Service Specialists

I was looking to purchase a BMW in San Diego and finally found one that I was interested in. Service Specialists was the most convenient choice for a pre-​purchase inspection and cost $ 100. Gary was actually very accommodating with this process and gave the car the green light after having reservations about anyone purchasing a 335i (apparently notorious for certain issues including high-​pressure fuel pump, turbos, etc. but thats whole other story). I ended up purchasing the car and it was running very smoothly.
Gary recommended that since it hadn’t had it’s 100k scheduled maintenance that I get it down. This included replacing the spark plugs and coils as well as some other minor updates. When I got the car back, I noticed right away that it was not running the same as it was before. The car was running rough at idle and when at a stop the RPMs would bounce around all over the place. I brought the car back to Gary and explained the issue. He took a look at it again and assured me that there was no issue. Again, I was noticing the same issues.
I tried to make another appointment for Gary to look at the car, but every time I was supposed to bring in the car, he was «way too busy» to look at it. This happened about 4 – 5 times over the course of a week until I just got fed up and decided to cut ties.
I ended up taking the car to BMW of San Diego just to have them assess what was going on. They determined that the VANOS solenoids were failing and needed to be replace. I would never have the dealership do the work because they overcharge, but they do have the best diagnostics to determine the issues.
I ended up taking my car to another independent BMW mechanic in the area and had the work done. The car is running as smoothly as when I initially bought the car.
PROS:
–Gary is a very nice guy and if you have a minor issue with your car or need scheduled maintenance, then you might want to employ his services.
–They give you discounts for paying in cash
–Prices are competitive
–Convenient if you live near downtown San Diego
CONS:
–Wasn’t able to tackle deeper problems (heard from another mechanic that Gary doesn’t invest in some of the newer diagnostic tools which limits his ability to tackle all of the issues)
–If you aren’t a priority, then he might blow you off (could have been an isolated incident, but I got the feeling that after the work was done and Gary was satisfied there was nothing wrong with the car, then I wasn’t a priority). I don’t think this is a respectable business practice as you want to forge good relationships with customers.
Bottom line is if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. There are some issues that need to be fixed before they cause systematic failure, but in general this is a great rule to follow and one that I had to pay to realize.

Fantastic service, honest, good pricing & prompt repairs on my BMW. Wouldn’t take my car anywhere else!

Gary at Service Specialists is an honest mechanic who you can trust (which is hard to find in that industry). We’ve taken our BMW there on a regular basis for several years because of the integrity and attention to service they consistently bring. It’s difficult to find an auto mechanic who doesn’t try to inflate the problems with your car. That’s not the agenda of this shop and it’s so much more inexpensive than going to the dealer for repairs as well as a minimum of hassle. Definitely recommend.

This is a wonderful shop to take your BMW. As a car enthusiast, you only want to take your car to a shop that cars for your car and has knowledge of your specific model, not just cars in general, and this is that shop. The owner, Gary, was very friendly and took my car in on short notice for a small fluid change for a long road trip I was about to do. Aaron, the mechanic, serviced my E30 and also made sure to do a full inspection and noted my rear sway bar had sheared off its mount and referred to the perfect shop to get this custom fab work done (San Diego Performance European, reviewed). They got my car in and out within an hour but left me knowing my car was cared for, inspected and serviced. If you’re in Downtown and drive a BMW, THIS is your only shop!

I was referred to Gary/​Service Specialists several years ago and will not let anyone else touch my car. Gary and his staff are incredible. His pricing is always fair and he’s incredibly honest. He always sticks to his word. This is the first time I have ever felt that someone honestly cares about what they are doing.

Gary Dodd takes great care of my X5. Always feel good knowing I have a great service shop to take care of any issues that may come up with my car. Very knowledgeable and honest. Highly recommended.

Excellent, quick service! Had a crack in my radiator (97 Z3) got it fixed the same day I brought it in. No hassle, no nonsense, friendly and reasonably priced service! Will most definitely be returning.

I came in here for a lot of work on my 528i BMW. I had to get the big service done and also needed to get my cooling system replaced. About $ 3,800 total. The dealership was closer to $ 5k. They were super friendly and fast with taking care of the issues. Will be back again.
Service:
Super friendly service and very fast. They inspected the car and walked me through everything to let me know what needed to be done and why. They told me what needed to be done now and what could wait, which is way better than a dealer saying you HAVE to do everything now. Still they cut me a deal to do everything there and it was super easy.
Staff:
Super friendly staff that made me feel well taken care of
Price:
The price was best in town.
Overall:
I had a great experience and will be back again!

Gary is very knowledgable and honest. He greets you with a genuine smile and greasy hands. Lol! He was recommended by a friend who has taken his BMWs to Gary in both locations for years. I used to take my BMW to the dealerships for repairs because I didn’t know better. Lots of hidden charges that they don’t tell you about. I’m sure I was taken advantage of 1) because I’m a woman, and 2) because I don’t know squat about car repairs. With Gary, he gives you the price up front and sticks to it. I do realize that an estimate is only just that but I also realize that the service «advisors» at the BMW dealerships are salesmen. Gary is a real down-​to-​earth mechanic, no glitz or glamour or posh waiting areas with complimentary cappuccino machines. If you own a BMW, there is no better place in San Diego County than Service Specialists on India St. In Little Italy downtown!

If you have a BMW, this should be your service shop. Period. Very honest, helpful, knowledgeable.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this because on a personal level, Gary is a nice person. However, I really like Darryl. He is wonderful! He is soft spoken, not pushy and an experienced mechanic. I hesitated to write this, but decided to go forward with it because my recent experience was not a pleasant one. I have been coming here for several years now and have dropped thousands of dollars and also referred family members who have also dropped thousands of dollars. BMW’s are very expensive to maintain, I realize that. I have maintained my BMW religiously. I procrastinated this time because I had other more pressing things going on in my life. My car is due for an Inspection II which runs around $ 600. I made it very clear to Gary that I am not prepared to drop $ 600 on my car as of right now. Most importantly, my oil warning light was on indicating that I needed an oil change. My first and foremost concern is always my safety and the safety of others and would never compromise that. I only wanted to get done what was critical. The changing of the «filthiest air filter he has ever seen», as Gary put it, and the «topping off of fluid levels» was not my priority TODAY. Gary was extremely pushy and really tried to get me to do the inspection even though I made it very clear to him that I could not afford the $ 600 today but he kept at it. This is what drew the line for me. He said he would much rather do the Inspection II with the oil change rather than piece meal it. Obviously, the money was more of his concern than the safety of my vehicle because he basically told me he didn’t want to do the oil change. I was there in 10 minutes and picked up my car and left. I guess the $ 170 oil change just wasn’t worth his time. There is nothing worse than being pressured into doing something you don’t want to or can’t afford and Gary cannot assume that people have that type of money to drop when he wants it. Many people are on a tight budget, have to save money for the holidays, may have a house in foreclosure, may have lost their jobs, etc. Don’t assume. You don’t know what people’s financial situation is. It’s perfectly okay to recommend services, but very inappropriate to pressure people every time they bring their car in. I have tolerated it for years, but no longer can or will. It’s very stressful when put in that position. I will no longer be bringing car here.

This place is everything that an auto garage should be! It’s like something out of an old time movie. Right smack dab in the middle of Little Italy, it looks like a tiny airplane hanger, just big enough to line the walls on either side with old BMWs.
I called a bunch of places when I was losing a bit of coolant from my 525i, trying to find a place that sounded like they knew a thing or two about e34s. I always call around before going to any business when it involves something as expensive and important as car repair.
So many places try to make you feel like you’re useless right away, and pull the old marketing strategy of «you’re an idiot, so you must need me.» Not these guys! First off, if you call when the place is closed, the call gets forwarded to the owner’s cell phone, which he will gladly answer while in line at the grocery store, or at home relaxing… first plus.
Then, when I went down there, Aaron (one of the two mechanics working in the garage) put the car up on the lift, and walked me through what all the possible problems could be, letting me come in the garage and have a look for myself at the things he saw. He found the potential issue, explained to me what needed to be done, and proceeded to tell me that if I was willing, I could probably fix it myself!
He offered to fix it that day, and said if I did want to do it myself, he would be happy to give me whatever advice or direction that I needed. On top of that, the 30 minutes he spent with the car on the lift was absolutely free!
These guys are honest, knowledgable, and clearly passionate about BMWs. They understand that if you offer value from the start, you create customer loyalty, which means more business in the long run anyway. Win for me, win for them!
In short, the best garage I have ever come across hands down!!!

I have a 05′ bmw 325i and my ‘service engine soon’ light came on and I was thinking about taking it to the dealer but they were going to charge over $ 100 to diagnose just what the problem would be. I decided to give this shop a call and Gary (the owner) was really nice. He told me to come in and he won’t charge to have the car looked at. I brought the car in and the moment I brought the car in they immediately looked at it. And it turned out to be a quick fix with the gas cap and they reset the service light at no charge :)
It was really nice of them not to charge me, I would definitely make another visit to them

Read the review on Unilocal and decided to give Auto Specialists a try for my 1979 320i BMW. Well I was blown away with Gary’s knowledge he could give me a pretty accurate quote over the phone as to what it would cost and how long it would take to fix it. I’ll say he was right on.
I’ll definitely take my BMW there when I need service he’s close, convenient, honest and very good. What more could you ask from a Mechanic, oh yes he’s also honest doesn’t try to upsell you.
Thanks Gary for the great service. One thing is that he kind of looks like he tied one on the night before but it could just be his style, no stars taken off.

Service Specialists, is an upstanding shop.
In an oil change, Service Specialists made sure I was ready for the road by checking the car over and even replacing my tail light as part of the oil change and customer service.
As important as it is to provide good service, it is just as important to come through when mishaps occur.
And when the mishap occurred 300 mi away, Gary came through as an honorable businessman.
Honor goes a long way

These guys are honest, reasonably priced and do a great job taking care of my BMW. It is difficult to find honest mechanics that you can trust. I would definitely recommend these mechanics.
Tamara Cross