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Jeff J.
Automotive Techniques is your premier European vehicle dealer alternative. Specializing in service and tuning for Audi, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Saab, Land Rover, and multiple other Luxury Sports Cars. Full Service on Porsche from a simple oil change or track inspection all the way to a complete Engine Build. Oil Change/Basic Maintenance, Track Alignments, Suspension, Brakes, Transmission work, Engine Repair. We also offer a shuttle service back to your home or work, within 10 miles
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14 reviews
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- Jason D.Laguna Hills, CA022Nov 22, 2023
It's my opinion that this shop is not trustworthy. I brought my car here on recommendation from a close friend. I needed annual service, spark plugs, and a serpentine belt. It took several weeks just to get an appointment and they took almost a month to complete these simple repairs. When I picked up the vehicle I didn't make it 2 miles from the shop and the car overheated. Turns out the serpentine belt was not installed correctly and the car overheated. Almost 4 months later I received an email from Dave the manager stating my car was ready and that he had forgotten about it. The icing on the cake is they billed me $400 to fix their mistake. Check their reviews on other sites it appears that have a track record of incompetence and poor service.
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Jack J.San Francisco, CA05Nov 22, 2021I called and scheduled an appointment a couple of weeks ago and just dropped off my vehicle for the repair. I called the front desk when they opened after dropping the vehicle off and was informed that they "were not going to be able to get to the repair for a couple of weeks". I spoke with the owner and he told me that they had some issues last week and that they neglected to call me and notify me that I was not going to be able to get the repair done. Moral of the story: I spent time and money to drop off the vehicle, paid for an Uber to get home, was told that they cant help me and that they knew they couldnt last week, now I have to pay for an Uber to pick the vehicle up. Tell your friends and family to stay away!!!!!
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0- Average G.Plymouth, MI0124Jan 28, 2022Updated review
Update to 10/18/20 review. Bit long ago to recall all the sordid details. Didn't see the response until today. Bottom line was the Crank Position Sensor was bad. News flash for Automotive Techniques, it DOESN'T throw a code. . Old fashioned expertise is required to diagnosis. Swapping out parts per thrown code would have done nothing but drained my wallet and not fixed the problem, which was random stalling. It was fixed by a competent shop an acquaintance referred me to. Incidentally, they had tried and quit Automotive Techniques as well.
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Jeff J.
Apr 21, 2021
Les,
Im a little confused by this. As far as the 2 week wait time for the appointment, I am sorry but we are usually backed up year round with work. Especially in the middle of July as we mainly work with sports/summer cars. The car was dropped off 7/14, estimate sent 7/15, car picked up 7/16. 2 MONTHS later you had an issue, not "a week later" as you stated.
As per the second visit(on 9/18/20), there was no engine light on, and did not stall on us when pulled in the shop. There was no appointment scheduled(again, we are usually 2 weeks behind year round). You were emailed the 24th that "It has faults for blocked evap system. To get deeper into it he will have to put it in service mode. You have a glass top installed so its more of a pain. He will need about 2 hours of diagnostics just to see whats going on." I sent you an estimate for an EVAP canister and .5 hours of diagnostic time. I called you 2020-09-24 12:57:35 EST/EDT for 1 minute 20 seconds on the 5173 number. There was a disagreement on a diagnostic charge because you already knew there was an "EVAP fault code". However, the EVAP system has many components in it that can fail and my tech had to determine what part in the system had failed. It is not as simple as "basically plugging in the code reader". The only fault code was a P0446 and that would indicate an issue with the EVAP vent valve. That was tested and working.
As far as the communication, I do apologize for. Last year I was in the back working on cars most of the summer to help out and get cars done faster. However on Friday the 25th of September, I was not at work. I emailed you at 1:02 pm "Did you have a question on the Boxster?". You replied back "Yes. That is why I left a message to be called back." With my simple reply of "Ok, i will give you a call when i get a chance on Monday. Thanks, Dave" On Monday when I called, there was a very rude conversation and we put the car together for you. Again, with no diagnostic bill. I am very sorry I could not help you with the repair the way you wanted. I also do not believe business owner/managers should reply to reviews from a customer other than "I am sorry for the bad experience". However, I personally feel this is very unfair, half untrue review.
DaveOct 18, 2020Previous reviewTook my car there a few months ago, after waiting 2 weeks for my appointment. After over a week I am told it is all set. Excuse for delay was a worker was sick. Okay-it happens. Just glad my car got repaired. Owner not very chatty, to the point of being terse. Doesn't really care what you have say. Guessing he likes the no contact Covid era. A week later car won't restart, same as before. I guess they didn't fix it right. Take it back, after another 2 week wait. This time, it is a full week just for the diagnosis - which entails basically plugging in the code reader. Get an email saying it will take 2 additional hours of labor to diagnose. Didn't see it in my email, and 2 days later I have an estimate for repairing/replacing a component that only has the scan diagnose charge, not the 2 hours. I call and am told the owner (apparently he is the only allowed or able to communicate with customers) is not available. I ask to be called back. Nothing for over 24 hours. I call again to try to find out what is going on. I get an email a few hours later asking if I have a question. When a day later I finally get a hold of him and ask about the delay, he says an employees father passed away. Very defensive, "What I should tell my employees not to go to the funeral?" This must have been the boy in school whose dog ate the homework. Totally unprofessional. I ask if this repair will fix the issue, he says that is the code we have so that is what we have repair. Not very reassuring. These are complex machines and require a bit more than code reading ability to fix. When I start in on the lack of communication he loses it and says he will have the car put together and I can find somewhere else to have it repaired. Like I'd give this guy 2 cents after his poor behavior.
Lisa W.Livonia, MI53360158Jan 27, 2020I thought I had already hit post review, but I just found it in my drafts. Beware if you take your car here! We had an appointment to bring our BMW here. Our BMW needed to have the fuel pump replaced. We had arrangements to use another car as the repair was going to take a couple days. Drop off of the car was smooth. A couple days later my husband called to check on the status of the car and they had not even started the repair! So, what was the point of having an appointment for a repair to only have it sitting in their lot!? After the weekend they began working on the car and after having the car for 7 days the repair was finally done. That is when the trouble started with the BMW. Super long story short, I can not recommend this place. My husband had a huge issue that started once he pulled out of Automotive Technique. My husband did talk to Automotive Technique about the issue, but in the end we went to the another service shop who fixed everything correctly. I can not recommend this place. I don't like leaving 1 star reviews, but I have to in this situation.
Edited on 2-13: after getting a message from Jeff J on 2-12 regarding more info I sent him the invoice and mentioned it was not a fuel pump repair but oil filter housing. Jeff's response was, "ok, I am fully aware of this one. This is one of 9 comebacks and one of 2 comebacks that was a big repair. Thanks for the input. ".
The reason for my review is that our BMW's engine went into Automotive Techniques with no problems other than the minor leak of the oil filter housing. Immediately after the service, the engine made a noticeable ticking sound that was later diagnosed as spun rod bearings. The reader can decide for themselves.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Jeff J.
Feb 13, 2020
After contacting this customer, we instantly remember this visit. It was brought in for an overheating issue/water pump, not fuel pump.
This car was brought in for an overheating issue the afternoon of 4/5/2018. The car was not scheduled as this was not normal maintenance and was brought in with other cars scheduled ahead of it to get done "in between jobs". The car was dropped off and quickly diagnosed the same day end estimate sent 4/5 at 5:04pm. Parts were ordered because we do not stock $500 water pumps. I don't have a day that the parts came in but is usually 3 days. The water pump and thermostat were replaced. There was also an oil leak noted and was fixed, the leak is known as the "Oil filter housing" and we have done hundreds over the years as all BMW's from the 2000's and up have the same problem. This was added on after the initial water pump repair was completed. The oil and filter change was sent in the estimate but declined by the customer.
Months later the car was brought back and noted another shop had told him it needed a new engine. The engine in the customer's car is called a N55 engine. A quick search of "BMW N55 Rod Bearing" will quickly reveal a bunch of info on how common the N55 rod bearing fail from normal wear and tear. There is even a Facebook page called "BMW N55 Rod Bearing Failure". There are many aftermarket companies selling updated bearing shells to correct the inferior BMW factory ones. The customer came in demanding a new engine from BMW for over $22,000 and did not want us to look at or do the work. After we responded to the "demand letter" from an attorney's office with facts supporting common rod bearing failure, we have not heard back from the customer. The water pump, thermostat, and oil filter housing installed here were not in question of failing and although you have the right to leave a bad review, I see a false statement as slander.
Lisa, I'm sorry the BMW had an engine failure but maybe your review should be left with BMW as we did not design the flawed Rod Bearings. I am guessing that the rod bearings were replaced, oil system cleaned out and the car was back on the road without a complete engine replacement? Hopefully that was all that was needed.- Volker B.West Bloomfield Township, MI081Jul 8, 2017
Great service at fair price:
Got the hint from a neighbor.
Had my Porsche scheduled for an oil change after winter. It did not start that morning and they even helped with jumpstarting at my home.
Seem to be very knowledgeable around esp. European brands.
Will recommend them to my friends and colleagues.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Jeff J.
Aug 24, 2017
Thank you for the great review! Was a pleasure to work on your beautiful car!
- Bob S.San Francisco, CA03Feb 25, 2018
I have been taking my cars here for years. The specialize in Porsche but they have they can work on anything foreign. Amazing guys and amazing technicians. They have built cars for me and diagnosed some of the hardest issues as well. Jeff the owner is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and treats people fairly. Dave the service writer and all the mechanics are always helpful and easy to do deal with. I can't say enough nice things about them. Highly recommendable!
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Denise G.New Orleans, LA3053112Aug 23, 2012These guys make me actually LOOK FORWARD to getting work done on my car, no joke. They are extremely likable, which is weird in a mechanic, right? Of course, they have all the other chops, too. Here's the skinny:
-EXTREMELY knowledgable on foreign collectibles AND everyday drivers.
-Can do everything the BMW dealer can, at a fraction of the price per hour
-Real human beings to interact with regarding scheduling, pricing, and service. They love cars and they love making owners happy. No fancy shmancy cappuccino / bagel station to recover costs on. (ahem, BMW DEALERS)
-They work on an assortment of collectible "weekend" cars so there's always some eye candy to check out while you wait.
-Pricing can't be beat
-Extremely honest. They always show you exactly what needed to be done, and are good at coaching you through any decisions needed.
-They will work to get you in and out at a time convenient for you.
Despite being 30 miles away from us, these guys have been the exclusive shop for our '96 Volkswagen Cabrio and our '04 BMW X3 since we moved to Michigan.
In fact, I don't think I would still own a BMW if I didn't have these guys to work on it. :)Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0- Dawn M.Royal Oak, MI06Feb 20, 2019
Automotive Techniques is a great car repair shop! The staff is very knowledgeable and professional. For example, David took the time to thoroughly answer all of my questions regarding my car. I highly recommend Automotive Techniques as the staff provides excellent customer service and performs high quality work at a fair price.
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Jeff J.
Feb 13, 2020
Dawn,
Thank you for choosing us to take care of your car!
-Dave 
P D.Bellaire, MI014Jun 26, 2016Great company! They really know what they are but! The employees are amazing. I've never been in a place that will cater to your needs like these guys. There was another female customer while I was here and she inspired me to share my experience. She has been coming here for years and puts her car and wallet in their hands. Most shops I would be afraid to go into or tell my husband to go instead so I wouldn't get ripped off. You won't have to worry about it with this place!
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Kyle S.Elburn, IL018Jun 8, 2016Jeff helped prepare my 1989 944 Turbo for the track quite a few years ago. I moved away from the area and have not found anyone nearly as knowledgable and skilled since. Consider yourself privileged to get your car cared for by Jeff.
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