Post written in collaboration with OC Autos. All opinions are our own. 

As a woman, any car-related topic has been daunting to me as long as I can remember. As a working mom, my car is not only my way to get to work (I currently commute from Orange County to Los Angeles), it is also my family car. Not only do I drop off and pickup the kids off on my way to work, we run from activities to another. We are always running around town with the car. To say my family car is important, would be an understatement.  With our hectic daily routines, I don’t think too much about maintenance like when my next oil change is or the thickness of my tires are unless some red warning light shows up on the dashboard. Even so, the thought of a smoking car that does not move, is just not possible!

Recently, the warranty to our BMW X5 Diesel engine expired. Soon enough, the dreaded moment happened. First, the brake warning light appeared on the dashboard as I was doing 70 miles per hour on highway 405 going toward Los Angeles. Not too concerned, I proceeded to my destination. The next day as I turned the key to start the car, I got another light, “Exhaust fluid low. Shutdown after 600 miles”.  My first thought was, “Oh it’s not too immediate. I have 600 miles to use”.  By the end of the week, I got another notice after turning the key, “Service Due” – as if it was some unknown conspiracy right before Christmas!!! UGH! Why now, why me? I suppose it is finally time to take the car in… Without warranty on the family car, my  husband and I opted for a non-BMW-dealer type of service. Also our family car has a diesel engine, so this was another considering factor. Nearby in Santa Ana, was a diesel dealer and service center, OC Autos.

Upon entering OC Autos Service Center, I was greeted by a gentle mechanic whom then gave the car a Diagnostic Test. I later learned a bit more about the company and met few of the owners and their team at OC Autos. It is a family-owned company that started at a nearby location then extended with an inventory of diesel-engine vehicles and have four diesel-specialist mechanics and an engineer onsite. The staff seemed sincere and super nice. I didn’t feel pushed or felt threatened listening to the diagnostic results.  While our two little ones ran amok in the fully stocked waiting room (filled with holiday chocolates, candies, tv, etc.), their top engineer took us under his wings and showed us the thin rotors and the near-nothing brake pads.  It was an educational and informative experience. After the diagnostic test and after they explained and showed us the situation, made some suggestions, but then asked how we would like to proceed.

My car needed a lot done – rotor replacement, brake pads replacement, oil change, and check light reset. We went ahead with all the services they suggested, and they even changed a broken light and washed both the interior and exterior of our family car without charge. They really took care of us! It was a thoughtful and informative process that added the human connection to the experience which neither my husband and I expected nor had in such a long time. It felt genuine, as if it was my family member who fixed our family car (with the experiences of course). Thank you, OC Autos, for providing a much needed service and experience!

~Kim