Diagnostics
A code is a starting point, not an answer. We read the fault with manufacturer-level tooling, then test the part before we sell you one.
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General Auto Repair in Duluth, MN
We can work on just about anything to do with foreign cars from a general auto repair standpoint, including exhaust, heat and air conditioning, steering, drive axles, seasonal tire changeovers and the rest.
Full servicefor foreign
Told straightincluding what we do not do
The Everyday Half of the Shop
Foreign Affairs is a full-service auto repair shop in Duluth, MN, and while the specialist foreign work is what we are known for, a lot of what comes through the door on any given week is simply everyday repair. A heater that stopped working in November. An exhaust that finally rusted through. A CV boot that split. A set of winter tires that needs to go on before the first snow.
The advantage of having that work done here is that the diagnostic depth does not switch off for the simple jobs. The same tooling, the same technicians and the same approach apply whether we are coding a module or replacing a wheel bearing, and the same rule applies too: we tell you what it needs, what it does not, and what can wait.
That includes being honest about the jobs we do not do. We do not do engine or transmission rebuilds and we do not do bodywork. Tires we do sell as well as fit, and the seasonal changeover is a big part of our fall and spring. When a job belongs somewhere else we will say so and point you at somebody good.
- Exhaust systems, flex pipes and hangers
- Heating, air conditioning and blower faults
- Steering, power steering and steering racks
- Drive axles, CV joints, boots and wheel bearings
- Seasonal tire changeovers, fall and spring
- Wipers, lighting, fuel systems and everyday repair
- Volvo keys sourced, and the right dealer named for BMW and Mini
01
The heat stopped working
In this city that is not a comfort issue, it is a windshield-clearing issue. Usually a blend door, a heater core, a thermostat or a coolant level, and worth sorting before the first real cold snap.
02
Air conditioning that has gone warm
Plenty of cars do simply need topping up in the spring, because air conditioning hoses are slightly permeable and compressor seals let a little go over a season. That is normal. What is not normal is a system that empties every year, and that is a leak worth finding rather than refilling.
03
A droning noise that changes when you turn
Classic wheel bearing. It gets louder over months and it is a straightforward job while it is still just a noise.
04
A clicking on tight turns
A CV joint, usually because the boot split and the grease left. Catching it at the boot stage is dramatically cheaper than at the joint stage.
05
Exhaust that has gone loud
Salt gets exhaust systems eventually. Sometimes it is a section and a hanger rather than the whole system, and it is worth looking before assuming the worst.
06
Your heat or A/C has stopped working
Blend doors, heater cores, blower motors and leaking A/C. Not a comfort issue in this city so much as a windshield-clearing one.
What Repair Costs at This Duluth Auto Repair Shop
Everyday work is the most predictable thing an auto repair shop does. Call and tell us what the car is doing, and one of our team members will set up an appointment with you to bring your vehicle in so we can look it over and get you an exact price before anything is started.
The commitment is the same as on every other job here. You get the number before the work starts, and if something else turns up you get a phone call, not a surprise on the invoice.
- The makeParts for a foreign car generally cost more than the equivalent for a domestic one. That is most of the difference.
- Access and corrosionRusted fasteners and seized hardware add time on any car that has seen a few northern winters.
- Parts availabilitySome foreign parts come from a regional warehouse and take a day or two. We will tell you when that applies.
- Whether it is one job or threeIf the inspection turns up two other things, you get the whole picture and you decide what gets done.
The Auto Repair Shop Duluth, MN Drivers Keep Coming Back To
Foreign Affairs has been an auto repair shop in Duluth, MN since 1991, in the same building on East Ninth Street in the East Hillside. It is a few minutes up from downtown and a short run from Lakeside, Congdon, Woodland, Piedmont and the West End.
Customers drive in from Superior, Hermantown, Proctor, Cloquet and Two Harbors, most of them sent by somebody who already comes here. We have customers who make the trip from as far as Fargo, ND, and they do it because of the service they get once they arrive. That is the reason an independent auto repair shop this far north stays busy for 35 years.
Service areas
Ashland, WICloquet, MNDuluth, MNFargo, NDGrand Marais, MNGrand Rapids, MNHermantown, MNHibbing, MNInternational Falls, MNLutsen, MNMoose Lake, MNProctor, MNSandstone, MNSilver Bay, MNSuperior, WIThunder Bay, ONTwo Harbors, MNVirginia, MN
Booked by phone, Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 5:00. Call (218) 722-2246.
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.
You're hereForeign Affairs
The dealership
A quick-lube chain
Manufacturer-level scan toolsNot a generic code reader
Works on more than one foreign make
Tells you what can wait until next time
Factory warranty and recall work
Best for
Keeping a foreign car healthy past 100,000 miles without dealer pricing.
Warranty claims, recalls and anything still covered by the manufacturer.
An oil change when you have 20 minutes and nothing is wrong.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
Yes Sometimes No
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.
Common Questions
13 foreign makes: Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Volvo, Subaru, Toyota, Nissan, Land Rover, Jaguar, Mini Cooper and Lexus. Call with what you drive and we will tell you straight away whether it is something we take.
Yes, and a lot of them. Changing over to winter tires in the fall and back to summer tires in the spring is one of our busiest jobs of the year. Book early, because the week of the first real snow is the week everybody calls.
No. We repair engines and we maintain transmissions, but full internal rebuilds are not work we take on. If that is what your car needs, we will tell you honestly.
Yes, and it is one of our busiest jobs twice a year — the winter set going on in the fall, the summer set going back on in the spring. Book ahead, because everybody calls the same week the first snow lands.
Yes, and we enjoy them. There is a fair amount of older Volvo and Volkswagen in this shop, and long-term ownership is what most of our customers are doing.
By phone at (218) 722-2246, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We do not take appointments online, and calling means you will talk to somebody who can tell you when we can actually get the car in.
We can obtain Volvo keys. For BMW and Mini customers we can tell you which dealer to call. For all other cars you should call a locksmith or a dealer.
Preventive Maintenance
Factory-interval maintenance done with the right oil and the right fluids, plus an honest list of what can wait until next time.
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Brakes & Suspension
Pads, rotors, calipers, brake lines, struts, shocks and control arms. We check the whole corner, not just whatever is making the noise.
Learn moreVisit Our Duluth Auto Shop on East Ninth Street
Address
722 E Ninth St
Duluth, MN 55805
Phone
Shop Hours
Monday8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed
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.
Foreign Affairs 722 E Ninth St
Duluth, MN 55805 Get directions →
Duluth, MN 55805 Get directions →
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