A cool thing happens when you pick up your car from OC German... no surprises, finished on time or earlier, ya just feel confident you chose the right place for your car. Today Eric did some work on my Range Rover and I'm stoked. He has worked on my Cayenne too and again, i am totally confident in his abilities. Super good mechanic. I have been to maybe 7 shops in San Clemente over the last 14 years and OC German is the only one I drive away totally satisfied. My dog was even stoked! read more

Eric's the real deal. We've had him repair our BMW in emergency situations and returned for basic maintenance. When you know, you know.

I have said a good auto repair mechanic is like a good doctor. When you find one you will drive across town to see them. Eric at OC German Car repair is that kind of auto repair mechanic. He took in my 2008 MBZ CLS 550 and took care of it as if it was his own car. His detailed inspection and diagnostic based recommend repairs was complete and priced fairly. I would recommend OC German to all MBZ owners. read more

Eric continues to service our two BMWs for many years now...his work as a mechanic and diagnosing issues is always the best, and know his training as a master mechanic is a rare find. He takes great pride in doing his work, but he is busy and set up an appointment to get it done. He has good connections getting the parts needed at a decent price, which can be tricky at times for German repairs. read more

Eric is a good mechanic and easy to work with. He was able to see my Mini right away, diagnosed the problem in a couple of hours, and fixed it quickly. Pricing and scope of work are transparent. Just a good guy. read more

Honest and meticulous, what more can you ask for? Eric is the consummate professional. read more

Called in to get a quote on my 2007 Audi Q7 for a break job rotors change and sensors for the front the gentleman who answered the phone was extremely rude he quoted me 1100 and then proceeded to tell me that at the dealer would be 1800 I just got off the phone with the dealer they quoted me 1075 for the exact same specifications he laughed and told me to get it in writing I asked if I do Will you beat the quote he said I'm not interested and hung up the phone. P.s I found out in recent years you should always call the dealer to get a quote to compare because some of these guys are way more than the dealer even AutoZone I've gotten parts from the dealer for cheaper than them read more

Every 1star review is 100% accurate about this Buisness/Owner and more. I brought my BMW in for a diagnostic which he told the problem was EGR.... and gave me a quote by text. He says he knows everything about these cars. So I researched it and found on bimmerpost and called dealerships to learn it's under recall with an-extended warrantee, did he know this too? I asked how much for the diag. He said $220 btw same price as a dealer, and wanted to be paid in CASH???!! Somehow he got fixated on my rims and tires which are "staggered". When I arrived and saw he rotated my staggered rims, this is where he showed what kind of human being he is. As well stated by others. I got my keys and left after confirming that the car can even be driven!?. because he texted it needs to be put back together. I had to fix the tires on my dime and time. He's capable of doing WAY WORST things than screwing up your vehicle to people. read more

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I HIGHLY recommend this place. I love that this places listens to you, and will work on what you ask. He only recommends what is really needed to be fixed and doesn't try to upsell you on servirá that you don't need. I feel he is honest and reliable. Also, very nice. You won't be disappointed. read more

We have a 2005 BMW X3 with only 67,000 miles. We've had 2 full sets of brakes replaced at 2 different local garages so when we heard that familiar grinding sound we knew we were ready for yet another brake job! My husband researched local mechanics who specialize in German cars and came across San Clemente's OC German and Eric! He gave us a price over the phone and then gave us a date to bring it in and a day later AND $450 LESS than the other two guys the brakes are great! He replaced the pads, rotors and sensors and ran diagnostic to give my husband the codes of a few things that will be on the next list of maintenance repairs. He was friendly, informative, personable, and most of all an HONEST expert! Thank you Eric! We'll be seeing you again! ~Rapp & G read more

Terrible customer service, super high priced estimates. Might as well go to a dealership.

When I got my first BMW I had a hard time finding someone experienced that I could trust with my car. I eventually found Eric at OC German Car Service and I'm so glad I did. Eric is extremely knowledgable with BMWs and a very trustworthy guy. There's been times when he's fixed things on my car and refused to let me pay him. When I took my old e39 540i to him he was able to point things out I had no idea about, like the fact it had been in an accident and had frame damage. Also on my current e92 335i he was able to notice a rear quarter panel that had been repainted after just a few minutes of looking at it. Eric pays great attention to detail and knows exactly what it takes to make sure these cars are running properly. He also charges way less than a dealership will charge... if I ended up paying dealership prices I'd probably end up going broke. I'm on my 4th BMW and I've had Eric work on every one I've owned. If you want to save money and get quality work done then Eric at OC German Car Service is definitely the place to go! read more

OC German Car Service - My old m3 getting checked out. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Clemente, California

If you're searching for help with a VW Vanagon this is not the shop for you- I called requesting a quote and I was treated disrespectfully and like I would not be able to afford the repairs on my car. ** EDIT do not fall for his polite response- I called fully aware of the cost and difficulty that it would take for the work I need done. Seriously he basically laughed at me when I began discussing the issues my GERMAN car is facing. What a joke.This shop should call themselves the luxury vehicle service who's too good to work on old VWs. If he really wanted me to find help for my car he would have recommended me another shop- which is what the next shop that I called politely did. read more

Thanks for replacing the rear airbags on my GL Mercedes. Thanks for your prior work on my S63. Congrats on the new location. Shop looks clean read more

Eric provided a great deal of knowledge in helping our family select used BMW cars for our children. He is now the mechanic for our BMW E46 and BMW E85. We appreciate his honesty and outstanding service on these cars. He focused on mechanical safety and maintenance, and has provided us with cost effective repairs to reduce labor on future repairs. The cars are higher mileage and now run like new. He takes extra time to educate us on the repairs. He also does the extras that dealerships do not do. For instance, he went through a recently purchased E85 and checked for loose bolts while he was doing another repair. The end result was a reduction in chassis rattles. Great customer service. He takes pride in his work and cares about the cars and customers. Thank you Eric! read more

I suggest you don't give Eric a deposit on your work because he doesn't honor his estimates. Very rude, takes advantage of older people. Your car might sit there for 4 months, not getting worked on at all. Better off to go to a dealer, or anywhere else really read more

Wow where do I begin? Finally a REAL BMW SPECIALIST in OC. I'm glad I came across Eric. He is thee best BMW mechanic I've encounter by far. I thought I have meet great mechanics in the past, but with the work, professionalism, passion, and extreme knowledge of Eric, I must say he is the best. I took my 2005 X5 3.0 to him. He nailed every problem in the first visit. He even knows how long ago was the last repair by looking at the part. Thats amazing!! Can't beat his free estimates. Give him 30mins and he'll make ur car purring as he did with mine. The X, has never ran so smooth and oil leak free in so long. I can finally park in the garage. Best prices by far, he gave me great updates along the work and knows exactly where the problem is. Very accommodating. I'm very impressed with his knowledge, honesty(he would let you know if all you need is a $2 to fix the problem-that's true honesty), cust service and prices. Worth every dime. Thanks Eric for your awesome work you bring to OC. I feel more confident driving my X now that I have met Eric. Don't hesitate to book an appointment with him. Give him a try and you will be impressed. read more

This shop is all that these reviews say it is. Fast freindly service with an honest and reliable staff. Another shop quoted me $3000 for repairs I did not need. I called Eric on Tuesday and had an appointment on Wednesday. Eric replaced my high pressure fuel pump and I was back on the road the same day. There is no better feeling than finding an honest knowledgeable mechanic. I will not take my cars anywhere else! read more

OC German Car Service - 2011 mini cooper s - Auto Repair Near Me - San Clemente, California

Eric is reliable, fair and loves the work he does. He has worked on my 530i twice and he is an awesome guy to do business with. He really appreciate German cars and does understand how they work. Highly recommended! read more

Eric's legit! Knew everything about my BMW motor like the back of his hand. Had one 20 min session of a checkup with him and getting to know him. I don't just trust anyone with my car...made me feel very comfortable. Got me in the next day, ordered parts himself at a good price, and noticed everything I mentioned to him and got it all done. He works with passion...that's rare! Wasn't expecting a proper invoice with breakdown and 1 year 12k warranty. Really cool and knowledgeable family man. A easy 1500-2000$ repair at dealer cost me $500 with him. Go visit...you will see read more

I didn't necessarily bring my car here for a fix. I only received service through the phone but that in itself deserved a 5 star! I had called them regarding an issue I was having at another car service location because I believed that they were ripping me off with their prices. So I found this place on yelp to ask for a second opinion. And Eric was extremely helpful! He was very professional and told me his honest opinion regarding my current situation (which was that yes, I was getting ripped off!) He was very detailed and informative about what I should be expecting out of my car situation and even helped me write down specific questions to go and ask the other place and answers that I should be hearing from them. He was the best. Unfortunately, this place doesn't work with Hondas because if he did, I would definitely go here! read more

Avoid this: slow, inept, woeful "business" If you thought you were unhappy when your car broke down, wait for a whole new world of misery when you make the mistake of using "oc german". This is a "mickey mouse" mechanic with no people or business skills, drowning in a business he apparently has no idea how to run. I was told the "job" should be easy, & the repairs to my car would only be one day, or two. It took Five Days! In that time I was left days without feedback or communication. I called & texted repeatedly & got voice mail. When I finally visited to collect my car, I was told again, it had been any easy job. I asked: why then, did it take five days? Instead of a reasonable explanation, I was treated to a "high school level of passive aggressive", patronizing when I asked them to explain the invoice.... " We'll it's very simple" " I thought we went over this" etc..... Mocking me!!! because I was unhappy with the service. I begrudgingly paid the invoice & walked to my car: only...... I had a hard time recognizing my black bmw, because it was so covered in a thick layer of dirt, dust & bird sh#t, it looked more like "Tow-Mater" from the Cars movie! I drove away angry & disgusted! If you value your car, and your misery levels? I seriously recommend you go elsewhere. read more

I'm very particular about where I bring my BMW and who I have work on it. Eric not only is a nice person but he knows his BMWs and German vehicles like no other. That being said I travel from Ontario California just to go to his shop. A+ work and customer service! I've had two services done to my vehicle there this month. I will continue to be a loyal customer thank you again! read more

OC German Car Service - Auto Repair Near Me - San Clemente, California

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They did a great job with my Mercedes. They got me in and out quickly for an oil change and maintenance.

I brought my 94 E320 cabriolet in on a Saturday with a broken tie rod and in the pinch OC German had it fixed and ready for me to pick up the same afternoon.! Kudos!!! Sadly, this review will never appear unless others look beyond the yelp robots and find what real human beings say about real people with real local businesses. Dade and I wait patiently for the day an alternative to the big foot of local reviews finally arrives and buries such a faceless zombie as yelp. read more

I took my BMW for the first time to this establishment. Eric, the owner was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and does very professional work at a fair price. I highly recommend them and would not hesitate going back. He even went out of his way to assist me on his day off and it was much appreciated. read more

Great service for my 2001 BMW 330i! Eric is super nice and took the time to explain and show me what was wrong with the car. This was even more helpful when I picked up the car and he showed me the old parts that were replaced -- I could easily see that the old parts were the same ones he had pointed out before. Partly my fault for not asking for this at other mechanics but I sort of suspect that other places didn't really replace all the parts they said they did! Besides this, there had been some funny noises coming from my right front wheel area... which I'd asked other mechanics about, with no fix. But Eric immediately noticed it on the test drive and knew how to fix it. End result, my 14 year-old car seems like new again. What I had thought was just natural aging (less power, looser steering) now appears to be the result of poor maintenance. Now I know better, and many thanks to Eric for the great work (and at very good prices to boot)! I was really impressed by how well he knew the cars and also his attention to detail. If you have a German car I highly recommend OC German! read more

I've had two experienences with Eric, and it was great both times. He's really good at what he does and he's quick. The second time I was stuck somewhere and I had to get towed to his shop at last minutes notice and he was still able to squeeze me in to fix my problem and get me back on the road in no time with saving me some cash. I recommend Eric for anyone with a beemer. read more

Great service and prices. Eric, the owner, keeps you informed every step of the way. A good, reasonably priced alternative to the dealerships. read more

My experience with this shop is same as the other reviewers who feel that the owner Eric is rude, unprofessional and confrontational. Customer service is terrible! read more

This shop does really good work. I took my R230 into the shop because it was having some ABC related problems. Eric was able to diagnose and fix the problem. He went above and beyond by rebuilding my valve blocks instead of trying to up-sell me brand new ones. The car came out of the shop in much better shape than it went in, and I could not be happier with the outcome. Eric, the shop owner is very friendly and transparent when it comes to these types of cars and the repairs they may or may not need. I will be coming back to this shop the next time I have any problems. read more

Eric has been my go to guy for YEARS--he got me out of a pinch with changing out my transmission fluid where the fill plug was stuck. I called him on a weekend morning and he quoted me 2 hours work to get it done. Not bad considering I did almost all the work except for releasing a fill plug. Yeah, I do most of my work myself, but when I can't lift the engine, or remove a tranny I'd go to Eric. More recently a double rubber gasket wore out on my 08 535 transmission and I called Eric to get the work done--this time Phil answered and said Eric was out of town. Okay, well if he works for Eric this repair should be fine. No, it wasn't fine. What I was told is that's a few hundred to fix the gasket. A few hundred in parts + labor. In the end the total was almost a thousand dollars to replace an 8 dollar part (plus other parts that were recently replaced!). Most Indy repair shops would charge $500. I didn't expect this but Eric is at a new location and Phil didn't know how far back we went--I'll let him win on this and move along to find a more reasonable Indy mechanic. That night while home I get a coolant low light and a little more oil smell than before from under the hood. Not too alarming per se. So it's the holidays and I let the car sit for a while before I start to troubleshoot the vehicle; that's when I notice the under carriage paneling is GONE. No problem I call the shop and Eric is there and he says his help forgets to put the car back together occasionally; he'll babysit the part till I have time to bring it in. Now I'm concerned. I notice there is a NEW oil leak and NEW water leak immediately after being at OC German...wow; talk about coincidence. I figure the car needs a water pump so I replace that, only to discover that the water leak is coming from the radiator overflow tank--see the pictures--yeah, it's been punctured by a flat head screwdriver... I call Eric again, and let him know what's up and I send pictures--he tells me to bring it in because he can't diagnose the issue over the phone. I explain to him there is nothing to diagnose; that's been done and I think you have a problem at your new shop. He says bring it in and we'll make it right. A day later he tells me it's the over flow tank and it's leaking from two locations. Let's make one thing straight--I removed the overflow tank myself, took it to my sink and took pictures of the ONLY LEAK from a puncture. No problem Eric says, I'll not charge for installation, just the part. Yeah, a $29.00 part shipped to my house; let's see what Eric quotes. Yeah, $68. G R E A T. I've been hassled more from this repair fiasco while Eric wasn't at the shop than 10X of these tanks combined. So this is just insult to injury, so I ask him well, how did I get an oil leak, and where is it located--his response, it's the oil pan for $900, or it's the valve cover gasket for $680. Hm... this is starting to get really crazy expensive so I call and tell him I'm coming for the vehicle. Sure thing Phil says. I drive up with my wife--with my tool box in tow, and another overflow tank in the trunk. I see the car sitting in the front, door open, signal on, engine running. GREAT, it's just ready for me to take her and I do. Not more than a mile away he calls demanding payment--I said, for what exactly? He said for the overflow tank! Before I can respond he says, if you're not back here in 5 minutes I'm calling the cops, and hangs up the phone. Interesting I think. So I call the police myself, and ask them to meet me back at his shop. This is getting long and if you're still hanging around to read this it's worth it. Instead of driving the vehicle back to his ops, I park across the street, and carry the replacement part in box to him and say, if you really did replace the part, I owe you this, and we're even then. He chased me out of the facility, cursing, and enough to file a police report. I'm sorry to say he threatened me and I quote, said, "I know where you live!" Whatever Eric is going through I hope he finds peace--he should know better and to treat the locals a little better than what I experienced that day. What happened when he was out is a litmus test for his ability as a leader/small business owner to manage a business appropriately AND treat his long time customers right. Whatever he's been going though lately isn't the same Eric I used to know.... I'm sorry Eric, but this story has to be told because you need to understand how to control your temper. read more

OC German Car Service - See my review; this is what happens to your vehicle when it's there and Eric isn't home to ensure quality control. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This was my first experience with OCGC. I took my daughters Mini Cooper in on a Saturday morning with a check engine warning light. Eric was able to quickly diagnose and repair a failed sensor. He had the car back to us within hours at a reasonable price. Very pleased to have a new local mechanic for our Mini and BMW servicing. read more

Needed break fluid changed. These guys scheduled me quick. I was able to drop the car off and next thing I knew the car was done. Professional, knowledgeable about my BMW and no muss no fuss and very reasonable pricing. Eric you rock. Will be coming back when something else on my aging bimmer breaks. I have already recommended you to everyone. Thank you!!! read more

Hey car owners, be careful! Last year I got a front damage on my 09 Audi S8. After talking to german cars specialist Eric Laubhan about Iran's his visit and checking out my car, he agreed to take my car in his shop telling me how it's easy to fix it up!! Gave me an estimate 6 - 8 k and 1 month for completion. He asked for deposit of $4.000 which I gave him cash. He is the biggest liar and thief! After 4 months my car and deposit of $4.000 was gone!!! He made fun of me because of my age (75). After some time he made promises to give me my money back, but nothing ever happened. I've contacted my attorney and filed a lawsuit, waiting for courts to reopen. read more

Great service! Eric is very knowledgeable and loves what he does. I found him on google map and selected his shop base on the good reviews he received from Yelp from his customers. Did not disappoint, he to fixed my oil leak on my 2002 325i, he saved me a lot of money compare to the dealers. Thank you Eric. read more

A++++++++ all the way! We took our BMW to Eric to repair an issue with a cracked hose and had an absolute positive experience. Eric spoke with us over the phone prior to our visit and helped us understand some potential repair options. We showed up at this shop a few days later and he was able to fix the issue within the time and budget quoted. Those two things are never the case when talking about mechanics in general, as it's always guessing game combined with uncertainty of fairness. NOT with Eric and OC German Car Service, he was well versed with BMW and other European cars, and also has a personal interest in the type of vehicles he works on. We are so thankful to now have a go-to mechanic just a phone call away! The shop is located right near the freeway for easy access and there are plenty of good restaurants and shops within walking distance. We HIGHLY recommend Eric at OC German Car Service. read more

Eric fixed my front passenger seat for 1/7 the cost that the BMW dealer quoted me--they said it needed to be completely REPLACED. Evidently, not, as Eric fixed it. Thank you so much. read more

Eric Laubhan - Total Flake! Didn't show up for an appointment he scheduled with me on the phone and then flaked on the re-scheduled appointment. His response: "Got busy, sorry" Summary - Waited for two days to get my car fixed and finally had to find someone with a better work ethic that shows up when they say. read more

My VW TDI (diesel) broke down just a couple of weeks before it is to be turned into the dealer and bought back by VW (because of the emissions scandal). They require it to be running to buy it back. I took it to OC German praying for an easy fix, not wanting to put more money into this car. Phil discovered that the fuel pump had failed and there were bits of metal throughout the fuel system which was a $4700 repair. Yikes! Luckily he knew there was a history of this happening with VW diesels and did some research. He told me that VW had to repair it for free. Obviously, I can't recommend OC German highly enough. read more