Husco German Auto Service

Worst customer service ever! DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM AT ALL!!! They raised their per hour price but didn’t raise their customer service standards. Better places in highland park and a lot cheaper for better service.

So I brought my volvo v70 here because i wanted to support local business and I like that I could walk there… big mistake! $ 1600 and 7 visits later and they still could not fix the problem. I brought it in for brakes and check engine light. The engine light came back on before I made it home and the brakes squeaked when I left… which is mental because they didn’t squeak before he replaced them. Come to find out he used bad parts and that’s why they make the noise. So now i’m having to have the work redone and it’s costing me another $ 1800. Learn from me and don’t bring your car to this place… even if its in walking distance!

If you are looking for a mechanic is South Pasadena for your VW please look the other way. I went to Husco German Auto Service to get some work done so that my car could pass the smog check which consisted of turning off my check engine light. They did some work initially and kept my car for 3 days and charged me $ 240.00 and said the problem was fixed which included a warranty on the work.
As soon as drove off the lot my engine light came back on and i went back the next day
and they kept my car for another 3 days and did not charge me and claimed the problem had been fixed. When i came to pick up my car the 3^rd time as soon i turned on the car the check engine light came on again and he wanted to keep the car again for another 2 days. I agreed and instead of calling me to get an new authorization to do more work that would cost me money he just did work and charged me another $ 205.00. I was not happy about this as i should of received consent prior to doing additional work if it was not going to be covered under the warranty that he gave me. When i finally picked up the car the 4^th time i took my boyfriend with me and when he asked him about the warranty and why he was charging me. To our shock the owner could not even explain to us what exactly he did to my car or why my warranty did not apply. After a very confusing conversation the owner offered us a $ 20.00 discount and we accepted so i paid $ 185.00. When i was paying the owner stated that if the light came back on he would give me a full refund.
Less than 8 hours later the light came back on again and i went back to him to get a full refund as promised the next day. Not to my surprise the owner did not want to give me a refund and he requested that i leave the car with him again. I told him no and he then began to tell me that i owed him the opportunity to fix the car again. I told him i did not and that he had already kept my car over 5 days and could not fix the problem. He than proceed to try to fix my car anyways after i told him not to touch it. He basically disregarded my request and thought that i would just roll over and let him work on my car again. Well, he was definitely mistaken i told him a 3^rd time in a very stern voice not to touch my car again. Once he backed up from the car he started to talk about the cost of labor and how he couldn’t get that money back and i explained to him that it was not my problem. I told him i was only just there to collect my refund. After what seemed to be stare down the owner reluctantly wrote me a check for my refund.
I honestly have never been to a place that was so extremely unprofessional. A mechanic should never keep your car for more than 3 days unless you are getting major work done and they should never start work with getting it pre-​authorized. So if you are reading this review please save yourself the trouble and find a new place.
Sincerely,
A very unsatisfied customer

This was my 1^st time here.
Pro: Paul appears to be the manager there, he’s nice, responsive, and easy going. My Mini Cooper was diagnosed quickly and work was completed in 1 day. He also offered me a discount for being a new customer.
Con: completed work was not done properly, there was a leak and I had to take the car back for a follow up, which wasted my time. Paul was showed no sympathy nor offered any apologies.
Overall, I would be ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ coming back here.

Husco German Auto Service’s response to my 1^st review is a perfect example of their horrible communication skills & lack of diligence. Their response that they JUST posted today is in response from my review SEVEN MONTHS AGO (I guess they use Unilocal like they use their phones). Their response they posted today is entirely lies & never happened with the exception of them telling me I had break problems, which happened ONLY after I CALLED THEM & finally got trough to them after THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK FOR 2 WEEKS!!! They either cannot keep their information straight, are incompetent or liars, or all of the above, either way, STAY AWAY FROM Husco German Auto Service!!!
In response to their additional response Sept 17^th; Maybe if they took sooner then SEVEN MONTHS to respond to a Unilocal review, they might remember things more accurately or not end up make things up that are completely untrue. Either they have me confused with some other poor victim of their terrible, dishonest business, or they are lying again. Either way, EVERYONE, PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY THOUGH THIS & ALL THE Unilocal REVIEWS OF THIS POOR EXCUSE FOR A BUSINESS before even thinking of going to them. PLEASE DO YOURSELF (& ANYONE ELSE YOU KNOW BY SHARING THIS) A FAVOR & SAVE YOURSELF FROM BEING A VICTOM IF THEIR DISHONESTY & UNPROFESSIONALISM! DO NOT GO THERE!

Back on track. «Old» Paul has returned from Thailand, new manager who is articulate and honest. …best of all Nick is still around with his hipster ponytail!
I am once again a fan after a rocky start.
Go Husco!

I brought in my Volkswagen Jetta GLX 2001 in the morning for tuneup and oil change. Their service was spot on! Paul provided me with an estimate over the phone and called me when I was able to pick up. I had a little difficulty getting to the auto shop due to traffic. Most places would close on you but they stayed almost an hour past to make sure I got my car. They took care of me and were very flexible with the prices. Would totally recommend to everyone and anyone who works in the Pasadena or San Gabriel area!!!

Very bad experience. Not professional. Don t go there.

Fast, Friendly & FAIR! I was preparing to sell my Jetta & wanted to give it the ‘once over’ before advertising. Any mechanic could have taken advantage of this knowing that I was apprehensive about any trouble in completing the sale. They fixed ONLY what was needed and did it so quickly and courteously that I needed to pass on the word! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED — if I weren’t selling my car this would DEFINITELY be my GO TO shop.

Paul’s the best, seriously. It’s an old school kinda «analog» shop, and he and his guys can take awhile to fix things sometimes — though if you can schedule in advance it will be fairly expedient. Bottom line, they fix what needs fixing and not what doesn’t. If its critical, he’ll tell you so. If it can wait, he’ll tell you that too. I drive an ’03 a Jetta wagon 1.8 turbo that looks and runs beautifully. Much of the credit goes to Paul and the guys at Husco.

Took my 99 Passat for a major repair: cv boot leakage, tie rods raptures, valve cover gasket leakage, oil filter leakage, timing belt and associated stuff. With close to 150K miles, I knew they are long over due. Paul was frank and up front with me on the stuff that needs to be done. And since I do my own maintenance, I knew some of the lingering issues with my car. So his recommendations are accurate. 2 days and my car is done. So far, it is running fine. Pretty happy with the work. The price appears to be fair. Hope the car will last me another 5 years.

I had my brake service done here and Paul did a great job. He checked my engine for free as the engine light was on. The price is reasonable and fairly comparable to other’s (Steve’s in Pasadena).
I definitely will go back.

Great that they are open on Saturdays (9 – 3) and they have been helpful on more than one occasion when I’ve stopped by for a quick question or to buy a part for my VW Beetle. However last year they charged me $ 47 for a job and the same job this year was charged at $ 67 (including an $ 11 cable). I questioned the increase and was told it was a 40 minute job and their hourly rate was now $ 85. I called three auto shops afterwards (including my regular mechanic whose shop is not open on Saturdays) and each said the job takes no more than 30 minutes and the cost of the cable no more than $ 7.95. One German auto shop even said they would charge a total of $ 27 and another said an experienced mechanic can do the job in 10 – 15 minutes. I went back to Husco’s with the above information to request a price adjustment and was told I could get $ 10 – 15 off a future job. Since this is not my regular body shop, and the discount would not be put in writing, I requested cash and received $ 10. If the job took them 40 minutes, it was only because of the skill and experience level of the mechanic; customers should not have to pay extra for repair as a result.

The Thai mechanics are very honest here, they won’t overcharge you like most other shops will. I’ve brought my VW here a couple of times and left satisfied with the repair work. They also repair Porsche, Audi and BMW. The correct phone number is 626 799 4176.

I have had an excellent experience with Paul and his shop. I have an older 5 series BMW that is long out of warranty. He gets fixed what needs to be done, charges very reasonable or cheap prices (compared to dealers) and understands that I don’t want a $ 1,000 or $ 2,000 bill every time and that I don’t need the car perfect. There’s a reason I enjoy not having a car payment and I don’t need a bill to make the car perfect — just safe and driveable.
They know German cars and that’s what they specialize in so I trust them for simple oil changes to more complex work. And they’re honest.
I’ve gone here for 3 years and he’s been great. When I had an issue recur with the darn emission system (which has always been problematic), he redid the work at no charge.
The place gets bonus points for funky mobiles hanging out in front made out of aluminum cans.
So if your car is out of warranty, I recommend this place. It’s not the shiny clean place like a dealer but it’s got character and this is how they keep the costs down.

Not really sure how to rate these guys. I live around the corner so when my battery died and I wasn’t confident enough to drive it all the way to my (amazing) Burbank mechanic, I dropped it off here.
They are nice. And definitely, um, laid-​back. Pretty much just smoking, drinking coffee, and reading the paper. And there’s always a guy who doesn’t work there hanging with the crew.
But hey, they replaced my battery. Charged me appropriately. Did it within 2 hours (did I mention they’re laid-​back?) and got me on my way. It was a completely acceptable experience. I got what I needed and didn’t pay too much.

I have an 85 MBZ and took it to to Husco to get fixed. He had my car for an entire week and did not fix my oil leak. Also charged me for new parts that i know were used.

My great-​aunt sold me the Karmann Ghia that I used to drive when I was 16. From the time I switched to a ‘93 Civic (in 1997, i think), the Ghia had been under a tarpaulin in my grandfather’s driveway. So, after 11 years on blocks, I figured it might take a little work to get it going again. When I moved to South Pasadena (and no longer had a garage to store my cars in) i had to register the ghia and once i did that, i figured i should get someone to look at it.
went to husco, because it’s walking distance from my house. «Paul» who greeted me was certainly friendly, although super-​difficult to understand thru his thick southeastasian accent. He agreed to rebuild my carburetor and clean out my fuel tank and lines. He was a little vague about the price.
he finished by the next day — and charged me $ 460. (kinda expensive, if you ask me, but i was glad to pay it to have my car running again.)
a few days later, though, the car wouldn’t start, and when i looked, the fuel going thru the filter was totally black. in the fuel system i recently paid $ 250 to have cleaned.
well, AAA sent a twacked-​out tow truck driver to get my car, and i thought i’d deposit it on the street outside husco and ask them to take a look at it the next day (it was like 9 at night.) when i got to husco, there were a couple of guys inside drinking tallboys and watchin teevee, and he happily let me put the car in the garage. «what’s wrong with it?» i showed him the fuel. «need to clean the fuel system» i explained that i had only just paid them to do precisely that.
he said they’d look at it.
i didn’t go back for another week.
went back today, they’re like «it’s done» — they fixed the fuel system («won’t break again,» they said). they fixed the parking break. they adjusted the valves.
the car’s never driven this nice.
I’m definitely satisfied with the outcome. (so far.)