Wheaton Service Center

VWs, unfortunately, require specialized care… and it’s not cheap.
I found Wheaton Service Center through its many, many positive reviews. They have always been able to work on my car when I need them to. They always fix my car in a timely fashion. Most importantly, I’ve never felt that I was paying for unnecessary work or been treated in a dishonest fashion.
Look, my father owned and operated a repair shop in the NY/​NJ area. I grew up around it. I know how they tend to operate: if they think they can get a few extra bucks from you or convince you that you need work done that you really don’t, they will. That’s the way my father ran his shop, and that’s the way his competitors (and friends) ran theirs.
I’ve never felt that Wheaton Service Center has taken advantage of me or charged me for work I didn’t need. In fact, they are pretty straightforward with, «Well, this is something you need right now, but this is something that can wait.» On my limited budget, that’s always a plus.
An honest repair shop and they do great work. Why go anywhere else?

Tom and his mechanics worked hard to get our daughter’s 2001 Jetta 80k service done, as well as state inspection faults repaired in 1 day. Customer service is lacking in most businesses this day but not here. Tom takes care of his customers, refers out to reputable people for other car needs that he doesn’t do and is concerned when it comes to his client’s needs and promptly addresses them. Our daughter brought her car to MD and it needed a reputable VW place for service and loving care. We sure got it here. This car will keep running for many years with this kind of service. Do yourself a favor, find this place!

All I can say is that customer service was top-​shelf here. Even put me in line with someone to fix a nick in my windshield. Everything done honestly, inexpensively and in a short amount of time. This is where I go from now on. Thanks!

This place rocks. Not cheap but excellent service. Tom and the team know their stuff, and they will help you understand what’s going on with your car so you can make informed decision. Kind of how a good doctor helps you make good decisions.

I’ve had minor repairs on my Jetta performed twice here and always left feeling that the job was well done and the price was fair. Plus Tom seems like a decent guy. What more can you ask for?

My fiancé and I had just bought our first VW and were hoping to find a trusting dealer to help with repairs. We were thrilled that there was a places just 3 blocks from our new home. She brought the car in and after her 1 hour visit she wished to never return because Tom made her feel uncomfortable. I supported this and did not like the things he had said so I picked up the car when it was finished. When he found out who my fiancé was he proceeded to make very inappropriate remarks about her. This was so unprofessional and I wished to not interact with him again. On top of that he did not order my part in time and had to keep it an extra day and I had to take off work another due to no transportation and he provided no discount or compensation.
1 month later I called to see if I could have one of the service workers install a part for me that I had purchased somewhere else. His reply was so condescending as to why they would want to install something that was not purchased from them. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to cars therefore I am pretty trusting when I am told information about mine and he made me feel belittled with his rude reply.
I would encourage people to try and look for other places before using Toms poor communication style that make people feel uncomfortable and not trust their judgment.

We have always had exceptional service at this shop. On one occasion, they even fixed an issue with a door handle that we did not expect to be fixed, and did not charge us for it.

Tom, Ben and all the other guys at WSC are the only people I trust with my tdi. They take care of me and they explain what they need to do and why instead of just saying «you need xyz replaced» and Tom is a good dude, he puts up with my random «is this sound normal» visits. Ever since I bought my car they’ve been nothing but friendly and helpful. Thanks guys, you’ll be seeing me for years and years to come!

We’ve been taking VWs here for at least 10 years. I always felt that we were getting straightforward answers to our questions and all the work done on the cars was necessary.
Now I know very little about cars so I can only base this assessment on how my experiences with WSC felt versus the few times we took a car to a dealership. At the dealership I always felt like they were pushing extra repairs on you. Tom would sometimes recommended other repairs, but he also showed a willingness to send us to a dealership when there was a recall or other issues the dealership would fix for free. He also helped our son find a good VW repair shop when he moved away.
The bottom line is that you can build a relationship with Tom that you can’t match at a dealership, which makes the whole car repair experience a little easier to take.

The honest mechanic is not dead! This place isn’t cheap, but that’s your own damn fault for buying a VW. Tom runs a good business, and knows more about your car than you know about yourself. I’ve learned to take his advice whenever I’m lucky enough to get it.
I’ve only had one service problem on a 2009 Passat, related to the intake manifold. After a proper scolding from Tom on not fueling my car with premium gas, I got a good tip that there were recalls related to the intake manifold. Thanks to the tip, I was reimbursed almost fully by VW for that repair.
I will continue to come here until I manage to run my car into the ground.

Until this week, we’d taken two VW’s to Tom et al. for preventive and other service over the course of about 10 years. Today, we decided to discontinue bringing cars to them. Here’s why:
Our 2005 VW Jetta Wagon TDi needed its 100k service interval, which includes 31 items ranging from the basic (e.g., check battery, drive shaft boots; tire rotation) to moderate (onboard diagnostics) to complicated (e.g., timing belt change). We use the car primarily for long trips so we don’t want to be stranded hours from home awaiting a tow truck.
As we set up the appt, we specifically indicated an interest in the 100k service and Tom agreed to provide it. Arriving the next morning, he asks if we’re here for the oil change. Nope, I says, 100k service, remember? Again, he agrees to provide it.
After no word on the car status, I call midday on day 2 to check its status. Tom claims to have called the day before, but there’s no indication of an incoming call on my cell, which we confirmed is the right number. Whatever. I ask what’s up – oh, the car needs this and that, and they’ll take care of it by cob. We chat about whether this or that is part of the 100k service. He seems to be on it.
I pick up the car late on day two and inspect the receipt. Of the 31 things in the service needing to be done for preventive care the only ones listed are an oil change, brake fluid, air filter, handbrake cable, cabin air filter. Not including the timing belt change, which we did at 80k for the reasons mentioned, that left about 15 things that hadn’t been done — like the fuel filter, tire rotation, cooling system check, etc.
I called to say that we took the car offline for two days for him to provide preventive service at it appears he only did a few things. Tom claimed that they often do things that aren’t on a line item, but as I asked about several items on the service interval list, it became clear that they didn’t do them.
Why quit them now? Because this is the third time we’ve taken a car in for something very specific along with oil changes and the like — e.g., check the suspension/​boots for creaking, fix the cruise control, do the 100k service — and gotten shrugged shoulders at the end of it when only some things were done. Now we need to take the car to a dealer or some other shop in order to get the rest of the service for this interval done.
Worse, we’ve developed that common grumbling sound in TDIs at cold start up that, although it fades after a minute or two, may signal starter or flywheel problems. Any observant mechanic who knows these cars would have heard it and addressed it.
So, three strikes. It is a shame, as I’ve always preferred working with specialty shops to the big dealerships, as the latter are especially good at not listening and overcharging, but they get it right eventually. In this case, we get not listening and mediocre service in exchange for our loyalty. No longer.
Update: Took the car to a local dealership that completed all of the other items for the maintenance interval, found/​fixed the cold start-​up issue (worn belt tensioner), and called when they said they would. Sorry to see you go, WSC. You’re good people, but who has time for fooling around?

I’m from south Florida, so I have been taking my cars to this place called German Car Depot in Florida for almost a decade now. I took my 2003 Passat here to Wheaton Service Center because I’m living in Wheaton while doing my internship here Rockville for the season. The problem that my car had was that it rumbled after about 50 MPH. WSC determined that it was the spark plugs, there was apparently a mis-​match (I got this car just a few months ago). They also stated that my car had the following issues:
— leaking radiator fluid
— bad timing belt
— leaking brake fluid
— cracked brake hoses
— needs controls for the front tires
— my 2 brake lights are out
— right upper control links loose
I decided to not have all these things taken care of here, and that I would just drive the car back home to Florida on ¹²⁄₆ to get that serviced. I just had them change the plugs, they charged me $ 210.42 total. So then, I drive to Tennessee for Thanksgiving, and yes, my car stopped misfiring on the cylinders, but now my axle was giving me issues… my car was rumbling violently after about 60 MPH, during a snowstorm — very scary… so then I take it to a place in Tennessee, and when they pulled the front left axle, the guy stated that the bearings and the whole ‘mechanism’ fell apart in his hands. I got a new front left axle and bearing in Tennessee for a total of $ 315.
Then, I drive back from Tennessee to Maryland, and this morning when I take my car to Jiffy Lube, I told them about the leaks that the Wheaton Service Center told me about — and they confirmed that this was NOT true at all! My car is NOT leaking radiator fluid/​coolant, NOT leaking brake fluid, NOT leaking anything at all! The only thing they were not able to get to at Jiffy was my transmission fluid, but they confirmed that all of my fluids were ok… and they also inspect the serpentine belt, and they did not mention that it was in bad shape … so I am NOT accusing WSC of lying to me, don’t think that. I just think that it’s odd that after I brought my car here for 1 thing, another thing went bad, and that all the leaks they said I had on that day, I mysteriously do NOT have any longer. My suggestion to you would be to bring your car here as a second opinion. For example, take it to the VW dealer first for an estimate and for their VW people to fully inspect the car, and then come to WSC as a second opinion, letting them know that you took it to the VW place before going there and that you are comparing prices. The guy at the register (I forgot his name) is a little sarcastic with his tone and the things that he says, so don’t think he is rude or anything.

This place is awesome!
A colleague recommended I take my 2001 VW Golf to Tom at Wheaton Service Center. I’m so glad I did!
I brought it in for an oil change and figured other work would need to be done considering the car’s age. Sure enough Tom found a couple things that needed addressing. He clearly explained all of the pros and cons of replacing/​fixing this item or that in layman’s terms so I could actually understand the ramifications of doing or not doing the repairs.
I am glad to have found a shop that is honest and trustworthy.

Well, it’s obvious from the reviews here, WE ALL LOVE TOM!!! The *must go* shop for VW owners in the DC area. Been dealing with WSC for almost 30 years. First, when I was in my mid 20s and had an ’81 2-​door Rabbit and Craig was running the shop and his mom was running the counter and they were feeding about two dozen stray cats. What I really loved about WSC is that they were — and are — a no bullshit zone. I was told for years to replace a motor mount on my Rabbit but was also told that essentially nothing bad would happen if I didn’t so I, being young and penniless, didn’t. Had a baby and gave the Rabbit to my sister and moved on to a Mazda for about eight or nine years before it bit the dust. Then I bought a 2003 Passat with an 8-​year extended warranty with a disappearing deductible from Martens which means I didn’t deal with WSC for almost 20 years. Occasionally, when I had a repair due at Martens that wasn’t covered by warranty, I would check in with WSC to see if what I was being told I needed to have done sounded legitimate… and would speak with a nice-​sounding person on the phone who always spent lots of time answering my lengthy questions. That very nice person turned out to be Tom Doyle. As soon as my car was off warranty I started using WSC again.
Let me say this — I could walk to Martens’s (now Ourisman) VW service off Butler Road in Bethesda if I had to. Now I drive the half hour or so it takes to get to Wheaton and deal with a certain level of inconvenience to work with WSC. I actually never had any particular complaints about Martens, I think they did a pretty good job, but thought I’d go back to WSC which I believe is now the only independent shop left in town that specializes in Volkswagen. There used to be a place called Rainer’s in Hyattsville which is apparently gone.
Now I am in my early 50s, have a 20-​year-​old daughter, and I enjoy the continuity of patronizing this shop with this legacy, and which has been in this location probably a good decade or two before I started patronizing them.
As far as I know, Tom doesn’t work on the cars (although he uses the shop to tinker with his Audis), but he is highly knowledgeable, highly patient, and appears to be extremely honest. When I was at Ourisman getting a headlight replaced and realigned (WSC can’t do a few things, like aligning headlights), and Ourisman told me I needed to replace the battery, I called Tom to see if WSC wanted to do the work and he told me that I might as well have Ourisman do it because WSC wouldn’t be able to beat the price.
Whenever I see Tom behind the counter, with his headset and unflappable demeanor, he seems to be the embodiment of calm. I’ve never seen him get irate although I’m sure he’s had plenty of customers push his buttons. He never rushes anyone on a call and spends as much time as needed to answer any and all questions.
My 2003 Passat is still going strong, thanks to WSC, and I intend to drive it into the ground.

Service oriented, knowledge and professional staff. I took my VW GTI here for several years after it was out of warranty. Their prices are reasonable and cheaper than other quotes I had gotten. They are also able to clearly explain vehicle issues in an clear, understandable way to someone who is not a car maintenance expert. Nicely metro-​accessible. Saturday appointments on a first come, first serve basis.

I wish we’d had a similarly great experience as the majority of the other reviewers, but we didn’t.
A few weeks ago, we took our VW to them because the front wheels were making a «roaring» noise. I asked them to check the wheel bearings. They did (or at least said they did) and I was told that the wheel bearings were fine, but that the car needed new tires. We changed the tires for several hundred $ (at a different shop), although the old tires still had enough thread for a while. The car came back from the shop and the roaring noise was still there. So I took it to a VW dealership to check it out and was told that the front wheel bearings needed to be changed (surprise, surprise…). We had it done this week (at a cost of over $ 1,000) and the car now rolls quietly.
Bottom line: I wasted a lot of time and several thousand miles worth of tire thread thanks to the Wheaton Service Center’s inability to diagnose something so simple as wheel bearings. Too bad, because I was really hoping that there was an alternative to the VW dealership that charges you an arm and a leg for every little thing.

I always think that Unilocal is good for the extremes — the good and bad. I’ll add my voice to the chorus singing Wheaton Service Center’s praises.
My knowledge of cars is similar to my parents knowledge of computers — they’re magical machines that do incredible things and are totally beyond comprehension.
Mechanics can be terrifying because (for many people) the knowledge gap is so wide its impossible to know what is right and what is bs (asymmetric information right?)
So when my 1999 VW Passat battery died and wouldn’t revive after a jumptsart, the towing company advised I take my car to a VW Dealer in Bethesda (Marten’s — don’t go).
After quoting me $ 1400 to change a part I suspected (after much internet research, the great equalizer!) was not broke, I called up the Wheaton Service Center and spoke to Tom.
Not only did they offer to fix the same part for ½ as much, but when I did take my car into the shop, they found that the part was totally fine, and in fact, just needed to be re-​aligned. Total cost? $ 42.50.
I had a number of other repairs that needed to be completed and Tom walked through the price for each one, detailing what it was, what it did, how much it cost to replace, and the potential risks for foregoing the repair. (If you’ve ever read Malcom Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Tom so reminded me of a“maven” — a trusted expert in a given field who genuinely loves teaching other people about their craft).
In short, mechanics are hard to find. Honest mechanics are even harder to find. The reviews here are a testament to just how good the folks at the Wheaton Service Center really are; the extremes on Unilocal dont lie!

I gotta give these guys some more props. I recently had to get my car towed after hours after hitting a curb avoiding a rogue deer (stag! You shoulda seem him, he was massive).
The gates were closed, so the tow truck just left my car on the street outside. These guys blew up a spare tire so they could tow it into their lot, then let it sit there while insurance came and did all the appraising and whatnot. After GEICO declared it totaled (sigh…), they were super nice and sympathetic when I came to clear the stuff out of my car, asking me if I was okay, etc. Really genuine and helpful.
Ryan said he hoped we end up finding a VW replacement car just so we could keep coming here. They are awesome.

These guys are awesome. They are extremely knowledgeable, honest, and helpful. I am happy that I have a VW and live nearby because I know that any services will be done well and at a fair price. Bring your VW here!

I came to this service center scared from an awful experience at the VW Dealership in Alexandria. They tried to charge me over $ 3,5k for repairs on my Beetle. Confused and not knowing what to believe, a friend recommended me to come to Wheaton Service Center. Tom was great, and when he called me telling me that my repairs were going to cost me about $ 500 — it was an amazing relieve!
In this place, you will find honest people that wont try to sell you things you dont need. An auto shop that you can trust. My Beetle has found a new home!