19/05/2015

As far as auto repair shops go this place has 5 stars in my book. Honest, Trustworthy, and great mechanics!!!

From: Dennis Higbee

Source: FBOOK

21/09/2015

Great company !!! They fixed my black beauty clk right up!

From: Danielle Faye

Source: FBOOK

21/05/2015

BEST place to take your car for service/repairs!

From: Judy Hoaglin-Thomas

Source: FBOOK

16/07/2015

From: Dennis Higbee

Source: FBOOK

20/05/2015

From: Vanessa Jean McCombs

Source: FBOOK

18/05/2015

From: Gretchen Cash

Source: FBOOK

18/05/2015

From: Peter Twomey

Source: FBOOK

18/05/2015

From: Riley McCombs

Source: FBOOK

18/05/2015

From: Cassidy McCombs

Source: FBOOK

20/05/2016

I just had extensive work done on my old British car and they did a great job, and it was much less expensive than I thought it would be. Highly recommend!

From: Matthew Boatman

Source: GPLAC

23/10/2013

I've gone there for over 15 years. Each year the prices go up and the quality goes down. It used to be a family business now they just cater to their government contracts and the few rich die hards that can afford to get ripped off. The last straw came when I came in to have a simple hose replaced on a VW van.The former used car salesman that runs the front desk conned me into replacing more parts than I needed to then I had to spend another $2000 to replace a part that should have been diagnosed before all the expensive repairs. I ended up spending way more than the van is/was or ever will be worth. The owner used to be a decent guy now it's all about the money. All the decent mechanics had pride and have left the shop. Instead of Harloff I call them Ripoff by McCrooks

From: Jay B

Source: GPLAC

05/06/2012

Harloff is the best place to get your car fixed. I have been going there for years and have never had a problem. All the staff is extremely nice and friendly. They will tell you anything you want ot know about your car. They are a little pricey but it's worth it. Just ask for Brad and your car will be fixed quickly. Harloff will tell you what you need, what price, and how immediate of a fix it is. I love them and would recommend them to everyone. Thank you Harloff Automotive!

From: Sasuke Uchiha

Source: GPLAC

05/11/2011

SHADY BUSINESS I took my car here for repair. I needed a new water pump GASKET they replaced the whole water pump. On top of ripping me off they cracked my windshield. When I confronted the salesperson he said a rock must have fallen from a tree. Rocks falling from trees twenty feet away hitting my windshield? Whats even worse is that the inspection sheet had been altered with a different ink color to show the crack in the windshield. They then said that they received the car in that condition...

From: A Google User

Source: GPLAC

03/11/2009

When you're finished wasting your money on all the other shoddy workshops, you'll soon realize that you should've gone to Harloff in the first place. A little pricey, but you really do get what you pay for. In a word: Comprehensive. They let you know what they find, how much it'll cost, and how important in is to fix. So you can decide to fix the transmission first or the cracked door panel. They itemize their findings, keep a data base of the repairs, and are always, always on cue with a professional staff and customer service. You could take your car to some shady, back alley shop and get cheap patch work done every week until they finally brake it, or you can take your car to Harloff and get it fixed.

From: A Google User

Source: GPLAC

25/03/2016

Our 2010 Nissan Altima would not start late last night in La Meas and we had to tow it somewhere. AAA recommended Harloff Auto and said they had a good rating and had a night key drop. The Yelp reviews were good as well. I suspected the brake start switch malfunctioned which prevented the push button start from working.
The next morning we talked to Dennis (manager)? He was very nice and professional and said they would check out everything and let us know what they find. He gave an initial cost estimate of $100 for an hour of checking and trouble shooting. Noting if they figured out the issue faster they would reduce the charge accordingly. During the time Harloff checked on the car, it started 8 times without fail! Since they could not find any issue, Dennis said they would not charge us and would consider their effort as a courtesy check. That alone showed me how nice and how honest this place is!
However when my wife came to pick up the car did not start! Dennis and crew spent an another hour trying to fix the car, including replacing the brake switch. Unfortunately that did not work.
Interestingly when they put the old switch back in the car started! Dennis sent her on her way, free of charge. We really appeciate their honesty and all the effort they took to help us, and the fact that they did not charge us for all their effort.

From: G G.

Source: YELP

13/06/2016

So I was looking to buy a second car and I wanted someone who worked on European cars to inspect it before I bought it. So as I was still car shopping I was looking for a qualified mechanic and Harloff came across my radar.
I found a car that seemed pretty decent so I called down to Harloff and spoke to Dennis. He gave me the whole run down of how the inspection will take about three hours because the inspection is very detailed. From checking the electrical, the thread on the tires, any type of oil or coolant leaks and engine issues. I also went up to Oceanside to Oceanside Motor Sports (OMS) and they wanted 250 bucks. Don't get me wrong the guys at OMS are real cool and so damn helpful but here at Harloff they charge 168 for the inspection.
Well when it was time for me to take the car to Harloff the dealer said the inspection couldn't take no longer than an hour and a half. I said to myself wtf??? So now I call Dennis and tell him whats going on he said the inspection at least takes 3 hours and that if the dealer didn't want to leave it for that long I probably shouldn't buy it. I thought about what Dennis said and he was right I definitely wasn't going to buy the car without an inspection.
I didn't buy that 5 series but I kept on looking and found what I was looking for. So the 5 series I bought I took to another shop for the inspection because it was a little bit cheaper. I definitely appreciate the help I received at Harloff and just may come back.

From: Vincent C.

Source: YELP

02/04/2016

They have a mechanic that specializes in exotic British cars and did a great job on my Lotus. I would definitely recommend. Thanks, guys!

From: Paul M.

Source: YELP

04/07/2016

I really wouldn't go here. Read my first review and now years later I realize that I got royally ripped off. I don't even care to go into it but trust me or get a 2nd opinion.

From: Kat B.

Source: YELP

11/08/2015

My very specific search on Google led me to Harloff Automotive Service in La Mesa. If you have an MG, Robert is the mechanic to see! After having tried every MG and British car mechanic in North San Diego County, I found Robert! My husband and I drove from Oceanside to La Mesa but it was truly worth it to find a knowledgeable, honest man to get our MG in proper condition to pass Smog! He was extremely thorough and found the problems in no time flat! He was was professional from our first encounter on the phone, to his expertise in finding the problems, to the extreme detail on the printed out bill. I cannot recommend this place enough... and like I said...if you have an MG....Robert is your man! And Oh, by the way, our Baby now runs like a charm!!

From: Claire A.

Source: YELP

15/12/2015

Harloff has been my automotive repair shop for 15 years. I would not take my Mercedes, Volvo or BMW to anyone else (of which I have all). The mechanics and service and front office employees are all top notch and they are honest and always willing to explain exactly what issues are going on with the car. Prices are reasonable and results great!

From: J. T.

Source: YELP

24/08/2014

I said I would reevaluate my previous rating under Jayne H. once I had the work done on my car. This place is great!! My final cost came in less than the estimated amount and they kept me up to date on where they were with the repairs. They are honest and take pride in their work. I bought a car that does cost more to maintain but I knew that going in. Yet their hourly labor rate is extremely fair and really a bargain for the service I received and the peace of mind I have that my car was repaired properly. Thanks Dennis, Matt and Nick. I hope I included everyone.

From: Jayne H.

Source: YELP

02/04/2013

I also greatly dislike paying for repair. It is always an unexpected painful expense. The guys at Harloff are honest and do what they say they are going to do and charge what they committed to charge. I have used them on multiple vehicles over three years with no surprises. I think this is an outstanding shop with very good service. Thanks guys!

From: Kenneth L.

Source: YELP

07/08/2012

Can I get an AMEN for an honest mechanic!!! I can't tell you how many mechanics I have been screwed over by all the way from Dallas, TX to San Diego, CA...from private mechanics to bonafide VW dealerships.
I was referred to Harloff by AAA knowing I was looong overdue for my smog test and had a check engine light that wouldn't go away nor could any mechanic seem to properly fix.
Bottom line...I will never go to another mechanic now that I have found one that is competent and honest. After a couple of trips to their shop I had my problems resolved, my smog test passed, and they didn't request payment until my file was resolved.
Car repairs are never cheap and I find prices here to be very fair. And future services were mentioned but not insisted upon.

From: Devon G.

Source: YELP

14/10/2013

I've done business with this shop for almost 20 years, Each year they get more expensive and the quality of work gets worse. Now they've got a used car salesman working the front counter. He suckered me into what was supposed to a cheap repair then ended up almost triping the cost! It's all about the money for this shop.

From: Jay B.

Source: YELP

05/08/2013

Awesome. Took my 02 Mini Cooper S there when it was out of warrenty and they know their stuff. Now I've a 64 AH Sprite and I discovered Robert in the back, working on old MGs Lotuses bugeyes etc. He really rescued me on the Sprite and I just can't say enough good stuff. Quality people.

From: Christopher S.

Source: YELP

30/05/2012

Way over priced! While a co-worker suggested I go see Dennis to check about my check engine light, and he told me they were honest, and wouldn't charge me for more than what is needed; I don't know that is the case for me, and this situation. Sure I'm a female, who used to have her dad local to help with most car issues... but I knew this time it was something to do with cylinder 3 misfire, and possibly the Cat. gone bad... after ALL day, I finally get a phone call to tell me the exact same, and that my bill would be $104 for just the diagnosis. REALLY... on top of that, when I went to pick up my car, as I know I'm not needing to replace the Catalic converter right now, (as other mechanics have said it's not a big deal until I need to smog my car at least); they tried telling me that I couldn't get an after market one for less than $1,000... WRONG again. There are definitely after market Cat's available... even here in CA where sure things have changed... but obviously this place is all about manufacture parts... great if I was keeping the car, but not my case.

From: Danni K.

Source: YELP

05/10/2010

Let me first say this...I HATE paying for maintenence on my vehicle. Im a girl and even though I know its not a waste of money, it still feels like it. Not only that but everytime I go to an automotive place I leave feeling horribly ripped off and like they are laughing behind my back about how much money they just ripped me off for. But I decided to take my car here because my mom always does and she said this place is great.
With that said I took my car into Harloffs on Thursday because it was shaking. Needless to say I was terrified that my car was going to implode or something! I made an appointment to have it looked at which only took about 45 minutes but they had to charge me for the full hour of labor at $100. bucks. I was a little annoyed about that but sometimes you just have to pick your battles so I agreed and let it go. They kindly told me two possibilities of things that might be causing the shaking. They gave me an estimate for both as well as a list of other things I should consider doing soon along with the price of how much it would cost. Since it wasnt an emergency I left with those things in mind and didnt feel pressured at all to buy tons of stuff for my car. Since I was there I figured I should replace my wiperblades since they were pretty much ineffectual at that point. They charged me for the blades and replaced they kindly put them on for me right then and there very quickly.
Three days later my check engine light came on. They told me before I left on Thursday that if that happened I needed to stop driving the car and get in right away. I did and called on Monday morning at around 8:30am. They told me I could bring the car in right away which was GREAT news! It only took them a few hours to fix and charged me less than I expected. They also agreed to work with me on the price of labor because they had already basically looked at everything on Thursday which was nice. They called me twice while it was there, once to quote me a price which unlike most places ended up being the exact price I paid in the end, and the second time to tell me my car was done and ready to go!
On top of all that as I was leaving they THANKED ME FOR MY BUSINESS!!! Who does that anymore without being told by their manager standing over them? Plus, I got home and Im not sure if they did it just to be nice or if this was a result of the replaced parts but suddenly my locks on my door started working properly again! Whereas before I took it in when you pushed the remote lock button on my keys only the drivers side door would lock and you had to manually lock the rest. Either way when I left I didnt feel like I got ripped off. A great feeling. Thanks Harloff! Ill be back for my oil change in the next few weeks.

From: Chelsey G.

Source: YELP

05/04/2009

Addison at Harloff has helped me out with 2 pre-purchase inspections of used vehicles. Both times the checklist of items was reviewed by their mechanics was extensive. Addison took the time to explain each defect and provided a ballpark estimate to fix each major item. At the end of the inspection they provided a formal document of their findings and recommendation about whether the car should be purchased of not.
Each inspection was $88.50 including the 10% off you get for being a AAA member.
The people at Harloff were professional and nice. The work was completed within a couple of hours of each car being dropped off. I'd highly recommend them for anyone looking for a mechanic to help with a used car purchase !

From: Rachel H.

Source: YELP

14/01/2009

I first got turned on to these guys as a source for parts for my Volkswagen. They usually have what I need in stock, or they get it before closing. As far as the service department, I've only had them do a couple of jobs, but they did great work. I try to do as much of my own auto maintenance as I can. However, I don't have a garage so some jobs have to get outsourced. Harloff recently replaced the lower control arms and ball joints on my '95 VW Jetta. In and out the same day for around $200. Worth every penny. Before that, they did my smog inspection. I'm sure I could have found a place to do it cheaper, but I wasn't sure if it would pass. I felt better taking it to guys who could fix it and get it to pass. Everything turned out OK, except they left the remote control for their smog testing machine in my car and I had to drive back out there to give it back. I should have held it for a ransom of VW parts.
My transmission is on its last legs. When it goes, I'm taking my car to Harloff.

From: Daniel P.

Source: YELP