This is a Critique of the Owner/Manager, Nicknamed, Curly, of the Automotive Business, Griffen Motorwerke, in Berkeley, CA. I had been a first-time customer this year, 2026, and when I paid my bill, I had asked Curly, now nicked name, Surly, if he could use my credit card to pay 1/2 the bill now, and 1/2 the next month. Surly agreed, and Griffen received all the $$ I owed! The recent second time I had to use their services for my 2005 BMW Z4, I was given an estimation for a tuneup. When I arrived to deliver my car, I again asked if he could take 1/2 the fee now and the other 1/2 next month. This then desended into a diatribe of insults and humiliation in front of all the office employees present! Surly started to berate me, and said he would not do what I asked, since this would compromise his employee monthly payroll; we are talking about ~$620! He continued his diatribe, while laughing at the thought of what I wanted him to do! I could have answered him, but the utter stupidity of this scenario to belittle me, in the presence of his office staff, was enough to make me get up, take my car keys, and leave! He could only laugh that's how out of touch Surly is when it comes to customer relationships. as the owner and manager of his business. One last scenario I had the first time I took my car to Griffen. I picked up my car, and found that the two seat belts were tightly strapped on the seats, and I was not sure how to release them. I got Surly to come out and show me how to release them, and mentioned that a mechanic must have tighten them. Surly became very agitated, and yelled that none of his mechanics would do that! I replied that he had my Z4 for 2 weeks, and I did not tighten them myself. I thought that Surly must have a hard time with the truth! Finally, there are better BMW sevice businesses elsewhere in Berkeley, CA, for example, Autometrics! Dr. Richard H. Fish, Senior Scientist Chemist read more

Was looking for a shop to do my preemptive water pump/thermostat maintenance on my 2021 s4. Audi s4 are known for water pump failures and leaks. So I found griffin through yelp. The staff was friendly and informative and they specialized in audi. They gave me a reasonable quote and I went forward with it. Car is running great and staff did all the pressure testing that the car needed. I recommend this place! read more

Great experience. Did as asked without pushing for extra work. Professional & friendly service. read more

Went to GM for seatbelt harness for my track toy. I didn't really know what I wanted and was happy to receive a ton of great advice from Chris. Scheduling an appointment was easy and they had an open slot for me the next day. The place is easy to find and I was happy with the service. They even reduced my labor charge since my car came in with rear seats removed which simplified the job a little. A great, honest shop. A year or two ago, I got Recaro seats from them too. They were great, fabricated custom brackets to hold all the OEM airbag sensors rather than chopping them and patching with a resistor like a lesser shop might do. Loved the seats ever since and had no issues. Definitely recommended. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - The bay - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

A little over ten years ago I moved to the Bay Area. I've always been a car enthusiast and I do a lot of my own work, so I really appreciate clarity, honesty, and value. When I moved to the East Bay from the South Bay, I was really worried about losing my car shop. It takes so long to find a good mechanic and when you do, it's even harder to let go. After a mediocre experience at another shop in Berkeley (a story for another time), I talked to Griffin about a necessary water pump replacement on my Audi. It's a common repair on these cars unfortunately. It's also very complex and is tough work (tight spaces and fiddly parts). Griffin provided me a very reasonable estimate and stuck to their pricing. They're communicative and have an excellent shop. It's also nice to work with some folks that appreciate and know their way around aftermarket enhancements. I'll be back for my routine service. I'm very impressed and happy with the work. read more

I have a 2009 Audi A3 3.2. Griffin is not only doing the scheduled maintenance, they are helping me with modifications as well. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, the work is always well done and they are guiding me to adventures I can have with my car as well! read more

Griffin Motorwerke - 2009 Audi A3 3.2 - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

What a wonderful project Curly and his team just completed. Remember No rush job Prepare to pay for Value read more

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Terry reached out and went above and beyond on my behalf. Being in business is tough. I was told conflicting information about my seat. I am in the Griffin waiting room and my seat is being replaced. I am happy to say Griffin Motorwerke stands behind their products and their service. Thank you. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - My worn our Recaro drivers seat. - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Curly and the crew hooked me up right quick! I called in the afternoon to get a Revo tune on my Mk7 GTI and they had me out the door that evening. Had a great time chatting with the Griffin team while I was waiting and learned a lot about what I can do for my GTI in the future. Thanks for the great service, knowledge, and results! read more

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Natalie, Curly, and the whole team were very helpful, warm, and informative. I got a pre-purchase inspection done here and they were able to fit me in on the same day and provide lots of useful information about the car. Will definitely be coming back! (Hopefully not too soon) read more

Hands down the best speed/mod/service shop in the Bay Area. Staff is friendly and honest, no high pressure sales either. They're willing to discuss varying options for your vehicle, from mild to wild. Stop by and have a chat w/Nate or Curly for your next build. They'll explain everything in detail and address any questions or concerns. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - Lounge area for clients. - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Natalie and team were super responsive from the moment I contacted them via email. Once we had a broad idea of what I wanted fixed on my B6 S4, Natalie was able to immediately squeeze me into their calendar, and began diagnosing the problems I brought up. Throughout the entire process, I received near-daily updates regarding the repairs, observations, and additional work needed to complete the repairs. Although Natalie mentioned they had a busy week, the repairs were complete within a few days after dropping my car off. Awesome service, and even better communications. read more

This place is one of the best places to bring your car if you're an enthusiast and want it to get the best of care. All the people here: including Terry, Curly, Natalie, Parker and Chris are fantastic people. They really pay attention to the things you want and try hard to work with you to get what you want done, in the way you want. I always feel good whenever I'm there, knowing that my car is in good hands. I'm a picky perfectionist but I've never been disappointed with the work they've done. read more

Curly and the Team do outstanding work! They are knowledgeable, professional and totally rad! I take all my cars to Griffinmotorwerke!

Twice I tried to do business with these guys, Jesus Christ it was so freaking difficult. Whomever the parts manager is or was super incompetent and extremely difficult to work with. read more

Great work done by the mechanics. Have done work on my last too cars. More so on my Audi S3. Coolant system, brakes, suspension systems, along with harness for track duty. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

These guys were fantastic. Our daughter's check engine light came on the day before she returned to college in Berkeley and got it initially diagnosed locally. We were refferred to Griffin and they knocked it out of the park. They were able to schedule an inspection immediately and ended up fixing the problem the same visit. They were creative and their experience led them to fix the problem for a 3rd of the more expensive and obvious solution of replacing major components that our local VW specialist was advicing. They took wonderful care of our daughter and her car. read more

These folks are so kind, so wise and SO FUNNY. Curly, Natalie, Nate, Terry, the guy with the ear gauge things, all of them are awesome. I can't imagine taking my car anywhere else. Also, they service lots of fancy-pants cars, so your car will meet some posh friends. read more

Brought my m5 VW R32 to Griffin for a rear sway bar and a Gen2 Haldex controller and couldn't be happier with the performance of the vehicle now. The guys at Griffen are honest, hardworking, and super legit. I'll be bringing my vehicle here for every service from now on. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - mk5 R32 - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I bring my 2006 VW Rabbit to Griffin and am really happy with their service. This is a pandemic review of their service. I was going on a road trip and had them check out my car and it turned out I needed brakes so they did that. I totally trust them with my car and they have never done unnecessary things. They are doing the covid thing there - wearing masks and doing the physical distancing. It is nice and open in there so very safe to go there. No worries on that. I appreciate their work even though I ended up cancelling my road trip. The brakes work great and it is all good. I needed the brakes done at any rate. read more

My 1999 VW Eurovan has been serviced at Griffin for the past several years. They are professional, personable and willing to explain what is going on with the vehicle so it is understood. This team also 'gets to the bottom' of a problem, no matter what! They are a dedicated and trustworthy group and a superb shop! Hourly rate is well worth the expertise. read more

Great customer service and my car runs great. I highly recommend them. I am happy they are local

I brought my Audi A-3 in for problems with my warning lights and coolant system. Nate checked me in and kept me informed every step of the way. I was pleasantly surprised when he called me the next day to say that it was ready and nothing major was wrong. I appreciate the friendly, honest and efficient service! read more

These guys got my Mk6 GTI really kicking! Curly took great care of me. He talked me out of Stage 2 and now I've got my stickers. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - Stickers! - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Overall a disappointing experience. I got charged $450 for a basic street alignment! And I walked away with a mediocre alignment that was not to the spec we discussed and cosmetic damage throughout the engine bay. Not to mention a lot of bizarre conversation about the time it took two techs to conduct an alignment being the "car's fault for being a BMW, not the people". Thanks for offering to repair the damage, but would I really trust you with bodywork and paint when you can't handle an alignment? read more

First time in for service on my GTI and couldnt be happier with the level of professionalism and attention to detail. Nate was great to work with and will be sure to bring my car back going forward. read more

The Griffin techs fix things I didn't know needed fixing, standard operating procedure. Best, I'm confident driving my 23-year-old Audi to the east coast and back after they tell me it's good to go. Service doesn't get any better... read more

I have been going to Griffin Motorwerke since the early 1980's. They worked on my 1981 Rabbit GTI, 1986 Jetta, 1987 Golf, 1995 Passat and now my 2016 Tiguan. One night I was driving to dinner along Interstate 395. We just left Lee Vining. The roads were dark. My temperature gauge went off. I called Terry. Not only did he pick up, he guided me through the process so I wouldn't blow my engine. Eventually, my car needed a new motor or a rebulid. Terry located a brand new in the box, VR6 motor. Man, I was happy! Terry, I wish you would never retire. But I know Curly and the gang, will keep up the stellar type service you have provided all these years. read more

it started with me sending a message through their portal explaining minor mods for my '03 E39. righel replied and from that point on, i knew why griffin is 5 stars. righel answered all of my multiple questions, ordered the parts and got me set up with an appointment. curly took car of me and my car, even as far as loaning me the shop car when there was a minor hiccup with the coilover installation. you need not look any further than griffin motorwerke for repairs, mods or if you want to chop it up with some stand up folks read more

I took my Mk6 GTI in for a 100k service and to get a new timing chain tensioner, but ended up leaving the car there for much longer than planned as it turned out to have a rare problem regarding the camshaft. Curly and the gang researched what the issue was, did the job right, provided me with a rental, and didn't charge me for the extra time. It doesn't matter who you are, they treat everyone with the same respect (this is coming from a young woman of color). They explained everything in detail, and I understood exactly what was going on with my car and why it needed an additional part. I had slightly cheaper quotes for this job from other shops, but I am glad I chose them as they are expert problem solvers and very genuine. My car now runs great, and I can't wait to go back for some mods! Thanks! read more

If you own an out-of-warranty German car, you know how important it is to have a trusty local indy shop, especially in the Bay Area where dealer prices far exceed the quality of their customer service (looking at you Audi SF and Audi Oakland; Audi Marin is better but too far from East Bay). I came across Griffin while looking for a local shop to get an alignment done for my R8. Used the online form to set up an appointment and got a confirmation call within 30 mins. Drop off was a breeze, and I got to check out their full range of Recaro seats too. 2-3 hrs later I was back on the road with perfectly aligned steering, at 1/3 of the dealer cost. I'll be back for my future maintenance needs. read more

My experience was pretty bad. I took my car it because I was having engine problems and I wanted a quote and full diagnostic and they made me sign a payment contract before conducting their work. I had to call back multiple times before I got an actually response and it took them a week and they weren't able to actually tell me what was wrong with it just what they thought could be wrong with it which was frustrating because I paid them to figure out exactly what was wrong with my car but they gave me hypotheses that any base level mechanic would. Then when I tried to ask more questions the lady over the phone (Natalie) was very rude and kept cutting me off. She continued to do it on and on and I could not finish my questions. When I tried asking her to let me finish she got defensive and was rude. I paid what was due but I'm not satisfied and won't be coming back. read more

Solid and trustworthy service. They can fix your dumpy daily driver as well as kit out your fancy-ass sports car with all the things, and they do a great job at both. I started coming here when I got a souped up GTI and needed a shop that understood tuning and performance parts. Now I'm driving a big 'ol BMW mom-bomb (safety first!) that I brought here as soon as the warranty was up at the dealership. No regrets. My husband brings his race-car here and he's fussy about that car, wouldn't take it anywhere ramshackle. Also they are a fun bunch of people. read more

Terry and his team know what they are doing and they offer quality service. Not cheap but good service (better than others I have used). They did a good job of diagnosing my little Audi A3. There was an issue after the service and Terry said to come back and they dealt with it. Overall, I am satisfied with the work and they earned themselves a repeat customer who will recommend their service to others. They did what they said and were responsive after after the work was completed. Terry called after each service to see how the care was running. Not necessary but a nice touch. Honest, technically strong mechanics with good customer service. read more

Griffin saved my Audi Q5. Shortly after leaving home I got a "catastrophic engine failure" and was barely able to get it to the side of the road. Had it towed to an Audi dealer who's advice was to either completely replace the engine or call it a loss and get a new car. The car had run trouble-free until then so I decided to get a second opinion and was recommended Griffin. Glad I got that recommendation because they found the engine to be in excellent shape given it's high mileage. With a thorough servicing of the head I got my car back in better shape than when I bought it. Even with some extra servicing of the transmission (that I requested) the cost was half what a new engine would have cost me and far less than a new car would have been. I've done my own mechanic work in my younger days so I know the work they are doing and know that they are doing a quality job. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Griffin and will be bringing my car back for service. read more

Best shop I've ever been to. The people there are incredible, super friendly, and trusting. Unmatched service and care from Griffin! I will only take my car there from now on. Thank you all for the amazing work! read more

I took my 2022 Genesis G70 to Griffin to install front/rear sway bars and an LED snorkel intake kit. They've never worked on a G70, but they did a great job replacing the sway bars and wiring up the intakes. I would definitely recommend Griffin Motorwerke to anyone looking to do some work on their Genesis G70 or Kia Stinger. read more

They have been servicing my 2001 BMW 530I for the past few years and they are undoubtedly the best service people I have ever found. Every time I went to the dealer they always found some way to pad my bill. And their work was terrible. I found Griffin Motowerke at a cocktail party. A woman and I started talking about servicing our BMW and she told me about this wonderful company. I trust them ; they are always there to help me. They are truly the BEST! Thank you to Curly,Terry, and all the wonderful staff. read more

Curly, Nate and Righel are great guys. Very knowledgeable and professional. I would highly recommend engaging Griffin Motorwerkes for all automotive needs. read more

My family has been coming to Griffin Motorwerke for as long as I can remember. Terry, Curly, Riguel, Gino, and all the rest of the crew are all gentlemen and scholars. Recently they've become so busy you have to book an appointment two weeks in advance. I opted to step in line rather than go somewhere else. read more

Griffin Motorwerke - Car on rack, automotive inspection - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California