Had an incredibly positive experience here. The team was honest and straightforward with respect to the repairs that were needed (vs. those that could wait). Moreover, they even buffed out some scratches from my bumper, free of charge! Incredible service and reasonable prices - a combination that's very difficult to find. I highly recommend Phaedrus BMW. read more

These guys are rock solid, all star BMW magicians. They've been taking care of my 328 for years now and have earned my unqualified trust. They do better, far more meticulous work than any dealer in this town, and for less money. No, it's not Jiffy Lube prices, but this isn't Jiffy Lube work. Phaedrus uses real BMW and OEM parts, spot-on diagnostics, clear and up-front pricing, and (most importantly) do the job right. John, Dale, and the other techs and staff at Phaedrus know their BMWs inside and out, and from every era of development. They never push extra work or service you don't need, and will give you warnings from time to time about work you might expect in the next 10, 20, or 30k miles. A glance around the shop shows them babying everything from 1970s-turned-racing setups all the way to brand new M5s that are chock full of electronics and sensors. read more

Bravo, Phaedrus. I have a 99 MY 540i and I have had the car for at least five years. Most of you who know anything about BMWs know that they require LOTS of maintenance. So I have had LOTS of experiences with this car in and out of various shops, in addition to repairing it myself at times. This place is great, the service desk is very knowledgeable about your car and can talk to you about each of the problems that you report to them and how they repair it. They are always motivated to get you your car back in a reasonable time, too. It's convenient if you live in San Francisco. Also because they specialize in BMWs, they know all of the ins and outs and nuances of your car. Gives me confidence that I can keep the car another five years. read more

One of the power windows on my car stopped working. I called Phaedrus and they could get me in the following day (no way would that happen at the dealer). The power windows often fail on BMWs and I was quoted $420 to replace the regulator. When I picked the car up later that day they said they replaced the regulator but it turned out the problem was in the switch. They only charged me $120 to fix the switch. They could have easily charged me the full $420 - how would I have known the difference? It shows that this is an honest shop. It is also much easier to drop off and pick up the car here than the dealer. read more

Moving to a new city and finding people to help you with things - like car repair - is never fun! But having now been to Phaedrus several times, I can honestly tell you it has been a painless experience. I am a longtime BMW owner and these guys are the best. Today, I stopped in on my way to work as I had the "low coolant" light come on. By the time I got back from getting coffee (and muffins for the crew at Phaedrus - DUH), my car was done and ready to go. A+ customer experience - thanks, Gigi and Team! read more

I had my Honda CRV detailed by Verlyn who is an expert. This is the sixth time I have used him. His work is flawless and he is a great guy and very friendly. My car is a little over a year old. It looks brand new with his wax and sharp attention to detail. I will always go back to this guy. The place is really clean and neat and all the people there are extremely friendly. I work in the neighborhood and see the employees around and they are nice, hardworking people. I wanted to buy a used BMW for my second car just because I could take it there for servicing. I ended up with a Volvo and unfortunately can't take it there, except for detailing. Verlyn is the doctor of detail and I plan to have him give my 2000 Volvo the treatment it needs to bring it back to beautiful. read more

I've been going to Phaedrus for about 7 years and have noticed a decline in the quality of service and the attitude of some of the gentlemen behind the service counter. Despite this, I've continued to go to the shop because of it's convenience, past history of quality service and the hope that the pompous attitude would improve. My last experience at Phaedrus--that has prompted this review--has made me believe I've likely misplaced my trust and been overcharged in the past. I came into Phaedrus to explain what was happening with my window so I could get an estimate. Gentleman #1 was polite and knowledgable. He gave me a rough estimate of $100 (plastic clips needed replacement) vs. $400 (if the window regulator needed to be replaced in addition to clips). This was in the ballpark of what I had expected so I made an appointment. The first available appointment was a week later. That day I show up to drop off my car. Gentleman #2 asked me if I had been given an estimate and I relayed to him what I was told by gentleman #1 the week before. Gentleman #2 appeared impatient and said the estimate sounded "low". After checking on his computer, he said the correct estimate was $560 and that the previous guy had been wrong. I asked him why there was such a discrepancy between the estimates and he seemed excessively annoyed by my question. He said maybe he had put in the wrong BMW model. (By the way, I checked with gentlemen #1 later that day and he said he had entered the correct model.) Since I had already waited a week for this appointment, I decided to have it repaired anyway. Later that morning, I get another call from gentleman #3 saying that his supplier of one of the parts that needed repair increased from $53 to $155. I asked him why it had tripled in price? He paused and said "Do they (the supplier) have to give a reason?" I paused and said "absolutely". Perhaps, this was his way of lightening the conversation but, it was the wrong moment to attempt to inject humor into the situation. I can't help thinking it's that kind of thinking that has lead to the decline in quality of service (i.e. giving estimates lacking integrity) and what appears to be inflated repair costs at this establishment. Gentlemen #3 proceeded to tell me that it would cost an additional $100 or so to put the interior door panel back on once the repair was done. He said there were some parts that may have been damaged while the interior panel was removed OR they may have been broken prior to its removal but, either way--I'd have to pay for this--WHAT?! Gentleman #3's estimate was now hovering just over $800!!! At this point, my tolerance with the upward drifting estimate was hitting its maximum. I decided to pick up my car (interior door panel OFF since they were going to charge me to put it back on!) and take it to another shop to be repaired. Before I picked it up, gentleman #3 said they would have to charge me for the time they had already spent on my car $105/40 minutes-WHAT?! I could have taken my door panel off in 5 minutes but, I was done with this place and just wanted my car back. When I showed up, they ended up charging me $35 so I suppose I should have been grateful (heavy sarcasm intended). I went to another place to get my window regulator and clips repaired for $396.11 (INCLUDING taxes and putting the interior door panel back on) AND they washed my car inside and out AND gave me a fully functional loaner car. Imagine that!!! I'm happy I've found a new place to take care of my car repair service needs AND my window works again! I won't be going back to Phaedrus. read more

I first learned of Phaedrus in the late '90s when a girlfriend took her car there. I have taken two BMW there for service exclusively since 2005. The fact that I live in Napa Valley and use a mechanic in SF should tell you something. They give me great service from the time I call and make sure I am kept aware of potential issues on the horizon. The two mixups that have occurred in 9 years were quickly remedied at their expense. My 12 year old 325xi has 220K on original engine and radiator (supposedly I have the shop record for the latter) and they have been the only shop to touch it for the last 160K (except for a fuel pump emergency). When getting ready to leave for a weeklong road trip, I noticed a puddle under the hood and called Dale. He diagnosed it as a water pump and advised that I could manage the six blocks to the shop if the car was cold and I didn't stop. When I arrived, he had already reserved me a rental car and I was only delayed a bit over an hour. Taking it in for a headlight and oil change tomorrow. read more

In my view, I judge an organization, person, service, etc based on its behavior during bad times. It is natural to smile, be thankful, and humble when things are going well and I have no doubt that 99% of the time Phaedrus BMW does quality work. Unfortunately for me, I was that 1%. Saving the technical details of my service at Phaedrus BMW, I was told twice that my BMW was ready only to find out both times that Phaedrus BWM was wrong and that they did not test their fix --- TWICE. On top of that, upon final pickup of my car, Phaedrus BMW added an additional 30% to my already paid original bill; all the while keeping my car an additional 6 days (originally scheduled for 2 days). Myself also being in the service industry, there are two ways to handle failure: 1) kiss the customer's ass for the sole point of future business; 2) be content with never seeing that customer again. I can firmly say that Phaedrus BMW chooses the latter. I have no problem paying for parts and labor that were performed but I do have a problem with a service provider that offers zero retribution for their mistakes. Here is to hoping Phaedrus BMW does not screw up your service... read more