Desert Star Auto/European Auto Repair

Brought my car in for a leaking radiator and had a great experience with Joe. He was upfront, honest, and didn’t try to upsell or scare me into extra work. Trustworthy, fair, and solid work. I’ll definitely be back.

Joe is the BEST! I feel so Lucky to have his honesty & knowledge of my Mercedes. You won’t regret taking your vehicle to have him work on it!!!!

I brought my 2020 BMW 440I hard top convertible to desert star auto today (8/4/25) for its 20,000 mile checkup. The BMW app notified me that should do so. I bought this car 8 months ago and have no record of previous maintenance. Therefore, when I had replaced the original battery, I also had an oil change. When I brought the car into Desert Star Auto today, I explained all this to Joe. I asked him to do what was ever necessary for the 20,000 mile maintenance checkup. He totally went over my car and even gave it a test drive, checked the filters, etc., and told me my car was in perfect shape and did not charge me anything. He reset all codes, checked out everything on the car including the filters, telling me that they were in great shape and didn't need to be replaced at this time. And I repeat, he didn't charge me anything! I will not have my car repaired anywhere else. Plus he's the nicest friendliest guy you could ever meet.. Ed Tannheimer

Joe is a nice guy but I didn't get to far with him for a diagnosis and repair of a control arm bushing on my Audi Q5 ( the bushing was leaking fluid). During our initial conversation Joe said he was 2-3 weeks out for an appointment and I said that's fine I'm in no rush. I asked if I could purchase the part and have him replace it but he said he doesn't do that. Ok..no problem. Next day Joe called me and said that the control arm bushing does not have fluid in it but he would do some more research and get back to me. ??? He was wrong about that. He also suggested I bring in the car for a $160 oil change so he could diagnose it properly while on the lift. I told him that I get oil changes for less at the dealership and my local independent German garage. He then directed me to another garage that might allow me to bring in my own part for replacement. I never heard from Joe again. Luckily I continued looking and found Hollow Mechanic Services ( on Yelp ) and they allowed me to purchase my parts ahead of time, changed my oil for $45 and replaced the whole control arm for a great price. If you are looking to save money and time I would look elsewhere. My reply to Joe's response. I never got upset with anyone at Desert Star. ???? The price for an oil change ( $160 ) at your shop is more expensive than all of the other shops I've been to, including the dealership. Joe told me that he would call the other shop and get back to me. I never heard from Joe again. The analogy of bringing a steak to a restaurant is faulty. There are many mechanics and garages that allow you to buy your own parts and have them installed. I read reviews to help me make better informed decisions as to what products and services I might want to spend my money on. I write honest reviews to help others do the same. The truth is that my experience with Joe at Desert Star was disappointing especially after reading the positive reviews here on Google. Nobody is perfect.

I take my 1983 Mercedes 300D to European Starr and am pleased with the service. I'm on a fixed income so prices may seem a bit on the expensive side. However you won't regret taking your European auto there. I recently needed a new starter, new trans hoses, thorough valve clearance, a full tune up with top-rated oil treatment, and almost total stoppage of engine leakage (which is a huge problem with these older Benz). I didn't have the full fee for all the work so they took their time doing everything and Joe always answered my many questions and explained why certain things were necessary. This is definitely an automotive shop I would recommend.