Monterey Bay Motor Works

Needed a new battery for my BMW. The service was friendly, quick and efficient for a decent price.

I have these guys a call when my 2011 335d surprisingly popped a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) low warning only 6k miles after my last oil change under the service plan. This car was designed to make it all the way between oil changes without DEF. So this leads me to think that the dealership (not the one in Monterey, but one in SoCal) shorted me on the DEF fill.
I went to BMW of Monterey, but they wouldn’t offer any assistance due to fault of their fellow dealer, and a return to LA was not in the cards. They then quoted me $ 150 in labor plus the DEF parts cost. No, thank you!
I had already done my homework prior to the dealer visit by calling these guys. I spoke to one of their techs, Aaron, who used to work at BMWoM. He was very helpful and even offered to pull OBD codes before I went into the dealer’s den. Once I returned with hat in hand, he just had me pull up to the bay and let me watch how the DEF was filled (in case I have to do it myself in a pinch). I was in and out in under 30 minutes! Their parts price was about the same as the dealership, but at that much time in the bay, the dealer must be charging $ 300/​hour for labor (or fat-​fingering the time to do the job… Or both).
This is my one and only visit since I move often, but I would not hesitate to use this outfit in the future.

I’m unclear about the negative reviews. I took my ’06 M5 in today for some routine service and a bit of leak detection. Like most specialized and well-​respected service shops on the peninsula, I made an appointment prior. The folks were kind and courteous on arrival. They took care of what needed to get taken care of and they did so promptly. They called after finding the leak and asked how I’d like to proceed. They charged a fair price and had me out the door the same day. I’m going back without question. For those of you that need your hand held or your ego pumped, perhaps a look in another direction would serve you well.

Honest and dependable. If you own a BMW and want to drive it forever MBMW is the place for you. They have a close connection to the BMWCCA and offer complimentary track day technical inspections.

I called to make an appointment for a simple oil change for my BMW and was told by the woman who answered the phone to «just come on in». When I got there, I walked up to the desk where a man (I’m assuming the owner Jeff based on other reviews) was sitting at a computer and didn’t acknowledge me at all for what felt like forever. He wasn’t talking to anyone, on the phone, or anything like that, just sitting at the desk. When he finally looked at me, he still said nothing, with a look on his face like I was a burden to be standing there. I told him I needed an oil change, to which he rudely replied «you need an appointment» and went back to his computer screen. I patiently explained that the woman on the phone told me to just come on in, and he said «no she didn’t, we would never say that to anyone». I was shocked that a business owner would treat a potential customer this way, and quickly took my business elsewhere. I can only imagine the lack of care they would give to my car after the way they treated me.

Awesome Service!!! My Girlfriend and I drove up from Paso Robles to buy a Mini and we were looking for a place to do a Pre-​Buy Inspection. We called and were given an appointment in 30 Minutes. The guys here were sympathetic to our needs and did an absolutely professional assessment. Jeff Jacobsen and his team of awesome mechanics are the best in the area, and they also allowed us to use their lobby for negotiations while providing an expert opinion. All this service, free candy, complementary water, friendly staff, fax machine, copy machine, and they didn’t charge us a penny. In a world filled with capital gain, we were treated like royalty, and I definitely recommend this establishment to anybody with any car needs.

We just stopped in here to ask about doing some minor repairs to our 1972 BMW 3.0 CSI. Jeff was sitting at the desk when we walked in and did not even look at us or greet us. When he finally did acknowledge us he was quick to say how he does not «work on those old things anymore» he didn’t even know that the car is fuel injected and mentioned not wanting to work on the carburetor. I had a bad experience here years ago when I was trying to find a mechanic for my brand-​new mini Cooper. I would not go here if it was the last BMW repair shop on the Monterey Peninsula. They think they’re hot shit, but actually they’re not.

I am surprised at all the excellent reviews (except one) for Jeff. I have taken my BMW in to Jeff on two occasions.
Both times, he sent me a laundry list of things wrong with the car. Without realizing it, the second time he told me that a part that he had installed brand new needed to be replaced 14 months later. When I showed him the invoice from a year earlier he told me «it has been more than 1 year, so there is nothing I can do.»
The part prices he quotes retail on the internet at 75% less. His labor may be cheaper but, he more than makes up for the parts price. (
).
And let me not even get started with the lady who works at the front. She is rude, never smiles and has no concept of customer service.

I hope you’re not still taking your BMW to the stealership after its warranty and/​or «prepaid» maintenance period. If you are, then I suspect you’re feeling remorseful because you’re reading this review.
Jeff and the guys are honest and on your side. I’ve taken my BMWs here for at least a decade. Never any hassles or dubious phone calls about my flux capacitor having gone bad and needing immediate replacement.
Quick, efficient, competitive pricing and sympathetic service will keep me coming here for as long as I own a BMW — which will be at least the next 50 years, as I see it.

Recently my wife and I were on a quick trip to Monterey when we experience car trouble. It was a Friday morning, we pulled off into Seaside intending to head to the local BMW dealer. However on the way in we saw the Mont. Bay Motor Works shop. We stopped in, we were greeted by a friendly man named Jeff, he asked what our problem was, he pulled it into the shop and looked it over. The short of it is he helped us, was very fair he even shared with us great places to eat. Not until we were about to leave did we learn that Jeff is the owner! Great guy!

These guys are the model for all things good. Top notch, friendly and got the job done. Thanks for fixing Veronika (my 1998 328i’s) ignition. Now I have to figure out how to vacation in Monterey for all my future repairs.
I begged the local official dealer to tell me where an independent dealer was and he mentioned these guys. Thank you dealer, Whereas dealer wanted to charge me 600+ to change key cylinder (and not even try to fix) MBMW fixed it. For a LOT less. A lot. Less. Turned out it was mostly a worn key. sigh…

Very nice and helpful people. Clean and organized shop. $ 47 less than the dealer for my brake fluid flush. I will be coming back!

Great place to keep your vintage bimmer running like it should. Jeff is very honest and helpful.

Jeff and crew are as honest as the day is long. I have been taking my car there for years and have never been taken advantage of… even when my stupidity was in full view. I can’t say enough good things about this company.
They are so good that that make me want to buy another BMW!!!

I was shopping for a used BMW and Jeff was absolutely nice to me on the phone and gave me a lot of good advices before I even bought the car. I took the car for minor gear oil change, and he and his crew looked over the car for post purchase inspection for free. I shopped around different shops in the area and their rates are very good especially for BMW specialty shop in the area. He would not force you to anything that don’t need to be fixed. They also used good quality or OEM parts. I highly recommend Jeff and his shop. Will go back again!

Jeff and his guys are great. Been taking my Mini to them since I bought it in 2002. They are always fair, always honest, and always do excellent work.

Jeff and the guys really know what they’re doing. I always feel comfortable with them working on my cars. They do free post purchase inspections and don’t charge to read codes. They DO charge labor for oil changes, which is kind of lame, but that’s just like Optimal Motors up in SC. (Perhaps that’s just California?)
Anyway, their pricing is fair and he doesn’t pressure you to do anything you don’t want to. They really care about their clientele, as I’ve pulled up early when they were slammed and Jeff himself pulled it around and did the work.
Love it!