Shoreline Foreign Auto Repair

I live right across the street from these guys and have always enjoyed seeing the constant selection of cool vintage BMWs when I walk by their lot. So when my Volvo broke down and started pouring coolant from under the car, it was the first place that I thought to call. They work mostly on BMWs but I was happy to discover that they would fix my car. Having worn different hats in the auto industry over the years, I've seen my fair share of shops and I can say that you're not likely to find one that looks more organized that what they have here. Even the service desk/reception area looks nice, efficient and clean. From start to end, they had my car for just over a week, which at first impression seemed a bit long, but it's understandable because I was behind everyone else who had an appointment. When I dropped my car off, I was even treated to the sight of a pretty 3.0CS and E34 M5 - stuff like that brightens up the day of gearheads like me. The total tab was definitely more expensive than it would have been at the other Volvo specialist I usually go to, but I know the work was done right and the tech gave me a very thorough list of some 20 odd repair items that my car needed - most of which I knew about but some that I didn't. Like some other reviews have said, they talked me out of some services that they thought I could do a lot more cost-effectively on my own. Patrick was good about keeping me up to speed about what was going on and taking the time to explain in detail why and how the repair was going to be done. When I picked up my car, the tech was eager to take a few minutes with me to poke around under the hood to explain what he had done and what he thought needed attention. I got my car back washed, along with a thank-you note and some candy in the center console. Nice touch.Bottom line - these guys want you to be confident that they know what they're doing and that they care - and it shows. It's not cheap - but with car repair you get what you pay for. I don't know that I'd take my car to them for everything, but if you're looking for dealer expertise without the dealer price tag, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place.

So, I am new to the luxury german automobile lifestyle (my previous car was a 1993 Geo Prizm that finally became just too embarassing to drive), so I wasn't accustomed to the price tag at my local dealer for routine maintenance. After the first year's maintenance was done at Phil Smart and I found myself wondering if I could afford to maintain my car, I decided to look for alternatives for the second year's maintenance.Car Tender was great! Friendly service representative, good service and about 1/2 the price as at the dealer. I'll be going back every year!

I trust these guys alot. Everything is explained clearly, and they'll go thru what they plan to do step by step. When they realized they needed more time to investigate my problem I got a call for permission. And once they suspected my issue was going to cost me a ton of money, they made it clear that I should attempt to let my warranty cover the problem. The service rep even laid out a game plan for me to take to the dealer. I left the shop with a better understanding of what was going on with my car and what my options were. I don't think I was even charged the full amount of time they spent researching issues going on with my car. These guys will be on the top of my list if needed again.

The guys at Car Tender know their stuff; I've been taking my car there as long as I've had one and my father has been dealing with them for easily the last 10 years. As I understand it, Car Tender had been owned by another group some time ago until John, Russel, Terry and a couple of other folks from BMW Seattle decided to break free of the corporate reigns and open their own shop; voila, you have the Car Tender we all know and love. I'm also told that when BMW Seattle is slammed they refer customers to Car Tender; I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other luxury-vehicle shops in the area do the same.Apparently this place isn't much of a secret as their "work lot" (I don't know the actual term, so deal with it) is usually full of cars, as is their garage. If you'd like to get your car serviced make sure to call them and explain what you would like looked at and make an appointment; generally "dropping in" isn't going to happen as they can't always drop everything to get your vehicle sorted out, although I'm sure they would love to if they weren't so busy all the time!When it comes time to pay for your service, one of the helpful front-end folks; occasionally the mechanic that worked on your car, will walk you through an itemized list of what work was done, and why it was needed. They break down the services by cost for labor and then have a list of parts and their costs for those. I'm not sure if all shops do this (I doubt they do), but it's very helpful and easy to understand where your money went and why it went there. Primarily they work on european cars, but my mother has taken her Honda Element (and before that her Toyota Camry) in there a few times and had the same exemplary experience as I would imagine every other satisfied customer has had. My father and I take our BMWs there exclusively; no other shop has our business. If you work in downtown Seattle they offer a shuttle in the morning hours (I don't remember the cut-off, I want to say 10:00 or 11:00) so you can bring your car in and get a ride to work free of charge. If you're a BMW owner make sure to sign up with the BMWCCA, if you show your proof of membership you'll get a discount on whatever service you get done on your car. If I recall there are BMWCCA membership forms either at the front desk or in the waiting room at Car Tender. Great service, great caring/knowledgeable staff, couldn't ask for much more from a car repair place. They definitely have set a high standard for me with what I would expect when I take my car somewhere to get work done.

clever name. dude fixed my car on the spot in under 5 min and taught me how to fix the problem were it to occur again. he refused payment and ask that i tell others. *ahem* "CAR TENDER IS AWESOME, THEY HELPED ME FOR FREE, I DOUBT HE CAN HELP YOU FOR FREE, BUT THEY KNOW WHATS UP, THEY ARE NICE AND WILL BE NICE TO YOU."there, my karma is right again

These guys treat my little '92 bmw with just as much care as all the fancy cars that go through there in a given week. The staff is super down-to-earth, and have taught me a lot about how to maintain an older car. They help me plan and budget for things that need to be done over time, so there are no surprises. I trust them completely!

Did a great job with my 02 BMW. Patiently answered questions, explained things well (weren't condescending like others). Very professional. Also found out that they are recommended by the BMW dealership when their schedule is too full. Will definitely be taking my car back there again.

Car Tender is right around the corner from my house, and they take lovely care of my '89 BMW. This is my first car, and I am not mechanically savvy by any means, so it has been a challenge for me to know how to take care of an older car. The mechanics at Car Tender always seem to go above and beyond in monitoring the health of my little car, they don't look at me like I'm stupid when I ask questions, and I don't feel like they overcharge me or "fix" things that don't need fixing. I am very very happy with the service I've gotten there.