German Motorwerks

Kathy Marlow

★★★★★

5 years ago

We were visiting Monterey for the weekend when our Vanagon lost a fan belt. John was able to squeeze us in and get us back on the road quickly. Great shop!

matthew austin

★☆☆☆☆

3 years ago

The owner pretended he couldn't hear or understand me when I went in to ask if I could purchase some top up motor oil for my hire car. Rather than say, "here take this pint of oil for free. I ain't gonna charge you for that" and be a decent human being, he instead decided to go the other way, and not even engage.

kevin fobes

★★★★★

8 years ago

I bought a Mini Cooper two years ago, my mechanic (Greg Donovan, next door) suggested I work with German Motorwerks because modern Mini's are a BMW product. I'm very happy I took his advice. The guys have helped me since with not only regular service but also with performance parts. They walked me through a resent suspension upgrade and throughly explained the work needed. They do this without judgement. Because everyone now is an expert these days (myself included) it's good to know that REAL experts exist at GMW. Also their GMW Syncro conversations are super cool and shows the caliber of mechanics they are.

claire aubouy

★★★★★

6 years ago

I am very happy that I found this place, I had an issue with my oil car and did the car service in the same time. They explained very well what to change in priority and why. They took time for their customers and give you advices. I will definitely go back to see them if i have an other problem with my car, this is people that you can trust. Thank you for your help !

Matt N

★★★★★

7 years ago

I have utilized their services twice recently. Both times I was very happy at the quality work performed, price, and speed. The mechanics are knowledable and, in my opinion, very trustworthy. The owner is a very reasonable guy, and explained a few other issues he noted. The service I got was excellent, and they ended up getting things done ahead of schedule by several hours. Who knew that still happens nowadays. Overall, I am stoked I found a great shop in the local area to work on my slightly older VW. Thanks guys!!!

andrew m

★★★★★

7 years ago

We were recently in Carmel on vacation, and our BMW threw a "Check Engine" light and started idling pretty rough. This happened on a Friday afternoon, we called both the local BMW dealership and this shop, and John offered to get the car in for diagnostics that afternoon so we'd atleast have an idea of what the problem was. Turns out we had a bad ignition coil, and also needed new spark plugs. John had the parts ordered right away, and had the car repaired first thing Monday morning (shop's closed on the weekend). Our cost was within $2 of their estimate, and the car ran perfectly after we picked it up. There were some other items that needed repair on the car, and instead of pushing us to repair everything he found (like the dealership tends to do), John only went after the "must-fix" items, so we could get home and have our local car guy work through the rest. Seems like a small, honest shop, very down-to-earth, and a much better customer service experience than we tend to get at the dealerships. These guys turned a potential headache into a non-issue for us, which made the rest of our weekend a bit more stress-free. Would highly recommend.

Joshua Perez

★★★★★

6 years ago

John and Paul are guys that really care about servicing their community with the highest standards and expertise. Highly recommended.

Angela Lauer

★★★★★

3 years ago

German Motorwerks is my local shop! My Audi A3 gets routine services and brakes done here. Ask Paul about APR tuning to give your Audi and an awesome extra boost! Also, my Vanagon is well taken care of here. Paul and John are VW and Vanagon people. From routine services to replacing steering racks, bushings, sway bars, big brakes, or a transmission, they know Vanagons. They are knowledgeable and fair. For instance, I have been advised to get a particular job done immediately for safety and in other situations that I could hold off if something was not necessary, meaning they help prioritize jobs, which I appreciate. Thank you!!

Domoniqué Hittner

★★★★★

3 years ago

Excellent service, honest, professional, and prompt. We are so grateful to have found German Motorwerks. The staff is exceptional, knowledgeable, and leaps beyond the other local service providers. I would highly recommend their business to EVERYONE. You will be pleased with their superior service. My husband and I have had general and maintenance services performed multiple times in the past years. Each time, we have paid a fair price, have received a full report of any recommendations from the owner, and have left this business fully confident in the work performed. This business should be nominate for best of Monterey. Truly, I have nothing(not one thing) negative to say about this business and no recommendations for improvement. German Motorwerks staff thank you for your great business. You are a gift to the State of California, the Monterey Peninsula, and all European vehicles that move on the Monterey Peninsula. Thank you!! Ten Stars!

Libin

★★★★★

2 years ago

John and his son, Paul, are the best mechanics I have dealt with in 5 states I have lived. They are passionate and knowledgable about german motor brands and are incredibly honest. I have a 2016 M235i and have gone back to them for various tasks like brake replacement, a broken coolant hose issue and other preventative maintenance. I tend to err on the side of caution and try to get all kinds of preventative maintenance planned based on what I read on forums but they are very practical and knowledgable about these engines and what should be delayed and what should be prioritized. They are always honest about their pricing and quite quick on their turn around time. I highly suggest them as your german motor mechanics in the area!

Raymond Sienkiewicz

★★★★★

7 years ago

Very pleased with the service here. Upon calling about the power steering and wanting to check the A/C, I was able to get an appointment the next day for my vehicle (typically a wait of a week or more at the dealer). Brought the car by first thing in the morning and got a quote from the owner, my vehicle was ready the same day in the afternoon. Even got a nice summary of what they worked on, things they noticed, and a heads up on when my next regular maintenance service would be due. Very to the point and professional, would definitely come back again. They do appreciate it if customers can pay in cash or with a local check, but credit cards are accepted with a 4% surcharge for processing.

Gant

★★★★★

2 years ago

Thanks John and his team for saving our Monterey and Carmel trip! Our VW Beetle was unable to start. After getting roadside assistance from the credit card company, we decided to drive straight to German Motorwerks. It was a good decision as this shop specializes in VW and had the part we needed. John, the owner, did professional assessment of our 6-year old battery's health. We decided to play it safe and get it replaced because we would be in trouble if our car doesn't start again in a remote location. Luckily, German Motorwerks had the H5 battery in stock. Everything was done in ~45 mins while we enjoyed ourselves around the nearby Cannery Row. And then we resumed our trip!

Monica Grogan

★★★★★

11 months ago

Quickly and competently diagnosed a problem with our Audi and then sent us to the right place to get it repaired since it was something they couldn't take care of (dealer issue). Really appreciated their help in getting the car fixed so we could get drive back to Michigan trouble free.

Jenna Dexter

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 9 months ago

I wanted to love this shop, but since John just hung up for me after I called him about a glitch happening with my Mini Cooper’s window (again) since my fuel pump was replaced (again … same thing happened with my window the first time related to resetting codes or something). The good news is they replaced my fuel pump for free when my gas gauge wasn’t showing how much gas I actually had (and left me stranded on a road trip). But communicating with John was always a challenge. I concur with the previous reviewer about phone etiqutte, demeanor and willingness to share information. For me a simple question usually got a defensive reply as if every question was an attack. I learned to walk on eggshells while trying to hold my ground and get the service I felt I deserved. (I paid them a LOT of money.) I had decided after this latest issue was resolved, I was going to move on to another shop. I probably wouldn’t be writing this review if John hadn’t literally hung up on me when I told him my window was opening an inch every time I unlocked the car and opened the door since picking up my car again. He cut me off and said I should find another shop because I have too many complaints (my questions?? wanting my car to not die on the side of the road when the fuel pump they replaced failed or wasn’t installed properly?) And before I could say a word he hung up.

Jonas Maldonado

★☆☆☆☆

7 months ago

Super rude over the phone. I called to simply ask how much they charge for a diagnostic of my car and if they roll the price into whatever work they need to do on the car or if the diagnostic stays a separate price. Before I could fully ask my question I was continually cut off from speaking and they attempted to rush me into scheduling an appointment before I could fully explain why I was calling. After I finally spoke without being interrupted they just hung up on me.

Kent Green

★☆☆☆☆

4 months ago

Expensive Battery Replacement: overpriced labor and material. I brought my 2020 Tiguan in for a battery replacement. I was required to do a $95 inspection first, which I agreed to so they could diagnose any underlying issues. They determined it was just the battery. However, the final bill came to over $530! While I appreciate that they tested the alternator to ensure the charging system was working properly, and I understand labor costs vary, this pricing seemed excessive ($300 for battery). The same Interstate battery retails for $179 at Costco. Even accounting for overhead and profit, a $120+ markup on the battery plus $200 in labor for what should be 30-45 minutes of work felt steep. The work was completed and the battery is working fine, but I wish I had shopped around more and took the warning signs of the defensiveness of the shop owner when trying to get a cost estimate prior to agreeing to pay for the inspection. Also, it was surprising that a veteran owned business did not offer any military discount.

Eric Ferguson

★★★★★

3 months ago

I love this place. I've taken my Volvo to them many times. I had been trying to get maintenance done at Jiffy Lube prior to finding this place, and it was like night and day in terms of the service level and the attention/care I got here. John and his son truly care about making sure I'm taken care of. I'm a customer for life.