Had my newly purchased 2016 Nissan Rouge in for routine maintenance- tune up and cvt fluid drain and replace. Stated they found a leak on the valve cover gasket. Took to another shop for second opinion. No leaks, not a level 1 or even seepage detected. Lost my business. Will never be back. read more

I took my van in and told them what was going on,, (thinking the fuel pump maybe going out) They had the van a week and never even looked at it. everytime i call they said they where looking at it that day.. they do not listen to woman and was treated very very badly read more

Camping trip week before Labor Day 2021 - I had replaced the OEM transmission cooler lines on my 2006 Dodge Ram truck a couple weeks before our trip to the Belfair, WA area. One of the lines developed a leak during our trip from Bellingham. Long story short, the crew at Canal Automotive took my truck, put it on hoist and had a mechanic check it out in short order. After a thorough review, they tightened one loose fitting and I was on my way. I can't tell you how much of a relief it was to have the situation corrected. I know this may not be the situation for everyone seeking service, but the willingness to help with my issue is something most repair places wouldn't even attempt. I appreciate the owner, his front desk help and the mechanic that assisted me that day immensely. I highly recommend you giving them a try. Mark read more

First of all read all the reviews; I think there are about 6 total including the ones "yelp doesn't recommend". READ THEM. For a business that has been around for 25 years, has only 1, yes 1 positive review, my advice is to go somewhere else unless you are in an emergency on a Saturday like I was. My car had been having problems the last few months. We took it to a shop in Shelton, recommended by a friend. They did a decent and very affordable fix - I needed a powers steering pressure hose replaced as it was spraying everywhere. Unfortunately the shop didn't catch that my coolant was leaking and over the next few weeks, and after getting an oil change at Jiffy Lube (who didn't catch it either) I almost killed my engine and tranny. The leak started out small but on Valentines Day (a Saturday so limited choices) we noticed it pouring out rather than leaking. Luckily we were driving through Belfair and found Canal Automotive. We spoke to the very friendly owner who told me it was the water pump and $450 later, which included a lower rad hose and a serp belt ("since it was drenched in coolant") and the car would be fixed and ready on Monday. Can you not just clean the belt? Did we really have to pay $50 for the belt and $50 for labor? Here's where the real shady business comes into play. The day we brought the car in, the owner also said I needed to "repair the trans cooling line", but he couldn't do it that day or Monday. When we picked the car up, the owner was out of town and a female technician added to the new estimate "replacing both motor mounts". She said that there was "too much movement in the motor". So now we would be looking at at total of $481.46 including the trans cooling line and transfer case leaks. This is in addition to the $500 I just paid of course. She tried to have us schedule an appointment then and there but since I already felt that I had paid top price for the water pump etc, I decided to do some research and actually find a reliable mechanic. Looking at yelp and going by a recommendation from my favorite Barista Christine on North Shore Rd we take the car to Mike's Auto Repair in Bremerton. Apparently the mounts are worn and can be replaced, it's an old Jeep with a lot of mileage so yeah, but the motor isn't going anywhere and Kevin at Mike's Auto said we have no need to fix it. Most importantly, and why I'm writing this review is that Kevin actually advised us to take the car back to Canal and ask them to work with us on giving us a deal/break on fixing the coolant leak. That's when you know you've found a good mechanic. I know nothing about cars but apparently the leak was right behind the water pump and to go back in and fix it you have to take out everything again to get to the leak. So because they "couldn't fix it that day" I'm assuming Canal's estimate was so pricey because instead of fixing it while they were already in there replacing the pump, they could just add another 2 to 3 hours labor or another $200-$300. I told Kevin that I would pay him the full labor because while they were already replacing the water pump, the leak was right there and I'm not going to go back to a shop that's trying to charge me for things I either don't need, or overcharge me for things because they know I'm not knowledgeable about cars. Because Kevin (at Mike's Auto) was charging me less than Canal had quoted in the estimate I decided to stick with an honest mechanic that I can trust. In all fairness, the owner of Canal was not there and so perhaps it was the female technician that made the shady error. But it still doesn't add up that they didn't offer to fix the coolant line if the labor costs were that significant. I will leave a 5 star review for Mike's Auto, I couldn't be happier with Kevin's customer service and honesty. If Canal Automotive wants to leave a reply or offer an explanation I would consider taking my car there again. I really did like the owner but as previous reviewers have mentioned, receipts and estimates just don't seem to add up. And boy are they pricey. I guess they make enough money from their towing business and used car lot to not care about keeping a a loyal customer base? If you have an emergency and $ isn't an issue for you, go to Canal. read more

Great shop, good prices, friendly service, timely repairs. Quick oil changes. Great tow service.

Over the years one can do something's themselves on a vehicle, but there are times when one just has to turn to an "expert", mainly in my experience due to not having the tools or lift, etc, etc. I recently needed assistance on a vehicle and the experience at Canal Automotive was sub standard. One person said one thing another said another. Facts and receipts did not jib and in the end they made things worse than when I took the vehicle into them. I had to go back or call time after time to get information, then 24hrs later is was something else that needed to be fixed, replaced or just was not taken care of. In the end the owner actually said to me, "can't you do any work on your car". There are no sub star categories here or I would give them a minus 10. Shoddy work, poor communication, liars and basically thieves was the experience I had with this business. The owner went ballistic in front of other customers when I went in for the last time just to retrieve my vehicle and the keys, well they were in the car parked in a location that anyone could have stole. Poor service! Poor customer relationships and poor to obtuse communication skills seems to be par with this outfit. Oh by the way, my car still needs repaired and when I looked under the hood, there were parts broken. read more

Bummed I was charged $425. for them to put on 2 new front tires and came across a receipt from les schwab who only charged me $180. for 2 back tires, from a couple months prior. That says a lot right there. He also told me I would be needing a new transmission soon, and I got a second opinion and was told he has never seen a transmission go out on my rig ever in his life, and that mine looks just fine. I have lived here for 35yrs and only like to support small business's who are honest. I won't be going back. read more

This place is great! I've had my car repaired here twice now. The owner is very honest and easy to work with. The work they've done is better than I expect it to be and reasonably priced. They're really fast too, I usually get my car back in about three days. They called me and had me authorize (or not authorize) any extra things they wanted to do, and didn't pressure me when I declined. I have dealt with very dishonest and shady car repair shops, not this place, they do great work, definitely worth checking out! read more

I've been here a few times for different services from fluid changes to a starter being replaced, cooling issue and an AWD seal needing replaced. I have always had great fast service and never had any issues arise from the work they completed. read more

While traveling with my family in Belfair WA, I had some problem with the charging system in my 1978 RV, stopped at this shop and they immediately checked the electrical system, spent 15-20 minutes, found no problem and sent us on our way without asking for a pay! I insisted on paying, they charged us only $31.60. Quick, friendly and reassuring. What a pleasure! read more

Was there a week ago with a loud noise coming from my jeep. They got me in within 10 mins found the issue and i was out the door 15 mins later and it did not cost an arm or a leg. Great job. This is not the first time i had great service from canal. Bee read more

THE ONLY REVIEW YOU NEED TO READ! First off, I had to select 1 star to begin the review. Undeserving of zero stars let alone one. There should be negative stars. And a star is actually too nice of a symbol even with a negative in front of it. Can there be lumps of excrement to show my sentiment? ..... rated 5 piles I could go into the whole story of semantics and the I said, he said, blah blah blah of it all, but I will save you the time and me the energy. If you want to go to a place that will do work on your car without asking and then charge you an enormous fee... Then go to this place If you want to ask about the work and why you weren't informed and then told to pay up and get off the lot... Then go to this place If you want to be strong-armed, bullied, and forced into a corner to pay for services you didn't agree or give permission for.... Then go to this place If you want to have (A. C.) the manager act like a pre-pubescent child and loudly rant & rave on how they took special time out of their precious day to work on your car making you feel guilty for having car problems.... Then by all means, choose this place You are warned of the results..... Business Ethics 101: Owning or managing a business is completely different than having a successful business with return customers. They also have a tow service that I probably wouldn't use either... Just sayin.. read more

WOW!!! When I first tried to talk to the owner about some repairs that were done. He freaked out yelling at me saying it was already in collections!!!. Once he settled down and realized what vehicle I was talking about he preceded to be very rude and yelled, not letting me get a word in. He admitted to wrapping the computer in plastic which held in moisture causing a very expensive fix by a neighboring shop. Left the shop with an oil leak, coolant reservoir empty, power steering reservoir empty, What kind of mechanic shop is this!!! read more

I own a 2003 VW Beetle, with only 50,000 miles on it. My cardinal rule for myself is to never take my car to any other place than the dealer for repairs and service. Well, I broke my own rule one Friday morning when while driving, the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT came on. I pulled over to the side of Belfair Hwy to think about somehow getting all the way to Ballard and Carter Motors via the Southworth Ferry, and decided to take a neighbors suggestion and go to Canal Auto. This is a brief overview of what happened in a little over 24 hours: I drove in and explained my problem to Don, the owner. He told me that they had a small machine that could hook up to my VW in 5 minutes and diagnosis the problem. The cost would be $44.00 for the machine, and then any other repairs after that. I also needed a headlight replaced, he said. I told him I was less interested in the light since I don't drive at night, but he insisted. Of course he had to order the light, and oh by the way, "These have small clips in them when you slide them out, if they break, you"ll have to pay". Wow, that was the craziest disclaimer I ever heard! I sat there reading my VW manual to find some reason or reasons this light would come on. The car had all the scheduled maintenance. After about an hour, Don suggested that I go home and that would call me. He said they were having some difficulty getting "there machine to talk to my car" That should have been my first red flag. I called them at 1:30 in the afternoon. 4:30 comes, nothing, At 10 minutes to 5 on a Friday afternoon Don calls me with the strangest tale. Well, we tried this, took this off, tried this, call this computer company, talked to my 'Buddy" at the VW dealer in Bremerton - wait I said, there is no dealer in Bremerton. Turns out the guy works on VWs at some dealership over there. We could get it over there Monday morning and see if he can find it, could be something simple, don't know.He'll give me a better deal than you taking it to a dealer yourself. I asked the all important question. How much do I owe you right now? He says "Well, I really got 4 into it, but really only 1" HUH? I will get my car now. Too late now, come first thing in the morning. By the time I got there at around 10, they had to "PUT MY CAR back together! Then, the front door windows wouldn't work, nor would the trunk. Don wanted to just put the windows up and leave them till the "so called dealer in Bremerton" could look at the car, NO NO Fix them I said. I went home. He personally delivered the car A FEW HOURS LATER to my neighbor's house, the check engine light was on, the airbag lights were on, and my bluetooth radio, telephone system broken. It had been professionally installed, and this place screwed with the wiring so bad no one can get it to work now. $258.00 is what he charged me for this SCREWUP!! $258.00, pay up or no car. His words People! Beware of Canal Auto! m read more

I have previously had Canal Automotive do some work on my vehicles. When by car broke down with obvious transmission problems, I had it towed to their shop. The car was towed in and backed crooked into a spot at the top of the hilly parking area. It was near closing on a Thursday, so I gave them the keys, described the problem and was told they would work on it in the morning. I asked for a call when they knew something. I called Friday afternoon when I got to work. One employee told me my transmission was seized, there was no fluid in it. He quoted me a price that with tax would run me about 3k. Saturday morning while running errands, I noticed the car was in the SAME POSITION as when the two dropped it off!!!! I called Canal Automotive and was told be a female that she did not know if anyone had looked at it on Friday cause she was off. She doubted it would be looked at that day as they had work to complete for priority customers. (Glad 3k means nothing to them!!) At this point I was upset to say the least and began talking to friends and checking reviews of transmission shops. Sunday I stopped by the shop and looked at the car. There was still the single handprint on the hood from the tow driver when he parked the car!! The car had NEVER been moved from the spot the tow put it. I left a note in the car asking Canal Automotive not to touch the car. Monday I contacted a reputable transmission shop who worked with me to get the car towed to them for the repairs. My wife contacted Canal Automotive to let them know the car would be moved. They told her we owed $51, plus tax for a "diagnosis". The owner became rude with her, talked down to her and told her my car was a piece of junk and he would give her $150 to scrap it. He told her he knows everything that happens in his shop and the tranny is shot, and since it will not go into gear is seized up. She reluctantly paid them. The car was towed to a transmission shop who inspected the transmission and called me with the results. The transmission was not seized, was a quart low of fluid and one main shifting part had work out and broken not allowing the transmission to be shifted into gears. It was completely repairable! It seems to me that Canal Automotive has Perfected the art of complete automotive diagnosis by looking out the front window of the shop!!! read more