I have trusted Phaedrus for many years with my previous M3 (E36), and had them do a pre-purchase inspection for my current M3 (E90). I was in a jam and they squeezed my car in short notice for a quick suspension fix, which I am extremely grateful for as my car is a daily driver. They have very knowledgeable staff and convenient hours. John and Dale have helped me keep my cars bulletproof. The shop is impressively clean. If you need service for your beloved BMW, bring it here. Call ahead and schedule an appointment. They are even open on Saturdays! read more

You get what you pay for. As people say, it's not inexpensive, but it's damn better than the dealer and these guys really know what they are doing. When I got my car back last night, it felt, looked and drove like the finely tuned machine you know it should be. When you get into the shop, look around - it's spotless. Pay attention to the cars, they are the cars of people who love their autos and want to take care of them. Some of vehicles are from the early 80s and 70s and have obviously been going here their entire lives. If that's the type of car owner you think yourself to be, then this is the place you should be going. read more

Always helpful and professional. Proper repairs and advice. Will continue to take my car here.

I like these guys. Fair and honest. Easy to deal with and decent prices. I trust them with all my BMW work.

Got my battery replaced, and since the previous battery was dead they even charged my car overnight to ensure all was good with the new one. Great job, good communication and honest assessment! read more

I know nothing about cars, but I do know that everytime I have an issue with my cranky car, Phaedrus pampers it until my car is well again. Have you noticed once your car is out of warranty, the SF BMW Service department treats you differently? I feel like they are raping me out of my money!! Everytime I go there, fix this fix that. On the other hand Phaedrus tells me what really needs to be fix and what eventually needs to be fix, and what doesn't. Prices are definitely way CHEAPER here than BMW. Goodbye SF BMW Service Dept, Hello Phaedrus!!! read more

Recently had my car's climate control system worked on here. They did great work - same day service, and the problem is fixed. Dale the mechanic seemed highly intelligent and knowledgeable. Plus, they have good hours - open til 9pm weekdays, great for those of us with a job! So why only 4 stars, not 5? Because, holy geeze-o-petes are they ever expensive! Labor at $128/hr is awful dear even for downtown San Francisco. I would probably come back to Phaedrus for serious internal work on my engine. But for more mundane repairs, unfortunately I just can't justify the expense. read more

These guys are awesome! Dave was extremely helpful during a very confusing battery ordeal. Their prices are much lower than BMW of SF, and their convenient hours and location are ideal. I dropped my car off and it was done in a few hours-with no appointment. So nice to have a garage that takes great care and puts customers first. read more

Phaedrus has been working on my BMWs for 12 years and are equally adept at keeping an old friend going or keeping a new one running like new. The place is clean, the owners around all the time and the hours are unlike anywhere else. Being able to drop off and pick up waaaay outside of normal business hours is a huge value. And the detailer is outstanding for the price. Oh yeah, and they know one of the best mobile stereo guys in the business. It's really nice to be able to drop off the ride there and have many different things done in one visit. Thanks Spencer et al! read more

Awesome, awesome customer service! I did not get my car serviced here, but called in to check on parts availability that I was looking to purchase. Unfortunately, they did not have the part in stock, however I was completely satisfied with the service provided over the phone by a gentleman named Dale. Dale took the extra mile from finding me the part the next day, and also giving me some knowledge on my problem, that ultimately, I may not even need to purchase the part I was looking for! Great job Phaedrus! And thanks a lot Dale! read more

Good honest BMW dealership that treat you with respect and care. They obviously have a lot of experience - the cars I saw in there were real classics (e28 m5, 850csi) and if I had one of those there's no way I would bring them to a below average dealership. Fixed my 2002 330ci. Thanks guys. read more

These guys have looked after my car for the last 12 years and, at 200k miles, it still runs like new. Are they more expensive than your cousin Vinny? I'm sure. But the car has never died on me, never needed a tow, never had to have an un-scheduled trip to the shop, never had major surgery. So to my mind, the money spent on well-guided routine maintenance has saved me on emergency repairs - and saved me the expense of buying a new car altogether (My CA registration fee is $61 this year ;-)) Knowledgeable, friendly and non-condescending staff (even my girlfriend likes them), and they're open Saturdays and most weeknights till 9, so very convenient. read more

I absolutely love these guys. They are the polar opposites of BMW of San Francisco, e.g they are honest, easy to work with and incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to the driving machines of Bayerische Motoren Werke. For more info on those other sleaze bags on Howard street...see my 7/25/12 review. Here's a classic story that says it all. I was having a very strange problem with my M5's timing. The Phaedrus guys spent about 10 days tryinging to fix it. They finally thought it was fixed...but it wasn't. I went to another shop that had a different diagnostic tool and they were able to solve the problem. I went back to Phaedrus and reviewed the work was done and they immediately refunded all the money that was spent chasing this phantom. How many shops would do this? Just to be clear, 9 out of ten times, they totally nail the problem, so this was an outlier. Without question, these guys are the best of the best! I am a client for life. read more

Cant say enough about Phaedrus This is a little late, but wanted to give a sincere thank you to Phaedrus. This was the Friday after Thanksgiving and Phaedrus was open. My waterpump went out on my 07 530i and I had to be back on base in San Diego Saturday morning. They were already booked for that day and did not have the part. The went out of their way to get the part for me. Most places and dealerships were closed that day, but they had one of their guys drive down to San Mateo and pick up the part and fix my car and have me out and on my way by the end of the day. Just want to thank Gigi, Dale and John and the crew at Phaedrus, you guys are awesome and thank you so much. read more

Very professional! Quick turnaround. Very friendly. And most importantly, VERY HONEST! I used yelp to find these folks and I'm glad I did. They got me in quickly, were open late to accommodate my work hairs, provided me with a free loaner car, gave me a very accurate estimate at a fair rate below dealership costs. Quality work with professional staff. I had a bushing go out in my stick shift BMW Z4 M coupe that caused the shifter to go up and down. Thanks guys for getting this fixed. Love the dogs in the shop by the way! read more

I felt comfortable leaving my car here. We were all on the same wavelength. Prices seem fair to me.

I've only used Phaedrus one time, but my experience with them was excellent. I drive a 1991 318i convertible and during a lengthy rainy spell, discovered my hard top leaking. Phaedrus was very kind and allowed me to bring my car in a week early to get it out of the rain. I had read previous reviews and noticed the odd complaint about the service personnel's sense of humor. I didn't encounter this personally. No doubt, they are expensive, but that's largely because of their location. Their considerable BMW experience probably factors into that too. That said, I had them do a full one hour inspection of my vehicle and they found considerably more issues than another local shop that did my pre-purchase inspection. You get what you pay for in this case. Highly recommended! read more

I've been a customer of Phaedrus' for about 5 years now and figured I should share my experience here with others....you know what they say....a bad impression or experience and you tell everyone one.....a good one and you tell no one..... Well I'm here to share a long history of good experience with Phaedrus. I've taken my 1988 BMW there for many years. They've done both maintenance and repairs. I've been able to use the loaner car so as to not have to rent a car. They have my car ready to go when promised and I've never had a problem with any work done. From a total engine replacement to a battery replacement....Dale has explained everything needed to me in great detail which I appreciate. My car runs wonderfully. Even though I'd rather not have to spend a lot on my car......an older model BMW takes maintenance and repair........The guys at Phaedrus make it manageable........the shop dogs, Prince and Sparky help too! A big Whoo Hoo from me to an excellent business!! Thanks Phaedrus! I would without hesitation recommend Phaedrus for the quality of work, cost, hours and location....and a great staff! read more

Was planning on taking my car here, but when I called to ask a couple questions and set an appointment, the lady on the phone was extremely rude. I tried to look past it, but she continued speaking with nonstop attitude. She sounded annoyed, and that she was just trying to get off the phone as soon as possible. It's not hard to have good customer service. read more

Phaedrus BMW - I tried to like these guys :-( Epic Fail Every heard of a SWOT Analysis? Well here's my modified small SWOT on Phaedrus Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Strengths - Friendly staff, attempted to be accommodating, fairly decent at responding to emails and phone calls, worked with my schedule (sort of). When I called vs when I was able to drop off my car was weeks apart. Weaknesses - 1- They don't know how to schedule or estimate repair time. (Car dropped off at 7:30AM not looked at until 3:00PM) 2- They don't know how to work on a 2008 BMW 335i (car was there for days without being fixed) 3- They don't have the right tools for the job (couldn't remove and replace my fuel injectors) 4- They don't know what is potentially warranty item and what isn't. (should be standard knowledge for all bmw mechanics) 5- They charge an exorbitant amount for their hourly shop labor rate ($140.00) Opportunities - Phaedrus should learn a bit more besides the basics. 140.00 dollars an hour is unacceptable for grease monkey work which is about the only thing Phaedrus is qualified to do. (i.e. change spark plugs and filters). You have the opportunity to get what you pay for and I did not get what I paid for at Phaedrus BMW. Threats- Any other BMW dealership. Yes, this is shocking and I for one refuse to take my Ducati motorcycles to any Ducati dealerships because I always believe that the indy mechanic is a better option. Well, I tried Phaedrus for my BMW 335I because I read all the raving reviews here on YELP, but what I received was multiple days without my car and a final phone call from the shop manager saying they had no idea how to fix the car and that I would just have to live with my SES (Service Engine Soon) light. Not to mention that they claimed they had over 9 hours of troubleshooting this problem and could I help out with paying for a few hours to cover some of their hard work. Well, being a reasonable individual and a technician in a previous life I understand that sometimes weird problems to get the best of you and I felt I would be fair and throw some money to them even though they didn't solve my issue. So here's the breakdown: I bring my car in because it has a Service Engine Soon light. While there I ask them to change the spark plugs, do an oil change and fix the passenger cup holder. What I got: Passenger cup holder get's replaced, an oil change, and spark plugs get replaced. I figure a couple hundred bucks, and maybe another 160 bucks for a couple hours that they wasted because they don't know how to work on BMW's. I am prepared to pay 400 to 500 bucks. The bill Phaedrus presents me with is $1004.00!!! Yes, you read that correctly $1004.00 and the knuckle heads gave me my car back with the same problem I brought it to them for! Why is this such a big deal you may ask? I will tell you. I worked on all my own vehicles in the past so I ordered the Bentley Publishing Manual for my BMW (like a Haynes manual) via Amazon and read through the entire Fuel Injection section (which is what was kicking Phaedrus's abilities like a seasoned Thai boxer beating down a drunken sailor). Realizing I don't have a computer to update the fuel injector settings should I do the work myself I begin to wonder if Phaedrus or any non BWM dealer does. So I call the best tune shop I could think of. Dinnan in Mt View. I explain to Dinnan the SES light and the fuel injector suspicion I had. Dinnan tells me "We charge 155 an hour, but you should take your car back to the dealer because on those cars they extended the warranty 10 years on the fuel pump and possibly even the fuel injectors." 1 (one) Day and $75.00 dollars later (spent at Peter Pan BMW) and I have received my 2008 BMW 335i. It is fixed and when I dropped it off to them, they immediately told me they would provide me a loaner vehicle because often times these problems require more than 1 day to resolve. Yes, folks I paid 75 dollars and received my car washed, vacuumed, and more importantly fixed (They replaced a fuel injector and 1 spark plug). I guess you could say I paid Phaedrus $1004.00 for on oil change and some spark plugs, but you and I know the truth. Why such a reputable shop as Phaedrus couldn't honestly give me the same advice Dinnan did I can't tell you. Maybe they didn't know OR maybe they needed the money. So beware and possibly consider a dealer for anything other than routine maintenance. read more

Phaedrus just saved my a$& during COVID. I used to take my BMW X5 to Phaedrus religiously. They always did great work and this won my trust. About 6 years ago, I bought an Audi and sadly did not see them anymore. After I got a low air in tire alert, I discovered a screw wedged all the way in the tire when trying to fill it w air tonight. My family is located hours away and my one security right now is my functioning car. Most shops were closed and/or not answering. I remembered my friends at Phaedrus and even though I don't have a BMW anymore, I reached GIgi and she had me fixed me up and out the door in just over an hour - and at low cost. Feeling very grateful. More good news...their shop is big and open. Easy to maintain 6 feet. read more

I had been taking my car to the dealer for repairs, but at one point, decided the repair estimate was too high and considered selling it or donating it or something. All my BMW-owning friends advised me to give it one more shot and suggested taking it to Phaedrus. So I did. I knew my repair job was going to be complicated and it did take a couple of weeks, but with the pandemic and sheltering-in-place, there was no immediate need for a car anyway. My car is now back home, running beautifully, and I have a much better understanding about my car because of the time the good Phaedrus folks took to explain everything to me. The cost was much more reasonable than the dealership and now have a new place to bring my car for repairs should I decide to keep it. (It's a 2-door convertible, and I need a 4-door.) read more

They wrote on my invoice that my right rear tire had a nail in it. Took it to the tire shop and it was the left rear, the right rear was fine. Also, they quoted me $835 for rear brake pads, rotors and the sensor and a brake fluid flush. I called several other established shops in the city, the quote was between $575-$620. Idiots AND crooks. read more

I went here as an alternative to overpriced BMW dealer. If you are $ conscious this may not be the right place for you either. Unfortunately, 3 things did noT go well. 1. The charged me to "replace" a part. After the "fix" I still had the same prob. I went back and they "fixed" it again and charged me again. Looking at my invoice realized they charged me 2x for the same labor. They never fixed the problem correctly the first time. And they didn't even realize it. I ended up at the dealer and they pointed it out. Got reimbursed but it shouldn't have happened. 2. My ABS light was on. They ran some tests, only to tell me that they would need to run even more tests ... And continue charging me for inconclusive results. I understand it costs money, but they never set my expectations that the tests could be inconclusive. 3. They up-sold me on the detailing job while I was there. The job was no better than the local carwash. Seriously. For all the great reviews, maybe my expectations were just too high. But overall, their performance was sub-par and they only seemed to try and confuse me with technical terms. Customer service was less than average in my opinion. If you're going to spend $, I suggest going to the dealer and at least get then customer service. My 2 cents. read more

Brought my car in for a routine oil change... Let me make sure to ask how much an oil change is next time... It cost $155.00 for 15 minutes of work!?!?!?!?!?!? In WHAT WORLD DOES THAT SOUND REASONABLE...? Am I crazy..? read more

Anyone who would put up with the obscene amount of maintenance required of a Beemer had better have a good mechanic. The mom *loves* these guys. She takes it in for every rattle and squeak, and they usually fix it and don't condescend to her like other mechanics. Then she hands over an arm and a leg, and drives her armless, legless self home. But ah, such is the life of a BMW owner. read more

I have had an awesome customer service experience at Phaedrus BMW courtesy Dale & another mechanic, whose name I failed to ask. I didn't get any major services done here. Just a part fixing issue. My car's DRL was out and needed replacement. I was told by EastBay BMW to wait till both of them failed because it didn't make sense to spend twice on labor. So, I waited... and waited... and waited for a whole year, but the damn second DRL wouldn't go out! And the perfectionist in me hated having only one functional DRL. I called these guys to see if they had the bulb in stock and they did. And that I could just bring the car by without an appointment. And I did. The mechanic brought out the bulb, popped the hood, replaced the light in about 10 mins. I walked up to make the payment and realized that they didn't charge me for the labor involved. I was told, that was barely any labor by the mechanic. I made the payment for the bulb alone, asked Dale a few questions about what I should expect to spend on next, now that my warranty was over and got some free advice too! Overall a wonderful experience. I would have continued to take my car to these guys had I continued living in SF. read more

I brought my BMW X3 in for a water leak. My car had begin to smell like moldy carpet. The car was at Phaedrus for 30 days give or take a day. They replaced the carpet and fixed the leak, so they said. Great! Except the next time it rained my car was again filled with water, new carpets soaked. The guys at Phaerdrus quickly took my car in and found the source of the leak, called me and said they fixed it at no extra charge. Now, a year or so later after a long drought in California we had some rain. Guess what? The carpet was soaked with water again but not to the extent as before. The auto shop quickly took my car in again said they found the problem and fixed it at no extra charge. The problem is my carpet again smells like mold.The shop said they were very experienced and can handle it. I am stuck with the same problem originally and they will not repair my carpet. Even though Dale admitted it was their negligence." The work was shoddy going back together. We have to except responsibility for this." His words! My insurance company paid them thousands of dollars to repair my leek and replace the carpet. Dale said it was there failure to repair it properly. Why don"t they fix my smelly moldy carpet? read more

I took my Mini Cooper to this shop to have the brakes upgraded to JCW. I was given a price to do the work which I agreed to. When I went to pick up the car the owner told me that they did not have the computer soft wear to re-program the car for the new brakes but they could take it to another shop to have it done for an additional 180.00. I ask the shop owner if the car was safe to drive and he would not answer the question. I then took the car to the Mini dealer to have the re-programing done and they said it should have been included in the cost of the original work! Would not recommend this shop to anyone. read more

This is the second time I've brought my BMW 3 series to Phaedrus and I continue to be amazed by their service. There's one mechanic in particular whom I'd like to acknowledge. Can't remember his name, but he's got this California surfer/beach bum look about him (long blonde hair, tan, mellow temperment). He handed off my car to me today - wasn't even the guy who worked on my car, just handed it over - but in so doing he reviewed with me, in detail, each item that their team had inspected, regardless of whether it called for additional immediate attention or not. For example, my water pump was fine, but he told me to be on the lookout in the next 50K miles for the water pump breaking down and the engine overheating. (Apparently this has been an issue for BMWs like mine.) When he reached the part of the checklist about my needing new tires, he actually walked me over to my car to to show me what to look for when tires get too worn to safely ride on. As if that weren't enough, he then explained to me the concept of "treadwear rating" and drew a diagram to indicate the treadwear rating range I should aim for when buying my next set of tires. Finally, when I asked if today's diagnostic service included a fluid top-off, surfer guy said sure, no problem, that was something they could do for me and set about using my car's computer to learn which fluids, if any, needed filling. But in attempting to read my oil level, my car's dashboard computer kept "kicking him out." I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with my oil level sensor, my car's computer, or both. But not to worry, after my guy stepped away for a minute to do some research, he was back with the answer: I was low on gas and the computer was purposely kicking him out of the oil sensor display to instead bring his attention to the low fuel situation. Oh, and he figured out how to get around this and check the oil levels anyway. All in all, I couldn't be happier with this shop and this team. (Did I mention the shop is immaculate?) Five stars all the way. read more

When you're spending big bucks (which you always are with a BMW), it better be perfect. And these guys make it perfect.

Over priced...higher than the stealership for oil change! What's so special about the service? Nothing that I've seen and they demand more than BMW...independent shops are suppose to be cheaper not cost more! I called BMW and they quoted me $40 less and had appointment that fits my schedule. read more

If you own a BMW and live in San Francisco, why would you get your car serviced anywhere else? John and Dale and the rest of the guys at Phaedrus have always been professional and courteous. I've been coming here for years, and every time I'm given a great explanation of the work done, a look-ahead to what might need servicing next and a reasonable bill. My car now has 130,000 miles on it and still runs like new, thanks to the guys at Phaedrus. A couple of stories to illustrate these guys: 1) Driving home from work, my car began to overheat and lose power. I pulled to the side of the road, and called Phaedrus. I believe it was Dale I spoke with, and he stayed with me on the phone and talked me through different troubleshooting steps. When I gave him my year and model, he said "I bet its your water pump. That year has a history of failing water pumps." I had my car towed in, and low and behold he was 100% correct. 2) I have a hard-top convertible and ever since I bought it I have been dreading how expensive it would be to fix if it ever broke. Well, one day while putting the top down I hear a loud snap and the roof just wouldn't budge anymore. Luckily I was in the vicinity of Phaedrus so I just drove it there slowly with the top half-down. They kept it overnight and I got the bill the next day: $78! They said it took them only 30 minutes to fix and a cheap plastic part. The could've charged me 10x that and I would've been none the wiser. Anyway just great service all around. read more

For an independent service facility, they are about as good as it gets. Very good service, fair prices, great value. I measure the quality of a company not only by how well they do the work, but by what they do when things don't go right the first time. I've been taking my 2001 740i to their shop since 2004 when I first started working in the City. Aside from routine service, my 740 has experienced failures typical of that particular (none of them inexpensive to repair) - radiator, water pump, alternator, brakes, etc.). In most cases the problems were fixed right the first time. Most recently, I brought the car in fix another problem (oil leak). Unfortunately, the work they performed did not solve the problem. I brought the car back to let them know. After further investigation we determined the problem was mis diagnosed and that in fact another engine component was the source of the leak. Unlike other shops which would have tried to make excuses and argue that this was a new problem, they went ahead and fixed it and apologized for missing it the first time. Dale, Spencer and John all share a common attitude - fix the problem in the most efficient way possible and do what's right for the customer. Can you find a shop with a more nicely decorated waiting room with free wi-fi and an esspresso machine? Yes. On the other hand, you'll be paying for it and your car won't run any better as a result. I left my job in the city over 3 years ago. I live in the mid-penninsula, and yet I still drive the 25 miles each way to have them service my car. That alone should say something about how highly I regard these guys and the shop they operate. read more

this place charges you an arm and a leg and DOESN'T get it right...I went there because it's close to home and I walk there. The first time they replaced the brakes pads..simple enough right? I drove out and the brakes were making a strange sound. Brought it back in, they said they installed the wrong pads. Apology? Nah...I just wasted another few hours. Second time,(I know, you're saying, why did you go back.) I had some type of electrical problem. After a couple of days I went into to check on my car without calling first. There was a SURF BOARD in my car. I couldn't make this up. So I ask the attendant who's it was. He confessed it was his and that "sometimes we drive to car home to figure out what the problem is." I guess that includes a little surfing excursion. And after spending about $1800, they even tacked on a few more bucks for broken drink holder... Stay away.. read more

If you own a BMW, don't go anywhere else. Phaedrus is the best. They took care of my car for ten years until I sadly replaced it with a.... Mercedes. After a decade in their care, my old BMW ran perfectly. They are so good that I seriously considered never buying anything except BMWs so that I could always take my car to Phaedrus. They are complete experts and are sooooo honest. Believe every good thing you hear about them. Or just walk in there and see for yourself. (I wish there was a Phaedrus for Mercedes...) read more

I love this shop! Spencer is the best mechanic I have ever talked to. I take my car in for all major servicing and tune-ups. Everytime I have taken my car in I have recieved excellent customer care and my car looks great afterwards everytime. These guys you can really trust. I have just recently taken my car in once again to the place and what an awsome job they did, once again. I got a service insepction II done and my car detailed. The guy that details the car has been doing it for 40 years now and used to work for his father who owned a auto body shop for over 45 years now. I can't believe the job they can do on my car... everything seems to be fixable at a far much reasonable price than SF BMW or Sonnen BMW. Go to Dale or John, even Spencer, they're all great guys even Prince (the auto shop dog) :-D. Highly recomended! If you have a problem with them or think otherwise... contact me I would love to hear from one person that doesn't think they're awsome. read more

These guys are awesome. Friendly and super clean shop. My BMW front headlight went out and these guys had me inn and out in 15 minutes. :)

These guys really know BMWs. Spencer, one of the owners, has been working with BMWs for over 30 years and all of his mechanics have extensive experience (15+) as well. I feel more confident in bringing my 330ci here than the $tealer. I had my window assembly replaced along with a couple other things. Cost-wise, they are definitely cheaper than the $tealer, but not necessarily the cheapest. I needed my battery replaced and was quoted $220. I decided to take it to another place that did it for $100 less. Phaedrus probably uses an OEM battery, but I could care less about OEM for my battery. Bottom line though, if I need any kind of complex work done on my car, this is where I'm bringing it. Their hours are super convenient too. They're open on Saturdays and late during the week unlike most auto shops that close at 5pm. read more

I take my '91 M3 here, and these cars need a LOT of TLC from a very knoweldgeable mechanic who knows what he's doing. Otherwise you'll end up spending tons of money chasing down the root of the problem. After trying several shops as far away as mountain view, I found Phaedrus, and have done 100% of my service with them since. They really know BMWs inside and out, and while they may be a bit expensive, I think it's been completely worth it, as I think I have fewer problems with my car since it's well taken care of, which saves me money overall. read more