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November 2023 by Felicia C.
We were on our way from LA to Sonoma & Monday morning while in Paso Robles the car started losing coolant . The repair shops were limited by the fact that not many worked on German cars . Went to King's Auto Care , we were told they would look/ diagnose the problem next Monday & after will order the necessary parts !!!! Did not care . We called The AutoBahn & we were told the same . None of the 2 shops cared that it was an urgent matter . Ended up calling & speaking with Simon at European Car Specialist and being also told no appointments for 1 week . We explained our situation & guess what ? Simon understood that it was not a regular car repair for somebody who lived in the area, it was an urgent situation . We had the car towed & at his shop by 4:30 PM and were told would be ready next day at noon . And it was ready at noon ! The charge was reasonable, definitely we expected more considering it was done so quick . He could have taken advantage of the situation and charge us a lot but he did not . Lots of businesses can be good at fixing cars but when they have to show they care about their customers they do not . Once again , many thanks to Simon for helping us & making our trip enjoyable !
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September 2023 by Scott E.
Simon was referred to me by a few folks, and I can see why! He performed a service on my MB E550 Cabriolet, and the work was completed sooner than planned and for less than he estimated. He communicated well, didn't try to upsell any additional work or parts and was truly a pleasure to get to know. I've already told a few friends about him and his efficient little shop in Paso Robles.
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July 2023 by S J.
I have been going to Simon at European Car Specialist for decades and found him to be both competent and ethical. He charges about half of what the BMW dealership charges for service and,unlike the dealership, doesn't recommend unnecessary repairs.
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January 2022 by Shara B.
Simon is great, friendly and helpful. I was passing through Paso Robles, half way between homes and nowhere near either when my BMW 750 Li suddenly started to steam from the hood. Scary! I exited in just the right location, to find this shop around the corner. I pulled in with no call (not recommending that) and he and a team mechanic met me in a welcoming way, were quick and helpful in assessing the situation, which thankfully was not a big deal. It was a situation at a very bad time and it was helpful to find an individual to conclude that it was very likely not much at all. He ruled out the worst. Thanks, Simon - you were right... not a big deal and made it to destination without further incident and without feeling terrified along the way.
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October 2021 by Kresta R.
Was in Paso for a few days and our check engine light came on ~ considered heading to SLO to see the BMW dealership only to be told it would be a 4 hour wait and wasn't even sure if they would be able to get us in today?!? ~ Called European Car Specialist was told to stop by anytime and he could give us a diagnosis at no charge ~ hooked up his diagnosis machine ~ same BMW assessment within minutes!! Super helpful and knowledgeable!! Great customer service ~ ~ Highly recommend
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February 2021 by William M.
I took my 2009 BMW 328i here a few weeks ago to have a misfiring issue checked out. I had the codes read by Oreilly's the day before and told me I had misfires in two cylinders. I took it to European Car the next day to have it looked at and Simon told me he read the codes and got the same codes, but detected no misfire when driving. However, I told him the misfire was only at idle, but he sent me on my way acting as if the misfire was nothing. I started the car up to leave and an instant misfire and check engine light to accompany it. I was frustrated with visit and decided to check the spark plugs and ignition coils myself. When doing this I found a large pool of oil in 2 of the cylinders due and oil leak in the valve cover gasket. I had told Simon about this leak months ago and he played it off as nothing and at the time I was an un knowledgeable teenager just getting into cars so I believed that it was fine. He however claimed he replaced my OFHG and charged me for it, just to see it leak the next day... and I just recently replaced it and found it had been sealed up with gasket maker. The oil leaks lead to belt damage and simon replaced these for me and the work was certainly good and inexpensive. However, my vanos solenoids got clogged by dirty oil and damaged by the oil leaking. I wouldn't recommend coming here. I did all of the work myself instead. Probably saved a couple thousand dollars. I replaced the valve cover gasket and seals $100, all six spark plugs and ignition coils $230, Oil filter housing gasket and oil change + filter $100, vanos solenoids $200 from oreilly's (cheaper on fcpeuro), cleaned intake valves and pcv system, fixed dirty fuel injectors (clogged with oil... surprise surprise), and replaced the upper coolant flange as it had been leaking coolant for god knows how long and the flange appeared to have been dissolved (also possible it was damaged by hot coolant, but likely due to wear n tear). After nearly a month of diagnosing problems and replacing/cleaning parts my car now runs better than when I bought it.
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August 2020 by Mike H.
Simon got my sons car in and had it repaired very quickly . He didn't try to up sell us in any way . Was very friendly and professional. He now has our business .
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July 2020 by Lalani N.
Simon is above and beyond ~ detailed and thorough ~ absolutely amazing mechanic ~ will by my forever mechanic
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June 2020 by Doug R.
My Son was visiting from out of town when the ESC light came on in his Audi A4. Took it to Simon at 4:30 Thursday. He diagnosed the problem and called us at 10:00 Friday with the results. We had him order the part and asked him to do his best to expedite the repair. Called us 3:00 Monday "Done!". Unbelievable service especially considering we were not regular customers. Additionally his price was very reasonable. Highly recommended!
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August 2019 by Steven H.
I was passing through and my older BMW broke down in 100 degree heat. Simon, the shop owner, was the perfect Good Samaritan. He made room in his schedule and fixed the difficult problem in the most pleasant, efficient, and reassuring way. I am a BMW collector and amateur mechanic and this honest and kind man is a gem. His prices are excellent, and he takes time to show you the work he is doing and why. I now arrange my travels to have him work on my cars while I enjoy the charms of Paso Robles.
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June 2018 by Mike I.
Simon is the real deal, honest, knowledgeable and reasonably priced. I came to him after getting an outrageous quote from Ricks German Auto. He beat it by hundreds of dollars and was a pleasure to deal with. My VW will never see another mechanic as long as I live in San Luis County.
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April 2018 by Erin S.
I called five different business to get prices for an oil change, air and cabin filter. This is my first BMW (2011 X3) and I wanted to find an honest place that wouldn't take advantage of me. The dealership was really expensive and European Car Specialist was much cheaper. The other business I called all seemed nice and polite but European Car was just the best price by far. Simon, the owner,was very friendly and straight forward about what he thought I needed and took the time to answer my questions. On the day of my appointment, my husband had to take the car in for me and he was very impressed with Simon and said he was in and out in about an hour. My car does not have a maintenance plan with the dealership so I feel good that I found a place to take her for the future and won't break my bank account.
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March 2018 by Ted A.
Just tried European Car Specialist with my mercedes....made an appointment, greeted by the owner, gave me an estimate that was much more attractive than others for service required, gave me the time I could pick up my car.....all delivered as promised....great to find such a qualified mechanic in Templeton/Paso Robles.....I'll be back for the next service.....
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February 2016 by Alex M.
Simon does a great job, reliable service at a fair price, and always in the timeframe promised.
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February 2014 by J R.
Came in with an MB G-Class I've been fighting bleeding brakes this last Sunday. Going through the standard yearly bleed, I got an ABS light and it appeared the unit restricted flow to the rear lines. I came into ECS bright and early and met Simon. He couldn't get to my car right away but informed me how I could correct the error. Brought it back to my shop and gave it a shot. It worked, and my brakes are bled and the module is code free. I appreciate the prompt help. Next time I run into something I can't wrap my head around, he'll have my business!
