Terry is an absolute joy to work with. Not only is he professional, timely and amazing at what he does, he's also one of the kindest people you'll ever meet. Someone backed into my classic beetle several years back and nobody would touch it until I found Terry. Seriously, he was the SIXTH shop I physically went to, nobody wanted to touch it but this is exactly the kind of work he does, not to mention any thing else you could possibly ever need done to your car. After finding Terry I switched over to him for all mechanical and body work we need on our cars. He's kept our ancient pickup running strong as well as our newer SUV and when the time finally came, he even replaced the engine in my Beetle (which was long overdue)! He can find any part for any car and get any job done. We are so grateful for Terry, a true treasure! read more

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This is a place in which you can still find a skilled mechanic who is capable of diagnosing older vehicles without the help of an OBD2 scanner. They also do a wide variety of work and I doubt I'd ever hear something like "oh we don't really work on that" here. I have brought in my restoration project miata a few times for both body work and mechanical issues and not only received competitively priced labor for Seattle, but also personalized, engaged and individually unhurried attention. Terry loves talking about your car or project almost as much as you do. His communication has always been prompt and thorough, always explaining what could / should / needs to be done or is possible. Never left me in the dark, waiting for a call or tries to upsell. I've been through a few local mechanics including a dealership garage with mixed results, - one was dishonest about labor, one meant well but was at a loss about a car he couldn't just plug in for a code, one was sloppy about Mazda torque specs. Terry has always come through and never left me dissatisfied with the money I spent. He's basically my mechanic now and the only person to bring an older or pre OBD2 vehicle to that I'm aware of. read more

Terry's Custom Auto Works - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I went to a few different "big name" auto shops for an estimate on a noise my car was making. They were all charging $160+ just to make an attempt at a diagnosis. They were also pricing "could be" solutions and their associated astronomical prices. I stumbled upon Terry's shop and gave him a call. He saw me that day and stopped what he was doing to come outside and give my car a quick once-over. He couldn't pinpoint the problem without getting under it, so we scheduled a slot when he had a chance to do some investigating. Took the car in and he went to work. Called me a bit later and gave me a rundown on his findings. He went above and beyond to breakdown his multiple findings to a novice like me. You can tell that he loves what he does. He educated me - had me get under the car with him and gave me a stethoscope to take a listen while he manipulated parts. It was quite the different experience that I am sure no other company or shop would ever give you. On top of the care, friendliness, and education - he gave me an estimate that was more than half of the blind estimates I got from other shops. So, it looks like I have found my new go-to shop and Terry found a forever customer and advocate for his business! Thanks, Terry! read more

Terry is an automotive genius! His knowledge of cars and how to fix them is remarkable to witness. I have known Terry for 5 years and had him work on three different makes, one from the 60's, 70's and 80's. There hadn't been anything he couldn't fix. And he is very conscientious about costs, pointing out alternative options, like whether to buy a new replacement part or a used one, whether something should be fixed now or can be fixed later, etc. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my cars. read more

A huge shout out to Terry who rescued my kid while he was visiting Seattle. Traveling with a friend, the alternator goes out on this buddy's Honda Pilot on a Sunday afternoon. Both 20 year old young men need to be at work in Portland on Monday. Terry is honest with the boys, doesn't have an alternator, wouldn't be able to get one until the following week. Somehow these kids, who may very well be taking public transportation for the first time, head out to see if they can find an alternator. It's during COVID, supply chains are what they are these days. They do! They find one and bring it back to Terry, who installs it. What he charges to install this alternator is a story I'll leave to Terry to tell, but I will say that it brought tears to my eyes. They were so lucky to have stumbled upon Terry. There were some life lessons learned that day and what struck me most from my son recounting this story to me is that there are still people in this world who value honesty and integrity. Thank you Terry, you give me hope. read more

I cant put into words how good I feel after serving my vehicle at Terry's. I was met with happy employees that cared. The communication was unbelievable from start to finish. The mobile app the tracks the process was icing on the Cake. The work was done right the first time and a more than fair price ! Above and beyond read more

I am incredibly thankful for Terry and HIGHLY recommend anyone reading this to give him a shot! Having a BMW can be extremely pricey and I can tell you he does not do what he does for strictly profit like other mechanics, very reasonable prices and he also broke down exactly what was wrong in easier terms for people like me to better understand what exactly is wrong. Also a great guy to have a conversation with and got my car repaired in a very timely manner! Thank you again Terry! read more

I was super-impressed with Terry's integrity, customer service and the quality of the repairs on my Honda. The price was fair and he did exactly what he said he would (and some extra work without charge). And he finished the job in the timeframe we agreed. I've been recommending Terry's to all my family and friends. read more

Wow. Terry's Custom Auto is the real deal! I took my 1993 Jeep Wrangler to Terry for some custom work. It was not an easy job. I needed some body work done (and paint), a new stereo system installed, replacement of all the lights, rebuilding of the doors, and some serious fit issues with the hard top that needed to be solved. Terry also found a few other areas on the Jeep that needed to be addressed (tightening things up here and there), paining on the bumper, etc. Terry also installed heated seats (all old Jeeps should have seat heaters!) and identified a few issues with the exhaust system that needed to be fixed. Terry did all this for a very reasonable price and a great attitude. He took my jeep from an average ride to an amazing ride! I would rely on him for nearly any automotive work - from mechanic work to customization work. He's great to work with, stays on time, and delivers amazing results! read more

Terry was easy to work with and repaired my sliced side panel perfectly. This business is a neighborhood asset.

Terry attempted to charge me for, oh, between $2K and $3K over the cost of the job because he thought it would be helpful to estimate out a bunch of work I didn't want to get done and then conveniently "misunderstood" our phone conversation in which I clarified what I wanted done. After a phone call with Terry in which he told me to "calm down" (SO popular with the ladies, amirite?), accused me of changing my story and of "arguing" with him all in response to my asking him several times to simply tell me what work he did and what my total was, I was far too angry to talk to this dude in person, so my daughter went in and asked him to show her which stuff on the estimate was about fixing my headlight (the job I originally went in for, which included some frame and body work). He tried "It's right there on the estimate!" a couple of times. Yeah, it was right there along with all the other crap he put on there to "retain value" even though I told him we have no plans to sell the car. "It's right there!" he told her and she said, "Pretend I just walked in off the street with that car and I want to leave with my headlight working. Walk me through which items on this estimate make that happen." He did, reluctantly, and when the total was several thousand less than he told me on the phone, she said, "Okay, this is what we're paying." Here are some details from letter I wrote him when I still believed this was a misunderstanding of some kind. I no longer believe that--I believe this guy hoped I'd just pay the bill, and I almost did. === Terry, I went to you with a headlight out. I needed my headlight to work. You kindly offered to rig up a headlight for free, which I declined in favor of doing it right. We verbally agreed that meant replacing the passenger side quarter panel and front bumper, pulling out the frame, and replacing the window-cleaner reservoir. You ballparked this at "at least $1500." I said I could do that or even $2K, I just needed to fix my mom's car that I broke. [Terry later told my daughter that I "fabricated" that number and that I was "delusional."] You then began suggesting additional things you could do to ensure that if we ever resold the car it would retain its value. I told you that was not my intention, but you said you'd take off anything extra that I didn't want. I guess I should have stopped you there because what I ended up with was a written estimate for a bunch of work I didn't actually want done. When I called you back to clarify what I wanted done, it was my intention to communicate to you that I wanted the original work that I came in for, not including extras like a hood and a windshield and a rear bumper and all the stuff you said would help "retain value." I can't tell you exactly what I said, and the fact that you "wrote it down" doesn't change the fact that I believe I did my best to communicate what I wanted and you misunderstood. [Terry told me repeatedly "I stood right here and wrote down what you said," as though that proved I was full of it.] You originally said you took responsibility for that, but today you accused me of "first you didn't want the hood, and now you're saying you didn't want the rear bumper" as though I'm changing my tune because, what, I'm just flighty like that, I guess. Further, when I asked you to give me a rundown of what work had been done, you began telling me that I needed to "calm down" and when I said I didn't call to argue, when I reiterated that I was asking a question and needed information you still had not provided, your reply was "You ARE arguing with me." You interrupted me repeatedly attempting to propose solutions when I tried to get you back around to just telling me what work was done until I finally had to insist on just getting a total out of you. You took issue with my "tone" while on this end, I was just trying to get you to answer a question. That question seemed to come off as an accusation and I really don't understand why except that it's clear that this miscommunication means that your customer isn't thrilled at the end of the day. I was really looking forward to bringing you my van, but I really am upset now, and there's really no way. This sucks. ====== Knowing what I know now, I can see how he attempted to manipulate me into being so upset I simply paid the bill and went home with my tail between my legs. How many people has Terry done this to? I don't know, but I suspect I am far from alone. Oh, by the way? He specifically pointed out that some people who work on cars attempt to take advantage of women and assured me he was not one of those. I'm...skeptical. read more

I advise all my friends to use Terry's shop. His work is always done promptly, the work is reliable and the pricing is competitive. Eastlake neighborhoods best mechanic, hands down. Thanks for everything you do Terry, you are an asset to the community! read more

Beware. Terry is capable of good work and speaks a lot about good customer service up front but took shortcuts to cut his own costs and time and turned out some good but some very negligent and sloppy initial work. He then charged me more for re-work that he should have done the first time based on our agreement. He claimed he would stand by his work to make sure I was satisfied but I have had a different experience. Some of my interactions with him revealed a level of dishonesty on his part. Communications with him became uncomfortable when we discussed the work based on the initial agreement. After my vehicle was returned, I noticed an additional problem that he dismissed and he chose to simply cut off communication rather than deal with the problem. Kevin W.'s review rings very true now that I've had enough dealings with him. I was prepared to recommend numerous clients to Terry but now wouldn't recommend him to anyone. read more

After having the front bumper of my '97 Honda Accord taken off by someone trying to park in front of me, I went to Terry to get it fixed. Luckily, the individual who took off my bumper left their number and we decided to work together to fix it without using insurance, which brought me to Terry's Custom Auto Works. I had a so-so experience with Terry due to a number of factors which I have broken down below. Positive: - Terry gave a free estimate on the spot, with two different options. A $900 option or a more affordable, $400 option. I chose the $400 deal since it's such an old car. - My car was left with Terry on Monday and done on Tuesday. Very quick turn around which I appreciated! - Terry was able to use the bumper that was ripped off and get it back on the front of my car despite some damage. Nice work on the bumper. Negative: - I couldn't pick my car up until Wednesday. When I went to pick it up, the place was closed. I was not given a call or any warning that they were closing early and wasted over an hour of my time walking with the hope that I could pick up my car that day. On thursday, I picked up my car during lunch but wanted to come back after work to talk to Terry about some of my concerns. I was told over the phone he would be working a double shift to make up for his absence on Wednesday. Once again, I showed up to a closed shop. - When I did pick up my car, the bumper was fixed but my blinkers were not working in the front and my parking light that had been broken during the accident was not replaced. Although Terry did not explicitly say he would fix these things, I assumed that I would find a car in one piece when I picked it up. This was not the case and meant that I had to spend my day off running to AutoZone to get the parts and replace them myself. Again, a waste of my time when it is something Terry could have done in 10 minutes and for half the cost of parts. In summary, be very explicit about what you want fixed. Terry seems like a nice guy but I felt like he did a poor job communicating with me and I did not pick up the car that I expected to pick up. I would not go back to Terry again due to the trouble I had picking my car up and the time I wasted on my own completing the job that I thought would be done by Terry. read more

I had taken my car in a few weeks ago as recommended by a friend. Not only was Terry readily available he was up front and honest with the repairs he was going to do and how much it would cost on scene. As it was my only means of transportation he was able to get the repair done quickly. I had a quite a large indent in the side rim of my wheel well which was repaired so perfectly when my boyfriend picked up the car he needed to call and ask which side it was on because there was no reminisce of any damage. I would HIGHLY recommend Terry to anyone who needs their cars repaired. read more

I shopped around for a job in my VW and Terry gave me by far the best deal. He did it in a time that was convenient for me and I walked out happy. I would totally recommend this place. read more

I found Terry on accident and I have never had a more pleasant experience with a mechanic. I always feel he is being honest and will tell me if it's an easy fix instead of ordering a whole new part if it's unnecessary. He is fair and honest and always makes time. I have been loyal for a couple of years and love seeing the beautiful classic cars he can fix up. At some point I would love for him to cherry mine out!! read more

If you ever find your car in need of service Terrys Custom Auto Works is the BEST. We bought a used Mercedes from the Mercedes dealer, they serviced the car before we drove it to Vegas, the dealer did not place the oil cap on correctly causing oil to spray all over the engine, We took the car to a Mercedes dealer in Vegas and again in Seattle but the car continued to leak oil The dealer diagnosed an issue with the oil cooler and gave us a quote of $2000 to fix it. We drove the car back to Seattle and Terry diagnosed the correct issue fixed the car all for a quarter of the cost the dealer wanted to charge. Terry also went to bat for us with the dealer and had them wash the oil off the car twice to prevent problems is the future. Terry takes the time to understand the real problem, is competent, honest fair and one of the best mechanic there is! If I could give him 10 STARS I would read more

Terry takes the time to find the actual problem and repair at a very reasonable cost. The dealer estimates repair cost near $3000. Terry found the problem source was something simple and the repair expense was 30% of the dealer estimate. In addition, he stands be hide his work with a life time work guarantee. I had an outstanding experience !! read more

came from wenatchee , the worst thing happened and our car happen to blow out and terry managed to order the part AND get it fixed all within the hour , got me back on the road and everything fixed , truly and angel , most honest dude , thank you once again terry read more

After an accident I found myself with a slightly damaged hood and front bumper, so I stopped by Terry's shop to get a quote for the repairs. After a five minute conversation and a quick assessment of the vehicle he informed me of the most cost effective way to get the damage repaired. As it turned out, the cosmetic damage was a repair that I could do myself. Without charging me a dime he pointed me to a vendor so that I could source the parts I needed without being charged an arm an a leg for extra labor. I appreciate Terry's honest and straightforward way of doing business, and I would recommend his shop to anyone needing car repairs in the Eastlake area. read more

This is a good man! Honest and caring... also explains everything that is going on with your vehicle. I have been to too many mechanics, but I have never had the quality of service and attention to detail and cleanliness as this! 5 stars all the way! I will refer everyone. read more

Terry is seriously a blessing. He is definitely a mechanic you feel you can trust. Finding a reliable mechanic you can trust is always a struggle and i just happened upon Terry. I always brag to my friends about how wonderful my experience always is. He really walks you through everything that needs to be done. I had been given an estimate a little over what I could afford at the time and decided to wait on some brake repairs. The next day when i came to pick up the truck, he had just done everything and told me he didn't feel comfortable with me driving off and not having done all what was originally quoted. He said i could just pay him back in the next 6 months or so over time no sweat. Terry is the real deal. I showed up and he had taken pictures and showed me everything he had done. He is what every experience at a mechanic should be. Not to mention he has some pretty cool stories if you get to chatting! read more