After reading such amazing reviews of European Autowerks, and having had the most wonderful German car shop in San Diego, I felt confident taking my Passat TDI to EA. They performed a pre-purchase inspection, which was timely, and very thorough. There were some things that they couldn't answer, which I would have expected a German car shop to be able to, about the emissions stuff, but no matter. The car was clearly a good buy, so we bought. At $190, I thought the price was perhaps a bit steep for the inspection, but given that no other shop offers such a service, it was within the range of reasonable. Fast forward three weeks, and I brought it in for its (overdue at 95,000 miles) DSG transmission service. I was quoted $632, which seemed high, but I didn't do my research beforehand, and I tend to have an innate trust of small shops. They finished my car by the end of the day, and it does seem to drive better. HOWEVER. After doing some research, and speaking with the local VW dealer, and other VW owners, I can now confirm that $632 for a DSG flush is not remotely close to market value. The local VW dealer charges $440 for the exact same service, and would have had a shuttle to take me home. On investigating the breakdown of charges, I found that I was charged $223 for 5 liters of DCT fluid in kit form, which retails-- not at cost-- for around $100-$120. A note in the labor fee indicates that I was charged extra for the use of a scanning tool to ensure that the correct cartridge type was used. However, as a German car shop, I would have presumed that they would have been familiar. I am familiar with the process required to do a DSG flush, and while it is not the most delightful process ever, it still remains a simple job with the proper tools-- which, presumably, said German car shop has on hand, and which takes even amateurs only about two hours. The labor cost, even had it been $150 an hour (the rate is not indicated on my receipt) should not be nearly $400. I am so disappointed to have to write this review. The people that work at EA are friendly, and the facility is clean. But if I can get markedly better prices at a dealership, then something has gone awry.
Hi Jenna, We're glad to hear you liked our facility and staff—and that the inspection report helped you find a good car you liked. We are really sorry to hear that you aren't happy with our pricing - we always strive to provide the highest quality service and use high-quality parts for our customers so that their vehicles are reliable and safe for their families. Unfortunately, high quality doesn't always equate to the cheapest. However, we ALWAYS provide our customers with accurate estimates for the work we recommend before performing any work. We will never perform work without your consent on the work and price. That's why we are surprised to see this review, as all work we performed was approved by you and we completed it as agreed to. We invest in the best ASE Certified Technicians and we stand behind our work with our 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty so you can get high-quality auto repair. Please call the shop if you have any questions!
- European Autowerks