S2 Dynamics

I have been bringing my VW to Pat and the S2 guys for over two years. The first time I dropped my car off I expected the usual runaround, the same one I have received from the dealer for the past nine years. I found Pat to be easy to talk to, extremely knowledgeable, and as concerned about the drive-​ability of my GTI as I am.
On my last two experiences with S2 I dropped my car off expecting a major repair, only to have Pat check the car and call me with a smaller repair and a smaller bill. Try getting that type of service from a dealer.
Knowing, and trusting Pat and S2 makes me much more willing to continue driving the nine year old, 130,000 mile car I enjoy.

I went there asking for some corrections on my car and wheel alignment. The mechanic was super friendly wiling to help. He stopped what he was doing to talk to me and hear my needs. I scheduled an appointment for the following week. Unfortunately, my job sent me abroad and was not able to make it, and on top of that I forgot to call in and give them heads up (Sorry about that guys!). My short experience is worth 5***** at this time. The folks who work there and the dog are easy to talk to and welcoming.

The team is always informative and transparent regarding repairs needed. Never pressured into making decisions on the spot. They fit me in the schedule and still make deadlines. Quality work

The last time I was here. For a simple oil change, let’s say everything was almost perfect. I was told one of my indicator lights was not working (which I checked the week before) so I was skeptical. It was only ⁵⁄₁₀ $ to get it changed so I said ok and asked for the fused bulb when I got home.
The technician later back and asked me for the bulb so he could confirm he was not mistaken, 5 minutes later he came back and told me I would find out the bulb was dead, but also he «accidentally» dropped it and broke it while bringing it back from my car.
Shady work and I don’t really trust them at this time. I currently go to Aktiv Automotive who are very nice (just as the people here), and more transparent as I can see my car as work is also being done on it to verify shady stories like this.
Don’t take his review he wrong way, I’ve had a great experience from this shop, but this experience is scarring. There’s a good reason why they have 2 stars and not 1.

I was on a trip in our 3-​series wagon and had a strange problem that was pretty concerning (after driving at speed on highway, idle would be rough and car would die sometimes). I found this shop on Unilocal and just appeared on a monday morning at 8am (no appointment). They were FANTASTIC! First off, they worked me in without an appointment. Second, the mechanic clearly explained what was going on. And best of all — I was back on the road in a couple of hours and the car runs great. If I lived in this area, this would be my go to place.

Pat and Diedrick from S2 Dynamics are the real deal. I have brought my family’s BMW 645ci here, as well as two Volkswagen TDI Touaregs and a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Pat and his crew are experts, listen to your concerns, explain things clearly to you, and most importantly, they do things THE RIGHT WAY without cutting any corners. I especially appreciate that they know the important differences between performing service on a regular gas Touareg versus my diesel.
Just picked up my car after an alignment earlier this week, and the car finally drives straight at 70+ mph on the highway. Thanks!
I will continue bringing all my family’s vehicles to this shop, as I feel they perform better service than the Dealer, at a better price point.

I had KW coilover installation done here and the owner seemed very knowledgable and reasonable person. Coilover installation went perfect and patrick even threw in a free VCD coding for my car.
However, the mechanics working on the car seem to have forgotten to give me back coilover height adjustment tool. I called them about a day later but haven’t heard back about the tool kit and it has been almost three weeks!
09-​03-​2015 Update: Pat called me as soon as he saw the review. He has arranged to ship back coilover tool to my home. Great customer service by S2 Dynamics!

We have two Break My Wallets (BMWs). Recently, I get a recall to fix front passenger side air-​bag for my 2000 BMW 323i. I took it to dealer for this recall and they performed a complimentary check up and wrote me a long list that needs to be fixed for the car. As a Ph.D. in mechanical engineer myself, I know a little bit about car and found the item needs to be fixed right away is the front control arm and bushing.
My dilemma is «Should I fix it» or «should I sell it»? The car is still in good shape and the resell price to CarMax is about $ 3000. So, I decided to figure out how much does it cost to fix control arm and what other stuff need to be fixed in near future. I shopping around in many top BMW specialized repair places in Stonestreet and Parklwan (I am old customer of many of them) and decided to go with S2 Dynamics (first time). The main reasons are:
1). The owner of S2 dynamic, Pat. After I talk to him, I feel he really care about his customer and is a honest man. Also, he enjoys fixing car (BTW, he is a mechanics, not a manager). He is the main reason I decide to have them fix the car.
2). The warranty, is 2 years, 2400 miles for all fixes. Most of other places use cheap parts and hide from the 3 months warranty.
3). The price is reasonable. The service is good.
4). The car run very smoothly without any noise after changing the control arm and bush.
One of the other reason I was not sure to keep the BMW is because I have not found a honest and reliable place for BMW repairs. I think I found one now. Highly recommended!

Brought my car in for another routine oil service. Quality remains exceptional at S2 Dynamics. They informed me of two necessary preventative maintenance fixes which I should keep an eye out on and gave me what I felt was a reasonable estimate on the two fixes and timeframe to work with on bringing it in.
After seeing S2 Dynamics and how efficient they were my wife picked up a used BMW as well (2006 X3), and we brought that in for its MD state inspection — which it passed. We will continue bringing our cars here even though we have moved further away for all repairs and services.
And to the reviewer who said something about false/​bought reviews. I didn’t see any such evidence of this when I was in the office so I am not sure where that came from. Regardless, such a thing would have had no effect on my decision to write this review — and I make it clear that I will take the time to write fair reviews when I visit neighborhood locations.
Our second car purchase was heavily dependent on the fact that we felt like we found a genuine team, with fair and honest practices (S2 Dynamics) that we could bring our cars to for many years going forward.
As far as I am concerned there are two reputable shops which euro-​car owners in the DMV area must be aware of:
If you have a Mercedes, take your car to Mitch Carr in Kensington.
If you have a BMW or Audi, then you should be going to S2 Dynamics in Rockville.
Thanks again to the incredible team here.

1) Pat got the job done, BUT it took him a week longer than quoted, a lot of phone calls, many of which were unreturned, while my car sat at his shop.
2) Essentially bribes his customers with a coupon /​gift certificate to post Unilocal reviews, They are sitting in a stack on the check out counter. You write the review, then email him them a link, they email you the coupon. So not sure how reliable all these reviews are.
Scott

My 2006 Audi A6 has over 100K miles and was leaking oil in a few places, and I had long overdue suspension work. S2 charged exactly ½ what I was quoted from the Audi dealership — and they did more. Great service and a great overall experience — highly recommend these guys.

Wow. After hearing some strange rattling near the passenger front wheel of my Audi S4, we decided to take it to S2 Dynamics. We walked in a Monday morning at exactly 8am, and they were able to look at my car on the same day. They started it, drove it around, and looked at everything they could think of, but still couldn’t find a problem. I was relieved of course, and I could NOT believe that they did not charge me for spending at least an hour (probably more) tinkering with my car. Excellent customer service! We will be back when I have a non-​imaginary Audi problem.

S2 is the best indie I’ve found in the area to work on my Saab 9 – 3 Aero. They’ve done everything from aftermarket suspension mods to OEM driveshaft replacements.
Not often can you find a reliable shop that can help a car guy on jobs that are a bit too involved for a driveway DIYer and maintain very fair pricing with such a high level of customer service. As my car continues to age, these guys keep her on the road. Their workmanship is fantastic and their level of customer service and knowledge is unmatched.
I came here based on Unilocal reviews, and I’m staying here based on first hand experience. Keep doing an awesome job.

Great, timely repairs and customer service. They are concerned with cost and explain options so you can know what repairs need to be done.

Pat and team are trustworthy, professional and know their stuff. I’ve been using S2 for 3 years now and find it worth the trip from Capitol Hill when my BMW needs servicing. Their prices are fair and they guarantee their work. You’ll get much better personal service at a much lower price than you would from any area dealer. S2 Dynamics gets high accolades from me!

The difference between an auto shop you trust and one that you don’t is huge. Most people don’t have the expertise to be able to validate that the work being done by their shop is necessary and reasonably priced, so once you find a shop you trust, you don’t switch. S2 Dynamics is my trusted shop.
I’ve been going to Pat and his team for a couple of years, and have always been extremely pleased with the service they’ve provided. I found him by chance when another shop gave me an estimate that was completely unrealistic. Since then they’ve done large and small jobs on my VW. They’re always flexible, professional, and the work stands up.
In addition, they do a really nice job of making customers feel like clients. So many places treat you like an inconvenience if you’re not a ‘car guy’. Pat and his team are clearly experts, but they do a nice job of explaining the work being done to a civilian like me.
I recently moved to Baltimore, but I still make the trip down to Rockville because I know that the quality of work they do is worth the inconvenience.

This was my first big service that was not at a BMW dealership. They did front and rear brakes, and all seems good. They were closing early that day, but had the parts delivered and did the work while I waited — maybe 2.5 hours. I will go back.

These guys took good care of my BMW X5 and filled my coolant when I had a scare without charge. Highly recommend. I am a regular here and plan to have my husband bring his car here too. Very nice and honest people!

My first experience at S2 went smoothly from appointment to service completion (brake fluid service on a 2011 BMW 328xi). Reasonable prices, no hassle, friendly folks. I’ll be back the next time service is required.
PS: I am a refugee from the dealer now that my warranty has expired and was aghast, even though forewarned, at the dealer’s proposed pricing for the same service. The $ 170 to replace the cabin air filter which I did myself in ten minutes for $ 20, was the tipping point. I guess someone has to pay for those swell loaner cars.

This place is truly top notch!
Pat squeezed me in last minute to get some work done, and I sure am glad he did. Even though I am a first time customer, he made me feel like I’ve been going there for years. He did a great job explaining the job, and how long it would take. After the work was done, he took me in the shop and made sure that the adjustments were up to par with my expectations. Let me just point out how CLEAN this shop was.
These guys work mainly on european cars, but it looks like they will be willing to work on anything. Lots of VW’s AUDI’s, and BMW’s. They are an absolute must for both performance and maintenance. A perfect «dealer alternative» as their prices are fair and reasonable.
I will make sure to bring both my cars here for all my automotive needs. I couldn’t be happier as a first time customer. Believe the hype Unilocaler’s, the hype is REAL.