I have been a customer for many years. The service here continues to be the best in this area. You just don't find the honest approach, the level of integrity, the quality of service that is offered here at very many other automotive repair shops. As a professional locksmith serving the East bay area for nearly forty years I have met the owners of many of the automotive repair shops. I have done work for many of them. There are very few that stand out as truly honest, reliable, professional, and trustworthy. This shop stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Not just of the European shops, of all automotive repair shops. I will not trust any of my VWs to very many shops. I have owned several including a GTI and a TDI both of which I still own. In fact, it is currently down to this shop and a couple others, maybe. I will consider other shops only because I no longer live in Alameda. I live in Point Richmond so getting here is not so easy, but totally worth it. These guys really are the best in the business. read more

Recent work: Oil change, lube & brake adjustment. They did a great job and things to that affect.

BE CAREFUL!!!! They tried to say there was $6,000 of services that was needed. Something didn't feel right and had a second opinion and it was only $2,000 worth of services. They lied and tried to take advantage of me. DO NOT GO HERE!!!!! read more

I've come here for a few years now and wouldn't even consider going anywhere else unless absolutely required. Max, Albert, and team are always very welcoming and most importantly proficient in their work. Fair prices and when it comes to customer service, no one beats them!! An honest and true establishment that your automobile will thank you for in the long run. You'll never regret giving them a visit. read more

Leaky valves needed repair. Excellent customer service. Repairs done at a fair price. Supporting local business - of course, especially when they do EXCELLENT work!! read more

Started using European auto repair after the extended warranty on my Mini Cooper Clubman ran out an had deferred some maintenance during the pandemic. Was having some issues with starting in cold weather and took it in. After doing most of the obvious things and fixing a couple other issues, the cold start issue persisted. After performing the next least expensive fixes and still not solving the issue completely, they took the car back and replaced the fuel pumps (the last remaining and most expensive common fix for the symptoms) charging only for the high pressure fuel pump part and not the supply pump, lines nor any labor for that last operation. The owners were pleasant to deal with, listening well to any details I could offer and went so far as to take my car home to be able to reproduce the issue as it wouldn't happen for a long period after a successful start or if the weather wasn't cold enough. They were also happy to give me a ride home if I was pressed for time or the weather was unfavorable when I had to leave or get the car. By standing behind their work and going above and beyond to make my car run the way it should, they have earned my business for as long as I own a model they work on. read more

At first they seem helpful and get you in the door. They're "high end estimate" was STILL under and they asked me to pay $800 more! Then they said it was done but had actually installing the wrong parts and gave me back my car with a check engine light. They purposely cleared the check engine light before I came to pick it up so it was not visible. Came on 2 days later and then they charged me again to do more diagnostics! WHAT?! I asked again if my new parts were installed and they swore up and down. Now it's been verified the wrong parts were installed. 1 year of troubleshooting later AND they charged $1300 for diagnose problems I didn't have and replace parts that were not faulty. A truly embarrassing oversight on their part even after given very clear instruction. Complete amateur job, see photos. Owner still denies responsibility for wasting months of my time and charging me extra to fix their mistake. Amazing they are still in business. Do not trust them. read more

European Auto Repair - They left old seals behind and crushed them into fuel line. Charged me more to diagnose their mistake. Beyond amateur! - Auto Repair Near Me - Alameda, California

We recently were gifted a used Audi and it needed a service. Albert did the service on the car and called me to tell me about some issues he had found, but he did not charge me for the codes or for his diagnosis. He suggested I bring the car back to the Audi dealer where it had been serviced for years as he said some of the troubles were probably caused by their work. Audi proceeded to charge me a couple of hundred dollars to re-run the codes and then quoted me for a major job. I paid for the codes but decided to bring the car back to Albert (much more trustworthy) who completed the work (and did extra) and the price was still less than Audi's by about $200. Albert is very honest and helpful and a nice person. I will definitely be returning there and would recommend him over the dealer anytime! read more

Went in today for an oil change charged me 266$ when I called in I only called in for an OIL CHNAGE turns out they are also charging me for an inspection when I did not ask for an inspection I just had one 2 months ago with an oil change for 250$ at the same place aka here my car was not asking for an inspection. I told what turns out to be the owner he was extremely rude & non helpful will not be coming here ever again. They are such scammers highly do not recommend. If I could give negative 1 star I would. read more

This experience was laughable to say the least. The owner doesn't time to explain anything other than brief moments to summarize what parts they can throw at it next. I was told I have to "be a big boy and pay" for parts that were not failing and did not need to be replaced. After paying over $400 for that it fixed nothing. A year later found wrong parts installed and owner still denies any responsibility for the extra $1800 of diagnostics and parts they charged me. read more

I made an appointment and waited two weeks to get my car in. When I brought it in, they said they were too busy and that I should bring it back in a week. I brought it back and they tried to push me out again. Then they started the repair, only to tell me that they wouldn't finish it by the time I urgently needed my car. I ended up taking the car back and going to the Mercedes dealer. Interestingly, the dealer charged LESS than these guys for the repair. Take your car to these guys if you don't really care when they take it and when they return it. They're also great if you want to pay more than you would at the dealer. read more

Fast and transparent service! Was having trouble with my Mercedes transmission and they figured it out quickly. European Auto repair will be my go to for any other issues I face moving forward. read more

Not happy with service , expensive, misleading , looked for $463 plus tax to change a battery . Got the job done for $180 in the garage near by read more

This shop has been a go-to for us for several years with our older Audi and now Volkswagen. They do a great job servicing and repairing cars and the prices are reasonable compared to going back to the dealer. Also, when I had to take my VW back to the dealer to address an issue with the gas cap access door, they did not note any service issues which was a good validation of our decision to have the car serviced at European Auto Repair. read more

Iv been bringing my Mercedes here for a couple years now. It's a 2009 which is not considered at all new. Since bringing it here I have had zero issues. They are honest, hard working and experienced. Max and his father Albert know what they are doing ( the rest of the team ) I'll continue my services here. Best place I've experienced with service on my vehicle. read more

I've had repairs done at this shop 3 times. I have never questioned the prices or recommendations and have generally been satisfied - until my latest experience. I knew what the problem was before I went in - I needed a new Serpentine belt and belt tensioner. On rockauto.com these parts cost $20 and $60 respectively. European Auto Repair was going to charge me $80 for the belt and $220 for the tensioner. Furthermore, they recommended a series of other repairs. When I looked up the prices on the additional parts they were recommending the markup was again well over 100% - they recommended a new air conditioning compressor - $375 on rockauto.com but over $900 from European Auto repair. Needless to say I declined all repairs. I understand and expect SOME markup on part prices but 300%! I don't think so. read more

I have a VW Gold TDI and found this shop through TDI owner forums. I had to replace my timing belt and wanted to make sure I worked with a well respected shop as I've heard that not everyone does these repairs the right way. I'm a college student who is a bit strapped for cash and I don't know much about cars so I am a bit vary of taking my car in to get worked on. I hadn't had anyone look at my car for years and once I brought it in it was discovered that I had problems with the suspension and fuel injection pump as well. What I thought was going to be a $1500 repair was not looking more like a $4000 repair and I started to panic. I was basically a big pain in the butt because I kept vacillating on what to do. I would tell the shop that I wanted to do it, then I didn't want to do it. I'm sure I was very annoying but everyone at the shop was very understanding and patient with me. Eventually, it dawned on me that I still had a warranty on the car. EAR told me that in their experience, warranty companies never pay for anything but they offered to contact the company and handle the claim on my behalf. Low and behold the warranty company did end up covering the majority of the work. EAR even fixed some other things for me for free. In the end, I spent what I originally thought I was going to spend and got a lot more work done and the car is driving great. I highly recommend these guys for their customer service and workmanship. It is not the cheapest place in town, but the cars they work on are not the cheapest cars to work on. Maintaining a car is expensive and if you have a major repair and want to make sure it is done right, give these guys a call. read more

I've been to this auto repair shop 4 times already, and each time I've been very pleased with the results. Yes, the initial inspection is pricey for the "Check Engine Light" problem (which I experienced twice), but each time, the mechanics here identified the issue and fixed the problem at no extra charge. The first time, it was a faulty oxygen sensor and the second time it was a blown fuse in the fuel injection system. Both times, I got to car back the same day with less than $200 in repair costs. The other two times, I had broken head and tail lights, and the mechanic stopped what he was doing and installed the lights for me on the spot. I was charged only for the price of a bulbs. Now that's service. read more

First off, let me say that the Jetta TDI is one of the most brilliantly engineered cars ever. In my totally non-professional personal opinion, the German's really do make superior cars. That said, I have had my TDI for almost 2 years. In that time, she really has been the best car I have ever owned. 50+mgp in ideal conditions, reliable. I found Albert on the TDI (fanatic) website. My car was previously owned by someone in Texas who took my TDI to a hack mechanic, who probably only ever worked on Ford trucks. My car was starting to lose power when accelerating, turbo made lawnmower sounds, sunroof was broken, horn stopped working, check engine light (coolant issue), air conditioner busted, etc... I had a laundry list of problems. When Albert called to run through the list of issues and remedies, I felt completely comfortable with his diagnosis. I am usually on high alert for mechanics trying to get over. In no way did I feel like Albert was trying to tack on the parts. When I picked up my car I was shown the parts that were replaced. The price was considerably less than the cost of a dealership. They also took the time to do a full inspection to make sure nothing was missing. As soon as I started driving, I noticed how much better my TDI was handling and accelerating. It's also awesome having a working sunroof again. read more

Great place. I live in Alameda and always see a lot of older VW's there. I have an 89 Golf and had to get both fuel pumps installed. Did the work in a day. Went out of the way to help me too. Pricing is pretty steep but he knows his way around euro cars. Even talked to Albert for a bit and couldn't have been a more friendlier person. Any problems with my car, I know exactly who to go to. read more

I took an Audi here for a pre-inspection. European was recommended by another shop that was too busy to help me. That's a good sign. European squeezed me in and worked straight through because they knew I was waiting. Everyone there was super polite and took the time to talk to me and show me exactly what they found. Albert found a problem that a previous shop said they fixed, and Albert was nice enough to talk to the other shop on the phone. All in all, European saved me from getting into a big headache with a car that *looked* beautiful. It's obvious that these guys know that treating customers right is the way to a successful service business. I'll be back with whatever car I end up buying. read more

I have to do it. These last 7 days of waiting for my car to be completed has been a very agonizing and frustrating ordeal for me and at THIS point I am very much fed up to say the least. I was initially told my car would be ready for pick up by Thursday 6/15, then pushed back to Friday 6/17, then pushed back to Tuesday 6/20, then pushed back to Wednesday 6/21, then pushed back to 6/22 because Samantha the office girl forgot to order my tires, and finally today being 6/22 my tires are in but another push back to tomorrow 6/23. I've been given all of the above time estimates for my car to be ready by Albert and Samantha everyday since 6/15. Samantha was not the least sympathetic or sound apologetic today when I was expressing my frustration with all these un-kept dates that I've been given. She stated "I don't know what you want me to do I really wish you would be a little more understanding so do you want me to keep you on hold cause I have another line coming in", to ME. The CUSTOMER. Could not believe her tone and this is the second time she tried to argue with me about my frustration over the delays. She didn't make a good argument the first time and this time around either. She doesn't have knowledge on how car repairs work, even more so than me. Any human being in my position with my car having had been in there since 5/28 would feel the way I do, especially with all these dates that were given to me and not kept. I'm completely fed up with them. It's unfortunate I came here through a recommendation, too. I would not recommend this shop to be honest. I haven't seen the quality of the work yet but all this back and forth is so draining. I understand it's a project, my repair. But this just is not acceptable from a customers standpoint. Update: I get a call about payment. She states she can't receive cc payments over the phone because the fix cost is so high. Fine. What's the total I ask. She doesn't know. She never knows. Slap on my forehead. Things like that should be readily available for the customer, not having to figure it out and call back with every time asked especially when you called to discuss the topic of payment. I'm Completely frustrated times 100. And absolutely disappointed with the shop when their reviews told otherwise. Majority of the reviews here are technical ones and I guess they repair well as far as quality. I'll see about that once I get my car back. Wonder when that will be. read more

I have to say this is one of the most honest auto repairs I've ever been to. The owner took his time to explain to me how they work, exactly what they were going to charge me off the bat, and that they would call me before charging anything more. read more

After 4 years of living in Alameda and taking my BMW to other places, which have been fine, I finally took it to European Auto Repair this week and was extremely pleased with the quality of service. Albert is clear, patient and straightforward. There is no shaking down here for anything. Angelica was very courteous at the front desk and helpful. I think they may have had a staffing issue before because it was hard for me to get an appointment last year, but this year it was fairly easy. I'm sure these guys have all the local business they need but just wanted to point out this is a good shop. read more

Albert is the BEST! He owns the Shop and yesterday I called him for a side mirror fiasco encountered earlier that day. I brought my car in for assessment which he did right away and determined that it was just the glass that broke and the housing was fine. He disconnected the mirror from the wires before any further damage was done and taped it back (per my request) so I can use the little bit of undamaged mirror. He ordered the mirror the same day and I called back today to find out it was at the shop and he installed it for free. He only charged me for the mirror and did all the labor (including everything he did yesterday) for free. Would give European Auto Repair 10 stars had it been an option for AMAZING customer service. Thanks again Albert and I'll be back again. You've just earned yourself a loyal customer! read more

I took my A4 in for what I thought was an alignment issue and they tell me I need to put in an entirely new suspension kit. They also charged dealership rates for a simple computer check-up. I got a second opinion and it turns out I only needed to replace one part and I saved about $1200 because of that. To me that makes them untrustworthy and unless you already know or use them, I'd steer clear. read more

It was my first time to bring my car here. This place was fully booked for this week I brought in my car on Monday.. I expected to hear from them earliest this weekend. But Albert(owner?) called me following day to let me know what is going on with my car. I liked their quick response and customer service. I highly recommend this place to everyone with European car. read more

The man who helped me out at European Auto in Alameda was great!! A tree limb had fallen on my car and the back of it was filled with pieces of glass. I had called around to ask about paying someone to use a shop vac to get the glass out of the car, and no one was at all helpful. European Auto ( I think the man's name was Albert) vacuumed it all out, was very nice, and would not take any money for it. I felt very relieved as I went off to pick up the kids in a car without glass all over the insides. read more

An honest mechanic is hard to find these days. I took my car here after I got a quote from Mercedes Benz of Oakland to replace a wiring harness in my Mercedes. Albert who is the owner, was able to do the same job at a little more than half the price. He also inspected my car and found that the previous work that was done on my car by another mechanic was done incorrectly and fixed it for me at no charge. read more

I have been a loyal customer of European Auto for the past 7 years when I acquired my first BMW. Since the car at that time was on its last year of warrantee, I was a bit leary of taking it to a private shop. I then met Albert who from day one was honest and caring about me and my prized possesion. It never fails that when I take it to European Auto that I am going to get the best assessment of what needs to be done and what is best recommended for potential repairs down the road. The car is now nearly 12 years old and still running like new. If you are in need of auto service for your German made vehicle, look no further than European Auto and tell them Paul sent you! He'll actually know who you are talking about. read more

Worked wonders on my little daily driver porsche 914, same day as well! Very knowledgable staff - would recommend to any porsche owner in a heartbeat! read more

I have a 2001 CLK 430 amg benz. Albert at European Auto Repair took great care of us. I've gotten a transmission replacement, computer replacement , radiator replacement, and even a back light fixed that kept going out. Everything was done in a good timely fashion. Will be doing future oil changes here also recommending folks here. Good Job Albert I appreciate everything!! read more

Excellent place to get your foreign car repaired or maintained. The owner, Albert, and has father have owned the place for about 40 years. They were recommended to me by some friends of mine. If you have a small repair, like a light-bulb, they take time out from what they're doing and fix your car. read more

I brought my 1977 300D Mercedes in after just purchasing. There were several important to minor repairs it needed. The owner, Albert, was very informative on prioritizing the repairs and explaining them and the importance of each to me. The replacement if brake lines ran about $300, as did the drive shaft coupling thingey, both seemed pretty important. When I picked up the car, he showed me around inside the hood, and showed me how to change the oil and fuel filter by myself. I am planning to switch to biodiesel, and though he doesn't necessary like biodeisel, he told me what to look for as potential dangers, like changing fuel lines and changing fuel filters regularly. He was nice, friendly, and prices seemed fair. A+!! read more

Albert is great he will go out of his way to help you get your car fixed. European Auto Repair is always honest and after my less-than satisfactory experiences at a dealer in Downtown Oakland I have been completely satisfied here. Their prices are reasonable and service is exceptional. I had a weird electronic gremlin effecting my Audi S4 they were able to ferret out quickly and cheaply, and European cars are not known to be cheap to fix. read more

Over the past 5 years, Albert has always provided good work. I highly recommend European Auto Repair on High St in Alameda.

These guys know what they're doing! No BS'ing around! Very professional. I highly recommend these guys to anyone with a European car, you won't be disappointed. They run a very tight ship and the best part..... They diagnosed and fixed the problem! These guys are truly experts of their trade! read more

It might be true that an auto repair company needs to say "no, you don't need to fix/replace that" at least once to prove that their are intentions are good - but I am confident Albert and team truly do have their customer's best interests in mind as they could have easily replaced my battery as I was certain it had gone bad. But they were honest that it was fine and let me go without charge (no pun intended). That's all they needed to do to get a customer for life as I feel I can trust the team at European Auto. THANKs team!!!! read more

Albert and team are great. Sometimes challenging to get an immediate appointment, but it works out. I recently had an issue on my way to work, popped by, and the mechanic (Clark, I believe), went completely out of his way to take care of me. Lucky to have this shop in Alameda. read more

Used them (many) years ago and had not had a good experience. Generally stayed away, But car's battery died without warning on a holiday weekend. They ordered the battery, had it there in a few hours, and installed it quickly the same day. Convenient and a good experience. I'm all for recognizing improvements in service and happy to do it here. read more