South Lake European

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Carey Seitz
3 months ago
I'm so glad I found this shop! Maintaining a BMW isn't inexpensive, but I have found that this shop is honest, hard working, timely, and fairly priced. The staff is awesome and understands how much I love my sweet, old car, and I know that they take good care of her whenever I bring her in for minor and major service. She is well over 150k miles and going strong.

  Tyler W
2 months ago
Proceed at your own risk. My car was returned to me with more issues than when I left it. They left parts off, didn t bleed my coolant system correctly, and my car overheated on the 3 mile drive home.I limped the car home and bled the system according to BMW specs and by the end I had added nearly a gallon of coolant. They said they took it on a 6 mile test drive and everything looked good, save for a cylinder five misfire (that ll be another $1k please). I had to explain to the front desk what parts my cooling system has, because his diagram didn t show the all of them. I d rather speak to someone knowledgeable about the vehicle they are servicing, than play a game of telephone between the front desk and the mechanic.I had forgotten about writing this review, but today I got under the car to replace my driveshaft flex disc and found some rags left in my splash plate soaked in coolant. I don t know why it s so hard to find a shop you can trust to work on a European car. I did get my injector cover back, but I m not sure if I would have, had I not shown up to ask for it.

  Ashley Garrels
2 months ago
I've been taking my Volkswagen Beetle to South Lake European for the past few years and have always been so impressed with the customer service I've received! Russell is top notch, knowledgeable and helpful. The team has even helped me through financially tough times by including me in their Give Back initiative for Renton residents - this program offers hugely discounted repairs for those in need in the Renton community. I appreciate y'all, thanks for the great work!

  Laith Sakka
4 months ago
UPDATE:The same day I put my review the owner reached out he explained that they do not charge 300/hour. And that it must have been a miss communications. They also refunded back my money. This shows that they are willing always to address any mistakes that they do, and do care about customers. I am changing my review to 5 stars. And will go to them again for issues in my car.Original Review:They used to be extremely good and amazing ! but something changed sometime in the last year or so. Not sure if they lost some mechanics or changed management or what exactly.My most recent two experiences not good the latest being the following :my mercedes ESL failed i took it to a general mechanic he told me the issue is with esl but he cant do it. And did not charge me for the inspection because he cant fix it.i took it to south lake European after, they also told me next day they cant do it and that i need to take it to dealership but asked for 350 inspection charge i tried to negotiate they reduced to 300 and refused to go lower although they cant do the fix. And insisted they booked 90 mins for the inspection so i have to pay. So i paid them but its probably last time i work with them.I took it to the dealership after that, and the dealership messaged me the next day about the fix and did not charge me for inspection!!I also asked dealership how much they charge per hour and they said 300 which same as south lake charge!!!

  Ashton George
2 months ago
The guys have a fair approach to maintenance and repairs. They worked with me and gave progress updates, and as soon as they discovered another worn out item while working on the replacement they recommended a fix but asked what I'd like to do. Responsive and honest, I'm going back here next time I need special work on this car.

  Donaven Brines
4 months ago
Management top down runs an honest shop with great service. Don't let the name fool you... yes they're European car specialists which is why my M3 goes nowhere else. Same with the Jeep and the Subaru. Skip the dealerships and go here.

  Joshua Bellomo
7 months ago
I bought a used BMW five years ago at a very good price, but with that price came lots of big & little problems. Luckily, Brian and the crew at South Lake European have been 100% at fixing every problem I've had come across my path.The service is friendly and thorough and I've always been pleased by the results. South Lake European has my business as long as I own a vehicle they will service.Services: Electrical repair, General repairs & maintenance, Steering & suspension replacement, Auto engine diagnostic, Transmission repair, Oil change

  Zach Moore
10 months ago
Update: One of the managers or owners at the shop gave me a call and listened to my situation. He honored the quoted price I was given and refunded me the additional amount charged. I respect the customer care taken to reach out and mended my situation. Sometimes mistakes happen which I get and the shop owned that so that definitely earned my trust back. I will say although the situation was frustrating at first all the associates were definitely nice guys. Respect.Ultimately my biggest frustration was their lack of transparency with pricing. My past two experiences with Southlake I had a fix in December for the crankcase vent valve which cost me around $900. Ultimately within a month of the fix my car was burning/leaking oil every 500 miles. I took it back 5 months later and the crankcase vent valve apparently failed. The other fix that was recommended was replacing he valve cover gasket. The problem that I had was the associate quoted me for a fix at 1,100 and a brake fluid flush for 239. Then when I asked for the checkout price it jumped up to 2,700 dollars. The associate walked back the crankcase vent valve fix because the part failed which took back 500 and informed me of the 200 dollar inspection fee which I did not add into the cost but will agree it is fair. However, the valve cover gasket repair jumped up to 1400 without consulting me of the price jump. They said that it was 1400 because of the inspection fee but that item was a different line item on the receipt. I pointed that out and said it was unfair to quote a price and then charge something else at checkout. The fact that they would have let me walk out with a 2700 dollar fix unless I audited the receipt bothered me a little bit. I ended up walking out with a 2000 dollar fix when I anticipated something around 1400 total. Another issue I had was that even after both of these repairs in December and May I was warned that their could still be issues with the Car leaking oil because of the turbo. It is hard to spend 3k in repairs in 5 months and not be assured all the problems have been resolved.I will say though the associate I spoke with apologized and tried to work with me and gave me a 100 dollar credit. They also said they would warranty the repairs they did for 18 months or 18k miles.Services: Auto engine diagnostic, Engine repair

  Justin Lau
3 years ago
If you are looking for any European car services, do not hesitate to check this place out!I dropped my fianc�e's BMW X1 here couple days ago and the service from start to finish was great. Competitive price, fast & reliable service, great communications. They explained everything and breakdown of the charges, love the attention to details and service as well.Didn't notice there was a nail in the left rear on the tire until I took the car to this place, went to two tire shops before and none of them took care of it except filling air inside.I was able to pick up the car within 2 hours, I can confidently say that I've found a local auto shop that can get the job done!

  Jim Bellomo
7 months ago
The best thing I can tell you about South Lake European is that I live on Redmond Ridge, and I drive all the way to Renton so they can service my car. Brian and the entire staff at SLE do an awesome job. My car is always ready when they say it will be, and the price is very fair compared to the rest of the Puget Sound area. I have no intention of ever going anyplace else. We have been a customer of SLE since the day they opened. And the way they do business, it's likely we will do business until I no longer drive a car.

  Matt Hinzel
8 months ago
I reached out to Brian and the folks at South Lake European when I was in a pretty bad spot with my M3. They were able to resolve my issue in a timely manner, repair was spot on and the pricing was very reasonable. Would not hesitate to go back and will recommend to others. Thank you Brian and team for your help!

  Daniel Smith
6 months ago
Really fair and honest service. We take our BMWs there and have always been happy with the work they do. Cheers,

  Bert Wolf
a year ago
I'm buying a classic Porsche from across the continent. They did a pre-purchase inspection and gave me a thorough report. All of my questions were answered quickly and accurately. Odds are we'll never be in touch again, but I'm grateful for their experience and professionalism.

  Tucker Roberts
2 weeks ago
Great work and service. Very accommodating and a nice owner

  Blake Chore
3 years ago
I Brought my 2008 Supercharged Range Rover in for an oil change and to service the transmission. I noticed it was hesitating a bit with a very light shimmy when changing gears. Mitch was great at providing advice and letting me know that in his experience a good service would most likely fix my issue and in either case preventative maintenance is always good. When I picked the car up it did have an issue that was not present before, DO NOT LET THIS DETER YOU. Iv worked at a car dealership for 7 years. I can attest that unless the technician working on your car is a literal wizard, that these things happen. What s important is how the service center handles these instances. Mitch was great, squeezed me in the next day with no appointment. Got the car fixed the same day(shifts better then ever!) and even did a small job for me that I forgot to ask him about on my first visit to make up for my unexpected return visit on the house. The other service writer (Brian?) who I spoke to a couple times over the phone was also very helpful. I m pretty sure they are the only 2 service consultants that work there. So with either of them you are in good hands! Will definitely be bringing my Rover here from now on.Services: Transmission, Oil change

  Remi Mawi
a year ago
I DONT THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING, here s why:I did an oil change and a diagnosis for my mini cooper which is $500 and they told me that my car is not running well because of a high pressure fuel pump that needs to be replaced which is a bit over $1600 (prices are insanely high) anyways i got the money asked them for the service to get my car fixed, i drove it for less than a month then the same problem is now back, my car won t drive more than 30 to 40MPH, and after reading the reviews I noticed few customers had something fixed and then problem is back..NOT ONLY THAT, i called them after spending $2100 at their shop and explained that the car is not fixed, They asked to do New diagnosis that is for another $300 that i have to pay again to determine what s the problem,Well how couldn t you determine what s the problem when i paid the first $300 to diagnose it.. and now you re asking for another $300 and then what? Tell me something else need to be replaced for $2000?Seems like im gonna pay more than what my car is worth to fix it at this shop..I wish I took it somewhere else from the beginning, I thought their prices are high for a better services.

  Eli Rosa
5 years ago
The team here was very easy to work with and reasonably priced for all the work they did. They kept me informed every step of the way. They took the time to do a quality job and found an issue I had been playing whack-a-mole with for a while when addressing something else, and got it fixed. If you don't want to pay for quality parts and service then don't buy a car that needs it. If you, like me, love your car and want it taken care of by someone you can trust these guys are great.

  rc marburger
5 years ago
Mitch and team did a great job on my 2008 Audi A6 installation of front and rear brakes. They were a little less expensive than the dealership which saved me some money. I really appreciated that they were able to get the job completed in a timely manner. If you need quality work do not hesitate to call them. Thanks!

  Morgan
a year ago
I don t know what happened to this place, prior to this experience I had pretty good services along with customer service. I brought my car in on a Friday thinking they would at least diagnose the car by the end of the day. Didn t hear anything all day so I called right before close and they hadn t even looked at my car, I asked to come pick it up and they said they d be closed by the time I got there and I would have to get it Monday since they re closed all weekend. They took my car for 3 days didn t even look at it, why exactly would you even have me drop the car off in the first place? I get that shops get busy and things come up, but the least you can do is communicate honestly and let me know what s going on, especially since I m driving 30 minutes just to get there. Respect people s time and don t give attitude when you re clearly in the wrong.In reply to your response: I ve been taking my car here for the past 5 years since I bought it, you definitely have my info.

  Christopher Matthews
4 years ago
I like German cars and no matter what car I bring to them, they know what to look for and give me good advice while also giving good value on the work they do. I had a car with a tricky problem the dealership never figured out. They kept the car and worked at it until they finally fixed it. They can't have made any money off me on that visit but they earned my business on all my future work. You can trust them and they cost less than the dealership.

  Jeff S.
5 years ago
Took my car in to have it diagnosed and they found both my vacuum leaks within an hour. The price quoted was cheaper than any other repair shop I tried. This will definitely be the shop I bring my BMW to from now on. Shout out to Jason and Brian for their excellent service and help.

  Monica Mullen
3 years ago
This was my 1st time going here the staff were very friendly and helpful. I worked with Mitch who is great got me in right away to fix a burned out headlights my bmw. It only took about 15 minutes. Prices were very reasonable compared to BMW. I will back for BMW maintenance.

  Josiah Webster
2 years ago
Don't waste your time. Go to the audi dealership. I've taken my car here four times to fix a coolant leak. It's taken 2 months of diagnostic work and my car is more messed up then when I first gave it to them. It shouldn't take 5 times dropping my car off for hours each time to diagnose the issue. Such an inconvenience. I'd be willing to pay double for the job to ve done right which is what I'm going to have to do now.Service: Engine repair

  jade green
a year ago
I had a ton of work done and the car is dead. in a week out the shop and their reason was I didnt give them authorization to check for why the car was overheating despite asking if it's ok to take the car and drive it and was took yeah. Mind you the car came in for steering issues and now it overheats and cuts off bit them hold no responsibility for anything.Services: Air & cabin filter replacement, Steering & suspension repair, Steering & suspension replacement, Electrical, Auto engine diagnostic, Battery, Oil change

  Sky Iolta
4 years ago
These guys are the best shop for European cars, hands down. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable on any car you bring them, but they take care of you like you're family. I brought in my Z4M for a service and asked to have a small seal replaced on my rear differential to stop a leak they had noticed in a previous inspection. I drove it around town for about a hundred miles to make sure everything was good before taking it out on a road trip out to the Olympics, and that's when the new seal caused my differential to begin coming apart. 200 miles away from the shop. Not only did they help coach me through a few easy checks over the phone when I called them, once I got it into a local shop and confirmed it was the diff they had just worked on they got the car back to Renton, found a new oem local part that could be shipped quickly, and had me back in my car within a week. These guys have got a customer for as long as I have European cars, period.

  Cynthia Wagner
2 weeks ago
They are very professional and know how to destress emotions.

  Cameron Schiller
7 years ago
The people at Southlake European are professional and trustworthy experts. I will continue to bring my mechanical problems to them.I brought in my BMW with some shifting issues which revealed a series of electrical issues. Throughout the process of pinpointing and resolving these issues Brian was always upfront and honest with what he found and what the expected costs would be. He was knowledgeable, approachable and could always answer my questions.They were quick to get me in and always called me same day with news. When it was all said and done Brian gave me a great deal and only charged me for the labor costs originally estimated. I gave them a headache of a car to fix, but somehow they managed to keep the experience as smooth and painless as possible.

  Terence Cardinal
3 years ago
These guys are the Sugar Honey Iced Tea! Fast, efficient, and most of all honest. I have had our Mini there twice and trust them implicitly. All vehicle repairs are expensive now. You want to know all of that upfront and and make an informed decision. This place gives you just that.

  Asha Omar
4 years ago
I have been coming to this place for may be 5-6 years . I want to start saying no one requested me to this review . I have driven a mercedes benz for over 17 years . I learnt about south lake European after constantly spending money at the dealership. I felt i couldn t trust any the mechanic . I kept taking my previous Benz to Bellevue mercedes and they literally would charge me $1600 and my car will break down two months down the line . Miles were like 65,000 i decided to try south lake European . I literally have spent $$ that is so reasonable . I know Brian the service manager when i went to buy another benz i called him to ask for advice . Brian has simply been amazing , for years they change bulbs never charge me any money . If you look for quality and fair prices come here . Sam is the person i dealt wirth today .

  Donald Martin
7 years ago
There is nothing but pure class and professionalism here. Even when they gave me the "worst possible news" about my car, they gave me the best advice for what would work best for me, not what would put the most money in their pockets.Also, when I was planning on moving out of the area, Brian gave me great advice on what to do with my car when it would do absolutely nothing for their business. It ended up putting 2k in my pocket!When I return to the area, I will absolutely return to this business, even though I plan on buying a non-European car.I have nothing but positive things to say.