I'm sorry to say that I did not have a positive ex...

I'm sorry to say that I did not have a positive experience with Capitol Volkswagen, despite a promising start to my visit.

I called them early in the morning about a potential problem with my emissions system. The fuel cap warning light had been on the day prior, followed by the dreaded check engine light. They advised that I bring my car in for diagnosis and I was initially very pleased that they could fit me into their schedule on such short notice.

I arrived earlier than planned due to a desire to get off the road asap, and they were very accommodating and allowed me to check my vehicle in early. After a bit of a confusing delay, the service rep brought me the paperwork. I noticed there was a sizeable diagnosis fee which had not been discussed with me prior to my arrival, but okay, that's fine, as long as they're able to find and fix my problem.

The rep disappears at this point and nearly 2 hours pass. Not exaggerating, my phone was really low on battery and I was nervously counting the minutes. He finally comes back and tells me that pretty much every component of a particular system needed to be replaced to take care of the problem. The total figure quoted to me was staggering.

When I questioned him about the function of some of the parts listed, he was unable to answer and had to go consult with someone else. When I asked whether they were certain that all of the parts absolutely needed to be replaced, he replied that that was what he had been told.

Disappointed and heavy-hearted, I decided to put off making a decision to consult with my better half. One hefty diagnosis fee and another quarter of an hour later, I finally get my car back.

My husband advised me to try getting a second opinion, just in case. Thank goodness he did.

I called the Sunnyvale Volkswagen dealership and was answered by a person who sounded like he had some solid experience under his belt. He expressed skepticism that every single component on the laundry list I was given needed replacing, and explained that that was very uncommon and unlikely. I decided then and there to bring my car to them for a fresh set of eyes.

Less than two hours later, I am heading back home, my worries considerably lightened and my car back in ship-shape. The folks over in Sunnyvale actually performed a proper smoke test diagnosis and discovered the actual part that was leaking, rather than telling me to just replace everything and the kitchen sink. All-told, I ended up spending a fifth of what I was quoted by Capitol, not to mention considerably less time sitting around confused and in the dark about what was happening behind the scenes.

I'm really honestly disappointed with Capitol Volkswagen. I just moved to the Bay area recently from NC and was hoping to find a new go-to service provider close to our new home. If they had just taken the time to diagnose my car properly, they would have gained a loyal customer for the lifetime of my vehicle. Instead, I'm now decidedly going to go out of my way to drive out to Sunnyvale from now on for service, and my next car upgrade probably won't be with them either. What a shame.