The mechanic here tried to intimidate me to avoid fixing his mistake. I came here to replace a rear halogen light bulb, and during the job, the mechanic SCRATCHED MY BUMPER while removing the light. When I asked, "Are you going to fix it?" he first said, "Probably." After reinstalling the light, I asked again what he planned to do. He looked at the scratch and said, "That's just something you can fix yourself." When I requested compensation, he REFUSED and said, "Okay, your halogen light bulb costs $1,000, let's just call it even." That felt like pressure and intimidation to get me to drop the issue. He DAMAGED MY CAR and then TRIED TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY by inventing a fake $1,000 charge for a simple light bulb. This was UNPROFESSIONAL, DISHONEST, AND UNETHICAL. I have since FILED A POLICE REPORT and am REPORTING THIS INCIDENT TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB) and OTHER CONSUMER PLATFORMS so that other customers know how I was treated. read more

Service First Auto Care - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Very fast, honest people & reasonable price. Highly recommend, very good experience :)

Don is absolutely amazing! He's extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He takes the time to actually explain what's going on and puts you at ease. I will only take my vehicles here from now now! read more

I gifted my father an old car of mine that I thought would only last another 1-2 years. Don has been a miracle worker. We're going on 6 years with only one major repair and some light tune ups needed. Don is honest, great at what he does and is a good human. You'll be thankful for his services as we are. read more

Wow. I'm just so impressed with a local mechanic shop that doesn't try to nickel and dime you and really actually cares about service. I bought a headlight and brakelight with the intention of having a friend replace them but that didn't work out. The mechanic here (I wish I could remember his name, I believe he's the owner) replaced all four headlights and brakelights for free since I brought them in. He was so great! I intend on bringing my business here from now on. It's so refreshing as well to not be taken advantage of (I'm a younger female, don't know much about cars, and have had some shops try to take advantage of that.) thank you so much! read more

We take our '98 Jetta here and the mechanic is always straight up with me and doesn't talk down to me, because I am a woman. When I have asked him, "What do I need to fix now and what can be done in a month," he doesn't try to pressure me into doing everything at once or talk me into anything extra. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

Don and his team at Service First do top notch work! Covid has been hard on everyone, and put Don in a tough spot, as well, having to tackle car repairs single-handedly. We're so excited to get our 50 Merc back on the road again, after Don's meticulous work, redoing the shoddy work other unscrupulous "mechanics" had done. He is indeed a pro!! We recommend Service First if you want it done right! read more

The first two times I brought my car to Service First, they didn't fix anything... and that's a good thing. Visit #1 - I had gotten a $14 oil change at a tiny shop near Green Lake on 5th - the mechanic there told me I needed to replace my brakes. Not totally trusting the original assessment, I brought it to Service First, as its right down the street from work. They checked it out & reassured me my brakes didn't need repairing. Visit #2 - Intense vibration when my care idles... Don explained the problem, told me it could be fixed for $400, but that there is no need to repair the motor mounts as long as I can tolerate the vibration. I just brought her in for an oil change, as I appreciate their honesty and I know they won't call me with a bunch of convoluted maintenance suggestions. Regarding price - if they are a bit more expensive, it's only because they don't make a killing off of duping unsuspecting car owners. read more

Do not take your car here unless you are willing and able to stand there and watch him work. I authorized him to change the oil for $29.99 ($32.53 after tax), and repair the window and the AC. I paid him and left the business before I reviewed the bill, and had quite a surprise when I did. At no time did I authorize any of the $700+ of work that was actually done to my vehicle. Don took it upon himself to perform work to the car that I had spoken with him about doing to my truck, and charged me for work that had not been mentioned or suggested as a possible problem by anyone. My first thought was that it was an honest mistake, and that he had just gotten confused. Not a great way to run a business, but mistakes happen, so giving him the benefit of the doubt I called him and explained to him that he had made a mistake, that he had done work on my car that we had talked about for the truck, and that the problem that I had brought the car in for was still a problem. I explained that none of the work he had done on the car had been authorized, and that I had specifically told him to call me before he started working on it. I asked him if he would work with me to figure out a resolution and he said, "I'm not going to do that!!" and ended the call. So. Maybe keep looking. Walts in Ballard does a great job. read more

I went to Service First to recharge my air conditioner because it was blowing hot air, all refrigerant had leaked. I am at fault for not asking how much it would be. It was higher than I expected but I paid. The charge lasted two weeks. When I went back, Don said it could be many places that could be leaking. To find the leak, he would charge one hour to find the leak, try to fix it and then recharge and see if the problem is solved. That would be $300 to $400. If the charge does not hold, it could be the compressor and that would be another $800. This is all fine, but why did he not tell me when I went there the first time? read more

Congrats, you found Don (nearing local legend status) and his right hand mechanic. You won't find them on Twitter or running a Groupon because his shop is packed with loyal, word of mouth customers. I've taken every vehicle I've owned over the last 10 years to this shop for oil service to deep repairs and everything between. These guys are stacked with auto knowledge and have seen your car problem before. I don't know how they compare in cost but the bill is always reasonable. As another reviewer noted, my wife can drop off the car without feeling condescended or talked down to. Really a humble guy that keeps it to business. I love having a trusted car doctor on my speed dial that can get me in asap, I can hardly imagine him even reading this but thanks Don you're the best. read more

Service First was recommended to me by an in-law who swears by it. We have taken our cars there ever since and couldn't be happier. The owner, Don, is fair, friendly, he knows his sh*t and he doesn't talk to my wife in the condescending way many mechanics love to talk to women. He doesn't try to over sell you and his work is always thorough. You can probably find cheaper mechanics elsewhere, but I'm happy to pay a little more(prices are average) for piece of mind. 5 stars because compared to other mechanics I've been to, he may as well walk on water. read more

I have a BMW (bought it used, great deal) and Don has done a great job keeping it together for a fraction of what I'd pay at the dealer. He doesn't seem to "find" things to work on, but knows his stuff and has the right diagnostics and tools to get it done. Like I read in some other reviews, you also get courtesy and not condescension when you bring your car in. read more

Service First is well named. They're honest and really know their stuff and get it done when they say they will. They've been keeping our family's fleet of cars running well for a couple of years. I wouldn't like to have to go anywhere else. Once you find a good mechanic, you stick with them. That's Don and Alan. read more

Great shop! Now that Apex Automotive is closed I have started going to Service First. Very professional, yet old school Ballard shop.

This shop is fantastic. Totally honest, good advice, and can explain what needs to happen and what doesn't. After getting a repair bill for $1600 from another shop, I took it to Don and it turns out that NONE of the work was required - the other shop, Elliott Tire and Service, are just a bunch of scammers. Our family takes both of our cars here and we have sent our friends here often. From what I hear, our friends now only take their cars here as well. Straight talk, tons of knowledge, small stable staff. read more

I wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. The owner (Don) named his business Service First because he means it. He is way more concerned with your happiness/making a repeat customer out of you than with making money. I used to go to a different auto care shop in Seattle but when they nickel and dimed me (told me they needed to replace 2 $7 clips on my battery which they charged me $50 for (price of clips plus a half hour of labor) for something I know took less than 5 minutes, I decided I wanted to find a different mechanic who would throw in things like that for free instead of nickel and diming me. So, we found Don at Service First. And we are so glad we did! First, we brought one of our cars to him so he could replace the alternator. I brought our car in with my 1 year old in tow and Don gave us a ride home in his own vehicle so I didn't have to wait with my 1 year old at the shop for hours while he worked. I tried to give him gas money and he wouldn't accept it. First goal completed - I knew I had found a mechanic who wasn't concerned with getting as much money out of us as he could. Then, a month later, our other car was having issues starting. Symptoms seemed as if it was the battery, but we brought the battery to CarQuest, where we bought it, and they told us it tested good. Since the battery tested good, we wondered if our car needed a new starter. Don told us it didn't sound like the starter - it did indeed sound like battery issues, and he didn't want to put a $450 starter in it if it didn't need it so he took TWO DAYS trying every test he could to see what was wrong with our car and everything looked fine. So he put a new battery in it and sent us on our way WITHOUT CHARGING US ANYTHING so we could drive the car for a week to see if the issue was fixed. That fixed it, no further issues, so it was a bad battery although it had tested fine. I returned to Don's shop to let him know the issue was fixed and to pay him (he asked for almost nothing - pretty much just the price of the new battery he put in our car, after he spent 2 days diagnosing our car), AND he called CarQuest for me to talk them in to returning my money for our last battery, even though CarQuest has a replacement only warranty. Above and beyond for sure. We didn't want a new battery from CarQuest so didn't just want a replacement - we'll be buying Don's batteries from now on! Don sells quality batteries with a 6 year warranty. Buy your auto batteries from him. Don has made lifetime customers out of our family for sure. read more

Been going to Don for as long as he's had his shop, and before when he was working for another guy's shop out on NW Market. Probably close to 15 years. He's ASE certified Master Technician, (lots of guys are that), but more importantly really knows his way around cars, and can diagnose and fix most anything in a logical and cost-efficient manner. He doesn't just "hang parts" in the hope that by the process of elimination he will fix your car. Additionally he routinely will give your car a once over as part of other work, and you may find a few niggling problems (that you didn't even ask about) fixed, and without an additional charge! Your ride comes back to you running better than ever after undergoing the "hand of the master". Don won't browbeat you to sell service, he lets you know what needs taken care of now, and what can wait for later. He's a straight-up guy and one of the best mechanics I have had the pleasure of knowing. Don't miss this place, its kind of unassuming, so if you want the flashy, or guys to come running when you pull on the lot, go elsewhere. If you want your car serviced, right, the first time, and not pay through the nose for it, come here. read more

Best place!! So great! Being a women it's hard going anywhere for auto care. He tells me what I need without telling me things I don't need. Wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

These guys know and love cars. If you have an older "classic" they speak your language. Fair and honest as they come, they'll get it right the first time with no excuses. read more

Don and his crew are extra professional and I never feel I am being ripped off. I have taken two used cars to them, and I have been very happy with the service. They are very thorough but conservative. I feel they are worth the price and always fair. I highly recomment them. read more