It's a rare thing to have a service rep, especially at a dealer, do well with both the customer connection and hit good customer service marks. Ricardo did both. Got the car back running fine. Not charged excessively. And the cherry on top was the excellent recommendations on how to keep the car going longer. (Psst, Use too tier fuel). Highly recommended. read more

I live very close to a VW dealer, but it was bought out by a big national chain that I don't care to deal with, so I went to Herman Cook VW to buy a car. Herman Cook is a small family-owned business; every employee knows the owner and the owner knows every employee. I am absolutely happy with every aspect of the purchase experience except perhaps the list price. Which is not set by the dealer. I have been back to use their service department twice. Auto service departments are often the weak link of a dealership, but those visits both went well. Modern computerized vehicles have an uneasy relationship with service departments. This is true across brands, locations, and dealerships. When you go in to talk to a service writer, you get asked "so what is wrong with your car?" When computers are involved, the answer is often "well, sometimes when I am not expecting it, the car does such-and-so". In the tech world that is called "intermittent failure" and it is really hard to diagnose and fix. If the problem doesn't occur when the car is in the repair shop, there's really nothing they can do. One time about 20 years ago I asked a Volvo dealer if he could have one of his mechanics take my car home for a week and drive it around as if it was his car. That worked, and Volvo replaced the engine after the mechanic drove it for a week. The intermittent issues with my VW are not dire, so I'm not ready to ask Herman Cook to do that. And besides, in 2025 there are probably lawyers and insurance brokers who would have a fit and refuse to allow it. I wonder how long it will be before cars have a "CTRL-ALT-DELETE" button hidden somewhere. read more

Our experience at Herman Cook Volkswagen started off fine, but unfortunately the customer service progressively declined throughout our visit. By the end, it genuinely felt like they had no interest in selling us the car. My husband and I asked quite a few questions about pricing and available discounts. In our experience, and based on what we've experienced with other dealerships as well as what our parents and others we know have experienced, it is completely normal to ask about discounts or incentives such as first responder, military, Costco, AAA, etc. We were surprised to learn that Herman Cook Volkswagen does not offer these types of discounts on used vehicles and that they are only available on brand-new cars. We have been to many dealerships and have never encountered one that offered no discounts whatsoever on used vehicles, so naturally we had questions. That itself wasn't the issue. At one point, our salesperson told us that he could "appreciate us trying to get creative." That comment really rubbed us the wrong way. We weren't trying to be creative or asking for anything outlandish. We were simply asking about options that, in our personal experience, our parents, friends, and other dealerships have routinely been willing to discuss and work into a deal. The way our questions were handled was the biggest issue. After our salesperson went back to the manager with a second question, the manager walked back into the building being visibly frustrated after being "interrupted from his smoke break", looked over at us, shook his head, and rolled his eyes while saying, "Absolutely not." He eventually came over and explained that the used vehicles are already priced "competitively," which I can understand. He also mentioned that "customer satisfaction means a lot to the dealership and you can see based on our reviews, we have the best" If that is the dealership's policy, that's completely fine. What was disappointing was the unnecessary rudeness and visible frustration from both the manager and sales team simply because we were asking questions, doing our due diligence, and advocating for ourselves as customers. At that point, it genuinely felt like they had no interest in selling us the vehicle. We were not demanding that they lower the price or expecting special treatment, we were simply trying to understand the pricing and see what options were available to us before making a major purchase. Ultimately, we did purchase the vehicle. I know we should have left and went elsewhere but the deciding factor was that we couldn't find another vehicle within approximately 200 miles with the same make and model and such low mileage. So despite the experience, the vehicle itself was the right choice for us. Unfortunately, the experience didn't improve when we returned to handle the finances and go through the features. My mom makes alot of small talk. Our salesperson was rather rude to my mom when she asked questions, snapping at her instead of taking the time to explain things respectfully. I want to be clear that we were not expecting special treatment or demanding that the dealership lower the price. We simply expected to be treated respectfully while asking reasonable questions about a significant purchase. The vehicle itself was a good value, but the customer service left a lot to be desired. Hopefully management takes this feedback seriously, because customers should never be made to feel like they are inconveniencing the sales team simply by asking questions or trying to negotiate a purchase especially since we ended up purchasing the car. read more

Ricardo is an asset to the place. she helped me today with my sons mirror. Kuddos to him!!!

Overall I'm giving 4 stars because Annie MacPherson is honestly 5 stars on her own. I've leased three cars from her over the years and have been very happy every time. She's knowledgeable, straightforward, and makes the process easy. Unfortunately my service experiences have been mixed, mostly due to Ricardo Sanchez. During early visits I felt uncomfortable with some of his comments and the overall tone. As a married mom, I felt lines were crossed and the interactions came off unprofessional. When I started bringing my husband or dad with me, issues with the car were often blamed on my driving, which didn't feel fair or respectful. Last week I had to deal with him again because he was the only consultant available. I was told my rotors needed resurfacing and that it was my fault. After rearranging my schedule based on what the receptionist told me, I was then informed the repair wasn't covered because I had passed 12,000 miles and would need to pay $250. I declined. I truly believe someone like Alan would have tried to help find a solution. My advice: work with Annie for sales, and if possible request a different service advisor (Alan). It can make a big difference in your experience. read more

Total bait and switch on service. Called them up, got both a verbal and written quote, then brought the car in and they wanted over $100 more than what was quoted. Steer clear of these guys. read more

ZERO STARS. Nope no mischaracterization here! I was treated like a ping pong ball thrown around to different people and then brought back to first person I asked. Funny how you guys always blame everyone else but yourselves and take NO ACCOUNTABILITY. First off I know I had NO APPOINTMENT and as such you could have COMMUNICATED this to me and let me know that it be best for me to come back the next day. But did you? No. So who's fault is that?? Secondly, VW of Murrieta told me that since I live in Encinitas I should drop in and see if they can connect the SOS light inside cabin and look into connecting vehicle to the myApp. At no point did ANYONE try to communicate thoroughly with me but instead made the ENTIRE situation awkward and disappointing. Just like another person wrote a review about this dealership treating her awful as well - they too did not buy their vehicle there- this just goes to show that people at this dealership lack communication, customer service and ACCOUNTABILITY. THE REVIEWS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else unless you like this type of treatment. People here don't like to work and will not go out of their way if you did not purchase vehicle from them. Which is silly because if they would behave differently they could still win peoples business of taking their cars there to get fixed or even purchase another vehicle there. VERY POOR MANAGEMENT on their part by losing people's business like this. read more

I got my 2023 Tiguan here, Thank you Charles Webb and thank you Jesus Lopez for helping me out throughout the process. Both made me feel at home the way yall approached me. Thank you from the Cabrera family read more

After calling 62 times, I finally was able to connect with Alfredo Alonso and within 2 mins I received the email with my bill of sale. I think it is ludicrous that the phone lines were busy from 8:30 am to 12:00 on a Monday. Thank you Alfredo! read more

I have been going to Herman Cook Volkswagen and very happy with the service department. There is now a 3% service charge on all credit card charges. Mossy Volkswagen does not put a surcharge on credit card payments. read more

I took my car in yesterday with an issue I knew was covered by extended warranty. I was honest about it, and the service manager sent me away saying it has to be done at the place you bought the warranty. Which doesn't exist anymore and he knows it. Turns out he was playing me, and it's just more work for them to call warranty company to get paid. Not only will I avoid this place, but Now I know better how warranties work, and won't get one again. Edit since I can't seem to respond- I took to another dealership (not the one that sold me the waranty because they're no longer in business), and the service person laughed that I was sent away because it's just that it's more work, not that it's not possible to honor the warranty. read more

Visited Herman Cook VW on Thursday, May 28th. Had an appt. for 11:00am, Drop off went smoothly. I told Alan, my car advisor if he could call by 2:00pm to let me know what was needed because I had a Board meeting at 2:30PM. I thought 3 hours time frame for diagnosis was reasonable. No call at 2:00pm. I called, Alan was not available. Left VM. Alan called at 2:40PM and he left VM. Message said call back without any indication of what needed to be done. No email or text as to what needed to be done. Called at 3: 15pm after my meeting but Alan was with a client. Called back at 3:45pm, I was put on hold. Ten minutes later Alan came on the line and said oil change was complete but they recommended front brakes. I told him to proceed and Alan said because of the time the job would not be completed until tomorrow. In the digital age there must be a more efficient way that Herman Cook can communicate what is needed on the car, like text or the very least email. Phone tag doesn't work. read more

Nice dealer, but other dealer gave a better deal for car lease. Don't know about service dept.

I'm on my 3rd Jetta, but this was my first time at Herman Cook Volkswagen in Encinitas. It was such a great experience! My service advisor, Alan Joslin, was so friendly and helpful. I will never go anywhere else! Highly recommend! read more

I can't say enough good things about the Service Department at Herman Cook VW in Encinitas. I bought my vehicle here 6.5 years ago but was getting my service elsewhere. I was quoted for a pricey repair at my "other" shop and wanted to compare pricing before I went ahead. I was so fortunate to connect with Eric on the phone; he talked through what was happening and offered to do a free evaluation the next day to confirm the issue. I need the fix after all, and Eric was able to repair my vehicle for less than half of what I was quoted elsewhere. While the savings was a HUGE bonus, the service at the location was truly the win. Ricardo was friendly, Eric patiently walked me through the issue and options for repair, and Christian was my cheerful shuttle service to and from my office (even working late to come pick me up at the end of my work day) As I drive home, still ecstatic over the quick repair and great price, I notice that they have even fixed the clock that I hadn't gotten around to adjusting without being asked...complete full service and I will never go anywhere else. read more

I have been coming here for years for service on my 2014 VW. Ricardo always helps me and is the best. As a girl who doesn't know much about cars going alone I am always scared of being oversold on stuff I don't actually need. Ricardo ALWAYS explains what I need and why and what isn't necessary each time, but might be in the future. He is great about keeping the cost to what I absolutely need and isn't trying to over sell me. 10/10 recommend, best service department. read more

This by far was the worst service I have ever seen received from a dealership. We went in knowing what car we wanted and pretty much had the intention to purchase the vehicle. When we test-drove the vehicle, the brakes were very squeaky. But even with that being the case, we were still interested in the car, but just wanted insurance that it would be fixed at no extra cost to us. Let's just say at no point in this appointment did we ever feel like she wanted to sell this car? She was rude, very snappy, and raised her voice a couple of times. I get it. We're all human and we have our days, but purchasing a car is a huge commitment, and even though we were satisfied with the car, the service was so terrible I wouldn't ever purchase a car from her. Kindness goes a long way. I wanted to match her energy so badly, but when they go low, we go high. read more

Your service department is so impersonal, unsympathetic, and you don't appear to be interested at all in supporting your VW vehicles. Update: Conner, you could have told me about that process when I was there instead of just saying you could look at it but wouldn't guarantee anything. read more

Bait-and-Switch Alert I came across a bold ad on their website promoting a VW ID.4 lease for $129/month for two years. Naturally, I was excited and submitted my info, hoping to hear back. Instead, I got an email saying the car in the ad had been leased--six weeks ago! They then offered me a different ID.4 lease for over $300/month and $5,000 down. That's more than double the price and a huge upfront cost. Feels misleading and disappointing. If I ever decide to get a VW, it won't be from Herman Cook Volkswagen. read more

In all my years of buying cars, I have never had a better experience then I had at Herman Cook VW. Jesus, the sales manager, was thoughtful, kind and provided me with great pricing and awesome finance options. He was so nice and his follow up on my questions was phenomenal and prompt. I could tell from the start that he really wanted to help me. I also want to mention Annie, a wonderful and knowledgeable sales person, who patiently explained all the features of the car and how to use them properly. She was a pleasure to work with and contributed so much to the buying experience. I will be referring all of my friends and family to this dealership. Highly recommend, don't go anywhere else. read more

These guys are amazing!!! They have the Best CS around! They are friendly informative and friendly.

My 2014 VW needed a new battery. The car was purchased from another nearby dealer, and their price quote for a new OEM battery replacement was... astronomical. So instead I called Herman Cook, who gave me a reasonable price quote, one that was in line with my expectations. This was my first time doing any business with Herman Cook. Their service rep was knowledgeable, extremely helpful and courteous, and the job was done quickly for LESS than the estimated price. 10/10 win! I will be very happy to bring my VW to them for future work and I encourage you to give them a call if you have a VW that needs service. read more

I usually don't review but my experience at this dealership was the worse customer service I have ever seen. The Lender was yelling at the Annie with the door open. He was upset and saying he didn't want to sell me the vehicle since I didn't have any vehicles on my policy. He claimed he didn't want to take any risks. I have insurance but did not have any listed vehicles since I was trying to purchase the vehicle. My policy was active and he was so angry instead of just talking to me about it. I went outside and added the vehicle I was purchasing within ten minutes the problem was solved. After that issue was resolved we stepped into his office and the price I was quoted was incorrect, once again he yelled and said he does not negotiate! He is simply the lender. He then stormed off and yelled at Annie again about the price confusion. After a few minutes going back and forth he reprinted the contract and the price was correct. After signing some of the new contract I asked him where it states the $5,000 dollar down payment? He said "it's there you must've missed it!" I asked him to show me and he goes "OH, I guess it is not on the contract and once again reprinted the contract. Worse dealership ever save yourself the headache and go ANYWHERE else. Charles was amazing though and very sweet! read more

Where do I begin? Herman cook Volkswagen service department is one of the worst experiences I've ever had. I asked to get my car service. They told me the part would be available when I took my car to the dealership. They tell me they need an additional part so I'm out of my car for 2 days. Then I called back to ask why they said they didn't know. Then I asked t hem to wash my car for the inconvenience and they didn't even wash it accurately. They leave water spots on it. Then I get a flat tire after the service and they forget to put the wheel lock which I need to take off the tire. I would never advise anybody to use service at this dealership... Also the service manager Eric axford does not take responsibility for his employees and himself asked to speak to the gym regarding my issues Sent me to the receptionist indeed of taking down my information and talking to the gym directly beware read more

Herman Cook Volkswagen - The car they fixed - Car Dealers Near Me - Encinitas, California

went to check out a VW we are gonna but I figured best to bring business to a local bus. I live right down the block dealer walks up to me shoving popcorn in his face and crunching away while he is talking to me I said I've seen the car on sale at other dealers he said no way while still crunching away on popcorn literally shoving it in his mouth so I asked if they had any more popcorn and he stayed nope shoved another handful in his mouth and walked away and never came back I'm still gonna buy this car but definitely not from here very very disappointed and a waist of my time read more

Great dealership. Upfront, honest and work is always done right the first time. My 2007 has been serviced here for 10 years and is going strong. read more

I wish all car dealers are like them. This is how car buying should be, no pressuring clients. This place makes you want go back and get another vehicle just because of people like annie and The Sales manager Jesus. This is our 12th new vehicle and we always do our homework before we go to the dealership. We're new to VW and EV family, knew a little bit of the ID4 but Annie showed us the car down to the last detail including downloading apps for it, helped us every step . She is definitely a PRO. Herman cook if you're reading this, i'm saying You have the best sales person, Annie needs a promotion right now! read more

Firstly, I had taken my Volkswagen to Mission Bay VW and that's when my problem started. I decided to go to South Bay Volkswagen now called National city Volkswagen. The service guy hummed and hawed about looking at. Then I find out Mission Bay Volkswagen bought them out. My heart dropped.. No issues were solved. BUT..... At Herman Cook Volkswagen the service consultant, Ricardo Sanchez, made me feel confident about them fixing the issue. And they did!! They even cleaned my engine and washed my car. I walked out of there confident that I could now drive my car home without the engine blowing up. Do yourself a favor and take your Volkswagen to Herman Cooke Volkswagen! read more

Terrible sales experience with Herman Cook last week. After giving them the easiest lay-up ID.4 sale of the week, they tried a bait and switch on the price at the last minute, and insisted that we needed to pay them $1,500 extra for their 'protective coating'. I had already been given MSRP pricing twice, but here we were on the way to the Credit Union for their check, and they were trying to jack up the price $1,500 for something I didn't ask for, didn't want, and wouldn't pay for. They refused to back down, so we walked away and purchased the same spec vehicle, the same afternoon, from Bob Baker Carlsbad, with zero BS, and zero issues. AVOID the slimy sales team at Herman Cook - they don't deserve your hard earned cash. read more

Herman Cook Volkswagen - Bob Baker get's our business after Herman Cook's attempted bait & switch. - Car Dealers Near Me - Encinitas, California

I bought my car a few months ago to "Herman Cook Volkswagen " at Encinitas CA. Last week my brakes needed to be replaced; I thought that was unusual for the short time I had the car, so I I took it to the same "Herman Cook Volkswagen" hoping they would correct the problem for me without charging me or with a big discount. After 2 hours of inspection" they told me they would replace the front brakes for $800 dollars!!!!! When I asked for help, they told me they would do nothing for me. I asked them to give me my car and I went to look for a mechanic shop in Chula Vista CA. I found one and they I "replaced the same brakes" for $200 and it took them 30 minutes. $600 difference plus the loss of a customer forever. read more

I dealt with Annie as my sales person and she was one of the real ones. Super sweet, understanding and just overall really just wonderfully pleasant to deal with. I got a great deal on my 22 GTI and was lucky enough to find one in a very short period of time and not only that it was in the very highly desired Moonstone Gray in Autobahn Trim with the DSG. Right of the bat I fell in love with the car and knew that we'd take it home. Things with finances were super simple and absolutely ZERO pressure or games in that part of the sale. We needed to make some slight corrections to the paperwork but even with that I was in and out of there in less than 2 hours and that's WITH a trade in the mix. Thank you Annie and Connor for taking care of me. My wife LOVES her new car! read more

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Not all Volkswagen dealers are created equal! I have a 2021 ID.4 AWD Pro S which I originally purchased at Bob Baker (now AutoNation) only to discover, to my disappointment, that Bob Baker is not at all equipped nor trained to support EVs (especially when it comes to the HV system). Bob Baker does not have enough trained techs (one) and was unprepared for the 97ZZ (software upgrade for 21/22 ID.4s) and 93P7 (HV battery servicing) campaigns which have been in the works for months at VWoA. They seemed to be surprised when the campaigns started and left me hanging "waiting for parts" and "we'll call you". When I pressed for a rough date I couldn't even get that. At this point I decided that not all Volkswagen dealers are created equal and began a concerted effort to find a competent dealer who can service/support what they sell (call me crazy!) I called Herman Cook the next week and not only did the *customer service rep* know about both campaigns, she said they were trained/equipped to complete them and said it would take ~2-3 days. She scheduled me right then and also asked me if I'd like a loaner. Night/day difference in preparedness to service EVs. The recall/service campaign was completed in the better part of a day and I had my car back happy in the afternoon. Do yourself a favor and don't go anywhere else. read more

Not a good experience with Ricardo at Herman Cook VW. The service advisor had my car for 2 hours while I waited, but in the end, he did not even come to explain what they tested or not. Had to read the report from the cashier to find out... but no real explanation. Took my new SUV there, but probably was a mistake. read more

I had a great experience with Jojo from sales. She was a great communicator and reviewed/set up everything for us during our car buying process. It was the quickest car purchase I have ever done! The woman who completed our finance transaction (i forget her name! =() was great as well! I believe women deliver a different experience in car buying because they are very patient, thorough, and detail oriented. All things I value when making big purchases. Thank you, Cook VW!!! read more

Herman Cook Volkswagen - Happy customers in our new ID.4 AWD Pro S! :) - Car Dealers Near Me - Encinitas, California

My car had its first big service today, 10k and alignment and it was easy and painless. Mr. Alan Joslin was ultra kind. He was helpful and even gave me some savings on alignment. I bought my car here for their great reviews and my experience during the sales. I now can say the same exact thing for their service department. PS. Also nice to see the great faces who helped me get this car - Will and Dan! read more

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I wanted to get an extended warranty for my vw. Got connected to John in Finance. First, he doesn't sound too thrilled to help me. He started the conversation with asking how much money I had in my bank account. I think he was trying to be funny but this is the guy you let handle finance? After I got my quote, I asked if I needed to come in to the dealer to purchase. He said no and that he could accept a direct wire into his account. He was clearly joking but c'mon. You don't know me so don't try to be funny when you haven't earned my trust as a customer. Bob Baker VW it is! read more

Thanks so much to Volkswagen at Herman Cook for assisting us with getting our brand new ID.4 and walking us through the leasing process. Shout out to Annie for getting us the best deal possible and making the process seamless. read more

Brought my VW Jetta Sportwagon here for repair this month and was truly blown away by the outstanding service I received! Herman Cook VW truly is a solid, family owned business with a long history in the community, one which I will now regularly patronize. What brought me to Herman Cook was rather a difficult situation at a different VW dealership in the area. When I showed up at the other dealer on 12/26 the service person who helped me was rude, unhelpful, and unfriendly. I greeted him by saying, "Hello! I'm here for my service appointment. I hope you're having a nice holiday season!" The other dealer's service rep looked at me, point blank, and said, "I DON'T celebrate Christmas!" Well, OK, that was awkward. So I left my car with them and walked over to get some breakfast. 75 minutes later the other dealer's service rep calls and says they need corporate approval to work on my car. Umm, why couldn't they have informed me of that earlier?! So I walked beck and told them that I bought TWO cars from them a few years back and they will never see my business again!!! So when I drove up to Herman Cook's VW's service department I was a little nervous. I was welcomed by one of the auto techs who said they were waiting for me inside. Bill M. warmly greeted me, shook my hand, and told me to have a seat (not stand out in the rain like the other dealership). He truly knows his VW's and his knowledge, skills, and abilities when it comes to cars and car repair are positively BRILLIANT! I would not hesitate to recommend Bill and the entire service department here for their fast, friendly, and accurate work! They even offer an awesome complimentary shuttle to drop you off and pick you up!!! Seriously, Herman Cook has been selling VW's for over half a century and are an integral part of the North San Diego community. There's a lot to be said for patronizing a local, family run auto dealership! I genuinely look forward to buying my next two cars from this place!!! read more

Car was in for a major service and after spending over $3,000 and 3 days later, the car breakdown. The tech that worked on the car forgot to put a bolt back in the injector bracket. The car blow out the injectors and spewed diesel all over the engine. Once I got the car to the dealership it took 4 days to fix. I'll never come here again. Time to find another shop to work on my car. If I could leave negative star, I'd leave -2 stars. read more

Absolutely amazing dealership! Mike was amazing and helped me through the whole process. Got to leave with my dream car! I definitely recommend anyone looking for a Volkswagen to check this place out! read more