Reviews & Testimonials

Having owned 3 Saab hatchbacks in my life, I reluctantly surrendered my 2000 9-3 when it began showing signs of aging, and I seethed that GM had discontinued the hatchback line, denying me the chance to replace my aging 2000 9-3. Thus, when I searched the web to look for a reliable person to do some brake work on my wife's BMW, I was delighted to see that Bo Johnson had expanded services to include BMWs. Why delighted? Just Google "Bo Jonsson San Mateo," and you can read my commentary on the InsiderPages web site at http://www.insiderpage... that was posted 3/1/2007 and entitled "A Little Act of Kindness Touches All." It's a true tale personally observed by yours truly. (It was originally on Yelp.)

It's said that a leopard cannot change his spots, nor a tiger its stripes. So it is with Patric, proprietor of Bo Jonsson. Because I knew him to be a fair and honest person, I trusted him completely to do our BMW brake work. Besides, he charged me a couple of hundred bucks less than the BWW dealer. ;-)

Moreover, I was convinced of my sound judgment when, as he was about to send me off with my new brakes, a lady approached him wanting to settle a bill. Evidently, she'd come in and had her key fob battery changed by one of Patric's mechanics when Patric was away. Pat summarily dismissed her by saying it's OK to wait until the next time she came in for service, as the battery was only a $6 part. He trusts his customers. His customers trust him. How cool is that? How uncommon is that nowadays?

Yes. I know the waiting lounge at the dealer is like the one at the Westin Hotel, and the service staff is immaculately coiffeured and attired. A couple of hundred bucks ought to buy you that. However, I was very satisfied to wait in the upstairs lounge at Bo Jonsson's and to use the PC there. I even had my own personal space heater to keep me comfy. But most of all, I was comfortable knowing my BMW was in good hands and that my bill would be a fair and honest one. That's priceless! ;-)

Weyman W., CA

Living in San Francisco, I have a fairly large array of independent Volvo mechanics to choose from (I can name about 4 off the top of my head). Now you can imagine that if I am going to take my car 30 minutes south of the City, there must be a good reason. Well, there is: Pat and his fantastic crew.

Not only was Pat able to deliver the most competitive price for a very expensive transmission replacement, but also made sure to put his word behind the work -- something not all mechanics will do. Combine this with his expedient turn-around time (completed within two days, as promised) and you have a recipe for a top-notch mechanic.

I look forward to having any future work completed at Pat's shop and will enthusiastically recommend him to friends and family.

Serge S., San Francisco CA

I've had my volvo v50 serviced here for its 50k mile service, they did a fantastic job at 75% of the dealers cost. The reason I'm writing this review is for service Pat didn't perform. Recently, I had what sounded like a UFO in my engine (out of the warranty period). Pat quicly diagnosed the problem and promptly called volvo dealerships to see if it could be covered by an extended warranty/recall notice. He spent 30 minutes of his time haggling with dealerships to make sure I got this fixed for free!

great mechanic and customer advocate!

joaquin p.,San Carlos, CA

Everybody has something to say about mechanics. Being a mechanic has a stigma that peers only that of attorneys. There are exceptions to every stereotype and there are exceptional garages out there. Bo Jonsson's happens to be one of the best examples.

To give you some background about what I have to say here, I am driving my fourth Saab (consecutively) and it would have been my fifth if I hadn't allowed my family to talk me out of making my first-ever car purchase the beautiful 1978 99 hatchback I wanted shortly after graduating from high school. Nuff said. I know Saabs as an owner, driver, and enthusiast and I take *damn good* care of mine. Since I have owned this car new and practice good upkeep, I have only ever needed a mechanic to remedy the ordinary wear and tear of my vehicle.

My current set of wheels was purchased new from the first fleet of Saabs GM ever produced. I put all the 65,000 some-odd miles it has on it today, which is low mileage for its age, BTW. In the course of time I've been a Saab owner, I've been to probably eight different mechanics between those in Seattle and the Bay Area. The two garages I've known in this vicinity have been while I've owned the 9-3 SE I drive now. I have had both good and bad Saab mechanics - one in Seattle practicing what we fear the most and a dealership in Seattle even doing physical body damage to the car itself when in for service and not doing all the work they charged me for.

I began bringing my Saab to Bo Jonsson's by convenience of location in February 2007 and what turns out to be pure luck, too. When do you ever move someplace and have the best garage within three miles? As soon as I got to Foster City, I needed some brake work done (heh, same stock brakes held up for almost 48,000 miles and kept up very well, too). That was when I also became acquainted with Pat Jonsson professionally.

Pat is *extremely* personable and is as transparent with his business as I've ever seen anyone. In fact, it is both rare and refreshing to realize he's the real deal. Those brakes he changed were not of the right quality for my car and he changed them at no additional cost. There was one other part he replaced later on (a transmission mount) where he did the same re-work "under warranty". The rest has been outstanding and even I'm glad for those two shortcomings I experienced too because it allowed Pat the opportunity to demonstrate his quality of business and workmanship and that he stands beside anything that comes out of his garage with a promise.

Out of geographic convenience (yet again) and because of a couple of promotional gimmicks, I went to a local dealership a couple of times instead of Bo Jonssons. They made mis-diagnoses that would cost me a lot more than the actual problems and I had even allowed them to do some air conditioning service and CV-joint repairs that proved only a waste of my time and money. In fact, I saw NO DIFFERENCE in the car after their service visit and I even returned immediately to ask questions about the work they did seeing no difference. I came back to Pat three weeks later (sort of ashamed, I might add) and he pointed out the real issues with the air conditioner and fixed the problems with the CV joint that were correctly diagnosed by the dealership but were not fixed properly. I'm back for good.

This time, coming away from Bo Jonssons, I noticed a huge difference in the car's overall performance. I even brought it back one more time a few days later to allow Pat and his team to finish up some other pending items. THIS CAR NOW DRIVES VERY MUCH LIKE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. I cannot tell you how proud I am and how delighted I am that I have a place to take my Saab!

Pat is the son of Bo Jonsson, the man who opened this shop. He has obviously been taught everything his father had to offer as an apprentice and then grew to innovate on his own based upon receiving that advanced knowledge of Swedish cars at a young age. He demonstrates having a heart and soul for what goes on in his garage and does every little thing he has the opportunity to demonstrate his caring and ethic, even going the extra mile, literally. He delivers as promised and then he gives a little bit, too.

I am moving into The City soon and I will be going the extra mile to continue bringing my car to Pat. I told him the other day that quality of service and workmanship ensures I will continue to drive Saab. And remember these two things - nobody can fix what bad habits can do to fault your car but you and nothing can fix skepticism based upon not knowing what an expert professes except a little trust. Bo Jonsson's is a place you can go if you *take care* of your vehicle (and maybe just the same if you don't!) and is a place where you are in the hands of good, qualified people. And you'll feel.

Tim Q., CA

I found myself unexpectedly on the used car market last year and bought a 2001 Saab 9-5 SE. I live in Burlingame, which is practically crawling with Saabs, so when it needed service I hit the yellow pages and found an independent garage not far away in San Mateo that services both Saab and Volvo.

The name, Bo Jonsson's, is about as Swedish a name as it gets, so I called. Pat Jonsson, the late Bo Jonsson's son, practically grew up there betwen time spent getting Saab and Volvo training both here and in Sweden.

It's an old fashioned neighborhood gem hidden a few blocks from El Camino just south of Hwy. 92. I've had nothing but good experience. Not only is the work fast, correct and reasonable, but Pat has a Sherlock Holmes-like ability to find the source of weird problems. In my case, I started getting a funny hissing sound at medium acceleration. Pat and one of his mechanics spent nearly an hour driving around trying to pinpoint it, he behind the wheel and the mechanic poking his head out the window. Eventually they dug deep into the engine compartment and found a damaged air intake hidden behind the right front wheel well.

Fixing it wasn't a big job, but in the process, Pat also found unknown damage on the other side of the engine compartment that had been lurking since a minor accident a few months earlier, hiding very comfortably out of sight. It was just about to start causing problems. He submitted a supplemental claim to my insurance company, and fixed the problem about a week later, as soon as the insurance company approved the repair.

A very tangible benefit of Bo Jonsson's is the lounge Pat recently built upstairs, which is not only nice and quiet but also boasts high speed internet access, both on a computer and, if you bring your laptop, via an ethernet cable. It's a private office.

I work out of my house, which leaves me fairly defenseless against "honeydew" attacks which, besides the time they take, kill your train of thought. Believe me, it's a great place to get things done both on your computer and on your car!

John A., Burlingame, CA

I've been taking my 90 Volvo here for years. I always appreciate the friendly, helpful service! Thanks, Pat!

Pete D., San Francisco, CA

Being originally from Georgia, I generally find myself really missing southern hospitality when it comes to customer service in the bay area. I recently had to get a couple a key batteries replaced and called ahead to make sure they had the replacements in stock since I had called another Saab repair shop closer to home only to be told the batteries would have to be ordered and that I needed to come in well before closing to ensure someone would have enough time to deal with me, since end of day is when they are busy finishing up actual repairs. I had hung up the phone feeling like the shop considered the task a hassle and didn't really want my business.

So I had expected more of the same when Pat (I think) answered the phone. Instead, when I asked him if he had the batteries in stock, he answered "of course" and when I asked if I could get the key batteries replaced on my lunch hour, he gave me his cell number so I didn't miss him and the name of the person to see if he wasn't there. I got a big, friendly greeting when I showed up and the keys were replaced quickly enough I still had plenty of time to sit down for a bite to eat when I was done. The shop was buzzing with repair work, but it was one of the neatest and cleanest shop I've ever been in.

While he was replacing the key battery, we chatted about his recommendations and pricing for replacing my car's display unit which has also been on the fritz. Turns out I can get a lifetime warranty and a better bargain through Bo Jonsson's.

When all was said and done, he synced the keys up to the car and told me to just settle up when I come back in to get the console work done...and I hadn't even set up an appointment. But I will. This was THE best experience I have ever had with a mechanic. I am so not a saab snob, but I left feeling like I had just discovered some VIP repair land that only luxury car owners know about.

James R., Winston-Salem, NC