Berkeley Auto Repair

I can't speak to all the recent negative reviews but from my experience Terry, Curly and the rest of the crew down at Griffin Motorwerke has been nothing but fantastic to me over the 4+ years I've brought my 2007 S4 to them for work. These guys really know cars especially Audis and their passion and care really shows for it. Yes their rates can be expensive but hey you get what you pay for right? The team down there has never tried to rip me off and has always given me honest advice whether it was regarding repairs or installing a wicked downpipes and catback system. Yes the team there can be blunt but their downright friendliness and honestly quickly warms up on you. And anyways I'd rather them be blunt and honest with me than nice and exploitative. Griffin recently moved and though I haven't checked out their place yet, looking at my previous experiences with them I'd highly recommend Terry and his team for service or performance upgrade... heck I'd still be going here if it wasn't for the fact that I'm now in the South Bay.

Anyone who doesn't know squat about auto repairs struggles with finding honest service shops. That is ME! And to make matters worse, as a female it isn't uncommon for unscrupulous mechanics to take advantage. What I DO know is when my car isn't running properly or there is an indicator light on that shouldn't be. When that happens my ride is promptly delivered to Team Griffin because I trust them. After more than 5 years of service experience, I know that they will go the extra mile to diagnose the problem. I have had some highly complicated and unique issues with my Audi TT and they never gave up until they KNEW I was walking out of that shop with a SAFE, well-performing vehicle. The beauty is that (if I want) the problem is always explained to me - in terms I can understand. With that said, I will second another reviewer observation, that when you enter the world of Griffin you need to put on your big girl panties and grow a pair - this is a guys world - the language is salty and it's all business. You may drive a hot car, but don't expect princess treatment (except for the bonus rides back to your home or the BART station and the friendly reminders to drop in any time for fluids check or top-off) - but DO expect to get exactly what you are paying for - expert, honest service that will give you confidence that your car is running right.

I'm not sure what rock Elton "the reviewer" climbed out of, but he is probably one of the low grade mechanics down the street. I've been a customer of Griffin for over half a decade and his team is the only team I trust my classic 928 to handle. As to honesty, I've had Terry come in way under his original estimate a number of times as he found a part at a better price and passed the savings on to me. More than that, the one time I thought I had needed a serious repair he came back with a solution that saved me a 1/3 of the cost - and he didn't have to as I fully believed I needed the repair. I have also seen him back his work. When a new part failed soon after they put it in, Griffin not only replace the part but also did it at no additional cost. I said this on my original review and I will say it again - If you are the jiffy lube, gloss it over, do not really care about your car, let's do this as cheaply as I possibly can type, you are at the wrong shop - go to Costco. If you have a performance car or prefer to treat your car like it is one - go here. I would also be highly suspect of people claiming they went here and got "ripped off". There is at least one garage claiming to specialize in Porsche work trying to steal Griffin's customer base. I know - I've gotten their stupid flyers on my windshield at BART (which I *hate* btw). That competitor appears to over promise, over charge and under deliver. I have seen Griffin stand by their work. They build long term relationships with their customers and you don't get that by being any other way than honest, fair and good at what you do.

These guys are amazing. One on one in depth customer service like I haven't experienced in years. Technical knowledge of the product that I wouldn't even expect from a Recaro representative. Without even attempting to sell me anything Steven helped me determine which seats would be compatible with my car. I had done a little research but these guys are true experts when it comes to aftermarket seats. And for those who spend any time behind the wheel, a quality supportive seat will save you major $ and discomfort in future years. The selection at Griffin is 2nd to none. The treatment Steven provided over the phone & email was phenomenal. By far the best I've experienced. Once I made it in the following day I met Mr.Griffin (owner) He proved to be a true car guy, a gear head. Someone you could trust not BS you or cut any corners. While working with Mr. Griffin and Steven I observed the service and repair aspect of Griffin motorwerke I was very impressed. This is a place I would refer a family member or friend with out hesitation. Corner cutting and overall shady practices are all too common these days and I've seen and gone through it all. This place is honest and fair. After observation of the care they have other customers and my self I would advise anyone looking for German parts, auto repair or after market seats to visit this place.

Well, I drive a Saab - not quite the target audience. But I've been looking to improve the handling, and Curly has been very helpful getting me the right alignment - convincing me to get the camber bolts so I could adjust the front, and shimming the rear as well. Dramatically better handling. Maybe not the cheapest place, but they sure seem to pay attention to what they are doing, and very willing to discuss things.

This could get long, but I'll try and shorten it up. About 6 months ago I had an issue with another local repair shop. That other shop tore down my engine to find a problem and do a "repair". After taking it back to correct the problem at my dealership (in Concord), I asked Terry for a third party opinion on the problem with my engine. He confirmed that, like the dealership, he didn't believe that the problem was as stated by the other repair shop. I thanked him for his time and told him that I would be back when I needed work done again. Recently my car was having issues with acceleration, and I thought it might somehow be related. No such luck. I took it back in for Griffin to look at. Terry informed me that my clutch was slipping and that it would need to be replaced. It took 5 minutes and didn't cost me a dime to find out (unlike the other place). I told him I'd be back when I could no longer stand it. The following week my time was up, frustrated I walked in and asked if they could do the work while I was out of town for a few days. They finished the work in two days, charged me exactly what they said it would cost (i.e. no hidden charges). Since then the vehicle is back to it's old self, like the day i drove it off the lot. Since this is a recent repair I only gave 4 stars, pending some more "road testing" on my part. But I have little doubt that I will eventually change it to 5 stars...

Been coming here for about 10 years to het my cars tuned up. They are a little pricy but they are well worth it. Not many shops that I know of that can guarantee and stand by their products. And they won't sell you things that you don't need.

It's pretty clear - you either love 'em or hate 'em. I'm in the former camp. First, they have kept both my Lexus' rolling along - SC400 for almost 245k miles and the convertible just hit 100k. I like working with folks who care about performance. No, they're not the cheapest, but neither is the Lexus dealer. I've been a customer for 10 years, I've had stuff go wrong, but they have always made it right. This is a rough and tumble place (except for the way cool waiting room of Recaro seats - super comfy) but they can take it too when I give them worse than they give me. It's just how they have fun - and I like it.

Great work & honest staff! This place saved me almost $200 on brakes when compared to the quote from my friendly, neighborhood, rip off Volvo dealership. The guys down there are personable and above all, they are real experts when it come to Audi/Volvo/VW. My car was finished in a matter of hours so no need to waste time or money on a loaner ride. Sweet!

Very good service. I took my GTI in to replace my clutch and flywheel. They took the time to explain everything to me. Terry and his crew are great guys who love what they do and it shows. They are VW/Audi enthusiasts themselves. They gave me a great discount, and I saved a lot compared to going to a dealership. Everything was laid out clearly on the work order, so it was easy to tell I wasn't getting ripped off, unlike those confusing dealership printouts. They got the job done on time and my new clutch works great. I would definitely go back. The best thing is how down to earth they are, not intimidating at all. But I caution they like to joke around and aren't very PC, that's just they way it is. Still, a bunch of good guys, and I'd recommend them to anyone. They also work on Japanese cars too. Also, they fixed my squeaky doors for free. Terry said it sounded like a crypt door, lol, I got a kick outta that.