Zentrum Motors

5-​star service always: customer service and prices. They really love and value their customers. Joel, is the best with accesses your car needs. I will never go to the dealer. Zentrum is my new dealer!

Couldn’t unscrew a bolt when working on my car. Went To Zentrum to ask for help and no questions asked they grabbed their tools and unscrewed the bolt. Good people, would definitely go back there just based on their kindness and willingness to help.

I decided to try Zentrum after the MBZ dealership advised me that I needed about $ 4,000 worth of work. I had just spent over $ 2,000. I asked Zentrum to evaluate my car. The repairs that they recommended were about 20−25% lower than the dealership. Zentrum uses MBZ parts, so I was surprised that they charged less for them. Worse than that, I learned that the dealer overstated the work that was needed.
I’ve been a loyal Zentrum customer for several years now. Paula is welcoming and responsive. Joe is very knowledgeable, experienced and honest. Furthermore, he is remarkably accessible and patient. He graciously takes the time to answer all my questions, even near closing time on Fridays. It is comforting to be able to call him or drop in when I hear a noise or receive a problem message on the display.
I live in Piedmont and was concerned about the distance to Zentrum. I was happy to learn that it’s only about a 10 minute drive and that their ride service is very efficient. Victor is an excellent driver and always very pleasant.
i highly recommend Zentrum for excellent and trustworthy service!

Couldn’t have asked for more excellent service– Joe is extremely knowledgeable, polite and clear cut. They were able to make a same day repair, were honest and right on budget with their estimate. Joe has been there almost 20 years and goes above and beyond. This is my 3^rd BMW and I wouldn’t think of taking my car for service anywhere else now. They also happily shuttle local customers from and to the shop. Excellent business.

Absolutely love this place! Check engine light was on, Joe had his mechanics check it out. Took care of me by providing the diagnosis completely free on my first visit. Second visit they fixed the issue cam shaft sensors (what ever those are). Great customer service and friendly attitude. We all are completely cognizant of how nerve racking car issues are. So he made it fairly easy and the work was done accurately. I will be back for all of my Mercedes Benz need or concerns. Thanks again Joe!

I will not go there to have my car repaired. They could not tell that my BMW has a manual transmission even after poking around it for an hour. They would also not give me a quote for major transmission repair — Joe kept saying he would, but never did; hinted that it would take too much time (?!). A most frustrating experience and an hour wasted. Use your own best judgment. I don’t know who wrote all these 5 star reviews — friends and family?

ZENTRUM MOTORS is hands down the BEST AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE experience I have had. I don’t usually write reviews but this place did exceed my expectations. I am an owner of a twin turbo 2009 Bmw 335i and I am very careful with who gets to touch my car. With Zentrum Motors the service I received has been the same if not better than the BMW dealerships in the bay area. One of the times I came in I had my engine cleaned out and maintained and now my car preforms better and my fuel efficiency went back to what the factory claims. I am saving about 40% more on gas now. I am so thankful I now know about this place I have been a returning customer ever since and here are some other reasons why.
Quality service at a fair price! What they do here they do well and you pay much less than dealership prices and receive dealership quality or better service!
They give a large discount for your first service!
Courtesy shuttle service!
The automotive professionals working on the cars are experienced and knowledgable some with European automotive dealership backgrounds! They take a look at your car as a whole as well as the maintenance/​service you came in for. This way they do quality work and let you know about any other issues you may have not known about!
Paula remembers who you are overtime you call, she has been very friendly and helpful every time!
Joe is a excellent service advisor trust me you will know what I mean when you meet him, he is very friendly and understanding! Im always in a better mood talking with him. He has gave me the best service experience based on his knowledge, experience, and true personal passion for cars. Always looking out for you and your car. I have received courtesy inspections as a heads up on future service when bringing my car in. Also any advice to help prevent further maintenance or issues with my car!
Try this place out trust me you will be happy that you did!

Excellent customer service, A+ rates! and beautiful waiting rooms. I took my Porsche to get an oil change and I’ll be back for other services needed in the future.

Got my truck serviced here recently! Affordable for a standard service! All in all a good bargain and value for money! And cant remember the guy behind the counters name but he was super nice and jolly!

Joe and the rest of his team are AMAZING! I am so happy that I found this place as my Benz Doctor. I was so over spending so much money at the dealer– this is my first Luxury car so I want to give her the best care. and out of lack of information I have been using the dealer as a safe bet.
We were coming up on the B service for my car– and coincidentally I recieved a flyer for their first time customer specials. From the moment I called them to the minute I pulled in the drive way the service was top notch. I admit I was a little worried about going to big bad west oakland… but hoenestly it was not bad and trust me when I say THIS PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE. It’s a whole new world… seriously.
Nice big salt water fish tank, the décor is so plush, and the people are so friendly. As a woman I fear getting taken advantage of dealing with repair. but Joe was so informative and patient with my 21 questions. They gave me a ride to work in the morning and picked me up that evening when it was done.
They were so easy to deal with and the price is right! I felt good about my decision coming here and will continue to come back. They also work on Audis, BMW’s, and Porsches. Experts I tell you. Experts!

I only use Zentrum for my MBZ Joe is the best. The best with a personal touch

I’ve been taking my M-​B to All MAB/​Zentrum for several years. When I first bought my used M-​B I tried Mercedes of Oakland for service and they were terrible, never again. They acted like, since I didn’t buy my car from them, they didn’t want to bother with me, and they misdiagnosed problems. Zentrum instead was great, and although they don’t seem to charge that much less than the dealer the level of service is far better. As a mechanic through college I have a sense when service shops throw out BS, and I don’t get that from Zentrum. They’ve been straight-​up and fair and I feel I can trust them to do good work, and I’ve not been disappointed.

This place is great, Joe is a no-​bs type of guy, and the first place I turn to for advice. I’m a bit of a Mercedes enthusiast, so everything I’d like to DIY. Like all Mercedes eventually you will run into random problems, and sometimes parts are a pain in the ass to find if you don’t exactly know the part number or have access to it, especially parts that aren’t sensors that commonly fail.
One neat thing is they do have a STAR diagnostic system for Mercedes, they charge about 100 bucks to run a diagnostic which is cheaper than what the dealer charges, and if you generally know your way around your car and have access to the internet they are more than happy to give you all the information their system obtained. Again, no-​bs. Pretty much the cheapest spot to go if you need access to a STAR diagnostic system, unless you find a guy off Craigslist that has access to a replica that can run the same diagnosis for 35 bucks.

Joe and Zentrum Motors is amazing. My brother discovered them for his BMW, my bro lives 5 blocks away from them. i have an Audi and the Oakland Audi was getting too expensive as i was outside of my all-​inclusive warranty, hence the maintenance was coming out of my pocket.
Joe is honest, doesn’t try and upsell and does only what needs to be done. I completely trust him, and TRUST is not a word that comes lightly for me (particularly with car people). My last visit there, my engine wasn’t idling/​running smoothly. My Audi also has this defect on the roof bar and got bent and I pointed this out to Joe asking him if he had time, it would be great if he could fix it. When i came to pick up my car, he replaced a part that was giving his diagnostics machine «error» messages and to my surprise, he also fixed this bent piece on the roof with this strong double-​sided tape at no charge.
I trust Joe and his shop with my 2008 A3 Audi as it nears 100,000 miles hoping to get another 75,000 miles out of my car. I am not the easiest to win over, and Joe and his shop has been wonderful. my brother gave me an invaluable recommendation when he discovered them by chance several years ago.

I have owned Mercedes E class cars since 1999 and have been using their services since 2009. I have never had a bad experience with Zentrum. They know me by name and my vehicle inside and out. I have compared prices and they are lower than the dealer in my experience. They never try to gouge or upsell me into stuff I do not need. Sorry to read that others have had some negative experiences. I guess nobody’s 100% perfect.

I have been bringing my cars here to be serviced for years. They are cheaper than the dealers for service and have always provided me with exceptional service on my cars. The person I always ask for is Joe, he is knowledgeable, humorous and never up sells. It’s been times I thought I needed certain services on my car and he would tell me to swing it by and let him take a look first, free of charge before deciding on a service I may not need. He has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years, I really appreciate him, I can’t believe people would give them any negative reviews.
I am very picky and sensitive to any changes in the way my car drives and I personally prefer their customer service to most of the MBZ dealerships I’ve previously taken my cars to. From brakes, to shocks, to motor mounts or anything you need fixed on your European vehicle or Porsche they do it here and they do it well. I never take my cars anywhere else, remember to ask for Joe he is a Gem.

I am really stunned to why this place is getting mixed reviews. I’m thinking that because this place is highly visible from West Oakland BART, this place gets a flood of drivers who aren’t much the enthusiast of German cars and are just plain clueless to what goes into the dedication and maintenance of such cars. I have read the other reviews, and have noticed the fist thing that people complain about are the so called «high» prices that they are quoted. Well, first off, if anyone does their homework on German cars…
1) they are not cheap
2) the parts are made with the best materials and standards
3) they require high maintenance
4) they are designed and test driven for the Autobahn in Germany… therefore see 1, 2 and 3.
If people complain about high prices they are given for repairs, they need to check themselves and rethink whether they should drive a German car in the first place. Just because this shop is independent from the dealers, that doesn’t mean you are going to save hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. The point is that, yes, you are going to get a lower price, but not by much. This shop is just an option away from the dealerships that avoids the hassles of the bureaucracy and lack of customer service that they give you. I have brought 3 cars to these guys since 2008, ranging from a 2005 MBZ c230 Kompressor, a 2004 BMW E46 Coupe and recently a 2008 Audi A4. I have never had any major problems with this shop or their prices. Also having a shuttle drive you to and from home or work is a huge benefit from the other shops that don’t provide this. This is not a biased review for those of you who think that, check my other review of Porboys German Automotive Service.

Love the new ZENTRUM rebranding, the new master technician for Porsche and the overall new look and feel. Same great ALL MAB management, still quality work at reasonable prices, and as always, attentive customer service which all adds up to my go-​to German auto repair and service solution.
It’s surprising to see some less than glowing reviews here, but as usual, those that are happy generally say nothing and those that are not often rant and rave. Everyone I know that uses ALL MAB, (now Zentrum), is a happy repeat customer, and yet I see only one of them has left a review here.
At any rate thanks Zentrum, always excellent work at the right price… and let me know if you find me that 911…

Quoted me $ 685 to replace front rotors and brake pads on an SLK, which is MORE than what the DEALERSHIP charges for the same work! I brought the car to another shop and they did it for about ²⁄₃ that price. As a female, I expect to get overcharged on just about all things auto, but at least the offer should be less expensive than what the dealership charges. Pros are that the staff is friendly (as they’re trying to rip you off), the sitting areas are nice, and they have a really cute dog. Sorry but that doesn’t make up for outrageous mark-​ups.

This review is about their BMW service. Since they are divided up into three separate teams I can’t comment about Audi or Benz. I have never taken my cars anywhere but the dealership, but when BMW of San Francisco quoted me $ 700+ just for front brakes I decided it was time to look elsewhere. I called several specialty BMW shops and other dealers before deciding to take the risk and go with All MAB. Luckily the risk was worth the reward. I received great service at a great price!
The BMW service writer, Mike, was very helpful and prompt. He answered all of my oddball questions, and made arrangements with me to accommodate the unfortunate and unique circumstances with my car. All MAB put on new front brakes, rotors, and completed an oil change. The rest of the team is a pleasure to work with as well, and my service bill was substantially less than the dealer but I still drove away with all genuine BMW parts on my car.
I’ll be back… thanks All MAB!