The Werk Shop

Honest people. Great service and communication while my Q7 was in for service.
Did not try and sell me something I did not need. Unlike the Audi Dealer.
They have my business!

In April, we purchased a used BMW wagon from them. The owner said he usually does not sell autos, but in this case he made an exception because the car was in such good shape. He said the car was gone over thoroughly, a small oil leak was repaired and was in great shape. We told him we needed a car for a long drive this coming winter and he assured us this car would fit the bill.
Several months later, we took the car to our local garage (which we have used for 35 years) and were shocked to learn the car needed $ 3000-​$ 3500 worth of repairs. The Werks Group confirmed this information but insisted their original inspection did not reveal these problems. We found this hard to believe since the problems would take a long time to develop. At no time, were we shown the original inspection sheet. Please if you are thinking of purchasing a car from this company, take it to your own garage for an independent inspection.

It was my first time at the Werk shop and i wasn’t disappointed. I brought my 2006×3 in for an issue with a/​c and a check up. James explained what they would do and when it would be finished. They finished on time and as promised. It was very affordable and I will be bringing my car here from now on.

As usual, the work (front and rear brake job) was done very professionally and completely. And the service was flawless too.

Been taking my 2007 550i to The Werk Shop for a couple of years now for regular maintenance. It’s about to cross 100k miles and the work done by the fellas at The Werk Shop gives me confidence that I’ll be able to keep driving this great car for many more miles.
Last time it was in for a regular oil and filter change, they found and repaired a coolant leak that certainly would’ve ruined my day at some point in the near future. It’s that kind of attention to detail that makes me comfortable driving an old BMW around.
If it weren’t for The Werk Shop I’d be on the BMW warranty treadmill, trading them in every four years. It’s cheaper and, IMO, cooler to watch these great cars flip the odometer.

I’ve been taking my X5 to the Werk Shop since it went off BMW’s «freebie maintenance» warranty and I’m thrilled to say it’s been a great experience every time. When I call, they know exactly who I am and work to fit me in right around on MY schedule. Best of all, their technicians seriously know their stuff. Whenever I have questions, they don’t hesitate to walk me back into the shop and let me talk directly with the mechanic. I mean, who does that? They actually encourage you to go «behind the scenes» which is really cool. (Can you tell I’m kind of a car geek?) The entire place is like a mini-​museum of neat German auto knick-​knacks and they have the most amazing vintage cars in for restoration work too which you can ohh and ahh at during your visit. It’s also clear everyone who works there is passionate about what they do — what a refreshing environment! Who knew getting your car serviced could be so fun and interesting?
Back when I was taking the car to the dealer, their customer service left much to be desired and my first dealer service appt post-​warranty was so expensive! So glad I found the Werk Shop — I’m a big fan and will keep coming back for more. Keep up the good «werk!» ;)

Brought our classic Ferrari 355 there and thought we had a critical engine issue based on the erratic and terrible behavior of the engine. Turned out the Werk Shop’s Ferrari expert determined that a wiring harness had melted and after replacing, the 355 ran damn near perfectly.
Not like it was an inexpensive repair, but a lot more so than ripping apart the engine — a lot more so.
Good work, honest diagnosis and so a strong recommendation from us at Curvy Road Holdings.

Holy cow. Returned to the Werk Shop this week for an alignment on my car since I had replaced a bunch of suspension components. I was very surprised to hear upon picking up the car that the tech who worked on it wanted to talk to me about the car. It was Peter, an Obi-​Wan Kenobi of BMWs, basically. He spoke in detail about exactly what he did with the alignment and why. He also pointed out a bunch of other little things on the car that needed addressing, but in a genuinely advisory sense. Truly a top-​notch experience for this neurotic car owner! Some people might want to just sign a receipt and go home but I turn wrenches for fun and to me, talking to the mechanic about my cars directly makes all the difference. It’s also important to me that my car is only driven by somebody who knows these cars, not some car porter or summer employee! I know that if these guys have my keys, my car is not going to get any Ferris Bueller driving action. I’d have a really hard time leaving the car with anybody else. New facility is amazing, as well, by the way.

This place exclusively works on German cars… BMW, Audi, Minis and Mercedes.
It’s an older group of guys with a crazy sense of humor. I had to get a new tire so I decided to try them out. It didn’t seem like they were awfully busy or in a rush, but they did a fine job with the new tire and were cheaper than the dealership. These Q7 tires are expensive!!!

It doesn’t get better than the Werk Shop. The guys are passionate about what they do, and passionate about the brand.
I’ve moved to Georgia now, so I don’t have the privilege of being able to use their services anymore. But for about 8 years they were the ONLY shop I took my BMWs to. The knowledge and expertise stands out compared to other shops that are willing to work on German automobiles. Granted, getting your BMW repaired by a BMW shop is probably going to be a little more expensive than the random mechanics garage down the street. But you get what you pay for. And it still comes out cheaper than taking the car to the Dealer.
They are easy to deal with, and make time for the customer. Others may not be interested in things like this, but they have taken the extra 15 minutes to show me the damaged parts after the repair and explain how it could have happened or why it won’t happen again. They’ve listened to my detailed explanations and responded in kind with suggestions. They’ve worked around my schedule for drop offs and pick ups.
This is a BMW shop for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts.
Now if only I could afford one of their beautiful 2002 restorations…

Expert BMW service and restoration. Seriously, EXPERT. They have RACE TEAM mechanics on staff, who travel WITH their race teams to FIX CARS that are, well, RACING!!!
I’m not sure why one reviewer was so upset about the costs to «service» an X5 — labor rate aside, the cost to service OR repair a German-​engineered and manufactured automobile has historically NEVER been inexpensive. As for the hourly rate, there is NO set rate in the state of Illinois, and frankly, the hourly rate at the dealerships is minimally 25% GREATER than the one quoted in the review below.
I couldn’t be more pleased with the transmission replacement that the Werk Shop did on my 2001 E46 (330i). My car runs like new — AND, she goes in reverse with no problems (inside joke there)! Mike is a very, very nice guy, and he and his dad’s passion for BMW is obvious once you visit the shop. Vic, the service manager, is very matter-​of-​fact and will tell it to you straight — this makes for very, easy and informed decision making. Look, BMW maintenance is NOT inexpensive — if you choose to own a BMW, and keep it well past its service warranty period, do NOT expect to do the minimum amount of maintenance required. Your German vehicle will require work, end of story. And, it will feel painful at first but will be well worth it.
As a city dweller, I only wish they were closer to Chicago, but at least the Metra is close by, and they’ll send a car to fetch you from the station. Other than the occasional oil change, I’m using these guys. And, I’ll take the train, fine.

DON’T GO HERE. Your better local options are The Autowerks (they’re more upfront with DETAILED costs) in Libertyville or Autobarn (straight-​forward Tony) in Mundelein.
Try calling them and see if you get an appointment set within 2 days of calling them. Vic is always yielding calls, telling you, he’ll call you back in a few minutes — doesn’t happen!
I responded to a mailing and over the phone they said an Inspection 1 on my X5 was under $ 200. I went to the shop and they didn’t disclose any of that (receptionist Vic cons you that way).
I called 5 hours after my car was done ready to pick up, THEY WON’T CALL YOU, and I asked them what was done. 2 hours of labor with a $ 95/​hr charge was assessed. Assessed $ 256 on the phone. Pretty high I’ll tell you if you compare it to the Autowerks.
Went to pick it up, $ 290 was the invoice total… that said: NEVER AGAIN. Clean shop, they upcharge the customer in order to pay for all their BMW toy models and paraphernalia around the shop.
You have been warned.

You will never find The Werk Shop unless you seek them out. If you are a BMW owner, my advice is: Seek them out. They provide top notch BMW mechanical maintenance and BMW repair service in Lake County, IL. They also offer full up restoration services.
They occupy two warehouse style buildings. The first is is devoted to the repairs and maintenance while the second, the restoration service. These guys are seriously knowlegeable BMW gear heads (enthusiasts). They’re not snobs, they are not intimidating, they love what they do.
I found them on a search engine while looking for the phone number of a large nearby BMW dealer. I was a little hesitant to go to a private shop for BMW repairs. The reason for this was that a private shop (an un named oil change establishment) put the wrong drain plug in my car’s oil pan using a power wrench. This caused a slow continuous drip of oil. I needed to address this before driving on a scheduled 1100 mile trip.
The dealer could not repair the oil pan and said it had to be replaced for a cost of $ 1690.00. YIPES ! Fortunately, I brought Werk Shop’s phone number with me and spoke with Dan and Mike.
Long story short, I brought the car to The Werk Shop and their mechanic agreed with the dealer’s assessment. The Werk Shop agreed to perform the repair for $ 1200.00. That is $ 490.00 less than the dealer.
They also did this repair promptly, gave me a ride back home and picked me up the next day. I almost can’t wait for my next routine BMW service !