JL Automotive Service

Jose Lopez at J-​L automotive is the man! He tuned up my 2003 GTI with quality Original parts at a fraction of the cost of what Volkswagen in Santa Monica had quoted me! Thank you and GOD Bless Jose…

Wow. Where do I start? Back when I had my 2004 Audi S4, I trusted Jose based off of a friends recommendation to replace my auxiliary fan. He said it’ll be done within 2 days. A week goes by and I receive a call to find out that not only has he not started the job, but he’s asking me for $ 200 cash before he starts to order the part! I immediately tell him to put the old fan back on and put the car back together. Upon arrival to come pick the car up, I see that he’s broken the plastic wire harness guards so now, I have exposed wires in my engine bay. Stay away from this place at all costs.

I used to come here at a recommendation of a good friend of mine, and my experiences were pretty average. My Audi S4 is highly modified, so it takes someone with an extensive knowledge of VAG vehicles to be able to properly work on my car.
Jose usually does acceptable work, keyword usually. His prices are pretty average, although a few times he gave me a good deal, while other times he’s overcharged me. I know, everyone has to eat, so I guess that’s understandable.
I’m giving a lower rating review because of how he has treated my friends. He cheated both of my friends out of their money, and both of their cars sat in his shop for MONTHS and did not do any work on them. In fact, several times, he made the problems on their car even worse. Jose «rebuilt» the heads on my friend’s S4, and less that 1k miles later, the car dropped a valve. In all the cases, he tried to charge or overcharge my friends, which is an insult to them considering he didn’t even fix their cars. Moreover, it’s an insult to me because my friends trusted me with their recommendations for a reliable shop.
Now, I don’t even bother going to shops anymore. I do all my work myself, which is more fun, saves me money, and I get to learn new useful skills.

VERY IMPORTANT TO READ:
Most of the reviews here are from people who have come from their first visit with Jose. I also shared their 5 star sentiments toward his service, demeanor and quality of work. However, he is a bait and switch type of guy.
The second time I had to go to him I still had a great experience but things have just gone completely down hill. The last time I took my car there he kept it for more than a month. When it was finally «done» my glove compartment was broken, the door panel was falling apart and the minute I drove out the engine started to overheat… AGAIN! He tried to tell me that it was a sensor, but his assistant took a closer look and saw that it was a wire. SO, I had to leave it there one more day. HOW DID THEY MISS THAT??? Anyways, I went again to pick it up and lo and behold my car is still not fixed. I’m not even going to bother to go back to him again and am going to try my luck with another mechanic.
Another really odd thing is that his assistant would make side comments about my jewelry and handbag, as though he was judging me to see how much money he could squeeze out. Looking back, I feel as though I should have just showed up with no jewelry/​expensive purses just so they don’t think I’m made of $$. So, keep that in mind too!
Please, please, please heed this warning before trusting him with your car.

JL Automotive Service
20 944 Vanowen St, Canoga Park, CA 91 303
Owner: Jose Lopez
So I thought I’d give this place a try due to a few members recommending it.
Let me start this off with when I drove into the place I should of known right then and there NOT to leave my car here. But I wanted to give this guy a chance maybe it just didn’t look right but he did good work.
Well that wasn’t the case. The first time I had dropped the car off was in December of 2014. I dropped it off to put my stock calipers back on with new pads and rotors, new brake fluid reservoir, oil change, fix lock mechanism in driver door, and realign my shifter/​replace plastic ball.
Well I picked my car up after this was all complete. I supplied all the parts and he charged about $ 850 – 900 which I thought was extremely high. But hey I’ll pay it because I want my car back and we all need to make money to survive right?
Upon driving the car about 8 miles away my timing belt snaps. and we all know when that happens it ain’t good. I called the shop right away and he said he can send a tow truck but I declined and used my own. I asked him why he didn’t overlook the car and inspect it for other maintenance items such as this. He said «you didn’t give me enough time». This was 100% false as I have another car I drive daily. I told him specifically take all the time you need.
Anyways moving onto now dropping the car off again for cylinder head rebuild.
I figure cylinder head rebuilds are around $ 350 – 500 tops. I once again supplied my own parts for the entire rebuild. Including the valves and the entire timing belt kit.
The car was dropped off again in January you can find a post of when this happened in the B5 section on Audizine forums. Anyways… I took him MONTHS to get the car back together and I am NOT exaggerating. But that’s not all.
The first time he called me to come pickup the car I went to go get it… upon getting there he had the car waiting for me. I started it and it didn’t start properly and idled HORRIBLY. It actually stalled a few times.
I then went to go test drive it and the car wouldn’t boost at all. And there was quite a bit of smoke coming out of the engine bay. I immediately drove it back and mentioned all of this. He said «ok I’m sorry. I will take care of it». At this point I was getting irritated and I then asked him for my money back until he figures everything out. So he did he gave me the money back.
Months later… yes months he calls me and says «I don’t know what to do with this thing. I try everything. Everything is fine I put everything back together» my response was «Well obviously somethings not right and you need to figure that out. YOUR the mechanic. Fix it».
I then just started showing up in person to speak face to face. His business partner couldn’t even look at me in the face when I spoke about my issues with the car. He then had asked for money to give my car back to me. I didn’t bite and I just let the car sit there for longer. Meanwhile I kept an eye on where it was parked and if any spider webs developed to see if he was working on it or not. And what a surprise… he wasn’t at all.
I returned on April 18^th 2015 to pickup the car and just get it out of there. I paid him around $ 800 to just get it out at a price he would agree to.
The car is now leaking with oil all over the place. Doesn’t boost properly and idles like complete crap. There’s no way to tell for sure if he even put everything back together properly.
TLDR: Worst shop/​mechanic I’ve ever had to deal with in my entire life. I would NEVER recommend going here EVER for your car. You’ll only end up with more headaches and be out money. This person does not now how to work on Modified/​tuned cars WHAT so ever. Doesn’t even have a full version of diagnostic software like VAGCOM.

The check engine light came on for my wife’s Q7 (with over 100K miles). Since I am way out of my warranty for the car, I needed to find a good mechanic at a reasonable price. After reading so many good reviews about this place, I decided to give them a call. Jose got me in immediately (Saturday afternoon) and worked to resolve the issue which turned out to be a vacuum leak. I was impressed by his knowledge of Audi’s and general attitude, so I scheduled a followup later in the week for him to work on other known issues that I’ve been putting off on the car. Jose took care of me for a fraction of what other mechanics have been charging me. I also had him work on my A3 and am very happy with his service and prices.
You will not be disappointed with this place. Give them a call and see for yourself.

I have been coming to jl for about a year now. I’ve brough all 4 of my cars here. Jose is the most honest and best mechanic I have ever been to. I bought a car previously owned by Jose without knowing it. I took it to his shop and ever since then, we’ve been friends and he’s done stuff for me that no other mechanic would do. He’s the best mechanic around. I send all my friends to him.

Background: I am euro car enthusiast, I’ve had 5 different Audi, VW and BMWs and currently have a B5 A4 Audi. In NY I was spoiled with a mechanic family friend who knew everything about european cars. I wouldn’t let anyone else touch the car.
Well I moved to LA and needed to find someone new. It took me months because I didn’t want just anyone touching my car. I have been over to Jose’s place numerous times now and I feel that I owe it to him to post a review.
Not only does he know Audi & VWs well, he’s EXTREMELY fair. At this point I don’t even ask the price anymore because I know it will be better than any other place, and I can trust him to do the job right. Very kind and down to earth man.
He does OEM maintenance and modifications as well. The shop is essentially just a lift in a bay so don’t expect anything fancy. His knowledge and expertise is what you’re paying for.
TIP: If you are going for the first time, pull into the driveway where it says smog station. Then drive up the alley there on the right to the back to find him.

I live in Pasadena but I needed a good mechanic near my work in Woodland Hills so I could drop my car off during office hours. Thank goodness I found Jose at JL Automotive! I called him in the morning and asked if I could drop my car off at 1 for an oil change, and when I did so he was already outside waiting for me. The shop is difficult to find as it doesn’t have a sign on the street. Its behind an auto glass shop on Vanowen. Pull into their parking lot and Jose will come greet you.
I was in and out of there in just under 40 minutes, so less than your average lunch break. His prices are so incredibly fair, fraction of what the dealership will charge you, and he will treat you with kindness, honesty and respect. He gave my Mercedes a good once-​over and pointed out a couple of things that would need replacing eventually but not urgently, and didn’t try to charge me for anything I don’t need.
So basically… if you drive a German car and you’re sick of getting ripped off for basic services by mechanics just because you drive a German car, come to Jose! I’ve definitely found my valley mechanic!

I thought I had previously reviewed JL Automotive, but it seems to have disappeared from Unilocal.So here’s a new review:
Some years ago I followed Jose from Ingolstadt when he left to start his own shop. This was back in the days when Mike owned Ingolstadt. Jose had been almost all of the work on my car, a 2000 Audi A4 for years now. He has replaced the timing belt twice (my car has 170,000 miles on it!).
Jose has always performed amazing work on my car, always quotes a fair price, and always tries to help me out. For example, he has loaned me his car several times so I can get to work while he works on my car. One time a repair took longer then expected due to some parts issues and he let me continue to borrow his car for 5 more days. Who else would do that?
He knows Audi’s up and down and just has a grasp of all cars. If he doesn’t know something, he’ll say it. He is always trying to find a way to do the right job and never tries to do a job that isn’t needed, even if you initially thought it was needed.
Basically, Jose is a really great, humble honest guy and a family man. I trust his word implicitly.

This is hard to do. How do you write a review for an amazing auto mechanic. It is like a catholic grandmother writing a review about her priest.
Jose Lopez is the Audi whisperer
JL automotive… a different kind of experience. I have been taking my 2000 Audi A4 140 000 miles to Jose for over 3 years now. He destroys the prices that the other shops and dealers give me for my old foreign car repairs. 60 – 70 bucks for the synthetic oil change, all the fluids, and a full check out of the car. He has fixed multiple issues with my car over the years and my Audi still performs amazingly. Jose also does some stuff for my girlfriend’s jeep.
Jose is also fun to deal with for parts… he has a guy for everything it seems. Usually, he calls right there in front of you.
I like Jose’s personality also. He will get into very deep conversations. Very virtuous man from what I know.
One garage. Jose gets very busy, so be sure to make an appointment.
I look forward to when Jose has a bigger garage, which he is in the process of purchasing. He is a force in the automotive repair world and I am glad to know him. When I purchase my BMW, I will still take it to Jose from time to time even if it is under warranty.
Go get ‘em!

Jose Lopes is super honest, knowledgable and inexpensive. I would not take my Audi anywhere else. He can fix any car, but his specialty are German cars.

The only shop I let touch my Audi. Nearly 120,000miles on my 2008 and still runs smooth and feels like the day I bought it. No doubt the best prices around with great service to back it up. Always finishes the job in a few hours, and most of the time can take you in the same day. Honest, reliable, always picks up the phone, and greets you as a friend.

Blanket statement here: women often get ripped off at automotive shops. It’s often wise to bring a «beard» with you so the mechanic thinks twice before jacking up the price. This isn’t the case with Jose. I brought my car in this am and it was like time never passed. He asked me how my dog was and I had to laugh because the last time I saw him was about 10 years ago over at Inglestadt West. He and Mike Rooney were my 2 most favorite car guys. Once the place sold I went back to Auto Gallery – because John Eschelman is a good guy. But things have changed over there too. I am glad I Unilocaled and rediscovered Jose. It was like old home day this morning and not only is he a great guy, smart businessman and diagnostician— you actually want to pay him and feel good doing so. He has pride in his work and isn’t out to gouge. You will want to return again and again.

Jose Lopez is one of the best Audi wrenches in LA. He is very reasonable and will go way out of his way to help his customers. He used to work with Mike Rooney at Ingolstadt West in the old days. Mike is no longer wrenching, having struck the mother lode, but I think his crown has been passed on to Jose.
I take all of my Audi fleet to him as well as all of the VW cars in my family.
You will not be disappointed with him. You could go to an Audi dealer and get charged stratospheric rates for service, or you can get personal attention and great service at a fraction of dealer prices by going to Jose.

So far so good. Jose is always a pleasure to deal with and does jobs fast and easy. Very good service. Needed an expansion tank today. 3 hours later — it’s done!!! Awesome
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Been going here for a couple of years since my last review. Jose is one of the best mechanics I have ever dealt with

Jose is without a doubt simply one of the kindest, most generous, most honest individuals I’ve ever met. He’s just a nice guy to know… period. Moreover, he’s an ~awesome~ and superlative mechanic! He does, indeed, specialize in Audis and BMWs, but, because his shop was proximal to where I live, I brought my Toyota MR2 Spyder there many times over a three year period. He kept it running brilliantly… economically fixing problems for which the dealership would’ve charged me an arm and leg. My girlfriend also took her Toyota there, and he always quickly and accurately diagnosed the problem and delivered excellent work at prices that seemed too good to be true.
I’m usually rather cynical when it comes to mechanics. In general, I believe if it’s too good to be true, it probably is!!! But: Jose is the one dude that disproves that rule; he’s the sort of guy who makes you feel genuinely grateful; he restores your trust in humanity. Why? Because, as a mechanic, he just delivers waaay more value than he charges, and he does it again and again and again. He does good work because he loves what he does… and authentically cares about his customers.
I’m motivated to write this review because I have two guests – two young ladies from Northern California – visiting this week as house guests. The transaxle on their older model Audi just broke… I told them to go see Jose. Not only did Jose himself pick them up when the car was ready, not only did he fix their car at a price that was at least 30% lower than any other quote (it seemed insanely low to me), but then he drove them back to my place, and bought them Monster energy drinks en route! I mean: what kind of mechanic does that??? This guy refuels your ~life~. I haven’t seen nor spoken to Jose in half-​a-​year or more… and even now, I’m just baffled by how a guy can be so dang nice… and how a mechanic can be so affordable and stay in business.
I know all this seems over the top. I’m not a close buddy of Jose’s. I’m not being paid by anybody to say this stuff. I’m just a guy who knows the real deal when he sees it, and I take pleasure in doing what can to share that with the world. When it comes to cars, you meet a guy like this maybe once or twice in your life. Jose deserves every accolade, and a helluva lot more business.
I don’t car what kind of car you have… If you can, go see this shop first. No bull$hit. If he can’t fix it, he’ll point you in the right direction… and you’ll find it’s the direction you want to go. You’d be smart to get acquainted with him and his work. Don’t just check out this handful of reviews on Unilocal… Google the name of his shop — JL Automotive — and you’ll see I’m not the only person to have had this sort of experience. You just can’t buy those kind of testimonials.

Jose has been my mechanic for over 15 years. I followed him when he left Ingolstadt West a few years agol
He is ethical beyond belief. If he can fix your car with a used part, he will and save you a lot of money. He will rebuild a component of a system if that will save you money.
His knowledge of automobiles is unbelievable. I have seen and heard Audi and VW dealerships come to him when they cannot fix one of their own warranty cars.
He works really hard to get the job done. Amazing find in this time of big is better and his service is just wonderful
Try him once and you will be back.
The more you know about cars, the more you will respect and trust him.
Trust is so important in this business because there are so many just bad mechanics who will tell you lies and take your money

I have taken my VW Jetta here a few times for service and couldn’t be more satisfied. Jose has got to be one of the friendliest people I have ever met. He and his staff know what they are talking about when it comes to Audis and VWs.
He does not recommend or perform services that are unneeded, unlike some other places I have been to (dealerships). His pricing for labor is fair and often times I will find that he has performed extra checks or services free of charge.
His shop is tucked behind an Auto Glass store, so it’s not somewhere you would notice from the street. You have to pull in the Glass Store parking lot and drive along the right side of the building to the back.
I went to Jose just this morning for an oil change. I was having some problems with my AC smelling weird, and on top of replacing my filter and adding special scent spray, his staff taught me some tricks on how to keep my air system smelling good all year round.
I will be continuing to come here as long as I am an LA resident! I make the drive up from the South Bay to visit JL Automotive, and it is well worth it for honest and dependable service!

I went to this place after reading reviews about the owner being honest and trustworthy (as that is very important to me as anyone else!). However, I have to say that I am disappointed; he charged me way over the estimate and never once discussed about the change in rates. So it was a shock toward the end as it has affected my budget. I was hoping to find THE PLACE for my VW, but I guess I have to keep looking. I certainly am not a happy customer and definitely have second thoughts about returning!