Michael Stead Porsche

My wife has been a Mercedes girl while I have been an Audi guy. Porsches were never on our radar until I met Andy Hwang. I had stopped by a few times and eventually took a test drive in a Boxster S and GTS. I was impressed by the ride, handling, engine sound, build quality, and appearance. I had been trying to convince my wife to check out the Boxster as an alternative to the MBZ E350 cabriolet she had recently sold. She was not interested.
Fast forward a month or so. Out of the blue on a Saturday night she says, «Let’s go check out Porsche.» I let Andy know we were coming out Sunday morning and arranged to have a Boxster GTS handy just in case. Andy took her out in a Boxster first. She came back and said it was nice car. Then they went out in a Boxster S. She came back with a smile on her face and said it was nice. I think she was warming up. I told Andy to take her out in the Boxster GTS. Funny thing, they were out for an unusually long test drive. I heard the rumble of the sport exhaust as they returned to the dealer. She had the biggest smile on her face and said, «OMG! THAT CAR IS SOOOOO MUCH FUN! THE EXHAUST IS SOOOO LOUD!» We went into the showroom to configure the perfect Boxster GTS. Andy was so patient explaining all the options that we would be interested in and others that we hadn’t considered. He helped us to trade off options that were nice to have with options that were must have (like PTV). We left without buying. By Monday, she decided nervously she wanted to move forward. I let Andy know we were ready and he placed the demand order for the car on Tuesday. By Thursday, the demand order was accepted as a live order! The stars were definitely aligned! Andy kept us informed of the car as it went through the production steps over the next 6 months.
The car arrived at the dealer mid-​week and Andy texted me photos of the GTS fresh off the car carrier. He made sure the car was perfect and he even took it upon himself to personally wash it before took delivery. We picked up the car on Saturday and the final buying process couldn’t have been any easier or smoother. A major shout out to Chris Bartz as well!
Overall, it was such a fabulous buying experience. When I am in the market for a Porsche, I will be heading back to see Andy to build my own dream car!

I can’t say enough about this dealership and our extremely professional and knowledgeable sales professional, Andrew Hwang. He helped us get a couple of cars now. My wife got a Macan S and myself a 911 turbo. Both of these were ordered to my spec and he was patient, courteous, and helpful. He knows the cars extremely well and can help with the multitude of options.
In short, if you’re on the market, don’t hesitate to work with him on your build.

My experience a Michael Stead in walnut creek was excellent I came in for a oil change and I was greeted and offered drinks Melissa in service took real good care of me and had my vehicle ready and kept me posted on the work offered me a ride everyone in service was professional and nice I don’t have anything negative to say

try to call the parts department, I’ve tried quite a few times within the past 2 weeks and all I get is always the voice mail. I left a message to get a call back, guess what none whatsover.

We’ve been taking our vehicle here for years, but will no longer be doing that. The customer service is terrible. I’ve been twice in the last few weeks — once to just get new batteries for our keys and the second time for routine service. The 1^st time I waited in the main room for literally 10−15minutes while two employees conversed behind the computer and didn’t once acknowledge me — and I was with a baby (hello, I’m not sure how long I can keep the baby quiet). It was absurd they didn’t even look up at me. I was standing at the counter, right in front of them. Unbelievable. Finally someone in the service area came in the main room and helped me… they person at the front desk never did. Wow.
The next time I arrived early for my appointment (again, with child in tow) and waited patiently in the main room — I didn’t realize I needed to go to the service door to be helped. I finally figured it out (again, not being acknowledged) and once there was treated rudely. Oh god, you live in Oakland and you want a ride back? What an inconvenience they made it seem. It’s only 15min away people. And no, we can’t come get you at the end of the day when the car is done, so you’ll have to be without a car until the next day. Are you serious? It took you all day to finish routine service and then you can’t come get me? Unreal.
When we declined a aesthetic repair to the muffler the service individual said to me on the phone «yeah, I figured you would». Call me sensitive, but this again was just rude.
Michael Stead Porsche — you just lost our business forever. Even when we upgrade. Bad on you.

If you are going to spend more than $ 100k on a car and need it serviced then you should read this…
This has quite possibly been the worst experience with a luxury service department — ever. We recently bought a 2013 911 4S and brought it to Michael Stead Porsche for service. Mind you — just routine service. They did a PCM upgrade and completely fried the system. This was 2 weeks ago. Our car has ZERO sound, navigation, etc because of the blown PCM. You cannot even plug your phone into the AUX to stream music.
Car is under warranty so Michael Stead claimed they had to call Porsche and get authorization to replace the computer they wrecked. This process took 2 days because they were constantly waiting for a call back. Only until we called and escalated with the dealership did they finally get replacement approval (because we made them call and talk to a live person at Porsche).
Mind you — all of the ‘updates’ on the repair work are not because they called us with the status, we had to call, and call, and call just to get one return phone call back.
Finally, Melissa in service told us that ‘all of the PCM replacements in the US are out of stock so we have to order from Germany. But don’t worry it will only take 6 days.‘
So we wait… and wait… and wait…
As of today (Monday, March 30^th) we still get no phone call from Michael Stead. So we call, again. (Do you sense a theme here??). Well, someone named John tells us that we should understand the luxury car market and if we ‘owned luxury cars like BMW or Range Rover we would understand how these types of things work.’
Really? Because we own 1) a BMW 7-​series (and are happy with BMW); and 2) own a Range Rover (and are happy with them as well).
Thanks, John, for trying to make us feel inadequate but sorry, it did not work. Then John tells us that it will take up to 4 WEEKS to get the part that Melissa told us would take 6 days. Why? He doesn’t know, just claims it is Porsche’s problem, not their problem. ‘It’s coming from Germany so it takes a very, very long time to get here.’ Maybe John hasn’t heard of FedEx International. We asked if they had a tracking number to find the replacement PCM and they refused to answer the question.
So we called Porsche’s HQ service department. Guess what? They answered on the first ring. They did not act condescending and at least tried to be helpful. Still no resolution.
Can you imagine spending over $ 100k on a car and something as simple as the radio doesn’t work because of a servicing issue? And it’s as if they don’t care.
I hope you tread with caution at using this dealership. I read through the other Unilocal reviews to see if we were a one-​off issue but as it turns out, there are many 1-​star Unilocal reviews for this dealer and service department. I wish I had read them prior to taking our car into their service department.

Took my new used car in to have it checked out while the warranty was still in effect. They pointed out my new tires were «not Porsche approved» although z rated. They also mentioned a «noise at low speed,» but did not attempt to discern the problem. Lastly, drain plug appeared to be leaking. I called several times for an estimate to repair the plug with no response. Called the service manager as well, and still no response. Took it to Pacific Motorsports and got a quote for free within 10 minutes. Also found out the clutch was slipping. The «diagnostic and eval» from Michael Stead Porsche was a total sham. Save your $ 200.

I had a very good experience with Michael Stead Porsche and with Paul Robles in particular.
I was looking for a new Porsche and Paul spent a lot of time with me including test drives in three different vehicles. I found him very knowledgable, helpful and honest and I would recommend him highly to anyone looking for a new Porsche. Ultimately, I didn’t actually get my car from Michael Stead but only because they (like almost every other Porsche dealer in the Bay Area) didn’t have an allocation for the vehicle I wanted to order in the time I wanted it. However, my experience with them was extremely good.

So I am in the market for a new 911, and after a few months of checking internet sites and youtube review videos, I made an impromptu drive to Walnut Creek. I found the car I wanted, the salesman and I haggled a price and a trade in price for my car and two hours later I was out the door on a Friday night with a new black 911! Quick and no nonsense, no games. I went back next week for my appointment to get the front end wrap and detail. In and out in minutes. The next day, I returned to pick up my finished car and it waiting outside. The service advisor walked out, took my loaner keys and gave me my Porsche keys, literally 10 seconds to get my car back!
I have a feeling that Michael Stead Porsche will get my order for my GT3RS soon!!!
Thanks Ken and thanks John!

Took my car in for a pre-​DE safety inspection. so just an inspection no immediate business for them.
They treated me like a king. you would’ve thought I was buying a new car or their best customer

I recently moved from DFW to East Bay. I bought a 2005 Boxster S to serve as my commuter car in the area from an excellent dealership in Dallas (Park Place).
The car is track modified which is perfect for me and Park Place is a great customer centric dealer who cares for long term loyalty and retention.
I bought the car AS-​IS in Sep/​14 but Park Place had no problem fixing some issues I noticed after the sale. Three months after the sale their marketing department send me a letter to bring the car in for a complimentary multi-​point inspection. Unfortunately I can’t drive all the way back to DFW to have the car service because to get the Park Place experience I would have.
I decided to look for a dealer in the area that could provide me with a similar long term relationship. Given the location and convenience I tried Michael Stead but what a disappointment.
When I called to make an appointment I took the time to explain the whole situation, what I wanted check in the car (coolant and breaks) and I was given a date and time for the appointment with the expectation that they actually have a marketing plan to attract new services customers.
To my surprise when I came in to check in the service appointment record had no mention to a complimentary service nor they had taken the time to document what I actually wanted done in the car. I wonder why I wasted time calling if all they done was to put a name on a calendar slot.
So once again I spent the time to explain to the services manager the situation, what I wanted done and she presented me with a $ 198 estimate for the inspection. I once again mentioned the offer from Park Place and she looked at me like I was talking in a foreign language. I’ve asked her to contact Park Place and she said if they would PAY for the inspection I could have it «complimentary». What joke.
This seems like a tiny operation that takes more than they can handle. They seem to be understaffed, apparently not very organized and obviously oblivious to customer acquisition and retention.
If that’s how they treat a prospect client with a track car that will need a lot of service in the future, I don’t want to have anything to do with them. Needless to say I’ll be taking my money elsewhere.

I’m not happy with Sonnen Porsche at the moment, so I’m taking it to Unilocal… and I’m not one to Unilocal unless really motivated by really good, or bad performance. Previously my experiences at Sonnen have always been great; they had always been helpful and responsive whenever I’ve called or needed assistance. However, this was not the case for me lately. For the record; I have three Porsches, and I will sometimes use various dealers and independents to perform work, depending on the particular mechanical problem. Until recently; Sonnen was my preferred dealer.
Since Sonnen has moved back to their remodeled facility things seem to have changed — quality has dropped off. Starting with (and unfortunately), now all calls for service get screened by «how can I make your day» Monica Toombs. And for me, Monica could «make my day» by quitting. She is rude, curt, and the primary reason I’m writing this.
Several Saturdays ago, my Cayenne Turbo-​S developed a check engine light (CEL) near Marin, so I immediately pulled to the roadside and called Sonnen to speak with service. Monica was quick to inform me that service was too busy to speak with me. I explained my situation to her, and asked for just a minute of consultation with service so I could understand whether my CEL would allow me to continue, or whether I should call a tow. Monica didn’t care; after pleading to no avail, she promised to have service call me back in a few minutes. Well, that never happened. After an hour I called Niello in Rocklin, and their service tech told me I’d be fine to drive home.
So on Monday I called Sonnen again, asking for Andrew. Monica quickly said Andrew and the others were busy, so I could leave a message — or she could have someone call me back. When I told her she had already made this promise to me Saturday, she said nothing; I was just immediately put on extended hold. And thinking she was trying to locate Andrew, like a fool I waited… for ten minutes, then I hung-​up.
On Tuesday, I tried again. Monica said I couldn’t talk with Andrew, but she could put me through to Russell. Russell wasn’t interested in discussing my CEL or the questions I had. He was only willing to say the CEL could be anything, and they’d need to check it out. I asked how soon they could do this, and he said they were booked at least four days out — till Monday or Tuesday the following week. So I asked if they could book me the following Saturday. Russell said they no longer perform this type of work on Saturdays (only minor maintenance such as oil changes).
As a result I took my car to Stead — they were the total opposite of Sonnen. They got me right in and they gave me a loner (which Sonnen doesn’t). Melissa Jones treated me like a king. It turned out that my CEL was related to a stuck thermostat, and in a Porsche that’s a fairly costly job. With this work I had them perform several cooling component upgrades and preventative replacements such as the water pump, and also a new battery which requires driver seat removal. Stead’s price was very completive (I confirmed this with an estimate from my trusted Indy). Melissa called frequently to update me on status, and all work was done under the original estimate.

When is Unilocal going to allow us to give zero star reviews? I nominate Michael Stead Porsche to receive the very first one.
Last week, I took my 2014 Cayenne for the annual service. I told them that the right front tire sensor was going off every few days and that the tire was losing air, so I asked them to take a look at it. A few hours later when my car was ready (No, they didn’t call me to tell me that my car was ready, I had to call them), they said there was a nail in the tire and that they «patched it.»
Imagine my shock when two days later, the tire sensor was going off and the tire was still losing air.
I took the car to a tire place to get the tire examined by someone else. The guy told me that he couldn’t repair the tire and that I shouldn’t plug the tire because it was an unsafe and dangerous practice. I informed him that the dealership did the work, and the technician looked horrified. He couldn’t believe a dealer would do such a bad job.
I called the dealership to discuss the issue, and it literally took all day for someone to return my call and address the issue. I’m sorry but when you spend the kind of money that you do when you purchase a brand new Porsche, you expect better customer service.
I won’t be doing business with them in the future, and they have lost a customer for life. I’ll go to Sonnen or Carlsen, but hell will freeze over before I buy another car from Michael Stead.

Ok, maybe my last review was premature. I picked up the car today and everything appears to be fine. Turns out my service rep, Gary, was out for a few days and the service department was shorthanded. Gary showed me a list of all the parts that needed to be ordered, which explains why it took so long. Being shorthanded also explains the lack of communication. Ok, I get it.
If coming here for service just keep in mind that this is a VERY busy shop. A service guy mentioned that 20 cars had come in that day before 10:30am. So, manage your expectations on turnaround times. I’ll do the same and will probably be happier the next time I need service.
And on a side note, it appears the service reps read the Unilocal reviews.

I have been coming to Stead Porsche for repairs for 5 years. Their service department is phenomenal: Melissa is very nice, professional and their service bills always comes in under the original estimate.
Melissa keeps me informed by phoning frequently, which is always reassuring. She also arranges for rental cars — even in situations where I probably am not entitled to one!
Melissa and Stead Porsche’s service department is why I decided to buy a new Boxster at Stead.
Wow, what an experience!
Chris Bartz, the Sales Manager worked with me tirelessly. I had very specific requirements, so he patiently searched the entire U.S. until he found a car that fit my requirements. Then — the car got sold by some unscrupulous salesperson in Delaware. Not fazed, Chris resumed his search and in less than a week, found me another car.
I am a Stead customer for life. These folks really understand the meaning of customer loyalty — they are awesome.

Unprofessional staff, would recommend you find a different dealer in the area as there are many.

Unilocal should give us negative star option! Not only will you not feel welcomed, you’ll feel like you’re bothering them.
I’m shocked at a place like Porsche dealer does not train their employees the basics of customer service.
If you need your car serviced, try Bauer Porsche Repair in Oakland. They know what they are doing and provide great customer service!

Wow 5 days and these ***** didn’t return my call from parts. They mark up their prices over MSRP by over 50% and try to give me 10% off? If you have time order from Suncoast or go to Livermore who matched them. Rip off *****. Couldn’t even return my call. Pathetic manager over there. Oh yeah and the courtesy car driver who almost hit me and gave me a dirty gangster look… I called and complained about him. Supposedly they let him go. Bunch of…
Oh to add they said my whole brake system needed to be overhauled on my ’90 911 to the tune of $ 6,000 and Eric at Pacific Power found it to be a rubber grommet which he didn’t even charge me for. Don’t take your air cooled to these clowns.

First time client. Sitting in the lobby waiting for my car to be serviced and listening to the sales staff argue about «up’s», whose turn it is on the phone etc.
I get that’s part of the deal, but a pretty heated argument, that continues as I sit here listening, isn’t very professional and probably better taken behind closed doors.

I was not made to feel particularly welcome at the dealership; perhaps this is consistent with the air of pretension about the place.
The selection of vehicles is not particularly impressive, and the dealership has a long and narrow layout, making it feel quite cramped and non-​spacious.
They are also very inflexible on pricing, particularly when it comes to European Delivery. Unlike at other dealers with which I have spoken, the sales person insisted they would charge no less than full MSRP on a Boxster S with European Delivery, even thought this program is supposed to be free of charge to the customer, and dealers receive an additional vehicle allocation when cars are sold this way!
As such, there is very little reason to shop here given how many other Porsche dealerships there are in the Bay Area.