Terry Sayther Automotive

I think Terry Saythers is prejudice...\r \r I called Terry Sayther's about two weeks ago to ask about installing a speaker in my 2002 BMW. Whoever answered the phone told me that he was a sound expert and they could do the work. He said they could get the speaker for me or I could order it myself from the dealership.\r \r I went by there last week and they were too busy to do the work that day and suggested that I call them to see if they would be busy another day. I called them today and they said they were not busy. They said if I dropped the car off they could get it finished right after lunch.\r \r I took the car at 11:15 am and told Terry I needed the speaker installed. He asked if there was anything else. I told him that the BMW dealership said I needed to put a new grommet in the wiper reservoir because it leaked and the sun roof was not closing all the way. \r \r A mechanic called me at 12:40 and told me that they could do the speaker. He said ""the wiper pump was also leaking and needed to be replaced, the thermostat was leaking, the water pump was dripping, the oil pan was leaking, the aux air pump needed to be replaced, etc."" The total would be somewhere around $1600. He said some of it could wait but I needed to spend at least $800 for the thermostat and water pump, $120 for the wiper pump, and $120 just to install 1 speaker in the passenger door. \r \r I told them ok to go ahead and do the speaker (the only thing I wanted done) and the wiper pump and grommet. He said it would be done by mid to late afternoon. I decided that was going to take too long so I called back and talked to Terry. I told Terry that I did not want to replace the wiper pump (the BMW dealership said it was ok), just do the grommet and the speakers.\r \r I had gone to a meeting, ran some errands, went to lunch and went back to the shop around 2:30 pm. When I arrived Terry said that they did not want to work on my car and did not want my business because I had changed my mind about the repairs. \r \r Could it be because of prejudice (I am not white)? Was it because they were not busy and needed to make more money that day, and I was not playing their game? \r \r Terry Saythers was very rude! He said not to ever come back there. I had wasted my whole day waiting for them to do the repairs and got nothing. They will never again see my face and will not get business from my friends. There are plenty of great BMW shops in Austin that treat their customers with respect.\r \r Terry also said that they do not work with customer parts. I was told from the beginning that I could do so. more

I bought a used car from Terry that I saw on eBay. It was an old bmw he described as meticulously maintained with a recent paint job. I had bid on the car but lost track of time and missed the auction end and was not the high bidder. Several months had passed and I emailed him telling him I was in the market for the same kind of car. He told me he still had the same car from eBay. I went and looked at it at his shop. It had a new paint job and looked pretty good. His description was as follows from eBay. Terry Sayther Automotive is proud to offer this meticulously maintained, beautiful 1974 BMW 2002 for sale. This car was a 2002Tii and still has the Tii short block, etc., though ancillary mechanical injection parts have been removed. This is a NO RUST car originally from the west Texas desert. A reliable daily driver with plenty of pep all the while only sipping fuel. Interior is very clean: car had no sunroof to leak or break. Production date is 06/1974, VIN 2782194, 71937 miles on the clock (actual mileage unknown). The high points: Car has a very cold Clardy AC system, Bilstein Heavy Duty Shocks and Struts, 5 speed manual transmission, no rust, tii heritage, many new parts, recent tuning, long history at Terry Sayther Automotive, recent turkis/turquoise paint, Nardi wood steering wheel, 13"" Alpina alloy wheels with recent tires, functioning tii dash mounted clock, sheepskin covers. The lows: A crack in the dash and a small tear in the headliner. That's it. The winning bid was 5051.00 and I offered him $5500 (he reported the sale to the State of Texas for $2000 dollars so he would not have to pay fair taxes and just another example) for the car plus an extended warranty of 6 months to keep it running. I knew the suspension needed to be redone but everything else sounded pretty good. I drove it home and within a few days the starter failed I was told at that point that the warranty only covered safety issues by Debbie and that this was the last free repair. Using the BMW2002FAQ board, I started asking other 2002 members questions. Found out the engine was not a 2002Tii block At that point, I discovered rust under the seat. The rear end had also been hit a while ago and it looked like it was repaired by a third grader on lunch break with the fresh paint peeling everywhere due to zero prep work prior. I sent Terry a long email describing the car and the issues where Terry responded that he would buy the car back (for a lot less) or give me back $1000. I agreed to the $1000 and he said that I was not to call him or contact him ever again and that our relationship was over. He was very rude at that point. Debbie got involved and they were both defensive and rude as I complained about the way they repaired my car. I had seen some negative reviews on Terry but ignored them. BIG MISTAKE... I also got the info that the original buyer trashed Terry on ebay under his handle TERRYSAYTHERAUTO saying the car was junk and that Terry could not be trusted. So Terry knew about the issues with the car yet still knowingly misrepresented the car too me. The recent paint job was done to hide rust. The car was not prepped and the car is bubbling and flaking everywhere. The doors have rust holes at the bottom that are bubbling through leaving dime sized rust holes. The entire car will need to be sanded down to bare metal and repainted. The car was basically made cosmetically acceptable and just given enough parts to get it out the door. His business practice is HORRIBLE, he grossly misrepresented the car, he is rude and a bully when things don't go his way or he is questioned. What he did to me is an example of how he operates. He screwed me and he will screw you too. Search for me on the 2002BMWFAQ (AUSTINMF).... I have a blog with all the pictures. more

These guys are a rip off. They tried to charge me almost $800 for a radiator replacement. I bought radiator for $115 and had it installed at a shop next door for $175 = $290 vs the $800 they tried pulling on me. They said they they would get to it when they felt. They still can not figure out what is wrong with my car. Use anyone else and you might be happy. more

Terry and his group of mechanics has been right on about several issues that stumped the dealership. They fix things quickly and are very fair in their pricing. They've educated us about our 3 series BMW and have helped us to prioritize repairs. Unlike other places, these guys never intimidate or pressure. We appreciate the collective knowledge base, integrity and ethics of this group of mechanics. I would recommend them to any BMW owner-whether the car is brand new or really old. They may not be fancy, but they have what really counts for us....excellent service. Pros: Knowledge base, quick turn around time, affordable prices Cons: No fancy waiting room :-) more

Extremely rude and over priced. Do your self and your BMW a favor and take it to the dealer. It is the same price anyways. Cons: everything more

Well, I just had a terrible experience with Terry Sayther, himself, and thought I'd take a look online to research his/the shop's reputation. I'm sure hataska (might this be Terry himself??) will call this a smear but, not only did Terry try to rip me off, he was personally offensive.\r \r I trusted Terry and his employees well enough to call them first with a car problem and to have my car towed directly to his shop (via their recommended tow company). I was quoted $290 for parts and labor on Friday. I was called back on Monday (not before) to come pick it up. I gave Terry my credit card on which to charge the parts/labor fee and arranged for after-hours pick-up. Upon picking up my car, I opened my receipt and realized I had been charged $385.85 without any notice whatsoever.\r \r I called immediately and left a message stating the estimate and asking for a return phone call to explain the additional charges. An employee called with an apology for the ""surprise charge."" Are you kidding?\r \r My husband called this morning for further explanation - and only an explanation. Terry told him he didn't want to deal with anyone who couldn't accept surprise charges, that it's the nature of the car business, and that my husband only wanted to be ""right."" My husband explained this is the first time he's ever dealt with Terry's shop, since we just got married, and Terry told my husband he didn't want our business in the future.\r \r Wow. What an attitude. We don't need him, he needs US! Good riddance, I say.\r \r I'm happy to see he uses the dealership's method of estimating charges. Looks like I'll be returning to the dealership for work. At least they'll give me a phone call if they notice $100 worth of more work to charge me for.\r more

I took my BMW to them and they fixed a lot of long term probs that other shops couldn't fix. Service was excellent with quick turnaround. My car has never driven better. They only work on BMW's and they know them well. I will not take my car anywhere else. The same repairs at the dealer would've cost about $400 more. Pros: excellent service and knowledge more

In my experience :Be prepared that you are doing them a favor by bringing your car there for repair. Extremely rude-check with your dealership first you might be paying the same. more