Best VW Dealer in Greater Boston area for Service [Archive]

Desalad

02-18-2005, 06:08 AM

Tom Parish

02-21-2005, 07:13 PM

Anyone here in the Greater Boston area? What are your experiences with the dealers around town for service: VW of Brookline, Boston VW and Wellesley VW.

I bought my car at Wellesley but have not yet reached the first service milestone. Members thoughts?

Thanks

I haven't lived in Boston for 7 years but my first guess would be to have it done by an indy or do it yourself. Brookline and Boston are big no no's. I had some luck with the dealer south of 128 on route 1 (automile, can't remember their name) but they may have changed.

jdp1.8T

02-27-2005, 05:33 PM

ddandkl

03-05-2005, 05:31 AM

mr.bouton

03-09-2005, 06:41 PM

I haven't lived in Boston for 7 years but my first guess would be to have it done by an indy or do it yourself. Brookline and Boston are big no no's. I had some luck with the dealer south of 128 on route 1 (automile, can't remember their name) but they may have changed.

I respectfully disagree about Brookline VW/Audi, I've had nothing but very good experiences with them.

ems

03-18-2005, 05:58 PM

I have had good service experiences at Colonial VW in Westboro, all the writers there are good guys. The Shop foreman at Bernardi in Natick is said to be a walking B5 encyclopeida but I have heard a lot of bad things about the dealership as a whole.

I was completely lied to and ripped off by Colonial... quoted $510 and charged $1300, billed for stuff they didn't do, billed for stuff they weren't authorized, and then when I caught/challenged them at it their excuse was that they were the best rated service dealership in Mass. Did some checking and about 4-5 other people I've met have had similar experiences.

Is there such a thing as a good VW dealership for service?????

1.8Tabamoura

03-19-2005, 08:04 PM

I haven't lived in Boston for 7 years but my first guess would be to have it done by an indy or do it yourself. Brookline and Boston are big no no's. I had some luck with the dealer south of 128 on route 1 (automile, can't remember their name) but they may have changed.

VWGallery, they are still there and the parts department people are phenomenal, Mike, Dave and David, discounts for passat clubas and all.
I have nothing but good things to say about them.

mershanks

06-22-2005, 07:55 AM

I bought mine at VW Gallery. They aren't too too bad.

I went to Boston VW a couple times for oil changes because I was in the city. I had them check my tire to see why it was constantly deflating, they told me there was a screw in the sidewall, which I never saw, and that I would need a whole new tire for $200. I told them pump it up with air and I'll go on my way. I took it to a nearby NTB and they took the nail out of the tread and patched it for $6!!! Go figure. Nevertheless, I've never been back to Boston VW.

ems

06-23-2005, 07:02 PM

My wife and I bought our '02 B5 from Boston VW, but we never took it there for service due to negatives postings I had read about the service there. I won't post a long list of criticisms and issues, but I'll just say that I used to take my car at the VW dealership in Nashua, but will no longer go there.

Guess I'll try Colonial; I've heard a couple of good comments about them before. I have to schedule 40K service, as well as run down a couple of issues that started after the 35K service (coincidence, I hope). I've read a couple of times that Colonial is pretty good so I'll schedule with them and I can post my impression afterwards.

They suck. Just found out that they poked a hole in my condensor when doing the timing belt. After they finally admitted it, they said they wouldn't cover it cause it was beyone warranty. Didn't know that there was a warranty time limit to incompetence and dishonesty.

The way the hole was there it would have been absolutely impossible to notice with the freon spraying/hissing out. Granted, anyone makes mistakes, but this the first time with any car I've owned that the dealer/service shop didn't come clean and in fact covered it up.

I could go on with other issues of lying and general dishonesty, but hopefully you get the point. STAY AWAY... bunch of lying dishonest bastards!

Tom Parish

06-23-2005, 07:18 PM

They suck. Just found out that they poked a hole in my condensor when doing the timing belt. After they finally admitted it, they said they wouldn't cover it cause it was beyone warranty. Didn't know that there was a warranty time limit to incompetence and dishonesty.

The way the hole was there it would have been absolutely impossible to notice with the freon spraying/hissing out. Granted, anyone makes mistakes, but this the first time with any car I've owned that the dealer/service shop didn't come clean and in fact covered it up.

I could go on with other issues of lying and general dishonesty, but hopefully you get the point. STAY AWAY... bunch of lying dishonest bastards!
Three words: Small Claims Court.

Three words: Better Business Bureau.

Take them to both.

ems

06-26-2005, 03:39 PM

Three words: Small Claims Court.

Three words: Better Business Bureau.

Take them to both.

I agree, but in this case they would simply deny ever admitting it and I would have no way of proving it. In some part, I think I'm lucky to even get the parts. Its fixed now. Guess it one of those battles not worth fighting.

Will have to just get my satisfaction by just trashing them with my true story/experience every chance I get.

ems

06-26-2005, 03:43 PM

Three words: Small Claims Court.

Three words: Better Business Bureau.

Take them to both.

By the way, I did report it to VWoA and they suck just as much. Completely sided with the dealer. At this point as much as I've enjoyed the car, I doubt I'd ever buy another one. Believe it or not, I'm actually fairly easy to please if just dealt with fairly and honestly.

Why reward those bastards' louse customer service, disreputable dealer operations and general give-a-shit attitude with more business??????

unless

07-07-2005, 07:49 PM

I've been most pleased with service from Brookline VW. They have a LONG wait list to get an appointment, though. (Maybe this post will make the wait longer!)

RobNick

07-11-2005, 07:13 AM

Boston VW basically cut the wires on my W8 overhead light install during a routine service ... when I pointed out that the dome light no longer worked, they were more than happy to fix the problem until I mentioned that it was NOT the light that came with the car.

The service writer then backtracked saying "Oh, those lights go out all the time, we couldn't have done it. It was comical to see how quickly they changed their story. He said "If I went out to the lot and got another W8 dome light and connected it, it would work." So, I asked him to. It didn't work. He still insisted it was my problem. I ended up fixing it (took like 10 seconds), but I wrote them a nice long letter stating why I would never return.

VW of Wellesley has never done me wrong. Not only have they replaced tons of stuff for me for free that should have been out of warranty, they're the most accomodating dealership in terms of scheduling, they recommend less expensive fixes (oftentimes outside their shop) if they think they can save you money, and the service writers are always really great guys.

Nussbaum

07-23-2005, 05:48 AM

Tom Parish

07-23-2005, 08:02 AM

One problem with Tulley in Nashua, NH is that they keep NO parts in stock, even if you make a service appointment to take care of a specific problem. Everything takes 2 visit because they won't order parts until you pay for them or they diagnose the problem.
Unfortumately, this is a problem with many VW dealers. Especially the ones with multiple brands under one roof.

CorradoG60

07-28-2005, 06:28 PM

The Shop foreman at Bernardi in Natick is said to be a walking B5 encyclopeida but I have heard a lot of bad things about the dealership as a whole.

Alot has changed since april '04. The guy you might be talking about is Benny. He is my foreman and is extremely knowlegdable, used to work on Audis and knows part numbers of the top of his head. Our master tech is also extremely smart and sometimes throws me for a loop with everything he knows.

Mugnut

09-19-2005, 01:08 PM

Stay far far away from Quirk in Braintree.

I should have after my last warranty fight with them (a transmission problem that had me citing the powertrain warranty to the service guys verbatim and inquiring what part of "transmission" was not "powertrain"?), and then I was dumb enough to go back to them recently - where they once again found a way to deny a warranty claim (which another dealer found covered and did under warranty with no hassle at all)

I won't again. In my expereince, they will find a way deny a warranty claim and try to get you to pay out of pocket. If I had listened to them at first blush, I would be out of pocket more than 4k or so on my '01 Passat for repairs that ultimately were covered under warranty (either done there or elsewhere).

jaketooth

09-21-2005, 07:05 AM

I have had great luck with Minuteman VW in Bedford. I have purchased 2 Passats from them since 96 and have had no problems and they were pretty reasonalbe with their prices. You do have to make an apointment but they call the next to check if there are any problems that have occurred. Great people there.

turbomonkey@

09-21-2005, 07:37 AM

http://1.8t.org/dealers/?fs=ma&sd=desc

Check the link above for a consumer rating on all of the VW dealers in Massachusetts.

In my own experience with New England Dealers - Tulley in Nashua, NH is probably one of the worst - and the site above shows that to be the case too. Manchester VW, in Manchester, NH was really bad for a while but they've gotten better. Better SAs and better techs although they still have some kids working there that aren't as conscientious as they ought to be and they don't keep a close enough eye on them either. Took several trips to them to get a minor problem fixed because they never seemed to completely fix it each time and had to keep ordering another part. They did to their credit though work with my schedule and provided me with a loaner Jetta after the second time back.

jasonmac

10-28-2005, 06:56 PM

http://1.8t.org/dealers/?fs=ma&sd=desc

Check the link above for a consumer rating on all of the VW dealers in Massachusetts.

Just a quick note on that -- Dana's Automotive in North Chelmsford (great shop) is completely separate and independant of Dana Automotive in Northhampton (okay but overall negative from 1.8t.org), though Dana's has a Dana plate frame hanging in the shop :)

ems

10-31-2005, 07:15 PM

Alot has changed since april '04. The guy you might be talking about is Benny. He is my foreman and is extremely knowlegdable, used to work on Audis and knows part numbers of the top of his head. Our master tech is also extremely smart and sometimes throws me for a loop with everything he knows.
So do you or any of these master techs do work on the side?

scotty_passat

11-01-2005, 04:47 AM

I've heard Bernardi (VW/Audi) has a very good service department, they are pretty backlogged though.

OT: I would never buy a car from them!

I've had good service at Colonial, been going there for about 5 years. But I've just had warranty work and oil changes. The service writers know me well enough to not "offer" anything I don't ask for. They do have have several good techs. YMMV apparently!

ems

11-04-2005, 08:22 PM

[QUOTE=turbomonkey@]http://1.8t.org/dealers/?fs=ma&sd=desc

Check the link above for a consumer rating on all of the VW dealers in Massachusetts.
QUOTE]
So what's the deal with North Attleboro, are they really that good???

Dtilton

12-02-2005, 11:59 AM

I just bought my new B6 from a salesman named Steve R and he was fantastic! Low pressure, really wanted to work with us. I drove a car at Quirk and the salesman was a total jerk, practically holding my wife and I hostage and not letting us get away from him without buying a car, or , in his words, 'having us explain to his manager why he failed to sell us a car." I got a great online price quote from VW of Allston and asked Steve to match and told him he wouldn't make a lot of profit, but he'd get a life long service customer (based on the 1.8 review site). He agreed that what was important and when we went to pick up the car, he treated us like he had pocketed $1,000! He went over the owner's manual, sat in the car with us and showed us all the buttons and dials, etc, and called me the next day to see how everything was and to arrange a time to come get an inspection sticker. The service guys we met were very nice, professional, and friendly. Highly recommend doing business with these folks. -Dan

DannyMac

06-16-2006, 10:22 AM

I have had relatively good luck with Minuteman. I bought my 2000 Passat new from them - they ordered it for me as they did not have what exactly I wanted on the lot. Their deal was reasonable. No high pressure sales tactics. Service is decent albeit expensive. I maintain my car at the dealership, and don't cut corners, so I do spend money there. They do a relatively decent job - wash the car and bring it out for pickup when done - if you are a wait job. Only had one repair that had to be redone because they did not completely tighten a clamp or something that caused the check engine light to come on. The only thing I don't like is it takes a while to get an appointment for an oil change - so you have to somewhat plan for that. You think that they would have a quick lube service. Other than that, they are a long time VW dealer, courteous, and know the product. I recommend them.

BostonFamilyGuy

07-06-2006, 10:33 AM

I was completely lied to and ripped off by Colonial... quoted $510 and charged $1300, billed for stuff they didn't do, billed for stuff they weren't authorized, and then when I caught/challenged them at it their excuse was that they were the best rated service dealership in Mass. Did some checking and about 4-5 other people I've met have had similar experiences.

Is there such a thing as a good VW dealership for service?????

I don't know who you spoke to, but I've had nothing but terrific service with Colonial. Granted, a large majority of it has been warrantee and basic service, but I think they've got very good prices and they've always been 100% up front with me.

I take my '03 Passat and my wife's '03 Jetta there and I just traded in the Passat for a new '06.

I'll keep going there.

jmb1115

07-09-2006, 05:58 AM

Has anybody found a good mechanic on the Boston area? I'd love to avoid dealerships (Esp. Boston VW and VW of Brookline) for my 100k service, but really need to go some place close to the city.

After driving with somebody yesterday that knows quite a bit more about cars than I do, I have the terrible feeling that VW of Brookline told me I had a problem with my master brake cylinder, to avoid a warranty claim on what this guy said was probably a transmission issue. Of course the warranty is now expired.

I've never had a good experience with Brookline. I go there occasionally because of their location near the green line, but I always feel like I'm being given the wrong information, and being charged a ridiculous amount for it. Boston VW isn't perfect, but at least they've owned up to their mistakes for me in the past (took 3 attempts for them to install a new trunk latch correctly).

melann0331

08-07-2006, 11:55 AM

He's not a dealer, and not in Boston, but he was wonderful to work with...see Chris Bacon at Bacon Motorsports in Lowell. He gave me a great deal on my recent brake job. I would not hesitate to bring my Passat back to him. I know that a couple of friends bring their Audi's to him, as well. His website is http://www.baconmotorsport.com/ (http://www.baconmotorsport.com/)

Aljorma

09-19-2006, 12:45 PM

Woodings Garage been going there with my 2000 passat for over a year. Good at diagnosing problems, honest and not expensive. Their in Allston convenient to the T.

www.woodingsgarage.com

darisgin

10-04-2006, 12:01 PM

My opinion of Brookline VW has degraded over time: I have had competent work from them in the past, but stopped using them a few years ago as they seemed to be a bit "hurried," but also began to want to keep the car for more than one day ("didn't have a chance to get to it"). Also, I had to start checking their work (e.g., missing skid-plate screws), which really bugs me.

My opinion on Minuteman has also changed over time--I would give them another try. They have moved into the "competent" category.

I have found Quirk to be incompetent but polite and Southshore VW to be incompetent and nasty.

As for indy shops--a big thumbs-up for Brian's Garage in Needham:
http://www.briansgarage.com/
straight-shooting, competent, and all about VW/Audi. Paying Brian does not leave one with that dealership feeling of having been...violated.

I have also heard good things about (but have no experience with) Shine Racing in Walpole: http://www.srsvw.com/

bvariant

11-24-2009, 11:39 AM

Just an update on Boston VW, since these guys have not been mentioned recently.

Things don't seem any better, at least in terms of parts prices. This is a longstanding pattern, but within the last 3 months, these characters

1) wanted $6 apiece for the plastic wheel well Dzus (belly pan) fasteners, which list for $3.90 and go for about $2.50 at Auburn VW/1stVWparts.com

2) wanted $45 for a coil pack that goes for $23 elsewhere: I bought the part by mail from Auburn a day later.

The fastener thing rather burned me: when I coughed and politely said that was insane, the parts guy acted like he was doing me a grand favor to charge list price for a couple of them.

ECS/Auburn it is, then. Even with the shipping, I end up ahead for even small things.

Babaganoosh

12-20-2009, 09:43 AM

I was more fond of Northshore VW when I moved away after being removed from Amesbury VW.

Even though Amesbury Vw is now a stand alone Chevrolet dealer, they attempt to do VW work without a legit VW tech left.

The service manager at Amesbury is an incompetent, pathetic excuse for a manager, who has little man syndrome.

All the good Techs left for Northshore or Seacoast VW in NH.