Nice location, fair pricing, and honest people. I will definitely go back here for any servicing of my BMW.

BMW owners, avoid this place --they're condescending jerks. My 2009 BMW started losing power going up hills and during acceleration events. No indicator light was coming on so I thought I'd take it to a pro to see what was happening. My wife called the shop, described what we were experiencing with the car, and the very nice woman on the phone said to "bring it in for a test drive" -- so I did. The woman at the office was as expected, friendly, and the shop was clean. I waited for someone to "test drive" the car, which was the expectation the shop had set. After waiting 45 mins, a mechanic type of guy with blue eyes approached me and said, "why do you think you need a test drive?" My first thought, "what a d#$&," but I answered his question saying, "it feels like something is slipping, like the transmission or something" and while I was describing some of the other symptoms I had observed, the guy interrupted me and said, "well, do you want me to fix it or do you want to just go for a test drive?" My response, "excuse me?" Him: "You come to a place like this to fix the car, not go for a test drive." I explained, "your shop said 'come for a test drive,' and I'm simply trying to get my car fixed, but I'm happy to take my business elsewhere." His parting shot, "well, if it were me on the phone, I would have given you much different advice." Apparently, the guy has a thing against test drives! Regardless, avoid this place unless you want to be shamed for explaining the symptoms your car is experiencing. read more

These guys are local and amazing and they are more about the right answers than ripping you off. At the end of the day we want our ride to run great and not ever break down if possible. If you're a guy like me who loves to learn and research every aspect of the engine and what components might fail when, but couldn't do the work on your own for lack of tools and experience- this is the place for you. They ENJOY talking shop and seem to appreciate those that know the history a bit. I'd love me a brand new M3 or whatever but the e 2001 330i with the straight 6 is an awesome engine and the design looks fresh as hell 20 YEARS after they dropped it on the market. I'm grateful to have the privilege to drive this car and I feel like they get it. My experience at the Stealership was so awful (on Howard) that car is my baby and they treated her like an old beater. It was heartbreaking. Anyhow- if you want to feel heard and know your ride is going to get too notch treatment give Dale and the crew a holler. You'll be glad you did read more

Being from out of town (100 miles from home) and having my 2009 335i blow its radiator hose at 7:45 during the holiday season was not something I wanted. Phaedrus was there for me: 1. Convenient location 2. Open until 9PM 3. Experts at what they do Aside from that, Dale was really helpful and explained what was wrong with the car and ran me through the options. He gave his recommendations. I took them and am happy I did. My car runs much smoother now. They were also very accommodating when the repairs on my car ran longer than they expected. They lent me their prized E30! If only they were close to where I lived, I would go to them for all my maintenance and repair needs. read more

Awesome mechanics who are honest and easy to work with. They solved a very tough problem w my 2006 convertible roof that baffled other mechanics. Impressive ability to get tough repairs done cost effectively - highly recommend for BMW repairs of any kind! read more

Phaedrus is the most amazing garage I've ever been to. They're whip smart and completely transparent. Honest and skillful doesn't begin to cover it! They are diagnostic ninjas and conscientious cost partners - letting you know what to prioritize as your car ages. The team at Phaedrus (Owners Gigi and Dale and John) kept my much beloved 1992 BMW wagon running well until I was ready to switch to an X3 last year. I was confident in a 2015 purchase because I knew they'd always take care of me and the new 'Pearl.' I can't recommend them highly enough, especially now when our local businesses could use our support. (And wait till you see their garage, inside and out - pristine clean & classic!) read more

Needed assistance with my car. Someone recommended them. They are not cheap but are less expensive than the dealer. I called and was advised of their diagnostics charge, took the car in and was called a few hours later with details of the issue and options on repair. I have had a few issues with the car and they have been more than accommodating to my schedule. I would recommend them to anyone with a BMW. read more

Worst customer service I have ever encountered! Dale quoted me $700 something for a battery replacement and break fluid flush and when I asked why the battery replacement was $550 he lost his patience and urged me to make a decision because Im "wasting his mechanic's time". I replied that I don't understand why it should be $550 and that I will attempt to do it on my own and I would only like to do the break fluid flush, Dale got upset and told me that they don't want my business and I should come pick up my car immediately. To make things even worst I waited 2 weeks to have this service appointment just to be treated in such a way. This is no way to run a business and treat any customer, not to mention a customer that has already been to your shop and spent top dollar for services. read more

I'm conflicted. I took my car to Phaedrus because I had heard good things and frankly, had had a terrible experience at SF BMW. My problem: a "check engine light" had appeared. Promised a loaner which was loaned out to someone else when I got to the shop last Thursday, I hopped in a cab and made my way to work. Late. (That said, they did float me the cash for the cab.) When Dale phoned me there was a litany of "issues" that had surfaced; faulty thermostat, expansion tank kit, front and rear brakes, new tires - the list goes on and on. Needless to say, I took copious notes when Dale reviewed the list with me and I also noted what each piece would cost me. Given that I'm outside of the warranty period, this work was going to be a pretty big hit to my personal pocket. When I picked up my car a day and a half later and charged nearly $2400 to my Visa, believe it or not, I was actually slightly relieved that the bill had come a bit under what Dale had anticipated. I assumed labor on one or more of the services was less than originally quoted. Well, days later, I received a phone call from Dale stating that he had inadvertently left the cost of the four new tires off the bill. Huh?? Given what I'd already paid, adding $700+ worth of tires to the bill would have exceeded his estimate by nearly $400. That's a lot of money! Thankfully I had my notes on hand, and I walked him through his quote that we had agreed to before starting any work. The good news: he pretty quickly agreed that if those were the numbers he'd given me (and they were very detailed so it hardly seemed possible I could have made them up) that he would honor them. I was grateful, given the already exorbitant cost of the visit...but then strangely, the conversation took a bitter turn and instead of just taking my credit card info and sending me on my way, he began to question why I hadn't pointed out the cost differential to HIM when I showed up for the car! I explained my position: that I had assumed labor had come in under his original quote because quite honestly if the tires weren't on the bill, it should have been nearly $400 less! He didn't seem to understand my math and seemed aggravated with me. Even telling me that we were "clearly going to a bad place" with the conversation and he would just charge me the difference. The end result was right, but the journey getting there felt wrong and actually left me with a weird feeling in my stomach. You know that feeling...the one that says "Crap. Do I need to find a new shop now?" Sigh. I really liked that place until about five minutes ago. :( read more

You know the difference between a BMW and a porcupine? With a BMW the prick is on the inside? WRONG ANSWER. Understandable, certainly, but WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Correct Answer: with a BMW, the prick is under the hood, busily overcharging on parts and labor while (sometimes) not fixing the problem. In the city of San Francisco there is just one hope. Phaedrus. The ultimate fixing machine. If anyone can take your Barely Moving Wreck of a Brutal Money Waster and get it back to Bring More Woman (or even just fun and stress-free to drive) status its them. Phaedrus is - Convenient - Cheap(er) - Competent Convenience: You can pick up or drop off until 9:00PM on weekdays, 5:00 on Saturday. And I don't mean slide your keys under the door and hope for the best. There is a service manager (and often a wonderful standard poodle named Prince) on duty until closing. No one else has these kind of customer-centric hours. And as a bonus- once when the car wouldn't start they actually came to our house to check it out. We live close to the shop, but it was still a great service. Cheap(er): Their labor rate is $120 an hour. BMW of San Francisco charges $175 an hour. And based on a mini-survey I did, BMW SF marks their part prices up a full 25% beyond what Phaedrus charges. Competent: Phraedus has worked on my wife's car three times, each time they've nailed the problem. And the last time it was a rare and subtle issue. My strong impression is that they pay a lot more attention than BMW SF, or most mechanics for that matter. Convenient, reliable, cheap(er), prickless but not dickless, and poodle-powered to boot, let Phaedrus turn your Broken Monstrous Waste back to the Beautiful Mechanical Wonder it was born to be. read more

They did a brake flush on my bmw, I picked the car up and didn't check it assuming they were professional, and noticed a day later that all of my rear lug nuts were loose and TWO had fallen out on the SAME wheel. Can only imagine if I hadn't noticed so soon. Guy I spoke with was pretty rude as well. Judging by other reviews this place was probably decent in the past but from my experience, no longer read more

Wow. I rescind everything good I had to say about this place. I had an ABS module go out on our E38 and found a used one online that seemed only needed to be recoded to work. I called in simply to find out how much it would be to recode this part and if the one I found had the correct part number. Pardon me for trying to save $500 on a part. Instead I get a lecture from Dale, one of the owners no less, about how I have only been in his shop once before in 2008 and how I am 'PUMPING HIM FOR INFORMATION'. Apparently their advice only comes with an invoice and if you don't spend a fortune regularly you don't warrant attention as a customer. I think this shop probably does good work but it's a shame one of the OWNERS has such horrible attitude when I'm paying them for their service. Regrettable. read more

I had a inspection II done. I had a phone quote that was competitive with other BMW shops so I brought my car in and found that they did not include labor in the phone quote. IMO that was rather deceptive, when you ask for a service quote and they don't include labor. Their prices are also not that much lower than the dealers. When I got my car back there was a an odd noise from the engine. I took my car back and they checked and said it was normal. I drove the car for a couple of weeks and my engine temp started to fluctuate. I took the car to the BMW dealer and found my thermostat failed because the cooling system was not bleed of all the air correctly (Phaedrus replaced the coolant) and the noise was the water pump trying to pump water and air the cooling system. Well eventually, my water pump failed and blew the radiator. It cost me $1000.......wont go back to Phaedrus don't recommend them. read more

I took my Mini in to get some small things checked up on. I left it at the shop for a full week and only one thing on the list got done. I paid $375 for a tune up that I really don't believe was actually done. Maybe an oil change but the timing is still off a bit still when idling I needed to get the following done: Fix a vibrating noise in my car's sun roof. Change the motor in my drivers side window Get some of the programmed things changed. (ie. day-running lamps, turn signal irregularities) The disk brakes needed work. A tune up was needed I left my car there for 8 days and only the tune up was done. I took the car to a local shop and they did the work in 3 days and about 30% cheaper. I paid $800 for what I was quoted $1200 at the BMW shop not including the tuneup that was the only work that I got done. These guys may know BMW's but their Mini team is weak. I offered to leave it there 3 more days but they told me it would not be done. For being experts they were a disappointment. They did say they were short one man but that still does not excuse them from getting simple things done that took a total of 6 hours according to the invoice of the House of Brakes. I told them if I took the car without the work finished that I would not be back. I will not take my or a friends car to this shop again. read more

This BMW specialist shop is fantastic. They are consummate professionals who take pride in their work, and their customer service is outstanding. I surprised them with a completely different car and set of issues than I had originally scheduled, and they handled it with grace and were extremely accommodating of my crazy schedule, in fact were apologetic the specialist who needed to work on it wasn't in that day. Moreover, they gave me very frank and honest advice, clearly explained the range of options to consider, and recommended against unnecessary work. Pricing seemed in the ballpark of reasonable, certainly better than the dealer and an excellent value considering the quality of work. But let me emphasize that it is not merely the absolute price of the work, but also the good-faith consultation about what work to do in the first place and the superb customer service that contributes to the great value here. Here's a tip: They also have what may be one of the city's best detailers working there. He's an artisan and an excellent communicator. Must have spent 15 minutes with me just going over my puny little car and explaining the what and why and ins and outs of detailing it before coming up with an estimate range, which seemed pretty reasonable considering the quality of work. Thanks people of Yelpland for helping me find it. read more

O.K. first off, this is a review on work yet to happen! That said, I've bought parts from them in the past (hell no to ANY $$ going to BMW SF-the worst.) BMW's I own/have owned are/were: an E12, E24 (the car going in soon), E28, E34, E46, E53, E60, and F06. (I've seen an independent shop and dealership or two in my time.) Today, John (pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable) and I cut to the chase about some mechanical issues and detailing for the 635CSi. He was very prompt, polite, realistic about time expectations, etc. Based on the Yelp reviews, and a most gorgeous mint 2002 I happened to see today parked with a Phaedrus license plate frame, and my prior experience, it was time to revisit their shop. The appointment's all set. You may find cheaper, but I doubt you'll find superior respectful interaction and quality work in SF/locally than Phaedrus. It certainly won't be at the dealer. To be cont'd. read more

Really liked these guys. My car broke down on the Bay Bridge, and the towing guys cracked the oil pan when it was brought to the Mini dealership. The dealer wanted to charge me $1100!! I almost had a nervous breakdown until my roommate (who has a BMW) told me about these guys. John was honest, nice, and thorough. They gave me a quote that was 1/2 the amount of BMW, and they even offered to throw in a pair of wipers for free! When I went to pick it up, the guy made a point of telling me that it was $2 less than the estimate. How cute is that? read more

Been coming here for years. Great honest hospitable service. Technicians are knowledgable and perform solid work. Quick and timely, vehicle delivered on time. read more

I have only have great things to say about Phaedrus BMW. I was a little nervous when I saw the hourly rate of the shop but after going there a few times I can vouch that they are extremely efficient with time and the overall cost is equal to many shops who charge less per hour. I own several specialized bmw's and it can often be difficult finding a shop who I not only trust but who can also complete the task. Phaedrus has been able to do both. First, they fixed my fuel gauge reading incorrectly in my v8 swapped 1series. They diagnosed and fixed quickly and affordable. Phaedrus is also maintaining my two daily driven Bmw 2002's. John worked closely with me to not only identify initial issues but also prioritizing less important or potential upcoming issues. Since, we have set up a service plan and my Bmw 2002's have never been driving better. I will also compliment the communication at Phaedrus. They really communicate any change orders and timeline changes. If you are looking for an honest Bmw shop in SF, who will do the work right the first time, absolutely try Phaedrus. read more

These guys are straight forward, do the work fast, and do a great job. True, they may not be the cheapest, but they're not the most expensive, either. I don't expect bargain basement pricing for solid quality workmanship and honest estimates that I can trust. I've been a couple times now and I really like them a lot. They truly are a pleasure to work with whenever there's a problem with my car. My most recent visit was my blower fan - what I thought would be around $600+ turned out to be less than half of that. They've earned my loyalty. read more

Phaedrus is the best car repair shop I have ever used, and if you have a BMW in the bay area, it is worth an hour drive to take your car here. They do great work, they have fantastic customer service, and they are not expensive. Doesn't get any better. Background: I'm a mechanical engineer, have been working on my own cars for 15 years, and have had jobs that involve professional industrial service. I like to buy, sell, and trade vehicles, and I'm always getting something worked on. Great Work: When every technician has some grey hair, that is always a good sign. When I first came here about a year ago, I had them do an inspection and the mechanic personally talked me through it. The details they found, in the limited amount of time I paid for was impressive. I re-check the oil after they change it, and it's always *exactly* topped off. I had them do some non-standard work, which involved welding, and the quality was top notch. I personally put a lot of new parts into my car (timing belt, fuel pump, water pump, radiator, brakes, etc.) so know most of what works and what doesn't, and these guys have never tried to BS me about unnecessary repairs. All of this together is very rare. Customer Service: Calling customers back to keep them informed is not easy. Well, maybe it's easy, but it's not common, that's for sure. The first thing I noticed was that these guys actually called you back when they said they would. In the year I've been using them, they have spent extra time going through why they recommend stuff (the guys at the desk that schedule work and answer phones also know a ton about the cars, which is another rarity), one time when a repair took longer than expected they gave me a loaner, and they even do little things at no charge like replacing screws in my license plate frame or taking oil samples so I can send them off to a lab. Cheap: They have charged me less than their written estimate a few times, which in this business is as common as finding a $20 on the ground and turning it into a police station instead of putting it in your pocket. When I got my convertible top replaced, I called 4 places from SJ to SF. Phaedrus ended up being the cheapest (they have a guy in-house who does this stuff) and actually used the best quality German OEM top. When my clutch slave went out, they fixed it same day and it was only a few hundred bucks. The value of having a career mechanic with tons of experience spend quality time on my car is honestly worth more than they charge. These are the guys you want working on your car. I once had an engine knock in a company car, and took it to the designated dealership. They said "it needs a new engine, so come pick up your stuff because the fleet company is taking the car back." When I arrived, I excitedly popped the hood, to see the extent of the damage. They didn't remove a single bolt! Car repair nowadays is narrowing down the problem to the largest assembly you can get away with and just replacing it. It doesn't require thinking and you can make money from people who don't know any better. Phaedrus is not like that. They are old school, they actually troubleshoot, they're willing to repair instead of replace, and shops like them are hard to find. read more

Clean shop. Just wished the mechanic remembered that he needed to reset the "change oil" computer setting on newer versions. And older dude, was his name DAVE?, semi bald with a 5lb pregger bulge, around late 50s, YOU STOLE one of the torque tools from my complete set, you MF.!!!!!!!!!!!! To think I paid $600 to get the light checked, oil change and for you to take something from my tool set really is tacky on your part. Most of the BMWs in the shop were from the 1980s. Close to window shopping Polk-er area. Sure Dale does the quoation for the fix and he has a standard poodle, but really...there are other shops in the bay area. You guys quoted me $250 including labor for a new battery and I just got the tow trucker from CSAA put it in for $100 and he did it in 10 minutes. It does NOT take one HOUR to put a new battery in. As a matter of fact, now, I that I have learned how to install a new battery in, I will do it myself next time. PaedrusDollarZHydra... read more

Independent BMW shop, a member of International Association of Independent BMW service Professionals (ABMS). These members are consider the best in the business. My experience has been great working with them. Highly recommended. read more

The best BMW specialists I have ever been to. The entire staff is helpful, extremely knowledgeable, friendly and will give you detailed information to consider with work on your car. You're never confused when working with this team. They are incredibly trustworthy - will tell you if you really need the work, what can wait, what needs to happen now - and background on why. They are accommodating to schedules and just so patient. I can't rave enough about Phaedrus. read more

First of all, I'd like to thank all of you yelping BMW owners for recommending this place. I got my car back today and it was a great experience. I had some minor electrical problems that they took care of, and I also left my car overnight for Verlyn to detail. When I got my car back, I have to say my heart skipped a beat. From the 20 minute conversation I had with Verlyn on the phone, I knew he was a thorough guy- I mean, just to explain every little detail of what I MIGHT get done to my car, before I even brought it in, he gave me his undivided attention and really made sure I understood what service I'd be paying for with the different detail options, rather than trying to sell me everything. Still, seeing my car in person after he was done was an amazing experience- he basically returned it to new condition. Honestly, my bimmer felt like it did the day I picked it up from the dealership (minus the new-car-smell). Is Phaedrus overpriced? Probably, but let us be very clear: they are fair, and they don't overcharge. So, what do I mean? I am trying to say you'll pay for the work they say they'll do, which can be expensive, but you can be confident they won't sneak in extra charges or problems just to get more money out of you. With past cars, I've had experiences where discount mechanics will attract you with low prices, then not actually do the work they claim to do (one time I had someone PRETEND to change my brake fluid...that was a scary experience), or with mechanics who "find" additional problems when you just wanted your oil changed, etc. At Phaedrus, they charged me a lot for changing a fuse when my cigarette lighter stopped working, but they also just charged how much they quoted me, and didn't try to make up additional problems that needed "fixing". It's great because you can trust them to be honest. The detailing was expensive, but Verlyn does everything by hand and puts his heart into his work, and it shows. Honestly, he might be the best detailer I've ever seen. Personally, I think that it's worth the money, and I know I'll be going back when I need more work done on my car. read more

This past week, the red "engine overheating" light came on around 530pm while trying to drive back from work south of Market in SF to Marin. Found Phaedrus was open til 9pm (really), and spoke with Dave. Diagnosis: water pump busted. They had a full schedule for the following day (Thursday), but were able to get the parts and start work first thing Friday. Car was ready ahead of schedule, very helpful. The price quote for the pump, thermostat, labor was at least reasonable/fair, and maybe better (you can check repairpal.com or bimmerforums as a guide). I really appreciated Dave's help in walking me through this problem at a time when most other shops were likely closed or too busy to help. Also spoke with John. As my friend Chip would have said, "these are good people." read more

THE STRAIGHT SKINNY: These guys know their BMW's! No BS here. 1. They write down every info you give them to better diagnose the problem. 2. They do a quick peep at your car. 3. Tell you what they think it is and how much it may or may not cost. 4. They'll answer any stupid-ass question you may have. 5. They call you with an update and for authorization of work. 6. They fix it and you get your BMW ASAP. 7. You're semi-shocked by the bill, but your car is cool. If the price tag hurts, remember you decided on getting a BMW. Comes with the territory. Phaedrus is more expensive than average joe mechanic, but cheaper than BMW SF. Take comfort in that. read more

I have brought my 2007 335i a few times, and this last time it was for a waterpump and thermostat swap, which is NOT CHEAP, but Phaedrus had the best price in San Francisco by at least $300. I only got one cheaper quote in San Mateo that was about $100 cheaper, but then I have to drive to San Mateo, and cal train back to San Francisco and try to get back to their shop before 5PM. The $100 (9% of the total cost) premium was easily worth the time and effort saved. Also totally understandable as they are in San Francisco, and it's just more expensive to do business here. I have always experienced fair pricing, great service and "knock on wood", if anything is wrong with their repairs, they seem like they would stand behind any issues. read more

Recently converted from MBZ to BMW owner and needed a good mechanic Phaedrus came highly recommended and I been extremely impressed by the quality of service, follow up, etc. In addition to tuneup and detailing wok done there - the cars tire/wheel had a frustrating issue where it would lose pressure after a couple of weeks and all the alarms would go off - it took several visits to get at the root of the issue but they stayed with it - accepted the car immediatly to check/reset - and ultimately solved the problem thanks guys!! read more

I used to go to Phaedrus... but now I don't drive a BMW They're pretty good at tune ups and regular BMW maintenance, but they are very expensive. If you have a major need (like say a bent valve) this is not the place to go. They are also not much cheaper than the $tealer when it comes to maintenance. I give them an extra star though for stocking redline oil and doing a very reasonable oil change service. read more

Got my battery replaced for my E90 here. Changing batteries is a PITA with the need to reset the battery adaptation to let the alternator know how much charge to give the battery. If not for that I would have given it a go myself. I called Phaedrus and the lady answering the phone quoted me ~$250 for the job. I asked her a couple of times to confirm. Next day I brought it in and while they worked on the car quick there were issues where they had to reset the DSC since the front wheels were turned when the battery was pulled. The tech was helpful and friendly but still it became a three hour debacle. On top of that when I went to pay they then told me the cost was $343! I was like the secretary quoted me $250 for the job. Then he said she went off the wrong price list and he wished she had actually checked with him about the prices. Hopefully they get this internal communication sorted out. Still cheaper than the stealership which quoted me $500+ to change the battery. Ridonculous. Would be 3 stars but docked one star b/c of the misquote and the # of times I had to turn around after leaving the shops and my display lit up like an Xmas tree to get wheels calibrated for DSC to be ok. Still probably one of the better options for a BMW mechanic in the city. read more

I wanted to waited and see what the quality of their work was as i spent 4k on their recommended repairs and service. Well......less than 20k miles later i can definitely say this place was not looking out for my best interest. 1. asked why they were charging me approx. 20$ per spark plug? Response, "that's how much the dealer charges" if i wanted dealer prices i would've went there. Recently, I have had to spent 1k on replacing parts that they replaced less than 20k ago. today a cracked Radiator 600$, my mechanic in no uncertain terms said, this radiator is a inferior product, aka cheap quality. Just because their "specialist" doesn't mean anything to me any longer. read more

Wow, Gigi and team completely changed my perspective on having work performed on my BMW! Totally exceeded my expectations, and I have high expectations especially around my cars. Some highlights: - Extremely easy to make an appointment, very up front on costs, very honest - Very clean, well organized, spacious shop - if you've been in a lot of shops as I have you can tell they care! - Nice collection of older and new Bimmers in for service - they know BMWs! - Great communication, laid back style - you'll feel like you're with friends who care about you and your needs - Very conscientious and careful work. I was blown away at how they treated my car you can tell they took the time to do the work right - Very accommodating at letting me pick up my spare parts another time - Did I mention they know their cars?? Gigi has 2 M5s? I love this place! I can't recommend them enough - I'll be back for service for sure. read more

I recently bought a 2004 M3 and after reading the reviews about BMW of SF figured out that I had to find somewhere else to get it serviced. I am so glad I found Phaedrus on yelp. Dale spoke to me on the phone before bringing it in and was excellent, listened to my questions and had thoughtful remarks to help me decide what needed to be done. I dropped the car off on Tuesday to have a Inspection II service done on the car. Dale called me that evening after completing the service to fill me on other recommendations. He applied no pressure and answered all my questions about the recommendations and proceeded with the ones that made sense for my driving frequency. They completed the recommended items on Wed, and had the car ready for me Wed. evening. Not sure what else to say, Dale was great, the work was fast, the car was clean. Top notch. This car will see Phaedrus regularly for as long as I own it. read more

If cars had the same rights as 'homo sapiens' and could press neglect/abuse charges, my aunt would be the first to get hauled into the court. Her 2001 330Ci was due for an oil change by over a thousand miles, and I did not want to go to Pennzoil on 19th Ave. (her usual place of service for this gem of just 60,000 miles) nor did I want to be subjected to the exorbitantly high prices and poor service SF BMW offers. I went on Yelp in search of an independent BMW shop who knew their shit, but charged a reasonable amount of $$$ in exchange for their services. Enter: Phaedrus BMW. Like other Yelp reviewers said, the first impression of arriving at this shop is that its very clean. There was a selection of enthusiast BMWs within the shop: a black E34 M5 in one corner, a couple pre-80's BMWs, but shop mostly consisted of E46 3 Serieses (coupes, convertibles, and sedans), including an M3 coated in TiAg over Imola leather. Dale, one of the owners of the shop and the person who assisted me, was very knowledgable in all areas of the E46. I expressed curiosity about the failing ZF transmission in our era of cars (oh Germans: pay $50,000 for a car with a transmission that fails, and a car that costs 1/4 of it will run forever...coughciviccough). Dale not only informed me about the faults fo the ZF transmission, but he also took the time to educate me about the water expansion tank, an issue I knew of but did not pursue. He gave me more information about this issue, which can cause catastrophic issue to the engine within a couple minutes and one would be stuck with a very expensive paper weight. He also propped open the hood and pulled out a new part from the back to give me visual cues to go by. The oil change came in to a reasonable $106.98, compared to $94 at the 19th Ave. Pennzoil. As long as the car is in the family, I will take it to Phaedrus, provided that my aunt doesn't further neglect it to the point it fails; that, or my soon-to-turn 16 year old cousin will acquire his license and damage it from racing, courtesy of his raging testosterone and the need to race anything with four wheels, Priuses not excluded. read more

Took my 325 to Peter Pan...Y? I bought it there and my warranty is still intact. They gave me my Service II, then called me to tell me my Thermostat needs replacing and my water pump leaks. I know nothing about parts and what they do, so I asked if they could patch the leak in my water pump (like a tire) and they said no. Moved on to the Thermostat and asked what it did and why it's important to fix. He explained as simply as he could. I asked what it would cost to fix it there and he quoted $1140. I fell of my lovely work chair and told him not to do anything. I picked up my car and started doing research. Meanwhile, I had my father and very good friend Glenn take a look at it. Neither found anything wrong with the water pump. Phaedrus has the best customer service ever. I walked in there early Saturday morning w/ a hangover and they asked me what the problem was, created a plan, and I was out in 10 mins. They called me to confirm that the Thermostat did need to be replaced, but my water pump was fine. No leak in the water pump, nada!!!! They did find that my fan clutch needed to be replaced and took care of it. They even stored my car til Monday w/o a problem. BMW - $1140 Phaedrus - $563 read more

I love the BMW experts at Phaedrus. I completely trust their judgement, and they do a great job. If they fix something, it stays fixed. BMW is not the most reliable in terms of electricals, and their OBD is flaky at best. I've had a battery die, a camshaft go bad, a cylinder stop firing, a wiring harness short circuit, and they've been superb in fixing it, in time, within budget, for a lot less than any dealer. Sure you can find other independent mechanics that probably charge less, but I believe Phaedrus' quality of service is worth paying for. I plan to keep my '06 530xi for a long time, and am sure I will, with my TLC and Phaedrus's expert care. read more

Honest, reliable BMW service professionals! I brought my car in for maintenance and found out a headlight was out. A replacement bulb did not fix it so I was not charged and told to bring my car back another day for more a detailed diagnosis and fix. The next time I came in another replacement bulb somehow worked and no further workup was necessary. They were honest and did not charge me any labor costs for the bulb replacement, even though I would not have known had they spent an hour or two fixing what I thought was broken. All in all I was very impressed over the two visits with their professional service and honesty. Will be returning for years to come. read more

I like these guys. Fair and honest. Easy to deal with and decent prices. I trust them with all my BMW work.

Phaedrus is the answer to Tenderloin heroin addicts (among other things). Yes, my BMW's stereo had a detachable face. So I know that the pile of glass, absence of stereo, and ripped out heating controls is ultimately my fault. I get it, and I forgive. That said, Phaedrus BMW is the place to go if you own a BMW and live in or near SF. There's no other way about it. I called and explained the situation. They invited me over. They took a look at the car (smashed window, damaged inner door, wires pouring out of where the radio and heating controls used to be, etc.). They verbally gave me an estimate. When I agreed that was do-able we drew up a written estimate. It was Thursday afternoon. They said it'd be done by Tuesday (cause I didn't need it till then), but then called me Saturday morning. Done, and done. It couldn't have been a more pleasant experience. The best part is the physical place though. If you own a BMW, then you love BMWs... so you'll love this place. It's a meticulously clean mechanic's shop, packed with beamers of all eras. Like a museum. The whole place just drips with the knowledge that owning another "driving machine" would be sub-par, bad form, junior varsity. They are not snobs. They just have highly specialized knowledge about a very complex machine. If you happen to have to go there, stop by East Coast West deli for a sandwich... make a day of it. read more