It's not the employees' fault-they were all very kind. But they are clearly understaffed and it makes scheduling or calling in incredibly difficult. When I called to reschedule they had no availabilities within a week and a half, so I took my test elsewhere. The reason for the one star is that they do not do refunds, meaning this ordeal cost me $50 and about 45 minutes on hold. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. read more

This is in regards to West Seattle location: Everything was very organized and the classes and appointments went smoothly. My son was able to take care of it all himself. Mostly because they send a million reminder emails. He needed that. read more

Background info: I've received my license in NJ on the very first try. Been driving for 7 years without a single accident. The only ticket I've received so far was for speeding. Have also done a road trip from Sunnyvale CA to Seattle The only reason I had to retake the tests was because I failed to renew my license before the expiration date. I failed the driving test twice with this school. As other reviewers have mentioned, it's very true that they won't let you pass the test unless you haven't taken driving lessons with them Jordan was one of my testers, he has this attitude as though he is a billionaire being forced to do a community service (if you don't like your job please don't show it on others). And also very unprofessional, when I asked him to explain why he deducted the points he passive aggressively and rudely told me to get out of the car and that he had another student waiting for the test. read more

I took my driving skills test here at Defensive Driving School. I passed on my first try. But the one thing I really appreciated was that my Test giver, Tyson took the time after my test to explain the things that I did wrong, and what I should work on privately. He was an avid professional and I appreciated his feedback. Thanks Defensive Driving School for hiring great people like Tyson. read more

My experience with the U-district location of Defensive Driving School has been really good so far. Scheduling and payments were easily done through phone calls and emails, which were both answered quickly. If you want to cancel a lesson you have to do so 48 business hours in advance, but this seems understandable, since they seem to have a relatively full schedule. Neither the teacher not the office personal tried to push me to buy more or longer lessons, which is nice. My teacher was Christian and I think he does a really good job! I was very anxious when I began taking lessons since I had next to no experience, but he was patient and very helpful. He is also very easy to understand (English is not my first language) and full of good advice. All in all I would pick this school again. read more

I was hoping that I'd like the classes here but I ended up getting really disappointed. I was super excited for the lesson because of the good review I read here and people here said good things about the instructor I got. I took my class on Jan 2017 and there were few things that could be improved a lot. 1. Booking I called the customer service to see availability for a single driving lesson but they said I should pay online to book first and then I can find availability. I wanted a specific day so I had to gamble by paying first and then figuring out which day work for me. After paying, I had to wait a couple hours for the site to allow me to book the class. I had to go to a separate website for completing the booking. 2. After booking I was given an address to the location and nothing else. It was hard to figure out where the office was located at. It was located in some complex and bathroom there was bad. I had to wait in a while in a line. I went up to the office 20 minutes before the class started and there were 2 guys there. I asked them where I should go for driving lesson and they weren't welcome at all. They said I can go to the building parking lot, but don't know for sure. 3. Waiting for Instructor to show up The parking lot was big, but I wasn't sure where exactly I should wait. I stood in the middle of the parking lot for a while. The instructor was late by 7 minutes and I was really confused as to what I should do or whether he will show up. 4. Lesson itself It was pretty disorganized. Initially he said what he'll be teaching me but during the lesson he switched to other topics and ended up covering only 2 instead of 4 he mentioned. What got me a bit upset was that he kept turning the wheel for me rather than letting me do it. The instructor had a break on his side and he kept pressing it without letting me know. This made me felt like he doesn't trust my driving and I didn't feel like I'm the driver. We drove around U district/Ravenna area and one thing I liked was that he let me do unprotected left turn and pointed out people who are driving badly and what should be the right way of doing it. read more

Haven't used this service but did just see a Honda Civic with this company's decal aggressively accelerate towards another car that was making a u turn. The defensive driving school car then veered into my own lane and nearly hit my car. Not sure they're practicing what they're preaching. read more

I took one driving lesson and the driving test here. I have been practicing and learning with private lessons beforehand and figured I should take a class here to acquaint myself with the vehicle for testing (and the possible course for the driving test). During my lesson the instructor was 30 minutes late. The instructor was condescending during the lesson and did not apologize for being late. This lesson was a 1.5 hour lesson and I had to remind the instructor (thought it was an hour only). I showed up for the driving test the following day. Again, the tester was late. I had to call the office of the school which turns out to be non-existent, the phone line is operated by a third party. Turns out the tester canceled without informing me. They scheduled a new tester later in the day. The new tester again was very rude and condescending, letting out sighs occasionally which was very distracting and anxiety provoking during the test! I gave 2 stars when in reality it should be 1.5, just because I passed the test. Will not recommend anyone to be educated here or take the test here. read more

I had Tyson as my instructor. He is so great! Always patient and understanding! On the drives they are very helpful and they make sure you understand what the state test is looking for. read more

I've reviewed DDS previously for my son's driving instruction course, but this review is from my personal experience taking the 1.75 hour Collision Avoidance class. Bill, Marty, and the team made the experience fun, safe, and educational. They ran precisely on time, gave clear instructions, and were well organized. Bill in particular made my day with his enthusiasm, encouragement, and specific feedback. I've been driving for decades, but this course increased my confidence. In particular, I appreciated the opportunity to practice emergency braking without skidding, as my car doesn't have anti-lock brakes. (... Kind of makes me dream of being a race car driver ... vroomy vroom vroom!) read more

Great instructors. Very busy though. If you want the instructor of your choice, you have to plan 1-2 months in advance.

Seamless process. Very accommodating of last minute requests. Look out for Christian Holtz, he's the BEST there.

YOU WILL NOT PASS THE DRIVING TEST IF YOU DONT TAKE CLASS THERE. I took three driving tests there and they fail me for very minor reason (not stop the stop sign for three seconds...) (One time they only let me drove for 3 mins and ask me to go back since I did not fully stop at the stop sign) and they take off your points for minor reason just to not letting you pass the test. I heard so many bad reputation about this driving school. I should have go to some other places before I waste 100+ dollars here. I went there just because it is close to my house.The instructor keep selling me classes after he fail me. DO NOT TAKE TEST THERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPEND A LOT THERE. read more

Best teachers. Helped me conquer my fear of driving and made me feel comfortable taking the test!

Many of the instructors didn't seem to care that much about their job.They seemed bored with their jobs. They would show up late 90% of the time. Also, you could tell that they had been doing this for a long time. Because of this, there were times that the instructors would gloss over information or not explain it fully. They've taught it so many times that UNCONSCIOUSLY they think we already know it. They seemed to forget that we have never driven before and know basically nothing about driving. I would have had a better experience if they had remembered that we are EXTREMELY new to this. Its better to over explain then under explain. Also, it would have been a better experience for me if they had had at least one female instructor. There didn't seem to be ANY age, race, or gender diversity in their instructors. read more

I wanted to get my U.S. Driver's license and decide to take the adult classes. the process was simple and the booking system of easy and convenient. The pricing was reasonable compared to all other driving schools in the area. I took my classes with Christian who was a phenomenal instructor. Not only did he ensure I understand all the WA state rules, he also informed me about best driving practices. I finally took my skill test with the school and passed with good scores! All a testimony to Christian's expert driving and teaching skills! read more

I recently finished a 10 class adult driving classes package with this school at this location. As a driver that is on the older side (20s), I just wanted to get some driving in and get my license. This school did that for me. Having a full time job meant that I could never quite get the same instructor each time. That was fine with me, I did realize that I learned better from some instructors. It is really based on your preference and personality. I drove mainly with Brian and Jordan who were both great. They were patient and did not fail to make sure I improved my skills each time. I felt safe and found it rather enjoyable learning from them. A tip is to schedule your lessons in advance. They fill up real quick. read more

This is an incredibly dishonest business, do not trust this group! They will nickel and dime you throughout the whole experience. Extremely poor service. read more

So, here I am, that awkward almost 30 year old who doesn't have a driver's license. In high school I didn't take driver's ed because I felt that my time was better spent doing homework for my plethora of AP classes, especially since I lived in Seattle and could walk to my school and take the bus just about anywhere else I needed to go. Plus, I was just plain scared of driving and didn't feel ready. In college, I halfheartedly tried to learn a few times; I took one lesson from the Sears Driving School and drove with my dad a few times. But it caused me a lot of stress, the people at the DOL gave me a hard time when I tried to renew my permit, and I eventually just gave up and got a non-driver state ID instead. To be honest, I'd still rather not drive; I'm a big fan of public transportation, and cars are expensive, with car payments, insurance, gas, parking costs, repairs, etc. I am also very anxious about the whole prospect. But faced with the reality that I may well need to drive for work, as well as wanting the freedom to travel and take road trips to places that aren't necessarily served by public transit, I've finally decided to focus on getting my license. Things have changed since my first permit 10+ years ago. The state has closed a lot of their licensing offices, and in those that do still exist, they no longer offer the written or drive tests. You now need to take those tests at one of the approved locations on the DOL website, which will report your scores to the DOL. You still need to go into the office to actually get the permit or license and get your photo taken. The path to getting a license for adults now is this: take the knowledge test, get an instruction permit, then practice driving until you feel ready to take the drive test. Then take the drive test, and if you pass, you can then go pick up your license at the DOL office. The first step was the knowledge test. I took the knowledge test at this location. You basically have to memorize the booklet that's available on the DOL website. Defensive Driving School has a practice test on their website with a lot of questions that it randomly picks from. I would definitely recommend taking the practice test many times until you can get all the questions correct, with the possible exception of the teen-related questions like at what age an intermediate license becomes a normal license. I didn't have any questions like that on my test, but there are multiple versions of the test so I don't know what was on everyone's test. The actual classroom where you take the test is located on the second floor of the University Heights Center. The classroom was rather dim and depressing, but for adult lessons I don't need to spend any more time in there. (For driving lessons, you just need to meet the instructor outside in the north parking lot.) The test is a paper test rather than the computerized test I originally took at the DOL when the tests were still offered there. They use a third-party website for scheduling that is kind of slow and clunky but is easy to use. They are pretty fully booked and the schedule for the lessons doesn't have much or any padding built in, so they are frequently late. Adult lessons are also mostly during the day (with teen classes in the evening) so if you have a 9-5 job you might be out of luck unless you schedule several weeks to a month in advance. Fortunately my job has a flexible schedule. I signed up for the 5-lesson package and due to the recommendation of other yelpers I have been taking my lessons with Christian. I've taken two lessons so far and I haven't actually found Christian to be very patient with someone who has a lot of anxiety and doesn't always pick up on how to do the maneuvers right away. It seems that at this school they have a set "lesson plan" of what they want to cover in each lesson and they want to stick to that instead of just going by what you feel comfortable with, and you will need to practice outside of the lessons. I am having trouble doing things like parallel parking without a more reflexive grasp on the basic controls of the car, but that's what he covered in the second lesson even though I said I wanted to just focus on the basics. He basically told me I was going to need to do some practicing on my own. I was hoping I wouldn't have to conscript my friends and family into helping but it looks like I have to. At this point I am probably going to wait to take any more of my lessons until I've had some more basic practice with driving on the street. I will update my review when I've taken more lessons and/or my driving test. Overall, I feel like the place is okay but I wouldn't really recommend it. But there aren't very many options for schools that offer adult lessons in the area. (NOTE: a few of the other reviews actually describe locations other than this one.) read more

My daughter spoke highly of the instructors and enjoyed the variety offered for driving opportunities and lesson instructors. She felt confident in her skills and how to continue developing them. We appreciated the class times as we were able to accommodate the class time easily into our work schedules. I recommend Defensive Driving School West Seattle for any family looking for a convenient and knowledgeable course. read more

My son recently completed his drivers education class here. Wonderful instructors who are patient and take the time to apply real world experiences of their own into the instruction. My son commented several times how "un-stressful" the practice drives were (which if anyone has driven with a new teen driver its very hard to be calm!) so this is a credit to the great teachers there. I definitely plan to sign him up for the skills and knowledge DOL testing here as well. Highly recommend to parents with teen drivers!! read more

Thorough and comprehensive. My memories of driver's ed circa 1980 are of boring lectures and grisly film strips about teen drivers gone bad. My son is way, way more prepared to drive than I was at his age, thanks to DDS. Also I recommend the Collision Avoidance course as an extra. read more

Defensive driving school has been a decent experience so far during the pandemic. The online lessons are informative and I am very grateful to Michelle for being such a great knowledge instructor. Paul is a great assistant and respond quickly and sufficiently. However, as it may be obvious, the actual driving experience is the most important part. I have recently taken my first driving lesson with Doug, and I would highly recommend against him. I am a new driver and very unfamiliar with driving in places apart from parking lots. I informed him of this, yet his instructions were very unclear and confusing. He would often get angry and put stress on the driver, and sometimes, even advise incorrectly (ex. not applying break when approaching turns, etc.). I am 15 years old, so I could take it in my stride, but his very condescending and rude approach was very irritating. I am highly disappointed. read more

Christian was pretty good. But didn't really like the attitude of Jordan. He seemed to fail me on tests for more classes. Chose another driving school for test and passed immediately. read more

This school is awful. They will fail you if you don't take their lessons. I got three years driving experience in my country and I drive a lot in Seattle. I failed twice there for some reasons I can't agree with. They will encourage you to take their lessons just after the test. They just want you to spend more money there, otherwise you will never pass the test! read more

Unprofessional, unwelcoming, and run down. I took my knowledge test here and, although it was easy enough to schedule an appointment, the actual test environment and materials were shoddy. I'd suggest you go somewhere else. read more

I am a new driver and was nervous at first to start driving. But, the instructors are very easy to talk to and teach you everything you need to know to pass the knowledge and driving test. My teacher, Brian was very calm with nervous first-time drivers like me. Defensive Driving is definitely the place to go. read more

Great driving school for teenagers. Think they made the classes as interesting as possible (no small task). My kid actually learned to drive and got smoother and more confident after every lesson. Main downside is that it's a bit difficult to schedule the drives before the good time slots fill up. read more

I took Defensive Driving a few years back at Heatherwood Middle School in Mill Creek. The instructor was helpful, relaxed, and funny. That's where my positives end. I have never seen such a ripoff. Do not buy into the company's "targeting" system. The idea is that as you drive, you are constantly looking around (with your eyes, not turning your head) to see what is around you, and out loud naming each thing you see. Targeting is supposed to help you learn how to see what is going on around you and predict what you need to do as you drive to avoid accidents and obey the law. It is helpful at first, but they hold to this idea as a constant tool, and I soon found it distracting, and almost got into a handful of accidents before I chucked the idea. Besides that, there is a massive amount of unnecessary homework, and the curriculum they use uses unnecessary amounts of fear tactics. Go anywhere but here. The price is also incredibly high in comparison to 9-11 Driving School or Swerve. Don't use this company! I am still trying to get their stupid systems out of my head as it has been harmful to me rather than helpful. Do not give Defensive Driving a penny of your money. read more

I had come to US with almost negative driving experience; also being new to the country I didnt have any vehicle to practice on. I took lessons in the Defensive Driving School at U-district and now I know how to drive safely. My instructor Christian Holtz is really a wonderful teacher who could read my specific driving difficulties and accordingly helped to me to attain good skill...full 5 stars for him! Scheduling for lessons and tests through the website is sometimes confusing and troublesome and there are often very long waiting times. read more

the people seems nice, but I fail the driving test. I have already own my license in my country over 3 years and I drive a lot in Seattle read more

I recommend Christian for your instructor. He is good and patient with you. Jordan is the exact opposite.

I only tried the location in Bellevue near Eastgate P&R with Michelle for the knowledge test and Jim for the skill test, no lesson and they never tried to sell me anything. I didn't take any lessons because I already have a French permit and I didn't see the point of taking lessons. I should have taken one just to avoid some mistakes like driving with one hand on the wheel. They are kind and nice and I was feeling really at ease. This location will close soon and they are relocated at Lake Hills. read more

DO NOT TAKE A TEST with them, this is my only recommendation. I don't know about their lesson quality but their service for testing is unprofessional at U District. It's impossible to find the location where the instructor expects you and there is no information posted about it on their website. read more

The only reason Defensive Driving School gets 3 stars is because of Brian Davis. He is a very kind and encouraging driver. As a driver who had a lot of anxiety while learning, I really appreciated his support and guidance. However, when I first got to Defensive Driving School I had the instructor, Christian, who was a huge jerk. Within the first 2 minutes of meeting him he was yelling at me for calling the driving school to ask where he was (he was late for our first lesson). Then the 2nd time I met with him he yelled at me for calling him during a test (he was again late for this lesson, which is why I was calling him). Also, why would you pick up the phone if you're in the middle of administering a driving test...? This 2nd time, he almost made me cry. And he never apologized even after I told him that he was making me more anxious to drive by yelling at me. But, Brian was great and I even recommended him to my husband who also liked his instruction. He helped us both pass our driver's tests! On a separate note, Defensive Driving school is definitely overpriced, but there aren't many options in Seattle... read more

Defensive Driving School is a joke. The teachers are terrible. It is expensive. They hit you with huge penalties

NEVER COME HERE! They will NEVER pass you if you do not sign up for their personal training services. The instructor is RUDE, especially to UW students. (yes, the one yelled at me, his name is Cassidy) It's literally bullying. Take the advice and go somewhere else. read more

I took the 5 class driving package. It was very easy to book and schedule the lessons. My instructor Christian Haltz, was very friendly and welcoming. He gave me tips about what to improve on after each class. Extremely happy with the service. I highly recommend Defensive Driving School. read more

Passed my test the first time! I got all 5 lessons with Christian and he was beyond amazing. He was very patient and taught me the nuances of driving that I will carry for the rest of my life. I highly recommend this school and especially Christian for anyone who wants to start learning and refining their driving skills. Can't praise it enough! read more

I wish I could give 0 star . And if u didn't pass the knowledge test , u don't even know which one u have did wrong . So u will be never be correct on the road . Plus the lady who work for there , talk loud , non- stop talking . She gets hungry , she has headache , she tired blah blah ..very unprofessional and Very effect students who doing test right next to . I did twice test over there , didn't pass . U could say I am stupid whatever but as an employee who work there as customer service, I don't think she has right to get frustrated just because student didn't pass and do again . But she did And rude ! I don't know her name , but u will know who I am talk about when u gets there . I switched to another driving school , I allowed to ask questions , quiet during test , as English is second language u could ask if u don't know the questions ,I passed . Anyway good luck for anyone. I am not saying 911 is bad , but that lady is pain in the ass . read more