Carlsen Subaru

Go straight to LARRY FUNG if you want no hassle, to the point, honest, fast transaction so you can starting driving your dream car! I highly recommend Larry!!!
I purchased my first new car ever on 8÷31÷14 from him after only exchanging 9 emails starting on 8÷23÷14. Larry emailed me the price, the window sticker information, and answered all my questions before I took Caltrain to see him and test drive the car. I purchased the car immediately and drove my dream car home!
Before working with Larry Fung, I spent one month in person trying to get a «final selling price» with my local Subaru dealer in the East Bay. They changed the price quote several times by saying, «That price is for a lower model/​trim.» I made it very clear from day one which model/​trim I wanted but they kept trying the bait and switch trick.
Frustrated I decided to look somewhere else. I’m so glad to have found Larry on line.
Sorry for the very late review, Larry! I love my beautiful Subaru.
Jessica

Maybe all Subaru dealer’s service departments are like this. If so, 1 star for all of them.
I bought a 2015 forester (not from Carlsen) and so 6 months later came the need for first service. When I got there, I was told the minor service would cost some $ 225. Seeing I was shocked, the rep gave me a discounted price of $ 185 just like that.
When this is all said and done, I took my car back. Feeling fishy, I went to an online forester forum to ask. Also read the user manual. The first service in fact should be merely oil change + tire rotation + having them eyeball a few things which are bound to be fine for a 6 month old car.
I know it’s tough to survive in the bay area if you are not doing IT or biotech or whatever. But I don’t appreciate a «professional» charging $ 185 for oil change and tire rotation whereas most other honest places are doing for much less. You should have told me instead: «No, a minor service is just too small for me to perform.»
Fool me twice, shame on me…

I purchased my vehicle here two summers ago and had a flawless purchase experience, being able to meet the technician who set up my car was a special treat. The mechanical staff looked organized and competent. My first service took a little longer than I had hoped, but I did get a carwash out of the deal.
This past Saturday morning I arrived for my appointment and was told my car would take an undetermined amount of time to complete. I was told they were overbooked due to a recent recall as those customers can just show up at their convenience and must be provided service. No one from Subaru bothered to call before I made the 30 minute drive to warn me, reschedule, or any of the likes. I wasn’t prepared to wait an unknown length of time as I had a baby in the car and didn’t bring more than three hours worth of supplies with me, so I called from the dealership lot to reschedule. The service manager was really nice and rescheduled me for today and promised a courtesy car as the timing for an available makeup appointment didn’t work well with the little one.
I arrived today and mentioned the car and was told I could wait for a rental car to arrive and «it could be comp’ed, but just this once». What happened to making up for failed Saturday service? I was really disappointed to feel like I am being treated like some jerk trying to «scam» them for a free rental. I am not a scammer, so I opted out of the «just this once» rental. Immediately afterwards, as if to pour salt in the wound, the «car mover» employee asks if I am dropping my car off for the day. I am standing there with a stroller, a baby, and a diaper bag, where am I supposed to go for the remainder of the day like this? Its already 80plus degrees and its not even noon. I actually ask «where am I supposed to go all day with just a stroller?». He literally scowls as he replies that he is given no information by anyone and that is why he has to ask me.
To my delight, there is a park just ²⁄₁₀^th of a mile from the dealership, THANK GOD. We manage to kill the estimated time given to complete the work. The service guy calls, like he said he would, when my car is finished actually on the early side of the estimate. He found a cashier to expedite my departure too. He even helped clean up my daughters favorite doll that the car cleaners covered in paint by throwing it onto the car floor onto my daughter wet art project.
So yes my car got serviced, but I think this dealership severely overbooks and overworks the service employees. Its hard to follow through with courtesy car promises, deliver good service, and be kind about it when the parking lot is bursting at the brim with cars. I didn’t get a debrief by my adviser which I am used to from other dealers but that is likely a symptom of the aforementioned problem.

Maybe this dealership is too hot to serve one single small client like me. Don’t recommend anyone unless you maybe want to order many cars at a time.
When I requested a quote, the sales asked me to build on Edmund website. Later I couldn’t find a certain option not found on the website and asked for help to just give me his price. His first react is to doubt me I was not using the website correctly, and insisted me to return to Edmund and try again and again.
So I guess this dealership has so many business already that their sales only need to take money and no need to answer any questions. If you need a quote, just find out by yourself. They don’t have time to waste on small client.
In the end I turned to other Subaru dealership where sales are more kind and have time to answer questions and give me some quotes.

If you want poor workmanship, lack of a straight answer, expensive costs, and a safety risk for your ride back home, service your car at Carlsen. Four strikes and they’re out!
Strike 1 was in Sept 2013 when they forgot to tighten the bolts holding the clutch assembly in place after a clutch repair. Fortunately this was found a couple days later when I had the oil changed at a different shop. Brought the car back, Carlsen tightened the bolts, apologized and said that never happens. Fair enough, we all make mistakes.
Strike 2 was in Dec 2015. They repaired the right rear strut and shock. Two months later the problem returned. Now the replacement strut now needed to be replaced. Did they do a poor job with the first attempt? They didn’t have an answer for me. Along with the strut re-​repair, they recommended replacing the rear lateral linkages, so I paid for that as well.
Strike 3 was driving off the lot after that repair. The car now had excessive road noise at 40 – 55 mph. I figured I just needed to drive it a bit and let everything settle in. 3000 miles later the problem was still there, loud and proud. So I took my car back only learn the noise was a rear bearing that needed to be replaced. They claimed it had no relationship to the previous repair, had no answer for why it was apparent only immediately upon leaving the repair lot, and told me I should have brought it back right away. Thanks guys.
Strike 4 was driving off the lot after the bearing repair. The engine stalled out about 10 seconds after starting the car. I tried again, revved it a few times, pulled a few feet closer to the road, and stopped. The engine died again. The two service folks told me the car just needed to be driven a bit, and the engine computer would relearn its settings. So one drove the car away and returned it 15 minutes later, reporting all was fixed. Not so much… over the 2 mile drive back to work, the car stalled 5 times, twice in the middle of turn, killing the power steering and making it a real effort to complete the turn without veering into the curb or oncoming traffic. Left my car again; this time it was a stuck butterfly valve that needed to be cleaned and repaired.
Both Carlsen and Subaru have lost a customer who’s owned Subarus for the last 15 years.

Brought car in for oil change (6K). They quoted ~$ 220, which seems like an awful lot for a Subaru. I asked what the service included and they said: oil change, fluid top-​off, basic inspection, tire rotation (all standard stuff). But… they added «wheel balance.» Why on earth would you need to re-​balance wheels? I don’t believe it.
I spoke to the service manager and he said their techs are better than other dealerships hence they charge more. Hard to know there, however, here’s some insight into how oil changes work in dealerships: they always have the most junior people do these and typically they aren’t even full fledged techs (yet).
I subsequently called Stevens Creek Subaru and they quoted HALF the cost for the exact same service. Needless to say they got my business.

Awesome costumer service! Especially Elmer Ferrer who helped us from start to finish. He is friendly and knowledgeable for what he is doing. My car needed detailed inspection w/​c include change brakes, oil change, check front and back lights. He gave us exactly how long we have to wait and on top of that gave us discount too! And not to mention free car wash! Keep it up and for sure I will recommend to all my friends to go there! Great job!

After tirelessly dealing with Serramonte Subaru, I drove 25 minutes out of my way to Carlsen Subaru since I was satisfied with the senior technician that serviced my car previously. But now that he’s gone, this service department went completely south.
I’ve been trying to fix the alignment on my car since I’ve purchased it. For some reason it was defective and Oakland Subaru even confirmed the problem upon purchasing the car. But scheduling a full day at a dealership is hard to do with my hectic work schedule. I finally had the time to do so today. I brought my car in for multiple reasons. Those reasons were suppose to be covered under my warranty. Michael, the advisor at the service center, was the one that looked at my car and seemed completely clueless about what he was doing and couldn’t answer any of my questions and continuously ran back and fourth to Kevin Chan, the assistant service manager, for the answers. My last experience with Kevin was a pleasant one. But it seems as though Howard, the service manager who I’ll be mentioning in the next, has been badly influencing Kevin’s judgment.
After inspection and telling him about my problems, they denied the services to be covered under warranty and that I would have to pay out of my own pocket to cover the costs. Howard Higashi, the service manager, came and with such an aggressive approach, assumed that I was trying to take advantage of the warranty policy. I grew frustrated with the attitude I was receiving from someone who was suppose to be a manager. Then he said, «you’re not getting anything out of me with that attitude.» Great management skills.
Overall, I was there for 3 hours for an inspection, JUST AN INSPECTION, and a bunch of excuses of why my car was not covered under warranty and denied claims for the issues arising.
I then spoke with the general manager, Derek Huddlestun, he advised me to call Subaru of America to see what my options are, despite the negative feedback directed to his dealership. I didn’t have a problem with him. He seemed to accommodate to the situation without the hostility like Howard created. Subaru of America told me to get a second opinion at a different Subaru dealership. The next closest one would be Putnam Subaru, so I headed there.
Within the first 10 minutes of speaking to a service advisor at Putnam Subaru, I had no problem scheduling my appointment to have my car serviced under warranty. So why was I denied for 3 hours by Carlsen Subaru?

This review has been long overdue. I got my new Subaru Crosstrek back in the end of January. I went to a few other Subaru dealerships but I recommend coming to this one!
Alan was great to work with. He is super friendly and honest. He will work with you in getting the car you want at the right price. I came in looking to trade in my Chevy for a new Subaru WRX but went out the door with a Crosstrek which I love, and I’m glad I made the change since I commute to work from foster city to Berkeley 5 days a week. They give you a good trade in value. Before choosing the Crosstrek, I got to test drive and look at the Forester and Outback. I test drove the WRX at another dealership so I knew how that drove. I ended up choosing the Crosstrek because of the better mileage and I liked how it looked plus it was more in my price range. Alan was great to work with because he was very patient, helpful, and provided great customer service.
Rodrigo, the finance manager, also displayed great customer service when getting all the paperwork done and also provided a great deal on extended warranty. It was a pleasure working with him as well.
I will definitely recommend this dealership to friends and family if they are ever looking for a Subaru!

Spot-​on service! After weeks of trying to set up a service appointment at Serramonte Subaru (only to be told they were booked up for the next few months), I called Carlsen on a Friday and they were able to fit me in on the Monday. Professional courtesy both on the phone and in person… I’ll definitely be coming here for all of my service needs from now on! Also, if you’re local they have a Courtesy Shuttle. AND free car wash and vacuum when you bring your vehicle in for service!

We went to Carlson Subaru today for a test ride. Salesperson Vidam approached us with a friendly smile and helped us. He provided an excellent service, he was patient with us and tried very hard to get close to our price and we decided to buy our first Subaru Forester here. The loan manager Rodrigo display an excellent customer service and gave us a great deal on extended warranty, he very easy to work with.
This place provides the friendliest service compared to other car dealership I went. I will recommend this to my friends and family.
Thank You guys! We really love our new 2016 forester!

Thank you Carlsen Subaru for another job well-​one.
Bought my ’14 Forester in for an ‘excess oil consumption’ checkup, and they smartly indentified the problem and took care of it. Gave me a loaner and promised me return of my Forester in 5 business days, but after 3 days, called and told me it’s ready. So far, the Forester has been
running fine. They also identified a nail in my rear right tire, and I quickly have it fixed at a tire shop the next day for safety reason.

I’ve been driving my new 2016 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited for 2 weeks now. I needed a car I could drive about 100 miles a day during the week and didn’t require premium gasoline. I have never been a Subaru owner before. I’ve owned a Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda and BMW. After a lot of research and testing other cars in this class, I decided on the Subaru Legacy.
The car sells itself I believe. However, it was my experience at Carlsen Subaru that clinched the deal for me. Customer service is important. I will walk away from a great deal if the service is shotty. I had nothing but positive experiences with this dealer. From my internet inquiry working with a Sales representative (Jamen Howland) to interacting with the Finance Manger (Rodrigo Athayde) and Sales Manager (Derek Huddlestun), everything seemed honest, respectable and enjoyable. I was informed about the cost upfront, all questions were answered and we worked out the details in a reasonable amount of time.
I’m very happy and satisfied with my Subaru Legacy. Every morning I get in, start her up and hit the highway to work, I smile and enjoy the smooth ride.

Just purchased my 2014 WRX Hatchback from Eric Stern. This was the car I’ve wanted for a long time and thanks to Eric, I was able to make it happen. My experience was not only painless but enjoyable. I got my car for the lowest market price available without resistance or haggling.
The staff was professional, the prices are posted to sell, and the overall experience was smooth. If your looking to buy a Subaru in the Bay Area, this should be your first stop.

The inventory was what made me drive up from San Jose but the service I got from Bret McElroy is what will have me coming back for my next Subaru.
My wife and I have been fortunate enough to have been able to by new cars in the past few years and this has been the best experience of all of them. Bret was upfront about cost, he helped me with my trade in, and had me out of the dealership within an hour and a half. That’s the fastest I’ve ever had.
Thank you Bret for getting me into the car I wanted and not trying to sell me something I didn’t want.

I meant to post this a couple of months ago when we bought our new Subaru… but a lot of things have been happening. so here goes…
It’s been a long time since I purchased a new car… I mean a brand new car.2015
Carlsen Subaru made this a smooth and painless process… Particularly our salesman Brent
No pressure, no hassle, no baloney, no back and forth… just honest, nice people… and they are helpful after the sale.
We did go to another dealer in Serramonte and they tried to do the old back and forth with the sales manager… which I HATE… and then after we left and they said that they gave us their lowest price… they emailed me the next day… with a lower price… I felt pretty slimy when I left their dealership and I had no intention of going back ever.
PS The Subaru Forester we bought has some safety features like no other car. The car was for my wife and I took her along to pick out the car and experience the whole process. She also was very happy with the process and the people… Carlsen’s The Best.

The inside of this dealership smells like a barn. This was very alarming to me and should be to anyone who is not purposefully visiting a petting zoo.
The salesguy we talked to on the phone brushed us off to another guy who was obviously grumpy at having his lunch interrupted. He then promptly tossed us some keys so we could go test drive the car on our own and then went back to his lunch, yelling some vague driving directions to us as he walked away. We drove the car which, thankfully, did not smell like a barn and came back, underwhelmed as the car did not have any of the features that we had requested to look at. (When we asked to test drive a car with the features, we were told that the dealership did not have these cars in stock. Well, what’s the point then? I’m not going to buy or lease something I can’t drive first. That would be silly!)
When we came back, he tried to tell us a price on the lease but their computer system promptly broke down. Not very helpful. Basically, the customer service left a lot to be desired. I wouldn’t come here again and now I’m overall disgusted by Subaru as a whole.

I HATE businesses that LIE
when you (Carlsen) say the forester has 74.7 CF of cargo space that is not the complete truth and if its not the complete truth then its a LIE
only the models without the moonroof have 74.7CF, all others (the majority of unit sold) have LESS due to the about 7CF that the mooroof takes up.
I REFUSE to buy from a dealer that lies like this !!!

Service department: 5 stars!!!
Sales department: at best 3 stars…
When I purchased my car in 2015, I couldn’t shake the slimy feeling that the sales team exuded. I almost didn’t want to buy anything here but I was on a schedule so I sucked it up (pro tip: don’t buy a car on a timeline).
I was subsequently pleasantly surprised at the excellent customer service in the Service department. Kevin and Hes are both awesome. They are nice, professional, and know how to be pleasant without being excessively chatty (as I’ve seen other service guys be). Whole hearted recommendation for their service department!

I took my business elsewhere.
I’m giving my review based on my first impressions and being approached by one salesman.
I came to the lot with my fiancé just to browse around for a potential new car. First off we didn’t go in to the showroom to ask for help we went strait to the lot to look at prices, «A» salesman approached us and showed us a few models of different trims. When he asked what our time line was to purchase, we told him after we get married in about 6 months to a year. That’s when he came back and told us.
«you should look at cars when the lot is closed, because the salesman here work off a turn-​by-​turn list», and take each potential walk in-​customer as a buyer and «wasting their time is like taking food out of their mouth»
That’s when we decided our business would be appreciated elsewhere, good luck on paying the rent Carlson Subaru. Teach your salesman some etiquette!!!