This place has a "Saab" whisperer he is that good. Cant say enough good things about this place

Great service and very knowledgeable. Roland must have Swedish roots. If he can't fix it no one can so don't waste your time going elsewhere. read more

Swedish Underground Auto Repair - Self - Auto Repair Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Roland is the best! Honest, professional and reliable. Hands down, the best mechanic I've ever dealt with.

Why can't I give them six or 7 stars? Nicest people. Great service. Super knowledgeable too. Worth the drive! read more

Swedish Underground Auto Repair - My car back home - Auto Repair Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

if you live in NY and own a Saab I would not go anywhere else for repairs other than minor ones. Roland is a Saab fanatic and his prices are very fair. subway stop 2blocks away. a bit far from NYC but worth the trip. you won't regret the inconvenience! j McCabe md read more

Preface: If you're new to Saabs or mechanics in New York brace yourself. Labor is not cheap (anywhere) and Saabs aren't the kind of car you can throw generic parts at. It'll be expensive. That said. I love this shop. It reminds me of the mechanics shop I used to hang around at when I was a kid. Roland is cool as hell and his prices are as good as it gets for Saab work. He knows all the major maintenance and finding difficult to source parts is no sweat for him. I bought a complete basket case of a 9-3. It was a good deal for the year but it was pretty beat. So far I've had two major jobs taken care of by Roland; the timing assembly and the dreaded MY 2007 valve job. Both of which, while not 90's accord cheap, were WELL under any other quote I could get in the city. Eurotech in Woodside (great shop they know their stuff) wouldn't even touch the chain. Roland had me out the door for less than $1500. Compare his prices to what people claim to have paid on the Saab forums and you'll see he comes in shockingly low. The work is good. I haven't had to go back for anything to be re-done and all of his fixes have completely cured the given problem. Given that he's done the two most serious jobs on the car short of a transmission or re-building the bottom end I think its safe to say he knows his stuff. Finally, the best part of a shop visit is checking out what's parked out front. 9-3's 9-5's 900's of every model and type. Its like a Saab museum. I love it. Though be warned, if you drop your car off it will be street parked. Mine is a lifelong NY car so, whatever, its already scratched up, but if you're a freak about the paint then its best to pick the car up the moment its done. read more

I've been bringing my saab to Swedish Underground for years. Sometimes there's a wait and I've tried to make the repair elsewhere and always regret it afterwards and end up bringing it to Roland anyways. No one better to work on Saabs. read more

This is the only NYC Saab mechanic you should even consider. Roland is the guy. The Saab whisperer. Don't bother looking elsewhere. I have had a lot of bad experiences with other mechanics who claimed they "work on Saabs", yet none of them even owned a TECH-II (a required device for diagnosing and servicing Saab vehicles). You may need to wait a week or two to get a service appointment (he's in demand for a good reason), but the quality of service and peace of mind are worth it. NOTE - the shop has a new address: 814 Glenmore Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11208 read more

I am giving 5 stars and Roland deserves 10 stars. He is a laid-back caring guy who was not there to try to pay the mortgage on his house or to take advantage of people who do not know as much about their cars in particular Saab as he does. He is living the American dream owning his own business and taking care of people and their Saab most service centers do what I call the hit-and-miss way of fixing things. He's very knowledgeable about the Saab vehicles and their little idiosyncrasies. He is not there to drain your pockets he's there to repair and fix your car and get it back on the road and a quick efficient manner as long as I own my 2005 Saab 9-3 Saab NO ONE but the Swedish Underground will work on it. Go there be confident and be glad that you went there. Bring your vehicle there and after Roland and his team work miracles on your Saab give him five stars he deserves it read more

This is a strange review... I did not visit the store... but I called them looking for a place to get my car inspected and they were super helpful! Haha nothing that even relates to them, they do not do inspections but they were super helpful in directing me to the right place. Thanks!! read more

Roland will take care of you. Bottom line. Good guy, honest service for a fair price. I always go here for oil changes, minor work, Saab advice. read more

Swedish Underground Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I went to Roland because I have a 1996 Saab 9000 that needed new brakes. Having an old Saab, you want to take your car to a Saab mechanic. I'm glad I did. Even though it was an expensive repair job (all 4 brakes were shot) I think Roland is a good, honest mechanic and I will definitely bring my car back to him again. I asked him how long he's been working on Saabs and he told me 10 years, so that's pretty impressive. So you don't get lost when trying to find the shop: the address of Swedish Auto is 1013 Atlantic Ave, but it's essentially on the corner of Atlantic and Classon Ave... right next to the BP gas station on this corner. I had a hard time finding it at first, so when you see the BP, pull in there... Swedish Auto is the second bay on the right. read more

Only place worth taking a Saab for service. Roland can properly diagnose the problem quickly and make correct repair on the first attempt, rather than other mechanics who don't know Saabs and try a million different "possible" fixes. Definitely recommend taking a Saab here. read more

Roland is a real Saab guy, Honest, down to earth good service and timely repairs. No BS or run-arounds. I have him change my oil and now he just did my brakes with rotors and pads and change out my shocks/struts on my 9-5 Aero. He's knowledgeable and his prices are fair. If you have a Saab, why would take it to someone who doesn't even own a Saab? Don't bother looking for any other place in Brooklyn to work on your Saab, call Roland and trust him with it. read more

Roland is truly a Saab whisperer. I am an enthusiast and fix most things on my car (that i can figure out) myself. For everything else, I use Roland. He takes less than 5 minutes to diagnose your issues, gives you a reasonable price and time frame, and is always incredibly informative on what he has to do, how much the different part options cost, etc. Considering he is a specialized mechanic, his prices are very affordable. If you're having a hard time reaching him to schedule an appointment, i suggest you call him early when the place opens (8:30 AM) that's when I've been the most succesful. He's a one man show, so it's understandably harder to reach him later in the day when he is working on vehicles. read more

I've been going to Roland for over 10 years, through four classic Saab 900s, three shop locations, and countless other Saab mechanics throughout the country. Roland is the best at quick diagnosis and fair pricing -- sometimes he even charges a few bucks below his estimate! I always appreciate that he gives me my all my options in terms of optional vs. necessary repairs, and new/used/refurbished parts, and he always shows me the dirty busted part that he removed from my car before discarding it. He's the only independent dedicated Saab mechanic in the city that I've found. There's a couple guys who help him out but it's basically a one-man operation, so you sometimes have to wait a week or so for an appointment -- but if you're in a bind, he'll usually try and accommodate your schedule. It's not fancy, there's no waiting room, and you often won't even get a receipt, He recently moved to a slightly larger shop across the street so it can be easy to miss, but just look for the Saab logo on Classon directly across from the BP gas station. Overall just a good guy and an honest and knowledgeable mechanic, if you've got a Saab you've gotta check him out. read more

Bad news - Swedish Auto Repair has MOVED. I am a long time customer of Roland's, and I went in for something a few weeks ago, and he was not in the same spot (atlantic & classon). The guys clearing out the shop said he moved way down Atlantic Ave (in the direction of JFK Airport). I will try and post an updated address when I get it. I hope he's still in business! He's always taken care of my Saab 9-3 Sport Combi. read more

Roland is THE MAN when it comes to saabs, he really knows his stuff. I wish his prices were a little lower (especially b/c most of the work he's done is very labor intensive), but I must admit that his price is fair for a specialist. He also gets parts fast, and in my experience he diagnoses right on the money. Plus he's the only guy I know with a Saab Tech-2 computer. My only small complaint is that the last job he did for me, his estimate was off by about $100, but he still performed the work without calling me to get authorization for the new price. That being said, I would have authorized the repair anyway, so it was fine. His customer service is amazing, and he answers questions like a champ(knowledgeably and accurately) rather than running away from you like most mechanics would. Also, if he replaces parts, he always saves them and makes sure that he shows the old broken ones to you when you pick up your car. Nothing buy praise for this guy, keep it up! Oh, one small thing, the shop is hard to find. He has a bay right next to a BP station, but there is no big banner or anything. I wish he'd get one, actually. read more

I thought I was in the wrong place when I pulled into this tiny shop in back of a gas station. I wasn't. I've only been once, but it was a thoroughly pleasant experience: Had my car deftly fixed in the same day for not a lot of money, and one employee, Jonesy (points for the name alone), even stayed late so I could get the car after work. All of the guys I've talked to have the exceptional brand-specific recall that's common to excellent mechanics. They literally have every detail of these cars memorized, and that's extremely important with an unusual car like a Saab. read more

Roland at Swedish Underground Auto Repair is the absolute best! In fact, I bought my 2008 Saab 9-5 because of Roland, knowing how honest, reasonable, and talented he is. I needed a used car and had a pretty large budget. After researching, I found that used Saab's were great deals because the company is out of business, and people are nervous about parts and reliable/reasonable repair facilities. Saab's are incredible cars, and without a doubt the most reliable European automobiles. My 9-5 does have a mix of some GM parts, but that's more of a positive than a negative. There are only about 20 known repairs that the Saab needs, really no secrets. The 2.3 litre turbo 4 engine is pretty bulletproof. The interiors are super comfy...fantastic seats. Plus the 9-5 looks great. After searching, I found a Saab at an Audi dealer. I had a few parameters. I wanted low mileage, a one-owner car that had never seen an auction, dealer or Saab specialist serviced, 5,000 miles or less oil changes, and had never been in an accident. The Audi dealer car fit the bill. Because Saab's don't have very good resale value, I was able to negotiate a great price. I immediately took the car to Roland, who did the necessary preventative repairs. He was more than reasonable. A couple of months ago I was losing some coolant. It could be a number of things...hoses, water pump, radiator. I drove over to Swedish. Roland opened the hood, and 5 seconds later said that it was my heater coolant bypass valve. It cost me about $70, including the part. If I had taken it to a Saab dealer (GM), there is little doubt that they would have charged me up to $1,000. After 14 months of Saab ownership, I'm still in love with my 9-5, and a large part of that is due to Roland. I expect to pay about $1,000 a year to maintain the car...a far cry less than spending $35,000 on a similar car. Plus it's just about the safest car on the road...and you don't see many out there...a little exclusivity. If you're in the market for a used car, buy a Saab...if for no other reason that you have Roland there to maintain it. read more

Saabs are special cars, and Saab owners ... well, we're a special bunch. Roland somehow manages to deal with all our problems and all our cars' quirks, always at a fair price. Nobody I've ever found knows the cars like he does, his rates are always reasonable, and the work is always done to a high degree of quality. A few anecdotes to prove my point: - Once, my Viggen blew a belt and erupted in a hissy fit of steam. Within 30 seconds of my describing the problem on the phone, Roland knew exactly what had happened and how much it would cost to fix. - I bought a 1993 900 turbo on eBay sight unseen because, of course you would too, if you love Saabs. He took it for a five minute test drive and told me two things that were wrong with it, and whether I had bought a good one or not. (Turns out, it was not too bad. Whew.) Yes, it's tough to get an appointment here for routine maintenance; budget at least a week to get your Saab some facetime with the worst-kept secret in Brooklyn. But if your car is immobilized by an emergency, he can usually fit you in much sooner. Cheers to the best damn Saab mechanic I know! read more

My experience with this auto repair shop was excellent! Roland, who runs the shop is a one man crew! He was out on vacation when I first contacted the shop but his assistants were eager to help me trouble-shoot my problem and provided me with some helpful do it yourself information to cut cost. Nonetheless, no work could be done until Roland returned from vacation. To make a long story short, I was told by others that my problem was probably a core ignition kit that needed to be replaced, or fuel pump. Both are quite costly to replace and I wasn't trying to spend that type of money on parts and labor on my faithful 2000 Saab. Well, I made an appointment with Roland and met him at the agreed upon date/time. He popped the hood and in less than 5 minutes, diagnosed the problem and fixed the problem in 2 minutes flat by tightening a few screws! He didn't try and rob. me, or keep my car over the weekend to jack up the price . Instead, he was honest, and treated me with respect. Surprisingly, he didn't even want any money for fixing my vehicle, which was something I never experienced at a auto repair shop. I just moved to Brooklyn and I am so happy that I have finally found a mechanic that I can trust and take my vehicle to and not worry about getting beat or taken advantage of. Stan the Man ! read more

Roland is the best! He really knows Saab's. He's honest and very kind. As others have noted, maintaining a Saab (or most European cars) is expensive but Roland is fair and always talks through any proposed work. He always seems a bit regretful when the bill is high. read more

I don't write reviews on Yelp much (maybe ever? this may be my first) but Roland is deserving of the praise. He worked around my restrictive schedule, to the point of allowing me to drop off the car on a Sunday, and allowing me to pick it up after hours (and before I had paid!). He charged the exact amount quoted and got the job finished a day early. My only major complaint? I was an idiot not to find him before, as I'm about to get rid of my beloved Saab. If you're a Saab owner, you know how difficult it can be to find the right people to work on these finicky cars --- Roland's your guy! read more

Wow! Sorry for such a long review, but what happened was really as epic as this epic review. I am beside myself. I brought my car in here 4 years ago and they were awesome! Now his head is too big and apparently so is his demand. Don't leave any more positive reviews, because this guy DOES NOT NEED ANY MORE BUSINESS! He cannot handle it, even if you had been here before, take heed. If you got great service in the past like I did, forget getting it again, because it is pointless. I was sooooo proud to have finally found a great, honest, mechanic, and we all know that is like a golden nugget in a city of crap and cheats. Oh well, at least I got a good service before, we had a good run. I don't even know why I am leaving a review, because I don't think he even looks at them. All these stellar reviews wasted. I guess that is why his business information is completely missing. It is clear he does NOT need any more business at all or even cares to keep the business he had amassed. So sad. People that I have referred here, sorry but you probably should look elsewhere or you will be treated like a piece of shit too. I just called just to talk about repairs and the mother f'er shut me down. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. They are so busy that the mother f'er wouldn't even let me ask if I could get an appt or ask for some help. I cannot believe how he treated me. Kept saying, "cannot do this, cannot talk about it, cannot bring it by, cannot do anything, we are extremely busy with an (too bad for you) attitude". Why even answer the goddamned phone? Just leave an automated mesage saying that you are not taking any more business, instead of treating your customers wish such disdain. Not sure if it was Roland but it sure as hell sounded like him. I remember calling a couple years ago and he gave me the brush off then, didn't go in at that time because I felt like I was bothering him, with my silly o2 sensor problem that I had another mechanic put in, just the vibe I got then from him told me that if you call, you'd better have some major problems, and somehow stay on the phone long enough to take the abuse, before he would listen, and I was right. This today, was 1000 fold worse magnified. I would have easily paid him 5 x times what my car is worth (2002 aero 9-5) for the work I needed I saved up to have done, on a car that only Saab owners can love inside and out. I just realized that Yelp can also expose shitty businesses that cannot keep up, no matter how great the reviews are. It's a sad business model when you cannot take the hint of all the great reviews and adjust upwards if you are going to corner a market. Someone should buy him out because this mother f'er cannot keep up. I wish I had this in front of me because I could fix this crappy situation in a snap. I am so shocked by his treatment on the phone. I will never 'EVER come back here. If I could give him 0 or negative 5 stars I would. They were awesome before, highly praised, and I can understand why he is so busy and I expected that, but this was horrific. I thought i left a stellar review the first time around 5 years ago, and am surprised to not be able to find it, but I am so glad I didn't. This was hell on the phone. I felt like a squished bug that was annoying him after it was all said and done. OMG. I still cannot believe the treatment I just got. Made me feel like a piece of shit. Seriously. I was totally ecstatic because I thought I found my Saab mechanic for life and he was my go to person because I felt that he had my back if I had a problem. Wow. I have to now figure out where to take my car, or maybe just get rid of the car I love. But the higher price is worth it to not have to be treated like this again. I am sad. Maybe his head is too big now. 0 fucking stars. Rather 5 shit stars. Sad, pissed and jilted all at the same time. Mother f'er ruined what I thought would be a great Saturday read more

Roland does nothing but 5-star work. His prices are always fair and his service is unprecedented in my book. Nearly every time I see him my car is in and out in less than an hour. He's helped me with unexpected breakdowns countless times over the years, almost always having me in and out the same day. Would recommend to all Saab owners in NYC and the metro area. read more

If you have a Saab this is the place to go. Roland is amazing, reasonable and fast. I got my cooling system replaced for less than I would have paid in my home state of Kentucky. read more

I just bought a 2005 Saab, went to pick it up at a dealer in Connecticut and as soon as i got to the Bronx, the engine light turned on. My friend did a bit of research trying to find a Saab mechanic close to my area with decent prices and he told me to call this place. I called on the 7th and Roland was able to fit me in on the 8th (which was perfect cause I was off from work- whoohoo election day) so i dropped off my car at around 9:15 am went to the dmv to register my car was back by maybe 2:30 pm. Roland charged me the standard $95 general inspection fee (not to be confused with the nys inspection, lol) and told me that the car was fine and all he changed was a turbo bypass valve hose which probably came loose on the trip back. and he didn't charge extra for it. Now being a woman who honestly knows nothing about Saabs he could have told me something else related to the engine and I would have been clueless. I also asked him to change the oil but he checked it and said it was recently changed so i didn't have to worry about it for another 3000 miles or so. someplace else they would have been happy to bill me for that service even if it was not needed. Overall, I found him to be honest down to earth and fair. my car has been running perfectly and without the engine light on for close to a week now. Usually I don't write reviews but feel this place deserves it. GREAT PLACE!!!! PS: Did I mention he placed the registration sticker and gave me 2 screws for my plates that were missing which he placed. No surprise charges, I was pleasantly surprised. read more

I like this place. I've only been once, and that was this week, but I went in for a small repair that required the complete disassembly of my gear shift. Understanding that this is a one man shop, I had an appointment but allocated extra time in my schedule for delays. Still, while Roland had been working on a car when I arrived he finished that job and began mine within 15 minutes of my appt and had me driving out the door an hour later. Not only had he done the job I came for he but fixed a burned out light I had and added a small cosmetic fix. All that at a very fair price as quoted including the necessary part that came at the online price which was 25% less than the dealer price. Next time I need work done, this is where I will be going. I had a hard time finding the place but if you are going west on Atlantic (toward the Barkley Center) turn right at Classon and immediately look to your left. The shop is behind the herd of Saab's. read more

I love this shop when I can get in. They're so booked now that it's getting difficult to do, though - and with a Saab, you're calling a lot. Wish they'd get a bigger space/more help, there's obviously a need. read more

I visited this shop a few times over the past year and he wasn't able to fix any of the problems of the car. I'm honestly surprised with all the positive reviews of him here on yelp. Unfortunately there aren't many mechanics in NYC who specialize only in Saabs anymore. Next time something goes wrong with the car, I'd have to take it to a regular mechanic I guess. read more

I've been taking my 9-3 '99 SE Convertible to Roland for 10 years. Car was kept out of city for last few years so stupidly brought to local mechanic instead. Boy was that a mistake. After I can 301 error code issues took back to city to Roland who found the local guy was using all the wrong parts - plugs, belt etc. Saab's are awesome but it makes a big difference if you use the wrong parts. Roland is the best Saab mechanic between Boston and DC bar none. read more

Called Roland to get my mint 2003 95 Saab Aero brake booster repaired. Got exact quote over the phone. Price was cheap so I had other work done to car. Some work Roland did as a courtesy. As well as being an obvious expert in his field, he seems to be a person of integrity-showed me the old part he changed. Not taking my Saab anywhere else. Did call other places but everyone seemed detached (average New Yorker). Roland has a humanistic approach to dealing with his customers. Wait wasn't long and well worth it. I am sure if you have an emergency he will have you bring your car in right away. I can go on writing but i won't. read more

Another vote of confidence for Roland - a good, honest mechanic is hard to find. As mentioned, he'll often perform little fixes for free and he also minimizes the work he does, and therefore the charges. He'll let you know what work you really need for your Saab and what you can do without. read more

I have a '99 Saab and have been going to Roland for several years. I've been very impressed with his expertise, honesty and laid-back nice guy approach. Yesterday I asked him about the low-battery indicator for my key fob. A few days earlier I had stopped by another Saab repair shop nearer to my home and was told that the battery would cost $15 and the fob would have to be programmed. Roland looked at the fob quickly, told me to go to Auto Zone (a block away) for the battery, showed me how to install it (quite simple), and more importantly, that there was no need to program the fob. I bought the battery (two for $5.99). installed it and the fob works fine. He saved me at least $50. I can't recommend him high enough. read more

I've been using Swedish Underground for 10 years. I will continue to use for the next 10 years. Great service all around.

The mechanic go straight to the problems and fix the parts. The price is way under dealer cost.he really take his time to talk to the customer and see what is the problem . Thank you for fixing my a/c compressor. read more

Roland is easily the best Saab mechanic, and one of the top 2 mechanics in general, I have ever dealt with. He is unfailingly honest, remarkably knowledgeable, and very fairly priced. I don't know if I can give a better recommendation than the fact that I've now upgraded my AAA membership solely for the reason that, if my Saab breaks down anywhere within 100 miles of Brooklyn, I want to be able to take it to Roland. The only downside is that enough people now know it, so it's harder to get an appointment with him! Hmm, maybe I should delete this review after all . . . read more

I took my Saab in for a few repairs, and an oil change. Everything is working well, the service was super friendly and communicative, and the price was right. It's hard to find a garage that knows Saabs, and from the little experience I have these guys know what they're doing. Definitely reccommended. read more

Ten stars on a scale of 1-5. Roland is that good. Far more expert, reliable and reasonably-priced than the other shops. Also, a true gentleman who is a pleasure to do business with. He'll get the job done with no BS. He's been doing the maintenance on my 2009 9-3 since the warrantied service ran out and I've had no major service issues. He's kept it a clean machine, running smoothly -- you can't expect more than that. read more