Auto Centro

Let me just start by saying these guys are great. I own a 1986 Volkswagon Vanagon and finding anyone who is willing to work on these old machines is quite a task in itself.
When I called them with my problem they were very compliant and helpful. The work I needed would only take an hour or so and since It was a slow day (cancellations because of snow) they told me to bring the van right in.
Well on the drive there (from Baltimore) the majority of my exhaust pipe completely fell off on the van leaving it broken down 18 miles away. I got it towed to Auto Centro and to my surprise Paulo went completely out of his way to call multiple of his suppliers to locate these special pieces for my van (parts are hard to find). He was able to get the parts and told me he would do his best to get it finished that day but no promises.
Long story short his highest payed mechanic ended up staying till 630 and got the van completely done! Paulo didn’t even charge me extra for the over time hours (I would never expect a shop to do this). I’m a 22 year old with not so much money and they did their best to keep it cost effective. I would recommend this shop to anyone with car problems and especially anyone looking to get quality work done on their Vanagons!
Thanks guys!

For me, it’s all about trust with a mechanic. I don’t know too much about cars so I have to take their word for it. Having been fleeced in the past and been talked into buying the proverbial undercoating, I am very wary when I go to a new auto repair shop. I’m glad I went to Auto Centro to get my Nissan Quest fixed by Dave — one of Paulo’s crew.
My rear brakes had seized up (among many other things I had neglected over the years) and rendered the van inoperable. So I had it towed to Auto Centro over the weekend and got a call Monday morning from Dave with an estimate. I was given options on what repairs were immediately necessary, and which ones I could hold off on. The price was fair and my car was finished the next day. It would have been done on the same day, but I had opted for some of the other repairs to be done and those required parts that couldn’t be had until the next day.
Dave kept me in the loop during the whole process and never did anything without my consent. Overall a great experience and I am truly happy that I found a mechanic I can trust. My van runs like new now. Thanks Dave and Paulo! I’ll be back with my other car soon.
NOTE: I have been a long time member of Unilocal,but this is my first review. I just thought I would put it out there because I was so impressed with the service I received. And it’s so damn hard to find a good mechanic these days.

Good honest service for your luxury car. They perform a thorough check up for your car. Prices here is also fairly reasonable.

LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Even though they told me to trash my car, I love this place.
Let’s start at the beginning and go through every step of awesomeness:
I called for an appointment and was told they were busy for 2 weeks. The lady on the phone was very friendly, and put me down for 2 weeks from the day I called. She also said she would call me if any cancellations happened so I could get in sooner. It turns out she DID actually do this (crazy for a car place, right?) but I missed the call, so I just came in for my appointment 2 weeks later. And she remembered me! I was blown away.
I got there at 7:30 am (you had the option of doing a night drop the evening before your appointment or getting there at 7:30), and several other people were dropping their cars also. Paul was there getting people signed in, and he knew several people by name. He offered them rides. He also told his employee he would pay for Starbucks that day, which I thought was really nice. I love bosses who are nice to employees.
When it was my turn, he asked me if I wanted to wait for the car. I needed the speed sensor checked before I went ahead with other repairs, so I said I wanted to wait for the speed sensor. He said that made good sense, and that he would try to do that test first so I wouldn’t have to wait long.
He came back several times to tell me that they were working on the car, which I thought was very considerate. He finally came back and took me aside to give me the bad news: my car was unsafe to drive, and he really discouraged me from driving it at all. He gave me a piece of paper with a list of the dangers, and took me outside to show me himself.
I had sort of been expecting this, so I asked how much I owed him. And he said NOTHING! Right then and there, I fell in love. I couldn’t believe he had done everything he had done for free.
He walked me out to my car, told me to drive it slowly and stop driving it as soon as possible, and told me that he would be happy to check out any other car I bought before I bought it.
I drove away sad about my car, but knowing I had found my mechanic.

I have been taking my Audis (at least the last 5) to Auto Centro after someone in Maine recommended them to me, this was about 10 years ago. I have never regretted a minute of it. Paolo and Vjay have always been attentive and informative no matter what problem any of my beloved Audis have offered up to me. This past week I had the opportunity to have them work on a Town and Country minivan and a Hyundai Sonata and i received the same impeccable service and assurance that i receive on my Audis. Paolo and Vjay, thank you for taking care of my Audis so I feel comfortable owning such tempermental cars.

My Audi TT’s check engine light was on and I went to the highly reviewed Auto Tech Service in DC before heading to Auto Centro Inc. Auto Tech Service didn’t have the Audi code to check my car so I went to Auto Centro Inc.
Good thing I did, Paul, the owner was very informative. Normally, they don’t take walk in but since I was new, they took my car in. My Audi TT came out with 9 malfunctioning codes which would cost an arm and a leg to repair! Paul asked a for some history on how my check engine came about and is very informative on how they work at the shop.
I was told, it’ll take 3 hours and asked if I want to wait, be taken to a metro, or taken to a shopping center. I choose shopping center to walk around for a bit. I was dropped off and when my car was completed, they came and pick me up. Great Service!
He explained that they only change parts that needed to be change because the check engine codes is like a domino effect. One malfunctioning could lead to another one. Sure it did! Out of 9, only 3 turn back on when they reset the car program.
To make a long story short, I only had to pay for 1 fault code plus labor! The other 2 was just a loose wire and a broken spark plug! They didnt charge for the loose wire! I had to pay for the spark plugs of course!
These guys are honest, they didn’t take advantage of me. they could had told me some BS and I would believe them. I was expecting to pay a min. of a grand but ended up paying about 400 dollars! that’s how much MIDAS charged me without doing anything to it!!! Those of you who know how much Audi repair cost, that’s a STEAL! I was given all of my old parts that they took out! just to prove that they changed the parts!
I would recommend this shop to anybody and everybody! Very honest guys and it seem like people who goes to the shop are the regular. I met a guy who went there since the 80’s! Great thing is that they have a big lot! Been to a lot and this is the best Auto Shop in the DC Area!
They do all kinds of cars! oh yea, they sell cars too if you need to sell your old one!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Auto Centro!
I read an excellent review of Auto Centro from an Audi owner several years ago and decided to try them out.
Their price quotes for Parts and Labor were significantly lower than that of the dealership. They replaced all my breaks and I did not find any problems afterwards.
I through their customer service was awesome! The dropped me off and picked me up at the Rockville Town Center so I can hang out at the Library and grab lunch while I waited for the work to be completed.
Anyway, I recently had my 90K service and timing belt replaced by them. I did not notice a drop in the quality of their service.
I read a few of the negative reviews of the place and even though it is understandable that not everyone will be happy, I really do not agree with most of them. Well, let’s just say that this was not my experience.
If you have an Audi and it is pass it’s warranty (like mine) and planning to keep it for a while, I Highly Recommend Auto Centro in Rockville.

READ MY ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW THIS ONE.
October 14^th 2010
Auto Centro allowed FBI access for the purpose of installation of a GPS tracking device without warrant.
This review was filtered at the request of Montgomery County Police (Tactical Division) and the FBI.
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UPDATE: April 8, 2010
I thought I had been through a lot till now, but I was wrong.
I just got word that parts removed from my car, were used recently to repair my next door neighbor’s car, which is identical to mine. In other words, this case has expanded to possible collusion and fraud. All I need to hear next is that the local police gave it their blessing, and I’ll call the FEDS in.
I drove my car for about 5 miles today and though it is drivable, the issues for which I spent $ 800 today and waited a week, persist. That is, the engine is idling rough and I feel like it’s about to stall on me at any moment. Is that burning oil that I smell? This is not good :(Time to call VISA to cancel this transaction.
Before doing so, I called them and got to speak to someone that I had been led to beleive didn’t exist– the original owner, Albino !
To my surprise, he treated me even worse than his son did and mentioned that he was dissapointed at my
review.
Rather than offer to make good on the poor workmanship, he threatened to sue me if I contested my VISA bill.
Anyone out there reading this. Be careful. Someone was browsing a Ruger handgun website when I was in there. I might wear a Bullet proof vest, the next time I visit them. I guess they’re expecting some angry and dissatisfied customers to go back.
Not I. I prefer the democratic and legal routes.
I hate doing this but too many good people are out there trusting Auto Centro based on a lost reputation. This business is finished, unless they shape up.

BEWARE!!!
Whether buying or servicing a car, this is NOT the place to go.
I purchased a used car-​3 years old with 35K miles.
BUT:
My 2006 Jetta car did NOT come with an owners manual, proper spare tire or 2^nd key.
It DID come with a COLONY OF ANTS, and a faulty tire with a bent inside rim that had rusted over (it was covered by the hub cap).
While the owner Paolo is very affable, he is not genuine or responsible.
There is poor communication between Paolo and his service department as the most simple things such as removing a screw he promised (that had rusted completely through the license plate holder) are easily forgotten on two separate occasions.
When I first purchased the car, I felt these little things were not worth getting upset over, but the lack of efficiency and effectiveness at this place of business is what makes dealing with them most frustrating. I was assured that 4 things would be addressed, and after waiting hours, they return the car with only 2 done and no one said anything about how they hadn’t finished. I guess I am just supposed to figure it out on my own and contact them. AGAIN.
My advice to you, if you are even considering using this place for service or to purchase a vehicle, go watch how many «fires» Paolo and his sales department are putting out, every minute. The phones are ringing off the hook– people are calling and coming in not happy with the condition of their vehicle, the length of the service, or what service was actually done. It almost sounds as though he is running a call center for defective products, well maybe he is.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE TANK OF GAS EVER — By: Lydia H.
Normally I feel like I can’t fully pass judgement on an auto shop until some time has passed since I took my car in, but I feel it necessary to state how impressed I am with the mechanics and service at Auto Centro.
A coworker of mine recommended Auto Centro, but I did a little research on the bill rates at Curry’s (where I usually go) and VolksWerks first. Turns out that Auto Centro charges almost $ 30 less per hour than the other shops. Score. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical going in, but said coworker has never led me astray regarding car issues.
As a little back story, I filled my car up a couple of weekends ago at a little gas station in Warrenton. As soon as I left the station, my car started making some weird rattling noises. When I tried to head home from Culpeper some hours later, my car wouldn’t start. I added some oil and tinkered around under the hood a bit, and it reluctantly started. A few hours after I got it back to DC, no such luck. After hearing about Auto Centro and because I get free 100-​mile towing with AAA, I decided to have them haul my car up to Rockville.
Vijay at Auto Centro initially told me the ignition coil was bad, so they ordered a new one and replaced it. He called me afterward to tell me they got the car to start but that it was idling funny and smelled like kerosene or diesel. There was some debate as to whether I put diesel in my car, but after calling the station and performing some calculations on the bank-​statement-​charge-​to-​gallons-​pumped ratio, I realized that this was not the case. Also, just to set the record straight, I have never put diesel in my car in all my years of driving.
In the end they discovered that the gas was, in fact, contaminated. I was moderately upset by this, as I started realizing how much all of this was going to cost.
After they drained the gas, Vijay called to tell me that when they put the old ignition coil back in just to test it out, they realized that though it had a weak spark (which combined with the bad gas wasn’t allowing the car to start), it would actually last for at least another year or more now that the gas was good to go. He recommended that I just leave the old one in and let them send the new one back to the manufacturer. Whaaat? I didn’t realize they could/​would do that.
They absolutely did not have to tell me this and could have just charged me an extra $ 500 or so for all the hours it took to figure everything out. The fact that they were so honest with me is what will keep me going back.
Having a mechanic that will tell you the truth and doesn’t take you for ride (har har), coupled with reasonable bill rates and respect for the customer does a great auto shop make. If you don’t live in Rockville, get AAA and have them tow your car there. The money you save in bill rates and the time you save in headaches are worth the membership fee.