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October 2023 by Casey S.
Most reliable auto shop in town! Derrick and the rest of the staff are amazing! Thanks again! See you guys soon
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October 2023 by Kyle P.
This place is great. I went in to get a normal service on my Mercedes and not only did they have it back to me promptly, they called me and told me about issues with my tires that I was completely unaware of and no other service provider had mentioned. Derrick went above and beyond and even coached me through what to say to the tire place I had bought the tires from so I could resolve the issue. If you're looking for a place that treats their customers right and does it at a fair price, look no further. I can't recommend this place enough.
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August 2023 by John Reikes
Long story, but I needed Charlie's to help double-check someone else's work. They were able to fit me in on short notice and dug into the details to make sure everything was as it should be. This was my first time working with them and it was a great experience.
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August 2023 by Thomas Goodall
Had a noise comming from under the passenger side of the Lincoln MKX I own. My daughter recommended this business as she has taken several of their vehicles there.This place is #1 in service and the people here are as nice as you will ever find. If you need a automotive service center, please give these guy's a chance, they will make you change your mind on auto repair shops.Service: General repairs & maintenance
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August 2023 by John Girard
We love Charlie’s. Always reliable and very friendly.
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July 2023 by Dominic V.
Do NOT take high end luxury or performance vehicles and classics to Charlie's Foreign Car!! They are not trained on the proper procedures and don't own the correct tooling. They only use air compressor tools that strip and over-torque bolts, then charge the customers for their mistakes! They claim to have knowledgeable mechanics, but are incapable of preforming difficult repairs. Take your expensive cars elsewhere!!! Dealerships are the safest option. Charlie's Foreign Car has no issue taking a job they cannot complete correctly and are not familiar with how to do so. They will claim to know what they're doing, but the end product will prove them wrong. I brought in my 2005 Mercedes E55 AMG with a damaged 3rd gear. After talking with the sales rep, I was persuaded that the transmission could not be repaired easily, and that a replacement was the only choice. Later research/findings disproves this statement, which would have saved me a lot of money. 3rd gear could have been repaired for a fraction of the cost. A transmission replacement is not a small task, especially for a German performance car. Charlie's Foreign Car had zero hesitation assuring me this was something their techs could perform, and was very adamant about me NOT going to the Mercedes-Benz dealership. I agreed, and told them I wanted the car to be completely free of problems, and to check/repair any other issues found. The part cost to replace the transmission was $3,800 and roughly $2,800 in labor costs, for a total repair of $7,000 (they replaced a belt, and some exhaust brackets). After a much longer repair time than initially quoted, I received my vehicle back. I took it on a test drive, and everything appeared to be fine. After babying the new transmission for its break-in period, I decided to give it some gas. When under full engine load, the transmission would skip gears, miss gears, or fall out of gear. After consulting forms and talking with Mercedes experts, I learned that the new transmission was programmed incorrectly by Charlie's Foreign Car. Incorrectly being a modest term, abhorrently programmed my car's transmission would be a better term. This shop completely winged the install, the configuration and programming setup, and broke another mechanical part on my car in the process. I also had SMOG due for the vehicle right after this transmission repair. SMOG would NOT pass for this vehicle for some reason, even though it passed 2 years prior. The gentleman doing my SMOG test pointed out a large crack in my exhaust manifold, which caused the engine to run richer than normal. When my car was in the air, you could clearly and visibly see a bolt that was extremely over-torqued at the base of the crack. This bolt was shiny on every surface, and almost smooth around the edges, that's how stripped it was. Almost every bolt on the underside of my car had an air gun used on it, not the proper and correct torque wrench that Mercedes techs use. The SMOG's gentleman's analysis, and very visibly obvious, was this crack was caused by the repair done most recent to my car. The exhaust manifold had to be removed to replace the transmission. The crack was so severe, it could NOT be welded or repaired. An entire exhaust manifold replacement was required, resulting in another $1,200 loss for the part.This shop is mediocre at best for what it charges for nominal car repairs. Charlie's Foreign Car is NOT qualified or certified in any way, shape, or form, to perform significant and difficult repairs to expensive and well engineered vehicles. The large majority of their business deals with the easiest and most back repairs of the Volkswagen group of cars. 0/5 stars will never waste my time with a non-dealership car shop again. Fundamental lack of knowledge and despicable business practices.
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July 2023 by Veton Radoni
10/10 service. Friendly, knowledgeable, and professional people here - Derrick helped me out with a quick turnaround on an oil change and was a pleasure to work with. Will be my new go-to shop.
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May 2023 by Jon Hile
I followed Niko's great video on repairing a non-functional 911 odometer and with such a great tutorial was able to easily replace the broken gear. All works great again. (I wish I lived close enough to use these guys for regular service.) Thanks Niko!
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March 2023 by C P.
Excellent customer service, trustworthy, highly knowledgeable, thorough quality work. I was driving to Encinitas from LA to look at a BMW, and based on stellar Yelp reviews, called Charlie's Foreign Car to schedule a pre-purchase inspection. From the moment Derrick answered the phone and helped me, I knew these guys are legit. Derrick made me feel comfortable and confident. While waiting at the shop, we met multiple clients, all with gorgeous sweet rides, who have been trusting Niko and team for more than 30 years.Once the PPI was completed, all the guys who worked on the car reviewed and explained their findings, and were very transparent and concise with their analysis. There was no beating-around-the-bush.Despite LA to SD traffic, I'd bring all of my cars here regularly.
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February 2023 by Jose Reyes
Brought my car in for an oil change. The following week, I noticed a pretty significant oil leak. Turns out the oil drain plug was left looseService: General repairs & maintenance
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January 2023 by John Boyle
Excellent technicians with the ability to take the time to diagnose and discuss the issues in layman terms. I would not take my porsche anywhere else.
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December 2022 by David C.
Reasonable costs. Honest guys. Everyone knows the dealers over charge but on two occasions the dealer wanted me to do work the Charlie's told me I didn't need. On the flip side they sometimes recommend more frequent service intervals. They explained why (range rover) has ridiculously long service intervals and why that isn't smart. They've earned my trust. They even said if it's leased follow dealer recommendation. But if you're keeping the car don't wait too long for oil change etc.
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December 2022 by Randall N.
My wife is a travel nurse and was working down at Rady's Children's Hospital in San Diego. Her car broke down one evening and the tow truck driver (I would give him 5 stars as well but I do not have his info) brought her to Charlie's. They took amazing care of her! After dropping the car off at Charlie's the driver gave her a free ride all the way back to El Cajon as a courtesy. After repairing the car in a timely (and fair priced) manner they went out of their way to drop the car off at the Hospital (an hour trip one way) for my wife so she didn't have to worry about anything. THANK YOU for everything you did for us, we are greatful and needed a "faith in humanity restored" moment! Please pass my thanks on to the driver!!
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November 2022 by Bruce Cauble
I had the Venza at Carlsbad Toyota for airbag recall and was told that it needed all brakes serviced ASAP. The estimate was close to $900. So I wanted to get a second opinion from Charlie's, our Go To Mechanics.When I called to make the appointment I told Tom that I needed a morning appointment and needed to be in and out and couldn't leave the car all day. I arrived on time for my 9am appointment. Handed over the key to Tom and sat down with fresh coffee and a book as I saw the car pull into the service area. I was just getting into my book and halfway through my coffee when Tom was back with my key and the good news. Brakes have another 10K plus and we will do them at the next LOF.Excellent and Professional service.That's why we continue to use Charlie's.
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November 2022 by Mike Morelli
Super interesting car repair shop. They seem very knowledgeable and honest I’m taking my Prius in there next time it needs service
