Culver Automotive

I was referred here by my Interlock device service. Dimitry was very helpful, patient, and communicated thoroughly what was the issue.
Turns out the guys who did work on my car before dimitry messed up on the installation.
I was pleased with his service. To be honest idk, about that other guy.

STAY AWAY. UNETHICAL. DISHONEST.
As of this writing, he has a two star rating, with 25 1-​star reviews, which detail his dishonest and unethical business practices, as well as general incompetence. I do NOT like to write negative reviews, I’ve written 118 so far, 91 of which are 4 and 5 star reviews. I’ve written exactly 3 1-​star reviews.
I brought my car in for a simple transmission fluid change (5,000 miles after my last transmission service so I could see the condition of the fluid – see my 5 STAR REVIEW of Culver City Transmission Service, where I would gladly have gone had the lovely owner not retired) and when they returned the car, the car would not shift into third gear. I did some research to try to figure out what could have gone wrong, and I found out that mechanics often mistake a prominent anchor bolt on this particular transmission for a fill port, which causes, you guessed it, third gear to be inoperable. I didn’t want to assume anything, so I went back the next day, asked the mechanic what he did, and he admitted that he had put the fluids in where he wasn’t supposed to. You know what? It’s a common problem, it happens often. I was just happy that we knew for sure that we had honed in on this very common issue. Search the internet for «aw55−50sn band anchor bolt» and you will read countless stories where mechanics have made the same mistake. In most of these stories, mechanics and shops understand that they messed up and they do the right thing and they fix the damage they caused.
Not what happened here.
After seeing his mechanic admit this, Dmitry refused to take responsibility for the damages they caused, and told me that he wrote on the invoice that my transmission was screwed so he wouldn’t be liable, became agitated and defensive, and started insulting me. He was a total asshole, so I called him on it. He threatened me with physical violence, and told me to get the «eff» off his property. He took the high road and didn’t say «f*ck», I’m sure he would want you to know that.
I wish I had checked Unilocal first.

Lied about radiator problems and overcharged me $ 1,200. Problem was not fixed and brought car back day after picking up. They sited it was my fault that I didn’t know what the problem was with the car. Took it to another mechanic who showed me the small (unnecessary) job they’d done, and new mechanic fixed leak for $ 200.
When we came to discuss this with Culver Automotive, THE OWNER VERBALLY ATTACKED US, spitting, called us names, and denied responsibility.
I regret using this mechanic whom had bad reviews and wasn’t recommended word of mouth. We got royally screwed by this shop. They’re dishonest, incompetent and should not be doing business.

I was compelled to go to this place because I blew a radiator hose on my ’97 Lexus. They gave me a loaner car (which I thought was great) and then told me they would do a $ 95 maintenance check. I said okay, but I was only really interested in solving the immediate problem. He assured me that $ 95.00 would be applied to the ‘total’ cost of potential repairs.
The next day, I got a call and the owner, Dimitry, informed that he recommended nearly $ 5,000 in repairs. I indicated that I only wanted to solve the immediate problem related to the radiator hose and the car over heating. He said, that would be $ 240.00. I asked if that included the inspection fee. He said yes.
He called me back 30 minutes later and said, actually because I didn’t agree to the ‘total’ amount of repairs (i.e. $ 5,000), the $ 95 would not go towards the cost of repair. Now I owed him $ 335 plus tax. I said that was absurd. He cursed at me and let me know that people who spend a hundred dollars on dinner, but won’t spend that money on their car are stupid. I reluctantly agreed and wanted to move forward with my life.
I went to pick up my car and asked for a inspection service report (after all I paid for it). They refused. I paid them $ 335. I drove away and after ten blocks my car started to overheat. They refused to return any of my money or complete any further repairs.

If you want to get ripped off u should deffinetly come here other wise stay away. My first and last time come to this place, the man behind the desk“demetree” is the scam artist. I came in here because it is a local shop to me and told this guy my frustration that after spending thousands of dollars on my 78 Ford f250 with a 460 Bigblock it was still not running good. So he took it in agreeing I would pay 150 for a evaluation and that would get reduced. He follows up with me 2 days later and says the coil and distribuator was not working and it would cost me 850 dollars, I was stunned to hear the price so I went to talk in person and he swore he was giving me a deal at 720 witch I agreed to, to find out that the parts were only worth less then 150.00!!!
Labor took him a hour or so.
What made it worse was that when I arrived to pick up the truck I asked to test drive it with one of his employees or himself and he refused to saying that I needed to pay first.
We argued and I ended up paying him. he swore I would be happy. To find out as soon as I leave that the truck still was not working properly. He told me to bring it later witch I did and now there telling me it’s something else… when I mentioned it to someone who happens to know demetre on a personal level he told me he was a thief and took advantage of people. Witch sadly I was one of them. I work hard for my money and it really sucks how there are so many people in the mechanical industry that can do those things to people knowing they are doing wrong.
If u do deside to come here good luck!

Avoid this shop if you don’t know much about cars. I question the ethics & honesty of Dimitry. Dimitry is the guy who runs the shop and processes orders. I took my vehicle in for a full Timing Belt Job (water pump and all). Dimirty processed my order & provided me with a bill listing the price/​cost for Parts & Labor (picture of the bill is posted).
He billed me $ 349.99 for a timing belt kit, $ 139.99 for a water pump, $ 59.97 for three oil seals, and $ 14.99 for coolant. That totals to $ 564.94 for parts only. It seems okay at first glance especially if you don’t know much about cars. Let me explain to you how he got over on me.
After the job was complete, I paid and went on my way. The next day I was looking at the bill and did some searching online. I wanted to see a list of items that are in a timing belt kit because the bill simply listed, «timing belt kit» without showing what was in the kit.
I came to find out that Timing Belt Kits come with everything necessary to do the job. After discovering this, I respectfully when down to the shop with my bill in hand. I respectfully implied to Dimitry, «I think there is a mistake on my bill.» He immediately became irritated as I could hear it in his voice.
I respectfully explained to him that I’m not accusing him of anything, I would just like to know what parts were in the, «timing belt kit» on my bill. I calmly explained to him that he charged me for a water pump and oil seals and that I came to be aware that timing belt kits include those extra items he charged me for.
Dimitry replied in a frustrated and condescending manner and exclaimed he can’t give me a list with the cost of each item in the kit, but he can get his supplier to fax what comes in a timing belt kit.
He then calls and while on the phone he says, can you send over the timing belt kit diagram, but wait this is where I understood everything.
He then says while on the phone, «Fax the diagram of the kit without the Water Pump.»
He got the fax and showed it to me. I then respectfully asked him, why would you order the kit, «Without the water pump,» when you knew the water pump was suppose to be replaced.
He then went on in an angry, condescending tone telling me I’m the consumer and he is the expert who orders what he wants etc. And walks away.
I don’t recommend this shop and he’ll probably reply to this playing Mr. Nice guy as he replied to the other negative reviews. Not cool Dimitry. You should not have responded to me how you did when I respectfully confronted you about this. I hope you reflect on this review and work to practice better customer service when there’s an issue. I will never get work done there again.
—-
As you can see by Dimitry’s reply he speaks about everything but the issue at hand. Let his reply validate how he treats his customers. I gladly paid for the work done, but when I respectfully came back and asked a question about the billing he became disrespectful as he is in his reply to my review.
I never once asked for a refund in our entire conversation. I went into the shop, suggested there was a mistake on the bill, and that I would like to know what was contained in the «timing belt kit» since I came to find out timing belt kits come with everything needed for the job.
Dimitry failed to give me an itemized list of the items inside of the timing belt kit, with the prices of the individual items included. He then walked away hastily after stating that I should not be questioning him because, he is the, «expert» and I am the, «consumer.»
Not once did I ask for a refund.
He then goes on to say I, «Threatened» to write a review and became, «UPSET». In reality, I was respectfully calm the entire time & asked him these words, (Not a threat) «how would you feel if I were to place the picture of the bill on Unilocal?» because at that point I knew he was not going to give me a list of the items, in the kit, and their cost.
Demitry knew that list would expose his dishonest billing method and if he wanted to honestly Dispute my Review he would post the itemized list, with prices, on here for every one to see and make judgments on.
He could have done that in the beginning when I asked to prevent this review, but he refuses to do so.
I know exactly how business is done seeing that I have a degree in Business Administration.
Dimitry. I find your claims of, «Extortion» and, «Theft» to be disrespectful. I see your DISHONEST attempt to ruin the credibility of my review. That is not okay.
Potential customers be wary of him.

What’s up with the horrible reviews? Honestly I was here to get my smog check next door, but the guys here were nice enough to replace my key’s batteries and also adjust my damaged bumper. I’ve been to many auto shops before feeling like I’m being ripped off or unsure of the quality of the work, but I can definitely tell they were giving me the best service and care. Definitely coming back.

Not sure about the other reviews. But my experience wasn’t bad. Actually great! Came in for a simple oil change and tune up on my 2002 ford ranger. I offered to bring parts, but they insisted on getting everything for me. A day later my truck was done and running great. Till the next time! Thank u guys!

I love this place. I know a lot about cars and when I got into an accident, the team here really helped me out and eased my anxiety when I could tell they knew what they were doing. They even offered me a loaner car which helped me immensely. The loaner wasn’t a brand new BMW BUT, it got the job done and got me around while they worked on my Benz. I chose this place after checking their BBB rating because you can never really trust Unilocal trolls that leave bad reviews. The few times I stopped by here they have customers rolling in so, that says something about their service for sure! The only thing I’d change is the options for loaner cars but since it’s a small family business, I get that they can’t have brand new cars as loaners. Demetrie (sp) is a great guy and I’ll definitely be back if I need work done on my car in the future. Thanks guys!

I took my wifes caddy in to him, they charged a lot of $$ and got nothing done, even managed to get greese all over the console. Pissed off the wife. Tried them a 2^nd time with my truck, They charged me for things that didn’t need replacing, like the front bearings, water pump, rack n pinion system, and shocks. They installed shocks incorrectly creating a safety issue on the road driving. They had installed shocks in the wrong hole causing the shocks to fail immediately. I had to replace 3 times before mechanic realised they were installed in wrong hole. A noise coming from rear end, and I told Dimitry that it was my rear brakes, but no he knows so much more and said the noise was from front bearings. Well he was wrong. Another mechanic listened to me and replaced the rear brakes and found that they were warped. If only Culver Auto would listen to their customers.!! When you complain to his face, he changes the subject quickly and when you put complaints in writing he says your chicken shit for not telling him to his face. This is terrible terrible customer service. I wish I hadn’t put so much trust into Culver Auto or Dimitry, the owner.
I also wished I had seen all these negative reviews. That would have warned me off.

Because you got a dui these guys think they could talk to you however they wantr maybe because I drive a hybrid idk and they still charge alot. They have that idc attitude problem after you pay. Grease prints on everything (all over device after and dashboard). Don’t go here unless you want to be treated like a kid!

Can I give 0 stars? DO NOT GO HERE!!! I was here a few months ago and without getting into extensive detail, was lied to and the service given to my car was terrible. Dimitry and Alex basically fixed up the issue so my car would leave their sight without issue, and then fall apart a day later. They did not fix the problem at hand and when I contacted them about fixing the issue the DAY AFTER IT BROKE, they denied their responsibility!!! Seriously!!! 1 day after they «fix» something, it falls apart? I tried to reason with them and they refused to help, Dimitry even left rude and angry messages on my voice mail — It was honestly terrifying — I have NO idea how they have any customers left, how this place has not been shut down, and how Dimitry and Alex can live with themselves!!!
DO NOT GO HERE — WASTE OF MONEY — RUDE AND ANGRY STAFF!!!

Scam artists. I needed a yearly inspection and they tried to tell me I needed so many more things I didn’t actually need. They wanted me to sign for $ 95 before inspecting anything. The inspection is supposed to be $ 40. I tried to tell them I just wanted the inspection and they pushed all this extra stuff on me. Way overpriced. They see a girl and think they can take advantage. Do not go here.

I don’t know why I gave them a 2^nd chance. The owner, Dimitri, has zero customer service. Told me they didn’t do the work then said they did… So they did the work after saying it was pointless? (Wtf?) I am still unclear on whether the work I paid for was done or not. I warned a woman «…be careful here…» And he threatened to call the police??? Take your car & money elsewhere!

This place is sketch!
I took my car here after an accident to get repaired and they did a good job fixing it, however, the free rental car they give you is absolute shit. It barely started one day and then the window got stuck and wouldn’t roll up. I would rather pay for a rental and be safe then drive around in a disaster.
I also had my belts replaced and after the replacements they squeaked so bad I had to bring my car back so the belts could be retensioned. I was told my starter was bad and it would cost $ 400 for a new one. Hell no, starters don’t squeak. Just because I’m a girl, I’m not stupid.
Never coming back.

I took my car to Culver Automotive to have my vehicle repaired after my car was side-​swiped over the summer and from start to finish they were FANTASTIC! From working with Dimitry to get my car’s damage assessed, to picking up my vehicle looking like new, I was just so impressed with everything about this place, not to mention the outstanding customer service.
Bottom line is that if you want your vehicle handled the right way and excellent customer service, Culver Automotive is definitely where you need to go!!!

Dmitry is wonderful and caring. I took my Prius which was rear ended on the freeway. Got it back perfect. Highest rate for BBB and also has certification for luxury cars like Mercedes and BMW. I have Mercury Insurance and I am glad I did not go to the other recommended shops. They even include free car rentals. Reliable and A 1 rated service.

Terrible customer service!
on 12−21−11 I purchased what seemed like a great deal from a gentleman that stopped by my office in Culver City. He was selling a $ 25 special from Culver Automotive of 3 visits each including a free oil change, free check and inflate tires, free complete brake system inspection, and free maintenance. I thought this is a great deal, the place was in my daily route to and from work and it wouldn’t hurt to try them. Before purchasing I confirmed with the man that it never expires, he even showed me the writing on the back — This certificate does not expire. So I paid my $ 25 and he gave me a certificate with the number and cervices etc.
Fast forward to this day 10−12−13, nearly 2 years later, I find the certificate that I forgot to use. In all fairness I blamed myself for forgetting all about it and was ready to be told they will not honor all three because the time of the special expired but I expected to at least get some of what I paid for. In need of an oil change, I call them and the person I first spoke to was very rude and told me the certificates were expired more than 3 years ago. I told him I’ve had my certificate less than 2 years and the person who sold it to me told me that it does not expire. The man on the phone tells me there is nothing he can do because it definitely has expired. Just then I find the print that says the certification does not expire. When I address it to him he asks me if I have a receipt. I reply to him that the man never gave me a receipt. The paper has a certification number and it states that is all I need to book an apt. He does not have a response except to tell me he cannot help me and hangs up in my face. I was not rude to him, never did I raise my voice at him and it was extremely disgusting to be treated in that way. I called him back and asked to speak to a manager and was told he did not have a number to the manager, that I must contact the person who sold me the certificate in order to get the manager’s contact info. He also told me he didn’t know if I just found the certificate somewhere and was just trying to rip them off, which was like a slap to my face. These people don’t even know me, a potential future customer and they treat me like trash.
Finally I call back and get an answer from Dimitri, who tells me he is the manager. He is very annoyed when I explain why I was calling. He does not listen to my complaint nor does he try to honor one service. After all the crap I had to deal with and the terrible customer service, it’s clear this place is a total rip off. I will always remember this business as a shady place and I will tell everyone I know not to go there. After reading all the Unilocal reviews, I wish I never wasted my money on a certification promising things they do not honor.

I visited Culver Automotive on September 9^th 2008 and just got a response (you can see it below) from the owner for the first time this month, May 2013. Only takes 5 years to respond! Excellent Customer Service!

$ 553.74 for two tires, two tail lights, and a fuel cap!!! How did I fall into this trap? I was getting my smog check done at Culver City Smog (which has great reviews on Unilocal) when Dmitry at Culver Automotive (same lot) talked me into letting him take a look at my car as he touted his mad skills with Mazdas. Not realizing that these are two SEPARATE businesses, I assumed Dmitry was part of the awesome reviews for Culver City Smog. My check engine light has been going on and off forever and I thought «why not get a quote?» The light was off, but the mechanic is super close to where I live and I figured I could do a trial run on some low cost repair items.
The first red flag was the $ 95 charge to look at my car and figure out why the engine light keeps coming on. I questioned this fee and Dmitry said it would be applied to repair costs so I went ahead and left my car.
The next day Dmitry gives me a long list of repairs that my car needs. Ref flag #2 as I recently had a 75,000 mile service done and none of these items were mentioned. After Dmitry agrees to price match Costco ($ 114 a tire) on the installation of two tires I’m convinced to give Dmitry a shot at: new fuel cap, two tail lights, and two tires including balancing and alignment.
Picked up my car today. Final invoice total: $ 553.74. What? That’s $ 250 more than I expected!
How does Dmitry compare to places I usually get work done? Here is the breakdown:
Costco quoted me $ 228 for two Bridgestone tires (includes installation, balancing and disposal fee).
Dmitry did not match the Costco price as promised. He provided 2 Goodyear Eagle RSA tires ($ 78-​$ 102 each on internet) for the «discounted price» of $ 224 + $ 50 for the installation+ 8 disposal fee. $ 62 more for installation and disposal fee not to mention his markup on the cheaper tires.
Dmitry charged me $ 95 for wheel alignment compared to the local Firestone on La Cienega that charges $ 80.
To finish up: $ 40 to replace two tail lights, $ 17.99 for the fuel cap, and the $ 95 that was going to be applied to my repairs? — listed on the invoice as a separate $ 95 charge for servicing the engine light that wasn’t on (which it says on the invoice.)
Trial run= MASSIVE FAIL!!! and a VERY expensive experiment.

Of course you know me Dimitry. You hit on me for years before, during, and after selling me a piece of crap Mercedes and overcharging me for repairs that were never done right.

Dmitry is pretty responsive when it comes to reviews. In addition to the response below, he called me twice and left a lengthy voicemail saying that what I did was «very, very wrong.»
In my defense, I actually have redeemed Groupons for things like dance classes and yoga classes. And while the first class/​initial coupon redemption was before the expiration date, the classes themselves could be taken at a later time. Sometimes this is the case. Sometimes it isn’t. That’s why I called months ago WHEN I PURCHASED THE GROUPON to double check.
Giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming they forgot what they initially told me or changed their minds, if they weren’t planning on honoring it they should have made that clear when I made that second appointment instead of telling me to come in and wasting my time. (Dimitry claims that the person who made my appointment told me that they don’t take expired Groupons. He did. Initially. That’s why I told him to double check. Then they made the appointment for me.)
I’m not an idiot and I’m not a liar. I stand by my review. Clearly from other reviews on this site, people agree. Seeing as I got a partial refund from Groupon, they agree as well.
I also don’t appreciate being harassed for my opinion. If you are sensitive to your business’s public image, perhaps you shouldn’t issue deals to people who are obviously savvy with social media. I don’t see too many other mechanics in Culver City having to go on Unilocal and defend their image.
In summary, I can’t speak to the quality of their repairs or services. But based on their customer service alone I would never come back.

A gross error. I was fooled by the deceptively good deal on groupon for 2 oil changes for $ 30. I bought because I needed an oil change for my car and this place was located near work.
First of all, you apparently need an appointment for groupon oil changes. And of course they only have bizarre times available. When I called to make an appointment the person seemed annoyed that I couldn’t figure out what time I wanted the oil change, um if you only give me 2 random times during the day for an oil change, yes I do need to see if it would work with my work schedule! Sorry but I’m not one of those people who have a lot of time to just show up for an oil change whenever they ask me to.
Second of all, they don’t count in «labor» as part of the cost. Only the 5 quarts of oil. Deceptive. Plus it took them forever to do the oil change. I usually go to a place in Eagle Rock that take 15 minutes max!
I ended up asking to use both of my 2 oil change coupons because I didn’t want to come back to this place which was a total rip off. I still ended up paying $ 3.40 (on top of the $ 30 I paid for the groupon) for the oil change after taxes and labor charges. The owner Dimitri also tried to convince me that I had problems with my battery and said it was leaking. Plus he said I needed a new air filter and fuel injection. I told him I didn’t have time for that since it already took them 40 minutes for a damn oil change.
I later took my car to Montri’s in Silverlake where I go to get my brakes fixed because I wanted a second opinion on all the nonsense Dimitri tried to feed me. Montri said my battery was fine because my car is still pretty new (hello it’s 2010!!) and it should last at least 4 – 5 years and I really didn’t need another fuel injection. The air filter was up to my discretion.
Sigh…people do not go to Culver Automotive… save your money and go elsewhere. I have learned my lesson and I will stick to the places that I’m used to going on the East side!

I just had to rush to my computer to warn customers about this place. I work too hard for my money to be overcharged by the owner of this business. His name is Dimitry Kamar and he is the definition of petty and a true scam artist. I really don’t have to say much seeing how others have already done a great job warning others but I want to add to the bigger picture of how this man operates.
First of all, I took my car to this place a year ago and had a 3 star experience. The job took some time but I was overcharged for a tire plug that normally cost $ 15 at other places, the owner wanted $ 25 but it was close and convenient so I paid and went on my way.
A year later and I had to do the same repair on another car. Time was an issue so I decided to pay a bit more and take it back to this place, but what a big mistake this visit turned out to be.
The fix took about 10 minutes and I went to pay my bill when the worker asks for $ 35 when I was charged $ 25 last time. He said that’s what the owner wanted him to charge so I asked to speak to him. At first, he wouldn’t come out. Then after waiting another 10 minutes and after his worker reminded him that I was waiting and wanted to speak about the overcharging, he comes out and starts talking about how he needs to charge more because the spare tire was on the car instead of the flat tire and he needed to pay his workers for doing the extra work. Let me break it down because I really want to show what kind of logic this guy has…
Fixing a flat tire with the flat still on involves :
1. Taking Tire off
2. Fixing Tire
3. Putting Tire back on
Fixing a flt tire with the spare on involves:
1. Taking Spare off
2. Fixing Tire
3. Putting Tire on
4. Sticking Spare in the back
Dimitry Kamar actually thinks that he is justified charging his customers/​victims $ 10 for something as simple as putting a tire in the back of a car! I guess I was lucky because according to other complaints, oil changes end up costing $ 300+ dollars and changing a fuse can cost over $ 1000.
In the end, I told Dimitry Kamar that he obviously doesn’t appreciate loyal return customers. He replied, «I never did». That sentence sums up everything about this guy.