R & D Automotive: Bavarian Rocket Science in Albany
16 Tivoli St, Albany, NY 12207, United States
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Should have read the reviews and followed my gut. DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR HERE!!!!! They do not know how to fix the car properly and just throw parts at it to try to fix the problem. Almost $7k and 3 months later my car was returns and doesn’t run properly. Avoid at all cost if you love your vehicle. I put a hold on the credit card payment and the owner said the owner said bring it back and he would fix the problems. Upon my call back several weeks later they denied to correct the issues because the payment went through by them. They are a disgrace to honest mechanics and the entire VAG community.
NO NOT BRING YOUR CAR HERE! I have an 88 Mercedes. I dropped my car off on 7/17/24 and was told they would be able to get it back to me with a quote by next day. I needed my AC repaired, a clunking noise in the front end repaired, sway bar linkages installed (already purchased from the Mercedes Dealer), a dash bulb light replaced, a leak in my fuel pump, and an oil change. I never received a call the next day so I called but unfortunately Thomas said they weren't able to get the quote done. So I called again the next day, still no quote. I called Monday and Tuesday with the same result. I was finally sent a quote on 7/24/24. The front end noise was diagnosed as ball joins and control arms. They included everything else I needed addressed as well as recommending I repair a leak at my rear differential. It was reasonable for the amount of work so I approved it. I asked when I could expect to get my car back, Thomas told me by the end of the following week (expected 8/2/24 at the latest). I called 7/31/24 to see how everything was going and Thomas said they got the AC repaired they just had to get to the rest but they were still hoping to be done by the end of the week. I called back the next day and they confirmed the car won't be done until the following week. I followed up on Tuesday and they told me they did not finish the work and unfortunately the work wasn't done because he had multiple people out sick but they should be able to get it back to me soon. I decided to go to the shop on 8/9/24 as the work should now be done. Thomas told me again the work wasn't done. I looked over the car which was sitting in the same spot as when I dropped it off and it didn't appear anything had been touched but I was told early next week I should get my car back. 8/13.24 I called again with the same result. 8/16/24 I called and Thomas told me most of the work was done but they ran into some issues but they knew I was frustrated and told me I would be able to pick up my car. They told me I would have to come back for sway bar linkage and to get the tie rods replaced as the front end was still making a clunking noise. I requested they send me a quote and I bring the car back when it was more convenient. I drove the car home and the AC was great. Unfortunately that's where the good news ends. The clunking was no better than when I dropped it off, and the dash light was never replaced. When I got home I noticed smoke coming out from under the hood. There was a major oil leak all over the top of the motor. I looked at the oil filler cap and it wasn't even installed correctly which caused an oil to leak from the filler cap all the way from Albany to Saratoga. Frustrated I decided to check to make sure the fuel leak was actually addressed and I noticed there was plastic on my fuel pump which was not there before bringing it to the shop. I brought my car to another shop to get the work done and the shop tells me there is no sway bar link in the rear driver side. They never installed the rear sway bar on the driver side but allowed me to pick up my car. I was told I would have to come back to get them installed but I assumed the original wasn't taken out. I went to R and D on 9/10/24 to talk to them about my issues. I explained the oil filler cap and Thomas agreed that it was unacceptable and ridiculous. He told me the reason they didn't install the new sway bar link was because the old bolt was going to have to be drilled out and will take 5-6 hours. He said there was no way of knowing how much play there was in the tie rods until the ball joints were replaced. I forgot to ask why they charged me for a bulb replacement that was never done. When I asked about the plastic on my fuel pump he was completely dismissive said they didn't do that. I have photos of the fuel pump prior to bringing it to their shop without the plastic. I waited over a month and was charged almost $3000 for unacceptable work. The communication is horrible and the quality of work is horrible. They will make an excuse for any poor work they did. Go somewhere else!
Brought my Boxster in for work….. The WORST case of professionalism and customer service I have ever encountered. R&D had a great reputation and good reviews, but the service I encountered there was an ABSOLUTE JOKE. Terrible communication between workers. Labor and service was agreed upon on passenger door. One of the workers didn’t even look at this door, only briefly checked driver side door. When I complained, I was told to “hit the bricks” and that he didn’t have time for me. He told me to come back in May. Was I not a paying customer? Rick referred to himself as a “professional,” but he wasn’t anything close to that. It pained me to fork over the cash and pay for their incompetent work. You might get lucky and have no issues there, that is if Rick and Bob decide to put their brains in their skull that morning. Avoid at all costs.
Replaced the front brake pads and disks on my 2019 BMW X3 m40i. Fair pricing, clear communication and friendly service. I plan on using them for all the work my car needs in the future and I have full confidence in them
I would not recommend R&D. I needed an alignment done on my Audi S4. I didn’t want to pay the stealership to do it because I didn’t want to pay an outrageous amount of money just for an alignment. I drove 1.5 hours to have these guys do it and was reassured it would be done correctly and it was an easy process. Needless to say the car was at the shop for 8 hours just to get a “1 hour alignment”. When I got the car back at 5pm the steering wheel wasn’t straight and the car pulled to the right when I let the wheel go traveling down a straight highway in the left lane with little to no road crown. I immediately called on my way home and I was told this was “normal” and that they align racecars with those same specs. Well, it’s not a racecar… it’s my daily driver and I don’t want to have to hang on the steering wheel just to go straight when I drive down the highway. I ended up going to the dealership and it was aligned perfect, the steering wheel was straight and I’ve had zero issues for 5,000 miles. Lesson learned. Never again will I use R&D.
My Mercedes broke down when I was 5 hours away from home. It was a very stressful situation as I did not know anyone in the area to fix my car. I stumbled upon this place on Google and I noticed that the reviews are very good and that they worked on German cars. I called on a Saturday afternoon and left a message. I received a call back in less than 20 minutes. I informed the owner of my situation, and he told me not to worry and to get the car towed over to the shop. It was such a relief, knowing that my car was in good hands by someone knowledgeable, and very friendly. They were able to fix the electrical problem that my car was having for a very reasonable price. I cannot thank them enough for getting me out of a very stressful situation. Highly recommend.
2004 645Ci with 100k on the clock, needed a complete checkup with some minor details like a headlight out and a mysterious shut down of power at high rpm’s. Left the car with R&D for 5-6 weeks and when I picked it up the headlight was still out and the RPM problem still existed. Check engine light still on and he presented me with a $3k bill. Car was returned dirty and left outside his shop in a rough neighborhood. Good luck if you use this shop is all I have to say. Zero communication through the process as well.
I brought my BMW 5 Series to R&D for a second opinion after the dealership quoted what I thought was way too much money to fix my car. Tom was totally awesome!! Not only did he squeeze me into their already full schedule but R&D saved me $1,000 off of what the dealership was going to charge. Tom and the staff did a fantastic job and I couldn’t be happier with the repairs and the service I received. If you have a BMW and need a good repair shop, look no further because R&D is it.
Great place to bring old and new European autos
Great work!!
They take great care of my car, and believe me, that is a huge stress reducer. Thanks Rick and gang.
Quick response but I wish they fix newer bmw
Decided to check this shop out in hopes that an independent place would serve me better than a dealership. I have no complaints about the service, but the costs are absolutely absurd. They charged me $125 for an oil change, and $225 for a brake system flush, and thats just the labor. Both the oil and filter cost was marked way up at about double the cost I could get from Walmart or for original parts online. This may be a good place if youre trying to get custom work done, but for general repairs and maintenance steer clear, because theyll take all of your money. I ended up with a $500 bill for this relatively casual maintenance. Edit: To clarify since the owner responded. 5 quarts of Mobile 1 0w-30 is what was on my bill sheet for $72.50. You can pick up a 5 quart jug of exactly the same at walmart for $30. The oil filter kit with BMW part number was $20.46. You can find a 2 pack of the same part number, an official BMW part, on Amazon for $17. An oil change from Keeler BMW is $100 parts included. Theyre up-charging like crazy.
Absolutely awesome. Great group of people saved me after dealing with The VW Dealership. Was so happy to find R & D. Thank you guys. Positive Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Cant say enough good things about these guys. They know their stuff, treat you right, have very fair rates and do great work. As far as Porsche service and enhancements are concerned, I wouldnt go anywhere else. Tom and the team are just top-notch.
Fixes sports cars that no one else knows how to do. Takes longer for the repair.
They fixed my 2003 vw passat and quoted me under what pep boys did. The work was solid and I havent had any issues since.
Only have it a 1 because I couldnt write review without rating. Have been to R and D many times over the past maybe 5 years. Always seemed better than high price of dealer for maintenance and our repair. Unfortunately, check engineight came on a month ago. After receiving an estimate from R and D, I agreed to them fixing. I wish that was the end of the story. Unfortunately, pd $600, then picked up car fixed. Yet 2 days later light on again. After getting stuck on the side of the road and having to be towed to then for repair of same problem, they added all kinds of parts that I supposedly needed, then called to say car was not reacting correctly, they would have to add toy already $900 estimate, which would now cost $1200. After a heated debate, I agreed, even though I shouldnt have paid them I did. And here we are 1 week afterpicking up the car and then insistingit was fixed and yes check engine on again.! I have to say seems as though, they dont know what they are doing.
R&D performed a pre-purchase inspection of my 1991 e30 BMW convertible. They did a great job. They were spot on in their findings. Their advice allowed me to get the seller to fix an oil leak. They then inspected the car again after the work was completed by the seller and confirmed it was done properly. All done remotely! They were outstanding and I recommend them wholeheartedly.
Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff
Ill never be taking my German cars anywhere else. After purchasing my first VW, a 1999 Cabrio, and it needed work to pass inspection I was recommended R&D Automotive. Everyone there was clear, respectful, and honest. They absolutely are the experts when it comes to German cars. They were able to quickly and accurately diagnose the handful of electrical issues that I had that were preventing me and the pervious owner from getting the car to pass inspection. Dont take your German cars anywhere else, these are the guys to go to.
Extremely professional and a high level of integrity. I brought my Mercedes in for a brake flush and to replace some driveshaft bushings, turns out I didnt even need those bushings replaced and they were 100% honest with me about what my car did and did not need. These guys clearly care about cars and treated my aging C-class like it was one of their own; much respect for that and I will be bringing in the rest of my European cars for routine maintenance. Thanks guys!
Very friendly and knowledgeable about cars. They gave me a full run down on up n coming maintenance to my vehicle. They also notified me of a possible issue i should addres. Highly recommend!
Chris was extremely professional. Clear communication, cheaper prices than Audi service center. Spoke with him daily while my car was in the shop for about a week and a half. Great work all around. If you need some work done, take it here and not to a dealership.
Tom and Staff are Awesome!! If you have a german car and you need it worked on properly, dont go to the dealership, go to Tom!
Very knowledgeable
Because of so many positive reviews, my husband chose R & D. I hope that we can write a positive review when we finally get our VW camper back as its been a very long wait.
If you have a car you care about this is the place to go. Tom is the best but everyone there is nice and knowledgeable. If you ever get your car and something is not absolutely perfect they will work on making it perfect. Really great place. The only downside is the wait but its expected considering they do such a great job. You cant rush perfection!
A 1 service & repairs
Good service, friendly staff and reasonable rates.
Never called me back
Aint no substitute.
Fantastic garage! I forgot my receipt during a track day and Tom was willing to help out despite it being a weekend and not during shop hours. If you want your German automobile serviced well and especially if you want to be confident on the track, this is the place to go in the Capital Region. These guys are true car enthusiasts and it is always a pleasure to work with them.
Very knowledgeable German car specialists.Fair pricing and excellent service.
The Northeasts premier vintage, historic, modern, and motorsport, German automobile specialists. From routine maintenance, interior and exterior refreshes, to engine and powertrain rebuilds, to mechanical and chassis preservation, and full on #1 concours restorations, R&D is the definitive choice for the personal attention to detail, and expert service, that you, and your fine German automobile, deserve.
Dropped off my MINI, they looked it over and called me back the next day even though my appointment was a day later. Gave me a detailed rundown of the issues and a good ballpark cost.
As a Porsche enthusiast and amateur mechanic I was trying to piece together the history of my car prior to my ownership. In speaking with Tom and the team here one thing is apparent, they are passionate about German cars, and are happy to share that experience. Additionally they were super responsive in getting me the information I was looking for on my car and didnt charge me to find and provide it! Having years of experience working on my own Porsches and having seen the work they have done on my car in the past its clear that they take pride in their work and it shows.
Very honest and fair pricing
These guys are great. They know the German cars inside and out. If you have a problem, theyve seen in and know how to handle it in a timely manner. Highly recommended, especially with your classics.
Great mechanics and very supportive of the Hudson Champlain region the Porsche Club of America
I don t live in the Albany area, but am considering purchasing a car from one of their customers. The seller suggested I call and speak with Tom (who runs the shop) and speak with him about the overall condition of the car I was considering. So I called around 3.00 pm on a Friday ( probably a hectic time for them) and was told that Tom was out on an errand and would be back in 20 minutes. They took my name and number and, sure enough, Tom promptly called me back. Mind you, he s not getting paid for this and because I live several hundred miles away, it s not highly likely I ll be a regular customer. Didn t seem to matter to him. He could not have been more accommodating. Now I am not a mechanical novice, having wrenched on my own cars and motorcycles for some 40 years and I ve done quite a bit of research on the particular Porsche I m considering. So we really got into the details. And Tom was a walking encyclopedia, not only on this car, but on Porsche s in general. Many repair shops I know could take lessons from this guy and his friendly, down-to-earth attitude. He gladly answered all my questions, got into some other topics that car guys talk about, and probably spent about 20-25 minutes chatting until I ran out of questions. What a resource and what a gentleman. My only regret is that his shop is up there and I m down in Philadelphia! Hmm.. don t they make enclosed transporters to solve problems like this? many thanks, Tom!
I had a great experience with Tom and his team! I have a VW TDI and had a hard time finding a shop that could work on a diesel VW, beyond routine maintenance. They got me right in and kept me informed every step of the way. Having 180k miles on it, there were a handful of issues that needed to be addressed. Although it ended up being a bigger job than initially anticipated they made sure to check in before doing any work and gave me consistent updates. Being a woman who knows nothing about cars, Im always skeptical about working with a shop for the first time. They made sure to explain everything they were doing and why. I was able to run it all by a friend of mine that has the experience/knowledge (just not the time or equipment to do the work himself) and he confirmed everything they said. They absolutely proved to be trustworthy! I will definitely be bringing my car back here for maintenance and any work that may be needed in the future!
I bought my 1977 930 fifteen years ago. About six years ago, I heard a gun shot like sound while driving it. I was subsequently told that I had broken the second head bolt on one of the cylinders are not to drive it. At the time I was paying alimony. When the alimony stopped, the car went directly to Rick for rebuilding. I watched for two days as he ripped it down to the crankcase. Then for the next three weeks he rebuilt it. After 1,000 miles I brought it back, he replaced a balky fuel pump, tuned it and turned it back over to me. IT RUNS MAGNIFICENTLY!! Better than it did when I first bought it. Likely as well as it did in 1977 when it was new. I cant say enough good things about these guys. To endure my dumb questions for 2 days and explain how the engine was built, to explain what he was going to replace and to have this car running as well and as reliably as it is now is a GIFT beyond belief. Thank you Rick and Tom and Ken
I took my 2010 Mini Cooper to R & D automotive. I was very happy to find a place that works with Coopers, could get my car fixed quickly, and was a reasonable price.
Dishonest people. Car developed a noise after being serviced but they refused to acknowledge any issues. Another service organization found loose part that had been serviced by R&D. They made up other services required on car with verbal estimates and when asking for more details and reasons, they said they would get back to me. Still waiting. Friendly people that gauge you on how much they can get out of you.
If youve ever heard the saying leave it to the professionals then you should know that those professionals, are R & D Automotive. I myself own a BMW, and let me tell you she has been trouble. Ever since I bought her I could never get her to pass inspection, even Keeler BMW were completely useless in helping me. However Tom with R & D knew exactly what the problems were and how to address them. However you cant get the best without paying the best, and at $95.00 an hour R & D Automotive trumps Keller BMWs $80.00 and hour labor rate. Dont let the price dissuade you though, these guys are worth it! Because now I have an inspected and working car and I can feel completely comfortable driving around town in, so for all your German car needs head on over to R & D.
R&D have demonstrated on more than one occasion to me their experience in handling diagnosis, estimates, repair, followup and delivery to my standards and satisfaction. In my barn I maintain aside from American commuter class cars, German,British and Italian cars old and new. Rick (and Tom, and Ken) have been courteous to me from all points of business handling on my sons w126 Benz and my 996 Porsche. Ricks attention to detail and recommendation during a recent emergency have shown they are serious to an ownerss needs. From an initial discovery of a shifter issue on the 996, followup phone call from them was within minutes to schedule time on their rack. The full diagnosis and repair was while I waited. That is from relationships built, customer trust and knowledgeable concern.
Not just Porsche...I was referred to these guys when I bought a used BMW a few years ago. Not only is this the cleanest shop Ive ever been in (can you say organized?) but they also do really great work. One afternoon last year I left work to find that my car wasnt running on all cylinders so I took it over to see the Wizard. It turned out to be a fairly simple fix but they didnt have the part they needed on hand. One of their guys actually drove across town to get the part so I could get out of there and get back to NYC the same day, even though it meant they were staying late. Whether it is something simple like an oil change or something more complicated, they are honest, efficient, and really great at keeping you in the loop on what to expect. They even helped me out with research on pricing and trade-in value when I bought my new car, even though it meant I wouldnt be coming in with repairs on my 100,000 mile+ BMW. If youre tired of shopping around for a great shop, look no further. These guys are the real deal.
The only place I trust to work on my car. They answer any questions I have and explain exactly what they are doing and why. Ive spoken with multiple people who have brought their cars here (and some after I brought mine) and have heard nothing but good things from them as well.
They have the best knowldge of older Porsches in the Northeast, but they can also take care of the newer models. Their workmanship is execelent and their rates are very fair. You can feel very confidant by having your Porsche serviced or repaired at R&D Automotive. I had my 914 ,944 and now my 911 serviced at there and I am very happy with the quality of service that I have received.
