Herb Gordon Subaru

I’ve been coming here since 2007 or so when I had a lemon of a legacy that I bought used else where. The service department then was excellent, always friendly and helpful, always trying to go the extra mile. Since then, and change of leadership things are slightly different. Almost feels like it’s about the money rather than good customer service. The one tried and true staple there is Vitally. He’s always taken care of me and made sure things were done right. Annapolis Subaru told me to go else where when my engine was dying. Called Herb Gordon Subaru, explained what happened and Vitally made sure I was taken care of and apologized for how Annapolis Subaru treated me. If it weren’t for him I’m not sure I’d be coming to this dealership, especially now that I don’t live close anymore. (Apologies if I spelled the name wrong on here)

While everyone here has a good attitude and seem to give good customer service on the surface, YOU MUST CHECK THEIR WORK!
I’ll be brief with my past three experiences in order from most recent to oldest (over the past 6 months).
1. November ’15: Went in for an oil change and tire rotation. I marked my tires. They did not rotate them and LIED TO MY FACE even when repeatedly asked.
2. July ’15: Went in for an oil change. It took 2.5 hours even though I had an appointment. Come to find out after driving home with my 3K milage car that the belt squeaks, that the reason the service took so long is that the «master tech» who worked on my car forgot to put the filter on after changing the oil… it spewed everywhere, and instead of telling me what happened they tried to drive the car around Automobile Circle trying to burn the oil off so I wouldn’t notice. They didn’t even have spare belts so I had to take one from a loaner vehicle with more mileage than my car.
3. April ’15: Purchased Car. My deposit to order the car was not credited at the closing desk, even though I had asked. I had to call them the next day after running all the numbers on my own to get my money back.
Again, everyone here is very nice, but don’t trust them with a hand shake — yes, it’s unfortunate. For your own peace of mind and quite frankly your safety, PLEASE CHECK THEIR WORK. Don’t just accept the checklist they give you… it means nothing.
I did receive a thorough apology form the GM, but apologies don’t bring back business and trust… three strikes guys.
I’ll miss the doughnuts here.

I moved cross country, from SF to DC, and my 2011 Impreza went with me. The cross country trip put enough miles on the odo that it was time for a 30k service, the first of the major ones. I had just put on new tires, and have grazed a curb or 3 in the last four years, so I figured it was time for an alignment check too.
I don’t know the DC area well enough yet to have a relationship with an independent shop, so I looked around and found that, among the various review website, Herb Gordon had the highest ratings. I made a service appointment online about 2 weeks in advance and requested a loner car for the day of the service.
I showed up today at about 7:15am for a 8am appointment (traffic lighter than expected). They open at 7:30 and immediately had 4 – 5 people greeting the cars that had queued up. I had the good fortune to be helped by Greg, who was impeccably professional. I was out the door in a loner Forester in about 5 minutes, after confirming the services I wanted done.
About 5 hours later, I got a call from the dealer informing me that my car was ready to be picked up. Imagine that – they actually called me!
I picked the car up around 6:30 (the cashier is available until 7:30), and was back on my way out again in another 10 minutes, with a detailed receipt in hand of the work done, as well as the inspection, and a receipt that came in right at the estimate.
So: no hassle, fast service, no gimmicks or added services I didn’t want, free loaner vehicle, a call as soon as the car was ready. What more could I ask for, really?
Only two nitpicks: (1) the sticker on the windshield says to return 3000 miles from now. I know that’s been standard practice for years, but 3000 miles is too short of an interval for an oil change on a modern car, unless driven in special circumstances, and (2) the receipt shows the alignment was done and the car seems better than ever, but the receipt doesn’t actually show whether the car was adjusted or if instead everything was already in spec.
Update: A day after this review was posted, I received a call from Greg, the service manager. He emailed me a copy of the alignment spec sheet, which showed the car before and after the alignment was done (and my car was out of spec and adjusted), and told me the technician misprinted the sticker – it should have been 7500 miles. I believe him, as, upon closer inspection, the sticker indicated I should come back in 3500 miles, which is an interval no one recommends.

Ya well while you feel your logic is justification for your service manager’s (greg) tactics used to get rid of me, my issue turned out to be my brakes.
So if your concern really was for your costomers you would ensure the reason for your patrons issues are what you claim they are and check the vehicle thouroughly.
If you had inpected the car rather then look at it for 15 minutes and dismiss me after you see some aftermarket springs you would have found my brakes were faulty.
I had to have subaru america in nj to get a dealer to look at my car to find out it was bad bremos.
You know the manager really was a dam jerk, sory but that is the nicest word i can find within my vocabulary that describes him in a word.
If I am taking my car there to be fixed then that is what my intent is, if you could prove that my susspension is the issue and to what degree then why didnt you tell me what was wrong and then fix it… but wait from your diagnosis my issue was the susspension right, so i spent 1500 on a even better complete fully adjustable susspension. But hold on the problem didnt go away. But yet your manager seemed to want to play games with me rather than to really look.
I didnt just spend 35k on a car that isnt even 2 months old
To accept that a spring upgrade would deteriorate my cars ride quality so drastically in the negative…
I get the whole warranty thing as well as the laws behind modding your car… im not stupid but your manager greg sure believed me to be so or didnt have enough amo in his cranium to handle the pressure of his job to handle my situation withouy trying manipulate me into having an outburst in your shop to get me to go…
Well now i have to get my service done else where…
You guys wont ever see me @ any HERB GORDON
Brand dealer
My advice get rid of Greg… one jerk is all it takes to ruin your buisness

Took my wife’s Subbie to this place to get an oil change and a 100K inspection. I waited in the lobby because they didn’t offer me a shuttle (I’m not sure if they have that service or not). A couple hours later I get the results from my 27 point inspection. Two pages of problems with estimates on labor time and cost totaling $ 4585. I just drove this car across the country without an issue. Now you’re telling me it’s falling to effin’ pieces?
Now check this out. I took my car to White Flint Auto Repair for a second opinion. They told me it was a good thing I wanted that second opinion. The things that were listed as «wrong» were always going to be wrong, even by the time of my next oil change after dropping $ 4585 on it. There is no impending doom on the car; it is not falling to pieces. No the Trans fluid isn’t dirty enough to warrant a $ 246 flush. No the rear bushings aren’t torn and I don’t need to spend $ 680 to fix it. The list goes on. Grand total spent on the second opinion: $ 31.58 (they rotated the front tires).
Hmmm. $ 4585 or $ 31.58. Don’t need to be good at math to see the $ 4550 difference! With the money we saved we’re buying material for picket signs and hiring a team of rebels to march in front of this establishment. NEVER AGAIN, Herb Gordon! Thanks for wasting my time.
Disclosure: I have no affiliation with the owners, staff or establishment of White Flint Auto Repair.

With the most outstanding respect to all auto dealers here is what I have to say: if there was ever a time we need to gain trust and respect for those who work on this Industry, this is certainly the time. Customer service and lack of customer need & interest have become less and less important to the person (s) who are here to help you with such an important investment. Here at Herb Gordon, trust begins with the sales person Jim Boratenski. The phone call was answered very professionally and was not quick to respond «I don’t know or maybe»
He invited us in and though we had been through a less than good experience at another Subaru dealer in Gaithersburg we opened up to allow the sass person and the entire Herb Gordon family the opportunity. Let’s back up a few weeks when a simple «here are the options we have questions about and would like in my wife’s car „turned into…“ No eyesight is not available on this car» and «build it online and that’s all that is available to us «put my wife into a holding pattern with buying a car. That experience in Gaithersburg made her so upset since we have bought more than 3 cars from them. Now Let’s get to the amazing orientation and options and why you should drive to Herb Gordon. All questions, options were easy to answer by Jim and sales manager Steve was just a joy to come to a very fair and agreeable trade in without any haggles. He also sped up the process on ordering my wife’s car and kept his word to find one sooner if he could. The new car arrived and they also helped me keep my wife surprised and entertained for the delivery. Everyone including Diego in finance, the staff in the showroom made an amazing Subaru experience become the new standard and how every retail experience should feel like. The knowledge of Jim comes from years of dedication as he’s been there for almost 10 years, but don’t let the friendliness, comic relief and excellent customer service fool you! It’s easily visible that passion drives this team.
I should know since I work in a similar industry and have never met anyone I felt could top the experience I strive to give our customers before and after! Herb Gordon Subaru has set a new benchmark! Keep up the excellent work team ! Thanks Grace and Paris

I am here for an oil change as I am writing this review.
Paid $ 90.81 for a synthetic oil change and tire rotation. As it was my first time here, I got a complimentary 22 point check and car wash. I felt well taken care off, informed and the staff members were friendly. The place is also very clean.
For comparison, I went to Fitzgerald Subaru 3 months a go for my first oil change and they charged me a $ 100 for the oil change alone, no tire rotation. The price here is $ 66. When I found out the prices here, I became very disappointed about Fitz.
Nevertheless, I am glad I came here. You should too. I highly recommend this place for service.
It took me exactly 1h and 11 minutes to receive my vehicle. They said 1h 15 minutes. Also, the previous sticker informing me about the next oil change was removed neatly, no stains left behind. This place rocks.

My very well maintained Honda van died with only 155K miles. Boo Hiss!!! It left us in a position where we needed a bigger car for stuff hauling but we didn’t want to go with a van. A small SUV would do. We were trading in our fun convertible and we were considering Kia and Honda CRV. They were ok and we were ready to go with the Honda. We saw the Subaru dealer, knew nothing about Subaru’s other than my dad had one 20 years ago and he loved it and it lasted forever. We decided to stop in. I am so glad we did. We ended up walking out with a new Forester. No pressure or price haggling. Good old fashioned excellent knowledgeable customer service. They gave a great price right off the bat. They gave a very fair price on our trade-​in too. Sue Ireland, our sales rep and Jason the manager couldn’t have been better. I had what I thought might be some cosmetic damage to the paint after delivery. It turned out it wasn’t major but they just took care of it. Definitely check out Herb Gordon Subaru. Good folks.

Over price that’s all I have to say

I won’t take my Subaru Tribeca anywhere else. Very easy to schedule an appointment for service. The pricing is fair, and if you visit their website, you can find discounts on oil changes and other lite maintenance. Professional staff who offer coffee and donuts, plush leather seating, and flat screen televisions while you wait. I always help myself to the complimentary recycle bags in the waiting room. They gave me a stamped keychain card — 4 oil changes, and the fifth one is FREE. Pretty awesome. Nothing like driving away in the comfort and knowledge that one of your most prized possessions has been well tended with high quality. Their service and parts are warranted and guaranteed. What more could you ask?

I recently helped my girlfriend shop for Cars. It came down to the forester and the CRV. Herb Gordon was what you expect from a Subaru Dealer — friendly staff, not as much room for negotiating price as others and a clean show room. Rodrigo was professional but nice, and while nothing ever happens fast in a new car dealership, he kept us in the loop about what was going on, and that was appreciated.

I did all my research (including test drives) at other car dealerships before going to Herb Gordon, so I can’t speak for their ability to help you «find the car that’s right for you», but they were a pleasure to work with. After deciding on a car, I found that they had the exact model, color, and option package that I wanted. I calculated a fair price for the 2015 Forester that I planned on buying, and made an offer lower than that (as any negotiation would begin). I was contacted the next day by Michael Roy (General Sales Manager) with his response. Rather than pinning me to that one vehicle, Michael sent me two options. One was slightly higher than the price I offered, but the other (which met all my option needs) was actually a few hundred LOWER than my offer (go figure). The differences between the cars were not readily obvious in the general descriptions of the individual cars, so I asked Michael to send me the window stickers for each so I could do a side-​by-​side direct comparison without having to drive a half hour to the dealership. He sent me the .PDFs first thing in the morning (the difference was things like heated side mirrors, bumper cover, cargo net — nothing major).
After having already test driven the car at another dealership, I knew this was what I wanted. I stopped by that day after making a last minute appointment. I was greeted at the front and passed on to a salesman named Rich Cross. He too was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The car I wanted was already pulled up to the front by the time I arrived (30 minutes after making the appointment), and we took it for a test drive. The price I was able to negotiate was $ 1100 lower than the best price I could find for the exact same car with the same options at any other dealership in the DC metro area.
I can’t remember the finance guy’s name (he was newer), but he too was very helpful. I understand it’s their job to sell the extended this and that for the car, but I didn’t feel overly pressured and was able to turn down the options without stressing. He did his job well and didn’t try to convince me that I was making a mistake by not taking the extended warranties. I appreciated that big-​time.
Haven’t gone for my first car service yet and probably won’t for a while, but when I do, I’m sure it’ll go smoothly.

I found the service agent to be disinterested to the point of being rude when I checked in. The service time quoted was unreasonable as was the price, and I have routinely had service completed at the dealerships prior to moving to this area.

Since moving to the Silver Spring area in 2010, I’ve been coming to Herb Gordon Subaru for all my stock part and minor service needs since it’s most convenient to me. I’m really rating this dealership with 4.5 stars, as the service here has been excellent. I would give a higher rating if only their parts department would stock aftermarket parts (like Annapolis Subaru), but that’s really a minor point. Most of their clients that bring their Subarus here for service have stock configurations, so it’s probably not economically viable for the dealership to stock aftermarket parts in this location anyways. It would really only benefit me and a handful of other enthusiasts that I see in the area. :)
Making an appointment at Herb Gordon Subaru couldn’t be any easier — just go to the dealership website, choose the type of service or repair you need, pick a service advisor to host you, your preferred day and time, and then «submit». Done! You can elect to register your name and contact info with the site if you believe you’ll be making future appointments. If you do, then registration will only have to be done once.
I was a bit concerned at first coming here since in no way is my Forester XT stock. I wasn’t sure how the service advisor (s) would react or respond. Fortunately, it wasn’t an issue. I didn’t feel as if my vehicle was unreasonably scrutinized nor was my service requests questioned or denied. I knew that my car was out of OEM warranty coverage, so I didn’t try to get any service or repair covered by Subaru or the dealership. If you’re honest, you really shouldn’t have any problems. :)
I’ve been assisted by Vitaliy Khlebnikob and Ken Hanscom at all my appointments, and they have been fantastic to deal with as service advisors. They are courteous, attentive, and did a good job in keeping me informed about the cause of my issues, repairs done, and what to watch out for in the future. As for the parts department, I’ve been served by James Miller and he’s been extremely helpful in locating the random push-​clip, retaining screw, and trim piece for my car.
Great job, Herb Gordon!

I bought my Subaru here in 2011 from John, and absolutely loved working with him. The process was straightforward, and he really works to give you the best price possible (believe me, I brought my stingy Asian father here. If we didn’t get the best price, he would raise hell).
Since then, I’ve returned here on the regular to get my car serviced. They always complete the work in a timely, efficient manner, and pricing is fair. Best part? The service guys give my car a wash whenver I get an oil change. The free coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, and wifi in the waiting room don’t hurt either.
I don’t really know anyone that says «Gosh, I love going to my car dealer…» Except for me. My dad is thinking about buying another Subie (he currently drives an 04 Forrester also purchased here), and when the time comes to buy, you can be sure we will come back to Herb Gordon.
Awesome product, fantastic customer service, wonderful establishment-​keep up the great work!

Horrible Horrible Dealership. I had the displeasure of getting Charles Bulow as my salesman. He spent the entire time bragging about how he’s worked here for 12 years and that this dealership has a policy of being straight with the customer. Was not willing to let me test drive a manual because I said I don’t usually drive it. Spent about an hour talking about how they don’t negotiate on price and saying that his price was the best even though it was at least 2 grand overpriced (I know because I got a way better deal somewhere else). At the end after wasting my time, he didn’t even wanna give me his price statements just to compare with other dealers because he «Didn’t wanna do other people’s jobs for them.» Absolute piece of trash employee, should be fired immediately. I don’t know if he represents Herb Gordon as a whole, but they sure lost a customer because I actually bought the car from somewhere else all because of Charles Bulow.
I recommend Fitzgerald Subaru in Gaithersburg. Ask for Kevin Engle or John Dutton, they’ll give you a good deal.

Service is good, thorough and fast. Gm at dealership where car was purchased worked with service to replace brakes. That was very accommodating given the car had just been purchased. Service staff attentive and friendly. Drop off service convenient and always asked if I need a ride. Wait room has wifi. Not so happy with the vehicle but definitely not because of service. Wish all service departments operated like this one,

In and out in 30 minutes.

LOVE this place and will be bringing my Subaru in to have it serviced here from now on. I had taken my car to Firestone to find out why the steering wheel felt so heavy. Firestone changed some pump supposedly. Yet, the steering wheel was still almost impossible to move.
Firestone suggested I have my «rack and pinion» changed. Sounded fishy. I took my car to Herb Gordon Subaru and found out that the pump that Firestone had put in was leaking (it was a reconditioned pump instead of a new one).
So, I got a refund from Firestone and Herb Gordon Subaru fixed my car, using NEW products. On top of that, they loaned me a car to use FOR FREE.
They have won a customer for life.
P. S. — They have donuts in the CLEAN waiting room. Who else does that? Lots of respect for their clients.

Awesome people to deal with. Kudos to the sales manager. Good to see people who are passionate about the product they are selling and actually know product details without looking through the brochure while the customer is standing next to them.
They are upfront with pricing and don’t play games.
I hope their service department is just as good.