My first experience with Germany's Best was excellent! I like Paul. It can be hard shopping for good, fair, honest, and reliable car repair shops/mechanics, but when I spoke with Paul over the phone not only did he give sound advice but he was warm, humane. What he said over the phone made sense to me so I brought my Audi in and now it's in great shape. Thank you! read more

I took my 2006 Audi A4 for a routine oil and filter change to Germany's Best. I do not have any complaint about the work performed. BUT, $ 390/- for oil and filter change! Ridiculous! Fix the price before you authorise any work. Aaron R. read more

This auto shop is truly wonderful! I called at 3 pm on Friday to see if they could look at my son's car as it was having issues. He needed to drive down to OC for the holidays on Sunday. Paul looked at the car and fixed it within an hour. Great customer service and very reasonable! Highly recommend this gem!! read more

I will never go to this place again. Way expensive and I think unnecessary work. I now take my cars to Erich at Precision Motors. Erich is a much better communicator, only does the work that is necessary (unlike my experience here), knows what he is talking about and explains options well (unlike my experience here). read more

I had a very complex diagnostic issue with a 2005 BMW that was new to me. Paul hung in there until he got the job done and continues to check up on the situation. Real home town service with integrity. I highly recommend Paul and his crew. read more

These guys know cars and are honest - they treat me as an equal, a woman who can make a decision based on good information from a mechanic, mechanics that are solid and reliable. They go the extra mile, answer my questions - wash the car when it too a little longer than planned. We use Germany's Best for all 3 cars - BMW, Mercedes and Porsche, I won't go anywhere else! read more

I came to Germany's Best after getting an oil change at Oil Changers on San Pablo and the oil pressure light in my car came on after a few days of driving. Paul greeted me, and though he didn't have time to fully inspect my car, he checked my car quickly and informed me that all of the oil had drained from it. Paul replaced the oil and booked me for his earliest available appointment to take my car in and do a full inspection on the lift. After dropping my car off, Paul and his crew determined that the people at Oil Changers had damaged the oil filter housing and over-torqued the filter cap, so all of it had to be replaced. I picked it up a few hours later after they had completed the work, and my car has been running with no issues for several weeks now! I really appreciate Paul and the crew at Germany's Best for being knowledgeable, careful, and considerate with my car! Definitely recommend their services to other German car owners! read more

Have been there over a week ago. Had an electrical problem, they recomended me going to a good coffee shop nearby. Because the problem was just a fuze, the guy let me off with no fee! Not even for the checking!! read more

Didn't actually get any work done here. I got a bad quote and a bad vibe from the guy at the front desk for a simple oil change. "we are not a jiffy lube kind of place". If you hear those words, run don't walk away. Additionally they wanted to have my car for an entire day so they can find the optimal time to work on it. This all transpired after I waited about a week for my appointment. Long story short, I went somewhere else and got the work done quickly while I waited for about half the price. Very glad I trusted my intuition on this one. read more

they got me in and out same day. honest work and worth the money. they fixed another minor issue without an additional cost. will be using as my regular mechanic from now on. very nice and to the point. made me feel respected and were very upfront about pricing and time itd take and stuck to it. didnt play games. excellent service all around. good mechanics are hard to come by these days. read more

I recently made an appointment at Germany's Best to have a Pre Purchase inspection done. I was very disappointed to find that all I got at the end of the inspection was a bill for $150.00 and two line on the receipt telling me that the turbo was bad and that the computer was just recently reset and that the car needed to be driven in order for the computer to reset. I was expecting a checklist of items that had been gone through by the mechanic indicating what had been inspected, what might need repair and what was in working order. I left the facility feeling like I just wasted $150.00, they don't have a waiting area so you have know idea if they even did anything to the car. read more

The dealership fixed the issues in 15 minutes. Germany's best had the car for two months. Not cool.

Not only did this place treat me unprofessionally when I tried to take my car to be fixed, but ever since I yelped an unfavorable review, i have been messaged non stop from the owner, Paul. Check out what he has to say about his customers, yelp, and me (a prospective customer) : PAUL V. Owner Block & Report Owner PAUL V.'s comment on your review: I would like to clarify the facts:This "customer"never understood the issues and WAS NEVER CHARGED FOR ANYTHING. Car towed in, 250k miles, very poor condition, no crank or start For free I charged the battery and attempted to start:would not start. Quoted a Interstate battery was $129.00: quoted approx 125.00 to diagnose: approx $300.00. Her response:preposterous. This was a minimum charge to check fuel injection, charging system and ignition. It's like walking into Chez Panisse and look at the menu prices and stating preposterous, I can buy a meal at McDonalds for $4.00. Sorry, not here. . PAUL V. Owner Block & Report Owner 3 days ago Check out the facts. . megan h. 3 days ago The 'ramp' that i had to be TOWED out of was the most ridiculous part....not having access to my car once you recieved the keys seemed completely odd to me, my dad, and every mechanic Ive talked to. a battery should not be 129! 125 to 'diagnose' is ridiculous. most mechanics try to find the problem...THEN give you an estimate as to what it will cost to fix it. as far as the other reviews...it looks like a lot of people have had the same experience. yelp is a place to help fellow consumers make wise decisions--not a place for business owners to patrol and target upset customers. . PAUL V. Owner Block & Report Owner 21 minutes ago yelp is full or crap, much like yourself having worked in this bis for 25 years, i think i know how it works. 2 other idiots have had problems only because they are idiots. yelp is being sued for several reasons. yelp is irrelevant btw your review was removed probably for appearing so idiotic ....Nice, trustworthy guy, eh?! read more

I don't have a shop press at home. So I brought my steering upright assembly and a new bearing to them, and had them press out the old wheel bearing and put in the new one. This should be at most a 5~10 min job. Guess what they wanted to charge me when I returned: 1 full hour @ $100/h rate. I complained and they reduced the labor time to 0.50hr. Lesson learned. read more

Horrible experience at this place. I was going to take them to small claims court but having a mutual friend stopped me (I may still do it). The story is long but bottom line the owner misdiagnosed the mechanical issue with my BMW and instead of changing the part that I and other people thought was the reason the car would not start he changed other parts that did not fix the issue but he did me a favor!!! and didn't charge me full price because of the mutual friend (only $575!). After having the car at the place for a week I ended up towing it to a BMW service in Berkeley to fix. They right away figured the problem and fixed it the same day ($700). Funny thing is that at this Berkeley place I saw 3 BMWs with the license plate frame that had the "Germany's Best" imprint on them. Obviously others had a similar experience as I and moved on to a more competent shop. A lot of mechanics misdiagnose a problem and change parts that don't fix the problem and do things by the process of elimination. And since they already put in labor and parts they don't want to lose money so they come up with all kinds of rhyme and reasons on why the parts needed to be changed anyway. This guy is no exception but he also aggressively defends his wrong diagnosis. After his initial solutions to the problem failed, he figured out what the actual problem part was but it was too late for me. I couldn't trust him any longer and just wanted to take the car out of there. Not an honest/competent shop. read more

I have to reiterate the previous reviewer. I found Erich to be very direct and nice guy. He fixed my problem that plagued others and I trusted what he said. In addition, his rates were great. I believe that if you aren't going to the dealer, than you shouldn't pay dealer rates. So I believe. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. After a bunch of problems finding a good mechanic, I'm happy to have found GB. My only issue is that they shop does seem spotty in service. UPDATE: Erich has moved to Precision on Broadway. He is no longer with Germany's Best. Update: Feb 2009. These guys are good when they are good. But, I've called them on some service items they said they did, but didn't. They briefly tried to misdirect blame back to me a couple times (that item always fails, it probably failed after you left, we wouldn't miss something like that). But, after noting basic facts and engineering, they did end up fixing the issue. read more

My wife took her BMW in here for a simple brake light repair. While they had the car they told her that the transfer case fluid looked dangerously dirty (which it very could have been, who knows, but the car has always been properly maintained). She scheduled a day the following week to bring the car back in to get an estimate for the 100k mi service on the car, and to have the work performed. I took the car back in on Thursday the following week, as scheduled. No one at Germany's Best got back to me by the end of the day, and I wasn't able to get a simple estimate from them until the end of the day on Friday when I called in to hound them. The estimate that they gave me was absurdly high, so I took it to another shop which quickly completed the work for several hundred dollars less, using all BMW parts and fluids. I will not being going back here again. read more

We were lied to and cheated and lost our car and lots of money. The old owner Paul, was honest which kept us coming back. The last time we had no idea the shop was under new ownership (Eric) until it was too late. He was absolutely evil. If you want someone honest and skilled to take care of your Mercedes, go to James Auto in Emeryville. read more

Okay, car repair is not an easy business. Car owners neglect their cars, want to pay very little or nothing for repairs, and want their cars to be fixed in an hour. I don't neglect my cars, but I am party to the "pay little" and "fixed in hour" population. Who doesn't want quick and cheap? Germany's Best (Paul and Ernest) have thoughtfully endured my "how much!" and "how long" with grace and thoughtfulness. They have never been dishonest, or tried to sell me something I didn't need. Nor have they given me unreasonable expectations. German cars are expensive to maintain (you knew that when you bought it, right?) but Germany's Best charge a very fair price for work performed. And, all the work they've done on my car has been very good. John B. read more

I'm pretty sure Paul has saved me money over the course of them taking care of my 2003 MBW 325i. It's an old car now, a few scratches on the outside, but it still runs great. And I will keep bringing it back there, since I trust Paul and Germany's Best to keep my old car running without gouging me. read more

These guys are GREAT! I've owned German cars most my life, and have gone to many a repair shop, but these guys take the cake. I am always greeted with a smile, given respect & the extrra mile in terms of explaining the ins and outs of their diagnosis. As a woman who has felt vulnerable in a "man's world" I can say that Paolo & staff have settled any fears i have, and do the job quickly & with a painless price tag. Last July my car broke down on Claremont Avenue, and it was towed to their shop and dealt with immediately. These guys don't give excuses, they give quality service. read more

Reading the reviews on Yelp I was aprehensive to take my car here but it was the only local place that I could find, barring the dealer, that would recharge the air conditioning system on my 02 BMW. The service manager (Paul?) told me what needed to be done and gave me the cost up front for the service minus the cost of gas; that depended on how much the system needed. I scheduled the repair for Friday and he let me drop the car off on Thursday night so that it could be locked in the shop not left on the street (There has been some problems with car crime on College lately). Paul called me on Friday lunch to say that the system was recharged and also told me that they had checked the car over and found a couple minor problems that I needed to take care of in the near future i.e. belts and a couple of small oil leaks from the VCG and oil filter housing. I will be doing these myself in a couple weeks. All-in-all I was impressed with the cleanliness and service of this garage and would use them again. read more

I have a Porsche 9ll. The car is 23 years old, and I had been somewhat neglectful on taking proper care of the car. When I drove it I noticed it just was not running right, engine did not sound right. When driving the car you feel something was wrong. The first person I took it to could not figure out what the problem was. They did agree the engine was running too rich, and not right, but did not know why. I took the car to Germany's best (recommend to me). I talked with Paul. He told me he would figure it out. Well, he repaired the car and it runs GREAT. When I drove it home I just could not believe how good it handled. I was extremely satisfied. I did have thoughts of selling the car, but now think I will keep it. Paul was honest, straight forward, and meticulous. Any service on my car will be done by Germany's Best. I highly recommend this shop. read more

another rebuttal has arrived from Paul demonstrating he continues to fail to understand the issues. (not sure why he's only bringing this back up again now, months later... possibly because he's rubbed because he's received yet another poor review from somebody else?) again, in my case, we had jointly already discussed what our vehicles problem was based on the symptoms, and what the repairs were to be to address it. however, when i was presented with the ticket to write up the repair, it included what was described as an open-ended estimate for "diagnosis" with a significant minimum charge, and the specific non-guaranty that it would address the problem. who (in their right mind) would agree to that? the response to my questioning this was completely wrong; almost immediately escalated to the "like it or lump it" variety. i 'lumped it'. the fact that i didn't keep it a secret seems to have not gone over well, but continuing pathetic rebuttals from the shop and negative reviews convince me that i should not be sorry i shared the truth. not surprisingly, the same symptoms were diagnosed by another shop as being exactly what had previously been suspected; parts were replaced, and many months later now, the problem remains resolved. (as an aside, repairs at the other shop were a less expensive and there was no "diagnostic" charge... and people there were considerably more personable.) price was never the reason i went to GB, and be clear that it was the current managements 'service' that drove me away. now Paul is making it seem that people are likely to get sour grapes from him even many months afterward! read more

I've been taking my BMW to Germany's Best for over five years and always pleased with the service and the positive attitude with Paul the owner and every one who works here...Highly recommend this auto shop. They ARE the BEST!! read more

Paolo at Germany's best is the only one I trust with my '00 528i. I've been servicing my car(s) here for over 3 years. The work is always solid, thorough and on time. I've sent friends here as well and I get good words from them regarding their experience. read more

Germany's Best is fabulous. I work just down the block and get my car done while I work then either have it delivered to a parking spot or get it from them when my work day is finished. Paulo works with me to meet my schedule and times and works to keep the bill down on any repairs. These guys are awesome! read more

Had visited a few different German auto shops in Oakland and SF and spent a lot of money on repairs. When I got tired of being bled dry, I stumbled upon Germany's Best and Paul was able to fix the issues plaguing my car (a 2004 BMW 325i) at a rate much more reasonable than the other shops I'd been going to. I really appreciated how much time and care he put into working on my car. It's been running like a dream since and I plan on sticking with this shop for all of my future auto work. read more

Paul is a magician! He gave a new life to my 91 MBZ SL500. The car had been damaged by a previous mechanic and needed wiring repair and a new computer. The car now runs as well as new. I highly recommend Paul if you have a special car that needs some TLC. read more

Just had a nice experience here. Had a tire that was very low, called to see if I could bring in the car to have it filled to bring to a tire shop. While I was there, he offered to fix the flat quick, and I was out of there with the repair all taken care of in 20 minutes flat, only $20 worse for wear. They normally service only German cars, but given the issue, he made an exception. Very low key cool vibe. read more

There are so many mechanic shops that try and take advantage of their customers. This is not one of them! I have never had the experience of a business truly and ultimately being concerned with my safety and well-being. Paul is a genuine person who really cares about the people coming into his shop. My car was sold to me with a lot of unknown problems and Paul fixed it right up. I now have a happy car and feel safe when driving. Thank you!!! read more

I have a Jetta. It's not even a fancy Jetta. Just a Jetta. I hate taking it to the dealership, they find too many things wrong with it that aren't vital and charge me way too much to fix what needs to be fixed. I heard about Germany's Best about a year ago from a friend, and took the Jetta in the next time something went wrong. I have dealt mainly with Paul, but Paolo is also really awesome. I drive 400 miles a week in my poor little Jetta, and it's well over 130,000 miles, with 8 years of abuse under its belt. I love bringing my car in here because it's always attended to in a timely manner, and I get really straight-forward advice on what is wrong, and what may go wrong, and if I wanted to splurge, what I could money into. Jettas have a lot of electrical problems (or at least mine does) and they've been really great at tell me what the Check Engine light is for, and if it's actually necessary to fix it. I know nothing about cars, but they talk to me like I'm in intelligent and capable of understanding the inner-workings of a water pump. I actually called Paul when my car overheated in Gilroy and he helped me get it back to the Bay Area. Even if your car isn't fancy, they know it's important, read more

I wouldn't take my Mercedes anywhere else in the Bay Area. I've been here for a major repair, and I've dropped in for small bulb replacements without an appointment. It doesn't matter when I come here, these guys are always honest, reliable, and consistently cheaper than the Mercedes dealership. It's hard to find an auto repair shop that's trustworthy, but it's even harder to find one whose owner offers you one of his chocolate chip cookies on your way out. Thanks Paul and crew! read more

i bring our two cars here and have always had my expectations exceeded.. once, my Allroad let a fan blade fly through my radiator in Tahoe and I had it towed back to Germanys Best. While the tow was expensive it was worth it as the car was ready before noon on the Monday morning. I've no idea how they got the parts so quickly. I've also had spotty service from some big dealerships in the area and think GB is far more personal and knowledgeable than most. read more

Germany's Best is great, the most reliable and efficient place i have taken my car for repairs. I put all my trust in Paul and he tells it like it is and always gives me the fairest price possible. I get fast priority service on my Audi Quattro every time. Even when they say its not possible it somehow gets done before schedule and makes me grateful to know i've taken care of my car problems in a day or a 3 hour period and don't have to worry about coming back. The service is done by very skilled mechanics that aim to please. This is the shop to go to especially if your fed up with the high priced dealerships. read more

Excellent experience. Paul took his time to understand and investigate my 325i problem. He then suggested a corrective course of action and did the work for exactly the price he quoted. The car runs great now. Plus they have a cool garage full of hi-end German autos that they are working on! read more

Looking for a garage to service my 1995 BMW. The dealer was getting too expensive and impersonal. Germany's Best was recommended to me and i was told to ask for Paul. I made the call, made an appointment and he has been servicing my car ever since. You trust Paul and his guys immediately, they are personable and very knowledgeable. Not only is your car serviced but you are also taught about your car. If you love your car, Germany's Best is the place. read more

I've been doing business with Germany's Best for over ten years. They've worked on my old Porsche, my BMW wagon and my vintage Bug, They have always done excellent work, and kept me running even when my cars were being diffcult. They are particularly honest and helpful when a difficult decision has to be made approaching problems with my older cars. My cars run well and have become dependable daily transportation. I owe that to the care they receive under the supervision of Paul, Eric and John. read more

I have been seeing these guys for a few years and I think they do a really good job on my Mercedes. I have always been helped by Erich and he's a direct and nice guy. Never had a problem. I recently had a problem while on the freeway in traffic and called them for advice on the road and Erich talked me through fixing the problem for about 15 minutes. I think these guys are great. I found out about them on the Berkeley Parents Network review website. Hope that helps! read more

I visited Germany's Best recently for a service on my BMW. I found Paulo to be incredibly helpful -- from start to finish. I dropped my car off in the morning, got an update call from Paulo by mid-morning, and picked up my car just after noon. I read a lot of the other Yelp reviews before going to GB. I have to say, those folks who are criticizing the service here are crazy. Best service I've received at any auto shop, period. Oh, and by the way, my car is running perfectly. What's not to like? read more