Elite Motor Works of Sarasota — Local services in Sarasota

My prior experiences w Elite have been overall positive and I even posted a very positive review about them last year. However, that changed today. I took my 2021 Lexus 350 for routine 35K maintenance (oil change and tire rotation and brake inspection) as recommended by Lexus standards. When I picked up my vehicle, I was told my Drake that they recommended some additional services (air filter, brake fluid, and drive belt) which totaled $1,100. He assured me he could go ahead and order the parts and have them ready so I could proceed with the recommendations. I told him to hold off and I would call back with my decision. He then proceeded to tell me a story of another customer who did not get their belt replaced at 35K and ended up w $7k of repairs. I still declined. After I left, I called Lexus of Sarasota who told me that they recommended brake fluid be changed at 60K and drive belt to be changed at 90K. I was a bit surprised to hear such a difference in the recommendations. I called Elite back to ask how they arrived at their recommendations. Drake was at lunch and I spoke w Kristine. Kristine spent 10 minutes explaining how because of the Florida heat, the wear and tear of these items is faster and their recommendations are based on their experience with working on cars in Florida. I agreed that some of that makes sense, but it didn't really account for such a huge variance in the recommendations, especially for the drive belt. She then looked in the computer and said that actually the drive belt was recommended at 50K (not 35K) and she could see from the technicians notes that the drive belt of my vehicle was in good shape. Hmmmmm. So now I have 2 different recommendations, one quite a bit different than the other, and neither in line with what the car manufacturer recommends. Draw whatever conclusions you like from this post, but I feel like there was a very aggressive upsale scheme at play. Perhaps I looked naive about cars, or perhaps because I'm a woman it was expected that I would just move forward with any recommendation, even if it was unnecessary and egregious. Either way, I was very disappointed with my experience today and will not be returning for service at...

I will preface this by stating that I manage a customer experience department for a Fortune 100 company. In most cases, the experience a customer has can mean more than the actual services rendered. Let's face it, how a customer feels about your business plays a big part on whether or not they come back. That being said, from St Pete to North Port, there isn't an automotive repair facility I'd rather go to than Elite Motor Works. Jamie, Renee and the staff there simply get it. The front of the house is immaculate and comfortable. That should be a given but in the world of independent repair facilities, it simply isn't. Elite's facility is on par with any BMW dealership I've ever been in. Check mark #1.

Jamie was kind enough to give me a tour of the 'back of the house'; where the wrenches are actually turned. Let me say that the same things I said about the front waiting area extends to the actual shop. I believe a clean and orderly shop is an efficient one. And an efficient one means my car is fixed sooner. So another check mark for Elite!

Finally, we all want to be treated fairly when we take our cars in for repair. Let's face it, no one likes to go through that experience because you never know if you're getting the straight story. Not the feeling I got from Jamie and Renee. I don't know what exactly it was but I felt like I was taking my car to family. And not that crazy uncle everyone has either but the family you actually trust. When I got into my car there was even a handwritten note in a card from the owner thanking me for my business. Like I said, they simply get it. Check mark #3 and the hat trick is complete!!

Seriously, from Tampa to North Port; if you drive a BMW or anything else there is nowhere else to take your car...

I have always had used the local Audi dealership for service. I no longer will after finding this local gem last week.

Background: Recently I called Audi to schedule an appointment and they were four weeks out before they could look at my car. I knew exactly what the issue was as it had been diagnosed and quoted previously by the same Audi service manager. Regardless of that, Audi still wanted to charge for another diagnostic before they would even order parts for the repair (again, they had diagnosed the issue a month prior but I didn’t want to make the repair at that time).

I found Elite Motor Works on google and called the store, and happened to speak directly with the owner. He asked if I wanted to come by immediately and he’d try to help.

I showed up 30 min later and he temporarily fixed the issue on the spot, no charge. But the part was broken and I decided I wanted a permanent fix. I was able to drop the car off a few days later and they fixed it while I waited - only 90 minutes.

Had I gone to Audi I would have waited 4 weeks for an appointment, dropped my car for a full day $200 diagnostic, waited a few days for parts, and then waited 2 days for repair.

This is not intended to bad mouth Audi, they do good work. But if you want a faster, more personal, and concierge-like experience without the dealer fluff...