find a good mechanic
Where should I start looking ?
Ask friends, relatives, fellow church-goers, bar-hoppers, co-workers, anybody you have a trusted personal relationship, who they use for repairing their cars. Interview a few of the shop who focus on BMW’s or at least German cars. Be sure to tell the shop staff you decide upon who it was that recommended them to you. It gives you a little leverage.
3 Likes
Hey Walt, this is an excellent question and one Car Talk should be able to answer for our community members. I’ll work on an updated story that helps our readers to know how to find a good mechanic in 2022. George’s answer above is excellent, but I will expand it and address specialty shops, detailing shops, body shops, and tire-battery-specific shops in the story, pending my editor’s nod. In the olden days, we had a guide here, but the world has grown larger in many ways. I’ll try to do my best for the broader members who often ask for this help.
3 Likes
I use google and yelp ratings to help choose, with good success, but read the reviews carefully.
I’d call a tow company and ask them where they take bmws.
1 Like
There are sure to be some BMW-centric forums that can be found via a Google search.
The OP’s “question” can probably be best-answered in one of those forums… provided that he/she is willing to reveal the region where they reside.
1 Like
A lot depends on where you live. If you are in a large metro area, there should be several to choose from. A good place to start is getting a list of shops from an internet search, then search again for reviews. Talking to everyone you know is also a good idea. When I was looking for our van in 2019 I talked to anyone I saw that drive a specific model I was interested in. I got a lot of useful information. Any time you see a BMW look for the drivers and ask them how they handle repairs. Eventually you will have a short list of shops to check out.
2 Likes
Any German car specialists in your area? There’s one shop here that I’d reccomend to anyone with a newer BMW or Mercedes since I know a few loyal customers. Saves a 70mi round trip to the dealer in Tacoma.
A good mechanic can maintain/repair any vehicle.
Be it a European, Asian, American, etc.
One of the biggest mistake vehicle owners make is limiting their search for a good mechanic dependent on the brand of vehicle they drive.
Tester
No dispute, but brand-specific service data and tooling can be quite expensive. Some shops might not be able to justify the expense of the BMW version. Whether any of that is needed, depends on what needs to be done.
George.
You do realize this is 2022?
And if you can’t service almost every vehicle driven the road today, you’re not going to be in business for long.
Tester
Sometimes there are snags though. While working for VW I had to remove a manual transmission from a VW Golf. Once on the bench and partially torn down I was held up for lack of a special VW tool. We did not have the tool and it was on back order.
For some who knows why reason, VW chose to use 5 hardened countersunk screws on a mainshaft bearing end plate. The screws were 5.5 MM Triple Square so the normal 6 MM Triple Square tool that VW normally used would not work. That led to a serious delay and a lot of grief.
Why in the world they would throw a monkey wrench into the works by shaving a half MM off is mind boggling.
1 Like
I watch a few videos of bmw repair. Ninja guy seems sharp. But doesn’t talk a lot. Bad vanos. Leaky oil coolers. Replace worn bearings. Bmw are sketchy.