We had a great experience buying our new car at Carter Subaru. Our salesman was Bill Koch and he was helpful, very knowledgeable and never pushed us into decisions. His introduction to all of the new safety technology was thorough, informative and and easy to understan. read more

I went to a lot of dealerships to see different options in leasing and financing. I had the best experience here. Andrew in sales spent a lot of time going through all the different options and I never felt hurried or rushed like at other dealerships. They also got me a great end of the year leasing deal within my strict budget and everyone there took time answering all my questions. The whole process was easier than expected. I was very happy with the end result and highly recommend. read more

Allen was super kind and helpful. Service was done very quickly and thoroughly and I would absolutely have my car serviced here again

We were in the market for our 4th Subaru. We have had experiences with other local Subaru dealers that left us feeling somewhat cold and anonymous. We decided to try Carter this time, and Steven Mackie could not have been more helpful, attentive and friendly. Before today we had never felt like we wanted to go back to the dealer, but we will definitely be back to Carter, and the people are 100% of it. read more

Service at this place has gone way downhill over the years. I'm done. They make promises and don't deliver. They'll do a 1,000 point check and somehow miss something as obvious as a headlight out. I don't know what's changed here, but accountability is gone. The bigger the business has gotten, the less they can be trusted. read more

This dealership made purchasing my new car extremely stress free and simple! I was helped by Lynette Rice who was amazing at telling me all the features of the car. She kept me updated and made sure everything went well. Thank you Carter Subaru! read more

I worked with Steven Mackie from start to finish choosing to do my negotiations online vs. in-person. It was by far the EASIEST car buying experience I've had in decades. They were able to do a lot of the paper work ahead of time and had my new Subaru waiting for me with a full tank of gas. In and out in less than 90 minutes. Professional staff. Great service. Convenient location. What's not to love? If you're in the market for a new car look no further than Carter Subaru Ballard. read more

My mom bought a car from Carter. 6 months later when getting the breaks repaired, the folks from the auto shop called her over to look under the car. The undercarriage was entirely rusted over.  When loosening a nut for maintenance, the worker broke the part off due to the rust damage (don't know cars well enough to recall what broke). Fortunately we got a maintenance plan with Carter (which didn't cover above break work). We brought the car back to Carter for inspection.  They gave mom a loaner car while they inspected/repaired her car. They held her car for 3 weeks with no update, -despite us calling weekly to check-in. Eventually they just fixed the part that broke off during the break work and told us their mechanic says the rust "won't impact performance" We were both so exasperated by the experience that we decided to just let it go rather than waste time pursuing better answers or fixes from Carter.  The best word mom and I could come up with to summarize our experience was "icky".  I kick myself  for believing the salesman who told us a whole story about how Carter is family owned and takes care of their customers because their reputation in the community matters....I should have gotten the car checked by a 3rd party auto shop before purchasing.   I hope this review will help you not have the same regret. read more

Never get your tires here. I waited four hours for them to swap summer for winter tires. Mind you, I had an appointment and it was a few days before Christmas. I sat in the waiting room virtually alone so I know they weren't slammed. read more

Tony is so great to work with. Professional, friendly, very efficient. Many people in our extended family are driving cars we bought from Tony! read more

I worked with Darren in service to get a replacement rear motor for my Soltera. He kept me well informed about progress since Subaru corporate was slow to supply the needed parts. Once they got the parts it was repaired correctly and drives like new. The hassle free loaner was just that, no problems and free of charge. He explained the work they did and it was covered under warranty so everything was great. read more

I usually hate buying a new car, but Steven at Carter's Subaru in Ballard made the experience a joy. He offered me a great price and provided exceptional customer service. I love my new car! read more

Coming from someone who usually prefers to shop online, I'm so glad I made the trek over to Ballard to see Macy. I did a lot of research ahead of time, so I obnoxiously brought in a list of questions about a few cars in their inventory. Macy was happy to help me find answers and even walked the lot with me in the rain. Macy listened to my budget situation, educated me, and then gave me the space I needed to make a good decision. Also, I want to shout out the dealership for being dog-friendly! Don't walk, run over to Carter Subaru in Ballard and ask for Macy. read more

This morning I woke up to my "check engine" light on my Forester. I called to make an appt. and Carter got me in right away! Turns out as I pulled in to the service bay I noticed my gas cap was tinkered with, I closed it tightly and the light was still on, so Dylan was able to take my vehicle and reset the light knowing it was likely due to the gas cap. He was professional, friendly and put me at ease. Everyone in service was great but Dylan went above and beyond ! Thank you so much! read more

We've now bought two cars from Steven Mackie - one in 2019 (Crosstrek) and one in 2025 (Forrester Hybrid). Steven has been a gem both times in terms of making sure we get the right car and feel confident in our decision. Really nice person who has resulted in us getting two great cars. Carter is great when it comes to service and truly one of the best car dealerships in the country. read more

Service department is horrible. Get ready for them to fire the "repair cannon" at your car! Carter is a car "stealer-ship"! Find a small Japanese car repair shop if you don't want to get ripped off and want your car fixed correctly. read more

Bill Koch was a true pleasure to work with in the car buying process, he helped understand and identify our needs to match to the best car for our lives! His approach to car sales is refreshing, helping find our car in a consultative manner. He has a wealth of experience in the industry and knows the car details inside and out. If you're considering a Subaru, would highly recommend you connect with Bill! My biggest regret in the transaction was not being a better listener working with Matt Schwenke when discussing the warranty, thankfully he was patient with me and helped me understand the immense value of insuring your vehicle with a Subaru Warranty. Thank you so much to the team at Carter, you have earned our lifetime business! read more

Carter Subaru Ballard - Car Dealers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Please find anywhere but here to bring your car serviced. I arrived at the dealership on a Saturday morning where my service advisor, Joey Love, was checking me in while also watching and LISTENING to a basketball game on his phone. I brushed it off because it wasn't super busy, but that was just the start. Later that day he texted me with the hypothesis that my car's head gasket might have a problem. I immediately tried to get in contact with them, but guess what.. it's impossible to call them!!! Any number or extension is completely useless. After more than 15 attempts and an hour later he finally called back to tell me that the technician never even looked at the car. In other words, he scared me with the worst possible scenario with NO evidence of this even being possible. He then said the car would be looked at on Monday because now all of a sudden they were busy after a slow morning. Fast forward, the problem was not the head gasket it was the water pump. I arrived to go pick up my car and found an invoice of over 5 hours of labor for the water pump job. If you know cars at all you know this is wildly over the amount of time it takes to fix a water pump. The average is 3-4 and he made it a point to tell me I had a more experienced technician working on my car. I questioned him about it and he could not give me an answer of how long it took them to do this work. I pressed him and repeated that it's ridiculous to be charging for 5 hours and he responded "will you be happy at 4?". Excuse me.. what!?? All I wanted to know what how long it ACTUALLY took and I still didn't get an answer. I settled and paid the bill totally disappointed in the lack of professionalism I experienced. I cannot believe this guy even works at a place I thought would give me top of the line work and professionalism. Find any other place, but here if you want honest and trustworthy work done on your car. read more

The service rep, Whitney Rader, was terrific. The required service was performed efficiently. He patiently explained the recommended services and did not press to have them done immediately. read more

Such a great experience! Steven in sales was absolutely the best. In fact, everyone at Carter has been wonderful and very supportive. I also had an amazing follow-up visit with Vince where he explained the features of my car which made it so I didn't have to spend hours going through the manual! I even got a tour of the service center! Highly recommend Carter Subaru! read more

We recently bought a new Crosstrek here. Our salesperson was Maddy Lyon. She was great to work with in all respects as an informative, helpful guide throughout the process. We didn't feel any pressure and felt like we got a good price. We walked in and were fortunately paired with her, but I think you can request her. read more

Right now they are having a hard time just scheduling appointments. The on-line calendar doesn't seem to work anymore, and the phone number for service was too full to take messages. Strange! With the terrific reputation of Subarus, one would think that service might be almost as important as sales. Obviously not the case! read more

In my review of 9/20/25 I neglected to give a special thank you to Dylan, and the entire team, for being ever-so persistent, by going the extra mile to ensure our issue was addressed in a fair manner. read more

I can't say enough about the treatment i got here, but i'll try! I went in not planning to leave with a car that day actually, i braced myself for what i thought was going to be a grueling battle between myself and some salesman, my apprehensiveness quickly diminished once i met Steven, he took care of me and never pushed anything on me, he listened to what my goals and needs were and not only met them but exceeded them. I felt good making the choice of leaving that very day with a beautiful car. Steven was kind and calming, he made it so the process was as enjoyable as it could be, and i can honestly say that i had a great time. The process was speedy and the people were friendly, thanks again Steven! You're an amazing person, Much love! read more

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I had the best car buying experience I've ever had with Macy at Carter Subaru Ballard. She was patient, kind, listened to exactly what I wanted and went out of her way to get it. They did not have the car I wanted at that location so she had one delivered from another location so that I could see it in person and not have to go to another dealership. There was no pressure to commit to the car that was sent over. Everyone at the dealership was amazing! The finance department made everything fast and easy to understand and the manager checked in on me during the process to see how it was going. I recommend buying a car from Carter Subaru Ballard -ask for Macy! read more

I clicked on the "sign up for price drop alerts" link on the Carter Ballard Subaru site, and got a follow-up email from Steven Mackie. He promised "no pressure, no games, no gimmicks," and I'm happy to say that he is as good as his word! After I finally made up my mind, I met with Steven and had a perfectly zero-stress car buying experience, and am now the happy owner of a brand new Forester. If you get an email from Carter's Steven Mackie, stick with him. You'll be glad you did! read more

I've heard great things about Subaru my whole life. I wish that I could spread the good will about the company, but I cannot. We bought a used 2022 Subaru Outback Limited at the end of September 2024. At the time, we purchased the continued dealership warranty, and it's still under the 3-year/36,000 mile warranty. I was told we could go to any Subaru dealership without any issues, should any mechanical or electrical trouble arise. We initially had an issue with our license plates, which didn't come in until quite some time after our temporary plate expired. I attempted to contact our sales-person, Jeremy, multiple times without success. Finally, someone at the front desk told me we wouldn't be pulled over, so it's fine, and they won't be able to send an updated temporary plate. I gave up; the plates eventually arrived. Flash forward to the end of November (two months after purchasing the car), and our car won't start. It's now been jumped three times. Took it to AutoZone, who confirmed the battery is completely dead. So, either a battery or alternator issue. I've been trying to contact Carter Subaru Ballard endlessly without any success. The people at the front desk are rude, dismissive, and downright unhelpful. But, at least you can get through to them (unlike any other department). Several failed call attempts go by, only to find out that Jeremy no longer works for them! I am finally able to speak with their service team, who try to get me scheduled there. I tell them I live in Bellingham - I'm not driving to Seattle for a battery test. I'm transferred to someone named John (no explanation as to why) and never receive a call back after a voicemail and the front desk emailing him. After my most recent call this morning, I was rudely cut off more than once, and told that it was "my responsibility" to contact another Subaru dealership and schedule maintenance. I was just calling to ask if there was anything they could do to help expedite an appointment at the Bellingham Subaru! Meanwhile, we're entering the holidays and an upcoming 3 hour drive with a car that is completely unreliable. I'm now working with Dewey Griffin Subaru up in Bellingham, which has been an exceptionally better customer service experience (not hard to do). However, they're booked out past the holidays for service (sucks when we have to travel for the holidays and are worried about our car not starting in the meantime). It's also going to take 1-3 hours minimum to do their warranty battery test. They only have weekday service appointments available. So, we're expected to eat the cost of a ride share home and to work in the meantime. We have one car. We both work. This has been a disaster, and I have half a mind to just contact AAA about replacing the battery despite the overly priced warranty we purchased. It would certainly be easier - they come straight to us! Carter Subaru Ballard has been absolutely no help, despite being entirely responsible for the situation we're now in. If you're thinking about buying a car from here, don't bother. Shockingly, they're just in it for your money, and you're on your own after the car's been purchased. read more

This was my second time coming to Carter Subaru Ballard as a new resident of Seattle. I came in for a routine 78K mile service and the service was decent, but I'm not coming back again. I communicated that I'd like to have my wheels rotated and insisted to pay for the service if it's not already part of what I scheduled. The person tending to me proudly stated that tire rotation is complimentary and is part of their multi-point inspection / service. I was pleased when hearing this and agreed happily. 2 hours later, the moment my car rolls up to the pick-up spot, I called out the valet that they did NOT rotate my tires. I would know as each wheel is distinct from one another due to cosmetic damages. They ultimately did me right by refunding me my service 8 minutes after payment, but the experience has soured my outlook of this dealership by wasting my time and not meeting the bare-minimum expectation of committing to what was communicated. The person who tended to me mentioned as I was walking out that tire rotations are normally not part of their service. That's NOT what was stated when I dropped off my vehicle. I added an image of my receipt to this review to emphasize how much I over-communicated my need of a tire rotation, as I suspected they didn't rotate my tires during my first visit, which makes sense with their "(if needed)" verbiage. Tire rotation is standard for every service. ESPECIALLY on a AWD vehicle. read more

Carter Subaru Ballard - Receipt showing that tire rotation was part of the service - Car Dealers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Our experience with Steve Mackie and Carter Subaru of Ballard was terrific! The deal we received was outstanding and Steve and his fellow employees went out of their way to facilitate the paperwork and accommodate our requests, including an unusual request for assistance with our after market tires. Gosh, even the Attendant working in the drive way went out of his way to help me out of a crowded spot in the lot. Stressful as purchasing an automobile can be, Steve and his co-workers were on the spot to make things easy. My wife and I recommend Steve and his fellow Carter Subaru team enthusiastically! Thanks again! read more

Purchased my first 2024 Subaru Crosstrek from this location last week. Nothing but positive reviews all around. Highly recommend Steven (Sales) and Matt (Finance). They were extremely friendly, not pushy, and patient. It was my first time buying a new car and they really put in a lot of effort before I even stepped into the dealership to stream line the process to ensure everything was quick and easy. Was in and out of the dealership with my new car in about an hour!! read more

Carter Subaru Ballard - Car - Car Dealers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We want to express our satisfaction with our car shopping and buying experience with Macy. We appreciated her listening and informative responding. She is also friendly and engaging. We enjoyed our experience. Thank you, Macy. read more

Leased my 2nd Crosstrek from Carter's. The staff was friendly and made everything go smoothly. Tony was especially great to work with - frank and honest and no BS! read more

FIVE STARS-Purchase of a 2025 Crosstrek- Truly, the most straightforward and pleasant experience with a car purchase that I have ever had. As an experienced Subaru client, I can say that Steven Mackie with Carter Subaru Ballard, made this purchase perfectly affordable and effortless. He was knowledgeable, prepared, and most importantly to me, authentic. He valued my time. I searched the entire Puget sound for the vehicle that would meet my needs, and he made it happen without shenanigans. Not only am I so very happy with my purchase, but I also am confident that if I ever needed support with my new vehicle, or help with a future purchase, Steven and Carter Subaru would be my go to. Highest recommendation for service, communication and integrity. :) read more

Bought a 2025 Ascent from Steven Mackie at Carter Subaru. The process was trouble and stress free. Steven was knowledgeable about the car and answered all my questions. He arranged to get a car to test-drive and it was ready when I arrived. The car I wanted was in-transit and arrived when promised. The price negotiation was straightforward with no sales pressure. Steven had much of the paperwork complete before I arrived to pick the car up. He has followed up to make sure that I am satisfied. My 4th Subaru and 3rd from Carter. Great cars and great dealer. read more

We just bought a new Forester from Steven M at Carter Subaru. It was for sure the easiest and least annoying car buying experience of my life. I've bought other car makes, but that ended once we started buying Subarus. This was our 4th Forester in a row, but our first at this dealership. Steven M, Vince, and Carter Subaru Ballard have earned our repeat business. read more

Tony @ Carter Subaru in Ballard was a literal dream to work with. This was my first time ever purchasing a new car and it took me almost a year to narrow down my search and decide on a vehicle. I never felt rushed or pressured to make a decision & I always felt respected and heard by Tony. He checked in on me from time to time to see how my search was going and if I had any questions but I was never bombarded with emails or phone calls. It can be intimidating buying a new car, especially when you're making the purchase alone, but I truly felt like Tony had my best interest at heart. He was patient, informative, and extremely kind. The Subaru Crosstrek was meant for me all along & I couldn't be happy with the service I received! read more

Our sales person at Carter Subaru was Steven Mackie. He did an excellent job with all aspects of the purchase process. In fact, it was probably the most straightforward new car purchase we have ever experienced. Absolutely, recommended!! read more

Addition to the detailed, glowing review I left a week ago on Yelp: Wanted to add that I had an outstanding (very helpful!!) Encore Delivery Appointment at Carter Subaru today, which is a session with Vince Fejeran, the friendly, patient, and very helpful expert/techie on Subarus at Carter Subaru. During this appointment, he sat with me in my new car, answered all my questions and helped me set up anything I needed help with. These sessions are great! Vince pointed out some great tips, saving me hours pouring over the user manual or watching you tube. For example, he advised me to turn off Automatic Brake Hold before going in the carwash, so the car wouldn't automatically apply the car in the carwash, and how to set up my car to open the garage door. This is second time I've met with Vince - the first time was with my 2020 Subaru. Both sessions were incredibly helpful! If you are reading this, Vince, THANK YOU!!!! read more

Here is the email I sent to Carter Subaru Ballard. I never received a response. Hi Steve - You assisted me yesterday on the above service. Before I post a review in a more public forum, I wanted to give Carter Subaru a chance to respond to my concern. Carter Subaru advertises the 6,000 mile service as costing $109.99. At checkout, however, an additional $8.76 is added for "shop supplies." In the industry, this is called "bait and switch." If there is a routine charge added to the advertised price, it should be reflected in what Carter Subaru tells its potential customers. I asked you about it as I checked out, but your response was perfunctory and not clear to me. It did not appear that there was something added to my service that was outside the standard maintenance service. In total, the service cost $137.00 I have been a long time Carter Subaru/Volkswagen customer. I have always gotten my vehicles serviced with you. I have appreciated the company's honesty and transparency in what it charges for its services. I know that many companies are currently engaged in "add-on charges" in the service industry. I was disappointed yesterday to find Carter Subaru seemingly engaged in the same practice. I seriously doubt that your loyal customers (such as myself) would change service providers over $8.76, if it was honestly reflected in Carter Subaru's advertising. The same cannot be said when those same customers are surprised with add-on charges at checkout. I look forward to an explanation from Carter Subaru. read more

My husband and I went in yesterday to test drive the Crosstrek Wilderness after having some early transmission issues with our current, older Subaru. We weren't necessarily thinking we'd buy, but weren't opposed. I'll start with the dealership, since there's not a ton to say there. It's in a central location in Ballard, albeit a small spot- heard they're gaining some real estate across the street, which will be great for business and ease of access. I'm sure street parking isn't normally an issue, but we went on a Sunday during the Ballard Farmer's Market, so finding parking was a little frustrating. Now for the sales guy, Craig Sanderson. He immediately greeted us upon arrival, making us feel welcome but not pressured. He's got a great personality: very relaxed and helpful, neither pushy nor rude... unlike some salespeople at other dealerships we've encountered. He was kind, knowledgeable, and made my husband and me feel comfortable making this kind of large decision. Above all else, he spoke to both of us as equals. As a woman, sometimes men (especially salesmen and repair techs) tend to address my husband directly and treat me like an accessory. Craig made sure I felt just as comfortable and knowledgeable as my husband with this purchase, which is huge in my books. We test drove one car and looked at several others on their lot (they have so many!). After talking numbers, we decided to discuss it over lunch. Craig was very understanding and didn't make us feel like we had wasted any of his time. He was genuine without being overly saccharine sweet, and overall we just really appreciated how accommodating he was. After deciding to make the purchase, Craig went above and beyond to get us the accessories we wanted within our budget. We ended up putting a bit more down than we had planned to get the monthly payment where we wanted it, but Craig helped us through the whole process and made us feel at ease the entire time. I would absolutely recommend working with Craig, and hope to do so again in the future if we ever need a second car. Thanks so much, Craig! We appreciate you and love our new Subie read more