British 4x4 of Reno

I have to say that Mike had been a breath of fresh air, it is rare to hear an honest mechanic. My hat goes off to Mike. If i ever buy another Land Rover he is the to go guy. Its to bad all he does is land rovers. All dealerships can us this honest mechanic. We need more guys like him.

Brian and Holly and everyone at British 4×4 are so knowledgeable and helpful, so far above any other mechanic we have ever encountered. They have been working on our Rover for 4 years now and we could not possibly be happier.
They are extremely honest and work with you to explain options. They give great recommendations based of years of experience. We are about an hour away from them and it’s totally worth it.
Would give 6 stars if we could. They came highly recommended and we are so happy we found them.
Try and find another mechanic on Unilocal with 5 stars.

I brought my 2004 discovery to British 4×4 after I bought it almost 2 years ago, just to get it back in tip top shape. Sense then it has gone back for a few accident repairs and some minor concerns, nothing to crazy but Brian and his entire team at British 4×4 are so accommodating, nice and honest. As a women taking my car in for any type of repairs in the past has always been a stressful experience. Not any more! I always feel so comfortable and confidant leaving my car in this amazing teams hands. They love my car almost as much as I do :) and it shows in their hard work and great customer service!

I have a 1996 Land Rover discovery with 267,000 miles on it. Brian has been working on my car for at least the last five years, and he is by far the most honest and reliable mechanic I have ever dealt with in my entire life. Holly is always welcoming and also very knowledgeable. Brian even diagnosed my car by listening to it over my phone. This Rover gal cannot say enough about Brian!
Thank you Holly and Brian for all you have done for me. You both Rock the Rovers!

My hat goes off to Brian and British 4×4 of Reno yet again– my 2001 Discovery Series 2 gave me several little problems since my last visit but this time I thought it was really over. My head gasket blew and no matter how much coolant I poured into the reservoir it disappeared with seemingly no trace. Though I could still crank it and drive it several yards at a time it left a plume of heavy white smoke and sounded as though metal was being run through a garbage disposal. I feared the worst and parked the Rover for several months while saving up for a complete engine overhaul. I even gathered parts to attempt the head gasket repair myself but opted to have the Discovery towed to Brian to see what could be done. Just as I had been told by other mechanics, Brian feared that the engine was toast and quoted me a very reasonable price to install another used but guaranteed short block into my car. I was prepared to cover the expense and left the keys in his hands. The next day Brian calls up and surprises me with the news that my engine may be salvageable! To my surprise Brian was able to remove the engine, clean it from top to bottom, replace all the seals and gaskets, and reinstall it in less than a work week. Absolutely phenomenal. Brian stood to gain thousands of dollars more by selling me a used short block and adding additional labor hours to the total but he didn’t. I was already convinced that my engine was a goner and was all but ready to fork over months worth of savings. I have been taken advantage of by shops a time or two in the past and am quite weary of car mechanics but I could not be more satisfied with the work that these guys do. I can’t praise them enough. The work is thorough. Their prices are less than half of what the dealership charges. The car was ready days before they promised it. They even installed a speed sensor for me at no additional charge and reset the «three amigos» warning lights that have been on since I purchased the car years ago!!! They even re-​set the clock on my dash and switched the temperature reading from Celsius to Fahrenheit. On top of all this I had an issue with my fuel pump which was totally unrelated and Brian took the time to diagnose the problem, explain the situation in easy to understand layman’s terms to me, and yet again saved me hundreds more dollars. It cranks on the first try every time now. Really. Who is ever happy when their car gives them problems, leaves them stranded, and costs them money? At least there are dedicated Rover specialists like Brian and his staff around to ease the pains of owning these fine yet finicky British SUVs. I recommend them wholeheartedly. I couldn’t be any happier with my decision to take my Discovery to them again.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. My Interstate battery was having issues holding a charge and they did a warranty replacement on it for me absolutely free of charge. There’s no telling how many years that old battery was in there. Free. I was surprised to pop the hood and see a brand new battery where my old corroded one once sat.

How often does a guy unexpectedly spend thousands of dollars on a replacement engine for his Land Rover and then rave about how great the shop was? Well, I can’t imagine it happens often but Brian and his shop deserve the highest of praise.
Brian was honest with me every step of the way. He discussed advantages and disadvantages of every option. He made a point of actually showing me all of the issues with my Discovery instead of just telling me.
In the end, he worked hard to find the lowest cost option for me with the most benefit. The job was finished days early. I have even received excellent support after the work was done, including via e-​mail.
I just moved out of town, so I am kind of sad that Brian will not be my regular mechanic for a while. Take your Land Rover to British 4×4 of Reno. You will be in excellent hands.

I live at Lake Tahoe and own a Land Rover Discovery. I highly recommend British 4X4 of Reno. I have been coming to Brian for several years, and experienced exceptional service from his Team of Professionals. Recently, my Land Rover had a maintenance issue and Brian drove right up I-​80 and helped me out. He was there to assist in under 30 minutes. I have mentioned British 4X4 to several other Land Rover owners I know, and they have all commented on how pleased they are. The bottom line is that Brian runs a terrific business!

There is a reason why British 4×4 gets 5 stars from most of its customers. We started going to British 4×4 in 2012 and have had nothing but the utmost best service. Our 1996 Landrover Discovery was in need of care which Brian (the owner of British 4×4) has given us. Brian just finished installing both mufflers and the car sounds great driving back to Lake Tahoe. A few months ago we were having shifting problems with the transmission on this car. My wife drove it to Brian and he determined that the transmission needed a lot of work and noticed quite a bit of large metal shavings when he pulled the plug on the tranny. This car is not worth putting a new transmission in. Brian suggested a used one that he had which saved us a lot of money. My wife had to leave the car overnight for it to be fixed. Since we live in So. Shore of Lake Tahoe, which is about 60 miles from Brian’s shop, Brian’s wife, Holly, told my wife she would drive her home, which she did. What other repair shop would ever do that? None that I know of. And Holly wouldn’t take any money for gas. Brian and Holly are true givers and they go beyond what any shop would do. If you have a Landrover or Range Rover and you haven’t gone to British 4×4 in Reno, you need to try Brian’s shop. Based on a couple of problems I’ve had with this car, over the phone, Brian told me what to check and what he thought the problem could be. He was correct on every occasion. Thank you very much Brian and Holly for your service and honesty. I wish Unilocal would let me give them 10 stars. Frank B.

Having a vintage Land Rover is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is getting to drive a piece of British history and connecting with those who are no longer with us.
The curse is trying to find someone who is willing to work on them, competence aside. My worries are over. Through luck I found Brian and British 4X4 of Reno when I was having issues with my transmission in my 1972 Land Rover Series III. I found Brian very helpful on the phone and decided to have my Rover towed to his shop. To my surprise he had a called me back within 3 hours describing the problem I was having with a broken shift fork. By the next day he had replaced the shift fork with one he had from a prior job and removed the broken piece without having to remove the transmission, saving me a thousand dollars. I picked up my Rover in less than 24 hours from it arriving at his shop
When I picked up the Rover Brian took the time to not only show me the broken parts, but to talk about other issues I was curious about. Great guy, great shop.
If you have a Land Rover, new or old, this is where you should be going to have work done to it.Period.

I could go on and on, but I won’t. It is really simple: If you have a Land Rover, and live w/​in 100 miles of British 4×4, this is the only place you should go. If you live further away, you should still seriously consider it.
Brian has been working on my Land Rovers (’94 Disco, ’95 RRLWB) since he was at the (now closed) Land Rover Dealership. I tried the rest in town before I found him, and then had to take my Rovers to San Francisco to get everything fixed that the other mechanics in Reno screwed up. Then I found Brian. Simply the best. If I were in SF, I would still bring my Rovers to him.
If you have a Rover and a brain, you go to British 4×4.

I keep meaning to write this review and forgetting but better late than never! I received top notch attention and service from Brian. He didn’t stop helping me until my Rover was safe to tow a trailer and went above and beyond the normal level of service. It is obvious he is passionate about this vehicle and knows that he is the answer that the local Range Rover owners’ need. I will be coming to him as long as I’m a Rover owner.

This place exceeded my expectations. Brian not only took the time to check my Land Rover out but explained in great detail to me (a female) who knows nothing about a car what was happening. Over the last several years the Land Rover dealer hadn’t given me even close the education that Brian did in one quick visit! If you own a British car only go and see these guys! Having to drive an hour to have an honest and highly knowledgable person work on my car is priceless. Thank you also for checking to see my power cord had dirt on it which was keeping me from charging my phone and it wasn’t a fuse! Dealer couldn’t tell me that either! Ha. Going an extra mile to find it was a dirty plug giving me grief. You are the best and I should have grabbed a stack of your cards to place on every Range Rover and Land Rover I come across in the area! Keep being amazing British 4×4!

Found out about Brian after the now CLOSED local Rover dealership said they couldn’t fix my last Rover AFTER they had fixed it but DIDN’T KNOW IT! Brian put me on to my next Rover purchase and I’ve been a MORE than satisfied customer for the past FIVE YEARS! He, his wife and staff ALWAYS go the extra mile and often work on weekends and after hours when required to get the stranded client back on the road! He is the rarest of tradesmen in today’s marketplace-​an honest, supremely competent «engineer» (I am by degree — Brian by Rover factory schooling and sheer technical skill!!) who will not settle on doing a repair less than perfect but at a reasonable cost by sometimes «thinking outside of the box» instead of just throwing parts at a problem! What higher recommendation do you require?

The glowing reviews of this shop are not fabricated. I took my 2006 LR3 in to get lifted etc and the work was done well and on time. Recommend this place with enthusiasm

Can I give ten stars! Brian helped me find a Discovery. I live in the Bay Area and when I would look at a car here Brian was on the line all the time. I sent pics and we talked. He became my LandRover Guru! Now he has the car I bought in his shop and it’s 8:30pm… He’s still working on it so it’s safe and sound. He’s really amazing, skilled, talented, kind, fair… no more than fair. He changes my perception of what a mechanic should be and what a human being can be. Having British 4×4 in my arsenal is like having a good friend who helps you with your very tricky but amazing car. Better than that. It’s like having a good friend. Screw the car:)

Brian and his team are amazing! He has worked on our LR3 for years now and we could not possibly be happier with his service and advise. His knowledge and professionalism are completely above and beyond what we have ever experienced when it comes to any other auto repair shop. He is so friendly and patient, going out of his way to help us and make sure we are happy. Can not say enough good things about this guy!

If you have a Land Rover or Range Rover, there is NO BETTER SHOP within 500 miles in any direction of 50 Freeport Bvd Suite 7 in Sparks, Nevada! Brian Thornhill and his staff are a Master Land Rover mechanic’s who deliver an excellent job, EVERYTIME, British 4×4 of Reno’s rate for repairs are FAIR and above all else HONEST. I can vouch for the outstanding character of Holly and Brian’s integrity: HONEST, PATIENT, SMART, FAIR, AND THEY’RE SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE YOU’D WANT TO MEET. I would give British 4×4 of Reno 12 Stars if Unilocal would allow me. THERE IS NO BETTER LAND ROVER REPAIR, and this review is written by a Rancho Mirage, CA Land Rover original owner. (right next door to the Bentley Dealership) with it’s «Grey Poupon» lobby, prices and attitude) I’d airlift my Rover to Reno to have these guys work on it if I had to. Brian Thornhill is awesome. EOM.

I live in Santa Barbara CA and bought my Range Rover in Bend Oregon. After a few experiences with the yahoo’s here in Santa Barbara I decided that I would try Brian when I visited Reno — I am now a full time customer of British 4×4 of Reno — I schedule all my repairs and maintenance around my visits to Reno so that I can get them done by Brian. I can’t say enough good things about Brian and Holly. You will not be disappointed — I am a huge fan. Give ‘em a try.
Kevin Keller

I can’t say enough good things about Brian and his repair shop. I live in the Bay Area but was driving through Reno, pulling a trailer behind my LR3, when the «check brakes» light started flashing and chiming continuously. I called his shop around noon and he said to come in and that he’d check it out.
When I arrived I noticed he had all kinds of other repairs taking place. Regardless, he called around and found new pads and rotors that could be dropped of at this shop and said he’d get them installed by 6pm that day, staying late if needed (I had told him that I needed to leave that night, if possible). He got the work done by 5:30pm.
It’s rare to find service this good anymore and I was extremely happy with British 4×4 of Reno.