Krietz Auto Repair

A huge thank you to Krietz Auto! Katie was a wonderful person to work with! My story: I was shopping for a newer white Volkswagen Tiguan. I drove over 2 hours to go to Krietz Auto because I had bad experiences in the past with Virginia new auto dealers/​used car dealers and Krietz had some pretty decent deals. They didn’t have the white one I wanted, it was in the shop for some work. So I asked to test drive a black, similar model with less miles. They copied my license and let me go alone! No one was breathing down my back trying to up sell the car. They were so stress free. I walked away from the car 3 times, actually; I didn’t want to wait for paperwork, (my own fault) my interest rate was a bit high, (again, my own fault) I thought the down payment the lender wanted was too high (not their fault, again!). They didn’t pressure me and I really liked that and that’s what kept bringing me back and ultimately swayed my decision to purchase the car. The free oil changes for life are just a super bonus! The black car was a bit more expensive, but the mileage was great! It was basically a new car. It took about 2 hours from start to finish; able to drive away with my new (used) car and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks Krietz Auto!

Bought a truck with this company, using the USAA car buying service. Great process, simple, good inventory and quick service. The lot is small and full of vehicles to choose from.
When I showed up, I was greeted promptly and I already knew which vehicles I wanted to look at. There was no pressure in any of the process.
They even provided a warranty for the used vehicle I bought.
Only downside was the low offer on my trade in which I took sold private party.
Would do business with again.

Note that this review is for the Auto Sales side of the business. Though the issue with my car did involve the Repairs side, I haven’t been through the full process (scheduling an appointment, timeliness of repairs, etc.) to be able to write an honest review for that.
Long story short… I bought a car from Krietz and it ended up having some issues. It was one of those pesky, hard to replicate kind of issues that sometimes makes you wonder if it’s all in your head. I don’t think it was something that would be discovered through a basic inspection of the car. To their credit, Krietz kept trying to fix the problem once it was identified. It took a little time and some patience, but it was ultimately resolved and I was very pleased with how they handled it.
My suggestion to anyone looking to buy a car from Krietz is to follow this advice and you will very likely end up being happy.
Their business model is to buy mostly from auctions. They use a high volume, low margin approach and you’d be hard pressed to find any local dealers that can touch their pricing. However, you need to look at more than just price and be smart before you buy.
1. THEY BUY A LOT OF LEASED CARS. Those are likely to be about 3 years old and have reasonably low miles on them. They should also be pretty well maintained since that’s a requirement of leasing. Krietz does check the basics to cover MD inspection and I think it’s likely your brakes and tires will be new. Do they take each car through a rigorous testing process? Not as far as I know. Are they putting some money into most cars to make sure at least the basics are in good shape for you? Seems like a pretty clear yes.
2. You should still CHECK THE CARFAX. Leased cars still get in accidents and have mechanical issues. If something doesn’t look right on the carfax, use your judgment as to whether or not it’s worth the risk.
3. If you’re pretty confident you’ve found the car you want, spend the $ 150 and have an independent mechanic do a PRE-​PURCHASE INSPECTION. That adds some peace of mind and is a small price to pay to avoid uncertainty or issues later on.
4. Remember their model is buying mostly leased cars at auction. If you decide to go the route of getting an older car, which probably has more miles than a leased car, then you just need to be smart. Generally speaking, MORE MILES EQUALS A GREATER RISK OF ISSUES. So be smart… check the carfax, get it inspected, look it over yourself for any anomalies. Even though their pricing is almost always the lowest, if it looks like it’s too good to be true then proceed with caution. I’m not saying don’t buy non-​leased cars from them. Just be smart about it.
5. BE PATIENT but also be ready to act quickly. When I say be patient… if something doesn’t seem quite right about a car, don’t jump on it because you’re worried another deal like that won’t come around. They get a ton of cars in there regularly. Something that matches what you want will come up. When I say be ready to act quickly… there’s lots of patient buyers out there who are watching the inventory at Krietz and are ready to pounce on a good deal when it comes up. The longer a car sits on the lot, the lower the price will get over time. If you want to roll the dice and wait it out, you may be able to get a good car at an even better price than what it was originally listed at. But be aware that you may not be the only one waiting to jump on that deal. I’ve seen cars get purchased the same day they get listed. They’re also very busy on Saturdays. If you want more personal attention, go in during the week.
I cannot say enough good things about Jen, Seth, and Adam in the service department. Mrs. Krietz even got involved to personally ensure that my original issue was resolved. This is a family owned and operated business that has grown substantially in recent years. You’re dealing with used cars, so there’s going to be issues from time to time. How those issues are handled is what sets one dealer apart from another. Krietz took what could have been a problem and dealt with it in such a way that they very likely have a return customer the next time I’m looking for a car, and they are definitely a dealer I will recommend to others.

Worst place I’ve ever visited to buy a car, or make any purchase for that matter!!! Went here with every intention of buying a car that day, 4k cash in pocket, and planning on financing the rest. We looked at several cars and test drive 2. We went into the office to surah to a salesman and after 2 minutes he asked us to leave because they had a «cash sale that would only take 20 mins». So while we were kicked out of the office we decided to look at a few other models, when we asked to see a car listed on website and not on lot the girl helping us was great however the same sales man from before said «don’t bring that car here from the other lot, they are not going to buy anything anyway». My wife and I were shocked! We did not show up in sweatpants and dirty clothes just price shopping, we were both professionally dressed with cash in hand to make a purchase. He didn’t even be discreet about the comment. I asked to speak to the manager at that time, and ended up waiting another 15 minutes, but out of principal we stayed. After informing the manager of the interaction he agreed it was unacceptable and promised to call us in two days, as he was off the next day, to discuss a purchase. Needless to say we never got that call. This was by far the worst sales interaction I have ever received.
On a side note… They do offer lifetime oil changes with a car purchase which is great, however in the hour we were waiting to be helped my wife and I overheard several different people stating every time they get an oil change there, they end up with a list of other repairs totalling hundreds to thousands. I can’t speak from personal experience here, but seems kinda fishy all the people would say that to the service desk.

Honestly 5 stars is not enough for this dealership!
We drove approximately 300 miles to this dealership to look at a a car and we could not have been treated better. They are respectful, courteous, and they did not pressure us. They took the anxiety out of purchasing a vehicle. We would definitely take that trip again without hesitation.

Saw a few vehicles i was very interested in just around Christmas. Reviewed the dealer had mixed emotions but was taking a chance. They seemed to have more positive then negative. But the negative reviews where very harsh which lead me to have different thoughts. So i test drove a few vehicles and seemed to really like one. It was holiday weekend and i wasnt pressed till after the Christmas week. I found a vehicle i like but had a few issues nothing too major. I askes for them to be handled and then contact me the next week. Well they emailed me wouldn’t even call. And asked if i was still interested. I was but they failed to have the correct year and model of the vehicle i drove and was interested. I stated that in the return email. And no word from the saleman. Today i get a email asking how the service and care are towards buying a vehicle there. Well no return either. I have been in public service my whole life and even worked the car industry while in school. They are a small dealership with multi millions on their mind thats my opinion. Saleman was nice but didnt have that gusto to follow thru in my eyes. Wasn’t thrilled on some of the office staff but im easy going and can overlook that. Oh well i purchased from another dealer and very satisfied.

Just purchased a 2013 Nissan Altima last night at Krietz Auto. After exchanging a few emails with Chris to answer questions about the car, I drove over an hour from Baltimore to test drive and evaluate the car myself. The Altima had the equipment, color and mileage that I was looking for and at an excellent price. I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about buying a car from a smaller dealer at what seemed a very low price, HOWEVER, after arriving I was very impressed with everything about Krietz Auto! Working with Chris was like dealing with an old friend, and everyone I met was super helpful. I now understand a little more about their 40 year history, their value driven pricing, and their focus on the customer. I might not be able to take advantage of their lifetime oil changes due to distance, but I would not hesitate to buy from them again. Thank you Krietz Auto Team for a great experience!

Somewhat surprisingly, I can’t really think of any negatives about buying my car at Krietz Auto. The ask price on their website was EXTREMELY reasonable – significantly better than comparable cars at other places – so I didn’t even feel the need to try and negotiate down. They went through the typical offers like an extended warranty but were not pushy, at all, when declined. Overall, about as low-​key of a used car purchase as I could expect. Will recommend to anyone in the area looking to buy a used car.

So I call these guys to see if they can repair my turn signal flasher. Nice guy Seth says yes, gives me a price, ($ 300!) can do today. I ask when today, he says he has to order the part, says call me back at by 115 so he can do the job today. I get the car, call back around 1, get the happy receptionist who says he is busy, will call me back. No call back.
I call again at 140, Seth says oops never go the message too late to order the part, not today.
Wont bother to call again. This is kind of basic. Dont exercise me if I am giving you my money.

Had a great car buying experince today thanks to Lisa at Krietz. She went above and beyond to help me through the experince including providing me a ride to turn in my lease in the pouring rain. Lisa was freindly, honest, and ethical and made the experince very positive. I would highly recommend Kreitz to my friends and family.

I drove over an hour and half in traffic last night to look at an ’07 F150 they had for sale. After getting there, I was handed the keys and told «see you when you get back». Luckily I found some imperfections (broken plastic on the back door) that I went in and told them about before I drove off on my test drive. Didn’t need to get tagged with something I didn’t do since a walk around wasn’t conducted by the saleswoman.
Anyway, the truck was great but when we pulled the CarFax on it they showed a prior accident. So I walk back in the dealership to speak with Lisa, asked her to come outside to answer some questions about it. Didn’t happen; she was more pressed on dealing with other things in the office than trying to have me purchase the truck. I had a blank check in hand and was ready to buy it but they couldn’t have cared less. I’m taking my business to a place that wants it.

So I just got my cars oil change tires rotated and balanced and an alignment I went off of the reviews from the internet picking this place. Let’s start off if you need your car back immediately don’t go here it’s not happening. I didn’t care I took out the day to do this and didn’t have anything to do and had a ride so I didn’t care about having it back fast but everyone else on Unilocal complained about that and there right I took my car in at 9am and got it back around 3:30pm so expect it to take the whole day. And don’t take your car here for an oil change or basics stuff that you can do on your own this place is extremely expensive I have paid less at every other place I have gone to in my life time but I needed it done before I went on a long road trip. Besides that I really don’t see that it was exceptional or anything I have gone to better places before that really do the most for your money. Oh the only thing they like messed with my cars radio stations and messed it all up like they were pushing buttons or something changed all my saved ones but other then that my car didn’t have any issues. Wouldn’t go here again because
Of the prices

My husband purchased a truck yesterday at Krietz. We got lucky and had Bonnie help us. She was lovely!!! If Bonnie was all we were rating then it would be a 5 star experience but unfortunately two things didn’t sit well with myself and my husband. First thing was a gentlemen at the front desk NEVER acknowledged us!!! He had MANY opportunities to speak or even just smile at us but DID NOT!!! Then later when we were finishing the paperwork a women appeared in the room handing papers to our sales rep (Bonnie) for us to sign. She didn’t speak or even make eye contact with us. After the door closed my husband asked «Who was that?» and Bonnie said the owner. We were SHOCKED that the owner didn’t want to say «hello» or even thank us for our purchase. Very disappointing.

I bought a GMC Denali at Krietz Auto in March 2015. I was looking for an SUV online and expanded my search to 60 miles in and around the Washington DC metro area. Krietz had the best selection of used SUVs all over Northern Virginia and Maryland.
Often times when you find a price under blue book value online, you are not able to haggle with them. They typically put their best price online (higher on the sticker) to attract people to the dealership. This was not the case for me. I was able to reluctantly get them down around 7%-8% from the online price. This made the vehicle well under blue book and I felt like I got a real steal on my vehicle.
Krietz really has a lot to offer. The lady that sold me the vehicle was super helpful and couldn’t have been more friendly. One of the greatest things about Krietz is they give free oil changes for life when you buy a vehicle there. Although I live in Rockville, I do have clients in Frederick, so I work it into my schedule to get by when I am in the area. They also offer a 6,000 mile/​6 month warranty for free when you purchase a vehicle from them, whichever comes first. There are also extended warranties available for purchase.
The only negatives would be that when I have called to schedule an appointment for an oil change, there have been waits up to 5 days. Sometimes that’s not as convenient as just paying for one on your own. Also, I did have a problem with my belt squealing which I brought back to be fixed. By the next day the problem was back and I have to schedule another appointment, go back up to Fredrick, and have them fix it correctly. But, sometimes those things happen. I will give them that one. Hopefully any other issues I have will be resolved the first time. I have been pretty happy with my choice so far.

The good: Bonnie was super nice, helpful, and not the least bit pushy. She was exactly the opposite of what I expected to encounter from a used sales dealer as I searched for my car. She showed me both cars I was interested in even though one couldn’t be driven because the bumper was off for replacement. For the one that was ready to go, she handed me the keys and sent me off on a test drive alone. I would’ve loved to buy a car from her and give her the commission.
The bad: Krietz’s website is a hot mess. I’ll leave it to you to decide if it’s just carelessness or the old bait and switch. There was an Escape I was very interested in. The listing had it as a 4 cylinder but all of the photos showed a V6 (which was I wanted), plus running boards. I called to set up a test drive and the girl that answered said there was a mistake with the photos and the Escape pictured was sold. Granted, they did delete all the photos I’d seen except for the thumbnail by then. They said she had another just like it but without running boards. She didn’t know if the listing was correct as far as the engine and mileage.
I decided to go see it, and another Escape that was higher priced because it had the Sun and Sync package. I got there and it was the same issue. All the photos showed a V6 but it turned out to be a 4 cylinder. It has now been a week and nothing has been changed on their website.
Luckily I live less than 10 minutes from the area but if you’re coming from another area, I suggest you call to verify the car is really as described or that you run the vin numbers yourself online to find out what’s what.

One of the reasons I decided to look at vehicles at Kreitz’s was due to all of the positive reviews… sadly this was the worst experience I have ever had buying a car. Wednesday, I was contacted by Lisa about coming and test driving the vehicle I was interested in on Friday. Friday, I go to test drive the vehicle and Lisa was not there so Bonnie handed me the keys, told me I could start the vehicle and play with the gadgets but I was not offered the opportunity to test drive the vehicle. After handing me the keys, Bonnie walked away and never came back, leaving me standing in the lot feeling like a idiot walking around the car waiting for someone to talk to me about the vehicle. I told her I would bring my husband by on Saturday to test drive the vehicle. Saturday morning I emailed them to find out the status of my financing and was it okay to come over for a test drive. I was told the finance app was with the bank and they would know something between 12 and 2 to wait until they let me know it was okay to come over. Mind you, I still have not had any information about the vehicle and since they don’t sign their emails with a name I have no idea who I was communicating. At 10:55 am I received an email stating that the vehicle I wanted had been sold. To date, not a single phone call or even a «we are sorry about how this whole deal was handled. I did receive an email telling me that they had plenty of other Escapes and just let them know when I wanted to test drive one of them. Really, how about you apologize and I’ll think about it. Horrible, horrible experience and certainly a waste of a Saturday being held on the hook just in case the other deal fell through.

I have never been so FURIOUS over a simple oil change and tire rotation before! It took them 3.5 HOURS to complete these tasks! They actually RUINED my day that I had to schedule off of work from and I had another appointment scheduled that I HAD TO CANCEL thanks to the POOR SERVICE here!
I dropped my car off at 9AM, they asked what time I needed it back, I said 11AM, and then I got my car at 12:30PM! 3.5 HOURS and all they did was an oil change and tire rotation! When I asked at 12 what was taking so long, Seth, the service manager, said they ordered my oil filter at 11:10AM and it should have been here by now. Well, I WANTED MY CAR AT 11 — WHY ARE YOU ORDERING PARTS AT 11:10!?!
They didn’t even off me anything for waiting just a simple «Sorry.» How DISAPPOINTING. DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU HAVE NO TIME CONSTRAINTS and even then you would think 2 HOURS would’ve been enough time for these SERVICES. Absolutely infuriating.

Had a terrific buying experience at Krietz today. Chose and bought what I wqs looking for in one day. They really went above and to help me with financing. It was the easiest car buying experience I have ever had! Local family business with excellent customer service, warranty and service program, and extensive, varied inventory that is very competitively priced. Ask for Randy and use me as a referral!

I cannot say enough kind things about Krietz. I was drawn to come here to buy a car due to the customer reviews I’d found online and a friend who had used them for car repair in the past. I am so glad I did, Not only did Charles do everything he could to get me the best interest rate he could but took so much time to make sure I would leave in a car that day. He found an interest rate almost 6% lower for me than the larger car dealers said was possible. The warranty on their cars and lifetime oil changes are a good enough reason to come here, but the Krietz family is why you absolutely should. Thank you so much to Charles, Bonnie and the rest of their family for finding me the car I needed and fell in love with.

I chose this place based on the positive Unilocal reviews, and I couldn’t be more disappointed.
After waiting 4 hours for my standard oil change to be completed, I was presented with an estimate of ‘exceedingly urgent repairs’ that needed to be done to my car. The estimate totaled $ 1400 — and basically consisted of changing most of the fluids in my car.
I’m assuming there was a lot of sexist profiling on their part, when they did this.
I’d had most of these fluids changed within the last 10,000 miles, so I knew they were lying when they said they urgently needed to be changed. When I look at the estimate, it was also clear they were trying to scam me, because the price quote for almost every single service was double then it would cost anywhere else.
The absolute worst and most unethical part of Krietz? When the mechanic saw I wasn’t going to spend the $ 1400 on fluid changes, he started telling me how dangerously low my brake fluid was, and that I should at least get that one changed. Again, I don’t know if this was sexist profiling or what, but I had actually checked all the visible fluids in my car 2 weeks before bringing it to them. My dad taught me how to check up on things like that. (Thanks Dad!) All my fluids were fine, including the brake fluid. So again, I passed on the brake flush. The guy glared at me, and said they would «finish up my car» and bring it around front for me.
I was already annoyed at this point and then I was stunned at what happened next. Within the next few miles of driving, the BRAKE warning light on my dash panel lit up. I actually did get a bit freaked out, then I remembered how high-​pressure this guy was about how my brake fluid needing to be changed, and how it was causing unsafe driving conditions.
I checked under the hood, and shocker! My brake fluid that was above the min line 2 weeks ago, was now slightly below it!
I went to auto zone, bought an $ 8 bottle of brake fluid, checked a YouTube video to make sure I was doing it right, added a little bit of fluid… and everything in my car went right back to normal. Two months later, and my brake fluid is still above the min.
So. Trying to sell me fluid changes I’ve already had done recently is bad. Trying to overcharging for them is also shady.
But siphoning out some of my brake fluid in hopes that I’d come running back to you waving a pile of cash, when my brake warning light came on? That makes you a pretty horrible human being.
Note: Hopefully not everyone at this auto repair place is as evil as whoever thought scaring me by taking out some brake fluid would put cash in his pocket. But I’d be VERY wary of taking your car there.