the gas tank, so they replaced it, and said they had to fill it back up with gas to confirm. I gave them the OK, they filled with gas, all seemed well. I drove it off the lot, ran it for a week, and once I needed to fill it with more gas, realized the gas gauge was stuck again at the ½ mark. I called back again, and was told I’d have to run it out of gas before I bring it in, so I drove it around for a couple of days running errands, and brought it in once more.
Back at the shop they made some changes, and once again stated they need to fill it back up to confirm. I gave them the OK, another $ 60 cost to me for this, and it appeared to be working once more. Drove it off the lot, and now realized, the gas gauge never goes below the FULL indicator. This led me to needing to track mileage of the vehicle, so once again, I would need to take it back to German Auto Center. This time, I was annoyed and wanted the solution fixed before I picked it back up, so I ran it around town for multiple hours, going through another FULL Tank of gas to give to German Auto Center. Drove it back off the lot (with another full tank of gas), everything was working. Then when I started to run out of gas, I filled it back up to ¾ of tank, and sure enough — the gas gauge was only showing ½.
This was when I was utterly perturbed and disappointing in everything. After 3 unsuccessful tries, the issue has still not been resolved.
They take the car in the last time, and state the Fuel Sensor must be bad. German Auto initiated the return part via warranty process with BMW, but per BMW’s policy with this particular part — German Auto Center must take the car to their technicians so they can agree that the Fuel Sensor needs to be replaced. At BMW, they charge a diagnostic fee for this if German Auto Center is in the wrong, but will reimburse everything free of charge if German Auto Center was right. Verdict is in: The issue was never the fuel sensor or the fuel gauge, it was the notch on the top of the fuel tank itself, it wasn’t at its typical 90 degree location, because of this, the fuel sensor was dropped in the tank at an angle, causing it to partially work.
BMW denied the warranty replacement, charged a diagnostic fee and gave it back to German Auto Center.
Len passed along BMW’s diagnostic fee, and another $ 60 tank of gas. I stated that I shouldn’t have to pay for 2 diagnostic fees, nor pay for a part that was never faulty in the first place, the cost of their incorrect diagnostic or parts that aren’t needed shouldn’t be passed onto the customer. Furthermore, I asked that I be reimbursed for 1 tank of fuel that I had use bringing the vehicle in the shop multiple times. Len stated that this is the cost of doing business, and that if I do not pay for the Gas in the vehicle or the 2^nd diagnostic charge that he will «simply will not give me the vehicle, easy as that». I told him I would provide a negative review if he didn’t ‘right’ the situation — he stated he didn’t care and that one review wouldn’t hurt his business — and that I have to understand that what I’m paying for is honest monies owed… him and I argued for about 5 minutes at 6:30PM on a Thursday when I realized, I’ll just pay the additional fees, be on my merry way, and right this review.

Just one of the many times I have used German Auto Center. This time on my 500SL. The convertable ram had a bad seal and while expensive, it was done on time and at price.
G

Excelent service! very honest guys! high quality in service without the prices of the dealers!

Len and his crew do a great job taking care of my 2009 M3 and 2009 X5. They’re friendly, knowledgeable and fast. The courtesy car/​shuttle service is a real life-​saver. They won’t gouge you for extra repairs that you don’t need and they always explain what they’re going to do (and what it’s going to cost) before they do it.

pretty good folks. took the car up for some milage issues. they replaced spark plug and some other issues that showed up as service warnings in the computer. (had the lights on in the dash)
also fixed some leaking hoses /​valves. all for about 2k. mileage improved by 3 miles solid. honest folks. only downside is pricy on the labor especially for using third party parts. thats my only complaint

I’ve been bringing my Mercedes E320 to German Auto Center for about 3 years now for regularly scheduled services, as well as an occasional repair, as needed, and would absolutely recommend this business with no reservations.
Len and his staff of professionals get the job done right the first time, and at a very reasonable rate, on time… every time.
I’ve referred several friends and colleagues, who were equally pleased.
Le Brown
Austin, TX
PS The first time I took my car in to
German Auto Center, I asked if
I should get a tune up while
another repair was being
performed. Clay told me that
they would pull a spark plug
to make that determination.
After hanging up, I suddenly
thought, «that was stupid, of
course they’ll find some fault
with the plug to justify the
additional work, etc…
Received a call back shortly
and was advised that the
plug (s) looked fine, so no
tune up would be necessary!
These people are also honest,
and that really demonstrated
my point!

I was quoted $ 600 for a PCV valve + hose replacement by Len. When I arrived the bill had grown to $ 769.92. The fellow at the counter explained there was no way anyone would quote $ 600 for the job.
Also, I had three conversations regarding if their porter could pick me up so I could retrieve my car. Three times Len said it was no problem and then nothing. I had to spend $ 40 on UBER to get myself there.
If you are looking for a well run/​self owned shop that can estimate your job correctly and will be honest about transportation keep looking.

I took my 2005 A4 to this shop on a Friday some months ago. The car needed an oil change and the left headlight low beam was intermittent, indicating the bulb was in the process of going bad. In addition, Audis with the 2.0 Turbo engine apparently are known for having a PCV that is not the most reliable component in the world, and when the service consultant there told me that it would also need to be replaced, I accepted the analysis, even though I had not noticed any of the characteristic symptoms such as irregular idling or spark plug misfiring. But let’s just give them the benefit of the doubt on this one; the PCV might have gone bad.
The owner of the operation came into the waiting room to see me in person an hour or two into the process and said that the headlight bulb and the automatic self-​leveling mechanism (a neat feature) were, mechanically, a single integrated assembly such that simply changing the bulb by itself was not possible in this model. And what’s worse (according to him) there really is no alternative other than to install a new headlight assembly because a bulb+actuator unit was not available as a separate part. The overall headlamp assembly is a unit with the amber signal light, the low beam, the high beam, the cover, etc. They could obtain that asembly locally from the Audi parts source, but they would have to make a special run to get it.
So, okay, we are talking about two parts: a PCV valve and an entire headlamp assembly. But wait — they then told me that their diagnostic solution for the left headlamp connector, which was giving the mechanic fits, was to pull the corresponding assembly from the right side, and perform the diagnostic task with that connector in its place. There are instances where that kind of «diagnose by swap» method is a good workaround, so again, I took it at face value.
They came to me an hour later and said that after the headlamp diagnostics, the right one was also bad. This was somewhat curious, because I hadn’t seen any evidence of that, but going on the good reputation of German Auto Center, I gave them the okay on that fix, too. A couple hours later, their work day had ended and the right headlamp replacement part had not yet arrived, so I got my car back with the expectation that I could come in early on Monday, at which time they would have the other headlamp part and perform that replacement.
I have learned long after the event that the Audi Factory Parts website puts an MSRP of $ 75 on the PCV valve. Mechanics of course get a price that is discounted from MSRP. Heck, Audi themselves lower the price to $ 55.80 if you purchase the part online, regardless of who your are. German Auto Center billed me a total of $ 123 for the part, $ 92.95 for the valve itself plus a charge for a mysterious second item, also listed as Crankcase Vent Valve, at $ 30. That is at least a 100% markup. The labor charge on this operation was $ 145.42, roughly 2 hours. (more to come)
GAC also charged me $ 125 parts cost for the left headlamp assembly. The labor for that repair was $ 103.87, roughly 1.5 hours — odd, because the mechanic allegedly had real difficulty getting to a final diagnosis, so this could well have been a really heavy labor charge, but the tally for labor here was less than that for the PCV.
Lastly, the bill included the oil and filter change, along with the diagnostic scan and the replacement of the air conditioning cabin filter. Parts and labor on those alone: $ 241.16. Fact.
Here’s the real skinny. YouTube has a video for how to replace this exact same PCV valve, done by a mechanic in what is clearly a professional shop. It is filmed in a single long take, basically no edits. He proceeds at a moderate pace, explaining everything as he goes along, and accomplishes the task in 10 minutes. YouTube also has a video about removing the major assembly containing the headlamps, extracting the bulb — as in, just the bulb, not yada yada attached — and replacing it with a new one. The only crucial information from the video is the location of the four screws that secure the unit. In this video (done by a guy who is a Do-​It-​Yourselfer, working in his own garage, just sharing his knowledge for its own sake) the entire task is performed in less than 13 minutes.
To summarize, German Auto Center performed a job that consisted of the minimal oil+filter change, installing a new cabin AC filter, and two additional repairs that can demonstrably be accomplished in 30 minutes, with less than $ 80 worth of parts. The itemized bill grossly overstated the parts costs and the labor costs. I mean, obscenely so. Over the weekend, it became obvious that there was was no functional issue whatsoever with the right headlamp. I called on Monday morning to inform them. «No, I won’t be coming in for that second headlamp assembly replacement.» Their customer rep says «in that case, all we will need from you is the restocking charge.» Shameless!

German Auto center provides honest, educated repair and service that I rely on. They always shoot me straight and provide quick appointments and timely repairs. Additionally, their prices are very competitive and with the same or, sometimes superior, material /​parts.
I haven’t dipped into the DINAN pool yet but now that they are an authorized DINAN performance dealer I’m extremely likely to go head first.

I really trust these mechanics. A few appointments over the years. Good service.

Worst shop EVER! They are rude to women, over-​charge for parts and labor and keep your car overnight when you could have just driven it home and brought it back the next day to have the work completed. If you need service on a German car, take it to Austin Vee Dub– THAT shop knows how to treat their customers and repair foreign cars at a fair price. Don’t waste your time or money at this place.