Bavarian Machine Specialties

The Best in Town for BMW Work!
I found Bavarian Machine Specialties through a Facebook Ad. I had been looking for a reputable BMW Shop to take my vehicles to without the thought of being overcharged and getting shoddy work.
So glad I stumbled across this place!
I contacted BMS first through their website with a general inquiry. John was very helpful in directing me to the right places that would carry what I needed and my preferences and so on and so forth.
I needed exhaust work done to my X6. Now, mind you, this was aftermarket exhaust. So, I knew there was going to have to be some modifications done. John and his team did a fantastic job and I couldn’t be any more happier at the outcome! And it was a bonus that they washed and vacuumed my car when I picked it up!
They have definitely won my business and my respect!
I’ll be back to have the work done on my other car!
Thanks guys!

Great guys here who know their stuff. I had a lot of work done on my 2001 BMW 740 and it’s always stressful picking up your car after being at a mechanics because in my experience something always goes wrong after the fact. In this case, its been over a year and zero problems whatsoever. They are totally worth the cost and have gained a customer for life.

I’ve got a 2005 325Ci that I’ve owned and loved since I got it used in 2007, and in that time I’ve put the car through a lot – coming up on 140k miles – so it has a growing list of issues. Since I’ve moved to Houston I’ve taken my car to Bavarian Machine Specialties and have always been very satisfied with the outcomes I’ve gotten. The owner, John, has always taken the time to talk me through various options available and has given me fair estimates (as well as been frank when no such estimates are available – and this is a general response to some of the reviews below that express anger at not getting estimates they like: not every problem with a car can be understood and diagnosed with perfect accuracy beforehand; these guys are mechanics, not Nostradamus). On one occasion I went in with a problem with my left indicator light and since I’d been in for related problems, they fixed the problem without charging me a dime. I hope to get a new BMW soon but when it goes out of warranty I’ll be sure to take it right back to Bavarian Machine Specialties.

Brought in my car for service. The employees are 1 of a kind. Friendly, Kind, and also looking out for my $$. I would recommend this place to anyone. I will continue to bring my car to this shop.

Always had great work done on my m3 here. They also have high end equipment to mount low profile tires properly. Great shop.

My Mom came down from East Texas to have her BMW checked out. It was making a noise. We paid $ 99 for a complete list of issues with the car, and we also requested a quote to fix whatever was wrong.
They did provide the list, but getting a quote was a big hassle. They didn’t want to give us a quote. Instead they wanted us to provide a budget to them. After much back and forth via email, we refused to give them a budget.
Go somewhere else to get your work done.
EDITED TO RESPOND TO THE OWNER
My mother isn’t on Unilocal,and I was involved in this process. Most of your correspondence with her was in writing, so to say I heard it 2^nd hand is a bit silly.
The bottom line is that you didn’t offer her a quote, and that’s what you were repeatedly asked for. Instead of running her off from the sticker shock of a high quote, you frustrated the customer by not giving her what she asked for, and you were pretty insulting about it.
Kinda similar to your response below, but your emails talked down to her even more.

I took my BMW X5 in for a leveling issue and a couple minor issues like a mirror motor malfunction and noisy steering wheel. I was told I was to pay $ 99 for a first-​time customer full car evaluation. I thought no big deal since I needed all these things looked at anyway.
I receive an e-​mail quote from JOHN that has listed out costs totalling $ 6,500, including 4 hours of labor at $ 99 per hour that has already been done without checking with me first.
First, he wasn’t exactly sure of the fix for the leveling system, only that he needed to perform a repair to «see» if it would be the fix. Nice work for 300 $ of labor. Maybe they shouldn’t be a BMW specialty shop.
When I told him I hadn’t authorized him to do any labor yet, he told me every shop does this and this is a standard thing. He also tried to guilt trip me because he had already ordered parts for the job without asking me. Also, their costs for their flushes and standard maintenance are more than double the specials all BMW dealership service shops run all the time.
I immediately brought my car to MidTown BMW and they are looking at the car as we speak for 0 $ to diagnose the issues.
Please think twice before sending here, not customer friendly, not very knowledgable and very expensive.

There are much better service shops for bimmers. These guys think they can keep customers waiting and wasting their time. They took 2 weeks just to get back to me about a header install and they didn’t have an answer – just a series of very stupid questions.
Pass.

The Ultimate Driving Machine
Any bmw owner will tell you, the car they own is something special. BMW USA has strived to become the performance luxury vehicle in America, a mark that is often clouded by the competition. Make no mistake, if you want true performance in a well balanced package, try BMW.
I own a 1995 530i, an e34 model with a v8 engine. Moving to Houston put a lot of stress on my car — long hot summers, not so smooth roads, train tracks, and lots of miles logged to get pretty much anywhere. But somehow, 16 years and 204K miles later, this ultimate driving machine still drives wonderfully. The team at Bavarian Machine keeps this dream alive.
After struggling to find a good mechanic for my bimmer, I located these guys through the BIMRS network (check it out if going out of area, network of BMW mechanics. My Philly mechanic clued me in to this). I was hesitant, as it seemed a little pricey, though I liked the approach. They don’t just take your car in, start slapping parts at it, and call it fixed. They schedule an overview inspection to get to knew your vehicle, its needs, and your comfort level.
Not only did I do this, but I sprung for the full blown level II major service inspection — costly, but now I knew every loose nut and bolt. They track your maintenance records, incorporate any old one you might have, and set up a preventative schedule. As an engineer, I know this approach is far superior. It may seem like you are spending a lot of capital, but you are greatly extending the life of your vehicle. If you wait until it breaks, you could end up spending twice as much in domino failures, and lost time from work.
And to top it off, after servicing your vehicle, they wash it! I left it for the day, came back and it was washed and vacuumed. Booyah!
CAVEAT — This shop is for owners who love their cars. If you really don’t care about your car, don’t bother coming here. You will think it is overpriced and unnecessary.

They do great work and letting you know about what is coming down the road. They specialize in BMWs. Mike (Owner) will personally take time to talk about your car after a major service. Very knowledgeable and informative people. They do advanced racing setups for local BMW clubs and racers etc.
On the negative side; the good service and care comes at a steep price. They also recommend and follow a very strict maintenance guideline that is different from factory recommendation. You are asked to bring the car in every 5000 miles and the cycle goes like Oil Change — Minor Service — Oil Change — Major Service.