City Volkswagen

I went to 2 other dealerships and Christa at City VW was the only one who knew how to order a GTI with the Performance Package. The Performance Package was a new option back in December of 2014 and other dealers had no idea how to order that for my build. I made my build with her in Decemeber 2014 and got my car in April 2015. I’m so glad I waited and got the build I wanted.

This review is long over due.
City Volkswagen SERVICE CENTER!
Ive had my Jetta for little over a year now with a few visits to the service center. Alex has been extraordinary with every visit seeming as if I truly am a priority. Very kind and warmhearted.

We walked here after hearing that our beloved 11 year old Tahoe needed more work than the car was worth. We had done a quick tour of the Chevy lot across the street, but my husband had long been fascinated by a particular VW, so we walked over to see it in person.
We were approached by one salesman, Edgar, who introduced himself to us, asked a few questions, and then left us to walk the lot.
It didn’t take much time. The lot is small, and there aren’t many cars to peek at. We did a few laps, stopped at the car my husband liked, and then wandered around a bit more.
Neither of us wanted to do a test drive, and we were really just browsing at that point, so we weren’t expecting much. It was a good chance for me to see the car in person, and for us to get an idea as to pricing and availability.
We weren’t there long before heading back across the street to the Chevy lot.
The one salesman we interacted with was friendly enough, though.

Unfortunately, I had to recently have major repairs completed on my MkV R32 to the tune of $ 7848.48, and have to say that I was very pleased. Accidents happen, as they did to my car, but the City VW Body Shop put my car back together like brand new. I must say that it took some time (24 days), but it was time well spent. However, in their defense, some of that time was ordering parts and shipment from the east coast of said parts. They took their time making sure the car was back to original condition and drove properly. The end result was better than I expected. I have owned sooooo many German cars (5 Mercedes, 1 Audi, 2 VW, & Porsche) and would only recommend taking your car to a certified VW/​AUDI/​PORSCHE collision center if you care the slightest about your car.
The Upgrade Program Department had called me whilst my R32 was in the shop. Let’s just say that they do not have what I’m looking for. This has nothing to do with City VW, but more so with VW America. I would have upgraded to a new Golf R in a heartbeat had a sunroof and two-​doors been available to the American Market. If I wanted a four-​door sedan, I would buy a Jetta.

Christina de la Torre was great! Very professional, not pushy, very helpful and full of helpful information. She tracked down the Golf Sport Wagon we wanted, traveled across county to get it from another dealer, and had it ready to go in less than a day. Great attitude and good price make us very happy we went to City VW instead of the others, esp Kearny Mesa VW which did not seem to care about our interest.

They were great and professional. I recommend.
I was at the service center.

This review is aimed primarily at my experience with my lease and secondly with my experience with the service department.
As far as the story with the lease starts off there were red flags that I should’ve seen in retrospect to deter me from doing business here. Back in 2013 I decided to lease a Golf TDI and I absolutely loved the car. The person who helped me with my lease was helpful and claimed to be on my side the whole time. Once we started to negotiate the lease he constantly said he would have to go check with his manager, after asking for a reconsideration on the price of the leased car he said here was nothing that he could do because his manager wasn’t able to let him go lower but he felt bad (I should’ve just walked away). So instead I ask about the price attached to the car at the end of lease and if that was negotiable at the end of the lease, to which he said that the price at the end of lease IS negotiable, so I felt comfortable proceeding knowing there was a way to come in with money ready to purchase the car and negotiate and I proceeded with the lease since diesel cars hold their value very well. Cut scene, two and a half years later and the whole scandal about the TDI emissions unfolds and my lease is near ending, there went all my value in the car. I go into the dealership and ask someone to answer some more questions about the end of my lease etc. The person that helped me was very nice and knowledgable and someone who explained so much to me about my lease that the initial person did not. Among asking questions the person disclosed to me that the residual value of the car can never be negotiated in any case, which means I was completely lied to at the time of signing my lease! This should’ve been fraud from the beginning, making should a bold statement with no recourse! To which she replied to something along the lines of, he is a salesman trying to make a sale, like it should be excused that I overpaid on the notion I can negotiate at the end of the lease which came out being complete nonsense! This coupled with the drop in value leaves my equity in the car completely lost! The only thing that makes me feel better is that it is just a lease that I can return I cannot wait to get this car off my hands and no longer deal here. This was my fourth audi/​vw and I would have continued as a lifetime customer if it weren’t for this experience.
Secondly, my experience with the service has usually been excellent but this last time I came into get my last «free» service I experienced something different. This service came up a couple weeks after news had dropped about the TDI emissions scandal. I lost a lot of trust in VW and had in mind to ask for a waived half-​day rental as a way for the company to show loyalty to its clients that were effected. I asked the lady in the area where you pick-​up and pay for the car if it would be possible to be waived, she said she would have to speak with the service manager but that it should be possible, never once mentioned it was imperative for this to be waived before signing anything. So I went about my day in the vehicle and then returned to turn it in, to which she said the service manager could not waive the rental. I let her know I would like to speak with him so she said it was the same person I would grab my keys from anyways. I went to the service manager and let him know the situation and he responded with, «well its not us that is responsible for the TDI scandal, we are just a dealer for VW.» I let him know that he represents the company in every way and I feel just that the car rental should be waived. He said that his manager would get mad at him for waiving a car without a good reason, I told him it is great reason to help an unhappy customer. To which he replied with, «well you should’ve let me know before you signed for the vehicle because I would’ve waived the 11 $ rather than the 50 $ it charges us to waive after.» How was I supposed to know this? I let the lady know who rented me the car that I was wanting a waiver and she didn’t mention one thing about having to do it beforehand, to which he said «well she may not know much then.» Instantly things went apologetic to the person letting me know its a great inconvenience for him. I understand it may not be easy but the way he explained it to me made my experience worse. Clearly it is not about the money, it is about principal but it looks like at this dealership only money exists without principal. I should have known not to trust this dealership form the beginning.

I made the first approach to City when I was looking for a Golf GTI. I filled out a short form on their web page, and got a (automatic?) e-​mail response from Sal, the internet manager. I told him I wanted the drivers assistance package, and he replied; said he was getting one in 1 – 2 weeks. Next day or so, he e-​mailed again to say the vehicle was actually on his lot. Great.
On the VW website you can see cars with specific options and specific VIN numbers, and which dealers have them (or are getting them). The site said that the configuration I wanted (red, SE, drivers assist) was AT City. I sent Sal a screenshot and asked him to confirm he had that specific VIN.
Next morning, probably before Sal had time to respond, I went to the TruCar website, searched for my chosen vehicle and BING, TruCar also said the VIN I was looking for was at City. So I texted Sal and told him to call me asap. To his credit, he did call me (it sounded like he had just woken up), and said he would start working on it when he got to the dealership.
This was the car I wanted and I had located it, and had a fair price from TruCar. I was going to buy this car at the TruCar price and Sal let it slip through his fingers! I asked for an e-​mail from Sal showing me a final breakdown of the numbers, and I also asked for a picture confirming he had the car on his lot; I was going to drive from AZ to Mission Bay and was not going to buy a different car so what I was asking for was reasonable. But the e-​mail or picture never came. Sal called me and said he could not add a picture to his Outlook account, but he would text me the picture and the numbers. I said it had to be e-​mail and he said a text «was the same thing, right?» I said no and Sal hung up. The «internet manager» COULDN’T SEND ME AN EMAIL?!
Sal called later and said there would be another problem; they couldn’t get a one-​day registration from Cal MVD so the car would have to go on a transporter and be carried to AZ, costing maybe $ 500. I said that was something I didn’t want to do, and that’s where it ended.
I have no evidence that Sal was trying to intentionally deceive me. But what he said has to mean at least one of the following; he was trying to deceive me, or his dealership is not efficient enough to have made this transaction a successful one. Yes, I believe he tried to get it done at short notice, but he didn’t and another dealership in Escondido did; in fact they Escondid it!

Bought a new GTI a week ago or so and the whole process was great. Dealt with Jesus, so got the deal down quick and efficiently. Didn’t get jerked around for hours, they were straight forward and I got the car I wanted.

After having several issues at the Kearney Mesa VW dealership I am happy that I took my SUV here. From when I called to schedule, until my warranty and repair was done, everyone was awesome! They were quick to check me in and set expectations. Especially Alex and Sean in service. All was done in the time they promised and I was thoroughly informed about what was being done. I also received a timely update. I will bring my VW here for all future services and repairs.

I am thrilled that they are finally on social media because I want people to know of the awful EXPERIENCES I have had with City Chevrolet/​VW. In my opinion, as an establishment, they don’t care about their clients and am thankful to share my experience in hopes that others don’t have to go through this as well.
Please know that there were no issues at all with the customer service or maintenance, they were exceptional. It is unfortunate that I know them on a first name basis because of the constant vehicle problems. I have desperately tried to return the vehicle and have had no luck.
In my opinion, the 2013 Jetta is low quality, loud, noisy, squeaking brakes all the time (I have been told by the dealership that the brakes last longer with the «special material» but it is embarrassing), and in general, just a poorly made cheap car. I am counting down the days until I can get rid of this vehicle.
I have contacted numerous VW executives, including the owners and managers at City, where I was suckered into leasing the vehicle, and even filed complaints. The sad part to all of this is that VW is independently owned and there is no one that can help out when someone is scammed as poorly as I was… how sad is it that the woman took advantage of me when I came in right a month after my Dad died… and I didn’t leave the dealership for almost 8 hours.
If VW was truly a company to be proud of, the woman and those at the dealership I leased the car through would have told me that I wasn’t in the correct state of mind and should have (if they were kind and considerate) told me to come back another day. Talk about a slap in the face, as many times as I stopped in the dealership to talk to her the managers and owners about the vehicle, she still sends me random notes congratulating me on how long I have had the vehicle. What a horrible thing to do to someone who dislikes their vehicle and has asked to be removed off any mailings, text messages, and contact from the dealership. On several occasions, my letter has come with the same exact letter addressed to someone else, but sent to me. Clearly, the personal touch is not personal.
I pay $ 444 a month because I was also scammed on the trade-​in of an EOS that I turned in because it had multiple service issues as well, and since I have never purchased a car, didn’t know that you didn’t get charged to return a vehicle. One VW dealership said they could write off that extra charges if City would permit them so that I could get a properly running car, and City refused. …which is why I sucked it up and am counting down the days to be done with VW. As I mentioned earlier, it is sad when you take a new car in for repair and service so much that the customer service people know you by name. It shouldn’t be this way…
I know I wrote a lot, but I wanted to make sure most of the details were known to others, wanted the public to know that I have tried every avenue available to be released from the lease, and lastly that I am making the best of this horrible situation. The car gets me where I need to go (when it isn’t in the shop) and for now, that is fine. I only have 10 months left in my nightmare of this 4-​year lease. .yep, you read it right, I was talked into a 4-​year lease without realizing it. Lesson learned.
Maybe by writing this Unilocal review there might be someone who will let me out of my lease and others who won’t get taken advantage of like I was when trying to buy a reliable car.
**Please note that City Chevy and City Volkswagen are managed by the same people**

Christa De La Torre made it happen. I wanted a Golf R. Usually the cars I saw on Autotrader were sold before I called. This car was in high demand. Other dealers told me the car cannot be ordered and basically we had to wait to see if they would get one. I called around telling local dealers the color and options I wanted figuring that I needed to make sure I had as many looking out for me as possible. When I called City, Christa answered and said, «Do you want to order one?» I visited her that day and put in the order. She expertly set expectations saying it can take a long time. Compared to «sometime, maybe never» that was fine with me! She kept me informed of progress. Due to her experience and connections I’m driving the car I wanted. I’d still be waiting if it weren’t for her.
The process of actually buying a car takes too long no matter where you go. There must be a faster way, but Christa ran through the process efficiently and it wasn’t too bad (approx. 3 hrs with trade in and short test drive).
If you want a Vee-​Dub, recommend you call and ask for Christa.

This is a review of City VW dealership’s Service Dept. My Service Advisor was (believe it or not) Jack Daniels. He was cheerful, considerate, a good listener and super polite. The waiting room was very pleasant, with great magazines, big TV and terrific fresh, on the spot ground coffee. My engine light sensor was on, I’m out of warranty and was preparing for a nasty proposal. Instead he said it was practically nothing, advised me to keep an eye on it and suggested a cheap fix should it return. I asked for a 100% synthetic oil change and tire rotation which were reasonable at $ 59.00. This is what I hope for in a Service Dept. Good work Jack and the service team!

I bought my first new car back in March of 2015 and as a new car buyer was wary of car dealerships in general. My concerns were unfounded in this case though because my experience at City VW was effortless and enjoyable.
I worked with Christa delaTorre who was calm, friendly and professional throughout the test drive and car purchasing experience. I never felt like she was trying to up-​sell me on tons of extra features I didn’t need. I test drove the VW GTI and knew that it was the one I had been waiting for. What an amazing car! It definitely feels much more expensive than its purchase price would suggest. Luckily, I had an offer through TrueCar for this vehicle which made the process even more smooth and cut down on the need for back and forth negotiation, since I had already vetted the best deal/​price from dealerships around the county. Once I had decided on the car, I worked with Ryan with the finance and warranty paperwork and he was very helpful and a GTI owner himself. He definitely provided some helpful hints about my car.
At the very end of my car purchase, Christa spent a good 20 – 30 minutes sitting in the car with me and showing me how to get the most out of all the features of the infotainment system. I still get follow-​up calls, emails, and even a handwritten birthday card from Christa. I really like that she keeps the communication channel open for any questions that need answering.
I highly recommend this dealership for their professionalism, friendliness, and attention to detail and would definitely refer any of my friends to this place. It’s also a smaller dealership with more of a mom and pop feel and with that came better customer service and fewer crowds.

Jack Daniels has done a fabulous job on my car every time I have came in!
I am a college girl living here in San Diego without the help of my father or brothers for my car anymore now that I’m away from home.
Jack has taken great care of me and my dad has been very happy with his service as well.
everyone there is extremely attentive and friendly.
there is no other place I will go!
take a shot of Jack ;)

Just curious as to why I had to pay $ 50 for a «loaner» when my recall and maintenance were covered under warranty? When I made my appointment I specifically requested one; not a rental. The cashiers even thought that was odd and called my service advisor Jack for confirmation. Nope; charge her. I don’t need to make multiple trips from Rancho Bernardo to Bay Park to have my warranty work done. I’ll keep my business in my own neighborhood thank you.

Had a great experience dealing with Jesus Munoz at City Volkswagen. I originally went to Kearny Mesa Volkswagen looking for lease options on a new Passat. Had an ok experience until it came down to the numbers. They wouldn’t offer me anything lower than $ 289+tax/month which would be roughly a $ 330 monthly payment so I walked. The next day I found the exact same car on City’s website and clicked the text link to start getting more info. I sat on my couch and texted Jesus for the next hour and reached an agreement at $ 217+tax/month for a total monthly payment of $ 235. I added the lease wear and tear protection and now have a brand new $ 25k Passat for $ 250/​month. Thank you mr Munoz. It was a pleasure working with you!!! I will definitely come back to city. How awesome is it that I could come up with a deal over a text conversation from the comfort of my own home!!!

Ted Williams in Parts is absolutely the best. His computer, and VW was telling him that we had the right parts but he knew otherwise, he worked with me for hours and figured out the answer. I kept thinking he is bound to give up like so many people, but NOT Ted!
City VW is lucky to have a guy like this.

This was my first time going into City Volkswagen and my first time buying a new car by myself. I had called ahead and set up a time to go in and see the used GTI I was interested in; Christa was super friendly and professional both on the phone and in person. She had the car pulled up waiting for me when I got there and we took a test drive right off the bat. She talked to me about the car and it’s features and was very personable and easygoing.
I had previously arranged financing through my credit union and it was accepted no problem. I wasn’t hard pressed to accept additional services or charges; yes they were offered to me but never once was I hounded after I said no. Ryan in financing was also fantastic and the whole process was quick and smooth. The terms of the deal at the end were exactly the terms that were presented to me at the beginning. I feel I got a fair price on the car and they were completely upfront on its history and the work that it received at the dealership; I got copies of the carfax report as well as the report from their internal service department on maintenance/​repairs performed.
All in all I would definitely go back again the next time I’m in the market and I also look forward to bringing my GTI here for maintenance.

I came to city Volkswagen to drop off a car for a friend, I was received very well, I see the has attitude changed and see more smiling faces, keep up VW