German Autowerke

I was having a problem with the front suspension on my 2002 C32; Hans pulled my car into a lift bay and thoroughly inspected the entire suspension, spent a half hour and told me not to worry. It’s been over a year now and nothing wrong AND he didn’t charge me for his time. I will definitely be returning for all my needed repairs and service.
Thanks Hans

Amazing, honest service! The most hard working, honest, straight-​forward, patient guys you could find in an industry that is anything but!
Lucky to have Hans available for all his knowledge, integrity and patience.
Thank you, Hans!

ICH LIEBE HANS! (Translation: I love Hans)
I’ve been coming to Hans year after year because he’s honestly the only mechanic I trust! Not sure if it’s because of his German accent and his honesty (all Germans are brutally honest) or his knowledge of Deutschen Autos. Probably all of the above!
For anyone that’s owned a luxury car especially a German car, there’s so many things that can go wrong and since they’re built on computers now days you can’t just take them to anyone! When my mom got into an accident with her CL55, she took it to Hans and said that although this beast of a car is wonderful to drive in, it has many computer issues and you’re going to constantly have problems with it. Truth be told, he was 100% correct, ergo if you buy a high maintenance car expect to go to the mechanic as often as you go to the doctor or even more!
Since he has a thorough car knowledge, he’s able to tell you the best year and model Mercedes or BMW to get, and he’s not effing with you. Since his hands are constantly working with them from all different years, he’s able to say you’re better off getting a 2006 M Class than a 2009 because a ’09 has more computer problems than a ’06. Honestly what kind of mechanic actually tells you that?! Most of them want you to keep coming back because that’s how they make money, but Hans possesses the integrity that many mechanics lack and finding a great mechanic is like searching for a needle in a haystack!
Another time I was having car issues I couldn’t go from Park to Drive, and I’m thinking not again! So I called AAA so I could take it to Hans. AAA wanted me to sign a waiver saying if my car gets damaged in the process of having to get it onto the tow truck because they have to drag on there since it won’t go from Park to Drive that I can’t sue them and they won’t pay for the damages. In the middle of the chaos, I called Hans and he said DON’T YOU DARE SIGN IT and I’m on my way! Him and the other mechanic came to my house and said this is what you need to do when this problem happens! There’s nothing mechanically wrong with your car just get a screw driver and put it through the hole. There’s anti lock system in the car and when it’s triggered it’s so no one can steal your car. I’m thinking WHAT THE HELL is Mercedes doing, but the simple fact he came over to fix a problem in less than 5 mins, no charge when it could of easily escalated to bigger problem is simply the reason why Hans is my favorite!
If you’re like me and love German cars, why because we don’t want to settle for anything less than German excellence and also live nearby, just take it to Hans! My car is almost kapput and when I get another car, I will definitely be dipping into his expertise and knowledge on what year and model to get.
Also for those that complain about him checking out a car before you buy it to see if there’s any mechanical issues and expecting it to be free, you’re crazy! Of course he’s going to charge you! He’s performing a service and he’s an expert just exactly like you would pay a co-​pay when seeing the doctor or paying a lawyer for their legal advice!

Went in to get some help with an old 1991 VW. The guy Hans said he wont touch it. Gave me some BS about it being to hard to work on and that things break easily on this particular car. This guy had no suggestions, just flat out «I cant help you» More like he knew he wasn’t going to be able to rip me off.

I have owned Mercedes vehicles since I began to drive, and now my children are driving them as well. It is extremely difficult to find a truly experienced mechanic that understands, properly diagnoses, and fixes these superior machines. I am very impressed with the professional and thorough service I received by Hans and his team. I have had the same Mercedes mechanic for many years but have now made a permanent switch to Hans. There were several ongoing problems I had that are now solved by Hans, and my car is driving like new again, and it has 230k miles. I look forward to a long and continued relationship with Hans and German Autowerke. These guys really know their stuff! Highly recommended.

I wish all businesses were like these guys! I was pleasantly surprised when they offered to drive me home after I dropped off my BMW to find out why it wouldn’t start. What we thought would cost us over a $ 1000 ended up costing us $ 250. Finding a mechanic you can trust is a great feeling. The next time it breaks down I won’t panic!

I have taken my car to Hans a few times and all I can say is I like this place. They are nice and I ran the prices by a mechanic friend who said the prices are good. I have the feeling that if I was not satisfied with the work that they would attempt to make it right. So if you are looking for a good German car mechanic you found the right place to go.

Couldn’t give them 0 stars, but the customer service for me was horrible. I was trying to get a used car inspected and Hans insisted that the prospective seller would have to pay for the inspection or I would have to bring the car in (uh, not my car and I’m 40 miles away). Absolutely inflexible and made a stressful situation even worse for me. I don’t want to do business with people like this.

Took our Mercedes to a place nearby and ended up pay lots of money for an unsolved problem.
Took same car to German Autowerke and diagnosed issue immediately and fixed.
Moral of the story, you have to take higher end vehicles to a specialty shop even though you may pay a bit more, you get what you pay for. My wife did the bidding since I was out of town and the techs explained very well and even educated her (and ultimately me) on some finer points of the issue we were experiencing (sensors on the wheels that send data to the onboard computer and transmission).
I will continue to do business with German Autowerke. 4 out of 5 due to no weekend work hours — tough to do if you work long hours in your own job.

I have owned numerous Mercedes for over the last 40 years and have worked with many mechanics, some better than others. I was looking for a new independent mechanic when my previous one moved from North County to Temecula.
I have a friend who is a perfectionist and is super, super critical. He raved about Hans and how totally honest and helpful he is so I thought I would give him a try. Needless to say I have been thrilled to put it lightly. I currently own a 500 SL. Just this last week I took my Mother’s Mercedes 300 Turbo Diesel to Hans with what I thought to be a transmission gone bad. It had all the classic symptoms. It was so bad I had to have it towed in. I was fearing the worst — a $ 6,000.00 plus repair.
Hans was familiar with her car since he had started doing the servicing of it as well as mine. Previously she had been taking it to the Escondido Mercedes Benz dealership (they had done a good job but at a BIG price). Immediately Hans told me what he though the problem was to set my mind at ease (not a dropped transmission). After he had an opportunity to examine the problem thoroughly he called me back in to see exactly what it was — 3 separate but related issues causing the problem due to the car running in and over curbs, etc. over the years. Bottom line, all this issues were resolved and the car is as good as new. The total bill was $ 880.04. A less than honest mechanic could have sold us a new $ 6,000.00 transmission and we would have never known the difference.
If you are looking for a mechanic that will treat you honestly and fairly, look no further. You have found him. As you can see, I cannot say enough good about this man.

One of my super powers is my ability of finding honest, and talented mechanics. German Autowerkstatt is such a business. I have had my car serviced there for the last four years. The shop is fast, reliable, and very reasonably priced. Take your ride there — you will not be disappointed!
–jg

I have been using Hans @ German Autowerke for almost 10 years. From the very beginning as well now he has always been very honest on what my car actually needs. If it needs specific work immediately or can wait he will let you know and then give his professional advice as to how long it is necessary. His work is always cared for with the stongest of integrity and quality. he does recommend that original parts be used verses aftermarket parts and rightfully so, as with BMW & Mercedes cars the aftermarket parts could cost you much more damage and thereforemore $$ in the long run. I unfortunately witnessed that experience first hand before finding Hans! If ever there was a problem with any of the parts he has replaced he is very kind and generous in replacing that under his own warranty policy to satisfiy you the customer!
This is a man of true integrity and my husnand and i highly reccommend him to anyone who owns a mercedes or BMW. You won’t be sorry, you will be thankful there are truly honest mechanics like him! This is not a paid advertisment!!!

Not really that good… better at protecting his own behind than taking care of mine. Went to Hans for a leaky water pump — I was in the middle of a big job and didn’t have time to fix it myself. Ok, a water pump. Not a hugh deal… then he says the radiator is shot and all new hoses, and the special coolant for BMWs. Could he fix the oil leak and re-​set the service light? — no problem.
No Problem, ’cause it still leaks oil all over the driveway and the «service engine light» came back on in a couple of days… the water pump, yeah, it got fixed for $ 1000 and the BS about the oil leak. well, it must be coming from somewhere else ’cause what he «fixed» wasn’t it.
OK. These cars are great and I know how how expensive parts, etc can be, but I don’t really need to replace absolutely everything in the cooling system when the pump fails… hiding behind the factory repair manual and shrugging off reasonable responsibility to the customer’s budget gets a little old. Not fixing the oil leak and charging me $ 300 was just plain robbery… I do my own oil and filter changes — does that mean I’m not entitled to the «real» re-​set of the «service» light? Must these guys have a strangle-​hold on every little portion of auto maintenance? Why do I feel ripped off? This guy is not your friend.

I can’t say enough about Hans!!! All good that is… I went to have a few items checked on my e46 m3 that the dealer said, «Needed to be addressed immediately», at the cost of a few thousand dollars. I drive a 2002, not a brand new car! Anyway so I go to Hans and asked him to check these items out. Come to find out I didn’t need any of these things!!! SO PI@#ED!!! Hans was great and I will take both of my bmws to him from now on. Thanks guys…

I have never liked going to the dealership because, well, I am not rich! It is widely known that dealerships totally overcharge you. But it is tough to find a good independent shop that you can trust. Plus I wanted a shop that specializes in BMW since they can be tough to fix.
I was lucky enough to find German Autorwerke. Hans and Joe are about as German as you can get in Oceanside. And that gave me piece of mind from the get go! I don’t know about you but I would rather have a German guy named Hans working on my BMW than a guy named Jose.
Their work was great and they were very honest about my situation since I have an earlier model 740il. The really new the car model inside and out. Their prices were fair too, alot cheaper than the dealership.
I recommend giving them a try if you have a Mercedes or BMW.