customer service and front desk is opinionated without diagnosing issue. quick to say thats a "big problem, it's going to blow"

I cannot recommend these folks enough! I went in needing to get my 2017 Audi A4 its 90k service. John and Claude were both extremely professional and helpful. And most importantly... HONEST! There was ZERO upselling and telling me I needed this, that, and the other like the dealership did and a lot of shops will. I almost couldn't believe that they charged me quite literally almost 9-10 times LESS than what the dealership had quoted for the same service. I'll be going back to them as long as I'm driving a German vehicle! read more

Great work and fare. Wish they worked on other than foreign cars. They seem to really care. The work my fiancé has had done on her Mercedes has always been quick and great. Highly recommend Underground Autowerks. read more

This company promptly and professionally worked on my cars and have been very happy with their work.

Very easy to work with, no hassle, up-front and efficient. Friendly interactions and very professional. (Mercedes 300)

Sorry Yelp. I wrote the below review for Google first, but then decided that Tim and his team were so awesome I had to post it on here as well. -------- Very rarely do I leave a google or a yelp review. I only do when I feel compelled to and feel that my words may be able to help people by directing them to the right person. It's a win win for the next business and future customers but I'm a busy guy so I usually don't leave a review. Unless the service blows me away. Tim is a god damn magician. I was having a hard time passing smog for god knows what how many months. My check engine light on my 2000 prelude was not on at all, but every place, whether mechanic or smog repair, could not find out what was causing the car to trigger OBD2 not ready. Whenever my car was hooked up to a computer it would say that the drive cycle wasn't complete. Drove me freaking insane! No one could figure it out. Unlike everyone else, Tim took the time to really try to figure out the root of the problem. Turned out my o2 valve was stupid dirty (he showed me before and after pictures) and after he cleaned it the car was able to pass smog. Trust me it's hard to find an honest mechanic, and event harder during COVID! Dude Tim you saved my life. I love my lude and thanks for saving me man. You are the best - If it wasn't for you I might have had to sell the car since I couldn't pass STAR smog. Customer for life! read more

Finally after my third try to find a place in San Diego to service my 1998 MB SLK 230, I have found it at the Mercury St shop. I will always take it here. Ist visit they found the problem with the hard top not going down & that pesky check engine light. They charged a reasonable rate and did not recommend any unnecessary repairs. With an older car like this, other shops would recommend $1000+ repairs without telling me how urgent it was. Underground Autowerks is kinda like my dentist... for some things it is safe to watch them for awhile and not repair everything at the first sign of wear. read more

I have had the unique experience to visit both the San Diego and National City Underground Autowerks (hereinafter UA). I am impressed with the owner's (Tim) professionalism, analytical/problem solving skills and time management. I have visited UA a number of times to resolve problems on two of my Mercedes. My sense is that San Diego and National City is/are very lucky to have the level of quality management Tim (owner) brings to auto repair. Speaking for myself, I will be a customer for life! Note: Tim keeps the National City facility open primarily to not have his south bay customers travel the distance to San Diego when repairs are needed. Thank you Tim. I welcome any questions as to my comments. Judd Keener 619 669-2979 read more

Perfect service brought my Audi TT and Tim helped me clear out the check engine light which had issues with the break hoses and made sure the car was good to drive 10/10 service read more

I was very impressed by the professionalism of this company as well their punctuality. They were very fair with their pricing and took their time to explain what was wrong with my car. I've taken my cats to many shops and this was by far the best experience I've had so far. read more

Look no further for an honest, reliable master mechanic. I have a GLK350. Tim was recommended by a buddy of mine in the industry and I could not be happier with Tim and his shop. I highly recommend. read more

Thank you for working hard to find a solution to the issues our 1994 Mercedes-Benz C280 was having with the directional signals and engine. We really love that little old car and now it is running and safe once again. I also noticed that the small knob on the console that I believe controls the mirrors had been fixed. Previously it had dropped below the wood trim mask. You simply fixed it and now all is in order. Additionally, John at the counter was so pleasant and positive. You can be sure that we will return when our "little red car" needs any work taken care of. read more

If you own a MB, BMW, Porsche, Audi or Lexus, Avoid UNDERGROUND AUTOWERKS in Clairemont Mesa unless you want inferior work, high cost, a ratty dirty shop and no communication or acceptance of responsibility for breaking things as they work. No response to email or letter. read more

A longtime friend referred me to Underground Autowerks for repair. I'm very pleased with their fast and efficient service. I recommend their work to anyone. read more

Took my 2001 Mercedes SLK to this company it has an issuse staying started and retaining power after a couple of hours of being on. He charges me to replace one part to fix the issuse. Which it didn't and I took the car back Tim the ower who says he don't have time to fixed right now. So I took the car back a week later per his request and was still unable to leave the car. I waited a month before taking the car back to Tim and he refused to take the car to figure out the issue. I can't work with people who takes your money and puts it in the trash. read more

Had an emergency engine light come on, funny sound under the body of my 2012 C250 sport. Got the engine light code read, and it said something to do with cam sensor. Took my vehicle to Tim and he knew what the issue was right away! He replaced my camshaft adjusters and thermostat for a very reasonable price, on New Year's Eve, in 24 hours. He then gave me a few pointers on the next couple days and asked me to come in a week later so he could check my fluids and make sure I was good to go. Tim seems like a very knowledgeable person, especially in the Mercedes Benz realm. I highly recommend him for any of your German vehicle needs!! read more

Tim went above and beyond my expectations. He explains with great detail what is wrong with your car and happily shows you in the shop what caused your issues. His work is a reflection of his 20+ years of experience in automotive but his care about his customers exceeds what most can learn in a life time. He is fair and above all, aims to give you the best service possible. I visited several shops and Underground Autowerks is the only place that aims to save you money and does not upsell anything. My experience with Tim is nothing less than a solid 6 stars. To summarize my experience with him, I called the shop and requested a quote. He jotted down all relevant information regarding the car and would call back. In our second talk, he went out of his way to acquire a unique part I needed, had it shipped from Orange Country and managed to quote me at a little more than half the price of two other shops. He also explained with great detail how my issue arose (something no other shop did) and I happily set up an appointment. The thing about Underground Autowerks is that it didn't feel like a typical shop where you drop your car off, bend over and take a good one then pay whatever they want before you can say please be gentle. At Underground Autowerks, Tim will ensure you understand all options before proceeding and would aim to give you the best price and best service. Considering he saved me ~1200$, I have no plans of going anywhere else. read more

I have a 2002 Mercedes ML320 that I take to a regular mechanic next door to my office that I have used for years. My car has about 235k miles on it and has been relatively maintenance free except for the usual stuff. Having been an owner of a few BMW's in the past, I'm increasingly wary that a big repair job might come sooner than later so I've been thinking about selling my car before that something "bad" happens. Over the last 6 months or so my car started making a clacking sound when I would accelerate or decelerate that was starting to get more and more pronounced. My regular mechanic said that it looked like it was a problem with the bearings in my control arm which is something he couldn't work on. He referred me to a shop in Pacific Beach that they trust (Dual Tone) and they determined that it was an issue with the transfer case. Since they were an alignment shop they couldn't help and suggested I try a place in El Cajon called Pro Gear. Once I learned that the transfer case was the issue I circled back to my regular mechanic to see if he could help and they couldn't do that either because they don't do drive train work. He was kind enough again to offer a referral to another shop they trust (Mr Trans) in the Clairemont area. When I got to Mr Trans I was really impressed with the knowledge and professionalism they exuded and was struck by how credible they were by the companies that use them for their drive train issues. They also do a ton of work on Mercedes Benz's which was comforting. Once they had a look at it they also diagnosed that the issue was stemming from the transfer case and that they couldn't pinpoint if it was the front or rear even when using a stethoscope to listen to it. They basically said my only options were to replace it, which was cost prohibitive (about $5600), or they could take it apart and reassemble it to diagnose the problem, but that it would cost more to repair it once they knew for sure what the problem was. The friend I originally bought the car from uses a Mercedes mechanic in Chula Vista called Southbay Autohaus, or something like that, and they confirmed what the guys at Mr Tran's said. Similar prices too. So I'm sitting here with a car I can't sell because nobody would buy a car with that noise especially if they knew how expensive the pending repair was going to be. I let a week go by and figured I had nothing to lose by trying one last place so I Googled ProGear. I couldn't find one in the East County but there was one in San Diego so I gave them a shot. When I called they basically said the same thing again, and that they could only do the replacement option because they don't do servicing jobs on transfer cases. Again, I got a referral to another shop called Underground Autowerks and was told to speak to Tim who had previously been a Mercedes mechanic for 15 years. Why not? I called Tim and described all of the above and I could tell he was shaking his head in disagreement at what I had been told. He told me to bring the car in and he could do a diagnosis in 1 1/2 hours. I told him I would bring the car in sometime the following week and he said fine. I decided I would take a chance and see if he could fit me in the same day since it was almost lunch time. I called him back and he said no problem. When I got their he took the keys, told me where to go for some great Korean food nearby and said he would call me in an hour or so. I sat down to eat and Tim called within 20 minutes and told me the problem wasn't the transfer case and that he could fix the problem for $250 parts and labor out the door. I asked if he could guarantee the sound wouldn't come back and he said yes. I told him to fix it and call me when the work was done. 20 minutes later he calls and said that he was done and the sound was gone. The problem wasn't the transfer case but instead the torsions bar (that apparently connect to the transfer case). They had to be serviced, lubed and that was it. I was blown away at a number of things: 1. He knew exactly what the problem was immediately. 2. He was honest and didn't try to up-sell me on anything else like dealerships always do. In fact my washer fluid light had been on for about a week and he topped that off for me no charge. 3. His price to fix the car was great, not to mention how much I saved by not spending it on misdiagnosis's elsewhere. 4. He was really knowledgeable about European cars in general. In fact, he told me how the V12 I used to have in my 850 BMW was used in the much higher-end Phantom Ghost. The guy is like the Encyclopedia Britannica of European car history and repair. I don't begrudge any of the other shops I went too for the incorrect diagnosis's, but they just didn't know what Tim knew. Tim hit it out of the park with his expertise. I give him my highest recommendation. read more

I really had such a positive experience with this company. They were not only extremely easy to work with, but also very professional. I've had some negative experiences at car shops, yet this one was very positive due to the help and assistance of the team! read more

Let's Start off from the Beginning Everyone & Their brother, recommended Tim with Underground Auto (Jim's Upholstery & Wolfe European Auto) Both Amazing Shops Have used them both in the Past & They Were Amazing! So For them to Recommend Someone Honest & Trustworthy saids a thing or Two . So on Friday March 22nd Spoke with Tim in Regards to my 2011 Bmw Z4 broken Hard Top he said no problem he was very pleasant & Personable Told him I was off Monday the 25th and would be bringing it in from Valley Center 45 miles away. So on Monday the 25th @ I called at 11:30am to Confirm my Appointment with Tim & he said see you then ! So I arrived at his place at 4:08pm after driving 45 miles to find his place locked up & No One around! Called his Number & Texted his Number with no response back ! If this is how he treats his Customers then poo on him! & Note: I Manage a Firestone Auto Service Center in Escondido & Know how Customers should be Treated Like Gold ! Word of Mouth & Repeat Business is what it's all about..... read more

With so many repair shops being dishonest with corrupt upselling practices. I was so pleased with the way this shop took care of my Mercedes S500. They have two locations and I went to there National City location. They were straight up with me and they never tried to offer me service I didn't need! They worked quickly to get me back on the road and I really appreciate that a lot. The owner Tim was easy to talk to and the thing that impressed me the most was that he actually cared about making sure my car gets back on the road! Thank you Underground Autowerks. read more

Tim has been great...he was recommended to us by another -local- European Car Mechanic. We bought our Mercedes GL450 for a great, low price...and immediately discovered why! The pneumatic shocks and the pump were shot. Tim replaced everything and the car drives like new! We have other problems to work through and Tim will work with us to do so over time. My wife and I will now be bringing her new -used- car (also bought at a great price) for needed work. read more

Tim is a great guy and he runs a great Workshop very clean and very professional they specialize in BMW Mercedes Etc but the prices are very reasonable probably half of what you would pay for at the dealer very honest and to the point very helpful I'm glad I have found your business I just wish more people had the integrity and honesty such as yours thank you read more

Amazing service. Tim is so knowledeable.. he always tries to help you and do so with great reduced cost. Thank you. I will reco.mend you to all my friends... ken read more

Sometimes an auto repair shop can be intimidating. The service was great! Everyone is professional and made it as quick and painless as can be expected. Tim was honest and did not try to up sell me on anything I didn't need. I highly recommend Underground. Thanks Tim! read more