San Francisco Auto Repair

Gary and Paula are always top notch and go that extra mile! thanks guys! =)

I was referred to Gary & Paula by a good friend of mine who is also an E30 enthusiast. What stands out about this shop is that 1) they are genuine people, 2) they do great work, and 3) they care about their clients. They are experts on BMWs and car enthusiasts in their own right! I went through a few different shops/mechanics only to experience poor work and/or dishonesty. Even another supposedly reputable BMW shop in SF (who shall not be named) up charged me for unnecessary work. This was not the case here as Gary showed me the broken parts he replaced and how to look for signs of wear in those parts. Their professionalism is top notch. Needless to say, I will ONLY be coming here for my automotive needs. I even referred my parents to come here - I don't think I can give any higher praise than that.

My temperamental 335i had an emergency electrical failure that put the car in a fail-mode. I can't tell you how pissed off I was w/ the car. I took it to Vanguard because I had a very good experience with them in the past, and I feel comfortable entrusting them again. In my case, it was a super labor-intensive process on their part because the diagnostic tool could not connect to the car to do what it was supposed to do. Gary and his crew had to manually go through a painful process by elimination. Well, not only they solved the problem, they were super reasonable with the rate. They could have decided to put in a replacement part just because, but they didn't. Overall, I couldn't be happier with their outstanding work. My experience w/ the 335i has been mixed, and overall I can't save it's been a happy and trouble-free ownership. But it's the local, honest, competent shop like Vanguard that gives me the confidence to keep this car. Vanguard still respects and cares about the relationship between the owner and his car. Definitely can't say that about the dealer.Highly recommended.

Vanguard is the spot! I have brought my 1987 325is to Gary & Paula a handful of times now, and every experience has been quick, easy, and best of all, thorough. Gary is such a wealth of knowledge on E30s (and many other models!) and has really given me a lot of confidence in running an older car. The work has been high quality, delivered on time, and often under estimate. The best of all worlds! Highly recommended, especially if you have a "classic" (or borderline classic, in my case) BMW or Porsche.

I have owned two BMW's and Vanguard is the only place that I will take my car to be serviced. Gary is hands down the best mechanic that I have used. His knowledge and expertise is amazing, his prices are always very fair, and Paula is also fantastic. Vanguard is the best!!

Gary and his staff are consummate professionals. They are not only trustworthy masters of their craft, but likable people at that. Highly recommended!

I have known Gary personally on a professional level for over a decade. I have in fact been to his location and watched him work. Nothing short of a 5 star man, shop and team.

I have known Gary personally on a professional level for over a decade. I have in fact been to his location and watched him work. Nothing short of a 5 star man, shop and team.

I've been a Vanguard customer for just over a year now after my 2008 BMW 535xi wagon fell out of warranty. They are everything you want from a non-franchised specialist and nothing you don't.Gary and Paula make a great team and they know their BMWs better than the dealership. They have been able to diagnose problems with alacrity that is often appreciated when you are running an older, high mileage German car.They are prompt, always looking to save you money, don't cut corners and always use proper parts. They aren't the cheapest in the area but I am wary of using the cheapest mechanics especially where the more complex German engineering is concerned. I would say that they offer a good mid spot price-wise between the dealer and a generalist mechanic. For me this is more than acceptable because that extra money goes into proper factory training for all their techs as well as owning the proper equipment.One thing I really like about Vanguard is the work they are not willing to take on. They steer clear of any aftermarket work and will advise you why, I see them as an extension of the type of service that the dealership provides you but without the crazy upsell and the un-necessary work.They are direct and to the point on what you need to have done and then give you a laundry list of the nices to have and also the advisories. They only use OEM parts, all of their technicians are trained to the same standard but they aren't bound by the 'by the book' approach that our dealers use.I've seen some very very high dollar amount cars in there, which is all I needed to know. If someone is willing to let them service their $100k 911 then I'm more than happy to let them work on my six year old wagon.

I don't know of a more trustworthy and knowledgeable car shop in the city.It is akin to taking your car to the Tappet brothers, except it's Paula and Gary, and maybe without the jokes, but the knowledge and care cannot be overstated.