Doug is a fantastic guy, friendly, helpful and insightful. Value is worth it. As far as the guy leaving a one star review I saw his car parked at the shop for many months btw. I've had to leave cars here and he's been super helpful and nice about it and storage was dirt cheap! Well worth the investment read more

I had a great experience at Gearhead Garage in Tigard. Doug Mackinnon (the proprietor) was cordial and helpful from the start, and he followed up on my email questions while I was figuring out whether their space would work for swapping my OEM battery to an aftermarket AGM. When I arrived, he even had a shop vac available so I could clean out my trunk area before getting to work -- small detail, but super appreciated. He charged exactly his advertised rate, no surprises. Fair transaction and solid service. I'd definitely come back. read more

Gearhead Garage - OEM lead acid battery - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

See all

Owner here recently agreed to let me use some of their parking space and ended up over charging me when it came time to pickup my parked car.. we are talking total different person when any issues come up no way of seeing eye to eye be weary of this happening to you. Typically depends on his mood ! Will never return. read more

Mike runs a great DIY garage. All the tools you could need, and the know-how too. Affordable rates, way cheaper than a shop. Love working on my truck here! Wish there were more Gearhead Garages! read more

Gearhead Garage - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

This is a great place to work on your vehicle if you like to do your own maintenance. They have tools and helpful people available. It was my first time changing my oil; with some Youtube, their tools, and help from Justin, I was able to get out in less than hour (also changed my air filter, checked all fluids, and aired up the tires) with oil recycling it came to $32.00! It was super helpful to have the lift so I didn't have to crawl under the car on a cold damp day, and the oil recycling receptacle fits right under lifted oil pan to catch dirty oil. They'll even lend you a headlight! Learn to do it yourself, go have fun! read more

This place is the best! Mike was very inviting and had all the tools I needed to replace the solenoid pack in my transmission. So helpful having a lift. I felt safe and welcomed as a young woman. Best community of DIY mechanics-- other customers are happy to help out with jobs needing a hand. Saved so much money by coming here. read more

Gearhead Garage - Lift - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

I am a career mechanic with my own shop in San Francisco that has been planning a road trip with my partner for months. When the day came to leave, the lift kit for our Subaru had only arrived the day before. I promised her we'd leave, so we did. I am so lucky to have found this place. The lifts were occupied, but they got me in a bay with jackstands and a jack for a few hours on a Sunday. The staff were friendly and helpful and the prices can't be beat. They have a basic hand and air tools for an extra $5 an hour, as well as what looked like a good selection of special tools behind the counter. They seemed eager and available to help less experienced people(within reason) and they left me alone as I didn't need help. So glad this resource is here. I'm in Montana now, really enjoying the extra ground clearance and the fact that I didn't have to do this in a hotel parking lot. read more

Gearhead Garage - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

See all

The owner Mike has been such a HUGE help and just the concept of a garage where you can rent a space for a really great price and rent all the tools need and then some to do it yourself is beyond a great concept. No having to worry about getting taken advantage of by some dealership or random mechanic at some random shop. But to be the best part is this garage is veteran owned and operated. read more

In-a-word, OUTSTANDING! I will always remember the experience I had at Gearhead Garage. They had more-than-enough tools and the lifts were just what I needed to do a complete brake job which included replacing the rotors and a brake fluid flush and replacement. I received excellent advice from Justin and Steve. This place is a DIY dream and hopefully there will be future plans to expand their self-service mechanics shop to other locations. read more

Gearhead Garage - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

Mike was super friendly and helpful, rates were reasonable! I saved 100$ by doing a simple job myself, and the guys there are knowledgeable. read more

Absolutely worth the money. Mike stands out not only for his friendliness but also for his willingness to assist. My visits to work on my vehicle have been consistently positive. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a place that allows you to use a lift and offers tools for DIY vehicle maintenance, reminiscent of a high school auto shop class. I'm truly grateful for the existence of this service and plan to keep coming back whenever I need to. read more

Great place to go work on your car. I have a good shop at home, but I do not have a hydraulic lift. Having your car on a lift makes the work so much easier! By the way, hydraulic lift safety is important, after all it's holding a couple tons of car over you. I had never operated one before, but I do know a thing or two about them from dealing with the aftermath of failures. I had visions of tipped over/ smashed cars and terrible injuries on my mind when we set it up. Mike helped get everything lined up right, we checked and double checked everything was correct. I knew enough about lifts to know what to look for in terms of locking mechanisms and safeties (because I've seen aftermath of their failure). The lift was great- safe, secure, well maintained, easy to use with applicable safeties and locks in operation. Mike and his guys are friendly and knowledgeable, and the shop is well set up. They will help you set up the lift properly, and can lend a hand if you get stuck on your repair, too. And remember with a lift if you need to move the car a smidge up or down to more easily reach something, it's a push button affair. Sooo nice. Makes car repair fun again. I was able to do my pretty simple (simple on a lift, a pain on the floor) job in the same time the shop quoted me- and I've never done it before on this car. Being able to use my own parts, and not have to pay for shop diagnosis and stuff I didn't need-- the end result was $500 savings to me over the best shop price quote I got. That's real money, folks. The best shop insisted on "diagnosis". They refused to just put the part in, the part I knew I needed, even if I signed something saying they weren't responsible if I was wrong and it didn't fix the issue.... Cmon. Sometimes it's not that hard to know what's broken and swapping the part makes sense. I was right, and my car is better, and I saved a ton. By the way, if you're thinking about the hassle of driving to a DIY shop- you'd have to drive to a repair shop, too- and then you'd have to wait, or you'd have to leave the car for a day, and we've all had the shop be too busy and not even start your car the day you drop it off, right? This was a major time / hassle savings too. Bonus: free shop dogs to pet. I hope my car doesn't need more repair work, but next big maintenance / wear and tear thing I need to do I'll remember how well this lift rental works. I brought all of my own stuff, but they have a very well equipped setup there, and it was really nice to know that if I needed something halfway through my project, I could borrow or rent it. That's good for peace of mind. There's a good reason this place has a stack of 5 star reviews, it's a great idea, well executed, for a great value price. read more

Excellent Value and excellent treatment by Mike & staff! This is The place for Gearheads to use provided lifts and air tools and tons of tools to fix cars and not take it in the shorts by dealerships! read more

Love this place. Knowledgeable, friendly, & reasonably priced. We've been a few times and each time we are greeted warmly and help is offered. Love the space. Wish they'd open one in NE PDX we travel all the way from there just to come here. Worth it! read more

Okay, so I had a problem, then I found a solution, --Gearhead Garage. TLDR: Owner is amazingly helpful and kind, shop is clean and stocked, prices are very fair. I highly recommend supporting this business. Background: I love to learn to fix things, anything. When it comes to my cars this attitude pays for itself. Problem: I am a guy who does not have a driveway let alone a garage and dry space to work. I am also not afraid to get my hands dirty. As I have gotten to be more comfortable working on cars (I am not a full-time mechanic, I am a "weekend warrior"), I have bought a '93 Mustang and promised myself I would do all the work except the paint on the car. It is my baby, --I call her Reza Gul (Name origin: http://preview.tinyurl.com/zz43tpm). That being said, I refuse to let others work on my car. Needless to say when something goes wrong (not just an upgrade or modification, but necessary repair), it can get difficult for me to find a way to give her the attention she needs. Recently on the way home from work, the throwout bearing in my clutch sounded like it started going out and the clutch, therefor, needed replaced. Solution: Gearhead Garage! We, as Portlanders, are very lucky to have a Self-Service garage as there are only around 20 of these in the whole of the U.S. I went and rented a bay with a lift and tools. I thought I was going to be able to make it to the shop, but ended up having to get a tow. Once I got there, the owner (Mike) quickly got me setup with the lift (which I have never used before), tools, lights, cold drinking water, etc... I got the job done in twice the time I had planned, but that was because I have never done a clutch before and was on the internet half the time looking up the next step. Mike was always asking if I needed anything and offering his advice when I asked. When I was putting it all back together he even got in and seriously got his hands dirty with me. The man is amazing. I will be back here very often and very soon. Conclusion: I could not be happier with the shop being in my town, and the owner being so cool about everything. This truly made me happy. I have no more concern about "Where am I going to do this job when it is always raining and I have curbside parking at my residence?" The rates are well worth it and I can't stress enough how invaluable Mike's experience and help is, nowhere else would I have found this kind of opportunity. read more

Gearhead Garage - Spacious, clean and ready-to-go! Gearhead Garage - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

See all

I gotta say, this garage will forever be my go-to place for all my self-care, car care needs. Well, most of them anyway. Clean and organized. Owned and run by the world's NICEST guy. Truly a credit to everyone he meets. Always a smile and willing to lend a hand. And having the sweet pups around doesn't hurt either. Need a place to work on your vehicle? Check out Gear Head Garage. read more

Mike and this shop are absolutely great. He has everything you could need for short projects and long jobs. He is helpful without being meddling and just an all around good guy. My son and I went there to install a K and N Cold Air Filter and while it needed only regular hand tools it was great to have everything you need right at hand. We will definitely be back. Thanks, Mike! read more

Awesome place, with great customer service. Prices are great - needed tools included. Schedule the time you need, do you won't have to wait. Owner is awesome! read more

Read about Gearhead Garage and was very interested in the concept. I'm not a professional mechanic by any means, but I like to dabble in basic things all things auto. I had to do an oil change for my car and wanted to do it myself. I called Mike, made an appointment and it was great! Mike is a great guy, professional and very accommodating. I will be returning to do some more work on our other car. read more

We live in a studio apartment in the Alphabet District so we don't have a garage or a driveway, but my car needed some fresh transmission fluid. The nearest shop quoted $320. No thanks. My boyfriend has the skills and the know-how from his pre-Portland life, but none of the tools or space to do it. Enter Gearhead Garage, a DIY garage with a lift and all the tools you need to work on your car for a super reasonable fee. They gave us a discount because we were just doing quick maintenance rather than heavy work. The owner was really nice and offered us beverages and a chair (I may have looked bored as Boyfriend did his thing). I wouldn't hesitate to ask the owner for assistance or extra tools. We will definitely come back next time my old car needs a little DIY work! read more

Gearhead Garage - Auto Repair Near Me - Tigard, Oregon

See all

This place is amazing! Mike is amazing and ALWAYS willing to help. You basically call to book a lift and come on time to work on your car. If you need tools, no problem, Mike has everything and just for 5$ per hour. Whenever you stuck with your repair or need just an advise, Mike is there to help. This place is really GOLD. I saw people replacing engines there with Mike's help. read more

I went to Gearhead Garage for the first time today to do a brake job on my '05 Subaru Outback. I could not be happier with the setup and Mike the owner. The garage was super clean, 2 post lifts, excellent prices, and every tool needed, including air tools. Mike even took my old rotors and cardboard for recycling. I'm already planning my next visits: cracked CV boots, 60,000 mile maintenance, brake master cylinder, etc. Thanks Mike! read more

Saved hundreds of dollars by changing a clutch with a friend here. Besides being conveniently located near both the 217 & I-5 exits, there was everything we needed to get our job done ... thanks to Mike staying open for an extra few hours. Found a nice auto repair option, and made a new friend as well. Thanks, Mike! read more

The setup here was nice and clean. Mike came in on a day that I think is usually his day off to ensure I got my job done. Mike has all the necessary tools, and offered assistance when he saw the opportunity. Working here made the job easier and quicker than past jobs. Saved at least $600 in labor over what the shop quoted me just for front brakes. Overall very happy and will be doing future work there. read more

Mike is one of the nicest people I know and provides an excellent service and shop for those in need of space to work on cars

Mike is great, this shop is great. Lots of useful things about doing work in a professional shop as opposed to your own garage. I highly recommend this place. You get 5$ off per hour your next visit if you write a review but that's not why I am. I cannot give enough praise to this place. I reserved a bay for more time than I needed and was only charged for what I used. Friendly, reliable self service garage with all the tools you would need, I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

I have used GG for everything from oil change to Transmission change, to wreck repair. Always very happy with Mike and the equipment, will continue to use Gearhead Garage. read more

Excellent place to work on your car! I needed new front brakes and the shop quoted me $300 for it. I had to do a bunch of other maintaince work, so I decided to give gearhead garage a try. Mike (the owner) is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and a great guy. I ended up doing the following things here: oil change, transmission flush, power steering flush, front brake pads, replace power steering boot. He has all the right tools and they are really well labeled and clean. Air compressor too! Highly recommended and I'll be coming back! read more

I booked a 5 hours window to install coilovers, change engine oil and transmission fluid on my 2007 miata. I was a little nervous about not be able to finish them in 5 hours. Mike was really nice on the phone and told me that he will not schedule people after me just in case I cannot finish. I ended up using 6 hours. I brought my own tool for installation. In the mid of changing transmission fluid, I found it requires a 24mm socket instead of 21mm that I thought of. So I told mike that I need to rent his tool for one hour only since I need that socket. You know what, mike just gave me the socket and did not charge me. Not to mention that he checked on me every couple hours to ask if I need any help and offered to help me order a sandwich during lunch time. I would highly recommend this place to anyone would like to work on his own cars but do not have space to do so. read more

Mike at Gearhead garage has definitely found a niche. If you need to work on your car and have basic wrenching abilities, this place is for you. Basically you pay by he hour which includes lift and tools as required by the work you need to get done. Don't make the mistake that I did by buying tools and working out of your garage. He has EVERYTHING you need and only pay for the time spent in his garage. Plus the lounging area, cold drinks and friendly help is a big plus too. read more

Went yesterday. Weather being what it is, it's really quite handy to have a place like Gearhead Garage around for us apartment dwellers or if you just plain want access to a well-kept shop and tools. Mike @ Gearhead Garage greeted me and was above and beyond helpful and I will be going back. For those of us trying to squeeze all the miles we can out of our beloved beaters, you can do the job so much more easily with the right workspace, with just the right amount of convenience for the right equipment at appropriate rates. I want to see this place do well, because people like me can surely use it, and I also believe we'll all be better off if more Gearhead Garages pop up in other regions where people just need a workspace, the right info and time to figure it out before and during. read more

You like to DIY and work on cars/rigs but don't have the space/tools? Gearhead Garage is the place for you. Mike is such a great and pleasurable person to work with, he does his rounds to make sure you have all you need to do what you need to do or if there is anything he can help you with. He has pretty much every tool (and then some) to work on your car. IF he doesn't have it, he'll order it. Rates are VERY reasonable, and with awesome customer service, there is NO PLACE like this anywhere around here. With Mike, its like you are family (the good kind)... =) Sometimes Lifts can be booked, so best way to get in is to call and make an appointment. I go over at least once a week to work on my truck as i live in an apartment complex without any sort of parking spot (strictly street parking), so from oil changes to welding stuff, he's got the tools! read more

Used the Gearhead Garage today to replace the front control arm bushings on my 2002 BMW 330ci. I had my own tools, just needed the lift for an hour ($25). Money well spent. Gearhead Garage has just about any tool you might need, which I believe is included with the hourly rate. The place was well organized and Mike was like talking to an old friend. He was extremely helpful and always ready to lend a helping hand. I'm very impressed with Gearhead Garage and will recommend them highly. Cheers read more

Mike, the owner, is a very nice person. He is always very helpful and kind to the customers all the time. His shop has pretty much every tool I need to fix my car. His service is exceptional. The lift and tool rental prices are reasonable. I have been to his shop several times already, and it was clean and organized every single time. I would highly recommend this business anyone who is looking for a place to fix their car. read more

Mike was extremely helpful. I originally booked a spot in the shop for 4 hours. My project ran long and he was incredibly gracious even though i didn't get out until about 15 minutes after they were supposed to close. I'll be back, and would definitely recommend their service! read more

Posting on my wife's account, but she also enjoyed the experience at Gearhead Garage. Great experience and highly recommend to anyone who needs a space to work on your car or some tools to use. I am relocating from Texas, and had my tools in storage and no place to work on my car. I was able to change out my Catalytic converter (the lift was very helpful) and do my oil while I was there. I can absolutely see myself going back, even after I get settled in. The owner Mike is very down to earth and helpful. You will not feel out of place, regardless of your automotive knowledge. read more

Wow.. that about sums up my experience with Mike and his amazing facility Gearhead Garage. I had been looking for a place to get some wrench time ever since I had to move and lost my garage. My girlfriend was kind enough to find Gearhead garage one day while driving through the area and immediately let me know about it. The timing was impeccable as I was planing to install a stage 1 Icon coilover kit onto my FJ Cruiser. As soon as I looked into Gearhead Garage and set up some shop time with Mike I placed my order for the Icon kit and awaited its arrival. After a long four days waiting for the Icon kit the day had finally arrived to get to the wrenches! I estimated it would take me 4 hours to completed the front and rear install so booked from 9-1 lift slot. Mike promptly arrived at 9 to open shop and after some shop talk, shop tour we got the FJ lifted. Mike was epic during the day offering waters and a hand when needed. It was a 100 degree day so the shop was piping hot and Mike was kind enough to keep the cold waters at hand. Overall mike had every tool I needed, a great compressor system and the friendliest environment around. I was able to complete the job in just under 4.5 hours, counting water breaks, clean up time and a surprise visit from my amazing girlfriend who showed up with an iced coffee for me! so I pretty much nailed my Project time. Gearhead Garage is very reasonably priced, well equipped and a great environment to wrench in. I will definitely be back for a body mount chop project as soon as the temps cool down. Thanks again to Mike and Gearhead Garage for making my project day an awesome one! read more

See all

I've been to Gearhead Garage four times this past year to install parts for my car. The prices are fair and he charge you reasonably. Each time I come in I receive the same exceptional treatment: a friendly, knowledgeable Mike willing to lend a hand when you're stuck or don't know what you're doing. (Trust me, even if you're stuck and don't ask Mike, he'll know) First time at Gearhead, I was installing a set of wheel spacers. I knew what I was doing, but when I installed the front spacers, the rotors were turning when I torqued down the nut that connects the spacer to rotor's stud. Mike was working on his project car at the same time, but he was more than willing to help hold down the rotor. If he wasn't there to help me torque the nuts, my wheels would've became a projectile on the freeway. Second time at Gearhead, I was installing hub centric rings so my wheels wouldn't vibrate on the road. I received one wrong sized ring, so I only stayed there for about 20 minutes. After I told Mike this when going inside to pay, he didn't charged me a single dime. Third time at Gearhead, my friend and I were installing an air intake. We knew what we were doing, but had trouble taking out the factory box since the hose connecting the box to the throttle body was held on too tight to the rubber piece. Out of the blue Mike showed up to save the day, prying on the connection with his mighty strength so we can wiggle out the factory air box, saving us from an additional 30-45 minutes of agony and rage-filled hate for the air box. The fourth time at Gearhead, my friend and I were installing a rear sway bar. It was supposed to be a quick job, but things went south when I decided to have it set to "hard setting" which gave us a hard time when reconnecting the end link to the lower control arm and the sway bar bracket to the chassis. Adding to this, I over torqued a bolt and broke it. Again, like the last visits, Mike jumped in to give us a hand bolting the sway bar to the lower control arm and chassis, using techniques we didn't thought of (mind you my friend is a mechanical engineer and knowledge about car, but obviously not as knowledgeable as Mike). The final cherry on top was when Mike gave advise on how to get the snapped bolt out. Overall, Gearhead Garage is a sensational place to go for all your car DIY needs. From installing aftermarket parts to servicing your car, Mike have all the tools you'll need (dude even have welders). I will be coming here again in the future to install more car parts as well as servicing my car. If I can give Gearhead Garage ten stars, I would. read more

I've done a good bit of work on my Jeep myself but hadn't had the chance to tackle suspension because I didn't have a lift. Gearhead garage was the perfect spot to install my new coils, shocks, and track bar! Prices are more than fair, all tools are readily available, and you won't find a nicer shop owner than Mike! Such a great garage if you're looking to work on your own projects. read more

Gearhead Garage is a great community resource and Mike is friendly and helpful. If you've any inclination to save a bit of money and work on your own car, I can't more highly recommend Gearhead Garage! read more