Zimbrick European

Great Service Department

Zimbrick European's service department performs top quality work and I can always count on my vehicle being properly serviced and cleaned upon picking it up.

Great Service Department

Nearly 3 years ago my wife and I traveled from the Chicago area to Madison for a morning appointment and, from the start of the trip, we had problems with our vehicle that had been serviced in the Chicago area the day before. We were forced to stop 2 or 3 times during the trip as the problem persisted. We called the Chicago area dealer that had serviced the vehicle and they offered little assistance. We did not want to miss out appointment in Madison so we somewhat reluctantly kept traveling. As we reached the Madison area the problem worsened to the point that we decided to have the car towed. We found that Zimbrick European was the nearest factory authorized dealership for our vehicle and headed there. We had no prior experience with the dealership or its service staff but from the moment we arrived there our Service Advisor, Greg Thompson, and the staff were terrific to work with. They gave our car a service priority due to our trip being interrupted and they promptly identified and fixed the problem. We were greatly relieved that we were able to reschedule our appointment that day and to continue our trip. One year later we moved to the Madison area and we have had both of our vehicles serviced at Zimbrick European ever since. The Service Department remains nothing short of terrific to work with. It came as no surprise to us that Greg is now the Service Manager. The mark of any organization is how they deal with problems when something unexpectedly goes wrong. I can't say enough about positive things about Zimbrick European. There operation has remained 5 star in every regard!

Great in Service - Poor Sales

I purchased an Audi A6 at Zimbrick European. Trying to sell the car back to them showed me how honest and fair my sales associate was - "Audi's hold their value strongest in the market" I still hear his words...... Sold the car now to another dealer in Madison for several thousand dollars more. It's not about doing favors, but being treated fair is what every customer should expect and deserves. They will try take advantage of you if the situation allows, so make a careful choice of where you will do your business. I don't mind creative sales, but always being on the foundation of honesty is a must in my eyes.Everyone makes choices in life and mine unfortunately proofed to be the wrong ones. I learned my lesson and will not purchase a vehicle at Zimbrick European again.To close on a positive note, I have had not negative experiences with their Service Team.

All sounds great until you bought!

I purchased an Audi A6 at Zimbrick European. Trying to sell the car back to them showed me how honest and fair my sales associate was - "Audi's hold their value strongest in the market" I still hear his words...... Sold the car now to another dealer in Madison for several thousand dollars more. It's not about doing favors, but being treated fair is what every customer should expect and deserves. They will try take advantage of you if the situation allows, so make a careful choice of where you will do your business. I don't mind creative sales, but always being on the foundation of honesty is a must in my eyes. Everyone makes choices in life and mine unfortunately proofed to be the wrong ones. I learned my lesson and will not purchase a vehicle at Zimbrick European again. To close on a positive note, I have had no negative experiences with their Service Team, so my review is focusing on the sales side of their business.

Service

Zimbrick European has provided experienced, professional, attentive, comprehensive and responsible service for my vehicle. Their integrity and exceptional customer service will bring me back, every time.

Excellent!

Zimbrick Mercedes treated me with such professionalism being extremely courteous and keeping me continually informed of all repairs needed. Jody my technician is so professional and went above and beyond to provide an exemplary experience at Zimbrick. Highly recommended!

these people are great!

Very proffesional, speedy and really care. I would recommend this dealership . They make it easy to get service and are very detail orientated. Thanks again Zimbrick European!!Patti lane

can NOT be better

I've been a customer of Zimbrick European for more than 10 yrs. I've leased or purchased several cars from them and have had ALL service performed there as well. Every purchase experience as well as service visit has been "outstanding", absolutely no issues / complaints. The service advisers / technicians are always friendly and extremely helpful. The visits to Zimbrick European could not be better ! Steve 03/13/2015

2004 Cayenne Front Axle

Vehicle diagnosis of noise from front axle revealed necessary replacement of front differential. Vehicle now performs properly following repairs and is quiet. A loner was provided during my service and I am pleased with the outcome. I will return to Zimbrick if I have future service needs. Bob N.

Great Experience!

I had my 2011 Audi in for some warranty service March 2015. Zimbrick diagnosed and fixed the small issue while I waited, and also checked to make sure an older service bulletin item (ignition coil) had been addressed (it had). When it was all done, they gave me my car back newly washed!

Excellent work and service

Customers service was really good. I was really satisfy with the responses to my questions and service. Everyone was pleasant and very helpful. Sam Roberts was my service adviser now and he does a great job; always friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Exceptional Service

Just brought my 2014 Audi A6 in for its 15,000 mile service. As always with Zimbrick the service was exceptional. They were ready for me when I arrived and my loaner car was ready to go. The service was completed earlier than promised and the car was washed and cleaned when I went to pick it up. Chris reviewed all of the service that was done and I am completely satisfied.

Top Notch

Purchased two Mercedes from Zimbrick, and it was an easy no hassle experience. After purchase experience has also been no hassle, friendly, helpful and professional. No one has tried to pressure me into buying anything, and the vehicle service is excellent. Jody Nelson is my service adviser now and he does a great job; always friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.I have no trouble recommending Zimbrick European.

Great service

I was in today for a repair of my wipers and washer nozzle. They accommodated me with a time change because of my schedule. I was in and out in less than one hour. Everyone was pleasant and very helpful. No complaints!!!

Extremely Satisfied

I recently purchased a certified pre-owned Mercedes through Derek Austin and I'm extremely happy. The buying process was smooth and painless. I knew what I wanted before I had got there and he answered all my questions quickly to help me make mind up. I would recommend anyone to go through him.

Smooth Transaction

I recently purchased a certified pre-owned Mercedes through Derek Austin and I'm extremely happy. The buying process was smooth and painless. I knew what I wanted before I had got there and he answered all my questions quickly to help me make mind up. I would recommend anyone to go through him.

Service

Excellent service. Cleaned car. Excellent communication between service and sales team. Definitely going back to this dealer. No complaints at all. My next car will be purchased from Zimbrick.

Great service

The service experience was pleasant and the staff very friendly. All of my questions were answered and I had to schedule another visit for more service which was taken care of efficiently.

Great Service

I have been working with Jody in service for the last few years and he has been fantastic. He is responsive to my requests and always takes the time to explain the service and what needs to be done. I trust his recommendations and the departments ability to deliver quality service.

Pleased with service, fair treatment

The staff was friendly and service experience was pleasant. They listened to me and were very fair when they did not have a needed part. Our car was ready when promised. We'll come back again.

Good stuff

Followed up with me over the phone. Very informative regarding car status. Great Warranty coverage. No charge to me for the repairs needed for my car.

This visit, much better than the last!

I had my car in for service in December, they did not have the part and ordered it. This was a return visit.Although I am the one that had to call and ask if the part had come in, they got me in and fixed the problem while I waited. Everyone was very courteous and professional.

It's the best or nothing

There isn't a Mercedes dealership where I live so I travel 2 1/2 hours one way to get my car serviced. Because parts are not generally stocked I can count on making two trips for a total of 10 hours drive time to get my car repaired. (The first trip is to complete the diagnostic, and then the second trip is for the actual repair). I would recommend that the Madison location consider having a parts storage warehouse nearby to stock parts to avoid the inconvenience of making several trips for one repair. The dealership does, however, provide a loaner car while I am in town. The sales representatives are friendly and knowledgeable. The showroom is clean and well displayed. Complimentary beverages, and internet are provided to patrons while they wait and that's always appreciated. My car is clean and in warm storage when it is ready for pick up. (It's the best or nothing). ;)

Service

A totally stellar experience from start to finish. I was kept in the loop all the way. Courteous and professional staff. I was also happy to be provided with a loaner vehicle!

Great service, great customer service

When I leave my vehicle to be serviced at Zimbrick European I never have to worry. The crew there always have my loaner vehicle ready for me to pick up and service is always above standards. My service manager Sam is always very pleasant to work with. His kind deminor and knowable background are evident in our flawless service discussions. The complimentary car wash is always a plus a well. I would give Zimbrick European a 5 star overall rating.

Outstanding in all aspects

If outstanding was available that is how I would rate this dealership. Staff is truly amazing with sales and service second to none. Tony LaBerge always takes the time to answer my questions and ensures that he keeps me informed on topics of interest. Facilities are always clean with a excellent selection of cars available. If you are looking for a Mercedes Benz, Audi, Porsche, Smart or Sprinter I highly recommend Zimbrick European.

Rude Service

I was in Madison for a business meeting and it was raining. My windshield wipers stopped working. I called Zimbrick and the woman told me to being it right in. When I got there the service rep said it would be 2-3 hours before anyone could look at it and he didn't think they could fix it. So, I decided to just get back to Milwaukee. On the way back I got caught in a huge rain storm in Lake Mills on the interstate. Having to pull off as I could not see. A truck driver gave me some RainX to put on the window, so I could get home. Would have thought the service rep would have been concerned enough to apply some RainX. My complaint if they had "no time" to even look at my car, why did the phone rep tell me to come right over. The service rep had no issues letting me go with it raining.

Worst car dealer experience

I decided to buy a certified 2011 benz c class in january 2014. The sales experience was okay - nothing great, paid a little bit extra because they are the only MB dealer in town. I started noticing an issue pretty much right away -- the car handles the bumps horribly, i mean horrible, as if the shocks are 10 yrs old or something....I emailed my sales guy (troy) who told me to take it to service which i did after 2-3 weeks. The service guy brett calls me and tells me that nothing is wrong with my car -- it drives this way because its a sports suspension !!! That didnt sound right to me because i knew what is a sport suspension and i knew that MB cannot build a car like this - sports suspension or not. Not convinced, I called him back and told him if thats the case, then he should give me a loaner with a sports suspension and let me drive for a few days and compare. I didnt hear back from him. I left him 3 voicemails over the next 3 days, no answer. I emailed my original sales guy ( troy), no answer....Frustrated, I called the MB customer service and opened a case with them: Got a call from brett within 24 hours :) He arranged a loaner for me.... Here's the best part: I drove the loaner for a couple of days and could clearly see the difference in the way it handled bumps...* On Friday, 4/18, I called and left a VM for brett telling him that I am even more than ever convinced that shocks and suspensions on my car need to be checked out.* on Monday (4/21), he calls me back and left a VM, telling me that they cannot do anything else and that i should deal with the sales guy again * on Tuesday, 4/22, he called me at 3:44 again telling me the same thing and tells me that the Loaner I have has been sold and they need the car back. I told him sure, please have Troy (sales guy) call me and schedule an appointment today or tomorrow and I will come by. * Within next hour, I got 3 voicemails from someone from the dealership asking me to return his call urgently. I later found out that this was the sales manager (glen)* I couldnt return the call as I was busy with work and then all of a sudden, I get a call from Madison Police department. Aaron (the GM) wants to report his Loaner stolen !!!! WTH -- I just spoke with his service guy an hour ago and he knows the car is with me !!!! and they have my own equally priced car !!!!Well that was a shocker, so i decided to call this aaron guy myself. I dared him to report the car stolen to the police but he wouldnt do it..... I knew they just wanted to threaten and intimidate me but for what ?? why ?? they knew the loaner is with me !!! They thought that I will be scared and forget the issue with my car --- not happening.... I went to the dealership myself and confronted them. They had nothing to say but apologize, blaming each other :)I want my lawyer to follow up on this but dont know if i have time and energy to follow up on a court case. The worst part is I am still stuck with the lemon they sold me. Advise: 1) if you can, drive to milwaukee or chicago to get a better deal2) If you get a loaner for them,,, make sure they put down the right number of days you will have it, not just 1 day. They will report the car stolen even if they have told you verbally that you can keep the car. Make sure you have them send a new loaner agreement, their word doesnt count. 3) If they put any issues in your car on the sports suspension -- dont just believe themYou can contact me at 608-334-0097 if you want to share your experience

MBE320 front spring fell out!

I recently purchased a 98 Mercedes Benz E320 w/170K miles. Body is in very good shape and has been maintained regularly by Zimbrick European. I have a stack of receipts attesting to Zimbrick maintenance. 3 weeks ago, while my wife and I were in the car going about 55mph, we encountered a loud bang the the front right wheel spring came flying out, nearly causing me to lose control of the car. We collected the pieces and limped back home. Upon further research, we found the this is a common occurrence for this model car that reflects a poor design by MB. MB of Canada has a formal recall and will fix the car, no questions asked, as would be expected from a car maker that touts reliability, saftey and longevity of their vehicles. While researching this, I also found that some MB dealers in the US will do the right thing and fix this for no cost. I called a service manager at zimbrick, can't remember his name, but phone # is 608-258-4059. and explained the situation. He stated flatly that they would not pay one cent toward the repair of this vehicle, even though they had maintained it through its life. He was rude and unapologetic. I stated that if they had maintained it, they should have checked the spring support since it is a known safety issue. He tried to tell me that the previous owner, an elderly lady, had refused the service. I have all the service records, and I know if she had refused maintenance for a safety issue, it would have been noted and she would have had to sign a statement to that effect. So, essentially, he said, tough luck, and then lied about it. I find it hard to understand that these people would treat someone this way for a known safety issue that they are trying to ignore

Great Experience

Everything went very smoothly. I did most of my research online, so the sales process went smooth/quick. Everyone was very friendly and went out of their way to make me feel like a valued customer. Alex and Julie were both great!

Great Experience

Friendly no nonsense sales people. Stop in and say hello to Dave Kummer.

I have now driven my new 2011 350-E for 37000 miles with...

I have now driven my new 2011 350-E for 37000 miles with an irritating repetitive tire noise. I had it checked shortly after purchase and was told the tires were not balanced. Unlikely that would be the problem from the factory. The new balancing did nothing to improve the situation. I took it in again and suggested that it might be a belt problem. This time they told me that the problem is common with Pirelli tires because they are soft and can develop flat areas. I asked if everyone that buys Mercedes with Pirelli tires has this problem. He said that many of them do. I find it hard to believe that Mercedes would continue to use Pirelli if that was indeed the case. He was however, very happy to supply me with a list of three brands of tires I could purchase from him that would solve the problem.

I would recommend WITH some limitations. Salesperson was...

I would recommend WITH some limitations. Salesperson was to the point, and did not leave us sitting while he talked with his manager. We like the car and appreciate the background information that accompanied it.Problems:Keys: This VW Passat only came with ONE key! We have NEVER purchased a car or truck that came with only one key. Of course, the time to negotiate had past by the time we received the key. Gary was unwilling to budge on this item.The salesperson at Zimbrick Used Import sales told us that they ALWAYS make sure a car has two keys. When we shared this information with Gary, he just said that different dealers have different policies. It would seem that this luxury car dealership would have the highest standards, providing two keys for any car they sell. My husband is a driver for the local Chevrolet dealer and has instructions that he may not pick up or deliver a car unless it has two keys. This IS the expectation! Headlights and mirror: Although the mirrors and headlights had been checked off as OK on the window sticker, we had to make two trips from Monroe to have the headlights adjusted. (First they replaced after-market bulbs, but the problem was not solved. The second trip resulted in raising the headlights nearly 3 inches and to the right. That should have been taken care of BEFORE the sale, or at least on the first trip.) A mirror motor has been ordered for the passenger side (does not adjust in and out) and we will have to make a third trip to Madison (45 miles one way) to have it fixed. Steve in Service has been very friendly and prompt to communicate, but we are naturally frustrated about the time and expense of making 3 trips to Madison to have items fixed that were supposedly checked and listed as OK on the car sticker.This does not inspire confidence in the rest of the items on the checklist.

By far the quickest, to the point, no-nonsense car...

By far the quickest, to the point, no-nonsense car purchase we have had (after 11+ new cars). Very informative and willing to work at the pace we wanted. Our sales guy has been with the company for over 10 years and it showed. He didn't have to run back and forth to his manager to get things done and delivered the car and paperwork to my office (his offer, and I took him up on it). Whole thing from start to finish took 2 days from my first e-mail unlike my past experiences with the BMW people. When my car was delivered, he hooked up my phone bluetooth connection in less than a minute. My husband's acura was never connected and the salespeople acted as if it was a difficult process that required him to go to verizon to fix it. Go Mercedes!

Switched from BMW and am very pleased! The shopping...

Switched from BMW and am very pleased! The shopping experience was pleasant and easy. Very professional staff and nice facility. Will be back to get a used car for daughter.

Update : I gave them another chance and I can...

Update : I gave them another chance and I can recommend them. I think I've been unlucky the first time and they were just adjusting with the new smart center. They really improved the customer service and I had no problem this time. ______________I'm adjusting my review.After the adventure (described in the original review), Zimbrick contacted me to make things right. Their offer was very generous and they sent a driver all the way from Madison, pick my car and drive it back to Milwaukee. It's a great expense for them. They seem to really want the smart owners after all. They're just not quite ready it seems and there's things to improve, but they made proof of good will definitely. So, I'll see how it goes, give them some time and hopefully for them and smart owners, things will be better in a near future! :o). One thing I would suggest, is before your appointment, just call them to confirm and make sure they really have the part.... it could save everyone money and time because it seems like a weakness and I read about this "part" issue in other reviews ;o). ____original review_____ I love my smart, but I just had the most disrespectful and unprofessional experience with Zimbrick's smart center (it's actually a Mercedes Dealer and also a smart center and other European cars). First I contacted them via email for a quote and I got a fast answer from T. with pricing. So, I contacted the service center via their email (given by T. ) on August 23 to get an appointment and gave my availabilities etc... (I like keeping a written trace of communication) . After Three days without answer I wrote back (on the 26th) putting T. (the one who answered fast) in copy. I finally got an answer saying that the part had to be ordered and they could see the the 13 september or after. *sighs* I wrote back saying I could come on the 13 in afternoon and to confirm time with me.... I never got an answer on this unclear appointment... so I didn't insist thinking I would contact them when the time comes. When I contacted them on the 12 because I didn't know if I actually had a specific time for my appointment and I was working later that day, I finally received a call from a nice Lady, I think her name is M., telling me that she was sorry about the lack of communication she finally can give me a "real" appointment on the 28 September! OKAY.... SO I requested off that day. I live in Milwaukee, they are in Madison... it's 70 miles away! Today I arrive in time, actually 15 minutes early... I found my way through the Mercedes. There's no sign for "smart" you have to guess by the smarts on the lot. Also they have nothing smart related... no posters, no logos nothing besides some cars on their lot. Way to go for a "smart center". So I sign the paper for the work to be done give my keys and head to the waiting room. The gentleman who actually welcomed me, is D., the one who doesn't know how to reply to emails. He tells me it will take about an hour and I wait. After 45 minutes he's back. I think the car is ready sooner. actually NO.... he tells me "huhhhh we don't have the part.... it must have been sent back because it was more than 30 days...". WHAT?!!!!!! I was on the road a total of about 2:45 hours... half a tank of gas and a day off from work for that and they were not even able to wash my car properly! Right now, I would like to give them " -4 " . I've never been rude or impatient and I was more in shock than anything... He offered to keep my car overnight get the part back (now it could get it in one day?) and deliver the my car back in Milwaukee. For some reason, I didn't trust them anymore with anything so I took my car and my money back with me and I'll find another solution. That is really sad news for smart of Wisconsin.

Stay away. This dealership has inflated prices and...

Stay away. This dealership has inflated prices and underhanded tactics to make the money that they want, not to mention, poor customer service. I relent not taking the drive to go to another state to do this transaction, but I was under a time crunch and have previously had non-dubious car dealings here in Madison so was not prepared for this. For the sake of simplicity, here are the pros and cons.Pros: Nice, clean dealership, fast test-drive set-up, prompt email response (BEFORE transaction, of course. After you have signed your paperwork, good luck hearing from them). Glenn, the manager has great customer service skills.Cons: 1. Kenley was quite rude to my husband right off the bat (completely ignored him and my husband had to go up to him to introduce himself) - we're pretty easy-going and thought that maybe he was working the sale so hard that he just forgot.2. Understanding that I was new to leasing he used inflated money factors to calculate my lease payment - which I did catch and he "adjusted" before I discovered that there was an even lower money factor that I did qualify for at three other Mercedes dealerships.3. After they determined what the selling price of the car will be (which was also higher than what I subsequently have found) they did not give me a copy of what I signed.4. He used pressure tactics and was even going to show up to my work to get me to sign the paperwork, but right after I signed it and heard back from another dealership pointing out where they had inflated the numbers (there were three areas where he had blatantly deceived me - meaning that he said one number but when I saw it on the papers it was something else) - it somehow took three emails before he responded back and even then he did not adequately answer any of my questions.5. When we picked up the car, we were not introduced to anyone in the service department.6. There was never any follow-up as to how we were doing with the car. Poor poor customer service.There are definitely some things that could have been fixed right at the beginning if I had been better informed, but there are parts where he has clearly inflated the numbers, and I cannot do anything since I have signed my lease. Lucky for us, my cousin is a design engineer for MB and he told us that dealer complaints to MB customer service are taken seriously, and while I have never filed a formal complaint in my short life, I think that this is definitely something to complain about. Even if I take away the inflated numbers from the picture, the overall customer service experience was worse than any other dealership we have been to in Madison. - this, I feel, might also just be due to our salesman. When you decide to transition to a Mercedes, customer service is part of that deal (we have had over a dozen MB's in our family in the last 30 years, but none from Madison), and this dealership is miles away from the standard that one expects or is used to.Final Verdict: Save some bucks, head elsewhere.

Great experience overall. Highly recommended dealer and...

Great experience overall. Highly recommended dealer and sales person. Negotiated price via email made the transaction even smoother. Financing was also smooth and fast. Great price too.

My reason for visit is for both Audi CPO sales and...

My reason for visit is for both Audi CPO sales and service.Let's start with service. They never have parts in stock. So you take you car in to get diagnosed, and then have to come in again a week later to get the actual work done. On occasion they've ordered the wrong parts meaning I had to come in again another week later. Other times they just plain didn't do the job right by replacing the wrong parts and not testing it after the fact, requiring yet, another trip. On a few occasions they argued with me about how stability control and ABS work. I used to be a design engineer for an OEM and definitely have more knowledge about the topic than they do.The labor rate is insanely high ($110+/hr) but on occasion they are actually cheaper than other shops for the same job such as a timing belt or wheel bearings. On the plus side, loaner cars are provided at no extra charge and the facility is new and clean. At the end they do try to make things right with the repair if things did not go smoothly.The sales side of the place is poor. They overprice everything and don't even have any knowledge about the product they are selling. This even from a salesman who purported has worked there 6 years.Unfortunately Zimbrick has a monopoly in the luxury car market in Madison, and the nearest other Audi / BMW / MB / Acura dealers are in Milwaukee.

Found a used vehicle on the CUDL website and requested...

Found a used vehicle on the CUDL website and requested more information on the vehicle and if it was still available. I never received any contact back from then. I tried to call them with the phone number I received in the automated e-mail respose and it was a fax line and when I e-mailed the Internet Manager directly I also never received any response. I guess they don't need to sales.

After visiting several dealerships in the Madison area,...

After visiting several dealerships in the Madison area, Zimbrick European (Mercedes), had--without a doubt--the nicest facility and salesmen. The salesman, Ron Gratz, was extremely friendly, intelligent, and helped us have a great experience. The sales manager, secretary, and other salesmen, were also nice and had a smile on their face. We were treated fairly, given a good deal, and the paper work was completed in a timely manner.

Bought a Saab 9-3 in September '04 . Just took delivery...

Bought a Saab 9-3 in September '04 . Just took delivery on a BMW X3 for my wife in December '04. Service was excellent on my Saab. It was done right the first time, My free loaner was a Saab 9-5. Very happy with the service dept. The sales dept. has also been excellent, Casey Sundell did a Great Job for us, I would recommend him to friends and family!! The sales staff ALL greeted us and also offered coffee, bottled water, ect. We were treated with Respect by every employee on the sales floor. Will I buy from Zimbrick again? YES.

Dealership appears quite arrogant as regards customer...

Dealership appears quite arrogant as regards customer service. Saab service is a real stinker. After some 18 months, I havent seen improvement. You are supposed to make an appointment with a clerk, whether it is for an oil change or an engine overhaul. On several occasions we were simply ignored when we came to drop the car off or pick it up. Sometimes it took several requests before someone would bother to help. My last service trip, I was instructed to drop the car off on Tuesday so they could work on it Wednesday, I then found out they actually didnt plan on working on the car until the following Monday because they got behind. Initial estimate was $1,600. The day after the car was checked in, for the same work the estimate was revised to $2,600 (which was much closer to reality). The vehicle was in the shop for 7 work days for less than 20 hours of work. After all this, when I was to pick up the car, theyd forgotten to finish it. NOTE: Saab Corporate said they do not talk to customers. Saab does not respond to comments regarding their dealers. You can leave your concern with a "customer service" clerk, who will file your complaint.