Hillside Imports

Not a huge fan. In preparation for a trip across country, took my TDI here for service because it was recommended on a tdi forum. When I went to pick the car up, I got very little feedback to the condition of my car. I noticed on the statement of work that they had not rotated the tires. I inquired further and was told they all wore even and didn't need rotated.

Perhaps that was correct, but what they didn't tell me is that the inside tread on the tires was worn almost completely down. Halfway across the country, I had to stop because my tires were out of balance. Upon further inspection, they were also worn well past an acceptable level. Not sure if the shop was in a hurry or what when I had my car in there but, they definitely did not set me up like I expected.

Absolutely wonderful experience. Was originally told they would need the car through the weekend. They finished in less than 24 hours. Car is running like new. Thank you Hillside! Services: Vehicle Inspection, General repairs & maintenance

Spoke with Rene over the phone he gave me an estimate & I had my car towed in. Rene & his team went right to work. They finished my car in a very timely manner. When I went to pick up my car, I found They had even vacuumed out the car for me. A nice surprising touch! Car sounds & runs & drives great! Thank you Rene! I would definitely recommend this place for All of your Volkswagen needs.

Renee and his team are beyond professional, my family has been going to them my whole life, when I finally got my first German car I had no hesitation as to where to go! Although they may not be as central as others it's worth the extra trip! Service: General repairs & maintenance

Hands down one of the best VW&Audi shops in Portland! Reasonable prices and top tier service. I explained to Rene that I'm a student and need my car to drive to Corvallis, and he squeezed me in on a day that they were very busy. Honestly can't say enough good things about Hillsdale imports they're just a good honest shop that I anyone can depend on! I definitely recommend checking them out before going to the dealer, for any services or repairs.

A million thank-yous! Family-owned business is alive and well at Hillside. After being frustrated with Herzog-Meir's poor customer service I started looking for a reputable VW repair shop. I stumbled upon Hillside and read mostly great reviews with the occasional one-off unique issue with a disgruntled customer - nothing too alarming. I had a check engine light that was coming on intermittently and called Hillside to see if they could diagnose the issue.

Because a tech was on paternity leave their booking times were a few weeks out. My check engine light was off so I decided to forgo the issue until the light came back on. The next day my sunroof would not close! I immediately drove to Hillside. They took me on a walk-in basis, did an emergency close FREE OF CHARGE?! Since they don't do sunroof repairs (I don't blame them, it's probably a pain!) they referred me to Armstrong VW.

After speaking to the owner about the technicians, she shared that their shortest-tenured tech has been their 4 years and the longest 20 years. This is a sign of a small business that takes care of their employees. I will absolutely be back for anything that's not sunroof related. I was so stressed about my sunroof and this family-owned business came through in a clutch. A million thank-you's to Rene!

Just awesome. Great communication and professionality. Not every shop works on VW/Audi and those that do charge a premium for the work. Not Hillside, they are fair with their pricing for labor. I will go there everytime I need major services on my VW Jetta. Thank you Services: Battery service, General repairs & maintenance, Battery, Electrical

We use Hillside for maintenance and repairs on our GTI. They have always done a great job. We recently had a couple of issues that were covered by a warrant we were not aware of. Rene directed us to a VW dealership where we were able to get the repair covered. Amazingly honest service. Services: Engine repair, General repairs & maintenance

Our family has taken three different Volkswagens to hillside imports. Renee his wife and their team have always been professional and thorough. Hillside imports treats customers fairly, has highly skilled technicians, and excellent communication skills. When our family purchased a vintage Ford hillside imports helped usFind a quality mechanic for that car as well. Thank you.

Great experience! I bought an '04 Passat from its original owner who had it serviced at Hillside pretty regularly for a few years. A light came on the dash and I decided to take it back to them, they got an appointment for me very quickly and gave me very clear directions for contactless pickup/dropoff. They kept the car for longer than I expected for a diagnosis but I realize that it was because they thoroughly took their time and communicated to me the whole way through!

I tried a VW dealership and they couldn't figure it out, neither could the tire shop where I recently got tires and where the light came on. I'm so glad that Hillside continued to take great care of this vehicle and made me feel so comfortable! They made recommendations about purchasing a filter (which I will just do myself) and when I declined they were not pushy or aggressively sales-y.

Very down to earth people who know their stuff! Pricing was very reasonable and all of the staff was so friendly and helpful. I'm very happy with the experience that I had, you can really tell that they care.

I've been with VW dealer most of my VW CC life. Expensive and often unprofessional. Came to HI for rear main replacement and was amazed by their professionalism and car knowledge. Also reasonable pricing. It's my shop now. My car loves it, according to the engine sound

Hillside Imports is one of the best mechanics that I have ever worked with. I have taken my 1987 VW Vanagon there for about four years. The previous owner of the vehicle also took it to these guys. Rene has gone out of his way to help keep my 30 year old vehicle healthy. After recently moving to Texas, the mechanics here said that my vehicle was one of the better maintained Vanagons that they had worked on.

I continue to pester Rene with random questions while living thousands of miles away and he is always super helpful. They shoot you straight, help you make informed decisions on the priority of your engine needs, and are dedicated to making your vehicle last as long as possible. Highly recommended!

Rene and team are great. We have always had a great experience with Hillside Imports. The service is always beyond expectations and at a good cost. And they're very knowledgeable. We had an issue with a mysterious noise our 2003 Eurovan was making. We had taken it to several shops and no once could solve it. They figured it out right away and got it fixed- it was an inexpensive fix, but could have been potentially really dangerous if it hadn't been caught. We'd definitely recommend them if you're looking for a shop you can trust.

Can you give a 6 star review? I've been taking my car to them for years and always am treated right. Rene makes suggestions without pressure or trying to guilt me into any extra work. Most important is that I find them very honest and trustworthy. I know when I need service that they'll do it right and only do what is needed.

I wanted to give a shout out to Krista and the Hillside Imports team. Even though they cannot service my car because of make and model, they did promptly respond to my inquiry and also went a step further to notify me of other repair shops in the area that I should consider. That is what I call customer service. Thank you for your time!

We all know finding a trustworthy auto mechanic these days can be a slippery slope. After many failed attempts with other "so-called" VW mechanics I was introduced to Krista and Rene at Hillside Imports over 15 years ago. Rene and team have serviced more than 4 of my previous cars and is one of the most thorough and honest mechanics I have ever run across.

I trust these people with my cars to the point I have either limped or towed my broken down vehicles hundreds of miles just to avoid having anyone else put their hands on my babies.

We bought a used Passat for our son. Rene checked the car over for us, told us how it was and what work needed to be done, could be done, what to keep an eye on etc. We bought the car and Rene has taken it upon himself to help educate my kid about how to look after his car (who'd listen to a mere dad?) Great local mechanic. Trustworthy and friendly. Thanks Rene.

I recently had a headlight restoration done on my car by Hillside Imports. I was hoping that the lights would be improved after the process but I was shocked at how great they looked when they were finished. The car is almost 10 years old and the lights look brand new again. Excellent work by Hillside Imports. I would highly recommend them if your car needs a little headlight refresh.

Love that I discovered this place. Rene, his wife and their crew are fantastic to work with and they are highly knowledgeable about Westy and Eurovan which I own a Eurovan 99. I live in Portland, so this shop is a bit out of the way but after trying Precission Motor Car and German Formula, I highly recommend Hillside Imports. Miquel

Really happy with the honesty, communication, and service here.

As the proud new owners of a 2001 VW Eurovan MV, we are also the proud new owners of a relationship with Hillside Imports. Three weeks into owning the van and we have already seen Rene and team twice for repairs. Hillside has been great to us so far. They gave us a very thorough inspection and repair list after purchasing the vehicle on Craigslist, and then explained to us what we broke after our first weekend camping with the van!

They are timely and prompt in their repairs and replies, not pushy in regards to which services to pursue, and transparent in the work and time they are putting into our vehicle. Let's hope this pattern of seeing them abates, but if it doesn't we are thankful that we can trust Hillside to get us back on the road.

My significant other gets his car repairs done here. It's a family run business with a lot of heart. Other mechanics recognize the hillside plates and talk about how great Rene is. There's no competition. I wish they did other makes because everyone is so blown away by their service.

We've been coming to Hillside Imports for maintenance and repairs for several years. Rene is professional, responsive and communicates very clearly. The work done by Hillside has never failed us. We started coming to Hillside in 2012 when we purchased a VW Eurovan. We needed to make sure the vehicle was ready for a 2 month, 10,000 mile cross country journey. Rene told us what could be done, what needed to be done and worked with us to prioritize for our budget and safety. I'm pleased to report we had no problems on our trip the following year.

When we had a problem several years later while traveling 300 miles from home, Rene took our call and advised us over the phone and then got our vehicle in right away upon our return. After that, we started getting our VW Golf maintenance with Hillside and have been similarly pleased. I recommend them whole-heartedly.

Rene is an amazing miracle worker I bought a lemon, wanted to save some money by having a friend fix my car and that friend ended up not knowing what he was doing and ripped me off Rene was very professional and called me within a half an hour after I drop my car off to give me a diagnosis He let me know that my car was going to take some work and will most likely take a couple of days, always kept me informed with what was going on and how much the cost was going to be When he told me the final cost I was shocked because it was a couple hundred dollars less than I was anticipating I recommend Rene and his crew to all my friends and family that have a Volkswagen or Audi He came highly recommended and is definitely the best in the industry It was a breath of fresh air to deal with someone that was so knowledgeable honest and professional

As a transplant from Chicago, I rely on Google and Yelp to find the services in Portland that I eventually will need. After reading reviews on Hillside Imports I decided they would best be able to help my car with a water leak issue. The overall experience was excellent. I tend to self-diagnose problems with my car before bringing it to a shop. Hillside Imports spent time to listen and didn't make me feel like I was an amateur despite their level of qualification and experience.

After they found the origin of the leak they performed the fix, and thankfully it was quick and inexpensive. After a couple days of rain my car leak has fully stopped. I'll continue to watch for any water leaks but am confident Hillside Imports has fixed the problem. Now to find a good detailing shop to dry out my interior.

Rene, the shop owner and his staff are friendly and knowledgeable, so customer service hasn't been a problem. My hesitation is more the services offered for my specific vehicle. First off, it's carbureted. I can appreciate if that's not your specialty but to not offer the ability to check it at all, can you really call yourself full service?

Last time I checked mechanical was easier to diagnose than EFI, so this left me feeling like it wasn't $worth their time. As a manager myself I understand the costs of labor and the price for quality employees. However for me the labor rate is too high for common jobs, especially when some require services they cannot provide like alignments that tack on added costs.

The price markup on parts is about 15-20% so I thought maybe they could negotiate labor depending on the vehicle or job. I was wrong. Instead I received a quote at $400 for what I consider a relatively simple job with less than a $100 in parts. This aint your sugar-daddy's Audi, its a 30 yr old Mk1 that needs E-brake cables. Lastly, I've been three times so its not like I didn't try to appreciate their abilities.

I know there's a lot to fix on my vehicle but I came in for a specific problem and unfortunately I'm still living with a noisy gremlin in my front end. I know VW and Audi's can be hard to work on and require special tools or I wouldn't be writing this review but Hillside Imports might just be too overpriced for my white collar wallet and lack of Quattro.