Hello Forum... I've been away for a long time and need some advice/suggestions/warnings on service centers for Audi in Los Angeles. You see, Beverly Hills Porsche/Audi service on Santa Monica changed to Porsche only (sigh!). The Beverly Hills Audi service center moved to Sepulveda, but according to Audi USA, that dealership and service center are not listed anymore.

It's scary to read the Yelp reviews of Santa Monica Audi, but I know that dealership location has been through a number of ownerships... I don't know much about their current situation.

The car: 2004 Cab 3.0 with just over 40,000 miles (yes, a cared for pleasure/trip car) In need of an annual oil change, tire rotation, check-up. Car is doing great, because we take good care of it. It takes good care of us.

I've written this on the SoCal region threads, instead of being more specific to my model vehicle threads. If someone out there can give me a bit of advice, please do. Good experiences, bad experiences, dealership service centers you like, independent service centers you would trust with your life. I would appreciate your input.

If I should be directing these questions to another forum thread, then just tell me.

It has been so long since writing on the Audiworld forum... had to set a new password. But they still had my username and email on file.

Thanks to everyone in advance.... Nice to be back.

-Sancab

 

I used Santa Monica Audi 1998-2001 when I was getting the included service for my new car. My service package expired around the same time as one of the ownership changes over there, and I followed Jose, who had taken care of my car there, to his new independent shop, Eurotech Motors. He eventually moved over to Washington Blvd across from the Culver City DMV. I've only used Santa Monica Audi once since then, to do a long overdue recall job on the front suspension.

I see some oddly mixed reviews on yelp for Eurotech. People used to praise Jose's work without reservation, and I still trust him. But I don't know if others are getting some different experience from some of his newer staff... I plan to keep going back, but I guess I will be looking for signs of change. Amusingly, the service manager who people complain about on yelp, Artie, used to be the service manager at Santa Monica Audi back when I was going there.

I have to admit prices have gone up a lot since the good old days, but I still feel that he takes good care of my car, and honestly inflation has doubled nearly everything in LA since 1998. My observation with two different A4s is that it is Audi who made it expensive to operate, not my mechanic!

 

Thanks for the advice! I looked around the Audiworld forums for a while, trying this thread and that... Eurotech in West LA seemed to come up again and again. I ended up making an appointment with them for this Wednesday. I will write again to let you and others on the forum know how it went. Driving by the place, it was loaded with Audi cars and seemed like a clean garage. I know the cost of keeping an Audi convertible is much higher than... oh let's say our Toyota Prius or my beat up old Golf... That's just part of having an Audi. My big concern is finding a really good mechanic. Thanks for the little history of the owner.

I had made an appointment with Santa Monica Audi shortly after my first post, then did some online research... Wow! So many harsh reviews. Mind you, online reviews tend to be very critical or even used by some people to "get back at" a company. But so many bad reviews of Santa Monica Audi turned me off from taking a chance there. I contacted Audi USA to inquire how Beverly Hills Audi dissolved and about my reluctance to use Santa Monica Audi based on what I've read online from customers. It was just today I received a telephone call by Audi USA not so much to explain how good their dealership service departments are, or provide contact information to mechanics there, or make an offer of a discount to give them a try... It was more a telephone call that seemed quite critical of my decision based on reviews from other customers. This caller from Michigan dismissed my suggestion that things might be different/better in other parts of the country with Audi dealers. In short, their attempt to retain me as a service customer did the opposite.

 

Thanks "CarKarl" and others on the forums who suggested Euro-Tech in Culver City. I went to Euro-Tech yesterday and I had a pretty good experience. I had a basic oil&filter change and look over of the car. I authorized a brake fluid change. It didn't take long to drop the car off or to pick it up. They asked if I needed to be driven back home, but in my case, it's easy to grab the #6 Line bus right up to where I live. Nice of them to offer though.

They called when the service was done and made a recommendation I look into new tires, based more on the age of the tires than wear of the treads. (original tires still on the car and the rubber shows small cracks)

The shop seems very organized and clean. Guys working there look like they know their stuff. Mostly Audi cars and a few Porsches. This seems like a very specialized car service center. I've found a new place for the annual service.

-Sancab