VFC Engineering

I have an ’01 Passat and the VFC guys know more about VW’s and Audis than the dealers do. For two generations they have been fixing them and racing them, frankly they’re VW-​Audi geeks and I dig that about them. Their estimates are tight and their work is done right.
During a recent repair, a brake sensor failed while they were doing other front-​end work. The sensor had had intermittent problems for two years but since it failed while in their shop, they replaced it at no charge, no issue. I think that was fairer than they needed to be but I appreciate their bigger picture view toward customer relationships. Fix it, shake hands and move on.
Given that my car is 15 years old, it needs repairs 1 – 2 times a year but with VFC in my corner I really feel that hanging on to my old car is a better investment than any new car could be. When I think about replacing my car someday, I consider another VW because having a repair shop like this makes a difference in the long –term reliability of and happiness with a car.
I am really fortunate to have VFC in my neighborhood.

Was having electrical issues with my 06 Mini Cooper from some flood damage. Stopped in and Zach took great care my car. They solved my immediate problem efficiently within 2 hours of dropping it off. Couldn’t have been happier. I’ll most certainly return with my business.

Zach and Doug and the rest of the guys at VFC are great. I had a general idea of what needed to be done and a quote in hand from the dealer and Zach took the time to show me what needed to be replaced on my car and why and beat the dealer price by a large margin as well.
Just the friendliest guys too.
Unfortunately, as my Audi is now 6+ years old, they’ll be seeing more of me but I’m ok with that.

Took my 2006 Audi to VFC for the first time a few weeks ago, and was very pleased with everything about it.
First off, Zach is very friendly, helpful, and thoroughly while explaining issues and discussing prices. I called at almost 5pm, was still greeted very nicely even though they were about to close, and then had them repair my car the following morning. That’s exceptional service!
Pricing was even better than my last German mechanic out in Geneva. I had one side of my motor mounts replaced, and they discovered that some of my front control arms were very worn out in the inspection, which my last mechanic didn’t notice.
Highly suggest!

Took my Audi in, got a very fair price for the repairs. The work was done exactly when it was promised and I appreciate that most. Zach was friendly and helpful – will definitely be back!

The Short & Sweet– If you have a German car just come here already! Best bang for your buck and guaranteed quality work.
Problem: I have a 2009 Audi that was shaking with an EPC and engine light on. I took it to 2 different mechanics before I found VFC. Although the other places were cheaper, it cost me more money & time in the long run because they either couldn’t figure out the problem or they put a band-​aid over the issue.
1) VFC is not the cheapest, but they will do the job right. If I could go back in time I would have just come here first.
2) Ask for Zach!!! He’s the best. He is the first mechanic to explain everything, check-​in with me, and not try to up-​sell me. He took before & after pictures to show me what was fixed and overall just went above and beyond. He is super knowledgeable and will work with you to find the best quality parts for the best price.
3) Great Results. My car drives better than it has in a year. I’m super happy and only wish I found this place sooner.

Doug and Zach know German engines. Plain and simple. I’m a woman and I know my car — 2002 TDI New Beetle. I did a lot of searching before I picked them. I would walk in to a shop and say do you work on TDI’s? If I got a blank stare or the little lady treatment, «yeah we work on all cars” — I’d walk out. Then I found VFC and they have tended to my turbo diesel injection engine for 4+ years. We’ve had some mystery issues but they’ve always gotten to the bottom of it. And they’ve been more than considerate and fair with my schedule, time and money. They race cars too. Better more personalized care than you’d get at a dealership with expertise you can trust. I’ll pay for that, all day long.

I first took my car to an actual BMW dealership to get a simple inspection because my car was shifting hard and wouldlnd tshift fast enough or properly. The BMW dealer told me there was no problems that they can inspect for free that they would need to have the car for an hour and charge me $ 115 for an engeneer to check it out but not to worry about it. So I went home. A month later I decide to put the car up for sale so needed another inspection just to have at hand for a new customer when I decided to take it here.
After they had my car for a whole day. They told me I had a weird transmission problem but couldn’t explain to me what it was, because nothing appeared to be wrong. They didn’t know what was wrong with my car, but the worst part wad they charged me about $ 75 more than BMW dealership, they charged me a total of $ 190 including tax, for an inspection that they did not even do properly because they did not find any problem.
When I asked them why are they charging me if they didn’t do anything since she told me that the first inspection was free. But she said she still «wasted» her time looking at my car so I need to pay the $ 175 inspection fee.
I wouldn’t bring my new BMW here at all. They think they know what they’re doing but they couldn’t find a problem they said my car had. It didn’t make sense to me.
A week later my check engine light comes on, & I take it to BMW & they replace my MAF sensor & that made my car ride better & have had no problems since. & BMW actually printed me a report about everything including that the transmission was in perfect shape. & how VFC was wrong & stole my money. I would not recommend. If you have a BMW just pay the extra at the dealer but get it done right.

I have a love-​hate relationship with my 2002 Audi, and VFC is the reason I can continue loving it. They’ve done a great job of servicing my A6 and fixing its many problems (why I hate my Audi).
VFC is not cheap, but they’re great. They’re also very good about documenting the complete health of my car and pointing out issues it has but which don’t need to be addressed immediately. On the one occasion when a problem resurfaced a few months after getting fixed, they stood by their warranty and redid the entire fix and more!
Robin and Zach treat me very well each time I’m there and I wouldn’t go elsewhere. I can only hope that I find someone as reliable as VFC when I move back East. What can I say? After 11 years and 140k miles, I still love my Audi!

Overall friendly, clean, and professional up-​front. It could be another big plus that they claim they know and service only German vehicles.
However, they’re supposedly experts in all aspects of these vehicles, and while I wanted to believe that from viewing the race-​prepped Porsches inside, a visit there made me think otherwise.
The electronic automatic transmission on my car was acting up. Took it to VFC, left it here for TWO days. They couldn’t duplicate the problem (they probably only do plug-​in diagnostic scans for that «code» garbage), but they became $ 100 richer. They then proceeded to tell me about all the other things «wrong» with the car and how much they’d charge to repair it; about on-​par if not more than a dealership. I’m not cheap but I stay away from dealers for this kind of behavior.
After paying, I entered my car and found it with the seat moved way back and the radio blaring. The last time I ever had that happen to me was years ago when I took an old beater to Pep Boys; «professional» indeed.
Transmission problem several weeks later had gotten worse. VFC had the nerve to call me and do a «customer check-​up.» Not much I could say since they really didn’t do anything.
These folks seem to profit well from the urban professional, Porsche/​Audi/​Passat-​driving set. The location alone is a give-​away; most motorsports enthusiasts don’t live in Uptown/​Ravenswood or prefer to drive around there. VFC also assumed I worked downtown when they called to ask if I could bring the car in earlier in the day. I said I needed it to stop in at my work in the morning and they weren’t pleased with that.
VFC also had the nerve to call me AGAIN, several months later. It was a thinly-​veiled sales call. No work whatsoever was done to my car by VFC, so what other reason would they have to contact me?
You know you’re going to a GOOD mechanic when he’s busy fixing cars and not calling you long after your car left his shop.
See Stan at Grace Automotive. Certified VW-​Peugeot-​Fiat tech. No B. S there, and he fixes aircooled VWs all the time.
Also, if I had read the filtered Unilocal reviews of VFC, I would never have gone here. I’ve learned to fix my own cars because of places like this — get a repair manual and read and you’ll be surprised what you know vs what you’ve been told.

No.
I needed some extremely simple work done to my car (oil and filter change and a radiator flush), and as I baby the thing, albeit not enough to do the work myself, I chose to take it to VFC based on the positive reviews herein. I was really disappointed with the experience.
Because I unfortunately have to bring my car to many different shops to have its oil changed, I go to the extra precaution of buying exactly the type of oil and filter I use — and have been using since I bought it new — and bringing them with me to the shop. It’s wasting money on my end, as I rarely ask for money off of the cost, but it’s worth it for me to make sure the same weight and viscosity of oil is used in my engine. As most people know, changing the type of oil a car uses can be harmful, and it’s not a risk I’m willing to take.
I was originally optimistic after I saw the modified 3 Series with their shop livery on the lifts, but it all went out the window when the gargantuan woman behind the reception desk told me that, for «insurance purposes», they couldn’t «install any customer-​supplied parts». The problem was that they could not warranty the work done if they didn’t provide the parts. I of course didn’t bring any parts, apart from the filter, but evidently oil fell into the same category. This wasn’t a big deal, even though I offered to formally and in writing waive their warranty on the work. Sure, I was upset, but I understood that the situation was more or less out of her hands and that the shop had its policies. What followed is what prompted this review.
I asked whether the shop used Mobile 1, the kind I have used and prefer. She responded that they didn’t, because it’s too expensive to buy in large quantities, but that they used «something better». I told her I just wanted to make sure they would use a 10W-​30, as I don’t want to invite problems by using a new weight of oil in my engine, and she again simply insisted that they used a better oil, one that they «recommend for the German cars» (she actually said that, and the «they» was supposed to be some nebulous group of oil recommenders, not the shop themselves). When she didn’t elaborate, I asked what specifically they used, and it turned out that they only stock some brand of 5W-​40. Seriously? She made herself seem knowledgeable by talking my ear off about coolant (as I’d brought the proper blend, which for some reason surprised her), and now she was about to knowingly go against the one thing I was specific about. One can’t simply abruptly change the weight of oil they use without asking for engine trouble, especially when the engine has upwards of 85,000 miles on it. Sure, doing so might sometimes not immediately result in problems, but on temperamental Audis? I’ve seen it turn into a problem. In fact, there exists a well-​known class action lawsuit filed on behalf of owners of my specific model against Audi of America and their dealerships for, among other things, doing just that.
So here we have what attempts to be a specialty auto shop which stocks only one kind of oil, and whose employees will insist that somehow, magically, all German cars should use 5W-​40. Seriously? This woman is either extremely ignorant or just a flat-​out liar if she’s telling me that every combustion engine that ever happened to be produced in Germany — every air-​cooled Beetle, every BMW M5, every Porsche 911, EVERYTHING — has been designed to use the exact same viscosity and grade of oil. That’s why auto shops in Germany only sell one type of oil, right? Yeah, no.
Again, to reiterate, my complaint is not the silly shop policy but that I was misguided and lied to. In my opinion, if they don’t treat the small jobs with the same respect they treat the supposed «big jobs», they’re not worth a damn.
*** I’m leaving a public response to the owner’s comment below — who wasn’t present when I visited — as I feel he’s misleading. Approved motor oils are set by a vehicle’s manufacturer for specific makes and models. I agree that Motul makes great oils, but this shop’s practice of using the exact same weight and viscosity of oil in EVERY German-​made car — which his employee told me is standard practice — is foolish, as each engine will require not only a high quality oil, but also its own specific grade and viscosity. His «one size fits all» solution is dangerous. Further, his «service writer» insisting that I abruptly change both the weight and viscosity of my oil after 85,000 trouble-​free miles is asking for trouble. Doing so can cause bits of burnt oil to dislodge within the engine and clog the oil circulation system, killing one’s car.
Lastly, don’t let his use of the term «incorrect part» confuse you. The only actual part I brought was an oil filter made by ‘MANN’, who, as I explained to his employee, was the OEM oil filter supplier to Audi when my car was made. My engine was literally designed for use with this filter, so he’s wrong in claiming it’s «incorrect» ***

I do not trust VFC engineering. There are much better repair shops around town.
In 2009, I brought my 2009 Passat Wagon to VFC to diagnose a rumbling noise from bottom of the car. VFC stated that my right catalytic converter was bad. They went ahead with the repair ($ 1,400). After the repair I did some research and learned that federal law requires the auto companies to warranty catalytic converters for eight years or 80K, even if the bumper to bumper warranty has expired. I was under on both counts. I asked VFC about this after the repair, and they gave me an unsatisfactory answer: «VW usually doesn’t cover this repair unless the cat itself is bad. If the housing is bad, VW does not cover.» I wrote VW, and VW actually refunded me the entire repair amount! Amazing! In 2009 I told VFC about this happy outcome, and they were indifferent. Never an «I’m sorry we didn’t tell you about the federal warranty.»
I was unhappy that VFC did not even bring up the 8/​80K warranty and say, «Hey, try a VW dealer and you may be able to get the repair for free.»
Fast forward three years: the cat that VFC replaced is bad. It was an OEM part. It happens, but it’s really poor that the part failed after only 35K (I don’t necessary blame VFC for that). I took the car to another shop in Chicago, and the repair took 2.5 days because all the bolts that VFC installed were stripped. The shop said that VFC did a poor job installing the cat.
In summary: VFC is expensive, they do NOT treat customers like family (my father would have said, «Try the VW dealer to see if they cover under the 8/​80K warranty»), and their work is shoddy. I wish it were not true. It was in this case.

I trust VFC completely to diagnose and repair my VW’s problems. They are thorough and they have some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. For example, when I brought in the car because the water pump was broken, Tom and his staff went over the entire car and told me about all the things that I should consider doing for my 10 year old car to maximize its life. He was honest about which things were preventative and how much each would cost. I really appreciated this because even though we didn’t have the money to do a lot of what they suggested, I now have a record of what I should replace and things to watch out for as the car ages. After fixing the water pump they called twice over the next few months just to make sure it was working well and there were no other problems with the car. Also, Tom worked with me to get my repairs covered by the car’s extended warranty, even letting me keep it there over the weekend while I had the warranty transferred, so that I wouldn’t have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. PLUS they have two adorable black labs in the shop. What more can you ask for? After dealing with two other car repair places that both screwed up their repairs, requiring me to go back to them to have their work redone multiple times, I am relieved I’ve found VFC.

Nice shop with very friendly staff. I used VFC to do some maintenance on a Porsche my grandfather had left me and my experience was very pleasant. I brought the car into them to have them look it over and see what they suggested I have performed since the car had been sitting for some time. Robin suggested I Leave my car with them and allow their mechanics to look over the car. They did inform me of the charge to inspect the car and also let me know that if i did have the car repaired with them the fee would be waived.
I received a call the following day from Robin who asked if i had time to go over some of the items they suggest having replaced for what they called preventive maintenance and also what they said had to be done right away to keep the car in great running condition.
Robin informed me the first thing I needed to have done was the oil changed since the car had been sitting for about 2 years.
A new battery since she said the old battery had what her mechanic said was swelling? Not sure what this is but I did have to jump the car several time to have it brought over to their shop. Also to change out the tires on the car since what I have on the car are snow tires and they are starting to crack on the sides she said.
Robin also stated that she would show me all of these issues in person if i had the time to stop in just in case I did not understand what she was talking about.
I decided to check the prices for tires so I knew a price range I was going to be in.
Robin called me with the prices for the total repairs that needed to be done including 4 new tires which left me driving away ($ 1640.00) poorer then when I stopped in but feeling much safer while driving. :)
Their prices were cheaper then the dealer for all the services they performed and I’m not talking about a couple of bucks let’s try several hundred dollars cheaper.
I opted not to do some of the other repairs right away since I don’t have a money tree in the back yard.
The other services they suggested was to flush out all the coolant and transmission, along with a alignment on the front and rear with some minor suspension work.
My experience was very pleasant with Doug and Robin at VFC.
I’m not saying I’m looking forward to my next visit but at least I know I have found a reliable repair shop with competent employees who know what they are doing.

VFC was extremely helpful and considerate to me when I was in a bad situation that they easily could have taken advantage of. I was on a cross-​country road trip in a 1999 Audi A4 when my air conditioning failed. It was summer, so A/​C was pretty essential. The strange thing about the problem was that I had just had my compressor replaced prior to leaving Boston. VFC efficiently diagnosed the problem and then worked with the shop that originally did the work and the parts distributor to get the compressor replaced under warranty. I’m sure this was a big headache for them — they could have told me it was my problem and charged me several hundred dollars for the part — but they dealt with it with a smile. This is even more impressive given that I was clearly from out-​of-​state and could not be a repeat customer. Hats off to them!

We were referred by a friend a few years ago who informed us that VFC specialized in German cars (VW, Audi, BMW, Porsche), and we were getting fed up with paying hundreds of dollars at the suburban dealerships to get oil changes and yearly service for our Porsche Cayenne.
VFC knows German cars inside out, and I’m comforted by the fact that they own a racing team and they build and maintain their own race/​rally cars, which means that they understand every aspect of performance. They are always honest about their assessments and will not try to sell you a part or service unless it is absolutely necessary. Case in point, a few years ago I noticed that our rear brakes were squeaking. VFC looked at the problem and instead of suggesting new brake pads, they assessed the quality of the pads and told us that we could easily go for a year or two if we didn’t mind the sound. We waited for a few years and let VFC replace the pads — while the Porsche parts themselves were pricey, the labor was extremely reasonable and the turnaround was fast.
From the time of appointment to final delivery, communication was clear, simple and never stuffy. Prices for service, oil change and basic maintenance (wiper blades, etc.) have rarely exceeded two hundred dollars. Hours are great and the fact that they are local means it’s a quick drop-​off and pick-​up.

Let me start by saying VFC Engineering kicks ass when it comes to doing any type of custom modifying to your Volkswagen or Porsche I had my Porsche serviced here many times and Doug has always went out of his way to find me part’s and make sure I leave his shop a happy customer. Robin is just to die for when it comes to customer service she is a total delight to deal with she will tell it how it is and is quick to get on the guy’s asses if something is not up to par with the work they are performing.
I have found that it is best to call ahead if you can and make an appointment to get a serious Mod done this way they can fit you in with the everyday regular repair customers who are beating down their door. The towing service they have is available 24 hours I learned that first hand when I broke down all they up in Galena, IL and needed my car towed back they were able to come out and pick me up. They did seem a little hesitant at first until i mentioned i was being towed back to VFC for repairs. To sum it all up VFC is a great local repair shop tucked away in the Ravenswood area. You will not go away unhappy for VFC.

I completely recommend VFC.
Of course, I hate going there, only because that means my car has broken down or has some other problem, but I do like going there because I know they will find the problem. Other places try the band-​aid approach of replacing a part only to have the problem recur. I’ve even had a major reoccuring problem and they have worked diligently to fix it. In one case, they didn’t charge me for a few days work since they hadn’t found the root of the problem.
Doug, Robyn, Joe and the rest are great, friendly and care about your car. They are not the cheapest place around, but do you really want to take your car to the cheapest spot? I’d rather have these experts on the job, than have someone who doens’t care or a stealership who could care less out my vehicle.
Basically, if you care about your VW, Audi or Porsche, bring it here.
Plus its always cool to see the trailor out front as they get ready for a weekend at the track.

These guys know their stuff!
I have a 2002 Jetta TDI (diesel), and while I might appear to be the type of girl who doesn’t know what’s going on under the hood, believe me, I make it a point to learn, to do my research and understand my car.
Despite opportunities to attempt to convince me that stuff that could be done needs to be done, VFC engineering has always made it a point to be extremely forthright and honest with me.
They are friendly, knowledgable, reasonably priced, and they have 2 awesome black labs that love people! It is important to me to have a good, trusting relationship with my mechanic, and I am absolutely thrilled to have found VFC Engineering!

I brought my car in to VFC based on a recommendation, so I had high hopes going in. I drove the car in first thing on a Monday morning during the winter. The staff I dealt with at that time were amicable and friendly. It did not appear too busy and I was told there would be no problem looking into the check engine light issues on my car.
I was told I would receive a quote on the work by 3pm. The call never came at 3pm, so I gave them a call at 5pm. They were not able to complete the estimate on-​time and I was told it would be tended to first thing the following day and I would receive a call before noon. No call came. I had to call them back again! Surprisingly, they had my quote, no one just bothered to call me. I can live with outside factors causing the estimate/​quote to slip, but I have a real problem with not once getting a courtesy call to let me know what was going on.
So things were already off to a bad start. They gave me an estimate on the work that would need to be done. They also took it upon themselves to check out my brakes and give me the percentages of what was left. Also stating they were going to rotate my tires for free but could not locate my wheel lock key. A nice gesture. Until I got off the phone and realized. 1) I don’t have wheel locks. 2) How could they have checked out my brakes without removing the tires?
After getting poor service and then being lied to, I decided to take my business elsewhere. They were not pleased and failed to give me the 10% referral discount off my bill, which I was told I would receive when I brought my car in. A bill which amounted to ~185.00 for the quote and replacing a tail light.
I knew this was a specialty shop going in which tended to charge a bit more in-​line with what a dealer would for service. But my experience was filled with frustration and disappointment.