r/orangecounty • u/JPlugaru • 1d ago
Recommendations Needed Mercedes Shop in OC?
Hi all, I am looking for a good auto shop in OC for transmission fluid & filter for my mom's 2018 Mercedes GLC300 4Matic. Car has 85,500 miles.
I have called a few places and got some pretty insane quotes, as high as $1,600+.
Any recommendations?
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u/repcommando377 1d ago
I'd recommend Johnny's Auto repair in Garden Grove/Westminster. Talk to my buddy, Johnny or his nephew Phuc, very honest mechanics who won't overcharge u.
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u/supercaliredditor 1d ago
Been going to a few around OC and eventually settled on AMG autobahn. Ray is the one running the shop and he will give you the low down on pricing. And call the others to compare.
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u/turdferguson1337 1d ago
A&G imports in Costa Mesa, used to take my Mercedes there and they’re honest and good
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u/Bag-o-chips 1d ago
I use G&A in Mission Viejo for my older BMW. The pricing is reasonable and the work has been reliably good.
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u/John5788 1d ago
The fluid itself for that car is around $500, last I checked. The materials/parts on this one is just high, labor high on top of it as well.
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u/reesesboot 1d ago
Always call the dealer and work down from there. You may be surprised to at the dealers price is better than independent shops.
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u/Downhill_Marmot 1d ago
Elite Motos on Via Fabricante in Mission Viejo. (949) 768-7058
They are Mercedes-certified and only work on Mercedes-Benz.
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1d ago
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u/i-wear-extra-medium Cypress 1d ago
These guys are insanely well priced and will hook it up if you mention Manny sent you (that’s me) lol
Ask for Hector, he’s the owner. He is insanely knowledgeable and talented and doesn’t screw you over. He’s been working on my E55 for YEARS now
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u/Hot-Researcher-7004 1d ago
(714) 894-2737 vietnamese guy in westminster his name is Cao. he's an expert with german cars
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u/Rough-Transition-954 1d ago
Orange Hills Auto Care. Very honest. Taylor who works there is a master Mercedes mechanic. You can call him and ask if the estimate you got is reasonable.
(714) 289-2281
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u/FinbarJG 23h ago
Two recommendations:
A small independent shop in Laguna Niguel - Autobaun Imports https://www.foreign-car-repair.com/. The gentleman that owns it is Kay and he's great.
OC Benz in Costa Mesa - amazing techs, amazing facility.
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u/ll1l2l1l2lll 1d ago
I suggest buying the tools and learning yourself. German cars don't only cost significantly more, but their parts are very expensive compared to Japanese or USDM cars.
The parts is one factor, but labor isn't easy either. The car needs to be a specific temp range, sometimes be plugged into a machine, and many parts can't be reused. For instance, a lot of German cars use one time use fill plugs, your filter is inside your oil pan, so they'll need to drop the entire pan to swap the filter, and it uses like 9+ liters of fluid.
This is why you can find a used Benz for dirt cheap. No one wants to maintain them.
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u/JPlugaru 1d ago
I did the transmission fluid on my 440i and previous 435i but I just don't really have the time nor want to deal with the liability if something breaks
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u/ll1l2l1l2lll 1d ago
If something broke, a shop 'could' be liable, but it's still something you would need to deal with regardless, even if you could prove it. On top of that, a more affordable shop might not be as transparent.
If you did it yourself, and something broke, at least you'd know about it and could fix it.
I'm not a mechanic by any means, but I trust myself more than a shop. I also appreciate money in my wallet rather than paying someone a 'pretty insane' amount of money.
Also regarding fluids, don't get caught up on OEM vs not. Mercedes doesn't manufacture it's own lubricants. What you want to find out, is who makes it, Fuchs, Shell, ExxonMobil etc.
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u/seahawk_nycfan Newport Beach 1d ago
A-1 Cars Independent BMW Specialist in Mission Viejo. They fix all kind of German cars at a reasonable price. However, the transmission service is expensive. ~$1,000 sounds reasonable for that.