Boston/Metro Audi Dealers - Service Dept.

[2k16A6]

Hello all,

Looking for any opinions of the local Audi dealers for having service done. Natick would be the most convenient for me as I commute from Newton to Framingham on Rt. 9. I have heard that Westwood is a better dealer but it is a bit out of the way for me. Any opinions are welcomed, and recommendations for particular service advisers would be great as well!

[dimonblr]

I can tell you where definitely NOT to go - and that's Herb Chambers Audi Burlington.
It's far, but I hear Audi Stratham (NH) is not bad.

[Bassler]

What kind of service? Stock ot not?

Frankly they all suck for various reasons. Therefore pick the one most convenient.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[2k16A6]

What kind of service? Stock ot not?

Frankly they all suck for various reasons. Therefore pick the one most convenient.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Idle is slightly rough, and noticing a faint coolant smell after highway driving in hot weather. Wanted to have both checked out, figuring possibly motor mounts and not sure about the coolant odor. Car is stock, 22k miles and under warranty

[makisupa]

I'd stay away from Burlington and Brookline. Westwood comes highly recommend and I've had good experiences at Peabody.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Audizine mobile app

[WinterRunner]

I think they all suck, but Westwood may the least of evils to choose. I would just go to Auto Engineering in Lexington.

[jnervi3]

Hello all,

Looking for any opinions of the local Audi dealers for having service done. Natick would be the most convenient for me as I commute from Newton to Framingham on Rt. 9. I have heard that Westwood is a better dealer but it is a bit out of the way for me. Any opinions are welcomed, and recommendations for particular service advisers would be great as well!

I've done business with Audi Natick on my RS3 and haven't had a poor experience yet. I too have had positive experiences with Westwood as well but stopped going there once my service manager gave the heads up that their new management had a microscope on 'modded' RSs. I have a few contacts at Natick that I could put you in touch with - feel free to reach out via PM if you'd like. If a non-dealer is your target I agree with WinterRunner that Rick @ AE would be a great independent shop to go to where you know the job is done right. However, as you have a warranty it may make sense to have the dealer cover what they can against it. Best of luck in your search!

[your daddy]

I think they all suck, but Westwood may the least of evils to choose. I would just go to Auto Engineering in Lexington.

:)

[makisupa]

I think they all suck, but Westwood may the least of evils to choose. I would just go to Auto Engineering in Lexington.

This

Sent from my SM-G960U using Audizine mobile app

[2k16A6]

I think they all suck, but Westwood may the least of evils to choose. I would just go to Auto Engineering in Lexington.

I've done business with Audi Natick on my RS3 and haven't had a poor experience yet. I too have had positive experiences with Westwood as well but stopped going there once my service manager gave the heads up that their new management had a microscope on 'modded' RSs. I have a few contacts at Natick that I could put you in touch with - feel free to reach out via PM if you'd like. If a non-dealer is your target I agree with WinterRunner that Rick @ AE would be a great independent shop to go to where you know the job is done right. However, as you have a warranty it may make sense to have the dealer cover what they can against it. Best of luck in your search!

:)

This

Sent from my SM-G960U using Audizine mobile app

Thanks everyone, seems to confirm what I've found just by talking to a few local people with Audis. Since its still under warranty and stock, I'll take it to either Westwood or Natick but plan to find a good indy (such as AE which I've read good things about) after the warranty is up in January.

[DCB1951]

I can tell you where definitely NOT to go - and that's Herb Chambers Audi Burlington.
It's far, but I hear Audi Stratham (NH) is not bad.

What's wrong with Herb Chambers Audi Burlington's service department?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Audizine mobile app

[dimonblr]

What's wrong with Herb Chambers Audi Burlington's service department?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Audizine mobile app

The same goes for the Porsche branch.

They are not great with customer relations. Often rude and come off as not giving a damn. The techs might be okay, but the direction given to them by the management team often results in the cars having to be brought back. One recent occasion - a friend had his car in and out of the dealership 6 times to correct the same issue.

[makisupa]

The same goes for the Porsche branch.

They are not great with customer relations. Often rude and come off as not giving a damn. The techs might be okay, but the direction given to them by the management team often results in the cars having to be brought back. One recent occasion - a friend had his car in and out of the dealership 6 times to correct the same issue.

I agree with this statement 100%. I've been told by a former service employee to stay away. And they are rude as shit. I wanted to order my wife a 2018 Q7 specced out to the nines and they could have cared less. So I took my money and business elsewhere. Very glad I did.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Audizine mobile app

[nevets77]

I've done business with Audi of Natick for over 15 years and 5 cars. I've had so many bad experiences that I started to wonder what was wrong with me for going back. Never again... I've gone to two local VW dealerships with much better service.

[dimonblr]

I agree with this statement 100%. I've been told by a former service employee to stay away. And they are rude as shit. I wanted to order my wife a 2018 Q7 specced out to the nines and they could have cared less. So I took my money and business elsewhere. Very glad I did.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Audizine mobile app

This guy by chance?

https://www.audiburlington.com/dealership/staff.htm

[makisupa]

Negative, not my source!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Audizine mobile app

[BeantownAudi]

+1 for Auto Engineering in Lexington. Rick knows his stuff. I've been having my car serviced there for years. He goes above and beyond. Very knowledgeable.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Audizine mobile app

[EvoToSQ5]

Has anyone had any experience with Audi of Shrewsbury? Just got a notice in the mail that the S3 has a recall but there’s no fix for it yet so I figured I’d get a head start to see what dealer is trustworthy.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[sfali16]

Agreed with the posts here about Audi Natick being not so great. They've charged me several diags on my S4 without actually finding the root cause or they have recommended repairs which turned out to be unnecessary
1) They told me my audi care was valid for another year, and then when i went back in a few months, it turned out that it expired and i had to pay out of pocket for my oil change.
2) strange smell coming from the AC unit when AC is off - diag fee charged, solution proposed was to run the car with AC on auto to better use the filter
3) clutch was stuck to the floor (either engaged or disengaged). Their recommendation was to get a new clutch installed ($5000 job). I had recently had a brake fluid flush at another audi dealership (Audi Shrewsbury), and it looked like they had introduced an air bubble or something. So Audi Natick tried do another brake fluid flush, and that resolved the clutch issue. (the car had to be towed otherwise I would've taken it back to Audi Shrewsbury to get it fixed there). But they didn't seem to be confident that the fluid flush caused it or would fix anything.
4) Check Engine Light (CEL) on - Bank 1 running lean, spent four hours with the car, and couldn't diag, so they reset the light

The amounts they quote for repairs are like worth 25 % the resale value of the car. I myself am on the lookout for a reliable local shop and might give Auto Engineering in Lexington a try.

[Salty Mope]

I went to Audi Westwood a couple times simply because the original owner had purchased an AudiCare package through 55k miles.

When I took it in last summer for the scheduled service, they mentioned that they would flush the brake fluid as its included in the package at that service interval. I leave the car with them on a Saturday for a few hours and take a loaner to run some errands. A couple hours later the SA calls me and says one of the caliper bleed screws is in bad shape. He tells me the tech got it out but isn't comfortable putting it back in, so they are ordering a replacement which is less than 5 dollars. Should have it on Monday, so keep the loaner and we'll call you when its done.

Monday I get a follow up call, not to tell me its ready but to say that I was given inaccurate info on Saturday. The tech actually did NOT get the bleed screw out and now he says one is seized up and corroded on each front caliper, so now I need 2 new calipers at a cost of $1,800 installed.

I was livid that a free routine service somehow escalated into needing new calipers on a car with under 35k miles. They spewed some nonsense about acid and rust and maybe the previous owner took it to the car wash too often and chemical build up blah blah blah but car would not be driveable until I handed over $1,800.

At that point I tell them I feel like I'm getting hustled and that if I do need new calipers I'm not having the work done by them. I tell them I'm going to reach out to AoA and see if they will work with me. The next morning I get a surprise call from the service manager Aaron Anger who tells me the car is back together and ready to be picked up. He says the SA i was working with is out sick today and he doesn't know why i was given bad info on saturday or again on monday, but the car is all set.

Finally I go to pick it up on Wednesday and I'm told that they were able to flush the system using the outer bleed screws but the inner screws are still seized up and will prevent me from performing the flush if I want to do it again in 2 years at the recommended interval. This doesn't make sense to me but I'm just happy to get the car back so I can take it somewhere else.

I then take it to Auto Engineering for new pads and rotors and ask them to look at the caliper situation too. Rick gets the wheels off and calls me into the service area to show me both inner bleed screws snapped/sheared off and left as-is by Audi Westwood.

I had no way of proving that some inexperienced tech at the dealership caused the problem. At a minimum they should have reached out to me once they were unable to get the screws out with a little heat, to warn me of the situation I'd be in if they moved forward and the screws broke off. If given the option at that point I would have opted to skip the brake fluid flush as the benefits weren't worth the risks.

Cliffnotes: Moral of the story is, dealerships have beautiful facilities and all the latest and best technology, but don't assume that they also employ the best techs just because they are a high end dealership. The situation that I found myself in was most likely avoidable with a bit more caution and/or better communication. Intead they pushed forward, created the situation, and after initially telling me it was a 5 dollar fix, 24 hours later they were assuming I'd blindly hand over $1800 for 2 new calipers. Then when I suggest to get Audi corporate involved, 24 hours later the car is back together and ready for pick up despite having told me caliper replacement was the only option I had. Finally when I go to pick it up, they don't even explain or disclose the status of the snapped screws. Overall terrible communication throughout the process and I wouldn't recommend using a dealership for anything other than warranty work. Find a good indy shop that you trust and never look back. This is especially true if your car is heavily modified or tuned.

[delz05]

THIS!!!! "Find a good indy shop that you trust and never look back. This is especially true if your car is heavily modified or tuned."

Dealers are great for warranty work, but they try to "up sell" the extra and mostly unneeded work, like crazy! If you don't have a trusting relationship with a service manager or a service adviser... indy is the way to go!

[WinterRunner]

On Tuesday I was at Westwood for a sensor diagnosis to get the part ordered under warranty. I know the R8 tech there, and we have decent rapport. I was satisfied with my visit, and them respecting my wishes (no washes, r8 tech drives car, car is being watched 24/7 by my dual camera, etc) and it went fine. I was walking around the outside inventory, and came across a car-wash employee moving a customers car out of a tight spot outside. He makes like a 8 point turn (carefully), and then proceeds to scrape bumpers with a brand new SQ5 parked next to it. He smiled and drives off. There was missing paint from both cars. That opened my fucking eyes to say the least. Luckily a younger guy (car runner) also witnessed it, and went to the service manager to report on it. I was beside myself.

[EvoToSQ5]

These reviews worry me about having warranty work done on my S3. I’ve only ever had 1 warranty claim in my life and when I had the dealer do the work, I pretty much watched their every move.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[BeantownAudi]

Horrible experience at Cape Cod Audi. Jay wouldn't take my deposit over the phone, assured me he wouldn't sell it. Texted me the next day "sorry, we sold it"

[GrandMarkie]

I've been taking the RS to Mattie Imports in Fall River for years. The dealership is tiny and not in the best area, but the service has always been great

[miguelmontielg]

Any good service place in Connecticut? Just moved in here

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[Chatchie]

Banchwerks in Providence, RI is great. South Shore Autoworks in Marion, MA if your in Plymouth county.

[chipj]

Hello all,

Looking for any opinions of the local Audi dealers for having service done. Natick would be the most convenient for me as I commute from Newton to Framingham on Rt. 9. I have heard that Westwood is a better dealer but it is a bit out of the way for me. Any opinions are welcomed, and recommendations for particular service advisers would be great as well!

RayTeam in Waltham is a very good Audi specialist who has always treated me honestly and seems very knowledgeable.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[your daddy]

I would just go to Auto Engineering in Lexington.

:)

[belgaonkar]

A quick word of caution on Rayteam - Don't!

My B8 S5 was supposedly maintained by Frank @ Rayteam from 60k to 210k. I cant speak for this knowledge on other Audi platforms, but he is/was clueless on the B8 4.2L. He sold the previous owner a 'preventative' timing chain service at 110k for ~$7k. The B8 4.2L DONT need chains. When the clutch pressure plate self-adjusting mechanism failed at 140k he sold the previous owner a new transmission.... and the paperwork said it took them 4 months to install it.

Go to Rick @ Auto Engineering instead. They give you snacks and a view of two R8s while you wait :)