Star Bugs VW Shop

I had a great experience with star bug shop I took my car in for repairs it was running like a turtle now runs like a rabbit thank you guys

I have been living in hollister my entire life and when i seen a VW shop was located in Hollister i was thrilled. I currently own a 2001 Jetta and let me just say David has been such a wonderful fellow. He has been my mechanic since late 2011. Whenever i have needed any work done on my car, David has always helped me out. Always with a polite attitude willing to help anyone. My car since i had bought it in 2007 has had an electrical problem which never seemed to go away. When i first became Davids customer he was able to fix the problem. After that for any oil change or any other issue David is the guy i trust. Thanks Starbugs Vw Shop. You guys are great!

I wouldn’t trust this shop with ANY vehicle– most especially a PORSCHE!!!
Listen to him speak very carefully and you will see that it is in very vague terms. No Porsche knowledge or experience what so ever.
Its way over his skill level– not to be trusted with a valuable car!!!
And women beware –you will think he is charming because he can smile through his lies and deceit. DO NOT TRUST STARBUGS!
He may have added ‘German specialist ’ to his VW shop but he does NOT know Porsche.
I am a 14 year member of PCA and part of the elite collectors around this area and i say: DO NOT TAKE A VALUABLE VEHICLE TO STARBUGS HOLLISTER. Don’t risk your treasured vehicle it’s not worth it.
I agree with other reviews; The shop was filthy, he had no office, there was young people and children loitering every time I went there.
I never received any return phone calls. And he would screen his business calls I could never reach him by phone and had to drive to his shop to try and locate him. Any answers to questions were always vague and he could never keep a commitment.
This guy was in possession of my custom vehicle the entire time and yet I could not locate it or him at any convenience to me.
And the list goes on and on and on of in discretions and mistrust and lies from the shop owner Dave Martin.
Contact me directly and I’ll share more information about my one year experience with this man and his shop. And how he destroyed my treasured custom vehicle.
Messenger me at cheftrish on Facebook.
There you will see pictures of my once beautiful custom car. And photographs of what happened to it while in his possession.

Let me start of by saying that old school shops are far long. Except for starbugs.
These guys (Dave and his crew) hooked me up when it came down to getting my vdubb up and running.
They are very knowledgable and have many years pf Volkswagen experience.
Ever since they fixed my bug I’ve taken all my vdubs plus busses to him.
I would recommend this shop to friends, family and/​or anyone to has issues with your air or water cooled volkswagen.
Thanks Dave for keeping my Volkswagen alive.

I moved to Hollister in 2013 and met David at the car show that August, seemed like a decent guy, sorta typical VW guy, he told me he’d worked on VW’s here in town out of his home garage for years and had finally got a real shop some time before, it was tucked away in an alley. By the time I needed service, he’d moved into a bigger shop on a side street.
The shop is crowded with what look like «project cars» and is dirty, his «office» is cluttered and filthy… (always a bad sign in my experience) there is no cash register or waiting area, and no retail side. Amateur hour as far as running a VW business… and I’ve seen enough shops to allow that a guy and be a top notch mechanic and not have an eye for the aesthetics that potential customers might judge him on, so I don’t prejudge. Unfortunately that not the case in my experience with him.
I dropped my 1990 Vanagon off on a Thursday night with the understanding that i was leaving for Reno after work the following day. I gave him a list of 5 things i wanted done, and the priority. (no drop box for key, was instructed to drop it in a cracked open window.
1) Break lights were out
2) Battery was draining when the was was parked
3) Oil change, (left a quart of the synthetic 20 – 50 my Mechanic in San Jose had recommended and I’d been using for years on the front seat)
4) Clutch adjustment
5) Install a backup battery under driver seat (the Battery and kit were purchased previously and stored under the seat awaiting installation… (he’d quoted me 1 to 1.5 hrs for that portion)
When I arrived to pick up my vehicle,
1) Break-​lights not fixed… bulbs are fine, activator switch at petal was toast, he didn’t have a replacement… He would order one.
2) Battery problem was the starter. replaced starter.
3) Oil changed TO standard 10 – 40 Castrol. WTF? Thats not what I use/​asked for.
4) clutch not adjusted
5) backup battery not installed
it’s 4:45 Friday, I need to head out asap for Reno… We settle up, I’m disappointed at the status of my car, but don have time to bitch about it, hop in my Van, and… CLICK… NOTHING. MY BATTERY IS DEAD. still… they «fixed» the problem, but didn’t charge my battery OR EVEN START IT BEFORE GIVING IT BACK TO ME.
They run around and find a battery to «Loan me» for the weekend. I have to hook it up… and when I climb in to start it, the starter grinds… i turn it off, and fire it up again, and again it grinds. I get out, walk over to David and his mechanic… he say’s yea, we noticed that, it’ll be fine, «I’ll take care of it when you get back.»
… Okay, needless to say, I was stranded in Reno when the cheap starter they installed (Improperly?) blew up on me. Had to pay «Valley Wagon» (5 stars) in Carson City to install a Bosch starter and spend 2 extra days up there.
This was my first experience «StarBugs» it wasn’t my last, I gave him a 2^nd and 3^rd chance… NO MORE… I will have my car towed to San Jose before I’d let him touch my car again.
Can’t give Zero stars… so they get a 1… and you get a warning, you roll the dice having this guy work on your car. Good luck.

Hooked us up big time. Our vanagon wouldn’t start, he found out what it was in a fricken minute, fixed it in another! Great old school service.