Import Auto Maintenance

I went to these guys for a rear subframe inspection on my 2002 BMW M3. They were fantastic. Not only did they inspect the front and rear subframes, and took note of my specific worries, they also snapped some pictures for me to put me at ease. They treated me like family, and were exceptionally good service people. I will definitely be back for any future maintenance.

IAM isn’t the cheapest or the fastest but they do top-​notch work, are friendly, dependable, and they warrantee their work. They don’t sell you on repairs you don’t need.

I’ve gone here a multiple times with my 2002 jetta that a lot of repair places (including ones that did European) couldn’t/wouldn’t touch. This place never ran into any problem and we always (except once) could get it fixed same day. Also we would show up without an appointment and could be seen. They also offer free transportation to customers that work nearby. So since we have one car my husband could drop it off and not have to worry about how to get to work and it was ready by the time he needed it and they would give him a ride back. That sold us completely on them! One of the visits I did wait at the office and service was quick and employees are SO nice!
The 2 cons I have is
1. The location Is HORRIBLE. I had to go around the place a few times because something would being in the way and I couldn’t pull in. Its in a super busy intersection so trying to pull in is hard enough then no parking spots were available.
2. They are pricey compared to other places. But I can ignore the entrance issues (as long as I can park) and the cost due to the great service.
Money willing I would return here everytime.

From day one they treated me like family. They’ve fixed whatever is wrong and it stays fixed in my cars. They know what they’re doing. It’s very clean and comfortable to wait for your car — but they also have a shuttle to take you home. I feel like they are very fair with me financially. When something isn’t worth repairing or they can’t know for sure what the problem is they don’t even encourage me to spend money. I really adore everyone there.

Decided to try IAM rather than visiting the dealer as I usually do since I had a rather extensive list of items requiring service and wanted to save where I could. Placed a call for a quote on a Thursday before noon in anticipation of being able to share a vehicle with my husband the following Monday and Tuesday, the days I was targeting for service. I was promised a call back later in the afternoon — didn’t receive it. Called back in the morning (Friday) and was told I’d receive the quote that day. Called at 4:30 PM because I’d heard nothing and again was promised something later that day. MONDAY afternoon I again called IAM and was told that the person providing the quote had a death in the family. I was sorry to hear that but still was looking for a quote. Following a timely call back, I was provided a quote that was 22% more than the dealer’s quote! After mentioning this to IAM, I was told that they have heard that they are in fact higher than the dealership but that they pride themselves on service. Now THAT’s funny!

IAM has worked on my cars for 8 years and counting. The work they’ve done has never failed, and they’ve never misdiagnosed a problem. They don’t use scare tactics and they’re straight with you about what needs fixing and what can wait. They’ll also recommend other shops who can do certain kinds of work for a better price, and if you’re out of town they’ll also give recommendations for good garages in other Mid-​TN cities.
They’re not the cheapest garage in town, but I’m all right with that.

I have to say, my most recent experience at IAM was very poor. I’ve always heard such great things, so I began bringing my car in for regular maintenance, oil changes, etc. The price was no better than the dealership, but the location is convenient, and they offer a shuttle service. However, once I actually needed a repair, it all went down hill. Firstly, I knew the problem was with my brakes. They dismantled my brakes to see WHAT the problem was, but the technician told me the noise actually may be related to my tires? What? I was not about to let them do $ 700 worth of brake work that was not necessary. I told them nevermind, and to please change my oil, and that’s it. I was charged over $ 250 dollars to change my oil, take my brakes apart, and then put them back together. Luckily my husband can do some mechanic work, so he was able to determine I needed pads and rotars, which he purchased and replaced himself. And to top it off, they did not even put the lugnuts back on my tires! I had to go back and get them and put them back on myself. I was very disappointed. I could not believe how much money I wasted at this place. If all you need is an oil change on your European car, and you work in the downtown or mid-​town areas, then I guess this is an option. But, I personally cannot recommend getting any repair work done here.

I was able to drop my car off for an oil change, etc. and have a nice cup of coffee. The staff was super friendly, they even offered to shuttle me to work! They called me a few hours later with some recommendations, letting me know how much each charge would be, without any pressure and even applied a first-​time customer discount to my bill! Upon picking up my vehicle and waiting a very short bit for my invoice, one of the employees made me a double espresso, fantastic! They made me feel more like a friend than a customer. I would definitely recommend them to anyone!

Keeping up with an aging import can feel like cutting a lawn with nail scissors. I am so glad I found IAM. The service is top-​notch. Lori always calls the day after I bring the car in with an assessment of the damage and an estimate. She patiently explains all this stuff to a non-​car person like me. I’ve even left the car there after hours and in the morning they just call me up and I can explain– so convenient and easy.
Of course IAM is not as cheap as a chain store, but imports are not as cheap as other cars to begin with. I love supporting a local, family-​owned business that’s really getting it right.

I had a pretty opposite experience to the good ones highlighted here.
My experience takes place ~2004−2005 I’m told
2001 VW Beetle. It’s 12 degrees out, I’m driving, the heat goes out and shortly the car shows that it’s overheating. The car was in the shop at IAM for 9 days, they replaced a fan they said was warped, and were about to remove most of the engine to get to a sensor. I had just talked to a co-​worker about it and he said what I described was the water pump. Another co-​worker came over hearing this and also said it was the water pump. I call them up and say «everyone I talk to says it’s the water pump, why don’t you check that». 2 hours later I’m told that my water pump was bad. I got charged (if I remember correctly) over $ 1000 for fans that were slightly warped, labor, water pump, etc. They replaced the water pump with the inferior VW one with the plastic impeller. It dies 1 year 3 months later.
I really don’t feel like listing out the list of what all I feel was done wrong to my car, perhaps IAM’s a better place now. Perhaps years of learning how to work on a Beetle have jaded me.
I think they might be closer to normal pricing for high-​end cars, such as the wankle engine listed below, but I paid IAM a lot over a couple of years for a car that was probably worth roughly that, and i had to keep taking it back.
I left and went to another shop in 2005, my car bills halved and my time between repairs extended greatly, although that could be that everything that was going to break broke and was replaced. I don’t hate them, just not going back. They were nice people as I remember.

In my experience Import Auto Maintenance is the best auto repair shop in the city. The staff is friendly and helpful, the mechanics are extremely knowledgeable and they offer a 2 year guarantee on their repairs, first year free second year half price. I have not seen similar faith in repairs at other repair shops.
Because of the high level of service and the guarantee the prices at IAM are higher than you will find at other shops in town. Personally I am willing to pay a premium for service that I trust, especially when it comes to my automobile.
I have also had them be very honest with me when they find something that could be repaired, but does not need to be taken care of right away. They will only fix something that you ask them to and will not pressure you into services you do not want or need. When I had a repair run long on one occasion they also provided me with a complementary rental car. Good deal.
The location is fairly convenient and they offer shuttle service to most of the downtown area. Also free coffee and a ton of magazines while you wait.
Overall, If you need some serious service on your car and are looking for a new shop that you can trust, give IAM a try.

On the recommendation of a friend, I took my girlfriends Jetta to Import Auto Maintenance.
Overall it suffers from the complaints I have with most auto service centers. Its not open on Weekends, Labor costs are high, and communication is often limited.
However, I felt my experience to be a good one. Several minor things needed to be repaired, and I was happy that they use OEM only parts. This has the unfortunate effect of increasing the cost, but the quality of the used parts are quite satisfying.
As I stated, I felt that I had to initiate communication with them one too many times to find out what was going on but the work was completed to my complete satisfaction.
I would very likely return here again if additional work needed to be done on the Jetta, but I certainly wish they had weekend hours and were slightly more communicative when it came to the status of the vehicle.
Unilocalers note: The 20% discount for first time customers is only for ONE item on your repair, not the entire bill.

I drive a Mazda RX-​8 and had a ridiculous time finding a legit mechanic in Nashville when I first moved here.
A little background on my car situation: the Mazda RX-​8 has a rotary engine. No other car on the market has this… all the others have pistons (you know, a V6, V8, etc.). I knew about this powerful engine when I bought it, but I did not know how high maintenance this vehicle was known to be. So, after only having it for about 4 months I flooded the engine. This is something that was completely my fault and could have been avoided if the dealership would have informed me of the proper shut down procedure. So unfortunately, I was in need of a mechanic. I called the Mazda dealership and they said this was not an uncommon problem and that knew exactly how to fix it. The bad news was that this «little» fix came with a $ 2,000 price tag. Sheyeah right! Back to square one. I called a few tow companies and asked for a recommendation. They gave me the names of three places. I called all three and only one would even agree to look at my car! Apparently you have to be specially certified to work on this rotary engine. Amazingly, Import Auto Maintenance had a mechanic who was an RX-​8 enthusiast and was the man for the job! So, I had the car towed there, they fixed it in a few quick days and IAM became the ONLY place I would let touch my beautiful, temperamental, hot mess of a sexy ride. This includes oil changes.
Another great experience I had at IAM…
It was time for new brakes. I was expecting the worst since I know how expensive repairs for my car tend to be. I had the technicians at IAM take a look and yep, $ 700+ for new front brakes. Yowza! After talking to Lori, the fantastic service manager (and fellow motorcycle mama), she referred me to a nearby shop that she knew would be able to do the brakes for a fraction of the cost. She said that it was IAM’s policy to only use name brand parts, but that I could get by on less expensive ones if I took the car elsewhere. I felt guilty at first for taking my car to another shop. However, I was comfortable since Lori assured me that this shop did good work and could also save me a few dollars. I took my car there and they had me in and out in just a couple hours and for right under $ 300! I truly appreciate Lori’s advice. The fact that she was willing to suggest another business to fit my budget showed me that she really valued me as a customer and had my best interests at heart. I continue to take my car to IAM for routine maintenance and do not plan on going anywhere else.
Pros: The staff (manager, service manager and mechanic) remembers me by name every time I visit or call, very convenient location on the corner of Broadway and West End Avenue, they only use the BEST top of the line parts, they are knowledgeable about specialty cars and offer complete diagnostics, they offer a two-​year warrantee on all parts and labor, they send coupons to all customers via email for %-off and discounted oil changes, they send email and mail reminders of when it is time for your next service. Also, I just received a text message from them the other day that told me they are rolling out a new text message service reminder program (great for a girl on the go, like me!)
Cons: They do use the highest quality, name brand parts (this ensures quality but sometimes may const more as they do not cut corners on cheap parts), not the most inexpensive mechanic, but in this world you truly do get what you pay for! I’d rather pay a little bit extra for the piece of mind I get here!
UPDATE: I received a $ 25 gift card in the mail from IAM as a Christmas /​holiday gift! Talk about customer appreciation!!!

They have had a few good reviews on citysearch. They did have a lot of cars waiting when I came in so it took a long time to get diagnosed. Diagnostic cost was not included in service. The service price was high because they insist on OEM parts. Though others find that they finished early or on time, my service was a day late because they ordered the wrong part (???). They did offer me a rental car, and finally relented to pay for it at my request. They seem knowledgeable about import cars, however, and others have found them trustworthy and straight-​forward.