LaVere’s VW & Audi Only

Back in December 2015 my husband and I were headed off for a weekend in Santa Cruz with our 1968 VW Bus. We made it from Sacramento to Concord and broke down. It was a Friday around 4:00. AAA was taking a long time to get us towed to LaVere’s. Gary (the owner) sent one of his guys to tow us to his shop. He charged us a very reasonable price for the tow. They worked on our bus after normal business hours to get our bus back on the road for our trip. Gary and his team were awesome! We have a lot of work to do and Gary will be our main guy for any future repairs. I highly recommend them.

This review is long overdue (a year to be exact)…my 2009 VW GTi decided to stop working one day… had only 71k miles on it… I called LaVere’s and spoke to Jason about the issue and he said to go ahead and have the car towed in and he would take a look. So the next day I had my car towed in… Jason even recommended a tow company which was awesome because I don’t trust just anyone. So Jason calls me later and the news is not good… not good AT ALL! I was heartbroken as I had only owned my car for a year and a half… it was out of warranty and I had no extended warranty as I couldn’t afford it at the time i purchased the car. Jason would call me every couple days with updates as to what was going on with Betty (yes I named my car.) He was super nice and even a couple times asked me to come to the shop so he could physically show me what he was discovering as he had to tear the entire engine apart. UGH… gulp…tears…cuss words (not towards him) frustration that this low mileage vehicle was having catastrophic engine failure… I had no choice but to have the repairs done… poor Jason… he was learning as he went too as he had never seen anything like this… we couldn’t figure out how it would have happened. Fast forward a year later… guess what!!! YEP VW has earned themselves another Class Action lawsuit! Jerks!!! Jason was so kind and told me about how after my car he saw a couple more with the same exact issue! I was able to find an attorney handling the case and he will be filing this week! Talk about timing! Anyways, long story… I highly recommend LaVere’s…Jason is just awesome and super knowledgeable! Gary the owner is really great too! I am a loyal customer now and I bring Betty back for oil changes regularly! These guys are honest and no BS!!!

I was looking to purchase a used VW vehicle and the seller was located in Concord. I found LaVere’s and they were absolutely awesome to work with! The pre-​purchase inspection was thorough and Jason was extremely knowledgeable. He took his time to describe the condition of the car to me. Since I am not super-​knowledgeable about cars and I was able to walk away understanding what was critical and what was just likely normal wear-​and-​tear and what I likely would be looking at from a maintenance perspective, I thought this whole process was painless and great! If I had actually purchased the vehicle, I would definitely have had them do the work. If you have a VW or Audi, this is the place to go!

I am so grateful I brought my VW Passat to LaVere’s. Jason was extremely knowledgable and polite. The best part is that the repair could not have been cheaper. I called multiple shops before deciding to go here, and the cost was significantly less than expected. They also did not charge me for diagnosing the problem, which other shops in the area would have done. Thank you guys!

Thank you !!! Gary, Jason and every body at the shop for helping me with my vw 2003 passat. I was there about 2 weeks ago… I had no appointment.. the AC was making a horrible noise every time it was on with these heat 2 kids in the back seat. I need it fix asap. Thank you for being there for me. and helping me with NO appointment :)

Gary & Co. are the best. Not only is my VW Cabriolet in even better shape than when we drove it from Asbury Park, New Jersey — but the experience of working with them is pure joy. Gary has an amazing operation, and was happy to let me ask questions and take some photographs of some truly amazing automobiles!

My wife and I recently purchased a 1979 Super Beetle convertible for her Birthday. We knew it would need some work so after shopping reviews we found LaVere’s. They came very highly recommended so we chose them for a pre-​purchase inspection.
Working with a new shop or Mechanic is often nerve wracking. Our first point of contact was Jason, he handled our initial questions over the phone with kindness, courtesy and clearly stated knowledge. When I arrived with the bug for its initial inspection he lived up to his phone persona, while waiting and doing paperwork, I observed his interaction with a female customer with a VW bus. He was every bit as polite as he had been with me. He didn’t talk down to her, did his best to offer helpful advice to her mechanical and restoration questions, even advised her on some simple DIY fixes. In short he treated her with the respect of one vw lover to another. I knew immediately that I needn’t worry should my wife ever need to come get work done without me present.
Our bug needed it’s brakes done, rear drums replaced, EGG filter, and a general service. We were given a quote that seemed fair, and Gary, the owner, gave me some fantastic advice in negotiating the purchase of our bug. We got an amazing deal because of this advice. We purchased the bug for my wife, and scheduled the recommended service.
On the day of the service I had the opportunity to get to know Gary a bit more, after complimenting him and his staff for being so helful, kind and ethical, he shared some of his life experiences that led him to his philosophy of how he runs his business. Kindness rules at LaVere’s followed closely by in depth knowledge and a passion for all things VW and Audi. These guys love what they do and genuinely care about doing right by their customers.
Our service was done quickly and thoroughly and best of all was done for less than the initial quote! They use only top end parts, selected for quality instead of an allegiance to any one parts manufacturer. You may find cheaper parts elsewhere but Gary and his staff are committed to offering only the best parts in any given category. I trust his judgment in his selection. As a restoration focused shop he chooses parts that are restoration quality and long lasting.
My wife’s bug is running great and we look forward to continuing in our restoration of her new superbeetle. In fact I’m so happy with LaVere’s I wish all of our vehicles were VW or Audi. 5 out of five well deserved stars! Thank You to Gary, Jason, Jake and all of the other staff at LaVere’s
And wishing a very Happy Birthday to my wonderful Wife Bre. You be Buggin babe! I Love you!

Gary and jason are both the guru’s of Volkswagen and Audis! They are very nice, professional, honest, and won’t over sell you on things you don’t need (very thorough). Thanks guys for taking care of my passat and audi A3. Keep up the good work!!!

I had my daughter’s VW Passat in there to have the timing belt changed… I had made an appointment the day before, showed up the first thing in the morning, and let them know ahead of time that I needed the car back that evening because she was heading back to college the next day.
When I called at 2:30 to see how things were progressing, they hadn’t even started on it… I know this job takes more than a few hours and that they couldn’t possibly finish by 5:00 pm.
At 5:00 pm I picked up the car and they told me the belt didn’t need replacing (although the car had the kind of mileage when they start to go bad.)
My problem with this was they said they had nearly everything torn down to inspect it… why not replace it while you’re in there… the belt itself is a minor expense. No they didn’t replace because of the time crunch and this was their way of covering their asses. I have my doubts that they even did anything.
Even though they hadn’t started on it at 2:30 and they close sharply at 5:00, I was billed $ 279.00 for three hours labor basically to have nothing done.
I don’t know if they’re incompetent or unethical… I suspect a little of both but I would never take a car to their shop… stay away

These guys are straight to the point and super friendly. I called early on a Thursday because my Audi A6 had been steaming up and I was trying to decide which shop I wanted to take it to. Jason took the time to talk to me about what could possibly be wrong despite never having seen the car. I asked if I could tow it to their shop that day and see if they could work on it that same day. I was told they just had someone cancel their appointment and they could fit me in, awesome! My car was supposed to be brought to the shop by the tow at 3:30. Tow didn’t take my car until 6 (stupid tow truck) Jason was awesome and still patient despite the mix up. I didn’t expect them to work on it the next day (Friday) because they probably had all their appointments already lines up for that day. No problem. I called Friday night and left a message asking to give me a call whenever they could and update me. Got a call Saturday morning from (Gary?) who told me my car was first in line for Monday morning. Yay! This guy called me on his day off just for an update, thank you! I ended up needing all my coolant hoses replaced and vacuum hoses replaced, they were filled with holes and falling apart. They were able to get parts and finish by the end of the day. They also checked out my AC for me and diagnosed it free! These guys made a terrible situation move smoothly in the best way they could. It was pricey, of course, because I own a pricey car but I will def. come again. Thanks guys!

Absolutely love this place! OEM parts! better prices for the quality! Great Customer service ! Same day pick up if you order early enough. Hands down best parts and repair specialty shop in the EAST BAY for VW and AUDI’s

Excellent job! Brought my first bug here to get service after I purchased the car. Guys took care of some brake issues and other items. Jason informed me of some items I should take care & pricing and kept me up to date on the work progress, awesome customer service. Plan to take the bug back to have some more work performed on it.

I am extremely pleased with the work that Gary, Jason and his crew performed on my 1970 convertible bug. Here’s the deal with these guys… they won’t sell you something you don’t need, but will be very thorough about what your car does need.
I travelled all the way from west sonoma county, where we have plenty of bug shops, to have the Gary and his guys work on my car. Do not hesitate to bring your VW to them… they know their stuff.

Gary was nice enough to respond and apologize for the mix up. After reviewing the problems he did offer me some compensation for the mix up. People have their off days and I seemed to have been there on one of his. Thank you Gary for owning up to the problem and reaching out.

Once again gotta post some love for Gary, Jason and the guys! I keep coming back because I know that you will always take great care of my car. Thanks guys you rock.

I do my own work on my classic air cooled VW’s, my ’59 bus and my ’69 bug. I have been in for parts a few times and Gary LaVere has got to be the biggest jerk (only using that word so I don’t have to censor myself) I’ve ever had the displeasure of doing business with. He has sold me incorrect parts, mismatched parts, and faulty parts. He has NEVER once even owned up to anything, and treating me like garbage in the process, and wanting to charge me more to fix his mistakes.
One time I called, he started going off on me, then realized I wasn’t the person he thought I was… Nice… The ONE time I needed to find someone to install a rivet in my vent window hinge, he refused the job. I ended up using a pop rivet instead of the proper rivet I had purchased since I couldn’t find anyone local to put it in. For a VW restorer, I expected that to be an easy job for him, but he refused.
There is ONLY ONE saving grace about this HORRIBLE place. Jason. He is curtious and helpful, even though he knows I have had bad experiences in the past and voiced my opinions on the VW forums. Jason is the ONLY reason this place gets more than one star from me. If, on rare occasion, I need a part right away, I will call, and ask for Jason, and now only call if I know the part number of what I need. I REFUSE to deal with Gary, even though I know he still wins by getting my money. This is why except for RARE occasion when I really need a part quick, I’d rather pay for shipping or drive to another VW shop than give my money to LaVere’s. I’m not going to name other shop names though to keep this review legit. Too bad, I really wanted to like the local VW shop… But there are alternatives to LaVere’s, and hope everyone finds them.
So I hate to sound like I’m insulting anyone, but anyone that has given this place a good review must not be too into cars, because every enthusiast I know has terrible things to say about Gary LaVere.
Reading other reviews, I also expect Gary to come comment on my post at some point, and I bet it’ll just be another argumentative excuse on why he is right. No problem, I’ll just disregard it as asinine anyway…

I co-​wrote this review w my husband. Since 1-​22-​2012 the owner has been sending me on-​going notes, though I have asked him to stop. I made it clear that I did not want to talk to him or anyone else abt my experience. Unilocal is a forum for sharing experiences, not to be harassed, very poor business etiquette — very unprofessional.

This review is based on an extensive history with the owner and his staff over the last 10 years. Not only have they serviced our jetta and van, they also preformed a full restoration on our 1957 oval bug. EXPERT knowledge, craftsmanship, business practices and above all integrity. Always a pleasure to work with and very responsive to phone calls, emails and updates with progress reports and pictures along the way with our full restoration. We highly recommend LaVere’s to anyone who asks about our bug which is every time we drive it! Special thanks to Gary, Jason and his entire staff for all the hard work over the years. Thanks for assisting my wife when she was stranded, thanks for giving me a ride to work, thanks for coming in early for a drop off and thanks for staying late so we could pick it up! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!
Respectfully submitted,
Gordon Watson
Watson’s Window Tinting
LIC#947 686
831−359−8468

Great VW shop.
This place ALWAYS busy. This seems to prove they are reputable, because there is never anyone just hanging around shootin’ the shit due to lack of business. If you need your car fixed right away, you might be stuck – mine usually takes a few days, because they are just so popular.
I had purchased a VW Jetta from an auto auction, so I got a car as is condition, and it turned out it needed some work. I took it to another mechanic closer to where I live, and even though the guy claimed to be a «master mechanic» and specialized in foreign cars (especially German cars) he actually didn’t do anything but take my money and run. A few weeks went by and my car wasn’t in condition to be on the road.
From that point on, I took it to LaVere’s. The staff KNEW of the mechanic I went to, because they have had many customers from the shop I went to resort to going to them after having had poor work done on their VWs.
The staff was always incredibly friendly and well trained. They figured out what was wrong with my car the first time and got it right. My car ran smooth and sound for another year, until a factory recalled part gave out on my car.
Not only are they great mechanics and specialists in Volks and Audis, they are reputable in customizing vintage VWs. They have many plaques and magazine articles about them in their shop.
The shop manager was ALWAYS happy to talk to me and guide me step by step through what was going on with my car. He called me to check in about what was going on with my car and didn’t do any repairs unless authorized (this happened at the other shop I went to). They were happy to show me the worn down parts that they had to replace.
They really gained a customer for life when they told me about a recalled part, so I could have some of my money refunded for the repairs.
These guys know what they’re doing.

I took my 99 passat here for service after being ripped off by Dorito Bros in Walnut Creek. They were nice enough and replaced (2) CV boots and joints. A few days later, I was driving on Clayton Rd., and I heard a snap and my car stopped in the middle of heavy traffic. I was able to veer off into a gas station, thank goodness, and had it towed (at my expense) back to La Vere’s. They told me that one of the joints was a «faulty part» and that they would replace it. No apology, no reimbursement, no nothing. I found out that the boot and joint may not have been installed correctly or tightened using the correct tools.
To top it off, I noticed that the owner (or someone within the shop) posted a sign next to the cashier spouting off that Obama was incompetent, and that we shouldn’t trust him because he smokes. Really??? Everyone has their political beliefs, but I don’t think that a business owner should be advertising this sort of thing to his/​her customers. Shame on them.