Ottowerks

Great friendly service! I went to ottowerks yesterday to get an estimate on a screeching sound coming from my engine. Dave looked at all the pulleys and tensioners, etc. I left the car with him and took an Über home. He ordered the parts and called me this morning to say it was all fixed and ready to pick up. He examined entire engine and only replaced two pulleys and said everything else was fine. Cost for two parts was $ 40 & $ 60 and one our labor. I picked up the car at noon.
Dave turned out to be very fair, honest, knowledgable, fast, and cheaper than other places.
Thanks again Dave!

Passionate BMW service for my E92. Dave knows his stuff and always some cool cars in the shop. Cheaper than the dealer but maintaining German cars isn’t cheap. Recommend calling ahead.

8 years going here, and no one else will ever touch my car. Do not just show up. Dave’s shop is tiny and he has a deeply devoted customer following. Call ahead, he’ll tell you when you can bring your car in, and when you do, he’ll be ready, and won’t EVER give you the tired old line of «we couldn’t get to your car today.»

I was searching for a garage to fix my 2004 BMW X5. I called Ottowerks and explained to them that I’d have to have my car towed to their garage. Dave was friendly on the phone and told me that I can drop off my car anytime. When the car arrived, they determined that I needed a new alternator. Since I live in the South bay, I really need to be able to pick up the car at the end of the business day. Even though it was already 1 pm, Dave and his crew went to work and was able to get my car finished that day! I appreciate Dave and his crew for going out of their way to make sure I didn’t have to make multiple trips back up to the city. I was very pleased with their service and professionalism. I would definitely use these guys again!

Dave has helped me diagnose issues on my 335i twice now and all I can say is that I’ve had a great experience. Recommend Ottowerks to anyone that is looking for a great BMW mechanic.

Another casualty because of misleading Unilocal reviews. My car had intermittent starting problems and I drove in to Ottowerks to get the problem fixed. Long story short, 5 days and countless explanations later I landed up paying Dave $ 1600 and the original problem is still not fixed. I need to spend $ 600 with another mechanic (Dave’s quote to fix the real problem was another $ 800) to get the problem diagnosed. Clearly, I got robbed here and I’m looking for help from Unilocalers to find the right course of action. I don’t expect Dave to return any of my money back, but here are some prices that I checked on the internet for parts that he billed me for (I have his original handwritten bill):
— BMW e46 Power Steering Cooling Coil Hose (Dave: $ 291, Internet: $ 130)
— Interstate (Dave: $ 231, Internet: $ 189)
I’ve just been set back a $ 1600 for repairs that were not really needed on my car and I still have to spend more to get the real problem fixed. Thank you Unilocalers!

Dave at Ottowerks came recommended as someone reliable and honest who could fix my brakes on my BMW. His quote was within range of other mechanics and the job was done sooner than promised. When I went to pick up my car he walked me through exactly what he did, saving the old rotors and pads to show the wear and tear and explaining how I can avoid future problems. I will definitely return to Ottowerks!

I can not say enough good things about Dave and his team at Ottowerks. The day I bought my 325i I brought it to Dave, who looked over the entire car and gave it the seal of approval– yes, I should have done this BEFORE I bought the car, but none the less he was so great in looking at all systems and telling me about the car’s history. He has been so helpful in keeping my car maintained and telling me ways that I can prevent certain things from occurring. I was nervous about buying a BMW because of what I have heard about servicing them, but knowing that I have Dave and his expertise has made the last three years worry free. All of the work he has done has been great, and just yesterday I stopped in with a service engine light that he quickly discovered was nothing more than not replacing the gas cap correctly.
And also, you will never see a cooler garage than this one– plants and art galore and a desk made out of an old BMW front end complete with an Eames lounge chair. It’s rad.

RUN AWAY
Whatever work they do, it will be done right. BUT THEY WILL OVERCHARGE THE ENTIRE WAY AND LIE ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED
Ottoworks 2 years ago told me I needed an entire new rear suspension and a bunch of front suspension work. I knew i needed the suspension work in the front, but was suspicious about the rear. I originally brought it in for a check engine light, but he tried to sell me on 4.5K in REPAIRS on a car worth maybe 6K. Rediculous. They told me I had BROKEN rear suspension parts. Other mechanics have laughed at this obvious attempt at scamming.
Now that I know more about the car, what parts should cost, and I have a REAL shop who doensn’t scam you I am SHOCKED at this old bill from them. They mark up parts about 100%. $ 200 for a front lower control arm, should be no more than $ 130, $ 220 for pre-​cat oxygen sensors which are $ 90. I didn’t know what I was doing and they took me to the cleaners. Luckily I had the sense to stop at $ 1500 total.
Don’t fall for Dave’s «preventative measures» which is a way to raise the bill.

Let me say off the bat that this review is not about the quality of the work done by Ottowerks, but more about the way that they failed to listen to my instructions and forced me into work that I had not consented to.
I brought in my car at 7 AM, told them about two problems I had experienced and told them to call me when they had diagnosed the problem and had a cost estimate. It was critical that they follow these steps bc: (a) I rely on my car for transportation to the South Bay — and needed to plan the work around alternate transportation options; and (b) so that I could get a second opinion and see if I had been over-​quoted.
Ottowerks told me they would get back to me with the estimate that morning. I told them I had meetings throughout the day, but I would call them back. Ottowerks did not call me until 1:55 PM. I was in a meeting and could not get back to them until 3 PM. In that hour, the team at Ottowerks started to work on my car without my consent. When I called back at 3 PM, I reiterated that they were supposed to obtain my consent before working on the car. The guy said I should be thanking him for the repairs because he was «saving my life.» I found that glib response completely offputting. He should be thanking me for not making a big stink about the fact that he was making unauthorized repairs on my vehicle. He acted like he was being some good samaritan, like there was no enterprising financial motive behind his actions.
Well, I decided not to make a big deal of it. He quoted me $ 700. I decided to bite the bullet. He told me that would include changing one of the lights on the car, which I told him might be complicated beforehand and to include in the estimate (that’s because the dealership would do it for free!). My husband picks up the car the next day, and suddenly the cost has become $ 900, including $ 120 to change the light. Would have been nice if he had called, as I asked him to, make sure that this additional chunk of change was okay.
Basically, times are hard right now. The average American family can no longer withstand $ 1000 of unanticipated expense in a given month. These jerks flagrantly disregarded what I asked them to do and substituted their own what was in their opinion superior judgment for mine. Not what I look for is a service-​oriented business. Will not return.

If you value your car, your money, and/​or your time then avoid Ottowerks. Dave (the owner) made the problems on my car worse — so much so that I had to go to a different mechanic the following week and have the same work re-​done.
I came to Ottowerks because they are not too far from my apartment, and because I had read some good reviews on Unilocal.Unfortunately, I had not paid enough attention to the several 1-​star reviews. I also didn’t think to check the Better Business Bureau, where Otterwerks has an «F» rating. My loss on both points.
When I took my car to Ottowerks it was out of tune — it’s an older BMW which I just bought a month ago. The valves were noisy, the spark plugs hadn’t been changed in a long time, it had some slight misfires, and it was getting poor fuel economy. I also wanted the radiator flushed, because the coolant was a sickly color. At first I was impressed by the shop — lots of sharp-​looking classics up on the racks, and cool art on the walls. (How often have you seen that, original art on a mechanic’s wall?) Dave talked as though he has considerable knowledge of BMWs. So I felt comfortable letting him work on my car. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
When I got home my car was leaking coolant like crazy. This was not a mechanical problem per se — they had forgot to tell me that as result of their slipshod method of radiator flushing, the car is going to overflow a ton of coolant the first time you drive it. I can’t imagine a radiator flush technique like that, which resulted in the discharge of engine coolant into the municipal sewer, is even legal.
Worse, after paying over $ 600 for parts & labor, and putting up with Ottowerks’ super-​shitty hours, the problems with my car were WORSE than before they worked on it. The valves sounded like they were going to fly apart (louder than before), the engine was noticeably down on power, and the fuel mileage was absolutely abysmal.
I complained to Dave, and his response amounted to «tough shit». Clearly he does NOT stand behind his work. Less than a week later I had to take the car into Phaedrus (who are expensive but competent) to have the same work re-​done. By the end of the day they had my car running well, no more noisy valves, engine back to full power. Their mechanic said the valves were horribly out of adjustment, that the spark plugs had not been correctly gapped, and that one of the plugs was not even screwed in all the way! No wonder my car was running badly when it left Ottowerks!

Ottowerks is amazing! I just moved to the city and have a 99′ BMW that has always had problems. I was a little scared when I had to take it to a mechanic that I was unfamiliar with but after 5 min. these guys put me at ease. They hooked my car up to the computer instantly and gave me a good idea of what the problem was and how much it would cost with in 10 min. Then they got the part and got the car repaired in the same day. The car has been running great now for the past 2 months!
Another thing I loved about these guys is when my car was on the lift they went over and showed me 3 or 4 things I should do as maintenance for my car. They were not pushy at all and just said, «When ever it fits in YOUR budget bring it back in.»
I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone.

These guys are seriously fantastic. I have an 85 535i, which means that I either have to be handy with a wrench or have a great mechanic. I unfortunately don’t have the time, place, nor often times skill to do the repairs that the car so often requires. Thankfully I have found the latter. I’ve taken my car there twice now and each time they have fixed the problem the first time, within a day, and for a great price. The last time I brought in my car with a clutch issue they looked over the whole system and instead of trying to sell me on any major repairs they found a kink in one of the feeder lines that was causing the problem and quickly (and cheaply) fixed the problem. An honest mechanic? A rare breed indeed.
They do a great job of explaining what they’ve done and letting you know of any other possible things that the car might need to get done in the future. Given that my car now has over 200k miles on it, I will definitely be using these guys again.

I have had two great transactions so far here. My ML320 was stalling and Dave replaced an electronic doo-​dad and now it doesn’t stall anymore. He explained it to me at the time and I know enough about cars to think he wasn’t full of it.
I had actually stalled a few blocks away and he answered his phone at like 7pm. He was gone for the day but said I could have it towed to his shop and he’d check it out in the morning.
After that fix, I came back and got some tires from him a few weeks later. They were done in a day and I saved a few hundred from quotes I got at other places in The City.
He has always been nice. to me Some people don’t mesh well I guess.
Auf.

I would go back but I have to say, there are other choices.
IMHO, Firestone auto repair on Geary does good work that is just as good. The service writer has an M3 and a turbo RX7 and when you talk to him, you get the feeling that he knows about high performance cars and know they can handle special machines, like an M3.
And it’s not located in an area that is sketchy.

I’m proud to have a new Ottowerks license plate bracket on my Mercedes and am thankful that Dave and his crew took the time to diagnose and work on my engine. We needed a new head gasket, but feared there could be bigger problems. After quoting a rate that was in-​line with quotes we got from other shops (one that did not specialize in Mercedes and BMWs, and one that did), we felt comfortable having Dave pull the top of the block off for a look-​see.
After getting in there, Dave identified the leaking water pump, and the need for a valve job. It’s not uncommon for mechanics to find a whole laundry list of things that ‘need attention’ after they’ve got things apart, but in our case it didn’t seem that Dave was trying to stick it to us, or sell us stuff we didn’t need. He gave us a couple of options on how we could proceed, explained the pricing and the labor involved with each, then gave us the choice on how to proceed. He also offered to show us all the used parts — pretty cool.
While Dave had the top off, he went ahead and replaced some hoses and belts and cleaned the engine compartment — things that are just easier to do when you’ve got the room to work. When we arrived to pick up the car, it was running like a top. The cold idle was quieter and smoother than the engine used to run when it was fully warmed up. Not only was the car detailed, Dave went ahead and replaced the front grill — which had been banged up pretty good over the past 10 years — for free! Our total bill was what he quoted, and he sent me home with an extra quart of oil. Can’t ask for much more than that!
Don’t tell Dave, but I would have gladly paid for the license plate bracket! His garage also has a pretty cool setup.

Can’t give the guy 5 stars, cause I’ve only been there once, but I have to say it seems a nice operation. He had a couple cancellations and fit me right in for a muffler replacement. Didn’t try and sell me on something I didn’t ask for, just did the job well and I appreciated that.
He’s also a true car lover. Some guys don’t want to talk cars at all (even if they love them) but Dave seemed to enjoy rapping a bit on the pick up.
I’ve been a Phaedrus guy for more than a decade, but would take my car to Ottowerks any time with confidence.

Ottowerks is awesome. I like it because the owner Dave has a no BS kind of attitude. I can fully trust this guy with my car. He also really knows all about what he is working with. I can tell because I also know a lot about my car: the model engine it has, specific parts that could possibly broken, etc. So it’s nice to be able to tell when a mechanic really knows what he is doing with your baby. Also, its pretty damn cheap for a BMW specialist shop. $ 53 for an oil change is a bargain for me.
Brought my car here 3 times in the past 2 years I’ve lived here and always had a good experience.
Oh, and if anyone is wondering how this place got it’s name… here is a brief history lesson for you (I haven’t talked to the owner or anything, but I ‘m pretty sure):
— Gustav Otto is a guy who invented the four stroke internal combustion engine. He also co-​founded BMW indirectly by starting an airplane manufacturing company, Otto-​Werks, which made German airplanes during WWI. The company later became BMW as we know the company today.

I recently bought a new to-​me used Golf. I didn’t know where to take it until a friend recommended Ottowerks, since the car is German, and the shop is easy to get to.
This is hands-​down, the fiercest looking mechanic’s shop I’ve ever seen. There is art and color everywhere, music playing, plants, and a cut-​in-​half car as a desk. The owner, Dave, is funny, down to earth and could explain to me in lady-​terms, what was going on with the car.
Dave found a serious front suspension problem which was going to be expensive to fix. Our car came with used-​car warranty which had never been used before. Dave walked us through the super-​complicated process of figuring out how to get the warranty people pay for the repair.
The car is now in perfect shape and I saved a ton of money!

My experience with Dave involved sloppy work, the problem not being fixed, and rudeness. I did get my shocks replaced (so far successfully), so I suppose that’s the one star!
After reading reviews on Unilocal and fed up with Weatherford’s pricing, I brought my 2000 BMW to Ottowerks for new shocks, and to fix the air conditioning. Dave was nice enough on the phone, and we set a time for me to come in. My father (who was an auto mechanic for 18 years, specializing in Mercedes and BMWs) happened to be in town, so I brought him along. Dave was nice, recommended a different brand of shocks, and promised to call with estimate on AC. The next day he called me at 11 am to say my shocks were done and my AC was fixed! When I picked up my car he also mentioned he had replaced a rear lightbulb.
Unfortunately, the AC wasn’t fixed — apparently Dave never bothered to check. The real story is that it needed a new compressor and receiver/​dryer, requiring another trip back to the shop, and another $ 1500. When I got home and opened the trunk, the light assembly was sitting out in the trunk, not put back in place. My FasTrak was also missing. I called the next morning to discuss that FasTrak and light assembly … I was polite, but not really happy, and Dave reacted by *literally* yelling at me on the phone.
I mean, yelling at the customer you just gave terrible service to?
Lost my FasTrak forever. Brought my car to Phaedrus, they were professional and polite and got my car done on time, within the estimate amount. My feeling is don’t waste your time with Ottowerks.