Thanks Gary for keeping me from buying a less than ideal car... I was shopping for a Jetta TDI long distance (as they are hard to come by) and found one at a dealership in San Rafael. I paid a little extra to have an inspection done by Heynneman European, because they said they would devote almost an entire day to the car, whereas most places were only willing to spend an hour for about 1/2 the cost. I got a detailed written report as well as spoke on the phone with Gary and went over the problems with this car, about $3000 in repairs would be required. He even had descriptions about the little cosmetic flaws that helped me paint a picture of this car, as I only had photos to work from. In the end, the dealership wouldn't sell it to me for less than they were asking, an outrageous $13K, although they agreed to fix the problems. They had originally tried to talk me out of an inspection!! I'm glad I paid the money to find out what was really going on with this car. I'll let it be someone else's headache. read more

I've used this shop before and had a great experience with John, he even charged me less than quoted, which was wonderful. That's why I came back. This time, both a friend of mine and I separately requested and received over the phone a quote for the 40k/Service B5 Mercedes service. We were both quoted $500-something by John. When I arrived, Paul, the owner, handed me an invoice for double that price. When I raised my concern respectfully, Paul did not take accountability once. Instead, he suggested it was a language barrier (maybe because I have an accent) and he kept repeating that we had asked for the wrong service, which is simply not true. Both my friend and I had been very specific on the phone when requesting the quote: Service B5, 40k miles. Quoting one price over the phone and charging another in person is bad business. Gaslighting and refusing to take any accountability, without apologizing once for the confusion, when a customer raises a concern is worse and frankly speaking, makes me feel like this was an intentional "bait and switch". Had I known the invoice would be that high, I would have taken my car to the dealership rather than give my business to an owner who deflected and lied to my face. I won't be back, and I can't recommend a business that treats customers this way. The work itself was fine. The customer relationship was not. read more

Complete con artists! Stay as far away from this place as you can. Charged me 2k to replace spark plugs and confirm the diagnosis I received from the BMW dealership in San Rafael. read more

they dented my car while giving me an estimate for a mechanical repair. they said it would take 3-5 days to fix the dent but took 6 days, returned the car dirty with the airbag light now on and it smelled inside. they charged $250 for the mechanical estimate and didn't return my call after asking for a refund due to incurring $200+ in uber rides over the week they were repairing the dent. awful!!!!! read more

i brought my Volvo xc90 in to diagnose a rattle in the engine bay along with a sound in the rear end. The initial encounter with the owner went reasonably well but that changed later in the day. for whatever reason the owner had become extremely rude and agro as i began to ask questions regarding the results of the $337 diagnosis which had resulted in a $7k recommended fix. The details of this laundry list was so extreme that i was quite concerned with driving the car - thankfully the owners attitude was such a turn off that i decided to get a second opinion. not to bore everyone with the details i ended up fixing the vehicle for $500. i wasted $337 and a day without the vehicle with this shop - i'd avoid this group like the plaque. read more

They are absolutely the best car repair business around! Excellent service, attention to every detail, fair and the ONLY place you should take your European car! read more

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. I brought my Porsche Macan in last year for an oil change. When I took my car home, the low coolant level light kept coming on, so I took it back in to them. The problem was diagnosed as a radiator leak (which I suspect, but cannot prove, that they caused). I had them repair the radiator, which cost approximately $8000. When the car was returned to me, the trim pieces on the front of the car had not been re-assembled properly. When I notified Paul of the problem, he suggested they would take a look the next time I brought the car in for service. This was not ideal, but I agreed. This morning I brought my car back to them for another oil change, and showed Paul the two pieces on the front of the car that had been installed wrong previously. He was full of excuses, and said that the plastic trim piece in the center front of the car was "warped" despite it being very clear that it was simply put back together improperly. (When was the last time you saw a car grill that was "warped"? Or any "warped" plastic on a car? Likely never.) The "warping" is very clearly caused by the plastic piece not being correctly seated and fastened properly inside the front grill. A second trim piece on the lower right of the car was also installed improperly. Paul accused me first of having caused this by bottoming out my car, and then alleged that someone had backed into me causing the damage. I assured him that my car had never been in any type of accident or collision, and that I am the only driver of my car and would know better than he would how my car has been treated. There is not a single scratch on any part of the front bumper of my car or any indication of damage such as bottoming out the car on the underside of my bumper. He became extremely defensive and abusive, saying that his technicians remembered my car, and that the warping was there when they took it apart and the other piece was broken due to something that I did. We agreed that he would put my car up on the rack so we could take a look at it. I did not trust him and insisted that I watch what was being done to the vehicle, as I knew that at that point there was not damage visible on the exterior of the vehicle. Paul became extremely abusive a second time and yelled at me to go into the customer waiting room. I refused, and instead stood in a hallway where I could see everything that was happening. Once my car was up on the rack, a technician looked at the lower trim piece. He found two small dings on the metal approximately 2-3 inches under and inside of my bumper. He and Paul insisted that those dings were caused by someone backing into my car and breaking/moving the trim piece at issue. I believe the metal damage that was solely on the interior of the bumper (2-3 inches behind and above the area in question) occurred while the car was being put back together after the radiator was replaced. It would be virtually impossible to cause two small rub marks on metal in the interior of the bumper structure without causing any damage to the exterior of the car or bumper unless the damage occurred when the car was in a state of disassembly. In fact, the marks that the technician identified on the metal were behind an approximately 1"x1/2" plastic trim tab that I could have easily broken off with my fingers (visible in the photo below). Unless all of the laws of physics were suspended, it is impossible that those two marks in the metal had anything to do with what I believe is a failure to correctly assemble the front end of my car after the radiator was replaced. Unfortunately, Paul did not choose to do the right thing and offer to repair the incorrectly assembled front end of my car. Instead he continued to blame and make excuses. My next step will be to take the car to a Porsche dealer for a repair quote and then will file a claim in small claims court. read more

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I gotta be honest, I just didn't have a good experience with these guys. Paul is nice from a customer service perspective but after taking my car to two other shops, I found out all the work Heynneman did ($8k in total) was either completely pointless or not necessary. Unfortunately this shop is either over stating their capabilities (car is a vintage Porsche) or scammed me into repairs that weren't necessary. Now I'm $8k in the hole on my car that requires even more fixes to get it in shape. Don't let these guys take you on a fishing expedition, find another shop and sleep easy. UPDATED Response: @Paul, I'm not sure why what I paid for the car matters. At the end of the day (2) other mechanics figured out for free and within 2 hrs what it took you $8k and 2-months to figure out. They both said "yes, it does need a rebuild" but because of this, that money you put into random repairs would have been better spent on getting the engine to a place it should be, not, as they say, putting lipstick on a pig. You're the expert, i'm not. I put my trust in your recommendations and those recommendations were either un-informed and wrong, or they were intentionally misleading which lead to wasted time, wasted money and an overall un enjoyable experience for a dream car. read more

Paul worked on my girlfriends car and saved us a ton of money. We will be going back in the future as problems arise!

I'm done searching for someone to fix my car! Paul is the man. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. They are dependable and there is no no sense when dealing with them! I wouldn't recommend anyone else. read more

Not sure about this business! Felt like they were not talking to my wife about real issues with our car. When we were told that it wold cost a minimum of 5k or up words of 10k to deal with the car! Then the owner told us he would buy your car for 1k? I felt like they were trying to take us to the cleaners. Not sure they were working to help us or make a bucks! Hope they are wrong about our car. We will find out soon. I will post an update as soon as we know. read more

We have been going to Paul Heynneman and crew for over 30 years! Paul is always so helpful and accommodating for whatever we need. Their work is the best quality and we have never had an issue with any repairs. Paul really cares about making sure everything is in working order prior to leaving his shop. A true professional! Highly recommend this outstanding business! Rick and Roz Cob read more

Love these guys! These guys are honest, fair and trustworthy. My husband and I take both our cars in for regular service and upkeep anytime something goes haywire-and have been doing so for the last 8 years. We feel great knowing that we don't get the "run around" and a hefty bill to boot! They are fair as can be. Paul the owner even gave us a pair a snow chains when he overheard us saying we would be heading to the mountains for the weekend. What a nice gesture! These guys have integrity.. Give them a shot, you won't be disappointed . read more

Quality of service is good but apparently no quote is too small to get in writing. I was verbally quoted $95 to remove broken fog lights. When I called to arrange a time, there was no reference to a change in price. When I arrived on the morning of the appointment, I was told that he had looked up the price, and that it was $117. He asked if that was a "problem." I went along with it because I wanted to get the job done and didn't want to argue - but this is a questionable way to treat a new customer. I would hesitate to return to a business that does not honor its quotes. read more

Overly aggressive sales pressure by Paul, coupled with a high estimate. I ended up leaving.

Total attention to detail. Paul Heynneman is an absolute perfectionist. He knows BMW's better than anyone out there. If you want your car fixed right, he is your man. read more

Look, It's not the paperwork. You said they needed to be replaced. Based on what? I bloody hope it was because they needed to be replaced. As soon as I pointed out that you had replaced them just a few months ago, you all of a sudden said they were fine. I later went through the work you did to my car in details. I think some of them were totally unnecessary. I personally know other individuals who were ripped off by you. I was naïve dealing with the likes of your business. read more

Surprised at all the glowing reviews.? They overcharged me and under delivered. Will never go back. Paul is sure a sweet guy though.

I am surprised by the low ratings. My wife and I have been using Paul and the team off and on for the past 10 years. She did with her 1972 BMW 2002 and I did with my 2003 SL500. While yes they are not cheap, you get what you pay for when it comes to fixing high performance cars. I am not excited to shell out 3k on brakes and a strut for my car, but then again my car did cost 120k when it was brand new and I would not want someone to do bad work on my car. These guys have been around for a long time and I trust their work. read more

Paul is a master artist of automotive repair and takes pride in his work. He goes out of his way to please customers and has a state of the art facility. If he can't make your car purrr, then you should sell it. I would recommend him to anyone including my grandmother if she had a car! read more

I'm over the moon! They serviced the car, got two new tires, fixed minor body issues and added in a couple of bonus fixes. They even made sure that the car was clean when I picked it up. Great communication and quality work. Very fair and competent! read more

Paul and the guys did a great job performing some deferred maintenance on my BMW. Their attention to detail was commendable and effective. They even fixed some items that I didn't know were broken. Very happy with the work. Thanks. read more

Paul Heynneman was recommended by a BMW service center located in San Carlos California. We found Paul to be extremelely helpful, knowledgeable , professional & honest. Paul has over 30 years experience & is well respected in the industry for looking out for his customers best interest. We highly recommend him & his staff. read more

Brought my car in today for the first time and was beyond satisfied with the experience. I will definitely be coming back! Thanks for the fast turn around, the loaner car, the thorough inspection, long term advice, car wash, and the guitar amp suggestions. Yup. This is my kind of shop! read more

This place overcharges terribly. They don't seem trustworthy. Keep coming up with items that need repair and the problem does not get fixed. Seem to have no qualms about taking your money without fixing your problem. read more

I have 2003 Jetta Wagon with 230k original miles. My car is old, isn't worth more than $800 if I traded it in, it isn't flashy or shiny but it's dependable. After getting a quote from the vw dealership to clear my water drain plugs (common problem with vw sunroofs) for $199. I called heynneman's hoping not to spend more than the dealer, Paul said "that's inexpensive, come on over", In hindsight Despite his friendliness, I should have asked for an actual quote bc when I arrived I was surprised by the $400 estimate. I looked up how to do this myself, but not being a mechanic, I was intimidated by having to remove my windshield wiper arms to access the drain lines and vacuum. $400 later I picked up my car and the mechanic said he cleared everything out. Suggested i replace a brake valve and another valve that would cost another $400. As I drove home, the sun hit the windshield to reveal a nearly 9" long hairline crack originating from the windshield arm. I called Paul, stopped by the next day to show him and he said the crack was due to the hot weather (it was mid 70s that week) and likely due to my windshield being old (noting the window had a vw oem marking). Since the car was so old, and insurance is minimum, my insurance doesn't cover new windshield replacement cost. I decided to walk away disappointed. I went next door and the mechanic replaced the same valves that Paul quoted me for less than $100. I'll go to the vw dealership next time to blow out my rain/water drains. Paul is nice and friendly. his honesty to me, was questionable. I found his rates are higher than the vw dealership. read more

The most excellent and honest shop I've experienced. Gary thoroughly explained the problem I was having with my 330i and showed me other things up and beyond my expectations. Paul and Gary run a truly honest shop and they will be my BMW shop from this point forward. Friendly excellent service and worth every penny. Others giving them low ratings probably have them confused with another shop read more

While this review may not be so much for services rendered as it is appreciation of Paul's willingness to provide me with some key information which saved me quite a bit of time and money. Paul was good enough to spend some time on the phone with me; and rather than charging me shop time to determine what was wrong with my car, he rather meticulously went over the description of what was going on and was able to direct me toward a much more cost-effective solution than what a previous mechanic had told me. Not only did Paul understand that my income is limited and was very non-judgemental about it; he also donated his time and effort to assist me without making a dime in return. Somehow I get the sense that in the end it will pay him dividends:). read more

I have owned BMWs for the past 25 years. Have sought out and worked with the best mechanics available. But I need to give Heynneman the highest of reviews. They are simply the best shop I have ever worked with! They fixed a problem that eluded Sonnen BMW after many visits. They also found a few things that Sonnen and another top mechanic hadn't identified. Kudos to Heynneman. Wish I could give them more than five stars! read more

Love that these guys are car enthusiast. They seem to enjoy working on your car and they have always been honest and fair.

In December I was told by Geary and Paul that I needed AC dye in order for my A/C system to work again on my X5 BMW. - In addition, I needed a new battery. Those 2 items set me back $1104.16. - On January 22, or about one month later, the A/C system stopped working again. This time Paul informed me that it would cost $2400.00 to get the system working. On January 12 I asked Geary to top off the brake fluid reservoir. He did and in the process he broke 3 engine engine partitions. He ordered new ones, installed them and without my approval he flushed the brake reservoir. That set me back $579.37 I'm not certain that Paul and Geary know what they are doing and for sure, I will never be back again. read more

Outstanding. Heynnemn are true Mercedes experts and this is where I will be taking mine and my family's German cars in future. After 7 different Mercedes cars (E, C and CLK classes) in the family, I purchased a CPO CLS 63 AMG with performance package in September of 2015. After 5 separate trips to MBZ in SF and San Rafael for maddening interior noises that they could simply not fix, I made one final trip to address this to Heynneman before getting rid of the car and saying goodbye to MBZ for ever (as I told MBZ when I gave up on them). I called Paul Heynneman and he had me scheduled to visit the very next morning. He was extremely polite and more importantly knowledgeable about MBZ and in particular my car. After I outlined the problems and my situation he had Adam from the shop take me on a test drive. Adam took me around the neighborhood and he was superb - not only did he hear the rattling from the front passenger side of the car, he also pointed out a noise from the back of the car that I had simply given up on trying to address because MBZ "couldn't hear it". Back to the shop, Adam explained everything to Paul and I went about my business, expecting to wait several days to hear anything positive. Within 24 hours, Paul called me with a litany of issues with the car, including rotors, door issue and loose brake light to mention just a few. After 8 solid hours spent on the car, Heynneman had addressed everything and drove it hard just to confirm it was resolved. I went back to pick up the car, Paul provided a detailed breakdown of the issues and a wealth of advice on how to address prospectively. Although I was skeptical initially because of so many attempts at other locations to address, I have to say after 3 days of driving it, the car is magnificent. Granted it has a tight suspension and harsh, low profile tires but Paul and team have made a massive difference since the time I brought it in. My advice on Heynneman would be not to waste your time anywhere else, go directly to these fellas if you have an issue. PS Even though it's not a dealership, amazingly, they provide loaner cars. Granted my car was a 1990 MBZ 300E but the thing was immaculate, inside and out, and drove beautifully. Thanks Gary Nugent. read more

I have a 2007 328i BMW. It has over 120,000 miles on it so things break from time to time. I needed a new battery back in December. I had AAA come and replace it for me. I then had to have my new battery reset to my car. I went to this shop because it was close and seemed like a good place. It was fine. Nothing bad to say about when I went that time. It was pretty expensive but I do have an old BMW so it wasn't surprising. This past week my back left window went out. I went to this shop again because well I moved here recently and it was the only mechanic I've been to since I moved. At first he seemed perfectly nice. When he have me a quote of $735 just to put in a new window regulator my jaw dropped. At first I signed the estimate and handed over my keys but then I thought everything throw and found multiple mechanics to do it for $350 to $400. I went back inside and politely asked for my keys back because his quote was a bit high for me and I found another mechanic to do it for almost half the price. He suddenly became very defensive. He didn't want to give me my keys back and would not stop staying the other mechanic was going to put a China part in my car. After a very uncomfortable minute or two he got my keys for me and met me outside. He then went on to stand over me and look down on me saying the other quote is bullshit. I'm sorry but in a young female. I don't think it is alright to speak to a women like that. He tried to make me feel stupid and like I was making a dumb decision. The only dumb decision I made was ever going to this shop. I don't recommend this place at all. He was so disrespectful. read more

Tried selling me tie rods and ball jointsonly after replacing them three months prior......BEWARE OF THIS PLACE!.

I really appreciate the expertise of Heynnemans. We have a 2006 Volvo xc70 that needed some special attention. We had never take the car to a Volvo specialist and really should have been the entire time we have owned the car. They fixed the immediate problems which other mechanics could not identify and also let us know about the future work that needed to be done to promote the longevity of the car. Its not cheap but getting quality work done on your car is the most important piece. Thanks guys! read more

What a great experience i had with this guys. They have clean shop, affordable prices, and what i like most is that you can feel their sincerity in delivering their service. The company has been in business since 1976 and the owners have an array of experience. I already recommend Heynneman European to my friends, families, anyone. read more

After breaking down in Martinez, had my BMW X5 towed to a recommended service garage in Sausalito. Not real happy with this first experience as they took the car in on a Wednesday, on Thursday got a call saying they hadn't had the chance to look at it and were closing the next day for year end holidays for two weeks! I retrieved the X5 and was able to putt-putt up to Heynnemans in San Rafael. Reviewed all issues with Gary - got car back in two days. Came in slightly under quoted price which was very nice. Ultimately one of the components installed (fuel pump) was defective. Heynnemans took the car back in and replaced the fuel pump at no charge. Car has been running great ever since. As an equipment technician, I understand and have experienced the fact that some parts can fail - as did the fuel pump installed in my X5. What I really appreciate is a garage that has the honesty to promptly identify and rectify the issue. Thanks Guys! read more

Paul and Gary know BMW's like no one else. Always done right, and always with the best parts. I've been using his service for 20 years. It always comes out right with Paul's help. read more

Paul, and his shop have been working on my cars for over 15 years. They have never been anything other than thorough and the work has been consistently well done. There have been many complex repairs since I currently have a 7 series, but over the years there have been few mistakes and they have always been great at fixing any problems (few, if any) that have come up. Paul has been in the business for a long time and knows all there is to know about BMW's. read more

Paul has taken care of all my BMWs since 1988...his work is meticulous and my 1988 325 had 310,000 miles on it when I sold it last year, and was running perfectly. My new BMW is under Paul's care. Have recommended him to my family and friends and to you too!. Valerie read more