I am writing this review because my experience with DOSE BMW changed the way I look at BMW maintenance and repair. I've owned BMWs for over 25 years, and consider myself an "enthusiast." Meaning I own these cars because I value the engineering and driving experience. I also enjoy maintaining and repairing my cars myself. Traditionally, once the factory warranty has expired, I do all the maintenance and some of the repairs myself. Over the years this has included M62 timing chains, rear differentials, E30 and E39 complete suspension replacements, N63 turbo oil return leak, etc. (as a kid I was a dyed-in-the wool MOPAR nut, and learned the basics back then). I am not a master technician, but I certainly know my way around these cars. Regardless, for repairs that I did not feel comfortable tackling myself, I always took my cars to the dealer.
Back in the day, my local (east county) dealership was family owned and had a close-knit culture. It was easy to work with the sales people, the parts guys, and the service advisors. But as is usually the case, the dealership was sold to a corporation, and all those people either left or changed as the culture changed. I continued to take my business there because I was convinced that if I didn't do the work myself, the only other place that should do it was the dealership.
Enter my F10 550i. Those of you who know what an N63 is will understand - those of you who do not, keep reading anyway. This car is immaculate, and out of warranty. All normal and abnormal repairs (including new valve stem seals) were performed at the dealer. So when the engine spun a rod bearing with ZERO warning and at relatively low mileage, I was surprised and extremely disappointed in my car and in BMW. I attempted to work with the dealership to determine whether BMW would cover any of the repairs (under their class-action lawsuit-mandated warranty), but they seemed completely uninterested. So with a gorgeous, worthless paperweight parked in the garage, I started thinking about alternatives to writing a large check. I remembered seeing a white pickup in the neighborhood with DOSE BMW on the rear bumper, and looked them up.
My first contact with DOSE was a phone call - Brandon very willingly spent a good amount of time describing the project and what I could expect. When I met Steve, he also took the time to get to know me and describe his history (BMW master technician) and that of his company. Throughout the entire experience, DOSE created a sense of confidence that put me at ease over leaving my vehicle there for a major transplant. And for the record, to remove the engine from these cars the entire front end is removed from the bottom... this is a major effort.
I randomly showed up at the shop midway through the installation of my new engine: the place is spotless and obviously always that way: you can tell when a shop is KEPT clean vs. cleaned up now and then. Best of all, Steve answers to no one but himself (and maybe his wife) - there are no corporate VPs breathing down his neck demanding he meet performance metrics. The culture at DOSE is clear: they provide you up-front pricing with a clear discussion of the work to be completed. And they do the work with pride and confidence. My car was returned to me in spotless condition - no new rattles, no unexplained error codes, it's just... right.
Now that this ordeal is behind me, I compare the DOSE experience against the dealer one, and there just isn't any meaningful comparison. The pricing is better (they don't have to support the fancy showroom or huge staff), the service is better (they genuinely care about your experience, since the vast majority of their business is word-of-mouth)... they are just better all the way around. Take your car there for any maintenance or repair: you'll thank this review when you're done.
No, I am not affiliated with DOSE in any way, other than that of a very satisfied customer.
