I have a solid BMW guy where I live in NY but commuting to New Haven now makes that situation nearly impossible so I faced the music that finding someone here made much more sense. Alas, I embarked on a deep dive into researching BMW experts in the area. Though I was skeptical of going to a mechanic who is also a dealer for reasons one may conjure on their own, Carhavn had the strongest reviews by far and seemingly very transparent practices. The first time I dropped of my beautiful 325xi wagon, I started off by proactively pontificating that I would never sell it, so not even to bother trying to sell me into something newer or attempt to buy my low mileage, sea-foam green beauty off of me. Ramiro is a funny, kind, straightforward and very thoughtful guy who I could tell immediately upon meeting that he could handle not only me (um, handful) but my many questions and the needs of my older car. He approaches consultation with excellent transparency and communication. Even more importantly, for a woman by herself in a new mechanic's shop, I never once felt mansplained to (ladies, you will know that this is very important). Ramiro listens and clearly joys in educating people about their cars and how to have a lasting relationship with them. He is the owner and from what I can tell, does not do the actual repairs, and on one occasion where I called to say "hey this thing has suddenly stopped working" he went and asked his guys, came right back and said "try doing this" and viola, the problem fixed itself without me having to bring it in (or pay anything). That's major. When I first read the Yelp reviews, I thought that getting photos of the parts and job while work was being done sounded maybe like a bit of overkill, but I'm just a born skeptic... I will tell you that to be on the receiving end of that kind of service has been remarkably comforting, which was unexpected. Especially for my partner who is 80 miles away and usually very involved in the maintenance of our vehicles. I love my car and as driving is such a part of my daily life and I want to keep her healthy, strong on the road for years to come; I definitely have an ally in Ramiro. Lastly, the one time I really got stuck, on the 6th floor of my parking garage two Friday evenings ago, I reached out to Ramiro (to whine, and) to tell him I'd be having the car towed in. He not only responded to me, but called my phone, after hours, to ask about what was happening, to learn what the AAA battery assessment report said, and offered that it sounded fuel related rather than battery, alternator, starter, etc. He checked back with me through the evening as he knew I was by myself, and offered to help how he could... ABOVE AND BEYOND, people. And, it did indeed turn out to be the fuel pump. I'm sure Ramiro didn't want to be doing that on a Friday evening (and maybe I shouldn't be telling others that he did, ha), but this cemented that I was clearly dealing with a business who cares genuinely not only about my satisfaction as a customer, but for my wellbeing as a human person. After having my car serviced by Carhavn on now three occasions (two preventative maintenance jobs, plus the fuel pump), I will attest 100% that Ramiro is an honest business owner with great integrity and a deep, genuine love for European cars and building trust with his clientele. His wife is amazing and I love seeing her warm smile when I come in, too. They can certainly be trusted to do an excellent job with your car; using the best parts they can get their hands on, giving an accurate estimate on cost always (and even a Yale employee discount! Thanks!), delivering within the timeframe promised and they even have a loaner vehicle for pre-planned, all day jobs. Don't even think twice about bringing your car to this business. read more

He doesn't care about the quality of the cars or how he treats people -- it's all about making a quick buck. He'll throw together a car using old or used parts just to sell it off and make a profit. Don't trust him or the way he does business. It's all about appearances, not honesty or quality. read more

I'm extremely disappointed with my experience at this dealership. I was sold a car that turned out to be in terrible condition, with multiple issues that were never disclosed or addressed. When I brought these problems up, the dealer didn't take any responsibility. the owner is more concerned about getting good reviews so more people will buy from him don't be fooled, Save yourself the headache and go somewhere that actually stands behind what they sell! read more

CarHavn lies beyond belief and my photos attached to this review confirm that. They rent cars through the TURO APP from their place of business. We reserved a non smoking car because we are a family of 5 with 3 small kids one of which has severe allergies and asthma. When my wife and I picked up the vehicle it smelled very heavy of cleaning products and air fresheners. We found out later after we were far away from the location that it is was because they masked the smoke smell in the vehicle as the cleaning products wore off. They rented us a smoking car! Owner refused to do anything about it when brought to his attention which of course he already knew. Well let me correct that, he did in fact do something - he retaliated against us and tried to charge us $150 for a vehicle detail upon return of the vehicle. He lied and submitted the claim to TURO telling them we smoked in the car which is the polar opposite of what happened. The cleaning claim and images he submitted were denied by TURO so he lost that false claim if lies. TURO apologized for his behavior and his account has been flagged. He lied and told them we left the vehicle filled with trash also which we did not (SEE PHOTOS). Every spec of trash down to a gum wrapper was removed. He tried to prevent me from taking photos of the vehicle and threatened to call the police if I did not leave his parking lot as he knew I had proof. He tried to close the hatch on my head as I took photos. My wife was stunned and recorded everything on video. Thank God I stayed and got the photos I needed to prove we did nothing wrong. Then he lies and writes completely dishonest reviews about me on the TURO renter website which have been removed for violation. Very unethical place of business and make sure to document everything in videos and images to protect yourselves. SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE WE RETURNED. SEE THE OWNER IN THE NAVY BLUE T-SHIRT IN THE PHOTOS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE. This proves the owner is a liar claiming we left the vehicle filthy and full of trash. Worst experience ever with any business in my life. read more

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I brought in my daughters 20212 mini fr AC repair and a noisy fan - they didnt fix or address the AC, but did manage to find another $4000 worth of work, then offered financing, and extended warranty crap - never did fix the AC - when confronted, Ramiro didnt like that a woman was speaking to him in such a manner. He was unprofessional, arrogant, misogynistic and rude. There is no trust to be had at this dealership - which makes sense that no one had heard of them as quality mechanics. Do not recommend. read more

I thought the service was reliable, comprehensive and friendly. We had a very expensive fix, unfortunately, but still less than at the dealership. Thus far, following the fix, the car (an Audi) is running smoothly. I thought Romero was particularly responsive, using texting and videos to communicate frequently. read more

Excellent dealership that gave me a very nice deal on a 5 speed Jetta, I was desperately looking for a car after my old one finally died after more than a decade of ownership. They definitely accommodate the best for their clientele and their Warranty system is a bargain considering the inevitability of car repair. read more

Did a clutch job very quickly and sent progress pictures along the way. Very professional and nice guys at CarHavn. Highly recommend for any car needs. read more

Smooth transaction and pleasant buying experience with the experienced professionals at CarHavn. However, after purchase many issues with BMW purchased from CarHavn. USB/Aux input was damaged in the center console, sunroof drain was clogged & caused water flooding behind front seat passenger seat on carpet, front struts were worn & needed replacing, and lastly the back seat passenger window does not work. Addressing these issues led to a frank shrug & an inclination of they could not do anything for me to help. read more

Nice people ,seem really customer focused. They took my concerns to heart. And made me feel better about the used mini I bought. Having them take care of some maint on the verb to make sure I don't have any issues. Ramerio will treat you right! read more

CarHavn EuroTech - Good to have mini service in New haven! - Auto Repair Near Me - North Branford, Connecticut

I do not recommend this dealership. My wife's car was brought back repeatedly for various sensor issues that never were corrected despite spending a fortune on a bogus warranty they pushed on us. We had to have the sensors replaced by another mechanic on two different occasions. It's the classic "Sell the sizzle not the steak" approach at this place. Beware! read more

If you want to buy a vehicle from a dealership with integrity go somewhere else!! I purchased a 2012 mini cooper for $11,000 cash less than 300 miles later I have a very expensive paperweight they said they have no responsibility to fix it and due to the fact that it is over 6 years old lemon law doesn't apply! Beware they sold a vehicle for $11,000 that has CATASTROPHIC engine failure thanks quick to take 11g's cash thought my daughter is thrilled with the car she will never be able to drive but can look at in the driveway and I'm out $11,000 before tax may I add and no way to buy the brand new engine it needs Merry Christmas sorry kid read more

I bought my previously owned Mini Cooper (which I love) from CarHavn. They always provide excellent service and do their best to accommodate this happy customer! read more

I have a 2012 Mini Cooper that needed serious repair work done. My car was burning a significant amount of oil and fuel economy was poor. My local Mini dealer has terrible customer service and I always have to chase them for updates on my vehicle and they almost always end up keeping it far longer than they say they will need to. I was able to get an appointment with Ramiro and his team of professionals within a day and they diagnosed the problem and proposed a solution also that same day. While the job was not small (needed valve seal replacement) it was still less expensive than bringing it to the dealer. I also had a free loaner and frequent updates on the status of my car. Most importantly, the problems with my vehicle were fixed and it is running fine 3-4 months on. Ramiro followed up with me a couple of months after the service just to make sure everything was running ok. I had a very good experience with CarHavn and will definitely bring my mini back there whenever it needs service. Customer service is outstanding! read more

Stopped in here to look at an '15 Audi they had listed online. The only reason I'm giving them 2 stars is because Romero is a decent guy and I'm sure he means well but this is not a good car dealership by any means. They seem more apt at fixing cars then selling them. My first concern was the sticker on the car listed a higher price then what was listed online. My second concern was that the motor and plastic drip tray were all recently cleaned spotless yet there was a puddle of oily water trapped on one of the plastic catch trays near the radiator. When I informed them about the leak on a car with only 23k miles on it, they told me it will be fixed. Also, there was a slip in the glove box stating that some rental person was to bring the car back in a week? The car had some seat stains but overall was in pretty good shape. The problem came when we started to talk numbers and financing. They would not budge on the cars price, and the owner told me that he is actually loosing money on this car! When I finally agreed to his "loosing money" price, I asked if I could finance through him to make this a one stop shop and done. He said sure and had me fill out the application. I got a text from the owner a little later stating that the loan officer had a few questions and wanted me to give him a call. I thought this was odd but I did give him a call. No answer, sounded like someone's personal cell phone voicemail? Texted the owner back, he said that that are busy and I SHOULD TRY TO CALL BACK UNTIL I GET A HOLD OF SOMEONE! Are you serious? I'm not going to chase someone to give them my money for a 20k car! The kicker was that it seemed like the owner didn't even want my business as he mentioned multiple times throughout the exchange that they are "always very busy" and once I told him that no one was available to take my call at the finance office he just said goodbye and good luck. read more

I had already posted a review on Google & I wish that I waited 30 days to post it. I'm a firm believer in CARma. When a Salesman has a book on their desk titled "Never Split the Difference", it's saying something. I will leave that for reviewers to decide how they will be treated when there is an issue. My 2 cents is this- I should have called them out the first time I noticed a little lie about covering the VIN etch cost. 3 stars is my honest review. I feel they can do much better with customer follow up & integrity. I do have a lovely vehicle, overall. read more

CarHavn EuroTech - Auto Repair Near Me - North Branford, Connecticut

Ramiro and his team are so awesome! My husband and I moved to New Haven in July and since they are located directly across the street from our apartment decided to try them out for an oil change. They did a full inspection of the car, let us know what was needed and what was just recommended with absolutely zero pressure for add-ons. As a bonus our oil change was priced almost $40 BELOW what we had been paying in Michigan. Fast forward to "bomb cyclone" weekend when we came home to a flat tire and dead car battery. CarHavn to the rescue again with amazing customer service- they inflated our tire and charged our battery within a few hours. top notch guys, keep up the good work- and we'll keep coming back :) read more

Ramiro and his team are absolutely fantastic. After trying to find a reliable mechanic (everyone's favorite), Yelp led me to this shop, and I'm very glad they did. My Volvo had a myriad of issues that was being priced astronomically high by the dealer, and Ramiro came in at a very competitive rate. Even more importantly than the money, Ramiro was very responsive to any questions, and when providing an estimate, he provided an extremely detailed e-mail that broke down everything that was needed vs. what wasn't really 'needed,' along with pictures of all the components in question so that you could actually see what the issue was. That added a level of transparency and trust I've never had from a car dealership, which was wonderful. When I was trying to determine what to do, Ramiro was very helpful in trying to find ways to cut down the cost - where I could use aftermarket parts, for instance, and where it wouldn't be a good idea to do so. He was also more than up front about a certain part of the car that he couldn't repair, as it needed a Volvo specific dealership to get repaired. (It's also worth noting he carries a small inventory of used vehicles, though I didn't look into it too much, so I can't speak to the cost/quality). Every experience I've had here has been excellent. I'll definitely be coming here for my car needs first from now on, and I've already recommended him to a few friends. read more

These guys might be good, but I wasn't willing to wait 3 months for an appointment.I also found them quiet arrogant and unhelpful when I wanted to buy product from them that it appeared that was for sale. I have no plans to return again. I might have been able to overlook a condescending attitude if they were responsive, the work quality was high, and the price low but... Nah read more

These guys are PHENOMENAL! I just moved to New Haven from Chicago and one of the biggest worries I had is finding a good car repair place. My car had been making this tap tap tap noise on the back wheel for a while. I realized yesterday that the fender is bent a little out of shape and is the source of the sound. I looked at yelp and saw this place has only two reviews and experience told me I should not trust them! But considering they are right across the street from my place I decided to give them a chance. I took the car in and they said it should not be a problem. They fixed it in less than half an hour and texted me to come pick it up! The best part? They did not even charge me for it. I am sooooo happy I found this place. They just became my go to shop for everything car related. They even showed me some awesome cars they have for sale! I will definitely consider them when I decide to change my car. read more

BE AWARE OF THESE PEOPLE! They sold me a lemon car But since I don't drive that much I didn't discover the problems until after the Connecticut warranty period Was up.I don't know a whole lot about cars and they really took advantage of me. The first time I drove the car the check engine light came on and then gave me some excuse for what it was. And then when I took the car to an independent mechanic they found a leak in the engine which the place was forced to fix because the sale of the car was on contingency...I just trusted that they fixed it. Then I almost ran out of oil after driving 3000 miles. And on my first oil change everything was covered in oil from the leaks, So anybody that change the oil or even went into the engine would have known that there was a leak and the dealership obviously never told me and denied it and denied it and denied it. In addition to the leaks the car burns through so much oil which is now just a chronic engine problem that I have to deal with. Within 5000 miles of driving this car I discovered three separate leaks in oil in the car in addition to the car burning so much oil it burned 3 quarts of oil in 1000 miles. This place is a huge scam and I think everyone should know. read more

Selling junk cars... 4/4 cars I saw were cheaply repaired after accident/collision BEWARE ...salesperson told me that they had no accidents/collisions ...complete lie read more

The only reason I'm giving CarHvn 4 and not 5 stars is because I didn't get a chance to buy a car from them YET. But RAMIRO is a terrific sals person to deal with. He was always polite and very quick to respond with pertinent info requests. He also is very upfront and transparent regarding the condition and work done to his used cars . Even tho I wound up at my local Volvo dealer for a younger car and different model than I was discussing with Ramiro, he was by far the best sales person I encountered in my search which included several dealerships within CT, NY and NJ! I would recommend him during your search any day! read more

We had seen a 2011 Volvo XC70 T6 listed online at Carhavn and decided to take the trip up to New Haven from NY City while visiting friends in Madison. Ramiro stayed late at the shop for us to see and test drive the Volvo which was really amazing since we were stuck in more traffic then we thought we would be in. The car drove and looked amazing and had a detailed Carfax for the 2 previous owners of he car. We worked with Ramiro to get 2 approvals for financing which were very on par for the market. Highly recommended for their outstanding customer service! Ramiro was on top of communications throughout the process and was extremely helpful. Will definitely be back here again when we're in the market for another car. read more

I've taken my Mini here twice to get it repaired and each time the service has been amazing. They are well informed, as it pertains to the specialized repairs they perform, and they help you understand what needs to fixed and why. I'm lucky to have them in my neighborhood and will continue to use them for my car service needs. read more

If I can give no stars I would but listen you want to buy a car here just know you're getting yourself into a headache. Auctioned cars are not ones you should want. Ramiro sold me one and I have had nothing but problems. 2 days after I bought it I was texting and calling him about it burning oil. No responses until about 2 weeks later he take accountability for his mistake. Great I appreciated he wanted to help and didn't leave me hanging. Ends up the car needs pistons and rings and he was fixing it no cost. Another plus but it's a real inconvenience cause I didn't drive the car for a month. He said it would be done in a week. The week is up I call hasn't started working on it said give me another week. I get a call mid week saying he wants 1000 dollars for the head to get sent out. Absolutely not paying for your own mistake of selling me a broken vehicle. He held my car for a month for it to still be leaking oil out of the oil cooler hose and timing seal. I bring it to my guy and am paying 900 dollars to fix his mistake cause I'm tired of dealing with him. He acts like he was doing me a favor by fixing it no cost when in reality he refused to give me a warranty when I bought the car and wouldn't give me one after he rebuilt it. I have screenshots of all of our messages of him calling me names, belittling me, and single handedly taking advantage (or at least trying to) because I'm young. When I picked up the car he said I'm done with this car and I'm not doing anything for you he continued to say you can take me to court while swearing at me when all I was doing was saying thank you and trying to shake his hand. I gave him the benefit of doubt to fix his mistake while being very polite and about it. His loaner vehicle was a perfect example of how this place runs. Gave it to me with a check engine light on said don't worry about it. Well I was very worried when the transmission wouldn't shift and the car needed brakes. Sitting in traffic and the car wouldn't stop shaking. All around terrible experience bought the car July 2nd got my car back last week for it to be broken. I wouldn't wish this upon anyone and I really hope you do your research on small dealers. read more

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After dealing with the WORST bait and switch car dealers, finally found a car at CarHavn that was actually there and available! I can only give you the best review I can say about this company; Straight Shooters! Everything is up front, the cars look great, nothing hidden, and very professional. If you're tired of the run around many car dealerships give you, take a look at their inventory - which is small because they're also a garage - but great people to deal with and during this post-covid time, I got a car for my son that suits him. Thank you Carhavn! Mark read more

Had a great experience here. My car is on it's last legs and Ramiro drove around with me and gave me his honest advice about my car. The repairs are worth more than the car, and I really truly appreciate that he didn't even suggest they should try to work on it. He even gave me advice on what to do with my car as far as junking or donating it. I highly recommend going here for repairs. You'll get an honest assessment which is very rare in the industry. read more

I bought a vehicle on Feb. 26 2019 I used it for 3 day and till this day that vehicle does not work, that 2 months later the vehicle is parked and I have to invest another $6,000. I did all my homework with the vehicle checked the car-fax and it came up clean, the car looked in great condition and drove nice on the test drive but sadly come to find out by a diagnostic by Audi it has been worked on and and that the transmission has been tampered. Before I purchased I asked over and over to Ramiro to please be upfront with me, I was giving my whole year saving and getting a bigger car for family witch he met my newborn and 9year old son. Sadly it's more about business than being honest as his reviews "on google say he is". Be sure to bring a mechanic and not make the mistake I did. This is the biggest nightmare and I don't wish this on anyone. read more

Ramiro is really great. I'm a first-time car owner. I don't have a huge budget, but I want to take care of it and make informed decisions about car maintenance. Ramiro explains everything in terms that non-mechanics can understand. He pulled up car maintenance records from the prior owner, showed me the recommended maintenance schedule, and just walked me through it all like an advisor rather than a salesman. If you give your phone number, Ramiro will send you pictures of the parts he is replacing and updates on the work. He even figured out a weird rubbing noise that another car shop hadn't been able to identify, and fixed it for only a half hour of labor. Great experience! read more

A little background; I am in Iowa, my Daughter is new in the Fairfield/New Haven CT area. Her exhaust system developed a hole in the muffler and also required the intermediate pipe to be replaced. Initially she went to one of the National Chain Muffler Shops and was quoted a very high replacement cost. That lead me to Yelp. I searched on Yelp for shops in the area and requested a online quote. Ramiro from Carhaven responded right away,ask a few pertinent questions to help identify the correct parts, and responded with a realistic repair cost. I actually ended up at another shop for the repair. It is located very close to my Daughters place of employment, because of her work hours it made sense to look closer. All of my communication with Ramiro was positive, even after I informed him we choose to go to another shop. He was very willing to work around my Daughters schedule to get her car repaired. The price quoted by Ramiro was within a few dollars of the shop that will perform the repairs, very competitive! Thank you! read more

What an amazing experience! From the moment I called, I was presented with professionalism and great customer service. The general manager, Ramiro, was informative, patient and overall, kind. I went to get service on my 2013 Volkswagen CC sport, of which, I was apprehensive due to the maintenance and cost that needed to be done. Nonetheless, I paid for great service, exceptional response time and a new place to call home for all of my car needs. I definitely recommend this place. My expectations were met, if not exceeded, and my fiancé also was provided with the same service when he went to pick up my car for me when I was unable to due so due to a last minute time conflict with my job. Thank you guys so much! I look forward to seeing you SOON! read more

Carhaven is a wonderful used dealership if you are interested in minis, vws, fiats, bmws, audis. They do incredible carservicing before you even look at their selection. Ramiro is friendly, upfront, and knowledgeable. Once we decided on a car, Ramiro was able to get all the touchups done and the paperwork filed in a day. He truly cares about you being happy about your purchase. He has followed up with us twice to make sure everything was great with our car. It has been my best car-buying experience ever. The cars are priced to go, very reasonable, and they are all beauties! We bought a 2004 VW beetle convertible with 77k miles. Our only problem now is who gets to drive it! We will be returning to Ramiro next time we are in the market. read more

Bought an e90 BMW 328xi from CarHavn in April and have had no issues whatsoever, by far the best car I've ever owned. Purchasing process is quick and easy (especially w/ in-house plates), shop offers great service as well. Highly recommend - best place to buy a used European car. read more

Great convenience, good quality work, reasonable prices. So nice to get BMW OEM parts and also have the convenience of weekend hours as well as great communication. Will definitely be using them for maintenance again! Good honest pricing, much appreciated. read more

When the clutch on my husband's Mini Cooper Countryman went, we dreaded the process of having it fixed and what it was going to cost. Having gone to Mini directly for service in the past, we were referred to CarHavn by a friend who told us how fair they were with pricing. I immediately reached out to CarHavn and received a response back in MINUTES from the owner, Ramiro, himself giving me a beyond fair price to fix it (half of what the dealer was going to charge us). After weighing all our options, we decided to sell the car instead and I offered it to Ramiro for CarHavn to buy and they did at a good price with no haggling. Trading in cars is usually such a stressful situation but we can honestly say we left the car in the best hands and Ramiro didn't try to rip us off and gave us a good price for it. SO nice to find a honest car dealer these days- I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for a great experience with no schemes and MUCH cheaper than going through the car dealer directly. VERY IMPRESSED. read more

Timely repair. They kept me updated throughout the process of issues they encountered. They were generous enough to loan me a car until my car was ready the next day. I really like how they respond through text typically even after hours. They have a great professional staff to work with and will work with you go get repairs done quickly and affordably! read more

Worst dealership EVER!!! My fiancé contacted the owner and told him we wanted to see an SUV he had for sale and asked if there was any problems with the car because we didn't want to waste our time driving from Massachusetts. He reported nothing was wrong with this car. Me and my fiancé went to go see an SUV which he had saved all year to be able to pay in cash and not take out a car payment. We went with our newborn daughter and son. We test drove the car for about 5 minutes, everything was fine. We went back to the dealer and asked him again if there was anything wrong with the car, we loved the car and if there was anything wrong with it if it wasn't major we would still take the SUV and fix it when the time comes. He said no nothing is wrong with the car. Long story short, we drove back to Mass the car was parked for a weekend because my fiancé went on a business trip that weekend when he came back and drove it to work it turned off while driving (SUPER UNSAFE) he didn't think much of it so he turned it on and went to work. The next day when he turned it on to go to work the car would not turn on. We took it to get diagnosed and the car had 6k worth of damages including the transmission being tampered with!!! We contacted the owner and he said there's nothing he could do because we signed a "As Is " contract. He knew this car had issues we trusted and bought the car for our family. If this dealer also specialized in European cars how wouldn't he had known this car had all these major issues. 12k down the drain because the car won't turn on at all. We bought the car February 26,2019 and the car has yet to turn on. The owner sent us a car started part and that's it which wasn't the problem. We had asked him what his shop do to the car so we could tell our mechanic since he wasn't going to help us out at all and he wouldn't say anything but deny. I feel like I was lied to and cheated out of $12,000 and put at risk of getting / causing a huge accident due to the car turning off while driving. read more