Marin Bavarian

This shop was recommended by a friend, and he was happy with them and feel they are honest there. I talked to Chris when I went in the morning and walked my dog for a hour while he installed a headlight controller (another highly recommended shop that I can’t recommend) and up the same street told me was out and 800.$ to fix.
I bought a new controller on Amazon and he installed it but this was not my problem (out 200 $) he searched and found a broken wire apparently the car had been in a accident before charged me for a hour and a half and everything’s working !! I will come here next time THANKYOU Chris

The world needs more people like this in it. Tom and Chris are the kind of fellows who can’t sleep well at night unless they do the right thing. I asked for a pre-​purchase inspection on a car they have known for the last ten years or so. Even with concern of offending their long term client who was the seller, they discreetly indicated that I should most definitely get an inspection and that they had been telling the seller to get some sort of valve work done for a long time now. Once the seller left, they were even more candid. I believe that when you buy used you are buying the previous owner’s habits. They saved me the time and energy and money on an inspection.
If I lived in San Raphael, these guys would be my mechanics. From the way they instantly rattled off all the things that needed to be replaced on the car I was looking at (and this is one of hundreds they see each year), I suspect they are like my mechanics in Santa Clara who have impressive encyclopedic knowledge of BMWs and of the cars they have personally cared for.
I really appreciate this kind of shop that does not gauge and has deep knowledge in a specific area. With these kinds of specialists who will do the necessary work and push off what is not needed (they could have easily charged me $ 120 for an inspection, I kept insisting), a modest income person like me can have expert work on a BMW when it is actually needed.

Once upon a time, when I purchased my 5-​year-​old car, Tom and Chris took fabulous care of me and it for 22 years. Best car ever, best mechanics ever. At 320 k, I finally ran right out and got another car just like the sixer I’d loved. Why did I want another BMW? –So I could have the same great mechanics at Marin Bavarian. These guys are practical, real, honest, kind-​hearted, and will save you a lot of money and grief. No matter whether you have a mechanical IQ yourself or not!

These guys are fantastic. My car needed a new strut/​lower arm (a bit unsafe to drive without it) and Marin Bavarian had the new part installed the next morning, coordinated having the wheels aligned with another great service provider (Diamond Tires) AND offered me a ride. I received really great pricing and service here and will definitely be back for all of my car’s needs.

The first time I went to these guys was over 15 years ago. I owned a 320i that had a literally deadly problem. It would just shut down randomly. The last time it happened was in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. I went to the BMW dealer that at the time was in Mill Valley. They said that they had no idea what was wrong with it and that I had to leave it for the day, leaving me to rent a car. When I called them back around 5pm they said that one of their tech had to drive it for a WEEK so they could figure out what was wrong. Forget that s@#t. I went to Marin Bavarian Tom came out and before I could even get out of the car he was asking what the trouble was. «Pop the hood» and in 15 seconds he had the problem fixed, a simple but key relay was bad. Ever since then these guys have been my guys. They charge much less than the dealer for repairs and are much easier to deal with. They’ll hurt me for saying this but often they’ll fix something small while you wait! No stuffy overcharging elitists here. Anyway, this place is one of those little gems that super hard to find. Tom and Chris are true pros… If you’re a pussy and need your hand held, go to BMW and get charged A LOT more. If you want some no nonsense geterdone kinda guys this is your place.

Best in Marin. Always. Tom and Chris have saved my Bacon too many times to list. They have done wonders for my 1985 528e, 1994 525i and 2003 325i sport wagon.
Two guys from Czechoslovakia were exploring America in an old jalopy of a Chrysler mini van that died on the street in front of his shop. Tom took them under his wing, gave them a free place to stay and got them back on the road to continue on to Central and South America. How many BMW shops would go out of their way to promote international relations like this?
Oh Yeah for they guy who gave them one star… Leave your Marin Rich Guy demanding high pressure attitudes at the curb.

I get my car fixed here. It’s run by Tom and Chris and they’re the best mechanics on the planet, period.
Also, they have this long banquet table that’s always full of food — chips, cookies, popcorn, those long icky licorice snakes, twinkies, ho ho’s, ding dongs, etc.
I crack up everytime I see these two brilliant mechanics standing next to all the blechy food I wasn’t even allowed to eat at sleep-​away camp.