Dan's list of local repair shops
- Thread starter 1996 328ti
- Start date
1996 328ti
Administrator
Yea, Bill is no longer at J&F. And thanks for the list!
John in VA
New member
Where is he now?
1996 328ti
Administrator
I want to say the Tidewater area of VA but I'm not sure.John in VA said:
John in VA
New member
So, is there anyone we "like" at J&F these days? I haven't been there in ~8 years. I have old cars, so that might make a difference.
OwnedbyDuncan
Banned
Yes there is and actually it is a better shop than J&F ever was. Problem is they aren't taking any new customers. Shop is great for older cars especially E30's and M's.
To report or not report?
The second comment is actually a question (and the reason I went to Advantage). Briefly, I went to a local independent who advertises in db and who was recommended by another NCC member. I had an *awful* experience with them, including bad advice, incomplete jobs, lack of knowledge about my car ('98 540i), "fixes" that caused other problems, and difficulty in getting warranty work done. I ended up going to Advantage and they were very straightforward, honest (including inviting me into the shop to see particular problems myself), reasonably priced, and they actually fixed all the problems (and found obvious others that the first shop missed).
So, here is my question. Do I leave it alone and attribute my bad experience to luck? To me? Or do I let other NCC members know about it? I wouldn't want others to have the same bad (and expensive) experience I had but recognize that I am an n=1 of my interaction may not be representative of how this shop does business.
Thoughts?
Two comments on shops. First Auto Advantage is now "Advantage Certified" and I have recently had several excellent experiences with them. I can go into more detail if anyone likes, but I would recommend them based on my experience.SharkD said:
The second comment is actually a question (and the reason I went to Advantage). Briefly, I went to a local independent who advertises in db and who was recommended by another NCC member. I had an *awful* experience with them, including bad advice, incomplete jobs, lack of knowledge about my car ('98 540i), "fixes" that caused other problems, and difficulty in getting warranty work done. I ended up going to Advantage and they were very straightforward, honest (including inviting me into the shop to see particular problems myself), reasonably priced, and they actually fixed all the problems (and found obvious others that the first shop missed).
So, here is my question. Do I leave it alone and attribute my bad experience to luck? To me? Or do I let other NCC members know about it? I wouldn't want others to have the same bad (and expensive) experience I had but recognize that I am an n=1 of my interaction may not be representative of how this shop does business.
Thoughts?
1996 328ti
Administrator
Feel free to express your opinion about your experience.Psi5 said:
Everyone has had good and bad experiences from the same independent or dealer.
John in VA
New member
Sorry - My question was more J&F-specific. Has there been any recent experiences/staff/ownership changes that warrant NOT recommending J&F to drivers down that way?
I've seen this comment for several years now. Maybe you can let us know WHEN new customers CAN contact Bill for service!
Hello folks,
I'm new to the board, and new to BMW's as well. Last week I bought a 2000 323i, and am having it serviced for some items the previous owner deferred maintenance on.
I had no idea how to select a repair shop, and was averse to taking it to my local dealer, Fairfax BMW. Looking through the previous owner's file, he had an oil pan replaced for over $1600 there, struck me as extreme. Anyway, I have committed it to Fairfax Service Center, which is listed as an independent BMW repair facility by an association of these shops. However, I could find no mention of it in this thread.
Does anybody have any experience with them? This shop is located on Prosperity, just across Lee Highway from the dealer.
I also work close to the Martin shop in Gaithersburg, which seems to have it's fans. That would be a future alternative for me. Appreciate any feedback!
I'm new to the board, and new to BMW's as well. Last week I bought a 2000 323i, and am having it serviced for some items the previous owner deferred maintenance on.
I had no idea how to select a repair shop, and was averse to taking it to my local dealer, Fairfax BMW. Looking through the previous owner's file, he had an oil pan replaced for over $1600 there, struck me as extreme. Anyway, I have committed it to Fairfax Service Center, which is listed as an independent BMW repair facility by an association of these shops. However, I could find no mention of it in this thread.
Does anybody have any experience with them? This shop is located on Prosperity, just across Lee Highway from the dealer.
I also work close to the Martin shop in Gaithersburg, which seems to have it's fans. That would be a future alternative for me. Appreciate any feedback!
JimC
New member
Thumbs-up for Dan Martin's Auto Service in Gaithersburg
I have been taking my two BMWs to Dan for several years. Dan is honest and forthright. A real "no bullsh*t" shop and his prices are reasonable. I have never felt I was getting screwed nor being asked to pay for something the car didn't need (as opposed to other shops in the area I have had experience with
). He only works on BMWs.
The best thing I can say is that Dan is a good guy. He and his staff are not perfect - no shop is. The Dan Martin difference is that he admits it when things did not go right and he fixes it. No blaming the customer (see above comment about other shops).
Oh, and he is also a BMW enthusiast who club races and instructs for the National Capital Chapter.
I say give him a try.
Jim Colbert
I have been taking my two BMWs to Dan for several years. Dan is honest and forthright. A real "no bullsh*t" shop and his prices are reasonable. I have never felt I was getting screwed nor being asked to pay for something the car didn't need (as opposed to other shops in the area I have had experience with
). He only works on BMWs. The best thing I can say is that Dan is a good guy. He and his staff are not perfect - no shop is. The Dan Martin difference is that he admits it when things did not go right and he fixes it. No blaming the customer (see above comment about other shops).
Oh, and he is also a BMW enthusiast who club races and instructs for the National Capital Chapter.
I say give him a try.
Jim Colbert
Appreciate the input Jim. I didn't actually find Dan's shop until after I had committed my car to the Fairfax shop. However, a co-worker showed up yesterday with a new (to him) 2003 z4, and wanted a shop to check it out before finalizing the purchase.
I showed him Dan's web site, so he took it there during lunch, got what he thought was a valuable 1 hour of inspection effort and input on the car's condition.
Will definitely give him a shot at future business.
Tom
I showed him Dan's web site, so he took it there during lunch, got what he thought was a valuable 1 hour of inspection effort and input on the car's condition.
Will definitely give him a shot at future business.
Tom
SMOODY
New member
I bought both of my BMWs from the Advantage Certified dealership in Manassas. I usually work on my own cars, but I did take my wife's car in for service twice. Once after we bought the car to correct a few issues we identified, and a second time to replace the cam position sensor.
My general impression was that they were competent, honest, and repaired the car correctly in a timely manner. The prices were only slightly cheaper than going to the dealership however. If you need a loaner, they only have a couple of loaner cars that you need to reserve in advance. The loaner cars are usually some non-BMW econo-box that they accepted in trade recently.
My general impression was that they were competent, honest, and repaired the car correctly in a timely manner. The prices were only slightly cheaper than going to the dealership however. If you need a loaner, they only have a couple of loaner cars that you need to reserve in advance. The loaner cars are usually some non-BMW econo-box that they accepted in trade recently.
SharkD
New member
I promise that I'll have the list updated soon (long to-do list - race car, photography, web site, etc.)...
...and I'll be adding a Piedmont NC shop section (since I'm moving there sometime this spring).
The first entry will be about 1st Class Auto Service in Raleigh, which did high-quality (although arguably somewhat-incompetent, since they ignored my list of symptoms, ordered a post-88 part for an '87 MY car and replaced the thermostat despite my explicit statement that the part was less than a year old) work at nominal labor rates ($88/hr) with an exorbitant parts mark-up (e.g., $78 for a fan clutch).
Unfortunately, I... or rather, the 6er, was stuck in a position where it was impossible for me to perform a repair that I otherwise could have done in a driveway had I not had to be back in D.C. for work. Probably, had I been able to get the car to Korman (which would have been an even longer tow), I'm sure I would have been much happier.
...and I'll be adding a Piedmont NC shop section (since I'm moving there sometime this spring).
The first entry will be about 1st Class Auto Service in Raleigh, which did high-quality (although arguably somewhat-incompetent, since they ignored my list of symptoms, ordered a post-88 part for an '87 MY car and replaced the thermostat despite my explicit statement that the part was less than a year old) work at nominal labor rates ($88/hr) with an exorbitant parts mark-up (e.g., $78 for a fan clutch).
Unfortunately, I... or rather, the 6er, was stuck in a position where it was impossible for me to perform a repair that I otherwise could have done in a driveway had I not had to be back in D.C. for work. Probably, had I been able to get the car to Korman (which would have been an even longer tow), I'm sure I would have been much happier.
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mynameisBMW
New member
Me and my friends take our cars to Induktion Motorsports. It is a little independant shop near BWI that specializes in Audi, BMW, Porche, VW. They do really good work, and word of mouth is how they get thier business.