I stumbled on this garage when I first arrived in Seattle a year ago. We moved here from England and were quite worried about being ripped off as we had been before. We also have a car that is, to put it nicely, a moving wreck. We have received nothing but amazing service and not once have I ever felt like they were trying to make money off of us. We weren't treated any differently because of the state of our car, and believe me, I wouldn't be surprised if we were! We even took our RV here - and they gave us 3 different options for repair at different rates, understanding that we were on a limited budget. Just yesterday they stayed behind after they closed so we could collect the car after repair. We didn't feel rushed and he took the time to show us how to jimmy our sticky key. They even remembered us over the phone and asked us how are RV and travel plans were going! I am impressed time and time again with the service I get from here. If you live in this area, don't go anywhere else - they make time for you, they give good prices for excellent work, and they provide a personalised, unbiased customer service. read more

My mom referred me to these guys and I'm happy she did. The guys here are just awesome. I was driving one day and my window fell in. I called into this shop and they were able to fix it right away. I got my break done here too under a fraction of the cost Carter VW charges. The people who work here are seemingly just good people. Very polite and helpful :) read more

Earl's has saved my tires (and my wallet) several times. After receiving a $922 quote from Firestone, Earl's repaired my tire, with no appointment, and with no pressure to buy additional services. The employees there are friendly, honest, and legitimately seem to enjoy the work they do. It is so refreshing to have a reliable repair shop like Earl's. I will not take my vehicle anywhere else! Thank you! read more

I went in on a Friday afternoon with my almost-100k miler Honda (dubbed Squeaky). I told John, the owner, that I was worried it might break down on my weekend trip, and they took a look at it right away, free of charge. Explaining what the various noises my old gal is making could be, they said that it would probably be fine until Monday but that there were some issues that needed attention soon. I went back in on Monday for a more detailed inspection. They inspected the brakes, drove the car to experience its cacophony firsthand, and rotated the tires, for a reasonable price. They were friendly and easy to talk to, and willing to show me and explain things to boot. John prioritized the things that needed attention and did not insist on anything that didn't seem necessary. Apparently my brakes will need work soon, so that will be the first thing I bring Squeaky back for, come paycheck. read more

Great company we've been using for nearly a decade. Really appreciate their ability to diagnose oddball issues we get on occasion like a headlight problem with a Kia van most recently. Thanks guys, keep up the good work. read more

So far I'm exceedingly impressed with Earl's Garage. They are checking out my 1989 Mercury and have been very up front with me and willing to work with me on a prioritization plan for needed maintenance. The pricing seems fair and about what I expected. The only even minor drawback so far is that the service has taken longer than expected due to a few mechanics being out and a busy couple of days for them. I don't have my car back yet, they are going to do a few repairs on it tomorrow now that they have checked it out, so I'm looking forward to seeing how much better it drives when I get it back! read more

Decided it needed part of our tax return. Intermittent electrical problem which ended up frying the alternator and battery. Thank GODS for Earl's Garage who worked very hard to track the problem, fix it and give us an awesome price. Thankfully the alternator was under warranty from the place I bought the car and they honored the warranty, which also helped with the finances (and Earl's chose not to charge for the labor to install the new warranty). If your in North City/Shoreline, they ARE the place to go!) read more

Brought my 2000 Jetta in for shocks and struts. Price for service was good, I check two other shops to compare. Service was fast, same day turn around. They fixed exactly what I asked for and there was no pressure for anything else. The Jetta feels great after the work. Customer service was very straight forward without any fluff. I was also impressed that the shop and car bays were noticeably clean and organized. read more

I brought my car here with three complaints: (1) a flat tire, (2) a knocking sound when going over small bumps and (3) starting issues when the engine is warm. They were very busy so I let them keep my car over the weekend. The flat tire was an easy fix, but they are 0/2 in diagnosing the problems. They told me that the knocking was due to the swaybar bushings and that the starting issues were due to a bad secondary air injection valve. My dad is an old car guy and I always run these things past him. We did some research and found that the swaybar bushings are simple to replace. We also found that the secondary air injection valve is an emissions thing and it's highly improbable that it would have anything to do with starting issues. It is, however, something that I've had the "check engine" light on for quite a while. Once my dad and I got to work on the swaybar bushings, we found they were perfectly fine. However, the driver-side swaybar link (a much more expensive part so they didn't just write it down wrong on the quote) was faulty which we diagnosed with a simple wiggle of the part. So from what I can tell, they ran the check engine light and Googled the knocking problem (which I found is a very common problem on my car). They charged me $100 for this "diagnosis." I'm not saying it's impossible that the secondary air injection valve is causing the starting problem, I just don't have the funds to repair it right now. But anyone can Google to see what those are used for and see that it's very improbable that it's causing issues with the car starting. One thing I did notice, though. When I was on Yelp researching them before bringing my car in I noticed a review where someone was complaining that they didn't treat women well. I was in the waiting area and saw their front desk guy be very nice, cordial, and respectful to a talkative elderly lady waiting with me. Just thought I would point that out. read more

I was really surprised by this company today. I recently took my car to get an emissions test and it failed. I found this company on the list of authorized repair shops. I have passed by this garage a number of times but it looks a little junky on the outside so I always questioned the work. However when I called a very professional man answered the phone, answered all of my questions and gave me a general quote (which was MUCH less than the other quotes I received) I took my car in the next morning, just like they said, they called me in the 2 hour window and told me what needed to be done, they also found a few minor issues that they suggested I also fix. They were able to fix everything in the one day and it cost less than my other quotes even though they did extra work! The mechanic even went outside with me after the work was done and showed me the new parts the put on the car. Overall I am really impressed and Yes, I would take my car there again. read more

Waste of time and money! Asked for them to perform a simple smoke test on my truck. Along with the smoke test they took it upon them selves to perform other tests (I DID NOT APPROVE) and they charged me for it. Then when I ask for them to explain the results of the other tests they did they didn't know how to understand the results. My 1995 truck has the engine timing controlled by the computer. They said it was vacuumed advanced like a car from the sixty's. I even checked with the dealership to make sure I was right. The dealership informed me they had heard of some dishonest practices and false information given from Earl's garage. I will never return to that place and advise others not to as well. read more

Took truck in for Diagnostic and had to call them over two weeks late to even get a quote, They replaced part in steering column and fuel switch valve. Valve was good and steering column is jacked 25digrees off, wrong part. Was fuel pump going bad, had to have it towed back to fix and they won't Honor their warranty. And to boot the bill was outrageous. I wouldn't recommend these people to anyone. read more

I'm always wary of dealership mechanics and their search for problems at any cost (my cost, of course). Plus, they are carried by the dealership and have a large customer base. So I try to give independent mechanics first bite of the apple in fixing the occasional problem with my car. There is a risk and reviews are not always accurate or fair. Earl's, I'm relieved to report, was quite reasonable in cost and offered free advice. They did not go on a witch hunt for phantom problems or charge me more than the cost to take a look. The problem with my car was simple and remedied quickly. I am so relieved. I will return someday and I'm confident they are in business for the long-haul. Repeat customers must be the goal in this seemingly competetive industry. They are thinking of today and tomorrow read more

I am more than a little surprise that thus far the service review for Earl's is given high accolades. I always believed that those "mechanic treat women differently" horror stories don't really happen. But, it happened to me here at Earl's. Upon recomendation from a male friend my car was taken here and it appears to me they have a method of diagnosing the problem to a vehicle which includes forcing the person to finish the job there by taking your car apart and claiming they need to go further to figure out the problem. All the while, arbitrarily claiming 3 hours of work and $300 in labor and still, saying they are not sure of what it is. i asked the owner to detail the 2 hours "further investigation" they did and he refused saying he would not waste his precious time to do so and that he had a verbal conversation with the male friend that dropped off my car there. (RED FLAG) Then when I called a tow truck to get my car, the owner arrogantly said it would take 2 hours to "get it ready". One phone call from the male friend of mine and it was "ready" in 5 minutes (RED FLAG). I would say my trust in fair business practice for this place is 0. Perhaps they know how to fix cars but the pirahana mentality is not an acceptable business practice. read more

I have never written an online review before, but after the service I received at Earl's I HAD to! I grew up working on cars, taking auto shop for 4 years in HS. I know my way around a wrench a bit even though all that was 10 years ago (still doing my own break jobs, oil changes, etc). Unfortunately new cars are built with such cramped engines and computers, that I know when to draw the line with things beyond my ability. So, when the serpentine belt system on my Mazda broke the other night, I was a little miffed at not being able to repair it myself (guy ego). I live within 6 blocks of 4 different repair shops, with Earls being one of them. I called all 4 shops for an initial estimate and Earls won out. When I went in I was greeted by a very courteous knowledgeable staff who explained that the it might take 2 days due to the backlog of work. Not a problem for me as this, imho, is a good sign of a mechanic when they have more work than time, as word gets around of good shops. I dropped the car off on a Friday morning, and picked it up on a Saturday afternoon, an hour and 15 minutes after they were supposed to close as the staff stayed on premise to finish my repairs to keep their word on when the car would be ready. In this day and age, that little gesture there spoke volumes about the dedication their staff has to their customers and the pride they put into their work. Needless to say, I will now be referring EVERYONE I know to Earls, even if they have to drive a bit, as I have never been more impressed with a garage and just HAD to write a review. :) read more

Again-car went down-broken timing belt--towed in--told me to rent a car for at least two days--had it fixed in one day-they do it right and stand by their work--plus really nice people--Earl's-you rock read more

Horrible. I had my car towed to Earl's because it mysteriously would not start . A family member reccomended them. A WEEK LATER, they had gotten it to start, but had no idea why it hadn't been starting in the first place. I told them not to press t be SHIFT OVERRIDE button, so they pressed it. Anyway, I go to pick my car up, and they casually tell me the key no longer comes out of the ignition. As I start to drive, I notice NOTHING on my dashboard works. I take it back. They replace the starter. Still, the dashboard and radio are dead, but at lest the key comes out. NO, they didn't offer me any discount or compensation. They did say that for 1000$ they could rip my dashboard apart and diagnose the problem. Not FIX the problem, just diagnose it. I got my car out of there, and now I never know how fast I'm going, can't pass an emissions test, and I HATE EARL'S GARAGE. Minus 10 stars. read more

The reason I ended up with this place was because it is on the list of Automotive Emission Specialist for Washington State Vehicle Emission Inspection Program. The first time I had to go there they gave me an estimate of about $200, which eventually got ballooned to $313.51 ($160 labor) and failed the emission test. The fact that my bill was $313.51, I got a waiver for that. I went back later this year before emissions and before changing anything or doing any repairs labor cost is 188.93 for diagnostics and if I decide to get the suggested parts changed it will be another $250. Mind you this is Camry 1999 model. Their labor charge is $92/Hr. which means they worked ($349) almost 3 hours to look for the fault and then changed the Vaccum Modulator for $112 and now they wanted to spend another $250 to change a solenoid and I can bet it would still fail the emissions. If you have lots of money to spare, please go to this garage and they will find multiple reasons to charge it from you. I have had enough. UPDATED: I took my car to another Garage and they were able to fix the same issue for $231 including the troubleshooting. They found that the problem was not solenoid but EGR vacuum modulator, which according to Earl's garage they replaced and charged me for in the first visit. Shame on you. read more

Thank you, Earl's Garage! You helped our contractor AND our business! She found out (after the fact) that her brakes were not actually done by the OTHER biz (JL), leaving her high and dry to get to several of our clients the next morning by 11am. She gimped her Rav to Earl's and left them a note. By 8:30 the next morning they were already working on diagnosing the problem and starting work to get her on her way. Bad news; they needed a part that they could not get until 2pm. Good news; they called her back and told her that they gave her new brake pads, machined one rotor and only needed to replace the other rotor but could make her car safely driveable by 11 so she could at least perform her job, with the understanding that she make an appointment to come back so they could finish up with the new part. Her car was ready by 10:40am! How refreshing to find a business that doesn't take advantage of such a vulnerable moment! read more

DO NOT USE THIS GARAGE..THESE GUYS ARE CROOKS.. I agree with the other 1 star comment here, the 5 star reviews are from friends of the owners and not actual occurrences. These guys quoted my sister a price and I came in to get the details after I saw their estimate. They lied to me about actual book time to fix their diagnosis and charged her an hour and a half to figure out her thermostat was bad on a Nissan Sentra. That should be enough to steer you away. I verified actual book time at two other locations and came back with them in print. They did not budge on their price and charged over twice the estimates I had from the other garages. LIKE I SAID CROOKS AND DO NOT BELIEVE THE 5 STAR COMMENTS. Total bill for a thermostat replacement on a Nissan Sentra was $325.00 FYI a thermostat costs max $25 and I could put it in myself in an hour. read more

If your car needs service, this is the place to take it. I have been a customer for well over 20 years. I have the utmost respect and trust for Earl's Garage. It is a relief for me to have a reliable shop for your automotive needs. read more

DON'T GO! I was told by the emissions office after they reviewed my invoice from Earl's not to EVER go to them again. What they did was wrong & never should have happened. I was charged over $200 for 2 diagnostics!!! This should never have happened if they had run the first diagnostic all the way through. $200 later & not 1 thing fixed!? Beyond mad especially after I told them from the get go I was unwilling to spend more than $150. Nothing was said about prices on the phone or when I arrived in the office. All notices are conveniently placed at Hip level on a side wall & happened to be covered by a man standing to the side of the counter just hanging out (not getting his car fixed) when I droped my car off. read more

This is my "go-to" shop for everything automotive. I've taken all my cars there for years and Tim and John always do a great job. You can trust them with whatever they say. read more