This is a fair and honest mechanic. Without going into major detail, I will give the abbreviated version. Husbands truck went in for some tests. Ended up tests were not accurate. My husband went back to tell them and they completely refunded all the testing money. In my honest opinion I say you can trust them to make a mistake right. read more

Cost me over $800 getting parts and tows and Uber and hotels. For them looking at my car then giving me back the wrong key making me think I had something wrong with my ignition. They refuse to put me in communication with the owner. I paid $250 for a diagnostic right next to the building as soon as the diagnostic was done they brought me the right key and said oh we may have made a mistake. I will be pursuing civil action against the shop they are very unprofessional and have zero remorse for their mistake. DO NOT GO HERE ! If I could give them zero stars I would. The service representative Greg was very rude read more

Had good success with this company over the years. Took my truck to them since it was stalling out. After going through the truck they said it needed a new transmission and engine. Found a guy who took a look, it was fuel system had to be flush and a new fuel pump. Now it runs perfectly and the engine and transmission is perfect. Cost was $1,200 instead of 6 to $7,000.00 read more

Someone tried to steal our jeep & triggered auto theft mechanism. Dealership told us it would be impossible to fix cause the part is no longer manufactured. But Central Ave Automotive definitely helped us get it fixed. I didnt care about the price because I just wanted it to be fixed. They got our car working again! & made the whole transition easy. read more

A year ago, I got my break pads and rotors replaced for $1,600 at this location and 15 minutes after driving it, it broke down and cost me another $1,000. I went to another car repair shop nearby and got quoted a reasonable price and issue did not need to return. For how many good reviews this location had, I'm really disappointed. my car is an older model but it is a reliable vehicle. they care more about sales than quality of service. won't ever go here again or recommend. read more

I just have to give a shout out to Blake Walker and his crew at Central Avenue Automotive for the AWESOME service and personal care they have given me and my family, going above and beyond the call of duty, stopping to help my wife when our truck would not start, and then trailering it down to his shop for the repair. Then doing it a second time when we had other problems... They realized the problem was a bit more than a quick fix if we wanted to have use of the truck for a long time without break downs. Anyway- they were just awesome to work with and even had financing options we could use. Thanks to Blake and everyone at Central Avenue Automotive for superior work and customer service!! Mitch Morey Sr read more

This place is amazing. Great people up front, especially Paul. I stopped by for an emergency close to their closing time and they were happy to help. Fixed the issue and were just great to work with. Recommend to anyone in the Kent area for honest good work. read more

7/31/24 11:00am -my 2009 Ford Flex was delivered to Central Ave Auto I received a call that they would perform an hour diagnostic which the AAA representative had mentioned to me. I understood and let the person know it's got some random issues that are already known and told them to take their time. Toward the end of the day I had not received any quotes or diagnostic information only when I called for an update was I made aware verbally of the transmission slipping.. an issue I am very aware of. At that point I let the associate know I could leave it overnight and they can get me a quote later that evening or the next morning. By 8/1/24 12:30pm I called and spoke with an associate that I had arranged a friend to pick the car up. I had still not received any official quotes, emails, texts or talk of any charges whatsoever. They had not done any diagnoses beyond checking for a P0420 code thrown and a 10 minute test drive. 8/1/24 1:30pm my friend called to let me know I had to pay 180$ for diagnostic service which had never been stated to me verbally, electronically or even in a text or email. This was nowhere near a full diagnostic I just paid for one that was cheaper and incredibly thorough at Kent East Hill Auto. I had never signed, stated nor agreed to pay for any diagnostic services. I was in shock. I understand there may have been costs associated but that was not AAA liability to explain such costs. This was Central Ave Automotive and they did not let me know about any charges or fees of any kind until it was time for pick up. At that point I received my FIRST ever text message and email regarding pricing and findings. I had made a request to speak to the manager and they let me know I can pay it or they won't release my car. "Did I expect it to be free?" and other condescending statements. I was not offered any kind of discount for the AAA affiliation or other resolutions. This should have been a trustworthy experience, since they were affiliated with AAA. I will forever ensure I communicate the disappointing experience I had here. read more

Entire family has been coming to Central Avenue Automotive for a very long time. They have assisted us through repairs/maintenance on many domestic and foreign vehicles. When it came time to purchase a new vehicle, the owner Blake recommended the Costco Auto buying program (amazing!!). We have also used their detailing services - top notch!. They are always professional, extremely knowledgeable, take the time to explain issues/repairs and we can honestly say we have been extremely satisfied every time. read more

I wanted to get better service than a quick lube, but honestly turned out the same and i was charged for a service that was supposed to be included with the oil change. I wasted a whole day on this too. read more

My care was there for repairs on other systems and they got numerous under voltage codes and it indicated the battery needed replaced. There was a failure of a module after the battery was replaced that required it to go to the dealer. They offered to cover the cost to have the car towed and any cost I incurred as a result of this failure. It appears the failure is covered under warranty. I will always return here because if this kind gesture and commitment to customer satisfaction. Other repairs to the leveling system were satisfactory. read more

My 2012 Honda CRV had an electrical issue on I-5 yesterday. I had to have it towed to Central Ave Automotive. They called me promptly at 8am and were able to squeeze me in today's schedule for a new alternator. Great communication. Consistently demonstrate integrity. Reasonable pricing and Costco discount results in good value! read more

Not the Central Auto. I knew.Tried to get a simple frt one alignment on as vw Golf. First appt. Tie Rods were seized, needed to be replaced, fine , "How much would that be" A Ridiculous quote :( . Went a highly reputable shop in Tacoma, Under Half the cost.Made a second Appt. at Central (Good price on alignments) and received a call saying the rack was down, waiting on parts, could I reschedule? Surely, Got up early to be on time, arrived and was told "Oh there is a car on the rack waiting for parts, probably can't get to yours" Then Why did I make an Appt??? You couldn't have called me that morning or the night before. Not going back. Used to be a Very Customer oriented shop. Robert A. read more

I have at least three major complaints against Central Avenue Automotive (CAA). 1. They falsely recommended and attempted to charge for repairs for which there is no reasonable basis. They claimed all four engine mounts on my car were broken and needed to be replaced at a cost of $4,617.88. I got a second opinion from a certified service dealer who told me the engine mounts were not broken at all. 2. Work was performed on the vehicle before I received a written price estimate for the repairs. I was obligated to pay for services I would have declined. By the time I received the estimate I was already obligated for nearly $1,000 of service. 3. I never received a response from CAA regarding my complaints. I returned in person to speak with the service manager Mark with my concerns about the engine mounts. He said he would look into it and talk with the owner and he'd call me the next day. He never did. I filed a complaint with Consumer Protection Agency of Washington and CAA never responded to the complaint. I want my community to be made aware of their unfair practices. CAA is untrustworthy and unresponsive. read more

Where do I begin? My car broke down and not being from the area I randomly chose this place and used an online app to book an appointment for repair the next day and had my car towed in. To the shop. When I called the next day I was told that they couldn't fit me in for several days and the app wasn't working properly. Konner in the service department immediately put me at ease, when I explained we were just traveling through the area and needed help. Long story short, my car needed extensive engine work, they gave me a loaner car and did a fantastic job repairing mine. The estimate they gave me was more than the final bill ( how often does that happen?) Every interaction with people in this company was amazing. I HIGHLY recommend this company for your auto repair. read more

This place did a great job on my car and the staff was awesome. The price to get my air conditioner done was one of the best around.

I have had as close to an ideal experience with Central Automotive as one could really hope to have, especially given that it is never usually a good experience to have work done on your vehicle. I dropped off my car and I was frustrated, initially, to be back at Central for the second time in two weeks. Eric called me and talked to me about the issue with my car, my concerns, and he took the time to listen and empathize and offer what he could do to help. At the end of the day, Eric called back and had a solution as well as some education for me related to the fix. He went out of his way to make sure I was happy and that I felt like a valued customer to them. Central (and Eric) really care about the people they are serving, and in doing so they just got another customer for life. read more

For me it's hard to find a mechanic that I trust. I trust this shop. The only problem I've had is that they are so busy that they don't have space for a week out sometimes. They do GREAT QUALITY REPAIRS & don't overcharge read more

I was a customer for over 15 years and was accused of returning a damaged loaner car of which I did not do. A week later they had watched video footage and another customer backed in to the loaner car they accused me of damaging. No apology. Lost a customer and will never refer friends to them again. read more

I had a ton of work done to my Jeep at Central Ave Automotive. Lift kit...super Charger...air lockers and much much more. Blake(owner) stayed in constant communication with me. The Jeep runs and rides better now than it did stock. I'll post some before and after pics. read more

They did a great job on my 97 pickup truck! If I have any more truck needs I will definitely come back

Brought my car in with no heat on passenger side , and let them know this. I had to call them four times just to find out how the car was doing and they have had it since 1:00 a.m. in the morning when I dropped it off at 2:30 in the afternoon on the third time still did not have an estimate had to call again they finally called 15 minutes later and said oh yeah your radiator shot your reading it three of your radiator hoses are gone and it was going to be over $1,700 funny thing is that's not what I wanted fixed it was no heat on the passenger side which always said means door actuator .we will not be going back . We went half a mile down the street to the next auto shop and they fixed the door actuator and under 20 minutes good job for the other auto shop. read more

I recently relocated to Kent from California and drove my truck up. I knew I had prior issues with my truck before driving, but I figured I would wait until I made it up here to take it to a shop. After doing some google searches, I came across Central Avenue Automotive. Read some reviews and visited their website and decided to give them a shot. I tried to schedule a next day appointment online, but their website wouldn't let me so called their shop and spoke to Eric. He was super nice and friendly and got in me the very next morning. Got to the shop, told him about what I wanted serviced. They proceeded to check and inspect all areas I mentioned and got back to me within hours with what was going on with my truck and an estimate. I previously conversed with an out-of-state mechanic friend of mine to see roughly how much it was going to cost for all the work and he told me $1200-$1300. Long story short, my estimate was well below what I thought and the turn around time was super quick. I highly recommend these guys and will definitely be coming back to get my truck serviced/repaired. 10/10 would definitely recommend! read more

Came here on a recommendation from a customer that visited there and found out that they actually have a very great price on their oil changes. They seem to be really quick most days per word of mouth. I did find they were a bit behind and I assumed it had to do with having some lengthy you work prior to me arriving. I was quoted $89.99 by Jiffy Lube for an oil change on my 2018 Toyota Camry xse and once I called and mentioned I was going to visit Jiffy Lube I was told by a friend to visit this location and that they have the best prices available on oil changes. They were absolutely correct out of the door I paid $38.50. I did end up spending about an hour there because they were short-staffed that day and we're finishing up on a previous vehicle. The staff definitely kept me up-to-date on what was going on and how long I could expect things to take. And then when it was all said and done the owner actually pulled my car up with the heat on and got me out of there. I would recommend this spot prices are 5-stars service 4 stars cost 4 stars read more

UPDATE: Blake, the owner, has contacted me and we are working on this issue. He said he will make it right, and the resolution is TBD. I will update this review when the matter is resolved. I have been going to this business for 17 years and I will NEVER go there again, ever. This business was great until about 3 years ago, and they started going downhill. They had my vehicle in their possession for several repairs, each time they returned it to me, allegedly repaired, they would "suddenly" find several thousand MORE dollars worth of repairs that needed to be done on it. When I asked for a full estimate of repairs, they would provide one, then repeat the cycle with thousands more "new" dollars in repairs they "suddenly found." This continued until recently when they charged me $3000 to do some gasket seals on my engine, which was working fine when I brought it in to them, and then after taking my money told me that the engine had begun to fail WHILE IN THEIR SHOP and they completed the repairs and charged me for them BEFORE telling me that I needed a brand new engine. When I asked Central Ave. Auto what had caused my engine to fail *while in their possession,* they told me that they had no idea. They also quoted me another $8000 to replace the engine they had just charged me $3000 to fix! If they don't know the problem, then how do they know it cannot be fixed? I thought they were mechanics! Further, after 17 years of providing transportation to/from their shop to pick up my vehicle (this has always been a service they offered), they suddenly declined to pick me up when I said I could not afford a new engine, and told me to "get an Uber" for the first time - funny how that happened the very first time I was unwilling to give them another huge amount of money They new manager, Mark, has been untrustworthy every step of the way since he started working there. He has lied multiple times, saying that he would look into what was going on with the constant barrage of new charges, that he would call me or email me and he NEVER did, not even once. When I asked him what happened to my engine while it was in their shop, he literally said, "It's not my fault you have a crappy truck." He is beyond unprofessional, and so is John his assistant who also doesn't return calls or contact me when he has said he would. Blake could make this right, and I don't know why he hasn't unless Mark is lying once again when he says that he told Blake about my concerns. This place will take you for every penny they can, and I am glad that I finally caught on to their game, though I would have save THOUSANDS if I had caught on sooner. In the past, the staff at Central Ave. Auto had encouraged me to get repairs by opening new credit cards and taking out loans, until I was maxed and couldn't do it anymore - then they suddenly had no time for me at all. No money? Well, screw you, lady! This place is unethical and I would recommend that everyone avoid it at ALL cost! There are lots of places out there who charge much less and won't try and take advantage of you! STAY AWAY!!!! read more

The service comes at a very reasonable price and the workers are courteous and friendly. The waiting room is clean and has complimentary bottled water available. They'll give you an estimate for the work that needs to be done and don't try to upsell you on unnecessary things. A very good experience. read more

Fabulous customer service from Eric and the entire staff. When I picked my car up, it was vacuumed and looking great. Will definitely return!! read more

Oh, Central Avenue Automotive. I'm speechless. PROS: Super friendly service. Very attentive to your problems. CONS: Incapable of actually fixing your car. Update 1-8-10: Apparently my review has caught the attention of Central Ave Automotive. Unfortunately their response is simply not true! At no point has anyone from Central attempted to contact me. In fact, the only person to contact me regarding Central Avenue is someone who wanted to refer their sister after getting their car fixed there. I told them: "If you had a good experience with them, then by all means keep using them. They are very friendly and I think that if you have a problem they will take care of you. They are very professional and probably one of the nicest places you could take your car. I didn't have a good experience with them, personally. I am also very, very, very hard to please, and that is pretty obvious in my reviews. That's the joy of Yelp... very different people with very different opinions." And I stand by that. They're really nice people and they tried several times to fix various problems with their initial work but I finally ran out of time and/or patience. Your mileage may vary. UPDATE 1-9-10: Wow, there was no Yelp activity for this business since 2006, and now within three days we have a response from the owner and then two new 5 star reviews by brand new, first time ever reviewers. Fascinating indeed. UPDATE 1-29-10: Interesting... the two 5 star reviews magically disappeared. Yelp does do a surprisingly good job of removing suspicious reviews. read more

That is a nightmare and the worst thing happened to my 2007 dodge sprinter box truck with 166,403 original mile on 7/17/18. A diagnostic of $178.70 suggesting a repair of $3650 for intake manifold was declined and I picked up my truck at 5:15 p.m. the same day. Truck was not starting even with great cranking sound at 8:00 p.m. at McDonald restaurant lot nearby after driving around 25 mile. Next morning, I called the office requesting them to correct the "mistakes" made to my truck so that I could start and drive it out of the lot, but got refused leaving me to have the truck towed to Mercedes Benz dealership at downtown Seattle for the repairs the following week. Benz dealership found : "Turbo inlet tube seal damaged and the tube was not connected to the turbo" It costs me $300 for towing and $1123.31 by the dealer to restore my truck to the same condition before the diagnostic. read more

I made an appointment for an oil change right when they opened for the day. I waited over a hour and a half to find that my car was done yet nobody told me it was complete. I actually had to ask them if my car was done. The rep told me about various big leaks in my car. Which is odd because I haven't visually seen anything leaking. The rep said I must be refilling my oil a lot because my leak is so big. When in reality, I never refilled my oil. I get my regular oil changes. After they informed me about my big leaks, I observed my car for days everywhere. Nothing. They also gave me a quote of how much it would be to fix all the leaks in my car.... the quote was over $3 grand. I priced out other reputable mechanics for the same thing and they were cheaper by $1,500. To sum it up, I wouldn't bring my business back there. They lack knowledge and are clearly over priced. read more

The people are really nice here and they offer loaner cars. However, I took my car in to get the air conditioner fixed and after the diagnosis, they gave me and incredibly high estimate and told me it would take a week to get the part. I took it to another mechanic who was able to get the part needed over night from the same supplier. He charged half the price. I don't really understand how they can charge so much and not at least spring for overnight shipping. It is clearly not the parts, as they were coming from the same place. read more

I've taken my car here three times now, each time got great service at reasonable prices. I first had an oil change, and they gave me a list of what they suggested I do to my car (a Honda with 60K miles). The service tech prioritized things, gave me advice on where I might be able to get a better deal, and encouraged me to shop to confirm they had good prices. I don't think they're particularly cheaper than other places, but I do think they are very honest and are more interested in building a customer base than making a quick buck. I feel totally comfortable sending my mother here. read more

Great service, quick. Konner, Kevin and Howard took good care of me, my schedule, and my Audi

Central Automotive follow-up with a text asking how was my experience so I wrote the following but I never got a reply from. Here's what I wrote to them on 08/05/20: I bought my 2007 Nissan Maxima in for AC recharging service and I was quoted $129.95 over the phone while I made my appointment. My appointment was 9:00AM. After I was greeted by Mr. Graf, I was told that before recharging the AC system he will need to check and see if there's any leaks. I later was informed by a video that there were leaks in several hoses and the AC condenser was bad. It will required $2047.45 for the repair. Additionally, the brake fluid needed replace. Due to my current financial situation my wife and I agreed to wait till a later day to repair the AC. However, we did authorized the brake fluid to be changed. I picked up my vehicle the same day without any problem. The reason I am writing to you today is that there's one important thing about my visit experience; It's that I was never told or advised that the $119.95 inspection fee. I paid the invoice with my AAA discount totally $208.43. I think it's important to let your customer know that there will be an inspection fee up front. I was able to pay that inspection fee without any problem but is that going to work for everyone? I am a 30 year member of AAA and they referred your shop for service. I think your company should take a look at your policy of informing your customer up front of any charges in addition to the repair service, someone may not be able to pay for the $119.95 fee and your company may put someone in a hardship unintentionally. By the way, I have taken my vehicle in for service at other shops and they always explains to me on what to expect and have me sign a authorization on the work order. Thank you for listening. read more

I will give this review a rating- once I have actually gotten the work done. I was referred by a 'Friend-of-a-close-friend', on August 24th. On August 25th, I called- and asked them to tow my truck to their shop, which is about 2 blocks away from my house. The young man came and towed my truck to the shop. On Thursday, the 27th, I walked to the Shop- to get a quote on the work that needed to be done. The Gentlemen was nice, and thorough, and gave me an estimate on price, and time it would take to get the work done. I agreed- and a friend of mine was nice enough to put the money down ON THURSDAY-so they could get started on the work. The estimated time of completion was Tuesday, August 1st.(Today.) When I called TODAY- to ask about my Truck, I was told that "They hadn't received the 'go-ahead' to start the work..." The Gentleman was flabbergasted- as to why he hadn't seen the payment made, and "...Didn't know who my friend had talked to- for payment of the $800, but he would get right on it..." He said he would call me back with an update soon. He did call back. And told me that he 'Obviously wasn't going to have it done today, but they have it in line to complete the work...' And, that he would 'Call me with updates...' Meanwhile, while I am expecting my vehicle back TODAY(And walking in the rain to the store, and such...) They don't know 'Why they didn't see the work order...' I WILL update this as it develops. UPDATE: 9/4/15 After a tense phone conversation this afternoon,(And a few apologies...) They took $250 off of the bill- for making me wait 3 extra days for my truck. I appreciate the work they did for me, and my truck(as of the day it was finished) is running well. I *may* give them my business again. read more

The best car repair/maintenance in the Kent Valley I've been using Central for over 10 years and have never been disappointed. They are professional, do great work and are very competitive compared to others. I'll continue using them - as long as I drive and they're open! read more

Stopped by during a road trip to ask a few questions about a vibration I had. Luckily it was only a wheel weight, Lindsay was super helpful! If you want friendly and helpful service stop on by! read more

I am from San Diego, CA and was here visiting my family in Auburn. I needed an oil change before taking my road trip back home. I researched many automotive centers around the area and found great reviews for your center. I was treated with respect and was reassured they would go above and beyond to make sure my car was safe for the return trip. Eric the Service Counter Staff was professional and kept me informed during the day as to what the mechanic was doing. Everything was run by me before any service was done. I'm thankful and confident my car is safe and sound. They even washed my car when I picked up my car! Thank you and I totally recommend this professional automotive center. read more

I have a Infiniti QX30 that I purchased used in December. This was my first service at Central Avenue Automotive but it definitely won't be my last. I had been to a dealership prior to this and vowed not to return because of the service. The guys at Central were amazing. They were friendly, efficient, knowledgeable, and attentive to my service needs. They kept me updated on my vehicle every step of the way and even checked the warranty on an item so I didn't have to pay out of pocket if it was covered. I will refer everyone there from now on. Thank you so much much guys! read more

As a woman I am always leery of going to the mechanic, but I went to Central Avenue after reading reviews in Oct and they gave me a through diagnostic in writing via email including pictures of the areas they saw problems. They provided me with estimates for the repairs needed in order of importance so I could budget. The first major repairs were done on time and under budget and this week they replaced the timing chain, water pump and replaced the broken engine mount and came in under the estimate using a new coupon that I wasn't even aware of. They washed and vacuumed my car too. If you want expert knowledgeable mechanics and a professional staff you can trust I highly recommend Central Avenue Automotive! read more