My experience with the service department at Mercedes‑Benz of San Francisco was unacceptable from…read morebeginning to end. I arrived on time for my appointment, yet the technician assigned to me, Natalia Garcia, was late. I was even asked if I wanted to wait for her, which already felt unprofessional. I left my car and went to work expecting updates. None came.
For two days, I waited for a call. I left multiple messages for this mysterious adviser, Natalia Garcia. No response. Only after two days did I finally receive an email with the diagnostic. The communication was slow, careless, and completely unprofessional.
The initial repair estimate was extremely high, but I agreed to proceed, hoping the issue would be resolved. Instead, I received no updates at all. When I called the service department, someone else--not my assigned adviser--told me my car would be ready the next day. It wasn't. By Friday, they had held my car for four days with zero communication.
To make matters worse, my adviser is listed only with a technician number (2264) and no certification number whatsoever. For a dealership that advertises itself as a certified Mercedes‑Benz service center, this is alarming. Based on my experience, it feels like they hired uncertified, unqualified cheap labor and hoped customers wouldn't notice. Listing a technician number without any proof of certification is unacceptable for a dealership operating under the Mercedes‑Benz name.
Then, right before closing on Monday, I received a text message--not a phone call, not an email--demanding even more money because they "found corrosion" after removing the bumper. Suddenly the repair cost doubled. My original issue was simply left and right headlamp malfunctions, and I had already agreed to pay $2,500. They tried to push the total to $5,000 with no explanation, no transparency, and no professionalism.
At that point, I decided to take my car elsewhere. When I arrived to pick it up, the service manager, Cathyrine Cervantes, was shockingly rude and dismissive. She smirked at me, implying I couldn't afford their inflated repair cost. I felt humiliated. She told me I would not get my car back unless I paid for their diagnostic--even though the diagnostic was wrong, incomplete, and no repairs were ever performed. They held my car hostage.
I told her I was extremely frustrated after waiting six days, receiving no updates, being charged for nothing, and being treated disrespectfully. I told her I would leave a negative review, and she smirked again. Mercedes‑Benz should be ashamed to allow someone this unprofessional to represent their brand.
While waiting, I watched the manager ignore multiple incoming calls while she entertained herself on her cell phone. Completely unacceptable behavior for someone responsible for customer service.
The worst part came later. When I took my car to a family‑owned certified Mercedes‑Benz and Porsche body shop with over twenty years of experience, they discovered that Mercedes‑Benz of San Francisco had cut and poked wires, causing additional damage. I have photos documenting this vandalism. Damaging a customer's vehicle and then charging for a wrong diagnostic is unethical, shocking, and absolutely unacceptable.
I am sharing my experience to warn others. I will be posting this story on all platforms because customers deserve to know how this dealership treats people. I will be filing complaints with:
BAR - Bureau of Automotive Repair
DMV Investigations Division
California Attorney General - Consumer Protection Division
California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
Mercedes‑Benz USA Corporate (MBUSA)
BBB (they already have a D‑ rating)
I will also be disputing the charge with my bank and pursuing this matter further.
Avoid Mercedes‑Benz of San Francisco. The level of unprofessionalism, lack of accountability, and unethical behavior I experienced is deeply concerning. They overcharge, misdiagnose, damage vehicles, and treat customers with disrespect.