My Mom came down from East Texas to have her BMW checked out. It was making a noise. We paid $99 for a complete list of issues with the car, and we also requested a quote to fix whatever was wrong. They did provide the list, but getting a quote was a big hassle. They didn't want to give us a quote. Instead they wanted us to provide a budget to them. After much back and forth via email, we refused to give them a budget. Go somewhere else to get your work done. EDITED TO RESPOND TO THE OWNER My mother isn't on Yelp, and I was involved in this process. Most of your correspondence with her was in writing, so to say I heard it 2nd hand is a bit silly. The bottom line is that you didn't offer her a quote, and that's what you were repeatedly asked for. Instead of running her off from the sticker shock of a high quote, you frustrated the customer by not giving her what she asked for, and you were pretty insulting about it. Kinda similar to your response below, but your emails talked down to her even more. read more

The Ultimate Driving Machine Any bmw owner will tell you, the car they own is something special. BMW USA has strived to become the performance luxury vehicle in America, a mark that is often clouded by the competition. Make no mistake, if you want true performance in a well balanced package, try BMW. I own a 1995 530i, an e34 model with a v8 engine. Moving to Houston put a lot of stress on my car - long hot summers, not so smooth roads, train tracks, and lots of miles logged to get pretty much anywhere. But somehow, 16 years and 204K miles later, this ultimate driving machine still drives wonderfully. The team at Bavarian Machine keeps this dream alive. After struggling to find a good mechanic for my bimmer, I located these guys through the BIMRS network (check it out if going out of area, network of BMW mechanics. My Philly mechanic clued me in to this). I was hesitant, as it seemed a little pricey, though I liked the approach. They don't just take your car in, start slapping parts at it, and call it fixed. They schedule an overview inspection to get to knew your vehicle, its needs, and your comfort level. Not only did I do this, but I sprung for the full blown level II major service inspection - costly, but now I knew every loose nut and bolt. They track your maintenance records, incorporate any old one you might have, and set up a preventative schedule. As an engineer, I know this approach is far superior. It may seem like you are spending a lot of capital, but you are greatly extending the life of your vehicle. If you wait until it breaks, you could end up spending twice as much in domino failures, and lost time from work. And to top it off, after servicing your vehicle, they wash it! I left it for the day, came back and it was washed and vacuumed. Booyah! CAVEAT - This shop is for owners who love their cars. If you really don't care about your car, don't bother coming here. You will think it is overpriced and unnecessary. read more

I recently stumbled upon Bavarian Machine Specialties when I needed some work done from the BMW dealership that was going to cost a fortune. I talked to Chris Lund, the General manager and he said he could definitely help me out without it costing what the BMW dealership wanted. I had the car towed to Bavarian Machine Specialties and they completed the work in a timely manner for about half the cost of what BMW wanted. Fast forward about a month later and the engine in my car seized. This was a completely unrelated incident to the work that was done before. I did not know the engine was seized at the time, but I had it towed to Chris' shop again. Chris got back to me within a day and told me the bad news. At this point, I was pretty downtrodden about my car and the luck I was having with it. Chris quickly reassured me that they could find a new engine and that they would do their absolute best to keep the costs low as possible. I'm not sure you can imagine the work that goes into replacing the engine in a BMW, but let me assure you from the pictures, it was no easy feat! They took the opportunity to replace seals on the new (used) engine because it was already out of the car. I was amazed at all of the stuff Chris' team did to ensure the new engine was clean, carbon free, sealed, and ready to go back in the car. Doing engine maintenance is much easier when the engine is out of the car and on a stand so they took every opportunity to double check every single component. I have a lot of experience working on vehicles and was amazed at the thoroughness of what they did. I would recommend Bavarian Machine Specialties to anyone that drives a BMW. This would be for oil changes, tires, other routine maintenance, check engine lights, and even complete engine replacement. Chris Lund is an amazing manager and not someone looking to squeeze every last dollar out of your fear that your car might not run right. read more

Bavarian Machine Specialties - Auto Repair Near Me - Houston, Texas

They do great work and letting you know about what is coming down the road. They specialize in BMWs. Mike (Owner) will personally take time to talk about your car after a major service. Very knowledgeable and informative people. They do advanced racing setups for local BMW clubs and racers etc. On the negative side; the good service and care comes at a steep price. They also recommend and follow a very strict maintenance guideline that is different from factory recommendation. You are asked to bring the car in every 5000 miles and the cycle goes like Oil Change - Minor Service - Oil Change - Major Service. read more

The Best in Town for BMW Work!! I found Bavarian Machine Specialties through a Facebook Ad. I had been looking for a reputable BMW Shop to take my vehicles to without the thought of being overcharged and getting shoddy work. So glad I stumbled across this place!! I contacted BMS first through their website with a general inquiry. John was very helpful in directing me to the right places that would carry what I needed and my preferences and so on and so forth. I needed exhaust work done to my X6. Now, mind you, this was aftermarket exhaust. So, I knew there was going to have to be some modifications done. John and his team did a fantastic job and I couldn't be any more happier at the outcome!! And it was a bonus that they washed and vacuumed my car when I picked it up!! They have definitely won my business and my respect! I'll be back to have the work done on my other car! Thanks guys!! read more

These guys rock. Was on my way from San Antonio through Houston when at about 50 miles west of Houston I had a problem with the BMW. I called my repair shop at home that I trust, and they diagnosed the issue and sent me to these guys in Houston. After a few calls back and forth with the very nice Corina, I was set and limped into the shop. Chris there met me and had the same diagnosis as my shop, so he had already ordered the part. A quick look and the issue was confirmed. Was quoted about 4 hours to get it done, but was over in 3 so I could get back on the road. If you've got a BMW let these guys be your car guys. read more

Where shall I start? Ah, customer service. I have given both $$$$ and most valuably my time to this business, assuming it had the interest of the customers always first and foremost. The owner of this shop is as passionate about his job as he is at receiving your $$$$. Today I had the displeasure of exchanging e-mail correspondence with who I presume is the owner of the shop, I simply asked the guy for an hourly labor rate for the estimate received; an excerpt from our conversation can be found below. Customer - Good afternoon, Thanks a lot for the response. I've received the estimate and I'm reviewing it now. The estimate provided is missing pertinent information. a.) What is the hourly labor rate charged for this job? b.) Approximately how long does this job take? This will help me understand how you arrived at the quoted estimate for replacing the valve gasket covers and ultimately assist me in making a decision as to whether its worth taking in. Business - Sure thing. The typically shops dont volunteer the hours unless someone asks, that is why it is not evident on the quote. To do both banks, we charge 8.2 hrs. We will need the car for 2 days for sure, assuming we run into nothing further. To that end, don't be surprised if some rubber things break and need replacement which will change cost/time. End of Excerpt ****************************************************************************** After receiving such an alarming response, I informed the business I did not like the disclaimer provided and as a customer we should feel assured that the utmost caution and care is exercised to help save the customer time and money. I have have had similiar issues with this shop when it came to the delicacy and handling of my car, but I give second chances. In his response I was given more excuses and subsequently "referred" to bimmrs.org to find a business that better "fits" me. Oh, and if any one reviewer feels I'm being a bit unfair, take note I've used this shop for quite a bit of work in the past year... 12/15/2016 I paid $702.10 to have the shop replace my driver side fuel sending unit and on 02/24/2017 I paid $2,794.79 to have the shop install parts that I purchased (Shocks/Struts and new tires). Also, this is definitely not the first shop I've ever taken my BMW E92 M3 to, I've even provided great reviews in the past for shops deserving of it. Bottom line, if you have the $$$ to blow and customer service is 2nd on your list of expectations for any business, then this might be a good "fit" for you. Regards, United States Army Combat Veteran read more

I've taken my BMW's to Bavarian Machine Specialties for "in-between" and post-warranty servicing for nearly a decade. I'm sad to say that since owner Mike Perkins passed a few years ago, my experiences with the shop have been mediocre at best. My latest experience involved taking my '09 135i in for a 30,000 mile oil change and inspection. Bavarian completed the work in one day, but since I couldn't immediately pick up the car, I asked them to keep it for a few more days, which they did. When I did pick up my car, I was told that I needed a cooling system, power steering system, and brake system flushes. When I asked why weren't the flushes performed while it was at Bavarian, I was told I needed to make a separate appointment. That made zero sense as they could have and should have just called me and asked me to authorize the flushes. What's even more frustrating is that they had my car for almost five days, so they could have easily done everything that needed to be done. Now I have to waste another day or two to bring the car back in, during work hours, to get the flushes done. Lastly, I'm pretty sure that when I brought my cars in in the past for work, a car wash was included in the deal. My 135i wasn't washed this time. read more

Great Price and Quality work.. took my 2006 BMW 325i for a thermostat change around 9am got it back at 2pm! I highly recommend this place.

I took my BMW X5 in for a leveling issue and a couple minor issues like a mirror motor malfunction and noisy steering wheel. I was told I was to pay $99 for a first-time customer full car evaluation. I thought no big deal since I needed all these things looked at anyway. I receive an e-mail quote from JOHN that has listed out costs totalling $6,500, including 4 hours of labor at $99 per hour that has already been done without checking with me first. First, he wasn't exactly sure of the fix for the leveling system, only that he needed to perform a repair to "see" if it would be the fix. Nice work for 300$ of labor. Maybe they shouldn't be a BMW specialty shop. When I told him I hadn't authorized him to do any labor yet, he told me every shop does this and this is a standard thing. He also tried to guilt trip me because he had already ordered parts for the job without asking me. Also, their costs for their flushes and standard maintenance are more than double the specials all BMW dealership service shops run all the time. I immediately brought my car to MidTown BMW and they are looking at the car as we speak for 0$ to diagnose the issues. Please think twice before sending here, not customer friendly, not very knowledgable and very expensive. read more

There are much better service shops for bimmers. These guys think they can keep customers waiting and wasting their time. They took 2 weeks just to get back to me about a header install and they didn't have an answer--just a series of very stupid questions. Pass. read more

Always had great work done on my m3 here. They also have high end equipment to mount low profile tires properly. Great shop.

Great guys here who know their stuff. I had a lot of work done on my 2001 BMW 740 and it's always stressful picking up your car after being at a mechanics because in my experience something always goes wrong after the fact. In this case, its been over a year and zero problems whatsoever. They are totally worth the cost and have gained a customer for life. read more

Excellent experience and customer service. I brought my 2013 528i to the BMW dealer for regular maintenance and to evaluate for excess vibrations and told my engine mounts needed to be replaced. I was quoted $1300 at the dealer. When I called Bavarian Machine, I spoke with Chris who quoted me several hundred dollars less. As a woman going into auto shops I'm always apprehensive about any extra charges or changes to the original quote. I'm also usually worried about the quality of the work. However, I was pleasantly surprised that my original quote from Chris was honored, no extraneous charges were made, my car was ready same day, and Chris gave a nice overview of general maintenance recommendations. I will definitely be returning! read more

tl;dr Good work, poor management. BMS performed a few services on my car, here are my experiences. I received estimates for time over the phone and they seemed reasonable. I was told to bring the car in one morning which I did. It took them a day to get to the car (my only car) and another day to perform the work. Slight inconvenience, but understandable. The time on the invoice was 2x what the estimates were and 2x what other competent shops in the Houston area will charge. Either the mechanics are incompetent (I don't believe this) or someone is fudging the numbers. I understand that estimates are estimates, but being that far off doesn't jive (3hrs for an alignment, really?). I was also charged for services that I did not ask to be performed. I was able to get some of the charges removed but not all. IF you must bring your BMW here I would request time estimates in writing from the shop manager. I got mine over the phone, which I wrote down, but they were later refuted. Also agree to a work order detailing services to be performed in writing before dropping your car off. I understand that unexpected repairs come up during service, so I would request to be called for authorization on such repairs. I will say that I was satisfied with the work performed, the mechanics know what they are doing. The shop manager does not. He will hem and haw about how they take time to do it right and attention to detail, but he really has no clue what he is talking about or any idea of how to build customer loyalty. He prefers to assume that the customer is clueless. I look forward to the shop manager's rebuttal. read more

I went to this place to get my car inspected before the warranty expires. This place has friendly staff and they're very helpful. John inspected my car and took the time to thoroughly explain everything he found. And answered all the million questions I asked him. I left feeling better informed about my car and with the piece of mind knowing I have a place to bring it if anything goes wrong without having to worry about being in the dark or being given vague explanations like the dealer does sometimes. You can tell he has a passion for what he does and I will not hesitate to take my car there for service in the future. read more

I've got a 2005 325Ci that I've owned and loved since I got it used in 2007, and in that time I've put the car through a lot--coming up on 140k miles--so it has a growing list of issues. Since I've moved to Houston I've taken my car to Bavarian Machine Specialties and have always been very satisfied with the outcomes I've gotten. The owner, John, has always taken the time to talk me through various options available and has given me fair estimates (as well as been frank when no such estimates are available--and this is a general response to some of the reviews below that express anger at not getting estimates they like: not every problem with a car can be understood and diagnosed with perfect accuracy beforehand; these guys are mechanics, not Nostradamus). On one occasion I went in with a problem with my left indicator light and since I'd been in for related problems, they fixed the problem without charging me a dime. I hope to get a new BMW soon but when it goes out of warranty I'll be sure to take it right back to Bavarian Machine Specialties. read more

Yes they do good work, but they will charge you for every little thing, do work that's not necessary and refuse to do work unless you allow them to do work that's not needed. read more