Emerson and Mauricio are my go-to indy mechanics in San Francisco. They've do it all and always do it right the first time (unlike many other shops I've been to in the city). From routine or preventative maintenance, installing aftermarket parts, or diagnosing tricky issues, they are the most reliable mechanics I've been to. While they may not be the cheapest option, you definitely get what you pay for in terms of quality work and professionalism. They've worked on 2 of my cars and I've never had an issue after about a dozen visits. I especially appreciate that they are very communicative and friendly and that they are willing to do jobs involving aftermarket parts (which some shops won't do). They also give reasonable recommendations and don't try to upsell you on random services that aren't needed. You can tell they value creating a long-term relationship with their clients, rather than just trying to squeeze them for as much money as possible. Their shop is huge and it's always fun seeing what cool German cars they have when I drop off or pick up my car (lots of vintage Porsche 911's). Highly recommend! read more

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Mauricio has been my mechanic for years on my mini cooper. He has always done an excellent job and has literally gone the extra mile many times. Last weekend something was off with my mini and I didn't want to drive it home. He came by my work and picked it up and drove it to his shop. He ordered the parts Monday and I had it back Tuesday. He always explains to me what is wrong and shows me the old parts when I come to pick it up. I highly recommend him. read more

Emerson and Mauricio did a radiator on my Porsche. Kept it with in the estimate and on time. Will definitely go back.

Gary and Paula are clearly experts at what they do. But their prices are the same or slightly higher than the BMW dealership...unfortunately without the nice car loaners and extended hours and other full service amenities that BMW dealerships offer. Those types of amenities are not important to me. But saving money and getting the best value is a top priority to me. I found another local BMW repair shop to do the majority of my repairs, which Gary and Paula helped identify....at half, yes half, the pricing at Vanguard. But with the same warranty and other offerings as Vanguard. I literally saved $$ thousands of dollars and my car is fully repaired now. I am posting this to state that Vanguard is clearly excellent at what they do....and will do it at roughly the same pricing as the pricey dealerships. As a consumer I chose to shop around...and I found an excellent other repair shop option at half the price. You may want to shop for competitive pricing, as you make your auto repair decisions. read more

I don't know why anyone would go to the dealership for service when Paula and Gary are in the middle of the city and frickin phenomenal. They know their stuff, put extra effort into telling me what services & parts I really need, and are contagiously friendly. read more

This is my long overdue, complete endorsement of Vanguard Motors. I first took my 1986 535i to Gary and Paula in the early part of its major refurbishment several years ago, as a few issues remained unresolved after an initial (and actually quite thorough) "going over" by another independent shop in San Jose (which shall remain nameless, although I did leave a positive review for that establishment a few years ago as I and my family have taken our other BMWs there for years). Fast forward 6+ years. Small problems continue to surface periodically with my E28, as would be expected for a 35+ year old car. Paula and Gary have maintained a superlative level of trustworthy, courteous and efficient service throughout. At this point, since they know my car so well, it's almost like taking a child to a trusted family doctor who knows the complete medical history. Vanguard has honored two warranty repairs on work performed or defective parts already, no questions asked. This past week Paula told me the brakes on my E28 were fine, which is not only reassuring for my peace of mind regarding driving safety, but also very refreshing to have an honest appraisal informing me that another expenditure is not needed right now. I have also taken my E36 (of which I am the original owner) to Vanguard, and will again to when the next issue inevitably arises (although hopefully not too soon). As a 20+ year BMW CCA member, I also greatly appreciate that Paula and Gary offer a small labor discount to keep the club going for enthusiasts of the marque, like myself. I have not yet had a chance to take my 911 to Vanguard yet, but it's a great comfort knowing there is also an option for friendly, trustworthy and quality service in San Francisco for my Porsche. read more

I've been a Vanguard customer for just over a year now after my 2008 BMW 535xi wagon fell out of warranty. They are everything you want from a non-franchised specialist and nothing you don't. Gary and Paula make a great team and they know their BMWs better than the dealership. They have been able to diagnose problems with alacrity that is often appreciated when you are running an older, high mileage German car. They are prompt, always looking to save you money, don't cut corners and always use proper parts. They aren't the cheapest in the area but I am wary of using the cheapest mechanics especially where the more complex German engineering is concerned. I would say that they offer a good mid spot price-wise between the dealer and a generalist mechanic. For me this is more than acceptable because that extra money goes into proper factory training for all their techs as well as owning the proper equipment. One thing I really like about Vanguard is the work they are not willing to take on. They steer clear of any aftermarket work and will advise you why, I see them as an extension of the type of service that the dealership provides you but without the crazy upsell and the un-necessary work. They are direct and to the point on what you need to have done and then give you a laundry list of the nices to have and also the advisories. They only use OEM parts, all of their technicians are trained to the same standard but they aren't bound by the 'by the book' approach that our dealers use. I've seen some very very high dollar amount cars in there, which is all I needed to know. If someone is willing to let them service their $100k 911 then I'm more than happy to let them work on my six year old wagon. read more

Super knowledgeable, reliable lead times, excellent service all around. Also it's fun to look at the exciting cars they always seem to be working on :) read more

I've been bringing my car to Gary @ Vanguard Motors for a few years now. He's done work ranging from routine oil services to tune-ups, to malfunctioning power locks, to exhaust work. I've always been happy with their service. In my experience Gary is exceedingly thorough and honest. If you bring your car to him for a certain problem, he'll be comprehensive enough to highlight other issues if there are any. He'll keep an accurate and thorough record of these issues and give you an estimate of how long before they should really be serviced. He won't recommend work that isn't necessary and he really gives you confidence that he cares about your car and wants to build an ongoing relationship. Vanguard's rates are reasonable compared to the dealer, and the location is really convenient (10th Street in SOMA). I've found other mechanics that are less expensive, but you'll trade off either quality of work, or location, or some other thing. All-in-all they're worth the money you'll pay them, much better than going to SF BMW three blocks away where you'll be financially raped. As a prior reviewer noted, Vanguard only works on BMWs or Porsches. It's obvious, because they know your car inside and out. If your car doesn't have one of these two badges you have to go to another shop. read more

I was referred to Gary & Paula by a good friend of mine who is also an E30 enthusiast. What stands out about this shop is that 1) they are genuine people, 2) they do great work, and 3) they care about their clients. They are experts on BMWs and car enthusiasts in their own right! I went through a few different shops/mechanics only to experience poor work and/or dishonesty. Even another supposedly reputable BMW shop in SF (who shall not be named) up charged me for unnecessary work. This was not the case here as Gary showed me the broken parts he replaced and how to look for signs of wear in those parts. Their professionalism is top notch. Needless to say, I will ONLY be coming here for my automotive needs. I even referred my parents to come here - I don't think I can give any higher praise than that. read more

Gary and the crew at Vanguard do a great job on my 29 year old Porsche. They did a correct rebuild of my worn synchronizers in the transmission, getting it right the first time. They know these cars well, and are great at troubleshooting problems, without having you spend unnecessarily. Want a detailed explanation of how something works, why it broke, and what will it take to fix it? No problem! Everything is explained carefully and understandably. My son has had great service there on his older BMW, too. Great shop! Larry read more

Gary and Paula run a top notch business. I've been using them for over 20 years (and 2 cars.) In fact I won't buy a new car because because I don't want BMW or anyone else to touch my car. The only people I trust is Vanguard. They're like doctors from the Mayo Clinic. They are honest, fair and by far the best garage I've ever used. The people who work for them are great, friendly and professional. I could not recommend anyone better than Vanguard. Vanguard is the best kept secret for BMW owners in San Francisco. They know their business and treat their customers like family. Thank you Vanguard for always being there for me. read more

I agree with all of the other postings here. Gary and Paula are fantastic. Gary is super anal, meticulous, hard-working, and extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend Vanugard. He's taken care of my E39 528i for over 5 years, and before I totaled my 911 cabriolet, he maintained that also. Gary is extremely conscientious, and he always deliver on time and on budget (barring unforeseen circumstances, which can happen, of course). Paula is a joy, and super responsive. All in all, I fully trust Vanguard and have referred many friends there over the years. read more

I don't know of a more trustworthy and knowledgeable car shop in the city. It is akin to taking your car to the Tappet brothers, except it's Paula and Gary, and maybe without the jokes, but the knowledge and care cannot be overstated. read more

I used to live in San Francisco and went to both Phaedrus and Vanguard Motors. I started going to Phaedrus. On my first service they did a great job and didn't charge too much. After that, it seemed the prices for their service was outrageous. I moved over to Vanguard Motors with good Yelp reviews in combination with a BIMRS.org membership. The prices are much better but seems like he was recommending work that didn't really need to be done. Vanguard changed a head gasket to fix the burning smell coming from my 5-series. The smell is now back after a few months. He also changed my activated carbon cabin micro filters and now I'm smelling exhaust from other cars again (makes me wonder if he used a cheap non-active carbon substitute). He kept telling me that my front rubber bushings were really bad and needed to be replaced. I was skeptical at this point and took it to Custom Alignment Balance and Brakes in Mountain View (whom I highly recommend for tires/alignment/suspension work) and they said there was nothing wrong. I had a few similar issues with Phaedrus doing some service that wasn't really necessary so I can't really recommend anyone in San Francisco. I just moved down to San Mateo and am searching for a new independent BMW shop and would love to hear if anyone has had a good experience with an honest BMW technician on the peninsula. read more

So have you been going to mechanics feeling ripped off by some mean dude? Felt like the dude behind the counter was just ripping you a new...........whatever! I just went to Vanguard and was in a bit of a hurry. Had a headlight go out the other night after hitting a pot hole with the new Mill Valley street improvements? I called Bonnie; She told me to come right over. Fixed the headlight on the spot and boom! I was on the road feeling grooooovey!!!! The thing about Vanguard: You feel totally honored for your time, money, work and car. You feel totally respected and supported. When do you get all that from a car repair? Oh and you get great work, prices and easy in and out!!! This Place Rocks on every level. Love Vanguard!!!! read more

Gary and I became acquainted many years ago in a completely different environment. I'd brought my BMW to another shop before remembering Gary and that he specialized in BMW. One night, my BMW mysteriously began overheat and left me along with child stranded on the highway. Very infuriating. So rather than the first shop, I remembered Gary and made an appointment with Paula. After a brief discussion about the problem, my car was towed there. Paula seemed confident and assured me they'd get to the bottom of it. After a few days, Paula informed me of the complexities causing the issue which as all true due to my knowledge of the car's maintenance history. I was reacquainted with Gary and it was nice to see him in his element. He presented all the old parts removed and went beyond the basic functions which was easy for me to understand since I worked on my old cars back in the day. The invoice was a lot more than hoped, but quality comes with a price. It wasn't just factory parts, but the knowledge and quality of the work you'll be paying for. If you love your old BMW like do, try this shop. Gary and Paula were very easy to work with. 2001, E45 325ci Coupe, M/T read more

A friend of mine recommended Gary to me for my 94 BMW 325i about 8 years ago. I will never take my car anywhere else. I have received nothing but the best service (Paula and Gary truly make me feel like family). I have taken my car into them on numerous occasions for problems on my aging car and have been completely satisfied with their work. Gary has also educated me tremendously about what to look out for by way of preventative maintenance as well. Last time I took my car into them, I was given an estimate, then recieved a call back a few hours later...Paula had found out that a part that needed to be fixed was still under warranty, so it was my estimate was cut in half because of bothered to do the extra research. Don't know where you can get that kind of service elsewhere. Gary and Paula are my kind of people. Hard working and thorough. read more

They were nice and let me use their restrooms even though I want a customer. The next door shop didn't...

Took an 02 BMW M3 I was thinking of purchasing to Vanguard for a pre-purchase inspection based off the glowing reviews here. Gary was very thorough - he went over everything with a fine toothcomb, taking photos of all the trouble spots and pointing out even the tiniest flaws in the paint. I ended up buying the car, and three weeks later I'm driving to work and hear a loud bang followed be a sound like something was scraping along the ground. I was dreading having to pony up the big bucks, but turns out it was just a bolt that holds the differential to the frame that fell off. I was so relieved, Gary called me and said he'd tightened the bolt and the whole thing was just a fraction of what I thought I'd have to pay. Gary provided outstanding service, turning it around in the same day. Definitely AAA+. read more

Let me start by saying that I don't yelp very often, but I was inspired to do so this morning after speaking with Paula. I called because my 2001 325ci wouldn't start and nothing in the world stresses me out more than car trouble. Once I pathetically described the symptoms, she immediately diagnosed the likely problem as a dead battery. Giant phew! Gary was recommended to me back in 2006 and I haven't gone anywhere else since. They are always super nice and explain in terms that even I can understand. I also appreciate when they rank the problems (e.g. urgent, not so urgent, can probably wait another year) so I don't get so overwhelmed and my checkbook likes it, too. read more

I was recommended to visit Gary at Vanguard Motors in SF, to take a look at my 2002 BMW 4.4i X5. My X5 is my daily driver and fully loaded but I had a "bumpy" problem with my air ride suspension. Being a some what 'gearhead' myself I know and understand cars in general but with high performance vehicles (BMWs or Porches) you need to find people and a place you can trust... You can find them at Vanguard Motors in San Francisco. Gary understood my problem addressing my concerns. It was evident he knew BMWs but he also knew all the workings of the vehicle as well. And I believe the entire shop knew BMWs! He was able to determine and resolve the issue and pass along other recommendations. Great service, knowledge base and fair prices. I have already scheduled another service next week. Yup that's how good I feel about these guys! A+ to vanguard Motors and CHEERS! read more

Honest and Dependable work. I can't think of two more important words one wants to hear about a shop in which they are entrusting to work on their car. I've known Gary and Paula since my E34 5 Series BMW went out of warranty...and I haven't looked back since.(roughly 17 years ago) They have serviced my BMW's and will soon be working on my new Porsche. Why? Because I trust them explicitly and their work is above reproach. I recommend them without hesitation when asked for a mechanic referral for a BMW or Porsche. read more

I trust Gary to work on my car. He is a solid mechanic who I was referred to a few years ago I have a pretty rare and pricey Porsche, so having someone who knows these cars well means a lot to me Gary has done a variety of work on my car- oil seals, clutch, as well as basic maintenance. He is able to work things out well with the aftermarket warranty I have for the car, and is reasonably priced read more

Dilemma: My 1988 BMW M5's throttle was revving on it's own! Solve: I called my usual BMW guy, Sokol, at EuroMotor Cars (also an amazing place for OBDII cars and newer). He said that he does not work on this type of car, so he referred me to Gary/Paula at Vanguard Motors. I called on Tuesday, and Paula answered. I told her that I was recommended by Sokol and described my dilemma. She said that Gary would not be in until Thursday and proceeded to set up an appointment for me. Two days later I arrive at the shop 15 minutes earlier. I am sipping my coffee, and the doors open at about 7:58am (shop hours are 8am-5:30pm). I go inside the well kept office and see an array of BMW and Porsche magazines and books that caught my attention (also, some neat model cars, Bimmers of course, displayed randomly around the office. I was greeted nicely by Gary and introduced me to his wife Paula. Both were so very nice and inviting. I explained my dilemma. He listened closely until I finished (which I thought was pretty cool since most auto shops will not even listen to what a customer is saying). We went to go look at the car. Gary looked it over for a few minutes and tried to replicate the problem I was having. He could not. He suggested that he look into it more and give me a call. As I was waiting for a cab, one of his customer asked if I needed a ride? I WAS SO SURPRISED and said sure. He gave me a ride all the way across to the Embarcadero and we talked about BMWs all the way there. Also he mentioned that he has been a customer of Gary's for a long time. As the day went by, approximately 2:45 pm, I decided to call him. He explained to me what was going on. And said that he can explain more with visuals. When I arrived, Gary was as inviting as he was early that morning. He took the time to explain and show the solve that he was going to do to the car. The temporary solve was because of part being sent from Germany, which Gary had sourced out. He showed me things on the car I did not even know about! So to make this long story short, I have to wait for the parts and will be back again. I left the place with a good feeling...:) read more

My temperamental 335i had an emergency electrical failure that put the car in a fail-mode. I can't tell you how pissed off I was w/ the car. I took it to Vanguard because I had a very good experience with them in the past, and I feel comfortable entrusting them again. In my case, it was a super labor-intensive process on their part because the diagnostic tool could not connect to the car to do what it was supposed to do. Gary and his crew had to manually go through a painful process by elimination. Well, not only they solved the problem, they were super reasonable with the rate. They could have decided to put in a replacement part just because, but they didn't. Overall, I couldn't be happier with their outstanding work. My experience w/ the 335i has been mixed, and overall I can't save it's been a happy and trouble-free ownership. But it's the local, honest, competent shop like Vanguard that gives me the confidence to keep this car. Vanguard still respects and cares about the relationship between the owner and his car. Definitely can't say that about the dealer. Highly recommended. read more

Gary & Paula are without a doubt the very Best repair shop for BMW'S. No worries or problems, just Excellent, Friendly, Fast Service! I thank you.both for taking such good care of my 645ci & am very happy I didn't purchase a new one. read more

This is one of the best places to get your BMW fixed. Gary and Paula will take good care of your car and your wallet. In my 10+ years of working with them, I have never had a single problem. read more

Well, went into Vanguard with high expectation based on the reviews here. Lets start by saying I already had my car serviced by two other mechanics around the area. My car had this rattling noise coming from the engine area, and it was very nice of Gary to invite my car in so that he can have a listen. I mentioned first that I've already been to two other mechanics and they replaced a/c compressor, drive belt tensioner, harmonic balancer, and other stuff but the noise is still there, and that both mechanics concluded the noise had to come from inside the engine. We sat down and he gave a thorough explanation of how the timing chain tensioner could be involved and signed me up for a $200 initial inspection estimate. The next day, got a call from Gary and he told me he had found the culprit in a bad pulley outside the engine and that one of my fan blade had broken off so I would need a new fan, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be this easy but I thought I'd give it a chance. I asked how sure he was and he said he didn't hear the noise after taking off that pulley wheel. The total estimate at this point was about $380~ Gary then called back and had bad news, said the noise came back and now he needs to further inspect the car to find the rattling noise. Hours later Gary said the noise is likely from behind the harmonic balancer inside the engine near where the oil pump chain and timing chain meets and would call me back to give me a estimate on taking apart everything just to find out what is causing the noise. The next day Gary called and said the the estimate for taking apart everything is going to run up very high into the thousands. I had to decline going further because of the high cost so I told Gary to just put everything back together. When I went in to pick up my car, the total bill now is $670. Gary then explained that I was missing the pads at the jacking points so he installed three of them for me and that the additional time to inspect the car for the sound took an additional $~250. So I paid the $670 and left the shop with the same noise that I had when I went in. All in all this shop is very clean and the labor rate a bit high but probably worth it because of their technical expertise. read more

I've been taking my E46 to Vanguard for 7 years and he's running as good as the day I bought him. If you take your older vehicle to the dealer shop, you get a 'buy a new car' sales job and the work is done by some trainees with very loose supervision. At a local generalist shop, you get generalist knowledge of cars. I want a shop that knows the car really well. Gary and the team at Vanguard are great. They make your Bimmer part of the family and manage its maintenance with the professional skill and the passion of an enthusiast. They only use quality BMW parts and lubricants - in addition to BMW (Castrol) oil they use Redline, which I highly recommend for stick shift gear boxes. If you care for your car, that's what you want. read more

Without doubt or hesitation Vanguard is the best BMW service around! If you love your car and you want quality care use Vanguard. After many services and repairs Vanguard is prompt, they are excellent at communication and getting the job done. The best! read more

When my 10 year old BMW 528i started to die on me, I took it to my normal mechanic who recommended to replace parts that were not needed, I know this because I paid for the parts to get replaced and on the drive home the SAME exact thing happened. The car wouldn't drive above 50 mph, and since I commute to and from work, this is NOT good! It was pretty stressfull since time and money were an issue. I already spent $800+ at my "other" mechanic. After contemplating about selling my BMW, I decided to bring it to Gary who was very professional. Gary and his techs worked on the car no more then 2 days, and fixed the problem. It was a electrical wiring issue that caused the crazy problems my car was having. My other mechanic replaced the throttle body, saying it was stuck close, OMG horrible diagnosis! It didn't fix the problem MR! In other words, bring your BMW to a BMW specialist.. don't cut corners trying to save money. If it wasn't for Vanguard, I'd probably be $20,000 in debt from buying a new car! XOXO! read more

I started taking my BMW to Vanguard a few years ago and have been really pleased with their work. All service to be done was explained very well and they are extremely honest. They could have sold me a lot of expensive work but only recomended doing what was truely necessary. They are a porsche and BMW only shop so they are really knowelegeable and passionate about BMW's. They are not super cheap but the piece of mind that the job will be done right and and not getting ripped off is well worth it. read more

This shop was recommended by my colleague before I took the plunge and bought a used Porsche Boxter. Even before I was a customer, Paula and Gary talked to me at length about the ins and outs of buying a used model and what to expect in terms of maintenance costs. When I finally purchased my Boxter they helped me get it in tip top running condition and they've been servicing it ever since. I can't say enough good things about this shop. They are master mechanics who are reliable, trustworthy, and fair dealing. If you own a Porsche or BMW, you can't go wrong trusting them with your service and repair needs. read more

My experience with Vanguard Motors has been nothing short of exceptional. They do a thorough job at a fair price, and don't take a year and a day. They provide clear explanations of the work to be done and they patiently answer all of my questions. Gary and Paula have scheduled my car at the last minute when necessary. One time Gary personally drove me to get a rental car when their transport van didn't show up. They make me feel like a valued customer as opposed to a number like I used to feel at the dealership. I highly recommend this shop. read more

Once your BMW's warranty has expired, Vanguard is the best place in San Francisco to service it. I knew right away that this was going to be a good place, since I was referred to Vanguard by another reputable BMW shop that was over capacity. Paula and Gary took great care of my '07 550i for many years. The quality of the service was good and the pricing was reasonable (for San Francisco). Also, I felt that they accurately communicated to me what the issues were and how best to solve them. I highly recommend Vanguard to take care of your BMW! read more

super nice folks. i don't know much about cars but the prices seem fair and i didn't get the impression that they were trying to up sell me on anything. thumbs up. read more

I can't say enough about Gary Grande, his wife, and the whole Vanguard team. These guys will take the time to explain in detail what needs to be done, why, and help you prioritize the services if there are multiple to be done. They live and breathe BMWs and Porshes, and it shows in their excellent work. read more

First, condolences on buying an out-of-warranty BMW. Second, you'll be glad you've found Vanguard. So far they've always been able to schedule this car promptly, and the work always gets done on time. I like that Gary goes through a thorough explanation of the work he does, and I've never had the slightest sense that he's done something unnecessary. A little anecdote illustrates Gary's attention to detail and love of these cars: When I bought this car the little plastic cover on the negative terminal on the engine block was broken off. When I first took the car to Gary, he mentioned that it was broken, and I just put that at the bottom of my to-do list. A time or two later when I picked up the car, the cover had been replaced, and he never mentioned doing it, and he never billed me for it. I like that. read more

I was not pleased with their service. From my perspective they are "bill jackers" The original estimate ended up $100s over. They call me at my work stating that I had some steering/suspension problem and that it needed to be replaced. What do you do? You are kind of at their mercy and want to trust them but then they also added a couple of small $10 to $15 items that they just replaced (no call required). I ask that the parts be returned; they never were. The quality of their work? Brake pads, rotors, spark plugs, how tough is that to work on; their work is ok. I, personally do not recommend them and will not return. read more