Bimmer PhD Motorsports
Services
Photos & videos
Services Offered
Verified by Business
Services BMW in 31 reviews
Transmission Repair in 14 reviews
Engine Repair in 13 reviews
Brake Services in 2 reviews
Oil Change in 15 reviews
Vehicle Inspections in 14 reviews
Towing in 7 reviews
Services Mini in 2 reviews
Review Highlights
“Tim and Jake where the two that helped through the whole process and I couldn't have asked for better people to help.” in 113 reviews
“He's got all the systems the dealer's have, tons of experience, tons of knowledge, enjoys helping people out...” in 12 reviews
“Being a few months past the warranty, I was searching for a capable shop to delve into the failure of my CiC/navigation for a 2008 X5 3.” in 6 reviews
About the Business
Business owner information
Johanna R.
At Bimmer PhD we specialize in the repair, maintenance and service of BMW and MINI Cooper automobiles. Our dealership trained BMW Master Technicians use OEM parts and the latest diagnostic tools to deliver the highest quality of workmanship. We back our work with an industry leading 3 Year 36k mile parts and labor warranty on all repairs. This assures that your BMW will be diagnosed correctly and fixed properly the first time, on time! We believe in trust through transparency and provide detailed photo documentation and a written estimate of every job so you can see exactly what is required to keep your BMW running in peak condition. Have an extended warranty plan? Our shop is certified to accept most extended warranties and we handle all of the paperwork to make the whole process effortless. Our consultation service gives you a comprehensive breakdown of your vehicles condition to empower you with the knowledge you need to make the best decision for your circumstance. Shuttle service is available for local pickups and drop-offs. If your vehicle needs to stay overnight, our convenient loaner car program will keep you moving on schedule.
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Upcoming Special Hours
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Amenities and More
Ask the Community
Q:
Hi BimmerPhD, I have a 2018 F36. 1. do you offer installation service for Bimmertech Android Auto retrofit kit? What would be the cost of the service? 2. what is the brand/model of oil you use for F32/F36 oil change? And oil change cost? Thank you!
A:
Hi Xizhao. I need more information about your vehicle to be able to get you the information you are requesting. Please give us a call at (626)792-9222 and ask for Kevin.
Johanna R., Business Owner3 years agoQ:
I'm looking to find a shop that can do installation of a Stealth Hitch on my 2019 X1. Can Bimmer PhD do that and for how much?
A:
Hi Aaron. We can definitely help you with this. We do need a little more info about your vehicle and what you are going to use the Stealth Hitch for. Please call us at our office to discuss. (626)792-9222. Thanks. -Johanna Reichert
Johanna R., Business Owner4 years ago
Recommended Reviews
Overall rating
175 reviews
5 stars
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Jud T.Sierra Madre, CA1318Dec 17, 2023Love this shop! Tim and Johanna have a system that provides transparent, honest diagnostics so the consumer can make value-based decisions. While my car needed a lot of work, the prioritization made it possible to do the critical immediately and defer less critical for the future.
Diagnostics have a cost, but are a great value as noted above. It's nice to have a complete list along with quotes - no surprises.
Their prices are fair - Tim is a master bmw tech and has top notch staff mechanics. You might find a cheaper shop, but Bimmer is the best value imo.
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Johanna R.
Feb 5, 2024
Hi Jud,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We love working with you and your family on your beautiful BMW. It is always our goal to give you all the information you need, so you can make the best decision for your needs and your budget. I am happy to hear we were able to do this for you. Thank you for your loyalty and business. We look forward to continuing to help you take care of your 325e.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert
Hambik O.Glendale, CA0265Nov 8, 2023BMW only shop. So Glad I found a home for both my BMWs and future cars. Tim and Team are very professional and knowledgeable about the cars. From my experience w other shops and especially the dealer, Bimmer PhD has vast experience and very attentive customer service to handle and troubleshoot these complex Cars. Skip the dealer, and trust in Tim.
Very Grateful and peace of mind to continue to buy second BMWs in the future.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Johanna R.
Nov 8, 2023
Hi Hambik,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us online. We are very happy to hear we were able to take such great care of you and your BMW. Tim loves to give our customers exceptional service and peace of mind knowing that we treat your BMW as if it is our own, with great care. We look forward to giving you great BMW service in the future with all your BMWs.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert- Vahan G.Los Angeles, CA02Feb 2, 2024
I had my 2007 BMW M6 serviced there. The initial 2-3 visits were ok and Tim talked a big game, he is a great salesperson.
However, on my 3rd or 4th visit, when some serious issues came up, everything went downhill.
I'll keep the story short but anyone that wants the receipts and details, please contact me and I'll give them to you.
Basically, Tim insisted that my issue was the SMG transmission and not the SMG hydraulics, so I spent $8,600 on changing the SMG gearbox with a used unit from Orange county. My car was at the shop for more than a month.
When I got the car back, it still had issues and wouldn't shift properly. And Tim and his wife that I am sure is going to chime in on his behalf shortly, never refunded my money. Even though they said they would, and again, I have all the emails.
Finally, I took my car to Pacific BMW, they told me that my SMG hydraulic system had to be changed, I paid another $9000 to the deanship and got it finally fixed and till today I own the car and it runs fine.
Be ware of a fast-talking salesperson that knows everything and talks his way into you spending thousands.
This is the truth and my experience. If anyone wants to hear the details and see the receipts, please contact me.
Please be careful of this fast-talking salesperson and his second wife.
Lastly, everyone should check with the California Better Business Bureau, before doing any business with this business.
Good luck and God Bless.
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Johanna R.
Feb 5, 2024
Hi Vahan,
I understand you are still frustrated about this situation, that we have been trying to resolve since 2017. We went back and forth with you for many months, offering many resolutions, none of which were acceptable to you. Since an agreeable resolution was never reached, you filed a formal complaint with the Dept of Consumer Affairs. They spoke to you and found out from your viewpoint what happened, and then they came to us and performed a formal review of all of our paperwork on your repair. They officially ruled that they found no wrong doing on our part, they notified you of this, and they closed the case. I am sorry you are not happy with the outcome of this situation. I am happy to hear you were able to find another repair facility that was able to resolve your issue, and who you are happy to work with. I wish our shop could have made you happy, but we have come to realize we cannot made every person happy, no matter how hard we try. We hope your M6 runs for many years to come, it really is a beautiful BMW.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert 
James R.Pasadena, CA031Aug 4, 2023Very courteous and understood my issue. Much different than a dealer I went to. Glad I brought my BMW here.
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Johanna R.
Aug 4, 2023
Hi Jim,
Thank you for sharing how your experience went with us. I am happy to hear we were able to help you resolve your issue and you were happy with it, even more so than your experience with the dealership. Our goal is always to give our customers the best experience with us while they deal with their BMW repairs. We look forward to continue to help you with your BMW in the future.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert
Charles K.Studio City, Los Angeles, CA673010Jun 22, 2022Had a great experience with these guys. I was in need of a couple things: 1) Bimmertech MMI install, 2) Dashcam install and 3) Oil + brake fluid change. The entire process was smooth with tons of communication. Even the inspection process was super detailed and I like the reports they send you (with pictures).
While the service is more than what you would pay at a dealer, it's cheaper in the long run. No upselling of services and they give you candid feedback on what is urgent vs not. For example, they noted that the air filter was still good and didn't replace it - while a dealer would've just replaced it and charged you.
Overall super happy to have found this business!
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Johanna R.
Jun 22, 2022
Hi Charles,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. I am happy to see you found our digital inspection with photos to be helpful. It is our goal to give you all the information you need to make the best decision for you and your BMW. We will never replace a part on your car that doesn’t need to be replaced. That is another reason why we perform the digital inspection with photos. We fell it promotes honesty and transparency between us and our customers, something that many people find lacking in the automotive industry these days.
It is a pleasure working with you and we look forward to working with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert
Shay N.Glendale, CA04May 8, 2023Excellent service. They solved an electrical problem that others were unable to locate. Kevin at the Pasadena location was immediately responsive to questions with infinite knowledge. I found my new repair shop.
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Johanna R.
May 9, 2023
Hi Shay,
I am very happy to hear Kevin took great care of you and your BMW with your electrical lighting issue. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We look forward to helping you in the future with your BMW needs.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert- Erick T.Los Angeles, CA044Feb 22, 2023
Just recently I got my Bmw G20 a brake tune. Kevin was very aware , and informative at what he speaks. Same as the tech. Nice atmosphere, nice service. Would I recommend? Yes .
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Johanna R.
Apr 4, 2023
Hi Erick,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us. Kevin is amazing, and I am very happy to hear he gave you great service on your BMW. Our goal is always to keep you informed and give you all the information you need to make the best decision for you and your BMW. I'm happy to hear Kevin and our tech did this for you. We appreciate the recommendation and are here to help you with any of your future BMW needs.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert 
Brian D.SoMa, San Francisco, CA112Jul 22, 2023charged me all this money and didn't fix anything on my car. they are crooks and I advise you to stay away from this place.
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Johanna R.
Jul 24, 2023
Hi Brian,
I'm sorry to hear this is how you feel. When you first came in, your main concern was experiencing a jerk when coming to a stop, and your BMW shook and lost power. Also, your low oil light was on. We performed a complete, digital inspection with photos, and we had you come in and we went over each photo and discussed our findings with you. We suggested 3 things. 1) An oil service, since you did not remember when your last service was, and your oil level was low. 2) For your drivability issue, we found the adaptations in your transmission to be off, and the fluid was very dark and dirty. We suggested performing a transmission service as the first step to fix the drivability issue. 3) We also suggested replacing your engine drive belt, as we found your current belt to be torn and shredding. You authorized these 3 repairs. After we performed the repairs, we test drove the vehicle 15 miles, and we did not experience any jerking when coming to a stop, shaking, or loss of power. We released the vehicle back to you after this test drive.
You called us back a week later and let us know that you experienced a jerk/clunking noise when you were accelerating from a stop. We invited you to bring back the vehicle so we could see what was going on. We test drove the vehicle with you, and you were unable to duplicate the problem during this road test. We put you in one of our loaner vehicles, and we test drove your vehicle over 30 miles for the next few days. We were, unfortunately, unable to duplicate a jerk or clunk while driving. This can be a very frustrating situation, for both yourself and for us. Our goal is to fix our customer's problem, and if we are unable to duplicate the symptom our customer is experiencing, how can we fix it? We did note that your differential mounts were worn and tearing, with quite a bit of excessive play. We took a video of this and sent it to you. There is a possibility that these worn mounts could create a clunk or jerk from a start. You did not want to perform this repair, so we released the vehicle back to you, with no charge, and asked you to let us know if the jerking/clunking returned, so hopefully we could duplicate the issue and figure out exactly what is causing it. We never heard back from you, until you left us a negative review over the weekend.
I am sorry you feel that we are crooks. We feel we gave you above and beyond service to try and get to the bottom of your vehicle's symptoms. We fixed issues your vehicle had, with your understanding and approval. If you are still experiencing the clunk/jerk from a start, we are still committed to fixing your issue. Please let us know if you would like to bring it in.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert
Max C.Pasadena, CA1415815Nov 5, 2021Listen, if like me you're looking for a dealer alternative then it's important to know that you'll pay the same or more here. The value you get here is more details on what's wrong with your car and they do a great job of telling you how much you're really going to be in for. But you pay ALOT for that, none of which counts towards repairs. You'll end up leaving feeling like you paid $500 for an oil change.
Yes the pictures are "cool" but the average person has no idea wtf he's looking at nor any context for forming an opinion.
They do care about the cars, I'll give them that and they know their stuff but I think you can get the same at a lower cost. If money isn't a concern then this is your place but keep shopping if you're looking for value.Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Johanna R.
Nov 9, 2021
Hi Max,
Thank you for your honesty. We do try to offer the best service out there, and we even try to exceed the dealer's service. We feel we do a very good job, and we hope our customer's see and appreciate it to.
While we wish we could be the cheapest and best shop around, unfortunately this is very difficult to do. We pride ourselves in giving our customers all the information they need with our digital inspections which include photographs, and the correct repair, with an exceptional 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty.
We do also realize that not everyone is a mechanic and they sometimes will not understand what is in a photo that we send to them. The report is categorized and there is a note from our technician below explaining what our findings are, to try and alleviate this as much as possible. On top of that, our amazing service advisor, Kevin, will go over the complete evaluation with you and explain what was found and answer all your questions. We want you, the customer, to understand what your vehicle needs, why it needs it, and whether you need it now, or sometime in the future.
We care exceptionally for our customers and their BMWs (or MINI's). I am happy to see you felt that. And while I do have to politely disagree with you in the belief that you can get what our top services offer for a lower cost (because we really do put in a major effort to go above and beyond for our customers), I do agree that maybe our service isn't for everyone, and we completely understand this. I sincerely hope you find the correct shop for your price point and needs.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert- Josh C.Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA02Jul 29, 2022
I cannot say enough about these guys. They are super knowledgeable, friendly, and take the time to explain their service to you. As a current attorney and former engineer, I was absolutely blown away by the knowledge these guys have about their craft.
They also pay particular mind to keeping you updated throughout the repair process. They send pictures, texts, and explanations about what they are doing and why. Auto repair is normally pretty opaque. These guys make it completely transparent.
This is the place to service your BMW. Full stop.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Johanna R.
Jul 29, 2022
Hi Josh,
Thank you for your great review! We love teaching and explaining what the vehicle needs to our customers, so they feel exactly how you felt. Our goal is a transparent and trusting relationship. I am happy to see we were able to build this with you. We look forward to helping you out and working with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Johanna Reichert
