The Shade Tree Garage is an independent BMW service and repair shop in Raleigh, NC.
The Shade Tree Garage is an independent BMW service and repair shop in Raleigh, NC.
I stopped by to see if they could diagnose an apparent braking issue (violent shaking when braking). To my amazement, Truett took it out with me and thought it might be control arms. They were able to fit me in in just a few days, and not only replaced the bushings, but saved me money by not replacing the entire control arm. They also went the extra mile and corrected some other issues. The point is, they know BMWs. The young mechanic who is extremely knowledgeable took time with me. They are truly there for you.
Very genuine service, Owner is truly passionate in what he is doing, has great technicians, reasonable prices, best Bimmer n Mini service in town.
For those of you with BMW's, you know how tough it is to find someone reliable to fix or even service them. After hearing from a co-worker how awesome Shade Tree was (and after dealing with a few not so awesome BMW places), a gave it a go.
1. They know what they are doing.
Not only did they do good work, they also explained to me what they were going to do, why it needed to be done, and also what my other options were. They fixed the problem quickly, and showed me a few things that weren't issues yet, but might be in the future. They didn't try to force me to fix other items, just helped make me aware of what might come up sooner rather than later. I really appreciated the honesty and candidness.
2. They gave me a car to drive around in while mine was getting fixed at no charge.
This was a big seller for me - not having a back up car, I was going to be very dependent on my husband and friends to get to and from work while my car was in the shop. To my surprise, when they took my keys, they handed me another set - offering me the use of one of their older BMWs for free while they fixed my car. I didn't have to worry about figuring out my schedule and rides, and I didn't have to rush back to pick my car up either. With a busy work week and out of town visitors, I was very thankful for this. All I had to do was replace the gas I used. More than fair.
3. When an issue came up on a part they replaced (that was a manufacturer issue, not them), they covered the expenses I had faced as a result.
They didn't argue or question me. They immediately compensated me for my trouble. This was the icing on the cake. I was already onboard as a new customer, but when they took responsibility, even though it was something caused by the manufacturer and not them. Any other shop would have laughed me out the door, but Truett and co were nothing but understanding and kind.
In Summary: These guys rock. If you have a BMW and live anywhere in a 60 mile radius, it is BEYOND worth it to visit them. If I could rate them higher than 5, I would!