Bill Arnold BMW Repair

Excellent service, friendly staff and fair pricing makes Bill Arnold BMW the #1 place to get your Beamer serviced in Marin.

Just another example of why Bill Arnold BMW is the only repair shop I will frequent. I delivered my low mileage X5 to him yesterday with a self diagnosis of the front control arm bushing’s being worn making the steering wheel wiggle a bit under moderate driving conditions. I had a similar repair done to a previous X5 with much higher mileage to the tune of about $ 2000. When I called Bill this morning he said my car was ready to go at no charge… What??? He indicated the tire pressure was 10 pounds too low and was causing the slight shimmy on the freeway. He could have easily charge me that amount or more and I would’ve never questioned it… Love Bill Arnold and tell your friends!!!

These guys saved me in pinch! BMW broke down before a weekend trip and they fixed it the same day! Patrick and the team were knowledgeable and responsive to all my questions. Nice to find a shop I’m happy to bring my car to in the future. Thanks again!

This guy wants people with deep pockets that don’t know anything about their own cars for customers. The type that wouldn’t think twice or bat an eyelash at $ 1,000 for a $ 500 job. If you would, he won’t want you near his shop.
I didn’t bat an eyelash because at first I trusted him… even though the price of the repair and parts felt wrong. It was when I discovered that the the nuts and washers were reassembled incorrectly and they didn’t bother to replace the completely worn out bushings (inexpensive rubber pieces) while they had it apart that pissed me off.
I called to ask a few simple questions about separate matters because I was trying to make the best possible choices for my newly acquired, 40+ year old Bimmer, he was noticeable annoyed at my inquires… Impatient and short…
He knows his way around BMW’s but if he has zero interest in your car or your plans for it, especially if you don’t have tons of money and don’t like to be over charged for parts (about 4.5 times the prices I find) find another mechanic.
The thing is, the longer I’ve been working on my car and in this world, the more I’ve heard similar stories about Dill… I mean Bill.
If you’re not from Marin and don’t have money to burn, don’t give him the chance to take advantage of you.
At the end of the day, I am a huge enthusiast who was willing to spend top dollar for the right place. This place is definitely not the right place for me or my car

Love Bill and his guys. We have been getting our cars worked on here for about six years now. He makes me want to own old BMW’s, so that they can work on em for us.

Based on the Unilocal reviews and personal recommendation, I decided to take my BMW to Bill’s shop. I was quite hesitant since I normally like to go to BMW but they were booked for several weeks.
I needed a water pump. He had quoted me a little bit over $ 1k (which was reasonable). Bill is very nice and had it all «ready to go» in several hours.
Less than 24 hours later, I drove to San Francisco (merely 15 – 20 miles) and my car overheated… in downtown sf… in the middle of santa con… right before the ferguson protest… with my new baby crying in the backseat… and missing my friends wedding as I’m waiting for the tow truck driver. Yes, this paragraph is unnecessary. But I did want to emphasize that my car had then became a safety hazard and it was NOT safe to drive. BOTTOM LINE: the cascade of events wouldn’t have happened if he had done a thorough diagnosis of my car and not told me the car was «good to go». The car was in worse condition than before bringing it in.
The car was towed back to his shop and of course, they were closed. I patiently waited till Monday. Turns out one of the hoses connected to the water pump failed because the pressure from the water pump was pumping stronger which lead to the failure of the hose. He assured me that the technician had completed a pressure test and that it «passed». From a consumer standpoint, I felt that they didn’t do a thorough job.
It would cost me $ 600 to repair the hoses.
If Bill had told me this from the begining, I would have better prepared myself to make an informed decision. But he didn’t.
He did however call me back to say that he would fix ¹⁄₃ hoses (at no charge) so I can drive the car out to go get the necessary repairs done at BMW.
Overall, I do have to credit Bill for making use of my AAA this year (or ever).

I have been a BMW owner for many years and I must say, if you own one you must be prepared to spend a little more on repairs. With that being said, I have never trusted anyone more than I do Bill when it comes to taking care of my 330. He specializes only in BMW and his wealth of knowledge and honest practices are what keeps me coming back. He always finds time to fit a repair in and is completely honest on what repairs need to happen right away and what ones can wait.
I have been to a few repair shops (including the dealer) and I will never go anywhere else but to Bill Arnold’s.

I’ve been bringing my 325 into Bill for years. I highly recommend him. Totally trustworthy.

I first contacted Bill Arnold about 4 years ago, when the BMW dealer in Marin had recommended an expensive repair for my ten-​year-​old BMW 740i with 75,000 miles on it,. Before proceeding with the repair, I quizzed Bill at length about what I could expect in terms of future longevity and major repairs as the car got older. He praised the quality of BMW cars of that vintage (2000) and said that he felt it was worth keeping. He told me some repairs I could expect to make as the car got older, but the big one that eventually befell me is NOT one that he mentioned.
I had him do the repair, which he did for about half of what the dealership had quoted ($ 3,000 versus $ 6,000.) I also had him do a complete service on the car. I brought the car home and had to have it towed a few days later. He had forgotten to tighten something under the hood. Not a major deal; an inconvenience.
About 2 years later, I had him do another, smaller repair job. At this point, the car had about 90,000 miles on it.
That’s 3 points of contact over a period of 2 years, At none of those 3 points did he warn me that my transmission would be ruined at around 100,000 miles unless I defied BMW’s factory recommendations and had my transmission oil replaced.
That’s exactly what happened. No one advised me to have it replaced. It wasn’t replaced, and the transmission was severely damaged. I subsequently learned from another, veteran owner of a repair shop, that that is exactly what happens on BMWs like mine — if the transmission oil is not replaced as the car approaches 100,000 miles.
It cost me about $ 3,500 to have my transmission rebuilt (at a different shop) — and it was never quite the same.
I felt that Bill was a likeable guy but his significant omission cost me a lot of money and grief. It had been my intention to keep that car for a long, long time … but it was never the same after the transmission was damaged and then repaired, and I traded it in. What happened was entirely predictable and thus avoidable, as the other repair shop owner made clear.

I had this place work on an electrical problem on my BMW X5 and ended up being taken thru the «mechanics wild goose chase» in the process, spent a couple of grand, and ended up with no solution.
Bill is a nice guy and I don’t think he was trying to rip me off, they just didn’t solve the problem in the end, at my significant expense.
The guy who did fix it was Jag Man in San Rafael, and he did not take me on the «lets keep fixing until we find it» nonsense.
If you need a basic repair or service, I think Bill’s shop would do fine, for the tough stuff, look elsewhere.

Problem:
2003 BMW 525i faulty Battery, ignition and fuel pump
Solution:
Bill Arnold BMW Repair.
Bill is a joy to work with. Professional, courteous and knows BMW’s inside and out. Diagnosed the issue within two hours and repaired the following day for pick up.
Price was fair and I will go back again.
Thanks Bill.

After a couple horrible experiences at Sonnen BMW in San Rafael I took to Unilocal to find a BMW mechanic I can establish a great relationship with since I am new to the area.
Bill has excellent interpersonal skills and is very welcoming, approachable, candid and straightforward. I love this! I don’t have time for BS and I need to get the best care for my car and will not tolerate my time being wasted or my hard earned money.
Bill took the time to explain things to me and did not once speak to me in a manner that says, «your a woman you won’t understand this» which is how Sonnen treated me. Never underestimate the knowledge a woman can have.
Being a single mom and bread winner for decades, a power house in the hopitality industry as well as medical advocate to two special needs young adults, I would not be the woman you want to stereotype. My interaction with Bill was perfect.
My car is getting exactly what it needs and I feel very comfortable I am in good hands. I look forward to future experiences and would highly recommend taking your BMW to Bill if you want passion, honesty, straightforward service where you are supporting a small business instead of the dealership who has none of these qualities and are there to scam you!

Bill has been working on my X5 for several years. Most recently I thought I needed new front brakes. He called to say the brakes were fine and it was a small fix. He could of sold me new brakes and I would if said fine.
I feel like I can trust Bill to take care if my car.

From the first conversation I had with Bill over the phone until I left his garage, he was very friendly and helpful.
I initially called him for rear brake pad replacement estimates since my iDrive was showing that I needed service. He was able to provide an estimate, answer any other questions I had without trying to get me off the phone since he got my business already. He was very calm, friendly and also knows his stuff.
The garage is not located right on the street but you have to drive into the lot and it’s at the end. I dropped off my key in the door and prayed for good news.
After a few hours, I spoke to Bill and he told me that my brakes are good but the sensors was not replaced when the brakes were last done so the computer was giving a false reading. With that said, it ended up being fraction of the cost and I walked away a happy customer.
I’m not only giving a high rating because he saved me money but it was how he was interacting with another customer before me and also how he was dealing with people on the phone. You can tell that he’s honest and cares about providing great service at a great price.

Came here a few months ago with a lot of parts that I needed installed on my 2010 535i. Bill flat out told me that he wouldn’t do it, because he wouldn’t make any money.
Really? At that high hourly labor rate on a 12 hour job? The real reason is he could spend his time on another car, without pre purchased parts, making more money, which is fine, but it sure did lose him a BMW enthusiast’s business for good.
I went elsewhere and got the job done for half the cost.

I’m a big fan of Bill and his business. Bill is a wealth of information and his prices, while high, (expected with a bimmer) are definitely below the likes of Sonnen. It’s nice to have one point of contact and not be given the run-​around at a dealership.
I also think he looks exactly like Dan Aykroyd.

This place is where you go if you have a BMW, and you know what’s good for you.
Sure, the floors aren’t glossy white, and there isn’t some pretty girl up front answering the phones.
Nobody’s going to offer you a cappuccino while you wait.
But, Bill and his staff all know your car inside out, before you even show up. Their skill set saves you time, and saves you money. Be aware they have boatloads of business, and somehow manage to meet the deadlines they promise at least 99% of the time.
I would’t say they’re inexpensive, but they are definitely competitive. I am comfortable paying for service I can rely on, and these guys have honesty & integrity you can bank on.
Never a disappointment, and always going the extra mile to help me out, especially if I’m in a pinch.
I’ve been bringing all of my BMW’s to Bill since I discovered his shop in 2007.
I highly recommend Bill Arnold, especially if you’re local.

Bill and his staff have been tops with our «Forest Green» 2001 330ci Coupe. His is extremely knowledgeable about BMWs and has always given us excellent service, and does not repair things that do not need to be fixed.. Once there’s an issue with a item, he has put a top limit on labor on it and will not charge more. He also installs burned out lights without charge labor. Our highest recommendation Goes to Bill Arnold BMW, an independent dealer.
It is our regret that we will not be returning to Bill ARnold anytime soon as we have bought a new BMW which requires service at our local authorized dealer to honor it’s warrantee. However we have recommended Bill Arnold the buyer of our beloved 2001 3 series E46.

Bill Arnold is amazing. He knows BMWs inside and out, and will give you the best, straightforward advice you could ever hope for.
This man is a BMW genius.

Bill Arnold is the auto maintenance/​repair guy that you always wished you could find! He’s honest, friendly, reasonable and is looking out for the best interests of *both* your car and your wallet.
I took my freshly-​out-​of-​warranty 2010 BMW 335i to Bill for an oil change, service and, since my car’s computer was telling me I needed rear brakes, a brake job too. He called up a few hours later and said «your brakes look almost new — BMW must’ve replaced them during your last service, not said anything, and forgot to reset the service interval! Also, your air filter looks great, so I can’t make a case for replacing it during the service either.» He could’ve just as easily done hundreds of dollars more worth of work and I would’ve walked away blissfully ignorant, but instead he took the honest road and saved me a ton of $$$.
Thanks for the great service Bill, and we’ll certainly be back as long as we’ve got a BMW in the garage!