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Subaru of Sterling
Sterling, VA
651 Reviews
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651 Reviews of Subaru of Sterling
October 20, 2026
1 star — Terrible communication, unprofessional behavior, and zero accountability TL;DR: Came in for routine service expecting to be there for an hour. Ended up waiting over 5.5 hours, repeatedly got igno and zero accountability TL;DR: Came in for routine service expecting to be there for an hour. Ended up waiting over 5.5 hours, repeatedly got ignored when asking for updates, was told my car was almost ready when it wasn't, and ultimately had to leave it overnight. Management refused to offer any additional compensation for the experience, treated my complaint as a problem, and then handed me a "You've Been Moo'd" cow about kindness on my way out. I will not be returning. I brought my 2022 Subaru Forester in for an oil change, tire rotation, and Virginia state inspection. I had a coupon from their Tysons sister location, and after calling because the online scheduler didn't offer state inspections, I was assured they'd honor it. I was quoted about an hour for the initial service. After an hour, Tyler Young, my primary service advisor, told me the car would fail inspection because all four brake pads and rotors needed replacing. The quote was $888.99 for the front and $813.17 for the rear. I declined the additional air filters ($183.36), asked for the advertised veteran's discount, and agreed to the brake work with a quoted turnaround of 1–2 hours. After waiting 1.5 hours, I asked Tyler for an update. She told me to wait until the two-hour mark and then she'd check. I came back 45 minutes later and was ignored by Tyler. Natalie Pons, another service advisor then told me the general manager had called a team meeting, after which everyone except my technician took lunch. She looked through the garage window and told me my car was finishing up and would be ready soon. I waited another 2.5 hours. Eventually, service manager Ali Vafadar offered me a loaner vehicle and told me I'd been given the wrong time estimate. My car was eventually finished around 4 PM, but by then it was rush hour, so I picked it up the next day. The following day, Natalie initially shooed me away when I asked where to pick up my car, then offered to check after I started heading inside. I asked to speak with Ali and explained how unacceptable the experience had been. He said they'd discuss it at their next team meeting, but repeatedly fell back on the fact that people make mistakes and he couldn't change the past. When I asked him to help repair the relationship by bringing my $1,750 bill down to $1,600, he refused, told Natalie to close out my visit, and walked away. For context, the $450 discount I had negotiated was agreed upon before any brake work or delays occurred. It was not compensation for the experience. I was asking for an additional goodwill adjustment because of the hours wasted and the lack of communication. When I asked Natalie for her business card, she said, "I do not want to be attached to this." I told her I intended to write a review. After she spoke with Ali, he came back and told me I needed to pay and leave because I had threatened to post on social media. I was simply stating that I planned to share my experience as a customer. They also initially refused to waive the credit card convenience fee until I asked them to offset it with a service discount. Finally, as I was leaving, Ali put a "You've Been Moo'd" cow with a message about kindness and paying it forward on my passenger seat. After the way the entire situation had been handled, I found that incredibly tone-deaf. I walked back in, put it on their desk, and left. I understand that unexpected delays happen. What I don't understand is being given an estimate, repeatedly ignored, told my car was almost ready, and then having management dismiss my concerns instead of making a reasonable effort to resolve them. Tyler Young's communication, Natalie's behavior, and Ali Vafadar's handling of the complaint left me with no confidence in this service department. The delay was bad enough; the complete lack of accountability afterward was worse. I will be taking my business elsewhere and would not recommend this location. More
by Martell
Employees Worked With
Ali Vafadar, Tyler Young, Natalie Pons
October 14, 2026
Gotta take a moment to shout out Erik. Brought my car in Monday for oil change and safety inspection, but discovered some other issues in the multipoint inspection. He gave me a print out Brought my car in Monday for oil change and safety inspection, but discovered some other issues in the multipoint inspection. He gave me a print out and some guidance on timing the fixes out, which I thought was incredibly generous. A lot of dealership guys just try to get as much money out of you as possible, but I appreciate that he was equal parts kind and honest, and didn’t make me feel pressured. Also it was super busy when I first showed up, and he made sure I felt seen and taken care of. Erik is one of the best I’ve worked with so far! More
by chelseaayne
Employees Worked With
Erik
October 13, 2026
Oscar did a great job in service. But this review is of the dealership itself. This dealership has had a ton of turnover in the service department and in sales since it transitioned But this review is of the dealership itself. This dealership has had a ton of turnover in the service department and in sales since it transitioned from Stohlman to Lithia. I enjoyed the level of customer service and relationship building that Stohlman enjoyed during their ownership. Ever since Lithia purchased the dealership, virtually all of the employees have turned over, you never know who you are going to be dealing with. It is nearly impossible to speak directly with a Service Advisor "live" and they frequently do not return calls. If you need to ask a question, you are better off driving to the dealership and asking your questions in person, because you can't reach anyone during the day on weekdays. It has been frustrating. Lithia is more interested in cranking out volume and performance metrics than building relationships, in my opinion. Service people who normally were familiar with your car are no longer around. You almost have to start out building a new relationship every time you visit the dealership. More
by Matt D
Employees Worked With
Oscar In Service - He Did A Great Job!
October 06, 2026
Service personnel are personable and professional, especially Seth. Prices have gone up since change in ownership. Wish they were more proactive in pointing out discounts. especially Seth. Prices have gone up since change in ownership. Wish they were more proactive in pointing out discounts. More
by Longtime Subaru Owner
Employees Worked With
Seth
September 14, 2026
I was VERY pleased with my visit to Subaru of Sterling. They did a thorough job with my service appointment -- including some rather important repairs that required attention. I feel safer driving the ca They did a thorough job with my service appointment -- including some rather important repairs that required attention. I feel safer driving the car knowing it was well taken care of and got all the service it needed. Kevin couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. I have always used this dealer for service and will continue to do so. There is none better and I hope it stays that way. (One small complaint --they didn't reset the clock after installing a new battery!) More
by Itreallyisme
Employees Worked With
Kevin Alvarado
August 31, 2026
When I had the oil changed and inspection, I waited and a few weeks later I took it in for other work and they brought me home and a neighbor took me to pick up the car in the late afternoon when the work a few weeks later I took it in for other work and they brought me home and a neighbor took me to pick up the car in the late afternoon when the work was finished. More
by janemcgowinwebb
Employees Worked With
Kevin Alvarado
