The Foreign Aid

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Tyler Linza
a week ago
Charges way too much. I had codes read off of vehicle and wires tightened, somehow that s worth $500? There was also a handle of Tito s vodka sitting on his desk. And to top it all of he treats his customers very poorly, my first experience with them the owner was screaming at one of his customers as I walked in the building. Would not recommend.

  Seth Washburn
3 months ago
My son has a mini cooper and the battery died. Simple fix right? We purchased a new battery and I installed it in just a few minutes. the car has always had some quirks since the day we purchased it, including a check engine light. We had this checked and supposedly fixed 3 separate times at another local mechanic. They replaced the o2 sensors and catalytic converter. The check engine light remained with an oxygen code. but now, after the battery, it started acting very funny and having new little errors and glitches. I stopped by the foreign aid and spoke to Steve about it. He explained the intricacy s of the mini copper and that the battery has to be programmed to the car. I set an appointment and brought the car in a few days later. He ran the codes with his high tech computer system and we discovered the car had 4 batteries installed in its lifetime. The computer also told us that NONE of those batteries had EVER been programmed to the car. This explained so much. Steve was able to get the battery programmed and solve the issues. He ran the car and drove it for a few hours to ensure everything was working properly. During this testing, he discovered another issue that was being hidden by the battery faults. The car had a blown gasket seal. Oxegen code? We would have never known about this without the battery being programmed. He ordered the parts needed and we made the repair. We had the car back in a few days. I ll be heading back to see the foreign aid soon, unfortunately, as this same car is now having transmission issues. I won t trust anyone else with the mini cooper!

  Schuyler Denham
a year ago
So, we had our BMW 328dx under its 4th recall and took it to a dealership for the work. They suggested expensive unrelated work. We declined. After checking around, we found The Foreign Aid shop had the best availability, ratings and cost. Betsy on the front desk got us in and Ryan in the back got us out. Ryan worked beyond what was expected and perhaps even what was reasonable to get us on the road quickly so we could spend the holidays with family. To say we are happy is an understatement. Photo of the car back on the road.

  Jason Moledzki
3 years ago
A little while back I had some issues with my Mercedes. Steve went out of his way to fit me into his schedule immediately and went to every length that he could to possibly help me. He even made me a burger when it was lunch time! In the end Steve wasn t able to help me with the problems I was having with my particular vehicle, (Sprinter) but if your vehicle is one that he can work on I highly recommend him. Thanks Steve!Service: Auto engine diagnostic

  John O'Neill
8 months ago
We took my partner's Audi here twice a year ago. The first time was in July, after the car got stuck in mud--we were charged $700 for what amounted to a car wash. We brought it back in September to replace the battery and to advise on a leak. Our car sat on the lot for SIX MONTHS, allegedly due to staffing problems and an inability to obtain parts. Worse, they attempted to charge us for the time it was on the lot and it took a heated argument to have the bill knocked down to just parts and labor. Ultimately we were charged $400 for a new battery, and advised that our steering pump, water pump, control arms, drive belt, and oil pan needed immediate replacing; we were told this would be over $3000 (not to mention the extra time this would take). We took it to another mechanic recommended to us by a friend who did a full service and tested all of these... no surprise, none were actually needed. This was the most stereotypical "sketchy mechanic" experience I've had. Would not recommend.

  chris charlsen
5 months ago
My daughter attends college in Grand Junction. I live a thousand miles away. Whenever her car needs repairs, I use Steve! They are the greatest!

  DARKHYPHYMUSIC
2 years ago
Audi A4 dumped coolant overheated I called Steve he gave me perfect advice I dropped my car off and within a week he had it back on its wheels!! Steve's a good guy Betsy is so kind they had me in and out ASAP! I appreciate what they did for my audi and got me back on the road in pure confidence definitely referring foreign aid!Service: Air conditioningService: Air conditioning

  Brenda Parker
10 months ago
We got stranded when our 2011 Sprinter started making noise and threw a Turbo error code. We stopped by first thing and Steve was amazing. He had it fixed within 2 hours and our road trip continued. Great service, work and cost. Highly recommend!

  Jay Carlson
5 years ago
So, I'm driving from the beach in California, and to Boulder CO where our Corporate Rocky Mountain office is for our corporation, Sales Pro Inc. and I badly need an oil change in my Porsche Carrera. We have specialized in crafting Sales & Marketing strategies for launching and expanding businesses for over 40 years, and with a client list that includes and is NOT limited to Google, MS, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Berkshire Hathaway, 20th Century Fox, The Aspen Skiing Corporation, BOA, Wells, Citi, AIG Industries, John Deere, Case, Caterpillar, American Airlines, United Airlines, Weston Hotels, Hilton, Hyatt, and over 3000 small Ma & Pa businesses...so you get the idea of our scope in crafting strategies that grow and increase customer base over the years. I blindly called Foreign Aid from a Google search and discovered a REALLY GREAT AUTO SHOP, and a even BETTER owner/operator in STEVE STEWART. Long story made short, I got the oil change the same day when in reality he was booked for two weeks, and I acquired a really good buddy that REALLY knows his profession, and is phenomenally excellent at service & setting price. Before you WASTE your time/money elsewhere...call Steve!

  Denise Wright
a year ago
I wish that I could say that my experience with The Foreign Aid had ended happily, but it did not. I took my BMW here because my regular mechanic said that I needed a specialist. I had used Foreign Aid for a transmission flush a few years earlier and was happy with their service then, so I brought in my broken car. They looked it over and gave me my options - none of them were good. Basically, my car was a goner. It would have been easy, and in their best interest, to sell me a new transmission. Instead, they gave me the hard, honest truth about the condition of my car and gave me the information and time I needed to figure out my next steps. This five star review is because this is a knowledgeable and honest shop that strives to do the right thing for their customers.

  OneThree Skateboarding
a year ago
On our way from middle America to SF, our Mini decided to take a needed 'break' from the road, much to our surprise. On our way to pick up a rental, our Lyft driver gave us a recommendation - The Foreign Aid, as he had some dealings with them. All positive and we are so grateful to his recommendation. They took care of our car and we were back on the road (albeit after an expected week of repair). We returned back to Grand Junction and picked up our beauty and we finished our road trip through the southwest and back home to the heartland. We recommend this shop to any Mini owner. They are worthy of your Mini! (Thank you to The Foreign Aid team!)Services: Electrical repair, Auto engine diagnostic

  Mark Deschamp
a year ago
Great experience working with Steve and Betsy! My Sprinter is my only vehicle, fully adapted. When coming to GJ for Halloween with my family I started to lose power on Vail Pass and my check engine light came on. I left my van with Steve and his crew, they quickly found an issue, but kept it to test drive it several times to make sure they had fixed the problem. They are thorough, honest, and easy to work with.

  Betsy Shelton
a year ago
Got nervous (just 42 miles outside of Grand Junction, CO) over a " check engine" light on my 2010 Volvo XC60 with a very healthy 195,363 miles on it. She has been well taken care of, always given the on time services and routine oil changes. Although I've experienced two fairly expensive ($2600+) repairs in the history of owning this car, I also know how well it's been cared for. I called another auto repair shop in Grand Jct with a very good reputation (Scotty's) but they were very booked up so I decided to try Foreign Aid. "Betsy" answered the phone and clearly more than just an appointment setter, asked several very important questions and put me on hold. Within 90 seconds she was back on line and said if we could get there by 5pm they could run a diagnostics on my SUV. We arrived by 430, and the owner "Steve" was finishing with another customer. Before proceeding with my diagnostics, he asked several historical questions about my auto, and the proceeded to run the diagnostics. He indeed found one very concerning alert regarding the Differential. He discussed the implications, and made his sincere & professional recommendations based on his past experience with Volvo's and not wanting to see me holding onto a vehicle that is only going to get much more costly to continue to run. We actually finished our appointment and were out the door with reassurance we could take care of the reason we drove to GJCO, and return back to Utah knowing to get my vehicle in for a full evaluation asap. The clearing of the check engine/differential notifications and the printing off of all the diagnostics captured made it feel safer to drive back. Also being made aware, they would return and the "problem" was not fixed kept me cautiously thankful to return home without further alerts and I have an appointment this coming week to follow up and time to decide on my action plan.The entire team at Foreign Aid comes across as dedicated, knowledgeable and caring when it comes to people and their transportation. I recommend them to anyone who wants diagnostic assistance and honesty in their car ownership. They are in it for more than money!

  Ashley Gonzalez
a year ago
Wow oh wow! I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Foreign Aid. They are superb! A+++ You can 100% trust Steve, Betsy and Ryan! There entire team is amazing and fought so hard to make sure everything worked out for myself. Betsy worked so hard for me and I am so grateful there are people like her around. Customer service is outstanding! If you have a foreign car and need someone trustworthy to fix it let me tell you Steve and his shop is the to go!! This is the best place in town. Thank you again!

  Josh FITZGERALD
2 months ago
I went in there and the bell rang I was waiting for about 5 minutes and the guy was behind the wall in the next little thing and then he pokes his head out and says sorry I didn't hear you I went in there to talk to the guy see if he could change my cluster back from kilometers to miles and he said he could do it I asked him about the computer if he could and I guess that's the wrong question to ask is a computer the guy started yelling at me and then I said how much would it cost me then didn't answer on it and I was giving him permission then all what he could say is his computer cost $15,000 and I said I gave you permission to go out there and he wouldn't give me a price and I said forget it then and he was yelling at me the whole time after I asked about the computer so I wouldn't recommend no one at all that's why he does shady work and he's ignorant so I would recommend you guys to just take him over to Volkswagen

  Farrah Zeort - CDPHE
a year ago
I had a great experience with Steve and his team at Foreign Aid. I was starting off an 8 week road trip and experienced issues with my mercedes sprinter after being on the road for less than 2 hours. I had no luck getting ahold of a dealer on my way from Denver to Utah, and noticed that this auto shop was actually on the way and specialized in servicing european cars. I made a pit-stop in Grand Junction and Steve was able to advise me on next steps, was patient with my (many) questions, and provided me with a lot of assurance. For a female traveling alone, I appreciated the guidance and assistance when I had nowhere else to go. Thanks so much!

  D Jansen
a year ago
Here is the bottom line first off. If you have a Mercedes Sprinter and need assistance in the Grand Valley, this is your place to go. Communicative from the Front Office (Betsy who rocks!), to the owner (Steve, a professional, pleasant, respectful person) to each and every person working there who greeted me as I was in the office.My repairs were completed in a timely and completely professional manner! A thorough verbal explaination was given with instructions on what to do in case of subsequent events.Great care was taken to not perform any work that might cause a warranty concern down the road. Simply Outstanding.Details:Visiting family in the area and our Mercedes Sprinter based RV showed a check engine light and had a couple of odd characteristics.Called and spoke with Betsy and she clarified what I was experiencing, what my travel schedule was and then had me scheduled in.I arrived on time and was greeted by the owner who, after determing who I was and what the vehicle issues were, promptly began diagnosis. He then implemented a plan of action and his technicians got down to the task at hand.Within two hours, they had completed all the tasks I had requested.Professional, pleasant, personable, exceptional work at more than fair prices.Absolutely the place to go.Service: Engine repair

  Scott Hazenboom
a year ago
During a recent road trip in my 89 westfalia a growling noise started that kept getting louder the more I drove. After calling all of the repair shops in the Moab area, Foreign Aid in Grand Junction was willing to help me out and work on my vehicle with short notice since I was travelling. I brought my van over early in the morning and they had me back on the road by the end of the day! Steve Stewart and his team were super friendly and really know their stuff. They correctly diagnosed the problem as a left rear wheel bearing even though it sounded like it was on the right side. Since they do lots of work of VW vans I was able to continue my vacation with confidence, knowing the work was done properly. Fantastic service!Service: General repairs & maintenance

  Jeremy Slade
2 years ago
Steve was awesome. My Land Rover was overheating outside Green River UT, so we had it towed to another shop in Grand Junction and the keys were dropped in the After-Hours Box. The next morning, I found out that the shop my vehicle was towed to was out of business and the key was locked in the building. I live a couple of hours from Grand Junction, so I was struggling to get the keys and get my vehicle to another repair shop. I called Steve and he was able to get the key from the out of business shop and get my vehicle to his shop where he repaired it, all within a couple of days. It saved me from having to make extra trips to Grand Junction and took all the stress away of trying to figure out what to do. The vehicle is running great. Thanks Steve for going the extra mile!Service: General repairs & maintenance

  Gregorio Osha
2 years ago
I brought in my 2004 BMW 325cic (manual) initially for an oil change and quickly learned that my clutch was on its last legs and needed to be replaced. The Foreign Aid Team helped me get in and out in no time, and the car has been running great ever since! Steve is a great guy and took the time to show me what had happened to the transmission and showed that he clearly knew his stuff. Betsy was very kind and made the whole process very smooth. Overall, I had a great experience and I couldn't have chosen a better place to bring my car! You can tell the entire team has an deep appreciation of foreign cars and knows them inside and out.Services: Transmission, Oil change

  Carson Darnall
5 months ago
Horrific. Broke my window. Arrived with a coolant problem that was quoted at $700 by another shop but instead was quoted $1500 and left having to pay for the window they broke.Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Jeremiah Pritchard
a year ago
Coming into the shop the owner was dealing with a difficult customer who didn t understand an issue with a car that the customer had personally been working on. The owner spent several minutes advising the customer on how to replace a part on his car without damaging it. He was clear with his intent to help his customer. The owner is old school, direct and wants to provide the best quality service possible.I personally own a roofing company and he gave me great advise on a part of my customer service that I was just not doing effectively. I appreciate the lesson he had given me and I suggest his services if your looking for a high quality repair.He does a thorough job of inspecting the vehicles that enter his shop and providing resolutions to his customers dilemmas from what I had seen.

  Kevin Mcnamee
2 years ago
I have an older Volvo that I'm currently driving from SoCal to Western North Carolina and pulling my pop up trailer. I felt I wasn't getting the power I needed for the trip, therefore, I went into a Volvo truck sales center and was referred to The Foreign Aid to help with my car.I called and spoke with Steve the owner, who told me to bring it in at 9 am, so Zack can look at the car. Steve is a super nice guy and was very understanding and great with explaining what issues could be happening.Zack began working on my car and explained the codes the diagnostic meter found. Zack also was very helpful explaining the other issues that could possibly arise down the road for me. Zack even found a problem I had a prior mechanic work on with my oil drain plug and he fixed it for me.If you are ever in the area or live in the area and have a Volvo, this is definitely the place to take it to for any kind of service whether it be a problem with the vehicle or just general maintenance. If I lived here, there would be no reason I would want anyone else to work on my Volvo.As I am disabled veteran, the owner Steve Stewart, is a big volunteer and supporter towards veterans and I thank him for all his time and support.The Foreign Aid is a top notch shop and I'd liked to thank them for everything they have done for me and my Volvo.

  Ted Nischan
2 years ago
These are some of the nicest people I have come across! I was out there on a 5 hour drive for a contest when my Cayenne started spilling coolant in the hotel parking lot. I called them the next day, because of the good google reviews I saw, and explained my stranded traveling situation. He was willing to help me and check my car out that day. They helped me get a rental for the day as well, during the extremely busy country jam weekend. It ended up being a blown water pump. He had it fixed within 24 hours, at a great price for what it was, and I had a flawless 5 hour drive back home. Highly, highly recommend them!Service: Engine repair

  Julian Swensen
8 months ago
So incredibly helpful, I came in and was able to get fixed up and on the road in less than a day. Couldn t have been more helpful finding a place for me to stay and what do around the area. Nothing but good things to say and if you have any german cars foreign aid is the place to go! Service: Transmission repairService: Transmission repair

  Joshua Phillips
2 years ago
Steve is a skilled mechanic who prioritized fixing my car and got it running smoothly so I could continue on my drive to Oregon. He is a very direct and blunt communicator, but that was ok since his results were good and his price was logical for the work he did. His assistant Betsy is very helpful as well

  Gregg Palmer
2 years ago
Honestly could not recommend Foreign Aid at all. After 6 weeks, I still didn't have a definite idea of what was wrong with it. At the 6 week mark, I just took the car, (with a trunk full of parts that had not been replaced, and no clear idea of what was wrong with the car.) Every time I would contact them, I'd hear a rant about how manufacturers shouldn't tell people to go 10,000 miles on an oil change. (This had NOTHING to do with the needed repairs, and I have my automobiles serviced regularly.) Or a tirade about not being staffed. So disappointing. The one bright spot was Betsy, the office manager, who tried to make this work.Would never recommend.

  Leigh Brodie
a year ago
Driving from California to Denver with My husband and two boys when our back wheel started making a horrible noise. We limped into Grand Junction and found The Foreign Aid. Steve got us in immediately, diagnosed our issue and called the local tire store and got us an appointment. He even gave the kids donuts! It was a great experience especially after a day and a half of driving.Services: Tires, General repairs & maintenance

  Nathan Baumgardner
7 years ago
Steve saved me! We were just passing through GJ and late in the day we had a problem with our Audi. Steve and his crew stayed late and he still took the time to educate me on proper service and fluids for our relatively newer Audi. He corrected some previous shoddy service and made some recommendations regarding service intervals and requirements for our car that will keep us on the road for years to come. There's no Audi service in our town, but I would consider driving 2 hours just to have Steve and his crew service our car. Prices are extremely reasonable given Steve's highly specialized knowledge of German cars especially. I would highly recommend The Foreign Aid to anyone.

  Ellen Ludlow
a year ago
We were in Grand Junction for only a short period of time and needed to get the oil changed in our Sprinter van. Foreign Aid managed to squeeze us in, had the right oil and filters in stock (other shops in town did not), they were cheaper than other places, and even gave us a loaner car! Would recommend - they are nice, honest folks. Thank you!Services: General repairs & maintenance, Oil change