I have been going here for around 30 years. Highly skilled mechanics and honest. Great people. I have owned VWs/Audis and BMWs. When you do, you want someone you can trust because you will work with them regularly. read more

Service and professionalism were horrific to say the least! I think it was because I was a woman, I know if my husband would have been doing Buisness with them he would have received different treatment. Think of your mother, wife, sister, or daughter and go somewhere else! read more

My college student daughter needed a new battery for the remote to her Audi Q3 and the closet dealership is in Santa Barbara. I called German Auto and spoke with Tucker, who assured me that they had the batteries in stock and could help without an appointment. Twenty minutes later she was all set with an operable remote - which he repaired at no cost. It's so refreshing to know there are still people/places that are willing to help without hassling and/or gouging customers. Thank you German Auto and Tucker for going above and beyond - it makes all the difference! read more

Tucker helped me out with my 2002 Mercedes. He was very informative and professional.

I am so happy I found this place. First off it's a few blocks from where I live so super nice to walk to and from. They have gotten me in with short notice the few times I've needed work on my car. They have the work done typically in a few hours. They don't need to keep my car till closing like some other auto repair places....friendly staff! Very happy with German auto! read more

My daughter's car had a coolant issue and it was too far to bring it back home. Thanks to German Auto for the repair. My husband spoke to Tucker and was able to diagnosed and fix the car immediately. I definetly recommend them! read more

Did a timing job, leak repair, & carbon cleaning on my Jetta. Price was competitive, they got it done really fast and were super communicative. Would take my car back there and recommend this shop to anyone. read more

Knowledgeable and honest ownership. These people know Mercedes-Benz and offer transparent and accurate advice and assessments. As an owner of 5 MBZ vehicles over the past 31 yeras, I know the difference and highly recommend them! read more

These guys have been amazing! My daughter is going to school in SLO so we needed to find someone we trust to help her with car issues. They have been great, honest, reasonable and responsive. Appreciate you guys! read more

This is only my second time at German Auto but I continue to be impressed and so pleased with their service. They got me in quickly because my long overdue battery was starting to fail. They replaced it and had me out of the shop in an hours time. I'll be using them for all my future auto repair needs. I am a senior and depend on excellent service providers. German Auto in SLO is one of those. Thanks so much. Barbara I. read more

Honest and reasonable! These guys are straight shooters and your can count on them to do a good job.

First time taking my car to German Auto and I couldn't be happier. The guys that work here are awesome. I had one shop quote me for two things at a ridiculous amount, took it German Auto and they got back to me with an estimate promptly. Was able to service my car the next day and have it ready within 24 hrs. I genuinely think they are a trustworthy shop and I will recommend this shop to everyone I know in the area. Thank you Steven and all the guys that work at German Auto! read more

Please look elsewhere if you need any type of work done to your vehicle. Gave me multiple prices, damaged my vehicle, major lack of communication. Overall slimy business. read more

We have always taken our cars here and have had great service over the years. The mechanics here are very knowledgeable and ensure everything is done correctly before they are done with your vehicle. They are also very friendly and go out of their way to explain what your vehicle needs to have done. The prices are reasonable and are in line with other auto repair shops in SLO. We will continue to bring our cars here for service. read more

My wife and I were in SLO moving our daughter into an apartment to start school at Cal Poly. Unexpectedly our VW Passat would not start. Not what you want when you are 250 miles from home. After AAA got my car started I went to German Auto for what I hoped was just a new battery. Tucker welcomed me to the shop and promised to take a look right away. 2 hours later I had a new battery and peace of mind. Tucker ran all the necessary diagnostics to ensure there was no other issues. I really appreciate the friendly, fast, and honest service. Now we have a reliable mechanic to service my daughters Jetta! read more

This shop always puts their customers first. I had a problem with my car yesterday. I called and they offered to help me out right away. They did the job they said they'd do, at the price they quoted me, and it was finished early. They're fantastic and super customer oriented. They absolutely know their German cars. Just love working with them. read more

German Auto has never failed to provide a top notch level of service at the quoted price, I highly recommend them.

I needed a new radiator put in my 1991 Benz-so I tried German Auto for the first time. What a great experience, Tucker and every one I dealt with was so friendly and welcoming. Great work at a fair price and I'll be back when needed. Thanks read more

When I first moved to town around 10 years ago I had a BMW that was probably 3 years old so outside of any warranty, I needed an oil change and some other stuff done I think. I had a nurse I work with recommend German Auto, she said she has taken her BMWs there for years and they are honest and do great work. Being a single female navigating through the car world is very intimidating. Well German Auto makes it's easy. The guys there can always get my car in quickly and do whatever repairs need to be done. I will also add that they are very good at explaining to me what the problem is and how they are going to fix it. So 10 years later a few German cars they have always taken such good care of my cars and myself when I have been anxious or nervous about a car issue. Thank you, German Auto for making my life and my cars so easy. read more

Excellent customer service and patience. Tucker, Will, and Steven all took the time to explain in great detail what was going on with my car. After some frustrating experiences with other mechanics-tinkering and some down right refusing to work on my vehicle I have found my new mechanic. They keep my '87 Turbo Diesel MBZ running smoothly and with less mysterious noises. read more

A BIG THANK- YOU TO German Auto, after going to several mechanics to work on my 1972 Volkswagen bug every time I would get it back from the shop, it would still have a problem. I finally found German auto in Sant Maria, Ca. They are terrific!! In the 45 years of going to mechanic I have never had a mechanic call me and keep me up-to-date each step of the way. They informed me of upcoming problems and kept track of possible thing I may need to do. They are hard workers and very honest, I strongly recommend them. Bill HERMAN Buellton, Ca read more

I have always loved my 2003 BMW-330i and my odometer just passed the 178,000 mile mark. The main reason for the durability, efficiency and pleasure I've had with this car rests with the great crew at German Auto. They really care about their work and how important it is to me to have a dependable automobile both when I'm in San Luis Obispo or traveling. Tucker, Jim and Steve interact well with customers in large measure because they explain what needs to be done, the time involved and the cost of the maintenance or repair. Their prices are fair and the work is exceptional. I recommend them highly for their competence and their skill. read more

I love the way German auto treats me as a customer and always honest with the diagnostics with my car. I've been going to them for years and plan on taking my future cars to them. Thanks again for the good service boys. Keep it up read more

We are an automotive repair facility in Orange County. One of our most loved clients was in on vacation near SLO and broke down. She called us and we were unable to help due to the distance. She chose this shop because her family in SLO trusts them. I spoke with Tucker who explained what was going on with her car and talked with our client just to try and help in any way we could. Tucker was really helpful and had good communication with us and the client keeping us update. I am happy with how we and our client were treated. If a scenario like this arises again in SLO, I will fell comfortable recommending our client to them. Tucker, thank you for the professional service read more

Tucker intercepted my first call. Communication is everything according to the world called Donna. I was able to get my Mini Cooper in the next morning. Between Tucker & Steven, they are a well oiled machine. Thank you for excellent customer service. Don't want to see you for awhile, but comforting knowing you're there. read more

Everything you need in your auto repair--polite, reliable and trusted. If your car is broke--they fix it. If it's not broke they maintain it. It's convenient and fair. What else could you ask for. read more

Very pleasant and competent people. And work I've had done with them before on basic oil change and brake went okay. Several friends use them with entirely positive feedback. More recently I wanted work done on a Mini - they were familiar with the vehicle but had an incomplete diagnosis. Issues initially addressed and corrected competently. Unfortunately, when I returned for warranty claim, only days after completion of the work, I was told other work needed to be done at the cost of over $1000. To their credit, they said they would credit a portion of initial labor - with the bill still exceeding $1000. However the reason for the low rating was not due to a lack of competence, but rather the significant upcharging of parts. When I asked if they would install oem parts that I got on line the response was, " if we use them our shop rate goes up to $300/ hr".... to be fair they are not the only similar shop with this model.. I guess it's how some businesses in slo operate to cover high overhead of this area. If cost is not an issue, I think German auto is an excellent alternative to the local dealer, however for old or odd speciality cars with very expensive OEM parts, that you may want to purchase online, you may want to consider other options - like "Main Street Minis" in Ventura. These guys live and breath Mini and are experts in Minis old and new. Also thought about going to British Sports Cars. Both of these outfits work on Minis regularly and will install oem or aftermarket parts that you bring in without doubling their shop rate. End of the day the lesson learned was go to a Mini workshop when servicing your Mini. read more

After calling several shops to have a rear sway bar installed for my VW GTI, German Auto SLO not only had the quickest turn around time, but also had a reasonable price for the work. I would recommend these guys for any VW work. The employees were helpful and I will definitely be coming back in the future for my GTI needs. Thanks German Auto read more

I've taken my 1992 BMW E30 to German Auto twice and both times have had excellent service. Tucker is easy to work with and communicates very well. It's tough to find a repair shop that actually has experience or understands older BMWs and their tricky electronics. First time was a simple fuel filter but second time involved replacing crank shaft position sensor and a valve adjustment. Certainly will continue to use them for future maintenance/repairs! read more

Outstanding! My Volvo engine conked out while I was going through town--I reached out to this shop and the manager quickly welcomed me in, checked out the engine immediately, explained the issue clearly, then helped me get a rental car to get home. He followed up with a very detailed and thorough report, stored the car while I figured out the next step, and was patient and kind while I had to make some quick, difficult choices. Very grateful to this crew and highly recommend this repair shop! read more

I don't know much about cars especially German cars.... Hints that's why I took my BMW there.... The service manager was completely rude and sarcastic to me. He lacked communication and following through with returning calls. My appt was in the morning and it took them until closing to get back to me, while I was waiting. I would have rather them be honest and to let me know they needed more time and would recommend keeping the car overnight, rather than not completing their promises and giving me a wrong time estimate. Fortunately part of my issues were resolved. I found another foreign car mechanic that understand the problem and had the resources to fix it. They are extremely busy and maybe that's why it took them so long, but that doesn't give the manager the right to treat their customers with ignorance. read more

Wow, I will never go here again, if I can simply convey this message to others I'll feel that I've done my part for humanity, especially those living in the SLO area. I had some car problems and took my car to them to get some repair, the list of poor experiences goes on and on: - The service writer and apparent owner were both condescending and rude, like I was wasting their time! - They quoted me some ridiculous prices for some simple work (I've repaired my own cars for years but have just been busy with work lately), I know what it takes to fix certain problems on cars, the prices they quoted me were outrageous! - They wanted to charge me a "$15 Information Access Fee", basically a fee to tell me what they would charge me! Imagine restaurants charging customers just to look at the menu??! They should call it a "$15 permission to rip you off fee" -When I tried, reasonably so, to question the pricing and to see if we could come to a more sane pricing arrangement, the service writer suggested I was taking food out of his and his employee's mouths! What nerve! So, in other words, if I don't allow them to totally rip me off, I'm the bad guy??! What about the money out of the mouth's of your customers who are being unfairly priced! I promptly left and took my car elsewhere, I was appalled and will NEVER be going back to this rip off joint. If you are in the area and want honest, reasonable service, check out Rizzoli's, they'll take much better care of you. read more

Booo! I have put thousands of dollars into my Audi A8L here. They always charged me for the simplest things, including labor on installing a part that takes no time to install and labor and diagnostic time for repairs that were not or were only partially fixed. The final straw came when I was quoted $1000 for one headlight, and then I looked over the owner's shoulder (Jim) and saw that $500 was the actual cost to German Auto. Do not trust these people they are far too greedy! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH GERMAN AUTO read more

Pffff. Accused me of leading my house keys at home so I went to check. No luck. Went back and they found my keys the accused me of "tricking" them. Not funny. Where is the trick in getting locked out of your house and making an extra trip back to rude mechanics. Turns out they removed my house key because they had to clean it after they got it dirty. I had to go back the next day bcs they did not put my car back together after replacing my belts. Great work doofus! After this poor experience I never went back and heard others' horror stories. Wish u knew sooner. read more

The guys at the desk who I think own the place are some of the rudest people ever. I think they're alcoholics. Despite the awful service, they know what they're doing and are good at it. Prices are alright--I feel like they could be lower read more

German Auto is a fantastic place to go to fix BMWs. Generally I don't let any shop touch my cars since I don't trust them and could do a better job myself but when in need, I bring them here. I was in a tough situation when my 1990 e34 525i broke down on HWY 58 one summer and I had the tow truck tow it to their shop. My car had overheated when a coolant intake hose blew off and air was stuck in my system. I gave them a call in the morning and the car was fixed by the end of the afternoon (with a compression test done). Though the car was still leaking coolant before and after it was brought in, the car ran just fine. I have also been in the need to replace the entire clutch kit and a flywheel for my e39 M5. I mistakenly took it to Rizzolis back in February to get it checked out where they charged me a ridiculous amount for an inspection that told me my car was "fine" when I knew it needed a new rod bearing. Long story short, my rod bearing went out and called up German Auto for a quote. They got back to me promptly and quoted me a fair price for the job. I'll be bringing in the car next week and updating the review for an update regarding the repair. read more

I believe my initial review had an impact on the boys down at German Auto and as such I let both John and Jim know that I'd update this once I felt like the customer service had changed. Boy has it. See new 5 star rating. And if you're curious about the changes click on the "Rating Details" link next to their name to see the upward trending graph indicating the happy/satisfied customers. They listened to their customers and responded in spades. Jim apologized for my experience and has personally reached out to me on a number of return visits to make sure I'm satisfied with the work. In other experiences, this behavior can come off as "normal" customer service, but I can tell Jim is both genuinely interested and enjoys making customers happy. Having seen every other customer in German Auto with smiles on their faces and happy conversations on their lips, I'd be hard pressed to say that they don't treat everyone with the same professional, white-gloved, smile and hand-shake that they do me. German Auto has gone above and beyond the call of duty fix issues on my car including noting a few areas that might need attention in future visits but never fixing them without my permission. They always give me a rundown, wash the car (awesome!), and ask how they can better service the car next time. I get a phone call update whenever the work is done, as well as whenever there's a major update. If I need a ride back from work or to the shop they pick me up and drop me off. I personally have never experienced that level of customer service at an auto mechanic. Ever. Superior Automotive back in the day came close I suppose (last time I went there Kurt wasn't running the show so I can't vouch for it anymore), but German Auto has that service beat today. Make sure to check them out and let me know how they do in the comments. I'm willing to bet, your experiences will reflect the now warm and professional experiences I've had. P.S. I drive a Subaru WRX STi (Japanese) and they've been wizards with the car as it's heavily tuned and requires an expert touch. If you've got a rather unique car and are looking for a specialized mechanic to take care of it, ask German Auto and see what they can do for you. The car may not need to be German to be serviced, but the quality of the work and service will be. read more

I had to have my engine replaced in my VW new beetle last year and these guys did a great job - they found a new engine with almost the exact same mileage, the work was down in under a week and they also replaced my clutch for no additional labor cost. They also weren't excessively judgmental that I destroyed my car engine (I swear it was an accident!). There were some growing pains the first week I got back and they fixed them for no additional cost. I've had a couple issues come up recently and they have always helped out as quickly as they are able to, and are definitely honest with pricing and the work. I recommend them to all of my friends and family with German cars! read more

Tucker and Steven are awesome. Always responsive and ready to help! They are very knowledgeable and spend time answering all of my questions :) read more

I had car troubles on my way to San Francisco and dropped in. Despite having several other cars in bays, tucker was able to start work immediately. Although repair required a part not available until the following morning, I was still able to get back on the road in less than 24 hours. They even gave the car a wash before sending me on my way. The shop looks to be quite busy with a variety of bmws, vws, and Porsche's. Super friendly. Clean. Located right downtown, so plenty to do while you wait. Right around the corner from the Nautical Bean, which has an amazing maple muffin. If you're gonna be stranded with car troubles on the central coast, this is the place to go to. read more