Strom German Auto Service — Local services in Costa Mesa

I was looking to get a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) to buy a Audi sports car from a dealer in Costa Meas, CA, but I don't live in the area and I didn't want to necessarily use the place the dealer was recommending.

I called Curly at Griffen Motorwerke (Berkeley, CA), my favorite auto repair place in the east bay who I've been going to for over 20 years and he called me back with the website for Strom German Auto Service.

I checked out their website and the one that the dealer recommended, and called them both. Brad at Strom German said it would cost two hours labor at $180.00 per hour for a total of $360.00. The other place would cost $325.00.

After talking with Brad about how thorough the inspection would be, and because they could check out the Audi one day earlier, I decided to go with Strom German even though it was $35.00 more.

I had the dealer bring in the car on Tuesday April 22, 2025. The report I got a few hours later was very detailed 28-page long PDF, that covered 40 items including a search for fault codes and items like from warning lights, AC, all windows, exterior and interior lights, belts and pulleys, engine oil, transmission and drive train, suspensions arms, tires and wheels, brakes and rotors, radiator, battery, fuel cap, filters, fluids, oxygen sensors, motor mounts etc.!

Each item that was checked had a green check mark and the item printed. Areas of concern had a light-yellow bar going through the item, and areas of concern had a light-red bar. This was covered in pages two and three. Pages four - twelve covered all the various fault codes and their number like satellite radio function, sound system, steering column, airbag crash sensors, ABS brakes etc.

Pages 13 - 28 had photos of the above-mentioned areas of concern and just general items. For example, small rock chips in the windshield were photographed as were each tire to show the amount of thread left. Areas with visible with leaks, corrosion and rust were also photographed as were brake pads, swing arms undercarriage, boots etc.

After I talked to John about his concerns, solutions and expected costs.

Then went I drove over to Griffen Motowerke and talked to the owner, Curly, and showed him the report from Strom German, and he agreed with their assessment and with this in mind I called the car dealer and told him about the findings and there would be an additional $500.00 of labor to determine if there was a power steering rack leak, fix a botched oil drain plug issue and for a recommended steam clean to kill any salt corrosion.

This was paid for by the dealer, and the drain plug was replaced and the possible power steering fluid leak was determined to be from brake fluid being leaked during a brake fluid flush by the last place that worked on the car.

I found the crew at Strom German to be very knowledgeable polite and accommodating! I was very pleased with their service and attention to detail and fair pricing, and I would definitely use them again for any inspections on German vehicles in the Costa Mesa area!!!

My only regret was I didn't have the opportunity to drive over and meet...

I am so happy & relieved that I've found this place. I've had terrible experiences at a dealership where they used scare tactics, charged for repairs that didn't need to be done, and treated me with disrespect (e.g., threatening me of impending doom if I don't follow through with their repair suggestions). I've called numerous German auto repair shops and VW dealerships in OC, but Strom provided the lowest prices, the most transparent line-by-line estimates via text/email, and fantastic customer service experience. Both John and Brad were absolutely terrific in their assistance if I needed to adjust the estimate or reschedule an appointment. It is clear that the people here have integrity, which is a refreshing rarity in the world of mechanics. I've let them know of my financial situation, and they relayed their expertise and findings that my GTI is running well and did not need emergency repairs, so I did not have to proceed with the repairs as my car will last me another year or about 30k more miles, which is in stark contrast to VW of Garden Grove's scare tactics & false claims that I have to complete the repairs within a month or face an additional $3k in repairs. Of course, I understand that John provided a rough timeframe, but he was able to give me signs to look for when conditions worsen & how to continue caring for my car. I only lamented that I did not discover Strom sooner. I am most definitely coming back here for any repairs in the future. I have immense gratitude for John. Thank you for your compassion, honesty, and...

Very pleased with Strom and would highly recommend. They have serviced and repaired multiple vehicles for me over the past several years and have always done great work and make helpful suggestions. They are very practical with their approach to diagnostic work and recommendations, I never felt like I was being upsold or over charged. Also they are very thorough with inspections and if there is an issue forming or something that will need to be repaired soon they always seem to catch it. Their reports are also very detailed including photos of the work. Maintenance on German cars can get expensive as you probably already know if you are reading this however I find their prices to be fair or even slightly below other specialists in OC. I prefer to run LiquiMolly products whenever possible which they have in stock (I think as standard unless manufacturer specific is required etc.) John is usually at the front desk and answering the phone and he is super helpful and knowledgeable, actually a wealth of information I like to ask a lot of questions and talk shop and he always is generous with his time and has a great attitude. Again highly recommend...