German Auto Group of Alexandria VA 22304

H

Hunter Bourg

Hired this company to perform a PPI on a used BMW as I am buying out of town. Was given a clean bill of health by these people and upon getting the car it has a persistent noise. Get it back to my home town and inspected. Was told the front differential needs to be replaced entirely. A $7,000 bill right after purchase. I never would have purchased the car had I known but have no options now but to fix. This company has been of no help whatsoever. I find it very hard to believe that less than 50 miles after they inspected it that the differential would go out. The either didn’t do a full inspection or are too incompetent to be working on cars. Either way stay away at all costs. They will cost you and be of no help.

C

Clark Kent

Adrian,<br><br>Thank you for the response.<br><br>I understand you are saying the Alexandria (Pickett) location is a single independent repair facility. I do want to note, though, that the person who provided my receipt stated you are affiliated with the other German Auto Group locations. If that’s incorrect, fine, but that is what I was told on site and it contributed to my expectation that pricing would be consistent across locations.<br><br>I’m also going to restate my original point clearly: my review was about transparency on labor and how my follow-up questions were handled, not whether work was performed.<br><br>Here are the key facts:<br><br>I brought the vehicle in for hesitation during acceleration. I suspected a misfire, and your team confirmed a misfire after a $179 diagnostic. I was told that diagnostic fee would be applied toward the repair.<br><br>I was quoted $969 for spark plugs and ignition coils, and I authorized the work based on that quote.<br>After the car was already at your shop, I realized I had intended to go to the Springfield location, which quoted the same repair at $658.<br><br>The invoice reflected $537 in labor and $381 in parts, bringing the total close to $1,000 after taxes. What was never explained was how the labor hours were calculated for this job. Replacing plugs and coils is generally straightforward, and access to the plugs requires removing the coils anyway. So adding coils does not reasonably translate into multiple additional labor hours. I’m confident this did not take an extra three or four hours of labor beyond a basic plug service.<br><br>When I asked for a clear breakdown of the billed hours and rate, and whether any adjustment was possible, I was told the price was firm, without an explanation.<br><br>I understand shops set their own rates. What I expect is transparency and a professional explanation when a customer asks how labor is being billed.<br><br>Also, the Ruth’s Chris vs McDonald’s comparison in your reply came off as dismissive. If your position is simply that your shop charges more because of labor rate, book time, warranty, or testing procedures, that’s fine, but it should be explained directly.<br><br>If you’d like to resolve this, please send an itemized breakdown showing:<br><br>Labor hours billed and labor rate<br>Any book-time standard you used (if applicable)<br>Parts list with part numbers<br>Exactly how the $179 diagnostic was applied<br>If the breakdown supports the charge, I’ll acknowledge it. If it shows an overcharge or misunderstanding, I’d expect a reasonable adjustment.

B

Bret Halleran

Happy overall with the service. They let me drop my car off right at closing and had it ready the next day. I just needed a battery replacement. I will say, the labor cost felt quite steep for something that simple, but they didn’t try to upsell me or make it seem more serious than it was. Seemed like honest, straightforward people, and I appreciate that. I’d definitely come back.