Kearny Mesa Volkswagen Service Center

Jennifer Duren

★☆☆☆☆

4 years ago

Would give zero stars if possible. I left the service dept. very frustrated today…almost in tears. My husband and I dropped off our car for a scheduled service at 9:00 am on Saturday. I am still under warranty (oil change is covered), but I opted for around $200 worth of extra services because we have a baby coming soon and I want everything to be safe and ready to go. Our biggest concern was one tire that would not hold air…we made this known and the service dept. made note and we were assured the tech would take a look. We also asked about installing a small part we ordered and replacing a key fob battery…little stuff…but things they assured us were not a problem. We received notice that the car was finished (at the end of the day 🙃) but we opted to leave the car longer until a part that we ordered arrived to make one less trip as I needed my husband to take time off work/I’m 8 mo pregnant. When we arrived Tuesday to pick up the car the key fob had not been addressed, the parts were still in the box, and there was no mention of our tire. When I asked about the tire, service dept said “oh yeah, your tech said there is a puncture in your tire”. The service agent could not articulate whether the puncture posed a safety risk or not. I asked him if anyone could explain it or patch it.. as I was willing to pay and wait…but was told that my tech had gone home for the day and no one could assist me. They recommended I go to a tire shop to receive assistance. I know my service agent was new and do not blame him for my terrible experience. There were many other agents available including his apparent supervisor. Despite having my car for two extra days, no one called to notify me about my tire. I would have gladly paid to have it fixed while it remained in the shop. The service agent offered a small discount but I would have paid almost anything just to have the car taken care of. It is so disheartening to receive such poor customer service at the dealership. It truly felt like no one cared and I feel silly for paying for extra services. I figured the dealership would take care of our concerns and I trusted them to do the job right. I am writing this review from a local Pep Boys. They have gone above and beyond to assess my tires/concerns. It turns out there is a screw in my tire! That explains the leak. I’m glad I paid extra at Kearny Mesa to make sure the car was safe. It’s amazing how the right staff/management can change your experience. Never going for service at Kearny Mesa again!

Brant Robinson

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

I recently received an $8,000 estimate from the Service Department for repairs and maintenance on my 2018 VW Atlas, marked as requiring "Immediate Attention." Unfortunately, I wasn’t contacted to discuss the issues in detail, and when I arrived to pick up the car, there was limited information provided about the potential impacts or urgency of some repairs. For instance, one recommendation was over $3,200 to replace a cracked plastic piece holding the air filter, which I was ultimately able to secure with a zip tie. While I understand that dealers may not endorse certain DIY solutions, it would be helpful if the service team could provide a clear explanation of all urgent repairs, discussing the risks, impacts, and any possible alternatives. This would be especially valuable when the estimate is so significant, as well as for customers like me who adhere to regular service intervals, have had no prior issues, and expect maintenance costs to align more reasonably with typical ownership data.

Caroline Horne

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

I have always heard that this service area is really bad and not somewhere you want to bring your car. I never truly understood why and now I get it. First and foremost, my car cannot run and needed to be left at the lot next to it since Volkswagen was closed on Sunday. Sunday night I made an appointment for 7am so my car could be looked at first thing the next day. When 7am came around on Monday the service is open and I go to tell them my car needs to be pushed over to them so they can look at it. Immediately I start to get a runaround and it has been like that ever since. Apparently they are under new management and something with the systems isn’t working. I get told the system will be up working soon and I hear NOTHING for over 7 hours. I end up calling and Eddie tells me they can’t even push my car to their lot because “it’s a liability to their employees” even though I left my keys with him because he told me they could push it. For an entire day my car sat, not looked at, and not processed. Tuesday morning I call and ask if their system is back up and running to which they answer “no hopefully soon but I don’t think your car will be looked at today”. Why are they open and having appointment availability? Why was this new system not implemented on Sunday when the dealership was closed so they didn’t have this issue? They couldn’t even get me a loaner while I wait for my car to even be looked at and I have to go to work and have no extra car to get around. They can’t even tell me when the system will be up and running to know how long I’m without a car. After countless phone calls I finally get told my car was “pushed to the back lot”. Wednesday now comes around and they still don’t know how long their system will be down so I paid $130 to get my car towed out of their service lot (not compensated even though they are the reason I’m paying to tow it out). When I get there, Eddie (who was the person I talked to from the beginning who I told the car needed to be pushed and was out of oil) comes up to me and says the car is in a weird angle for the tow truck and ASKED ME if I was sure the car was emptying oil and not water because he put A LITTLE oil in my car and DROVE IT to the back of the lot. I told him not to start it and to make sure there wasn’t oil on the ground (even though there was 3 car lengths of oil to a storm drain under my car where it waited to be pushed). He comes back and tells me it was BONE DRY on the dip stick so he had to push it for the tow truck to get to it. NO WAY! I had him put it in writing of what happened in case something happened to my engine and he claims he checked my dip stick saw it was dry and put 5QUARTS of oil in it??? You wouldn’t ask me if I was sure it was oil on the ground if you checked the dip stick and saw it was dry the first time. I went to check the spot my car was driven to and sitting for a whole day and there was nothing but a small puddle. That was not 5 quarts because 5 quarts would’ve made a long trail to a storm drain the way it did when it waited for them to push it for one and a half days. How can a business be down for over 3 days with no end in sight? Why are they open? Why not listen to the customer when they tell you not to drive it? Why lie on the written paper knowing well enough you didn't put 5 quarts in there? This is not a place I recommend anyone to take their car. The only person who was nice enough to not give me the runaround excuses that Eddie was giving or another lady gave me, was Paul. He was so upfront, honest, and genuinely seemed to want to help me out to get my car looked at. Unfortunately, Paul is the only helpful one and is the only reason this place gets 1 star from me. Otherwise I’d want to give this place 0 stars. Never again will they get my service. They have a 2.7 star rating for a reason. And the management they are moving over to is from City of Volkswagen on Morena Blvd who has been known to have a bad management team. Save your time and money.

Jeremy Vige

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

If I could give them zero I would have. Bought a brand new 2024 Atlas and had some issues with rear seats and center console. The service department has broken more things in my car than they’ve fixed. None of the issues were taken care of in any way shape or form. When I bought the car the tires were also filled to 46 PSI now the pessimist in me believes this was done to hasten the deterioration of my tires so they could make money. They also never have loaner vehicles even though they’ve had to keep my car for multiple days. The last time I brought it in on a Friday morning and nothing was touched on it till Monday afternoon. The VW app sends push notifications anytime the doors open or it’s unlocked so that’s how I got that info. The last appointment I had set for them to look at all the things that were broken I got turned away because the dealership was changing ownership. I’ve also been given the run around by the service manager for months and have tried to get the dealership manager on the phone, but had to leave a message. That was almost a month ago and still haven’t heard back from them. Long story short just save yourself some headache and avoid this dealership.

Max Khatsenko

★★★★★

a year ago

I’ve been here for three maintenance milestones for my VW GTI: 40k (with DSG fluid flush), 50k, and 60k. Plus some recalls added into those appointments. Service was great all three times. Everything was done in a few hours. Sure the prices might be a little high, but they do the job right. Never had issues with any of their work. If price is a concern, there are coupons on their website and they will give you a deal if you have a relationship with them. Much appreciated. Keep it up

Surendra Jain

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

worse place for service. I took the appointment at 7am on Saturday to repair slow pressure release in my tire. they told me it will take several hours to repair and asked me to go some other place. There was no car behind me. I was there at 6:55am. no one came to me till 7:10am. then I went inside. one person asked me to wait and then he disappeared and then I went to another person. No other customers were there at that time. That another person scared me for the cost and time for repair and asked me to go to other tire repair places.

Yi-An Chen

★☆☆☆☆

10 months ago

BE VERY CAREFUL with this dealership’s service department. They might SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR CAR and take no responsibility for it. I brought my car here for routine annual maintenance a few weeks ago. Last night, I got a sudden tire pressure warning while driving on the highway. When I pulled over and checked the pressure with a gauge, I found three of my tires were inflated to 54 psi, while one (the left rear) was at 30 psi. The manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure for my car is 36 psi. So they had MASSIVELY OVERINFLATED my tires. As a result, I suspect the left rear tire got cracked after hitting a bump or pothole. I couldn’t find any nails, and the pressure kept dropping slowly. Luckily, I had a portable air pump that let me inflate the tire enough to get home safely. When I called the dealership this morning, the woman who answered the phone (Emily) was rude and dismissive. She basically accused me of overinflating my own tires and said a flat tire was “my problem.” According to her, they can’t be responsible for anything that happens once the car leaves their lot. This attitude is unacceptable, especially when customers have no way of verifying what happens during service. I later spoke to the service manager, Jack, who at least listened. He said their records show they inflated the tires to 36 psi and that their mechanics “have 20 years of experience.” But I was there! I saw the 54 psi reading, and even had a nearby gas station confirm it. When I asked what they’d do if it’s confirmed that the tire was damaged due to overinflation, Jack said they might patch the crack if it’s small, but they won’t replace the tire. Later that day, I brought the car in. Jack wasn’t there, and hadn’t made any note about my case. I had to re-explain the entire situation to someone else. At first, they just said, “We don’t see any nails, so the tire is fine.” I told them I already checked for that and asked them to perform the water submersion test to find a leak, like Jack had mentioned. Only after insisting did they reluctantly agree to properly check it. Bottom line: this place is careless, defensive, and unprofessional. A tire overinflated to 54 psi is not a small mistake! It’s dangerous, and I could have had a serious accident. And instead of taking responsibility or even showing concern, the staff was dismissive and rude. Update: As expected, they couldn’t locate the crack in my slowly deflating tire. I’m not sure whether this is due to incompetence or an attempt to avoid responsibility for the damage they likely caused by significantly overinflating my tires. Either way, I’ve lost trust in this place. After years of being a loyal customer, I won’t be returning.

Natalia Ponomareva

★★★★★

8 months ago

I had previously visited this service center, and my experiences were not great. However, today was a different story! For the first time, everything went well. The technician was efficient, quickly identified the problem, and completed the repairs in no time. I really appreciate the improvement and will definitely consider returning in the future! His name is David. There should be more technician like him for them.

Tania Lopez

★★★★★

10 months ago

I have been taking my car here since I bought it in 2018. All of the maintenance has been done here, which has been helpful to prevent anything else from happening to my car. The technicians explain everything thoroughly and the people at the desk are extremely polite. They always offer coffee and everyone is very respectful.

Rachel G

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

DO NOT SERVICE YOUR VEHICLE HERE. I once believed I wanted to rate this place 5 stars, but now 0 if I could. Whatever happened to the service from less than a year has changed maybe when they merged with whoever was from Mission Bay VW. It went from keeping you updated to all of a sudden transferring you to 2 different departments and hanging up. Scam artists from this dealership will call you to schedule maintenance and tell you how quickly service will take then the supposed service takes hours longer or even days. My car notifications showed that they didn’t even turn on or move the car for 3 hours before they got to servicing it. Both times we’ve dropped off the vehicle was at 7am with an appointment and expected return time at 11am. Your car returns more messed up than it went in so they can charge you for parts that weren’t even an issue! Our other vehicle was “repaired” and won’t even open and they did not have a resolution. Currently working on a recall for a second time again, where I had to call to find out that the part was available and had been available, when we initially took it in they had to “order the part” when that was the initial reason for bringing the vehicle in, but they held onto the car for 8 hours just for a maintenance check. No update or text from the service person who is assigned to you, in this case, Glenn, until you have to call yourself and get the run around. As a family who relies on transportation for school, work, and appointments, they wasted our time and resources being on lunch for 3 hours today! We will NOT be returning for service at this location.

Justin C

★★★★★

7 months ago

As someone who works on his own vehicles, it is a little stressful to bring a car to a dealer to be worked on. From the first moments there, Earnest Brooks made me feel like I was in good hands as he patiently listened to my concerns and made recommendations including some warranty work I had previously pushed off. The work was performed well and quickly while I was waiting, although I was offered ride service multiple times. Thanks, Earnest!

Jason Armstead

★★★★★

10 months ago

Shout out to service consultant Norman Miller. I had my ID.4 in for service and the door was slightly damaged when picked up. Norman made some calls and had my door fixed with a few weeks. I wanted to thank him for seeing the repair through. A lot of dealerships would have made this a much harder process. I did receive the car back dirty however I washed it and the repaired door looks great. Appreciate you! I leased the car from that dealership and had a decent but not great experience and I had a recall and the service experience was terrible.. so I decided to leave and get my first recall service done at Mission Bay before it closed and had a great experience. I had my reservations going back to Kearny to get all this work done and this happened along with the car being there longer than anticipated so I think to myself.. here we go again with their service dept.. I wanted to kick myself for going back but YOU made it things right and I appreciate that. Looking at your card I see you were at Mission Bay so I'm sure that has much to do with it.. either way I appreciate your help and effort. The service department has improved greatly from previous experience! Thanks again!

Foggy crazy

★★★★★

5 months ago

Norman is amazing! No matter how busy it gets, he always makes sure you’re taken care of. He goes the extra mile to help you save money through VW’s policies. Because of him, I feel confident that the VW staff are professional, caring, and reliable.

Alice Henderson

★★★★★

3 months ago

Took my car here to get serviced and had a great experience. Earnest was the customer service rep I worked with over the few hours I was there getting various things done. He was very helpful in answering all of my questions ( I had a lot) and he went above and beyond in general!

Filip Zaborek

★★★★★

3 months ago

I got a check engine light on my older VW Golf GTI. I called in about the possibility that it may be covered under an extended manufacturer warranty. One of the service agents Earnest ran my vin and explained to me that they would run a diagnostic and check to see if it was covered. The test was done and to my surprise it was! Earnest was professional and informative. He explained the process and arranged for transportation to and from the service department. The car did take a little longer than expected, but it was still finished in a timely manner. It was also washed and looks and runs better than ever. After dealing with many service departments with different brands, I have to say that this was the best experience I’ve had with any vehicle I’ve owned. Thanks to Earnest and the team!

AB M

★★★★★

a month ago

This review is specifically for Lola in the Sales Department. In 2019, I purchased my brand-new VW Tiguan here. I’m a senior and not very tech-savvy. At the time, the sales team handed me the keys and assumed I knew how to operate everything. I didn’t. Manuals overwhelm me, and no one really walked me through the features. Here’s a funny (and slightly embarrassing) confession: It wasn’t until 2023 that I discovered my regular radio worked without a Sirius subscription. A friend helped me activate it. That means I drove my SUV for four years thinking I had no radio unless I subscribed! Lesson learned. Fast forward to February 12, 2026 — seven years later, with only 22,300 miles on my Tiguan — I returned to the dealership for help understanding my vehicle’s features. Lola was incredibly patient and kind. She walked me through cruise control, connecting my phone to media, unlocking the back doors with safety features, using the trunk properly, and the navigation system. She explained everything clearly and respectfully, without making me feel silly. Thank you, Lola. You made a big difference. Side Note Regarding Service Department: Between 2019 and 2024, I brought my vehicle in for service while it still had very low mileage (under 10,000 miles). Unfortunately, I often felt that unnecessary repairs or replacements were being recommended. That experience caused me to lose trust in the service department, and I stopped bringing my vehicle in after 2024. In 2019, during an oil change on my previous Passat, I also experienced issues that led me to purchase the Tiguan. Years ago at the Morena Blvd location, I had another concerning experience involving a rearview mirror replacement after service. I understand ownership may have changed in 2024, and I sincerely hope things have improved. My experience with Lola shows that there are still excellent people at this dealership.

D Amos

★☆☆☆☆

3 weeks ago

This experience was unacceptable. I scheduled a 7:30am appointment and arrived early — I was the first car in line and checked in around 7:00am. I came in for a routine oil change and to have my brakes looked at. I expected a reasonable wait for diagnostics, but not to lose my entire day off over it. By 10:30am, I hadn’t received a single update and had to go ask myself. I was told it would be “about five more minutes,” only to later find out they had been reviewing the wrong customer’s information. Communication was almost nonexistent unless I initiated it. At 1:00pm — more than five and a half hours after arrival — I was told they had just finished the oil change and were about to begin the test drive and diagnostics. At that point, I asked them to stop. A scheduled oil change should not take the majority of a day. The lobby was clean and the facility is nice, but that does not make up for the lack of organization, communication, and respect for a customer’s time. With signs posted about being under new management, I truly hope changes are made — because based on this experience, I won’t be returning.