I visited Auto Technik for the first time a few months ago & wanted to wait some time after the repairs to make sure no problems crept back up. I'm happy they haven't.
AAA's roadside assistance referred me to the shop one afternoon when I'd broken down several hours from home. As I rode up in the tow truck, Jay came right out front and greeted me with a handshake. I explained the symptoms the best my automotively deficient knowledge would allow and mentioned the hypotheses of the tow truck driver. Jay immediately jumped into action with some outside the box diagnostics involving a can of break cleaner and an open air filter compartment, ruling out the initially hypothesized culprits. While I spent a couple of hours trying to locate a rental car, the techs at Auto Technik jumped right on determining the actual problem.
By the time I returned that afternoon, they'd finished taking things apart. Jay took me to the car and physically showed me what they'd checked, what they'd taken apart, and what the source of the breakdown was. Back in the office, he then explained some options. Right out of the gate, I'd told Jay what I was looking for was the cheapest way to get the car running and driven back to San Diego. In presenting the repair options, he also offered some used parts out of their inventory (presumably from the nice, varietal collection of cars they've got out front!). He gave his recommendations about where it was wise to save money with used parts and where I might be pound-foolish not putting something new in. There was never any sense that he was doing anything other than presenting options and recommendations that the customer could use to make the decision. Less than 24 hours after bringing the car in lifeless, it was on its way back to San Diego running as well as it had in several years.
Being unfamiliar with the area and under time constraints, I wasn't in a position to comparison shop, so I can't speak to Auto Technik's price competitiveness. I can say that everything about my experience was professional and I appreciated the service I was given. I've experienced some bad mechanics--the bait and switches, pure incompetents, or those who see customers as a blank check. With my decade plus trusted mechanic in San Diego, the difference in business practices (and results) is immediately and abundantly clear. Auto Technik struck me as being in the mold of my trusted mechanic. They listen to what what you want and try to understand your priorities and constraints, rather than trying to sell you what's best for them. They are transparent (gave me the old parts without me having to ask), responsive, and get right to work (so much so that, even though there were clearly other jobs actively in process in the shop, the time it took for the tow truck driver to leave their parking lot actually slowed them down in pushing the car into the repair bay!). I felt like they wanted my business and they took pride in both their work and their service. As it would mean I'm broken down again far from home, I hope I'll never have to visit Auto Technik again, but if I did, I'd be very comfortable doing so. Thanks Jay! read more
