ExtremisTy

Greetings MBWorld! New member here. I bought my first AMG on January first this year - a 2014 C63 Edition 507 Coupe. I recently moved to Southern California in the Irvine/OC area and I've been searching google and yelp for dealership service center that I can trust with my car. So far it seems that every time I find a service center with a few positive reviews, there are many more horror stories when I dig deeper.

Do any of you have a recommended location? Or should I just forget the warranty and pay an independent shop for things that might be covered?

Thanks in advance for any advice. I learned a ton from you guys before I even bought my car.

Southways

Benzworks
http://benzworks.com/

BLKROKT

Bought my car at Fletcher Jones in Newport Beach. Big dealer, sells lots of cars, seem to spend by the quality of their facilities. I thought they were fine.

Here are some other threads that might help
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...ort-beach.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...-mb-socal.html

wheelz

Star Motor Werks. Also check out AMG SoCal Lounge on Facebook.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/star-motor-wërks-costa-mesa-5

Pinned

Seconding this. Great shop.

kickinrocks

I second this...Chris is the man...fair and cheap!

ExtremisTy

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually got my service A done there last month! They are indeed great guys and I trust them with my car. I guess I'm hoping to find a decent dealer service department as well so that I can take advantage of my warranty before it's up.

ExtremisTy

Thanks for those links. I actually live down the street from FJ, but I've been told so many times to avoid them. On yelp, I saw they have a few good reviews, but at least an equal number of bad ones (specifically for their service department). I might still consider taking my car there just because it's so close, but I'd hate if it turned into another horror story.

ExtremisTy

Thanks for the suggestions. I just signed up for AMG SoCal Lounge - pending approval - and I will definitely ask there as well. I had not heard of star motor werks, but great to know that there's another good option as well as Benz Works.

For now, the search continues for a good dealer service department.

m a x i m u s

How about these guys in Carlsbad? I only had my PPI done here but they seemed like good people.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hoehn-merce...dium=s_nb_ii_g

Edit:
Oops, sorry. This is like an hour away from Irvine. But it's just a suggestion if all else fails.

ExtremisTy

No worries, I appreciate the suggestion! I travel a lot for work, so you never know...

KatchC63

+1 star motor werks, chris is awesome and really cares for his clients

AtTheGlen

I've had my Mercedes vehicles serviced at Fletcher Jones in Newport Beach for the last 10+ years and the experience has been good. I live within a couple miles of the dealership so convenience has been a factor plus the availability of loaner cars. Most of the cars have been AMG models including our current GT S, so I like the idea that FJM is AMG-authorized and does a lot of AMG service work. (It's rare that I see another GT/GT S around here, but when picking up my car, I've seen two GTs and an SLS awaiting pick-up.) Perhaps the most significant factor is that I have the world's best Service Advisor, Tony Irvani. He's knowledgeable, courteous, friendly and resourceful. Plus he keeps me informed e.g., via text, re: repair status. Another factor that keeps me at FJM is to assure that any and all warranty and recall/service bulletin actions are identified and taken care of. As I'm always car shopping, perhaps use of the dealer's service department will play even a minor factor in my getting a better deal next time.

Now, all that said, I was impressed looking at the websites for both BenzWorld and Star Motors and will probably check them out as it would be great to get to know the person who is turning the wrenches on my car.

All the best in SoCal with your super-great (N.A.!!) ride. And wherever you go for service, be sure to make your expectations clear regarding quality and cost.

Jake215

Only guy I take my car to. Chris offers great prices, and he does a good majority of the AMG cars in OC.

ExtremisTy

Sounds like I know where to go next time I need something installed. Thanks for the input.

ExtremisTy

Thanks for your feedback on FJ. I also live a few minutes from them and it would be very convenient to be able to take my car there. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow to ask about some warranty stuff, and I'll be sure to ask to deal with Tony.

The only thing that makes me worry about taking my car in now is that I feel like most dealerships tend to pass very quick judgment based on my age and treat me accordingly. Hopefully, it won't be an issue here, but I'll have to wait and see.

Any chance you're in a GT-S with dealer plates? I've only seen one in my area so who knows, maybe it was yours.

AtTheGlen

Quote: "Any chance you're in a GT-S with dealer plates? I've only seen one in my area so who knows, maybe it was yours."

Hi ExtremisTy. I've had CA plates on my car (an Edition 1 - Selenite Gray, etc.) since 8/15 and I've only seen about three GTs on the road and mine is a daily driver.

I'll send you a Private Message with some thoughts on contacting FJ Service and will send an email to Tony Irvani so he and/or his scheduler can expect your call.

ExtremisTy

Just left my car with Tony at Fletcher Jones. So far, the service seems to be good. They did provide me with a loaner for the day without making me beg or anything, so that's pretty nice.

ExtremisTy

So after leaving my car with the guys at Fletcher Jones for a couple of days, I figured I'd report back on my experience.

I brought the car in mostly due to that whole lifter tick issue. There were a couple of other small things - crooked lumbar support, rattling in the roof/rear deck area, and an occasionally faulty hood latch sensor. Tony (the service advisor) kept in touch both days, and upon picking up my car, explained that the techs couldn't replicate any of the issues. The small things don't really bother me enough to contest that, but I might bring the car in again before my warranty is up to have them check the lifters. To this point, I can say that I was satisfied with they way they treated me, but not so much with their attention to the car. But who knows, maybe I'm just another paranoid AMG owner?

The ONE thing that really upset me was that I got my car back with a fairly large scrape across the bottom of my carbon front lip. I'm fairly certain I heard it happen as I was leaving the dealership a few days ago, but I convinced myself that they couldn't have been so careless going up the driveway. When I showed the service advisor, he was reluctant to admit any fault. I understand, he's just doing his job. He brought a manager over who, after some convincing offered to cover the cost of my next service. Kind of a meager consolation for damage to a 600 dollar part.

All in all, this is kinda of what I expected/feared from any dealership. That said, thank you to all of you for your recommendations. Every one of them is helpful and just gives me a good idea of where I might go in the future.

At the end of the day, I'm just very grateful to be back in my car. You just can't beat the sound and feel of a naturally aspirated AMG.