Charlie’s Foreign Car

The entire staff here is friendly, courteous and informative of the issue (s) at hand. I was even showed pictures of my radiator leak. I very much appreciate that. Appointments are easy to make and even cancel if need be. I even got a loaner car on my last visit because i scheduled it. Jason, a technician there, is knowledgable and willing to work with you to get the job done. He’s honest and speedy at what he does. I’m very pleased with my visit to Charlie’s Foreign Car.

Took me 16 years in Encinitas to use Charlie’s and wish I did it sooner! A mechanic said he noticed I had a leak from from a brake cylinder and best to repair it now as it will be an issue down the road, literally speaking. Decided to get an estimate after the afore mentioned mechanic’s work was shoddy. His estimate was 450.00.
I got online to find a garage in Encinitas and filled out some forms for an online quote.
Mere minutes later Niko from Charlie’s called which was a good sign already. Said he could look at it but said giving an estimate is irresponsible until he actually looked at it. I completely understood that. Other places gave me a wide range of prices.
To make a long story short, They found no problems with the brakes, no leak, everything was fine. Charged me $ 63.00 and saved me lots of $$. This is my shop from here on in!
Thanks Niko and Tony!

The guys over at Charlie’s are really helpful! Their shop is immaculate and the location is super convenient, right off the 101 in downtown Encinitas. Whenever my VW van is in need of some TLC I take it here. If you have a finicky foreign car and are looking for a trustworthy and reputable mechanic, I’d highly recommend Charlie’s!

Awesome. Perfect. Reliable. Totally honest and super capable. These guys rock! I have been taking my Mercedes S and SL, my VW GTi, plus my exotics to Mark for years. Recently I picked up a 1969 American car that needed a lot of work, and they have Amazing Dave who totally nailed it for me. They love cars and love delivering. They always come in on or under budget. I cannot say enough great things about Charlie’s!!!

We got a flat fire on the way home from San Diego to Orange County and ended up here. Everyone was very professional and friendly. Nico helped us quickly get back on the road and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We even left with a recommendation to have breakfast at Honey’s and it was delicious. Thanks again!

We have been taking our (5) vehicles to Charlie’s for 10+ years now. This is an honest, reliable and totally professional business. They go above and beyond in service, all with smiles, all at a reasonable rate. When I picked up our 1998 Benz yesterday, there was a note in the car from the mechanic stating that a small problem we didn’t notice and not related to what we brought the car in for (but he did notice on the post-​repair test run) was fixed at no charge. Jim, you are terrific! Highly recommend to all, no matter what you drive.

I have had these fine people repair my car on three occasions this year. They were recommended by a local friend who has used them for many years. Their work was always of the highest quality and their people were very professional and easy to work with. I just had a small emergency today on a Friday afternoon and needed the car this weekend. They worked me into their busy schedule and made my repair and got me on my way. I recommend Charlies Foreign Car very highly.

This was an overall 5 star experience from dropping the car off to picking it up, very professional staff (Marc helped me out) and very fast service. Dropped the car off around 10am for a service and got the call that the car was services and ready to pick up at 2pm. Went there to pick the car up and to my pleasant surprise the car was washed and cleaned free of charge. It is an Audi and I have been taken it to Audi all the time but from now on I’m always gonna take it here. Thanks guys

Best auto shop in town. They gave me the lowest estimate out of all the shops in the area and it didn’t change when it came time to pick up. The repairs they did are top notch. My car is smooth as new.

I was in a real jam. I had a broken and severely rounded bolt in a irreplaceable part for my ’65 Sunbeam Tiger. Out of shear luck someone overheard me on the phone talking about my troubles. They highly recommended I take the part to Charlie’s. They asked me to leave the part. I returned in 1 hour. Not only did they get the bolt out, they made it look brand new. These gentlemen could have charged me an arm and a leg. I was out the door with just a handshake. They earned my business that day. Whenever possible I too refer them.
AW

I’ve been coming here for years! Always great service and friendly staffs. Highly recommended!

Always had great service here. They’ve even told me NOT to do a specific repair that another repair shop told me I needed, Very trustworthy.

This place is the greatest, I was in a dilemma, my Mercedes just turned off while at a yoga meditation retreat in Julian, I’m from the Alhambra /​Pasadena area, needless to say a little stressed, my first contact was from the son of the owner by phone, he was so prompt on calling me Monday morning from an contact message I’d left over the weekend, he was so upbeat (not in the, I’m a slick salesman kind of way), with a no problem we can take care of you kind of way, on arrival on the back of a tow truck they came out to greet me and the driver immediately, the first impression of the facility was nice spacious and clean, it’s not a «dealership» but as nice or nicer then most of been too, the mother also helps out as well, any way I could go on, and on, they helped me get a hotel, dropped me off picked me up, fast efficient service, with great value, soooo, friendly, professional, value based, taking customer service to the next level, thank you, you were my safe haven in the midst of my storm

My tire pressure was low per the indicator, and it turns out that the rear pressure was off. I was worried about potential nails or puncture (my car = my baby). Since this was close to Club Pilates Encinitas, it was the natural place to visit after morning working out. The gentleman who helped me was professional, kind, and performed an efficient tire/​pressure inspection right away. In less than 5 minutes, I was on my merry way to work with a huge ton of bricks lifted off my shoulders, since safety was no longer a concern.
Thank you for being so kind and helpful! I will be coming here for future needs!

I would never take my car any place else but Charlie’s. The work has been great, service is outstanding. The people that work in the front office are very knowledgeable and accommodating, prices are more than reasonable and they have always done their best to make it right for the customer. They are competent, on time and easy to deal with, even with difficult customers like me — from simple oil change to engine repairs.

Had a wonderful first trip to Charlie’s today and am grateful that I was able to have the staff take a look at my car since my normal mechanic is now 50 miles away. Everyone was so helpful and professional, and the service given was just great. Highly recommended!

Great service for a value-​seeking customer. Their staff delivers super, friendly service. What I appreciate most are the options they provide for any mechanical problem. Over the years they have given the pros and cons of any repair with consideration for things like life of the car, cost, budget. It can be a challenge to find a trusted advisor in any business; for my auto repair and maintenance needs I pick The Charlie’s Foreign team. Thanks guys!
Sorry to see that there are a few bad reviews. I attribute them to the unique, diverse and oftentimes screwy Encinitas clientele.

Awful service!
Came in to get my AC fixed on my 2006 BMW M5.
Long story short.
Paid $ 110 for the service writer Mark to tell me that my AC still doesn’t work and he doesn’t have a reason for me. Didn’t do a diagnostic.
Just tried to re fill the AC freon because it was low like I said but did not diagnose after that didn’t work.
Says that hooking up the laptop and diagnosing takes longer than one afternoon.
Have to bring the car back in and drop it off and pay another $ 150 to $ 210.
So basically I’m at $ 320 just for diagnosis. ?
Haha! F you!
I will never bring my car back there.
And being that I was born and raised in Encinitas I will be telling everyone I know about this shady, money grubbing auto shop.
I know you must have a lot of overhead with location and staff and pretty stuff in office but come on.
Get real!
Cheers!

This operation is a class act. They are professional and responsible. I had self diagnosed the work my truck needed and asked for a quote over the phone. Upon arrival and drop off of my vehicle they insisted that they do an inspection and later contact me to provide me with a quote and receive authorization to do the work. Although unnecessary from my perspective I appreciated that they wanted to do it correctly and honestly.
The work was quickly and accurately completed for the originally quoted price and I left a happy first time patron. Charlie’s has earned my future business.

I am a long time Encinitas Resident and have been taking my cars to Charlie’s for many years. If all businesses in the United States were run like this one, this country would be in much better shape. They do excellent work, have the highest levels of honesty and integrity, charge a very fair price for the value that the customer receives, but most of all everyone in this organization are just nice people. They also give generously back to the wonderful community in which we reside. If you have a car repair facility located around the corner, have your car towed to Charlie’s and let them do the work. You will become a lifetime customer.