If you are looking for a high-quality, low-cost, and honest alternative to the dealership, you have found your man. Dan Gerber is the owner and sole mechanic of GEAR, a German-only garage situated in the Cleveland flats. Dan works on German cars only which emphasizes his specialized skill. He does all his own work to ensure that his high quality standards are met each and every time.

I met Dan only a few weeks after purchasing my first Audi A4 Quattro. Though it was still under the manufacturer's warranty, the dealership refused to repair the three bolts that they stripped on my wheel (I had only taken my car to an Audi dealership previously). They wanted to charge me $850 to replace the entire wheel hub. I gave Dan Gerber a call. He asked me to stop down sometime and he would take a look at it for free. Free? The dealership wouldn't even look at me without an $85 diagnosis fee.

So, a few days later, without appointment, I stopped down and Dan took me in right away. He re-threaded my hubs and replaced my bolts while I watched. What better transparency than that? I was up and running in about 30 minutes. The charges, $40. Unbelievable! Dan saved me over $800, and because he does all of his own work, I was assured that a skilled mechanic was doing the work and that an apprentice wasn't doing more damage than service (see stripped bolts above).

After he finished, Dan took a stroll around my car and noticed so many things that I would never have noticed. He knew that the car was in a fender bender three years ago and pointed out exactly where the impact was. I knew from the Carfax that the car was in an accident, but I struggled to find out where the collision was. Dan also pointed out almost microscopic dents and imperfections in the body. Dan is not an auto body guy, but he can tell from the exterior where the interior might wear and tear. This attention to detail shows his overall car knowledge and passion for perfection.

I was apprehensive to buying a German car as I was intimidated by the costs of the aggressive maintenance schedule. I feel relieved now that I know an honest mechanic that will consistently deliver high quality and value.