Terry Griffin is probably the most knowledgeable mechanic I have ever worked with. I have been working with him for many years and he never ceases to amaze me. He has expanded his shop into a new facility with state of the art equipment and very well trained mechanics. Recently I was in for a repair and he spotted the Bilstein shocks on my Audi Allroad that another shop had recently installed. He explained that the re-bound damping on those shocks as way to soft and would make the car un-safe to drive under hard breaking or bumpy roads. Actually on my way to the Griffin Motorwerke that morning I was thinking, I wonder if these new shocks are really right for this car because it was bouncing like a big old Cadillac down the road. When Terry explained what that would do to the driving dynamics of the car and it totally clicked in my head. Terry explained that he had a similar experience with one of his customers. He took the Bilsteins down to a shock tuning place and had them compared to a new Audi shock --the Bilsteins tested 90% off on rebound damping. They then custom valved a new Bilstein to have slightly more rebound damping than the Audi shock and that totally fixed his customers problem. Terry recognized this was going to be an issue for other customers and went ahead and custom valved 20 pairs of shocks. Needless to say I had my Bilsteins replaced with Terry's custom valved shocks and it totally transformed the car. It now drives better than new (and I'm at 109K miles). Best Regards, Alan read more

Took my TT in for a routine oil change and Haldex service, and to locate and repair an annoying and potentially dangerous exhaust leak. Communication was excellent, as always, and my car was expertly restored to perfect health. I've entrusted several cars to Griffin over many years, and will continue to do so. I know the job will be done right, and that I won't be "sold" things that aren't necessary. These guys are real pros, and care both about the cars they service, and their customers. Bravo! read more

I feel like I got ripped off. Charged $2,000 to get something fixed, the problem persisted after getting the car back, then Terry Griffin (owner) refused to work on the same issue without more pay... I also felt super uncomfortable when Terry Griffin (owner) would call his Hispanic employees "wetbacks" and call his female employees inferior in front of everyone in the office. read more

Excellent auto service. I have had work done on two A4s over the last couple years and every time the service is professional and timely. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and carry the best stuff. I have always been able to get my car in within a day or two of calling, even when they are very busy. I highly recommend Griffin for service and aftermarket work. read more

I agree the prices are a bit high, but the work is worth it. Dealers are also high... I don't take my car (Subaru) there for regular maintenance, partially b/c I live 20 miles away, but have used them to put in better brakes, brakelines, brake fluid, and Redline in the transmission and rear differential. They know how to bed in the brake pads well, and for that, the brakes have lasted a very long time and perform well, and I drive my car hard. Great service, but they don't have Sat. hours. read more

Hands down the best shop in the East Bay for Audi / VW! They say third time is a charm but I wish I found Griffen on the first attempt. I had a broken valve spring on my A4 and wanted to avoid the costly added effort of removing the cylinder head to replace it - a pretty complex repair job. I went to the dealership first and they said $6,800 to fix it. Then I took my car to a smaller local shop that worked on the car for nearly four weeks without any success. I towed it from that shop to Griffin and asked them to clean up the mess from the last shop and get the job done. Curly was extremely knowledgeable, explained every step along the way to me and got my car back on the road on time and for half the price of the dealership. I won't take my Audi anywhere else now. These guys are the best. read more

This place is a one stop shop. They carry Recaro sests, Schroth harnesses, and Alpinestars gear. On top of the top notch product selection, the knowledgeable staff is second to none. Their are well educated on everything they do. If you go fast, you need to see these guys beforehand. read more

Griffin Motorwerke performed a four wheel alignment on my '86 Ferrari 328. Their technician, Nate, understands chassis, explained all the issues and trade offs with the various adjustment options. They have the latest equipment and their rack is set below grade so no clearance issues with getting a car on the rack. Car handled great afterwards. read more

These guys blow the local Audi dealer out of the water. They are friendly (even though I have a 99 Audi) almost always have what I need in stock even when the dealer doesn't, and don't seem to mind helping me self diagnose. Simply the best around!! read more

Great work & honest staff! This place saved me almost $200 on brakes when compared to the quote from my friendly, neighborhood, rip off Volvo dealership. The guys down there are personable and above all, they are real experts when it come to Audi/Volvo/VW. My car was finished in a matter of hours so no need to waste time or money on a loaner ride. Sweet! read more

A good trustworthy mechanic is about as hard to come by as a job in this economy, and these guys are so good that they make the latter seem possible. I've taken my car here for a number of repairs, and the prices have always been fair for the work performed. They weren't always able to fix every problem (in their defense though, the problems they couldn't always fix were electrical which many shops can't fix, let alone diagnose), but I paid a fraction of the cost compared to other shops. Case in point - I brought my Audi to them a couple months ago because the fuel gauge was acting erratically. Terry (one of the owners) and the guys proceeded to check everything under the sun to figure out what was wrong. I did pay for some of the diagnostic, but not nearly equal to the time they spent working on the car (if you own an Audi, you know the fiasco electrical problems can be!). In the end, it was determined to be a faulty fuel gauge contained within the instrument cluster. I didn't want to pay for a new cluster so Curly offered to remove the cluster, send it out to an independent guy, who rebuilds instrument clusters, to see if it could be repaired instead of replaced - at no cost to me. In the end, the independent shop couldn't repair the gauge, but I had lost nothing. Most shops I've dealt with would have charged me for such a service or simply refused to look into having it repaired and just quoted the $1,000 for a new one. I appreciated the extra time and attention these guys provided to try and save me money, especially when it was at their own expense. I recently moved out of Berkeley, but I still commute to these guys to have any maintenance done on my car. Good jobs may be hard to find, but for anyone living in the east bay, a good mechanic doesn't have to be. read more

It's pretty clear - you either love 'em or hate 'em. I'm in the former camp. First, they have kept both my Lexus' rolling along - SC400 for almost 245k miles and the convertible just hit 100k. I like working with folks who care about performance. No, they're not the cheapest, but neither is the Lexus dealer. I've been a customer for 10 years, I've had stuff go wrong, but they have always made it right. This is a rough and tumble place (except for the way cool waiting room of Recaro seats - super comfy) but they can take it too when I give them worse than they give me. It's just how they have fun - and I like it. read more

This is a very professional ran auto mechanic shop. Terry Griffin, the owner is an absolute pleasure to work with, because he takes his profession and clients very seriously. They work on German cars, such as VW, AUDI and Porsche, plus I saw some vintage American cars there, as well as several recaro seats and other items such as race shoes and parts. I recommend this shop to anyone who drives a car that they work on, you won't be disappointed. read more

I recently decided to evaluate Griffin Motorwerke when I was having some issues getting an appointment at my other shop. I am glad I did. Terry the owner took a very personalized approach to taking care of my problem as well as the rest of his staff. I would also like to say that this shop does have a bit of colorful personality, so if you are an uptight individual that is used to going to the Mercedes Dealership it might not be the place for you. On the other hand if you want to go somewhere where service is met with a more relaxed professional approach I believe this would be a great choice. Terry is a character, and in my book that is a big plus, much more interesting than some uptight individual. Also he is a genuine nice guy who is passionate about provided the best in Class service for Mercedes, BMW, VW, and in my case my beloved Volvo C30. Terry has exceeded my expectations and I am very pleased to have found them. They have a new loyal customer, and honestly I am hard to please. read more

So, my gf car had some sort of transmission problem. Her car is a 11' vw gti dsg with around 105k . Got a few quotes around the area and ultimately went with Griffin Motorwerke . Nino and curly were the two people to assist the repair. Very professional and got things done is a good amount of time. Turns out the clutch or some parts near the clutch may have failed. Not thru going thru all the variables we went with a pricey repair of a very very low mileage( I couldn't even find such a low mileage just by myself calling around on the inter webs) trans along with a new flywheel and a few other parts. Overall yes the repair was a bit over 5k but when it was all broken down and itemized I feel we actually saved some $$ because they actually know what they are doing. Labor alone was around 1200$ for them to take the trans out and put in a new one. That's actually not that bad to be honest. Anywhoo the gti is a blast to drive once again and we're hoping to make it to 200k without another major hurdle. Thanks griffin we appreciate you. P.s thanks for the license plate holder:). Way better than the stupid Oakland vw one read more

I've brought my car back three times to Griffin because it's an amazing shop. Terry and his staff are experts, know everything about Audis, and get great prices for their customers. I've actually priced out service at other Berkeley shops, and Terry's prices are the most competitive. They were able to schedule me quickly, explained all of the service to me, and provided top quality service with top quality parts. I feel extremely comfortable recommending them to anyone. read more

I've been going to Griffin for several years now. On 2 occasions they've found issues that the dealership missed. I've also had my S4 chipped, Milltek exhaust installed and Bilstein PSS9s put on (and a swaybar). No, it's not a pillar of professionalism, but this isn't a lawyer's office. They do good work and although a bit on the pricy side, it's not unreasonable for the quality delivered. read more

I've taken my car, an 07 Audi S4, into Griffin Motorwerke twice. The first time I had a warped valve cover gasket. I talked to Curly on the phone, and he clearly knew what he was talking about and offered the best price of the half dozen shops I called. The work was done quickly and held up. A year and a half later, my car had more issues - it was misfiring, so I brought it in again, with little notice, and they diagnosed and repaired it in a couple days. I've been really with their service, and Curly's always been very friendly and helpful. Their prices are very fair and they don't try to sell you on unneeded repairs. read more

I've read the other reviews complaining about the prices @ Griffin and I don't get it. I just got my classic VW back from them and the work was impeccable and impeccably handled by them. Communication was flawless, not rushed, and they were willing to explain everything in detail. I took my other car into the dealer for service the next day and they charged me $165/hr. By comparison, Griffin's priced exactly right (if maybe too cheap actually). I'm thrilled to have found 'em. When the warranty runs out on our BMW, I'll take it to Griffin, too. I needed a mechanic I could trust to tell me the truth AND who had the skill to do the job right. I found them. A great discovery. read more

Went to Griffin on my friends recommendation.Terry was very thorough and took the time to really help me understand what he was going to do to make my GTI more fun!!!! He even took a new part off the shelf and took it apart to explain how it works. Well I just got home from test driving my GTI, WOW!!!!!! is this car alot more fun. I have to say you left me thirsting for more. Next up is to lockdown all 4 corners with a new suspension to handle all this new found power. Terry and his crew really know their stuff,they live,eat, and breathe it. I highly recommend them for German performance or regular maintenance. Allen C. read more

Great service. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Fully agree with all the great reviews already on here. Revo had a delay getting the file and so they paid for my rental and had the car ready next day. Went twice for a sway bar and revo chip. Completely transformed my Jetta tdi. They give great service and advice read more

These guys are amazing. One on one in depth customer service like I haven't experienced in years. Technical knowledge of the product that I wouldn't even expect from a Recaro representative. Without even attempting to sell me anything Steven helped me determine which seats would be compatible with my car. I had done a little research but these guys are true experts when it comes to aftermarket seats. And for those who spend any time behind the wheel, a quality supportive seat will save you major $ and discomfort in future years. The selection at Griffin is 2nd to none. The treatment Steven provided over the phone & email was phenomenal. By far the best I've experienced. Once I made it in the following day I met Mr.Griffin (owner) He proved to be a true car guy, a gear head. Someone you could trust not BS you or cut any corners. While working with Mr. Griffin and Steven I observed the service and repair aspect of Griffin motorwerke I was very impressed. This is a place I would refer a family member or friend with out hesitation. Corner cutting and overall shady practices are all too common these days and I've seen and gone through it all. This place is honest and fair. After observation of the care they have other customers and my self I would advise anyone looking for German parts, auto repair or after market seats to visit this place. read more

This place is great -- period. If you don't like cars much, and you don't like swearing, go to some other shop. If you want performance-enhancing, top-quality work done on your Volkswagen, come here. These guys did terrific work, and my car drives fabulously. read more

These guys are great! They care for my TDI Passat Station Wagon and I have had excellent service and communication. AND (!) when my dashboard red warning light came on saying STOP, OVERHEATED! yesterday, I called them from the car and asked how to proceed, could i drive my car another mile etc. etc. These are quality nice competent good people! read more

I took my cars to Griffin on and off for about 8 years. They're friendly and knowledgeable in VW/Audi...but be careful! I'm really skeptical about their honesty because they always said leaking here and there; however, I got it confirm with another mechanic there's absolutely no leaking in those parts! Also, their works are quite sloppy sometimes that they didn't put the parts back in the right place. read more

I inherited Griffin as the mechanic on a VW New Beetle I bought a year and a half ago. I spent over $1,000 before I suspected they were taking me for a ride. The service engine light came on with the error code for intermittant intake manfold pressure sensor. Griffin reset the sensor. A few days later the light came on again, with what I recall is the same error code. This time they told me the car needed a new computer board. I had them replace it. The same error code came up again just a few weeks later. This time they replaced the intake manifold pressure sensor. I asked for them to put the old computer board back in to test if it actually wasn't bad. They couldn't find the part. The service engine light came on again a few weeks later, this time I had the car checked at Precision People's. They went over all the wiring, cleaned up all the connections, tested the sensor putting out the error code and found it was actually good, also found that the mounting clips for the computer board were broken and the board had just been taped in. Hence a propensity for intermittent connection problems. Griffin was the only shop that had ever worked on the car previously. Precision People's ordered new clips and when they came in, charged me only $9 for the clips, no labor. read more

I'm pushing 50 and there aren't too many places I come away from with that exciting adolescent feeling I used to get before responsibilities got the best of me. Terry was the third shop I took my A4 Avant to where I finally got what I needed repair wise and fun wise (modifications). They always get the work done and the bugs worked out. Terry also helped transform my mild mannered car into a mountain road hugging animal. My stereo guy put in the 12" sub and Terry provided the suspension that could keep up with my music. It might not be the fastest car (it's not an S4) but it will out handle anything in it's sights. And that's how I get the ugly part of the day off and my auto freak on. Recently, with my A4 reaching 150K and not feeling so environmentally friendly, Terry helped me decide how to move forward with a slightly smaller carbon footprint and just as much fun in my "new" used A3. (I'd really like to take the sales person for a ride in it; my stereo guy has also had his way with that car!). He's up on the TDI technology that's coming and getting geared up and excited to be one of the first to retrofit older Audis with the stronger hybrid-like efficient engines. I'm actually contemplating holding onto the A4 so that he can breathe life into when he gets that gig going. Finally, nothing to do with cars, but Terry ran an Obama phone bank office in Berekely for a couple of montyhs before elections. He was there every night after his 10 hour days (I see him come at 9A and leave at 7P). I'm still thanking him for that. One of the few people I know who didn't just complain but did something to bring some possibility of change. Sometimes the job takes a little longer than I'd like but pick up is when Terry holds court with all his gear head progressive customers that congregrate in his store front like a barber shop. And, yes, sometimes Terry can talk some s--t when egged on by friends but it's political only and all in good fun. And considering my marriage is interracial and my honey is not into cars, she loves Terry and thinks the brother has real street cred. Bottom line, he's a good guy. I'm a pediatrician and we like to tell our patient's parents that we treat their child as if they were our own. When I take my car to Terry and Curly I know they are tuning my Audi the way they would want there's tuned. read more

Anyone who doesn't know squat about auto repairs struggles with finding honest service shops. That is ME! And to make matters worse, as a female it isn't uncommon for unscrupulous mechanics to take advantage. What I DO know is when my car isn't running properly or there is an indicator light on that shouldn't be. When that happens my ride is promptly delivered to Team Griffin because I trust them. After more than 5 years of service experience, I know that they will go the extra mile to diagnose the problem. I have had some highly complicated and unique issues with my Audi TT and they never gave up until they KNEW I was walking out of that shop with a SAFE, well-performing vehicle. The beauty is that (if I want) the problem is always explained to me - in terms I can understand. With that said, I will second another reviewer observation, that when you enter the world of Griffin you need to put on your big girl panties and grow a pair - this is a guys world - the language is salty and it's all business. You may drive a hot car, but don't expect princess treatment (except for the bonus rides back to your home or the BART station and the friendly reminders to drop in any time for fluids check or top-off) - but DO expect to get exactly what you are paying for - expert, honest service that will give you confidence that your car is running right. read more

I've been bringing my VW Passat to Terry/Curly for many years. Finding a mechanic you trust on service, cost, parts, etc. is a pretty dicey thing, me thinks! But these guys have earned my car trust on all sorts of issues I've had over the past 10 years and as my relationship grows with them, the trust gets deeper. If you need a one-and-done mechanic to fix something, find something near your house and roll the dice. If you want some people to work on your cars over the years when they break or wear down (kinda like a doctor), these guys will not disappoint. BTW, they just moved this fall from two separate locations up on San Pablo into one new facility on 6th that I think will improve the way they service cars and customers. Now, the really knowledgeable car guys who help you at the front (Terry/Curly) can also walk a few steps and check in with the mechanics on issues, solutions, etc. As a result, I predict better/more communication between everybody, including the guy who's name is on the sign out front. read more

Griffin Motorwerke ripped me off, and ruined the "first car experience" for my Son. I now have to resubmit papers for small claims court, after filing 2 mnths ago, My story; I bought my Son a 65 VW bug, it ran fine, but the shifting was a little wonky, now I know that a new clutch is around $400, but I heard good things about this shop and was willing to pay a little more here, and I asked if they could check the carbs and do any adjustments needed. I willingly paid a obscene amount of money for the work. The clutch went completely out almost immediately. I had a 1 year warranty and Griffin told me that "if the parts we replaced failed you won't be charged" and I thought, well didn't you replace the whole clutch? They checked the car and called me, I couldn't believe what he said next; " The little hooks on this clamp broke, ITS ONLY A $7 PART, SEE THE THROWOUT BEARING SITS INSIDE THIS CLAMP, AND ANY VW GUY WILL TELL YOU THAT THESE CLAMPS BREAK, WE DIDNT REPLACE IT SO ITS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY"...... What???? So I had to pay another obscene amount of money to get the car fixed again, he said any VW guy knows this part fails yet didn't replace the $7 part when he put all new parts in, that doesn't make sense to me, then he blamed me saying that I approved the work. GUESS WHAT ...... The 2nd clutch only lasted about 3 months and failed completely, I finally took it to The Buggy House and they did a perfectly flawless job for under $400, and showed me exactly what Went wrong. I had to pay for Tow trucks, take time from work and they basically stole a lot of money from me, but worst than this they ruined my Sons first car experience......Oh and By The Way, thanks a lot for telling my wife that this car is super unsafe for my son and that if he crashed the row bar will crush him and that there is no protection in front of the car, because of the empty space, she gets worried every time he has to go further than School or Water Polo. Will never do business with Griffin again, this experience has been stressful on the whole family, I can't wait to get my claim over with or mediation or whatever, so I never have to think about Griffin Motorwerke again read more

These guys are knowledgeable, honest and have always been ready to help me at a moments notice. They replaced a drive-shaft on my 94 Mercedes after locating a suitable used replacement in very short order, done brake work, and even had an employee come to pick up my stalled vehicle. When the vehicle wouldn't start she helped push the vehicle into a parking space (we were two grown men that couldn't budge the car uphill and on a gravel side street but we got it done with her help). When we threw the battery into the bed of her truck and got back to the shop they recommended a trickle charge because the battery was so completely discharged. Point of story? They always made accommodations for me and got the job done without any additional drama. You can count on their ability to diagnose problems, offering solutions and and solving them in innovative ways. If you have problems they will find the best way to fix them in a most efficient manner. read more