Mark Purcell BMW Independent Specialists, Oxford

My 4 year old X2 needed a brake fluid change, carried out while I was there.

Knowledgeable and friendly service. I’ve been a regular customer for 12 years

Knowledgeable and friendly service. I’ve been a regular customer for 12 years

I’ve been using Mark & John’s superb service for more than 10 years. Listed as BMW specialists, which they certainly are, they offer an equivalent service for Mercedes.

I’ve been using Mark & John’s superb service for more than 10 years. Listed as BMW specialists, which they certainly are, they offer an equivalent service for Mercedes.

John and Mark are brilliant at their job, fixed my car to the highest standard.

I had a sudden sinister noise develop in my rear diff. Fearing the worst I called Mark having previously been recommended to him by a garage that I had used for MOTs and routine servicing. Mark told me to bring it in the next morning for a test drive and quickly diagnosed a diff that was going to need repair or replacement. To confirm his hunch he stuck it up on the ramp there and then to have a proper look and confirmed his original diagnosis. Positive experience #1: before the car was even back on the ground Mark's (also very helpful and friendly) colleague had phoned the local BMW garage to get a part number and to enquire what the cost of a part from them would be. Whilst it was very expensive, the question was also asked whether they would consider a goodwill gesture towards the cost which they confirmed they would. Positive experience #2: Mark provided part details and guidance that allowed me to source the diff myself including helping to make sense of some inconsistent advice provided by BMW themselves. Positive experience #3: It turned out a rear wheel bearing also needed replacing but one of the bolts was completely seized required some very precise angle grinding to avoid damaging the thread, which would have turned into a bigger more expensive job. Positive experience #4: Mark ordered a new tool to enable him to replace the diff – itself a pretty amazing thing to do – but when the order was cancelled due to supply issues, Mark used his connections to borrow the specialised tool he needed. Every aspect of this repair was problematic yet Mark persisted when others would have admitted defeat and for that I’m immensely grateful. Every interaction was patient, informative and helpful and I won’t be going anywhere else from now on. Mark and his team are proper motor engineers - a real rarity today where engineers have been replaced by parts changers who are happy to swap bits in and out at your expense to try and solve problems. As a final point to show the benefit of specialist knowledge, I have had persistent brake shudder that a main dealer and another independent garage have been unable to fix – discs and pads have been replaced, then swapped a couple of times under warranty – none have got rid of the problem. I described it to Mark who immediately knew what it was, described the symptoms back to me exactly including what happens when pads and discs are changed (temporary improvement followed by gradual emergence of the same problem). Needless to say the car will be booked in with him again at the earliest opportunity.

I used Mark’s service for many years for my BMW, but he’s also accredited by Mercedes so all work is properly recorded on their system - at about half the price of the local dealership. Mark is a fountain of good advice, and I’m always made to feel welcome.

It was a real pleasure to deal with this garage. They were efficient, friendly, prepared to go the extra length and did a great job win the car. They dealt with the problem quickly, were easy to contact and charged a sensible amount, unlike the ridiculously high quote from a garage in Oxford which I have been using for years.

I had a serious problem with engine performance which was quickly diagnosed as a requirement for a new clutch and flywheel. This was organised quickly and efficiently at a total cost of £949.00 including vat.

I have been to this garage 4 times over a period of 3 years and on every occasion the problem was diagnosed quickly and dealt with very well; further to that the cost of repair on every occasion was very reasonable. The last time I had work done was just over a week ago and involved the replacement of the alternator my BMW 535d SE. The total cost including VAT came to just under £460; BMW quoted £572 just for the part.

I have been using them for my last 3 x BMWs now and they are friendly, informative and professional. The workshop is well equipped plus Mark and John are both experienced and knowledgeable. Pricing is far cheaper than at a BMW dealership (and I can survive without the large reception area and refreshments!). I trust them completely to advise on what needs to be done, when, how and at a fair price. Couldn't recommend them any higher!

Phoned up the mechanic (M Purcell) after the car failed its MOT due to an electrical failure and arranged to look at this fault a week after phoning due to him being too busy .After a week, the car was brought down and he walked from his garage with a diagnosis kit. According to M Purcell and a colleague present at the time , fixing the electrical fault would require purchasing an entire seat headrest and that the job wasn’t worth it as it was extremely complex (quoted £240 for a headrest - excluding labour/VAT costs) but recommended BMW garage in North Oxford whom wanted £90 for a diagnosis alone. The diagnosis was completed in 10 minutes and that was that. Drove to another garage (Jordells in Wheatley) for a second opinion and the problem was identified due to a snapped wire behind the seat - this was fixed in 20 mins and cost £80 . If it wasn’t for seeking a second opinion and relying solely on this "expert”, I would have forked out hundreds of pounds for a snapped wire. The bloke mentioned in your recommendation (M Purcell) is only interested in cherry picking jobs and the fact that I nearly ended up paying an extortionate amount of money for a minor repair shows his outlook on “customer care” and service. He gives good mechanics a bad name and should not be affiliated with BMW. The only bright side of this story is that there was a garage located in Wheatley which demonstrated how a car should be examined and how a customer should be treated. Would award zero starts if the system allowed me to !

The garage is professional and well equipped and Mark and John are both very experienced and knowledgeable chaps, I have taken my car to the garage a few times now and I won't be going anywhere else. I recently took my ageing 3 series in for an MOT, service and repairs. I was given an honest appraisal and consulted about the repairs including an airbag control unit (fault light on MOT fail) that a number of other garages had failed to diagnose or repair correctly. This and all the other work were completed at good rates and a fraction of the dealer prices, the faulty part was available for inspection and Mark took the time to go through the work that had been completed. I have finally found a garage that I can rely on, highly recommended.

Full package. Excellent service. Less than half the price of BMW Dealer. Mark is a very friendly and helpful guy. He won't rip you off. Will be taking my car there for future repairs. One of the best garages in Oxford.

Mark has been liking after my (now elderly) 5 series since I bought it. Service is friendly and efficient.

Have taken my BMW 530i to Mark a few times now for servicing and a couple of minor repairs. Provides an excellent no nonsense approach to maintaining your car. So much better than taking your BMW to a main dealer and his knowledge of BMWs is superb.

These guys really do deserve their top ranking on this website. Not only do they know their stuff, but you'll never get ripped off for any work or part. Fantastic value in today's climate: couldn't recommend a business any higher!

I used them to change my front brake pads and brake pad sensors. The cost compared to BMW dealer was very good and they used Brembo brake pads. Mark was very helpful to take the time to discuss other things about my car and his knowledge was excellent. I will be using them in the future for servicing/repairs

I've used Mark Purcell for about three years for my two 2003 BMWs since deciding the cost of main dealer servicing was no longer justified. In that time he has done both routine servicing and some middle-sized repair jobs (replacement injector, propshaft coupling, &c) Mark and his technician Jon are both ex-BMW main dealer engineers and their knowledge of BMW cars is second to none. They offer good advice and I have never had a problem with the servicing and repairs they have carried out. Mark is always very apologetic if money needs to be spent but he is as committed as I am to keeping both cars going for another 10 years if possible. Only minor criticisms are that his record-keeping is all on paper - no computer, invoices are hand-written! - and he doesn't do MOTs, though the latter isn't a problem as he outsources them to the place directly opposite.

I came across this garage on various forums, every mention of them was positive. I took my car there to have a few items looked at, blocked rear washer jet, MOT advisory about suspension bush. Did an excellent job, beyond what I asked. Good value and have answered questions I have asked with honesty and knowledge. I would thoroughly recommend them.