The communication here is fantastic- Lori kept us updated about our repairs every step of the way, which is more than a lot of shops in the area are willing to do. She explained the services we needed in detail and was very on top of making sure that we knew what to expect! They did not over-charge or try to sell us any services that we didn't need. There were a few hiccups along the way, but it's clear that this location is VERY busy and they are training several new employees. Even so, they were able to squeeze our car in for a diagnostic and repair when their garage was definitely full. Aforementioned hiccups did cause the repair to take twice as long as we thought, but I would definitely bring my mustang back here again because it's clear that they're just going through some growing pains with new staff and know what they're talking about for the most part. The pricing was reasonable, and they even recommended me a trustworthy shop to go to for a repair that they weren't able to complete. Overall, I genuinely think that Downtown Automotive cares about their customers and are working their behinds off to get all of their clients taken care of! read more

I made an appointment to get a diagnostic on my car for a Friday at 3:00. After receiving verbal and written confirmation the appointment was booked, I came in at 3:00 on that day. I was then scolded (for about 5 minutes) by the person who was supposed to do the service that they would never have time to for their hour diagnostic on a Friday late afternoon (even though that was the service I booked and confirmed the appointment for). I was confused because I had made and confirmed the appointment but after the conflict, I just wanted to leave. I was then followed to my car "to get a quick look" and after another scolding about random parts of my car, he blocked my driver door from closing with his body so I couldn't leave. I ended up being there for 15 minutes and 14 of those were spent getting scolded. I left in tears- because I already hate going in for car services- and will never go back to that establishment again. I would not recommend going here to get your car serviced! read more

I had a nightmare scenario on my car...my entire breaking system pretty much needed to be replaced and I needed it done before moving back home. The pricing was as expected, they were very transparent with part costs and labor costs and offered military/AAA discounts. Either way, they got it done in about a week, and I was able drive 1k miles home with zero issue! read more

AVOID! After years of loyalty, I'm deeply disappointed. I've trusted Downtown Automotive with my cars for years, despite their high prices, because I believed they prioritized safety. That trust ended after a recent pre-purchase inspection. I brought in a used vehicle I had bought from a dealer while still under the 10 day return guarantee. I mentioned a strange swishy noise, and the inspection was done within the 10-day return period offered by the dealer. They said everything looked fine except the battery -- no mention of any major issues. A few days later, I returned for a battery replacement after the car wouldn't start one day. That's when the same mechanic casually told me the car never actually started during the inspection -- which was shocking and called the entire inspection into question. But the worst part came when I decided to go back for the third time prompted due to noticing the strange noise again and started feeling unsafe -- the car wouldn't accelerate properly going downhill. This time I really confronted them air the inspection was actually thorough The mechanic at least had the courtesy and the integrity the mechanic admitted he had seen an issue with the alternator during the original inspection but didn't tell me. They had two clear chances to inform me -- during the inspection and during the battery replacement. Had they done their job, I would've returned the car under the dealer's warranty. Instead, they quoted me $852 to fix the issue they failed to disclose, and when I pushed back, management coldly ended our relationship. I didn't expect perfection. I expected basic honesty and accountability -- and got neither. read more

Great great spot, excellent communication, they did a very thorough job explaining everything wrong with my car. I thought the car would be in the shop for at least a week but they got it fixed within a day and a half which was extremely helpful. The mechanic that did the work clearly has a ton of experience and was very kind as well! It was also pleasantly easy to schedule an appointment. Without a doubt will be my go to spot for all future repairs/maintenance. read more

I can't express how much I appreciate downtown automotive. When my car broke down while I was driving my son to school my triple A operator suggested we have it towed to them, because it was close and they had discounts for triple A member's. I honestly thought they were gonna be like other mechanic shops and try to find other problems to make more money. But they were more helpful than I expected and efficient at what they do ! read more

Very chaotic, degrading and dishonorable business. You'll be interacting with a woman, Lori, who is handling your $$ (& may be the owner or owner's wife which is the most frightening). I waited 3 days for an estimate that was promised to me within the hour each time I called to inquire about it. NEVER RECEIVED IT. When I tried to pick up my vehicle to take it somewhere else, I had to stand firm against her attack to receive my own vehicle! Thankfully I was able to get myself and my vehicle away without further harm done! She left a voicemail after apologizing profusely blaming her "low blood sugar" that I wish I could share as I'm sure they'll counteract this review online. I'm understanding of having low blood sugar and/or a bad day but this is a business and her actions were outrageous. Although I am hesitant to post as it does affect my safety, I have to protect others from this place. read more

My Acura's AC was not working last year so I took it to Downtown Automotive and they indicated that I would need to replace the condenser and compressor and other things. The total cost was near $3000 and took more ahtn a week to do the work. The service was very slow. Then, I was told the the AC would be guaranteed for one year. Now less than one year from the work they did, the AC stopped working again. They indicated that there was a leak and took over a week to fix it. They asked me to pay $550 for this service. I refused to pay because they refused to honor the one-year guarantee. I was not happy with their service. The original problem might have been a simple leak but I have no proof. I think the problem at this shop is they are too busy and not enough qualified professionals. So, be careful for taking your car to this shop for complex auto problems. read more

Referred by family, so took the car there. Went twice, for the same problems, paid twice, still have the problem. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! read more

Best customer service in the game! They do their best to get you great deals on parts and labor and try to be considerate of your schedule and circumstances. Downtown Automotive has gone above and beyond to fix my car and keep me from getting ripped off by the dealer. I recently moved out of Seattle but I will still always take my car here because when it comes to mechanics, trust is everything! read more

I figured that based on the high reviews, this place would be great. After completing the paperwork, a mechanic came in stated it would be $100 for an oil change which I thought seemed high and it would also take 3 hours. In my experience oil changes should cost less than $40 and be in-an-out. At this point the mechanic crumbled up my paperwork and threw it into the trash and said to go to Jiffy Lube instead and walked out. Aside from the two ladies in the front (Lori and Alexandra) who were very nice and helpful, this man was extremely rude and ruined my experience. I did go to Jiffy Lube, and I was done in 20 minutes and it was much cheaper. I've never had an employee be so uncaringly rude and disrespectful. I hope y'all have better luck. read more

Scheduled my repair for 7:30am to get my AC repaired/diagnosed. I didn't get the car back until after 5:00pm and they misdiagnosed the issue. Wasted my time, money and caused further damage to my compressor. Go anywhere else if you want repairs. read more

Would not recommend trusting this place with your vehicle. They aren't responsive and make you feel like it's your fault.

Made my situation more stressful. Wish i never took my vehicle there, they left me feeling like my truck was a piece of junk. I spent $85 in Ubers to and from work for a young man to call me within 30 minutes saying I need to come get it, they couldn't get the hood open but I had mentioned that beforehand. Dude didn't even tell me if/how they tried to get it open and was more worried about how fast I could come back to get it. 0compassion which is fine but not how i treat customers in my business. I'm not upset they couldn't help me but maybe they could have kept me there while they tried so I didn't waste my time. Highly doubt they even tried to get the hood open. Took it to the next shop they got it open right away and got to work replacing spark plugs. Runs like a dream again. I also asked them not to leave my truck out off Mercer without the steering wheel lock on, I've lived in the neighborhood of this shop 7 years and know the high crime. When I picked it up it was sitting out on the street, UNLOCKED! Thanks for nothing guys! read more

Had the best experience possible with this repair shop after my catalytic converter was stolen. Lori was amazing, so friendly and communicative and consistently went above and beyond to research and get me a good deal on parts and get me back on the road in the shortest amount of time possible. She also worked directly with my insurance company to take stress away from me. Cannot recommend this shop enough! read more

This place is in SLU/Lower Queen Anne right near QFC, which is super convenient for those living nearby as you can leave your car and walk home. Area is safe and the mechanics and owner (Lori) were very nice, knowledgeable and honest. I know a decent amount about cars and I was very pleased with their diagnosis process and recommendations. I did not prioritize the maintenance on my car since moving to Seattle and this shop helped get my car running like new. Going forward I plan to regularly have my oil changed at this location. Thanks for doing great work and working with my tight timeline! read more

My car sat for 6 mo due to covid and my battery wouldn't hold a charge. They revived my battery and did full oil change service for Under $90. I thought I needed a new battery, but nope... they fixed it fast! Great honest service. Lauri was great to work with . A+++ read more

This is a great place to get your car fixed! They are trustworthy and fast. AAA discount, highly responsive. Convenient location.

First time getting my car there they were very communicative and even followed up that everything was correct. I'm no car guy but they seemed very legit read more

Downtown Automotive was referred to me through AAA. My car had been overheating and I needed service right away. They were nice enough over the phone and seemed like nice guys. They called me with VERY bad news. Not only would I have to replace my radiator, my brake cylinders were also leaking. They gave me an OUTRAGEOUS estimate for both, something like 650 to replace to radiator and 350 for the back brakes. I'm no idiot. I pulled my car outta there right away. Had a radiator HOSE replaced at another shop (fixed the problem right away) and took my car to a place called cheap brakes on aurora. The guy there said my brakes were fine. I called AAA right away and complained about downtown automotive. That place is run by a bunch of money grubbing losers. read more

Everyone knows a good mechanic is hard to find. It's one of those situations where the cliche is true and everyone just accepts it. These guys helped me out of a bind. We drove my POS car from Tucson AZ all the way up to Seattle WA. And it basically killed the car that was already in death throws. This place managed to give me 8 more months out of the car. Which really helped me be able to afford my sweet new ride. They always remember me, gave me rides home when they needed to hold onto the car, were upfront about costs and honest. I sometimes like to test places, since my dad was mechanic for a time, I know enough to see if places are for real. And this place always has passed my tests. They might not be for everyone since getting an oil change is usually a scheduled thing since they tend to do more "saving cars" work rather then tune ups. But I trust these guys and really admire their service. read more

I've never been treated so well at a mechanic shop. I had my car towed here after the brakes went out while I was driving. Experiencing a situation like that is difficult & it helps immeasurably if the people you have to interact with to resolve it are warm & helpful. Lori, manager & mechanic, put me at ease immediately with her good energy & communication. She was also really patient & helped me out in numerous ways. I ended up deciding to buy a new used car & sell the old one for scrap, but whenever I need mechanic services again I will definitely be returning here because I have so much appreciation for how I was treated. read more

Ambience. B Service. C Price. D Needed an appt. brought early in the morning, they called in afternoon to give different options for service and price quotes. I was quoted a total around $565. Sadly, when I get here, I'm given a bill for over a $1000. Seems she forgot to mention the labor cost of over $500. That's one bad miscommunication! I've always liked the service and attention in the past. However, this was ONE BAD QUOTE! read more

I can't say enough good things about Downtown Automotive. A friend of my recommended I bring my Jeep Commander there, and they exceeded my expectations on all levels. I've gotten two oil changes, a battery replacement, and misc checks on my car, and will continue to bring me car there as long as they will have me! No upselling, but they're extremely thorough with their assessment of your vehicle, and take the time to explain everything (if you need them to). Lori is so sweet, and makes you feel right at home when you go in there. Appointments - easy.. if you email them, they email you back...if you call them, they call you back or answer. Nothing annoys me more than emailing about something while I"m at work, just to have someone call me immediately after, when I obviously can't take a phone call. Downtown Automotive is smart about this and will go with whatever way you prefer to communicate. Pricing is very reasonable, and they don't try to nickel and dime you for everything they do. They also have impeccable record keeping for your vehicle. I've recommended them to a number of my friends, and will continue to do so. read more

My Mechanic, Mike I've gone to for about 3 yrs starting working there. I told him what was going on w my car, he told me he'd try to work on quote so I could bring in and then few days later died on me-this Mon am He gave me # for friend who tows. They got it there and started working on it right away. Lori was wonderful to speak to. When I called Mike walked in & told her I would be calling and she said she was speaking to me now. She kept me updated through out the day and I had it back that night. They helped me a lot as I've been a loyal customer to Mike and anywhere he works that's where my car will be taken to. They were fast, friendly and reasonable. I would recommend them to everyone I know. Absolute pleasure doing business w them! read more

I was referred to this shop by AAA after my car broke down while on a road trip. The staff are friendly and efficient and will go out of their way to help. I explained my situation to them and they got right to work. They effectively analyzed the problem and fixed it in a timely manner. I was back on the road in time to get where I needed to be. Their service rates are comparable to most other shops I've used. The only real down side is their markup on parts. They are a NAPA affiliate, but their markup on the part I needed was about 60% over NAPAs own retail price, which tend to be high anyway. So yes they will fix your car and do it quickly and well, but you will pay a premium for it.. read more

Yeah. Definitely not coming back here. I saw that Downtown Automotive had almost perfect reviews on Google and some good ones here, and since it's hard going into a mechanic shop for the first time and really knowing what you're getting, we decided to give DA a chance. BAD IDEA. They seemed nice enough, but then the communication was ridiculously inadequate: they were to call my boyfriend with mechanical questions and me with billing questions. Instead, they called the wrong person at the wrong time quite frequently and then DIDN'T EVEN CALL to let us know the car wouldn't be done on the first day, even though we had added some services due to their (overpriced) estimates. All we wanted was to get the car back up to freeway speed. $750 later, we can still drive only under 40 without a serious vibration and it's not even much better than before. Not only that, but they put in a used part and it was WORSE than what we had before - and when they called me to let me know (about 45 minutes before closing) they said we wouldn't get the car until AFTER Thanksgiving. Um, NO. We were told we would get it today. They attempted to save face by putting the old part back in, but there is no way this kind of shoddy service is acceptable. STAY AWAY. read more

We got off to a pretty shaky start with a "hard to source part" keeping me down a few extra days. Once we picked up the repaired vehicle it died on my way home... (right downtown too and a AAA towing nightmare ensued - not their fault) Luckily they stand behind their work and had us up and running the very next day and at no additional charge. I feel these guys while un-perfect (who is?) are honest and care about their customers. read more

Downtown Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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AMAZING!!!!! BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!! Simple fact, it is hard to find a good mechanic. The last two mechanics I went to took a month and a half, made lots of guessing, "oops that's not it" mechanic work, did not fix the problem, and after $1000, they did not stand by their work. I will NEVER make that mistake again! DOWNTOWN AUTOMOTIVE is a dream come true! Seriously, take your car there and check them out! Dropped off my car at 8am, by 9 they had called me and had already figured out the problem the old mechanic couldn't. By noon they had the parts. And my car was ready by 2 because they knew I had an job interview that night! What mechanic does that?! NONE. These people really care and they are willing to work with you to get you back on the road at the LOWEST COST. Super friendly, honest, and KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!! Take your car here, you won't regret it. I will NEVER go anywhere else... read more

I do not usually write on these things but felt compelled to share my Downtown Automotive experience with the "blogosphere". Growing up the son of a mechanic, I'm always weary of visiting independent automotive repair shops. Luckily, I have have been educated in the art of bullshit and can quickly spot it. Downtown Automotive was straight forward and honest. The girl working the front desk walked me through my estimate line by line and explained what was urgent and what could wait. That alone was a breath of fresh air, considering the routine ass pounding I get every time I visit the dealership. Even better, they honored my AAA discount and added a military veteran discount on top of that. For those of you that are hesitant to visit any place other than a dealership, I say give Downtown Automotive a try. It worked out well for me and would be willing to bet that you would work out well for you too !! read more

RIP OFF SHOP!! AVOID THIS PLACE!!! Do not bring your Chevy here! They incorrectly repaired my main air flow sensor and I had to take it to a proper Chevy dealership to get it correctly replaced. I see I from the comments below, I am not the first. Waste of my time and money! read more

Lori was very rude on the phone multiple times and when I decided to take my truck somewhere else to be fixed she said they'd just push it out into the street read more

Good shop and service. They did the work quickly and were done when they said they would be. No complaints, and I would use them again.

My Audi was loved, taken care of and extra time was spent ensuring it was perfect ( taken for a drive, fixing radio, ensuring key worked/ replacing key battery). In addition, they knew I was in a time crunch, were understaffed today and couldn't be more polite and professional! No detail was spared. Ron, Mike, Steven are courteous, responsive and more skilled than any Audi dealership. 6 stars for absolute excellence. Highly recommended! read more

Downtown Automotive was able to help me with my seized lugnuts when 2 other places said they were unfixable. The manager Lori was super friendly and helpful. They will definitely be my mechanic from here on out! read more

I legitamatly created a Yelp account just to write a review for Downtown Automotive. Over the past 6 months my 2001 VW Beetle has been in and out of their shop. I drove it to WA from MA and it held up pretty well for a few months before everything decided to fall apart at once. Everything from a flat tire, to a new timing belt and water pump, to a window that has been pretty faulty since I've own the car. I always felt like my car was in good hands and that I was being given fair prices and options. Every time I call or bring the car in Lori, Ron and everyone else who has been patient enough to work with my car has been so friendly and helpful. I really appreciate all the work and hep they have provided and would bring my car back there in a heart beat! Hopefully the car will last me another 100,000 miles before then. read more

These guys charged me $1000 to find trouble with a $90 oxygen sensor. In the process of diagnosing the problem, they had a few stabs in the dark - including replacing a fuel pump that had no issues and doing a fuel system flush. Thankfully, I'm wiser now and have a much better mechanic. read more

I see the mixed reviews here, but I had good service. My car's "check engine light" went on--on a Saturday--a day before I had to leave on a trip. Nice timing! They got me in last-minute, checked it out, and suggested a very affordable option (it was an emmisions leak, possibly due to an old, ill-fitting gas cap). Didn't upsell, was straightforward and kind. While these guys aren't my current go-to auto repair, I'll definitely keep them as a valuable back-up. read more

The alternator this shop put in 4 years ago just failed. It is the only part on my nearly 20 year old car that has broken more than once. Stay away from this shop if you value your time and money. read more

Ron is always helpful and even though they raised their labor rates to $95 an hour (from $88.), they always work with me to get a reasonable estimate. They don't gouge you with extra stuff you don't need. In fact , they saved some work that was recommended by another shop but turned out to be unecessary. I've been to them three times (I drive a '91 Corolla with 170,000 miles on it for Pete's sake), and have always been happy with the results. Their parts and labor are waranteed, and they are AAA recommended. Just be straight with them and don't be afraid to negotiate. read more