San Francisco Auto Repair

Love Gary and Paula and would never take my older Porsche anywhere else.

These guys are about as good as it gets. They charge regular repair rates for Mini service and are honest, direct, and are always there when you call. They know their Minis and have yet to give me any inclination that they are overcharging or doing unnecessary work.

Gary at Vanguard was very professional, friendly, and honest. My car died and I had it towed to Vanguard on the recommendation of the towing company. Gary diagnosed the issue very quickly and for a good price, and gave me honest advice.

It took me a couple of years to find a mechanic that I could trust and thought was fair. It's Vanguard. Fair prices great service and they really care about how your car runs. I wouldn't go anywhere else. And I highly recommend them to my friends.

owner gary is very knowledgeable and explains repairs in detail. he's not going to rip you off, he honest.

I was heading south on the 550 when my BMr dashboard lit up. I called my Santa Monica Mechanic and he told me to get to repair shop quick. The place I was referred to was Vanguard... No one picked up when I was calling from the road (lunch brake) but when I arrived they were friendly to a traveler (me) and while they couldn't help me they did help me find another organization up the road... that was helpful. Thx!

My experience with Vanguard Motors has been nothing short of exceptional. They do a thorough job at a fair price, and don't take a year and a day. They provide clear explanations of the work to be done and they patiently answer all of my questions. Gary and Paula have scheduled my car at the last minute when necessary. One time Gary personally drove me to get a rental car when their transport van didn't show up. They make me feel like a valued customer as opposed to a number like I used to feel at the dealership. I highly recommend this shop.

Gary is great. He was able to diagnose an idling problem in my beloved 1989 325i. He had it solved within the day, and ended up not charging me labor, since the actual work was so little. He also advised me against another optional repair that would have cost a lot, mostly in labor. I greatly appreciate not getting the hard sell. He also communicated regularly and promptly.

Gary and Paula are great... honest, professional and super conscientious often to their fault. I have had my Porsche serviced by them for many many years and they are great honest people with whom I have total confidence at all times... They set clear expectations, meet deadlines, and are helpful even when they are spread so thin I can feel their spiked stress level due to all the demands they have to best serve each and everyone of their clients. Thank you.

I've been taking my E46 to Vanguard for 7 years and he's running as good as the day I bought him. If you take your older vehicle to the dealer shop, you get a 'buy a new car' sales job and the work is done by some trainees with very loose supervision. At a local generalist shop, you get generalist knowledge of cars. I want a shop that knows the car really well.Gary and the team at Vanguard are great. They make your Bimmer part of the family and manage its maintenance with the professional skill and the passion of an enthusiast.They only use quality BMW parts and lubricants - in addition to BMW (Castrol) oil they use Redline, which I highly recommend for stick shift gear boxes. If you care for your car, that's what you want.