I never expected to be writing a positive review about a garage, let alone rating it five stars! My 2002 Thunderbird (which is a Jag underneath) has had an intermittent misfire since I bought it new. Carlos fixed it and it now runs like a different car. He also changed wheel bearings, for which Broadway Ford quoted close to $1,000 for parts for one side alone, at less then half the cost. And Carlos (his dad did all the grunt work) charged a little over $500 for both rear bearings. And they are nice guys too. read more

The Best in Jaguar Service. Experts in the field! Very Happy customer. read more

Appreciate this business while you can. With the closure of John's Jaguar in SF and expert Jag mechanics now retiring, it's not unusual to hear that a shop previously known for working on old Jags has decided it no longer will. I have only used them once but would not hesitate to take the car back there. They did a great job, are clearly passionate about their work and showed real attention to detail. read more

Honest, most knowledgeable and no service writers. Only Jag. Well said and deserved: "If you look through the reviews the Yelp's bots have screened out, you'll find that they praise this business so highly, they can't be for real. But take it from me, a Continental customer since 2003, the compliments are well earned." I have to post this as i feel i owe them far beyond whatever they have billed me. read more

Ok Jaguar owners, this will be your garage going forward if you take your car in to these guys just once. I was unbelievably lucky to find this shop. I had always gone to the Jag dealership in Walnut Creek, the service was ok, the prices weren't. My timing chain broke in my '97 Jag XK8 convert (only 60k miles at the time), and the dealership wanted about $8,000, as they told me valves were most likely damaged and it could be even more. This repair is not covered by insurance of course, and I at the time, did not have that sort of cash. I looked for info on broken timing chains up on the internet and I find Continental Imports' web site. Seems that JC (the owner) and his son Carlos, have come up with an easy, inexpensive, preventative solution to this problem that plagues '97-'00 jags (apparently it can happen at almost any mileage). If you have these model years, you MUST get this done before this happens to you like it did to me. So I take the car in, expecting the worst, and JC tells me that it turns out that there really was no big valve damage (I was lucky) and that they could fix it for $3,400! Wow, honesty and integrity... JC is such a nice and knowledgeable guy, he actually wants to show you how things work and teach you. You can tell that he loves his work and takes great pride in it. His son Carlos is exactly the same way. I trust them implicitly and know that they go above and beyond to take care of me. Since the timing chain, I have been back for many things (oil leaks, belts, brakes, bad bearings, etc) the latest was for a new transmission which the dealer wanted $8,000+. JC and Carlos put in a new transmission, fully installed for $5,400. I figure I have already saved over $10,000 and received far better quality than from any dealership. Obviously, I will not ever be going anywhere else. read more

I have to say, I have had one of the best experiences of my life with the people at Continental Imports, bar none. I own a Jag XK8, which can be very temperamental. I have taken it to a number of mechanics, because I do my research and do know some about cars, and most mechanics didn't know what they were talking about. Carlos at CI and his dad have been doing this for years, and you can tell. I don't usually write reviews, but I am compelled to here, since the experience was so good. My Engine was making a cracking noise, and I called Carlos up. He advised not to start it again as it could be the dreaded "tensioner" problem. I knew about the problem and followed his advise. No one else I called, including the guy who has been servicing my car for over a year, and who is a supposed Jag expert, had any idea. Their advise was to "drive" it in. When I got it towed in to their shop, they were very helpful, opened the necessary parts in front of me and showed me the cracked tensioners. Who does that? Any minute the chains could have derailed causing serious engine damage and about 5K in repairs. They also suspected bad water pump/thermostat and at this point I though "uh oh, this will be expensive - just like any other shop - things get added on". I gave a go ahead for that as well. But Carlos called me back saying I had a newer generation water pump/thermostat and they were good. He chose honesty over making a quick buck. Which mechanic does that? Lastly, it was a long weekend and I requested if they could get the job done by Sat. Carlos came in on Sat and finished the job by mid day. The cherry on top was they gave me a free bag of their own made organic coffee. Guys, specially JAG owners, don't even think again - this IS the shop to go and the biggest thing you will get over their expertise - is something hard to find these days - TRUST. read more

Absolutely wonderful service, both to the car and the customer. We brought a '99 xk8 in to JC for a pre-purchase inspection. He was exceptionally thorough and quite honest about what needed replacing and what did not. After we purchased the car (largely based on his recommendations) we brought it back to Continental for chain tensioner replacement, tranny service and a myriad of other minor adjustments. JC and his team were efficient and meticulous with the repairs, quick (3 day turnaround) and came in BELOW the estimate. This is a family owned shop, they cater to the customer, they are very professional and extremely pleasant to deal with. We will not be going anywhere else with our Jag. Hands down the best! read more

I've taken my STR to Continental Imports on several occasions. Its been very problematic but JC has went far & beyond to ensure the car runs smoothly. Not only did he fix the few small problem, he advised me of what to look out for in the future. Most importantly, which I thought I would never say about any shop...they are TRUSTWORTHY! Couldnt figure out the last problem with my car, engine was running lean & we couldnt find the source. Another mechanic took a look & was positive it was the fuel pumps (2) $6000 for parts. Instead of relaying that information to me JC continued to check the fuel pressure and wanst certain that was the culprit. A lot of mechanics would have changed the pumps & gave me an invoice. JC checked ever inch of my engine until the air leak was found. This is THE place to have your Jag serviced You will not be disappointed read more

I've tried several "recommended" independent shops in the Bay Area over the years for my 2000 Jaguar and have found that JC and Carlos set the standard for service, knowledge, honesty, and professionalism. I'm extremely happy with the quality of work for all my maintenance - diagnosis and maintenance, fuel pump replacement, suspension work, as well as timing chain and tensioner work. Never have I had to question my invoice as I can tell from the details on the invoice, and regular phone progress reports, that JC and Carlos have spent much more time than documented on the invoice. These guys are good people. My questions have always been met with honest and detailed discussions with JC and Carlos. Each of them has always taken the time to explain to me how the mechanics of the car work, but more importantly, why they break down, how to increase the longevity of components/systems, and why they would recommend servicing, or in some cases - delaying servicing. Their wealth of knowledge around Jaguars is incredible. JC and Carlos are truly customer and quality focused. They have offered their time and advice to me over the years through lengthy phone calls as well as in person. Carlos has always returned my calls, even when he's out of town and on a weekend. JC and Carlos truly value their relationships with their clients. In conclusion, JC and Carlos are the go-to team if you own a Jaguar - period. read more

JC got me out of a real jam. He was totally honest and fixed my car when I needed it. A great guy too. I highly recommend this shop to anyone who owns a Jag. read more

New to Yelp but longtime fan of these guys, especially Juan. He is always accommodating and sooo thorough, both in his approach and his explanations. No question that he knows Jags backwards and forwards. So much more confidence in this shop than any dealer we've used and would not go anywhere else for service/repairs to our S-type. read more

I came to Continental Imports as a fluke...my car had died and this was the closest mechanic to me at the time. Wow! Was that a miracle! JC at Continental Imports is the best mechanic I have ever met. He is incredibly thorough, and is honest with you about the services your car really needs. I have been lucky to know him for the past 10 years, and have even purchased Jaguars over other cars because I am so confident that I can get ongoing service at Continental Imports. read more

I had just recently purchased my 2005 S-Type R. I had been experiencing some issues with a "Transmission Fault". J.C. greeted me (he actually stopped doing what he was doing in order to assist me) and pointed me in the right direction, as to what I should be doing (service wise) for my vehicle. He was a great help. My family has given him business over the past 10 years, as we now all drive Jaguars. I rarely give the dealership any business. This shop will be THEE only shop I will allow to service my vehicle, if at all possible. Great service, knowledgeable staff and fair pricing. ALL THE THINGS ONE COULD WANT from a repair shop. read more

I owned an automotive service and repair shop for a number of years, so I'm a more savvy customer than many, and this is the best shop I've ever done business with. JC's knowledge of what makes Jaguars work (and what makes them stop working) is phenomenal, which combined with his integrity makes this shop so good that anyone who lives nearby really ought to drive a Jaguar. read more

There is nowhere else to take your Jag, plain and simple. I was researching Jag info prior to buying my used 2001 XK8 and found their website - their clear information on the cam chain tensioner issue enabled me to get a $1500 discount from a dealer in order to have it taken care of. Carlos spent time on the phone and via email answering my questions. I brought the car in to them to have it checked out prior to finalizing the purchase - I got a complete evaluation, with labelled photos, via email that night! 2 weeks later I brought it back to have the tensioners replaced - they did all the seals and gaskets as well, in addition to a couple of additional minor issues, at the price quoted, with the old parts on a tray ready for my inspection on pickup. Clear and thorough descriptions of the issues to a non-mechanic like me were really helpful. I completely trust and respect Carlos and JC for their knowledge and honesty - over 40 years looking after Jags means they know what they're doing - and they're genuinely nice people too!! read more