“A very difficult job involving searching for parts and information carried out perfectly.”

What Duluth Drivers Say About Foreign Affairs
A 4.6 rating across more than 160 Google reviews, built over 35 years mostly by word of mouth.
In Their Words
A selection of what customers have said. The themes repeat: honest pricing, work explained properly, and problems solved that somewhere else had already given up on.
“Really appreciated positive interaction and expertise to get my car back on the road to continue my travels with confidence.”
“Very efficient, they follow through with what the cost would be to complete the job.”
“Good, honest and knowledgeable people.”
“Followed through on a repair that needed tweaking. That's good service.”
“Prompt and efficient brake check while also looking into a more generic sound I described in a thorough matter. Always friendly and honest!”
“Independent shop with years of experience and great service.”
“Professional and personable. Jeff and Andrew are welcoming and address any concerns.”
“Great quality and customer service!”
“We are always in good hands at Foreign Affairs!”
“Always treat us well and don't try to oversell stuff we don't need.”
“I've been a customer for many years. The service always is excellent!”
“Professional, high quality services.”
“This is our favorite shop. They are honest and reliable. My old car is doing great under their great work.”
“I had my oil changed. Good service.”
“Always extremely helpful and thorough.”
“Kept us appraised of the work required and timeline.”
“Always honest and helpful. Tells me exactly what I need and don't need done. When a sensor told me to check brakes, they said the pads were worn to about 20% but it could be driven safely for a while yet. I chose to replace them now. The price I pay is never more than the estimate unless they talk to me first. They stand behind their work. For example, I had them mount winter tires on a set of used wheels. When a bead leaked they remounted the tire at no charge. They didn't blame the problem on used tires or wheels, which is probably the cause. They just made sure it would hold air.”
“I've been doing business with Foreign Affairs for over 50 years (1967 TR-4A, 1974 TR-6, 1992 Audi and a 2014 Mercedes E350) and the service was excellent.”
“Great service at convenient time.”
“They know their craft. They stand behind their work. They spend time explaining what they worked on. They are fair. They keep a record of my car maintenance and recommend work that will extend the life of my car. I would recommend them to anyone and won't trust anyone else with my car.”
“Pleasant employees, timely service, comparable prices, convenient location.”
“Excellent service! Great personnel, mechanics, and personal follow up on my car's issue.”
“Always helpful and friendly.”
“Always great service. Thank you.”
“I liked everything about the service. I gave them 5 stars because they listened to my concerns and acted on solutions. As a woman in this world of autos, it is nice to be treated like I can understand a thing or two about car maintenance.”
“Friendly and thorough service!”
“It was a busy day at the shop! That said, I was still promptly kept in the loop on progress, and the work was done within the hour, as promised. Thank you!”
“The communication from the team was phenomenal. Service was timely and on point.”
“Great folks and service. Did what I wanted, without doing too much.”
“Company was honest and I feel fair priced. They did what they said they would do and had it done when they said it would be done. We have no issues after getting the car back and would highly recommend them to anyone.”
“HONESTY. Jeff tells me what needs to be done and charges fairly for the work. Even better, he will tell me what doesn't need to be done. I recently had rear brakes replaced on my GTI. At 160,000 miles the work was due. At the same time I asked they check the clutch. The clutch pedal engages higher than it did 100k ago. They could have told me it needed to be replaced. Instead Jeff test drove the car and said the clutch was performing great and my car was in good condition.”
“Prompt attention to customer and very good service.”
“High quality service, knowledgeable.”
“I've been taking my car to Foreign Affairs as long as it has been in business. Their work is top quality. Any part they have to replace they show me the worn part and explain why it had to be replaced. Jeff has unmatched knowledge of vehicles and customer service.”
“Professional, skilled, friendly, timely. Foreign Affairs has been taking excellent care of my cars for thirty years.”
“For the past 15 years, we have had several vehicles serviced at Foreign Affairs and always to our satisfaction.”
“Jeff and his staff are very knowledgeable as well as friendly. Great work and fast service as well. Recommend to anyone in the Duluth MN area.”
“Always high quality service at Foreign Affairs!”
“Professional, honest and service oriented. Thanks.”
“Friendly, professional, helpful and sustainable. What's not to like?”
“Very courteous and gave updates on the progress. Another part was needed that they couldn't get that day, so they had me come back. I live three hours away. They didn't charge me for the extra part labor. Will definitely use them again.”
“They always take great care of my Mini!”
“Personable. Went the extra mile. Knew what they were doing.”
“Always do a great job! A nice repair experience.”
“Great experience, professional.”
“The guys at Foreign Affairs always take great care of my Mini and me!”
“Honest and transparent, the crew here will get your vehicle back in shape with your budget in mind.”
“Very nice experience, fair and professional.”
“The service was great as always!”
“I have been going to this garage for over 30 years and cannot say enough positive things about their service.”
“Excellent customer service.”
“They have been servicing my 2004 BMW Z4 since I bought it new in May 2004. I would not consider taking my cars anywhere else.”
“The service was great as always. We had to wait a week to have the service done but it was worth the wait.”
“Excellent work. Very friendly staff. Will return for service in future.”
“Very hospitable, professional and person-oriented services. Very prompt and time efficient.”
“As a customer for 30+ years, I continue to appreciate the courtesy, competence, and general attitude of Jeff and his staff.”
“They know their stuff. And they are honest.”
“Awesome experience and highly recommend them!”
“They get really busy here but it is well worth the wait to bring your car in. They are very honest and dependable.”
The price came in well under the dealer
The most repeated theme by a wide margin, and it is most pronounced on labor-heavy work where an independent shop rate compounds across the whole job.
They found what somebody else could not
A steady share of the cars here have already been to another shop. Proper testing rather than parts substitution is what usually ends that.
They told me what could wait
Customers notice when a shop separates urgent from eventual instead of presenting one long list.
The same people every time
35 years in one building means you are not re-explaining your car's history to a new face each visit.
It was explained so I understood it
Plain English rather than a printout of fault codes. If a repair does not make sense to you, ask us to go through it again.
They said no when it was not worth it
Being told a repair is not economic, or belongs at a dealer, is the thing customers remember longest.
Foreign Affairs, the Dealership, and the Quick-Lube Chain
Same car, three very different afternoons. Here is the honest version, including the row where we are not the right answer.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
We left the row we lose on right in the chart. If your car is still under factory warranty for the repair you need, we will tell you to go to the dealership. We would rather say it here than after you have driven over.
Better Business Bureau
A+ Rated and BBB Accredited Since 2006
Foreign Affairs of Duluth has been a BBB Accredited Business since 2006 and holds an A+ rating. Google reviews are the fullest picture of what it is like to bring a car here, but they are not the only record — the Better Business Bureau keeps its own file, including any complaints and how they were resolved.
We would rather point you at it than hope you do not look. If you are weighing up an independent shop you have not used before, an outside record you can check yourself is worth more than anything we could write on this page.
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- BBB Accredited Business since 2006
- Complaint history and resolutions, kept by the BBB not by us
Common Questions
On the Google Business Profile for Foreign Affairs of Duluth. That is where the 4.6 rating and the review count come from, and it is public.
We appreciate them, but the rating is built mostly on people who wrote one without being asked. That is what makes it worth anything.
Call the shop at (218) 722-2246 and tell us. We would far rather hear it directly and put it right than read about it later.
By phone at (218) 722-2246, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Appointments are not taken online.
Visit Our Duluth Auto Shop on East Ninth Street
Address
722 E Ninth St
Duluth, MN 55805
Phone
Shop Hours
Parking and Drop-Off
We are in the East Hillside neighborhood, a few minutes up from downtown Duluth and an easy run from Lakeside, Congdon, Woodland and Piedmont. Parking is free on site. If you need to leave the car before we open, call ahead and we will sort out the key.
Appointments are made by phone, not online. Call during shop hours and you will talk to someone who can tell you when we can actually get the car in.
Duluth, MN 55805 Get directions →

