Dave is an honest guy but his work is very poor. I've had to get 2 jobs redone at other mechanics because of shoddy work which costs me thousands. 2 other mechanics told me not to go back to him after seeing his work. He never tells you what maintenance is needed and was unable to diagnose something on my car that another mechanic did in 5 minutes. read more

Fantastic service always helpful Takes time to explain what is needed and cost to fix it read more

These guys took care of my wife's car battery. The price was fair the only problem is that I don't live in Pasadena! But that's not on them, the guy working was friendly and the car was in good working order upon pickup. read more

I needed a battery change for my car. He quoted me $250 charged me $301. The battery he used on my car is $130 but he charged me $210 for it and $70 to install a battery.... Plus all the taxes. Not cool. He didn't even use a better battery it's the very basic one. read more

This guy is an untrustworthy clown, he claim to change my brakes without notifying me then tried to charge me double of what I normally pay. A sneaky crook, stay away You been warned. Go to Al Auto instead...which is also on Lake about 1 mile south of this shop. Wish I could give him 0 stars. read more

This is a great place to take your German car even if we didn't live in the area we would come back here because David does such great work and is such a great guy read more

Great quality, very nice, and same-day service! David doesn't try to get over and he is honest. He's trustworthy. I've brought my Mercedes to him about 3x already and he fixed the issue within hours. If you have a German car, I'd go here no question read more

I caution everyone from taking their car to this shop . Dave the owner is sloppy in his attention to detail and takes no responsibility for how errors. I had my car serviced August 2019 which included an oil change a month later car was running rough . I took it back he says oh something bad take it to dealer . Car would not start . He failed to add oil while doing oil change which caused the engine to collapse . He took no responsibility for his mistake . I took my car to dealer confirmed lack of oil caused engine failure. Pictures supported oil not changed it was black black . He is not competent does not take responsibility for his sloppy work .He did not offer to repair car or spilt cost nothing . A real stellar guy. read more

David is the best. He was able to fix my car in 2 days and for 30% less than the competitor.

David and Independent German car service have serviced both my BMW and Mercedes. They are honest and trustworthy and very easy to work with. So thankful to have this shop to go to. I'll never go to a dealership for maintenance again. read more

Best bmw mechanic! If I ever get a bimmer again I'll keep him in mind forsure! A man of a few words but gets the job done! He's awesome! I love when they problem of my car gets figured out and I don't have to keep coming back over and over ! So satisfying! read more

David is the most honest mechanic I have ever encountered. I moved from the Bay Area to Pasadena and I have an old model Audi Q5 I didn't think I would find another mechanic like the one I had up north. Wrong. I found Independent German Auto and it has surpassed my expectations. I will take my q5 here forever and my next car will have to be German so I can keep this shop as my auto shop. read more

The other great reviews are telling it like it is, so I won't go into a lot of detail here, but Dave is honest, doesn't do work or charge for things that don't need to be done, efficient, nearly always finishes when he says he will, and won't charge you an arm and a leg for the work. I've been bringing my BMW 325iS and Volvo 940 Turbo here for years and never had a problem. One minor improvement that could be made, but won't cost a star on the rating, is that Dave rarely, if ever, calls to let me know when the car is ready to pick up. usually it isn't a big deal, but sometimes I am waiting because I need to use my car immediately! read more

I hate writing this message because I really liked the thought of having a 5 star mechanic. But lately I feel that David no longer provides the same attention as he used to. I've been going to him on and off for about 6-7 years. Bur lately I feel that his dedication is not at the same level as 6 years ago. Here are some of the things that have been bothering me lately about Independant shop. 1. You have to take the car by 8am or else they don't work on it till the next day. 2. If you leave it so they can check what's wrong with it and he says he will call you back to give you a quote depending what it is, he doesn't call back and just performs the work. 3. They don't want to take at least 5 min to test drive the car so the customer can point out the issue. 4. They give a price and forget what they said so they don't honor it. It's kinda embarrassing to later say, "Hey you said it would be this much...." Those are the things that have me a little disappointed lately. The things I still like about Independant shop is that for the most part he diagnoses the car without charge. If the diagnoses is easy then he does it and I appreciate that. I like that you can leave the car over night without worrying about the safety. And that the prices are still cheaper than going to the dealership. I also still think he is a pretty honest man. I don't know... I didn't mean to write a negative review about David but I've noticed a difference, that's all. read more

Very great mechanic knowledge with German cars .I have been taking my BMW for years now he never disappoints me once with quality work ,honestly and price. read more

After more than 22 yrs of driving MBZs,I really appreciate a shop that is reliable and dependable. The only negative aspect I have is that Dave doesn't let you know the status of the repair of my car, I've gotten use to calling as asking the status even when he says he will call. Otherwise....great family owned shop for Altadena. read more

I called and the man was so super rude I said hello how are you doing and automatically the response was, "Al what do you want! Who are you!". This was said in a rude demeanor. Al I was trying to do was business. As I was speaking and giving the man information about car he just hung up on me. Hhmmm rude or doesn't care? read more

I came here a few months back to get my front brakes fixed on my Audi A6. After getting my car back from waiting the whole day, I noticed a few days later, my brakes were still squeaking. I then called to see which brakes were fixed & asked why they were still squeaking. I was then told to wait a couple weeks & check back if the problem persisted. Well it did, so they advised me to come back in. In order to do so, I had to take the day off from work... because that's the "best time to bring it in". After waiting literally the WHOLE day (car wasn't ready till 5- because I brought it in @ 10 and not 8) my brakes STILL squeaked. (Btw--I was not offered a ride to my house down & the street & instead Ubered and walked. Smh) Which leads me to believe if he even did anything at all the second time. I didn't get any paperwork & am a female that was alone. I don't trust this place and their integrity. I think I was taken advantage of & unfortunately recommend not to frequent. Especially if you have a foreign vehicle. Pay for the quality of service. This place ain't that. In conclusion, I'm pretty upset that my brakes still squeak. Pretty frustrating. read more

Calling all BMW and Mercedes owner.... This place is legit. There's not enough Yelp stars in all of Yelp's servers to handle what I want to give this place. If you want to meet an honest mechanic then come here and ask for David. I experienced the services that this place had to offer a few times. First time, brought my BMW in cause I thought it was my alternator, turns out that it was my fuel pump. David called me told me to pick up my car and drive it to the dealer because he found online that my fuel pump is under warranty. He charged me nothing just printed a sheet that told me all about the fuel pump issues BMW was having and that my warranty for that part should still cover the replacement. Amazing! I was so impressed with my first experience and as my bad luck would have it, my rear break light went out, so of course I brought my car to David and since I was long over due for an oil change (didn't want to pay New Century $300 so I put it off) I asked him for an estimate. I didn't have an appointment so when I came in he was already booked for the day and asked if I could come back in a few days. I agreed. But instead of letting me drive off with a broken tail light, the man in 3 minutes replaced the bulb for me and told me he'll add it to the oil change bill in a few days. I mean seriously, who does that? I was so blown away by his service that from now on I will bring my car to him. David is what honesty and professionalism is all about. The cost of my services? He charged me a little over $100 for the oil change which includes the labor and oil (You can't even get it down at the dealership for twice as much). Cost of the light bulb? Let's just say that I left feeling like I took advantage of him, so this review is my way of balancing things back out. Damn, re-reading this review sounds like this is a paid advertisement. It's not!! It's the quality service and honesty provided by David that made me feel obligated to write this review for him. We need more small businesses that is honest and provide quality work like Independent German Car Service. To my fellow Yelpers: it's small businesses like Independent German Car Service that deserve our business so if you own a German car or know someone who does, bring it to David and you won't be disappointed. read more

David is great and easy to work with. I've been looking for a new car as the due date for my first child approaches. I was looking for a very specific car. So when I found the exact white colored BMW 530xi wagon I've been looking for for two months up for sale in Altadena..it didn't matter that I live in San Francisco-I did not want to pass this up. I called on Monday morning and spoke to David asking if he could do a pre-purchase inspection if the seller brought it in, relay that info to me via phone/email, and then accept payment over the phone..all while never actually seeing me in person. He said yes!! The seller arranged the appointment for the following morning. David and his mechanics did an inspection while the seller waited. He then called me with the findings and I requested he fax the write up, which he did within five minutes. About an hour later, I called him again asking if he could quote each of the recommended repairs and fax that too. He did that in 30 minutes. With the knowledge I gained from the inspection, I was able to negotiate a lower price on the car. Working with David was very easy, even tho we were never face-to-face and I was nearly 400 miles away. Highly recommended!! read more

Great service. Fair pricing. Knowledgeable team. I have a 1997 Mercedes S320 that I take here for service. David is the man... He makes excellent suggestions and I have always been pleased with my service and repairs. read more

Wow! I wish we'd found David earlier; I'v wasted so much time and money at other auto repair businesses. He is great; the absolute best I've ever encountered. We started taking our Audi there several years ago and now take both cars. I'll never go anywhere else. My wife and I cannot say enough good things about the service we receive at this establishment. David is honest, courteous, and doesn't attempt to upsell or recommend anything that is not necessary. His repairs are always done correctly. Price for service is unbeatable. As do many small business owners, he'll provide a discount if you pay cash. read more

My dad used to bring his old E12 in here (which made it to 500,000 miles; if that's not a testament to David's skill, I don't know what is), and now I bring in my (aging) E46 for services. The amazing thing about David is that, despite his expertise, he puts things in layman's terms, meaning that your experience with him is free of the misdirections and sleights of hand that are typically associated with, well, modern life in general, but German car ownership in particular. Observations of David's competence and professionalism are all well and good, but there is one attribute that puts David's place above everywhere else: no smarminess! I swear there's something about German cars that attracts the worst in dealers, mechanics, owners (a characterization from which I'm certainly not exempt). David, however, is the exception to this rule. He's just straightforward and honest. That's it. There's no nonsense of any kind: he fixes the problem and charges the bare minimum. The platonic ideal of auto maintenance. read more

I wish I would of known of this place before spending all my $$ at the dealer and other high price shops! David is the best Mecanic and knows how to fix and diagnose quick. He is very affordable and doesn't over price like many other places I know. Definitely recommend! read more

Aug 2016--The short version: AAA towed my car here. David told me the problem was the transmission. Towed it again to a transmission shop for a much better price. They discovered it was an axle and differential. David said he checked out the car. That's why I brought it in. I'm sure he didn't. If he'd actually checked he'd have found the real problem. He knows what he's doing. Why not? Negligence? Laziness? Didn't care? I don't know. But whatever it was, I'm not going back. I should have given up on this place earlier. I suspect that he'd rather work on BMW's and not on older MB's. Why not just SAY that? Longer version: Had my 85 MB 300D towed here from Alhambra. It made a loud noise in back then had no power to the rear wheels and no gears worked. Maybe the transmission, but I'm no mechanic. That was on Mon early pm. David told me he'd get back to me with a diagnosis later Mon or early Tues. By mid-morning Tues no word so I called him. He said the transmission was bad. He gave me a price (standard, $1800) to have it re-built. But he sends them out. My father in-law knows a transmission place in Covina he's used a lot and they were going to do it for a much better price, so I used another AAA tow. The next day, I find out it's NOT the trans but is the axle and differential. Apparently, David hadn't actually looked at my car. WTF? Why pretend to have looked at the car when you didn't? Earlier, I suspected he didn't really want to work on my car and this confirms my suspicion. But why not just tell me that? I'd go elsewhere. Another thing I didn't like about his work: I want a mechanic that's watching for problems and will let me know if some preventative maintenance needs to be done. I want to know so I can decide whether it's worth spending $ now to prevent spending $$$ later. But I don't think David was interested enough in my Benz (he seems to work almost exclusively on BMW's) or had enough time to do that. Hire another mechanic. Open longer hours. Tell people you only work on BMW's. Something. But don't pretend to give a shiit then not even look at my car to give a real diagnosis. Very very disappointing. I'd hoped David would be my go to mechanic for this car. Nope. I'm not going back. read more

David is awesome! I found him on Yelp a few years ago and have been going to him ever since. He has serviced all 3 of my Mercedes. Always honest and by far the most reasonable with his pricing. He can handle regular service maintenance and/or bigger issues better than any mechanic or dealership! All of these Yelp reviews are on point. He is the real (honest) deal. Thanks David. read more

We have been bringing our cars since 2000 at the recommendation of our neighbor. The first car we brought in for service was a 1993 BMW 325i. In fact, one of David's mechanic bought it later. We have a 2002 BMW 325i and a Honda Accord and they have been serviced by David for over a decade and we have no intentions to go to any other mechanic. He is a very friendly and honest person we know in the auto repair business. He is conscientious and fair, and we always leave satisfied. We recommend him very highly! read more

In contrast to my last review - I have been lucky enough to trade my Toyota for a beautiful German driving machine. And same as the last review - Dave is still the man. I thought my bills might escalate wildly given that my E39 is no spring chicken, but Dave has remained straight up and accurate about priorities, as always, and doesn't assume I can just write a blank check. Thanks, Dave! read more

I have been bringing my BMWs here for 15 years, and would never take them anywhere else. David has taken great care of my cars! His prices are much lower than the dealers, and he's honest, honest, honest. You'll never pay for a repair that you don't really need. read more

I've been meaning to do this ages ago. when I bought a used 10 yr old BMW, wasn't sure what do next. This place and David is awesome! True they aren't fancy and won't wash your car, but he's more than honest and helpful. One time he changed my taillight on my way home, just before closing. He could have dismissed me and come back another day.And when I was digging around for the few bucks to pay, he actually OFFERED no charge!! Who does that these days?! (I did find the cash, but still!) David's always told me just how much longer I could push without getting the repair done, and when I do bring back, it's always quick turnaround and fair price. The only bummer is not open weekends, but good honest folks need time off too. Just hope this secret find maintains this level after the masses discover it. read more

The best service I've had in a long time. David is honest, professional and gets the job done. Fair prices, quick turnaround, and very helpful. I will be going here for any of my service needs in the future. Thanks Independent!!! read more

This is an update Dave is beyond incredible. One of our cars is a classic convertible. A main hydraulic for the convertible top broke. The part was 1250.00 x 2. Dave called me and helped me find a place that rebuilds the parts for 750.00, Dave saved me 1750.00. I felt bad for Dave because to get to the parts he had to take out most of the back side of my car. Plus the parts were so old Dave had a hard time getting them out. DAVE IS INCREDIBLE. read more

David is GREAT. He's honest, he's reasonably priced and he's quick. If something doesn't need to be fixed, he'll tell you. We take the work as it comes up. I've taken my '97 VW Jetta to him quite a few times now and can't imagine taking it anywhere else. He's communicative and is prompt in calling with a diagnosis to confirm the work to be done, and always calls me to let me know when it's ready. read more

Owning an import car can be frustrating and expensive. Thats why its critical to have a reputible mechanic! I was going all the way out to Inglewood before I used David/Independant German. Very pleased with his knowledge & professionalism. Do yourself a favor, give him a try! read more

I recently purchased a 2001 BMW X5 4.4i and I wanted to have it inspected for any mechanical issues. I called around to a few other BMW mechanics (DTM Auto Salon, Bimmer Phd Motorsports and Monrovia BMW Dealership) and David seemed to be straight forward and knowledgeable about my vehicle, so I decided to give him a try and I was not disappointed. However, It does seemed that David and his Tech. have a heavy workload and this sometimes results in them taking longer than expected to service your car. read more

These guys need more reviews. They are a hidden gem of the German car repair businesss. Honest, transparent, affordable and really good at what they do. If I lived in another state, I'd be half tempted to bring my car here for service or repair. David is the man and you can tell he is truly passionate about German cars. read more

This repair shop is the best. Dave is honest and friendly. I was referred to this shop by a friend and I won't go anywhere else. The work is top notch and the pricing is very competitive! Speedy work also. I take my car in the morning and it is ready to go at the end of the day. I would recommend this to any of my friends with German cars. read more

I just started taking my BMW there and so far the service has been superb and the owner is very helpful. He charges just right amount (if any) for what needs to be done. He did a quick, yet thorough, diagnostic of my car without the huge expense. I hope my car doesn't give me problems, but if I need some work done, I found the perfect place and people. Thank you, David. You deserve all 5 stars. read more

Everything everyone else said. David is indeed great. It's not close to anything to wait out your service, except the library. I get work done there while waiting. read more

I have been a client for twenty years -five BMW latter I would not change brands because this place is the best and I never want anyone else to work on my cars read more