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VFC Engineering
Category: Automotive Auto Repair Auto Repair [Edit]
4659 N Ravenswood AveChicago, IL 60640
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, Ravenswood
(773) 275-4832
- Nearest Transit:
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Damen-Brown (Brown Line)
Montrose-Brown (Brown Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 6 pm
Samantha L. said: "I had a great experience at Gerber. Honestly it was s smooth there isn't that much to write about. The consultation was only about 10-15 minutes, they gave me a quote that worked and I made an appointment to bring my car in the next…" read more »
14 reviews for VFC Engineering
14 reviews in English
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Review from Floyd A.
Des Plaines, IL
12/2/2011
Let me start by saying VFC Engineering kicks ass when it comes to doing any type of custom modifying to your Volkswagen or Porsche I had my Porsche serviced here many times and Doug has always went out of his way to find me part's and make sure I leave his shop a happy customer. Robin is just to die for when it comes to customer service she is a total delight to deal with she will tell it how it is and is quick to get on the guy's asses if something is not up to par with the work they are performing.
I have found that it is best to call ahead if you can and make an appointment to get a serious Mod done this way they can fit you in with the everyday regular repair customers who are beating down their door. The towing service they have is available 24 hours I learned that first hand when I broke down all they up in Galena, IL and needed my car towed back they were able to come out and pick me up. They did seem a little hesitant at first until i mentioned i was being towed back to VFC for repairs. To sum it all up VFC is a great local repair shop tucked away in the Ravenswood area. You will not go away unhappy for VFC. -
Review from Steve H.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
VFC was extremely helpful and considerate to me when I was in a bad situation that they easily could have taken advantage of. I was on a cross-country road trip in a 1999 Audi A4 when my air conditioning failed. It was summer, so A/C was pretty essential. The strange thing about the problem was that I had just had my compressor replaced prior to leaving Boston. VFC efficiently diagnosed the problem and then worked with the shop that originally did the work and the parts distributor to get the compressor replaced under warranty. I'm sure this was a big headache for them - they could have told me it was my problem and charged me several hundred dollars for the part - but they dealt with it with a smile. This is even more impressive given that I was clearly from out-of-state and could not be a repeat customer. Hats off to them!!
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Review from Jason E.
Chicago, IL
5/16/2011
Love VFC. Always have done great work. Unfortunately this morning I found out they have stopped working all air cooled engines though. So if you have a beautiful vintage 911 or cherry Beetle from the 70's, its now gotten a little tricky on how to get it worked on in the city. Right now my beautiful bug is sitting in the shop at Grace Auto Repair on N. Pulaski next to slick Ghia. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for all the good times VFC. But please find an air cooled mechanic. The more of these beautiful vintage german cars we can have on the streets of Chicago the better!! -
Review from Kevin B.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2011
I love VFC. I have been taking my 2004 VW R32 here for the past 5+ years. They have a great crew and do excellent work. These guys just live and breath German cars; VW, Audi, BMW, and Porsche. They do everyday maintenance and they are there for tuning as well.
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Review from Matt H.
Chicago, IL
1/14/2011
I completely recommend VFC.
Of course, I hate going there, only because that means my car has broken down or has some other problem, but I do like going there because I know they will find the problem. Other places try the band-aid approach of replacing a part only to have the problem recur. I've even had a major reoccuring problem and they have worked diligently to fix it. In one case, they didn't charge me for a few days work since they hadn't found the root of the problem.
Doug, Robyn, Joe and the rest are great, friendly and care about your car. They are not the cheapest place around, but do you really want to take your car to the cheapest spot? I'd rather have these experts on the job, than have someone who doens't care or a stealership who could care less out my vehicle.
Basically, if you care about your VW, Audi or Porsche, bring it here.
Plus its always cool to see the trailor out front as they get ready for a weekend at the track. -
Review from Nell S.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2010
These guys know their stuff!
I have a 2002 Jetta TDI (diesel), and while I might appear to be the type of girl who doesn't know what's going on under the hood, believe me, I make it a point to learn, to do my research and understand my car.
Despite opportunities to attempt to convince me that stuff that could be done needs to be done, VFC engineering has always made it a point to be extremely forthright and honest with me.
They are friendly, knowledgable, reasonably priced, and they have 2 awesome black labs that love people! It is important to me to have a good, trusting relationship with my mechanic, and I am absolutely thrilled to have found VFC Engineering! -
Review from Justin G.
Chicago, IL
7/1/2009
I brought my car in to VFC based on a recommendation, so I had high hopes going in. I drove the car in first thing on a Monday morning during the winter. The staff I dealt with at that time were amicable and friendly. It did not appear too busy and I was told there would be no problem looking into the check engine light issues on my car.
I was told I would receive a quote on the work by 3pm. The call never came at 3pm, so I gave them a call at 5pm. They were not able to complete the estimate on-time and I was told it would be tended to first thing the following day and I would receive a call before noon. No call came. I had to call them back again! Surprisingly, they had my quote, no one just bothered to call me. I can live with outside factors causing the estimate/quote to slip, but I have a real problem with not once getting a courtesy call to let me know what was going on.
So things were already off to a bad start. They gave me an estimate on the work that would need to be done. They also took it upon themselves to check out my brakes and give me the percentages of what was left. Also stating they were going to rotate my tires for free but could not locate my wheel lock key. A nice gesture. Until I got off the phone and realized. 1) I don't have wheel locks. 2) How could they have checked out my brakes without removing the tires?
After getting poor service and then being lied to, I decided to take my business elsewhere. They were not pleased and failed to give me the 10% referral discount off my bill, which I was told I would receive when I brought my car in. A bill which amounted to ~185.00 for the quote and replacing a tail light.
I knew this was a specialty shop going in which tended to charge a bit more in-line with what a dealer would for service. But my experience was filled with frustration and disappointment. -
Review from Jon J.
Chicago, IL
10/29/2007
Excellent family-owned shop that specializes in Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi vehicles. They are completely honest about what your car needs and have flexible hours.
Don't bother going to the dealership for "scheduled maintenance" that your car doesn't actually need. Take it to VFC and they'll figure out what maintenance that your car requires and will only do that.
Their garage is filled with custom-built autocross cars, and when I was there they had a 911 Turbo up on the rack for some work. If an owner of a $100k sports car trusts them, you know that your $20k Volkswagen is in good hands there. -
Review from Mik W.
Chicago, IL
4/10/2008
I couldn't agree more with the first reviewer. This specialty shop has taken in my newly purchased 64 Karmenn Ghia and has treated her with exceptional care. My car has a 6-volt generator that was sucking the life out of the battery. They recommended I switch to a 12-volt alternator. Yes, it could devalue the value of the car, but I trust Doug and his crew.
If you have a VW, Porsche or Audi (or even a race bike), bring it to them. You will receive honest feedback AND great customer service. Imagine that...... -
Review from Jon F.
IL
5/6/2008
Great shop! They specialize in VWs, Audis, and Porsches. I had them work on a different sort of car and they did great work, but at a price and a time fram. The down side is that you have to compromise on time and cost to get the work done by the right people. If you have a special car to you, take it here.
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Review from Melina M.
Las Vegas, NV
9/19/2008
This is the best place I have ever taken a car to be looked at/fixed/maintained. Robin and Doug are phenomenal- they take customer service to another level completely.
We have had our Porsche Boxster checked out and have had an oil change with VFC. The degree to which they provide information and details on the work they have done, what is needed and how everything works is so appreciated. The prices were very fair and time frame very realistic.
(I have been living in Chicago and am moving to SF...sad to have to find a new service provider for our car, can't imagine I will find one as good as VFC)
Highly, highly recommended! (they specialize in Volkswagon, Audi, BMW and Porsche) -
Review from Jake C.
Chicago, IL
7/27/2009
I have a 2004 BMW X3 and have brought it to this family owned establishment several times. They are the most accomodating and polite shop I have ever worked with. They will voluntarily stay later or provide additional times for you to drop off or pick up your vehicle.
Beyond that, I have never once been sold something I didn't need. I have requested additional preventative maintenance items and have been told that I should reprioritize to work on a different item first, saving money.
I feel they are an honest shop who truely cares about the cars they work on and the customers they serve. I now get all of my work done at their shop. I look forward to working with them. -
Review from Jarrett W.
Chicago, IL
5/18/2010
I brought my 2003 Mini Copper to VFC after having several bad experiences with Knauz and an estimate I felt was too high from Bill Jacobs Mini.
VFC has exceeded my expectations for customer service, price and the timeliness of their work. They advised me that some of the work the dealer recommended was not needed and that there were some other areas that could use some attention. They took the time to explain to me the urgency of each problem so I could understand what needed to be done and what I might wait on.
Everyone in the shop is also very friendly and they answer their phone and respond in a timely manner to messages and emails. -
Review from Randall J.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2009
I have a 1999 Z3 Roadster that is basically my child. I bought it years ago with the intent of holding on to it forever and keeping it in tip top shape. Purchased from Perillo it was supposedly "certified" and was only 2 years old with low miles. I have the Carfax review which shows no accidents.
Long story short I begin to notice that the care has obviously been repainted and I was buying rear tires every spring when I took it out of storage. The insides of my tires were wearing. Everywhere I took the car they said I needed an alignment. I would get an alignment and new tires (500+ for 2) and would have to do the same in the spring. I replaced the rotors in the rear and still was not sorting out. On top of it all suddenly the car starts slipping in first gear from a dead stop. Finally I took it to VFC (where we also take our Audi TT) to replace the transmission. I get a call from Robin and she tells me to come out to take a look. Her master tech discovers that the bracket under the rear of the car (welded at the factory) that everything in the rear including the transmission and axles attach was broken on one side toward the rear. See center of photo. Believe it or not that turned out to be great news. Doug her master welder welded the new piece and they put the car back together. I was prepared to have to put down for a new transmission when this piece was the root of my years and thousands of dollars of problems. My car now rides, drives and handles better than it did when I purchased it. Plus we all know when you have a later model car with issues beyond an oil change or a tire rotation; you are the last person the dealer wants to see.
The team at VFC is so incredibly attentive. I have never brought my car there without them fixing little "pain in the butt" things that I have not noticed like two little light bulbs on the trunk lid brake light. Or the little squeak I was hearing in the rear. Total attention to detail. I will say that sometimes it does take some time to get parts but please know it is because Robin is checking all of her distributors to get the best price for your parts. They know I my preference is the best part for whatever is being fixed. I am fine waiting a few days for a part to make it across the country when she is saving me money.
I would never take any of my cars anywhere else.
