Austin really earns the 5 star rating, great communication, and great work was done on my Tacoma. Shop Local!

Great shop. Really appreciated Austin's honesty. He never recommended more than needed. Only bummer is that after a recent brake job on my 4runner my front brakes were still squeeking. Austin was great and said to just bring it in and he would put a new set of pads on. Bummer part is that when I finally had a chance to bring it by a few weeks later the shop was gone... Like the building was demolished. So now I have squeeky new brakes. :( If you reopen, Austin give me a shout. I would love to get the brakes fixed. :) read more

Our mechanic for almost 10 years....called yesterday and the phone number is disconnected. Called another mechanic nearby and it sounds like they are closed. Will update this review when we find out more. read more

Sam is absolutely fantastic! I went in to have an emission failure report looked at, and he called after 2 hours of dropping it off to explaing everything to me! He even told me I could go back to the dealership to have them fix my issue for free and didn't offer to charge me! I just moved to Seattle and know it takes a while to find a good mechanic that you can trust and rely on to help you with good advice and service. After one visit The Shop is definitely my new safe harbor for anything car related! Highly highly recommended! read more

I hate to leave bad reviews. I'd rather not give a review at all than leave a bad one. But this last visit makes me wonder if the engine in our 2009 car has any permanent damage. The Shop had been doing right by us over the last year plus until this spring when an oil change & brake job were done (or not done) properly. It was clearly not road tested to the extent that it needed to be after the brake job. Some of the misrepair was evident when I had driven 10 miles away & my car was shaking violently, some of it was evident as I was trying to merge onto 405 at highway speeds. Very nerve racking & infuriating. Had to take time to take it back... they made excuses & still did not repair the initial repair properly. read more

Great service today! Thank you for fixing up our ride, we can drive in safety now. I love that you're right around the corner and that I can trust your work. I will recommend you to anyone. read more

Austin is awesome! Very responsive and accommodating, plus knows what he's doing. The peninsula is lucky to have him on the side. Highly recommend him! read more

I went here a year ago for my 30,000 mile maintenance. It was right before I left for school in England (hence the extremely belated review). I remember being well treated, and all my questions were answered, even though I am sure they were questions that had the potential to be eye roll inducing, as I know nothing about cars. I also just really liked the owner. He seemed like a good guy. I realize that my judgement of him after a 15 minute interaction from a year ago may not be entirely relevant, accurate or even useful for whoever is reading this but I think that if you decide to take your car here you will see what I mean. read more

The short: Austin has the feel of a small town mechanic that you know and trust, someone that works on your car as long as you have it. SO HARD to find that in such a big/growing city. Love the guys work and honesty. If you can take your car here, do it. read more

Thanks to the owner I have four new tires at a fair price. And even when I was sure I needed new brakes and told him so .. he assured me I could wait on the brakes and save the money. I am pretty sure anyone else would have gladly replaced them when it was not needed. Great honest shop! read more

Austin is really sweet and will only suggest that you have work done if it is 100% necessary. He also put up with different family members calling him everyday asking him questions about my car and was very sweet about the whole thing. I highly recommend The Shop! read more

Really helpful staff, I needed a recommendation for a friend who has a friend out of state that had her car stolen and it was found in north seattle. There was an issue with the starter and the guys assisted my friend over the phone at first and then came out to the car and fixed it. Didn't charge a cent and my friend is beyond thrilled. We would like to recommend this shop to anyone. Amazing customer service and skilled staff. read more

Firstly, I'm definitely not a car person. I had some seriously bad dealership experiences before I asked around for recommendations on other auto shops. More than a few told me to take it to The Shop, and they weren't wrong. Austin is great, and really took the time to walk me through exactly what NEEDED fixed, and not what the dealership wanted to charge me for. Austin fixed three separate issues quickly and without an inflated cost. I paid just over $475 for hose replacement, coolant container replacement, a full blower diagnostic and replacement, an oil change and standard tuneup. My uncle works at GM and said the cost at a dealership would have run well over $900. Save yourself some money and a headache by taking your car here - my guess is you won't be disappointed! read more

Austin is awesome! He helped me out with my battery issues and truly went above and beyond to help me out. Highly highly recommend.

I realllllly wanted to like this place being that its super convenient, right across the street. Plus, all of these great reviews. I just want to state this review is not based on their work, but strictly their customer service. I called several places in the area, did a ton of research on my car problem/part prices and had my boss look at my car (he builds cars as a hobby). When I called The Shop I was quoted $800 for replacing a car part that costs about $200 at most. I don't know about you, but I felt like that was INSANE!!! After calling several other places I was quoted $375-500. I'm sorry, but I'll most likely never be going here. I'm not sure if it was because I'm a women and they feel they can take advantage, but this is why I stay educated on my car because of swindlers like this. read more

OMG. I found an honest auto shop in Ballard. Thank God!!!

I used to live in the same building as Sam and his wife. From the moment I found out Sam owned a local auto mechanic shop, I was in. No regrets on that decision what so ever. I don't take my Jeep Wrangler to anyone else now, and I don't refer people to anyone else. Sam has always done quality work on my vehicle and been very fair with pricing. I'm a fine jewelry dealer, and between Sam's profession and mine, I think we rank at the top of people's most suspicious and untrustworthy list. That's why it's important to find someone you can trust in both arenas. Sam is that guy in the auto world. @Jeanine Q...I'm not sure how the word "swindler" got associated with The Shop, but it doesn't fit...at all. There may have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication, but "swindler" they are not. read more

Sam and Austin were both knowledgeable and upfront about what was happening with my car. They were able to fix all of the issues after I had taken it to multiple other mechanics in the area who came up short. I only wish I would have gone to them first and saved myself the money and hassle. I will be exclusively taking my car to them from here on out. read more

Sam is awesome! He has been the only person who has touched my car since he opened The Shop. I won't go any where else. Thank You Sam!

Went to The Shop because of the high ratings on here, and was not disappointed. Amazingly quick turnaround for new brakes on my Honda, and Sam went above and beyond to sort out a rattle that had been plaguing my car for ages. Now I don't announce my arrival from 5 blocks away! Sweet guy, great place, good price! I'll be back for sure. read more

I went here for the first time on the advice of 2 friends and was not disappointed. In fact, The Shop exceeded my expectations. Took my "baby" in and found The Shop to be very knowledgable, thorough, informative and they answered all my questions as if I were their only customer. Their prices are very reasonable given the level of service they provide and they were honest. I didn't need a tune up so they didn't perform one. They did everything I requested to a tee. I have very high service standards and was very happy to have found them. This is good old-fashioned customer service at its best - the way it ought to be everywhere. I highly recommend them and, honest, I never knew them til I took the truck in! Hope they always keep this level of service. It is greatly appreciated read more

Brought my older car here for repairs based on the great reviews. Someone called me and explained, in detail, what the problem was and what needed to be done to fix it. The estimate was more than I thought the car was worth (although a very fair price for the repair itself) and they let me keep the car there for a whole week to think it over. Ended up deciding not to do the repair and Sam didn't charge me a dime-even backed my decision to cut my losses on the car. Very knowledgeable staff and able to explains things clearly. Everyone I spoke to was incredibly friendly, helpful, and never once applied an ounce of pressure to get the work done. read more

Sam / The Shop landed on my radar as a recommendation from my friend Loryn, when I was having one of those times when I wasn't sure if I should fix a whole slew of issues going on with my 2002 Cabrio (clutch falling out, massive oil leak, close to 150,000 miles) or just call it a day. I went to see Sam confident that he'd take care of it and give me good, solid advice. Well, not only did he do that (provided a thorough assessment, encouraged me to keep the car, detailed out what needed to be fixed and why, and what could wait), he replaced my entire clutch on time and on budget. And here's the kicker: I had a cracked CV boot that I'd been meaning to get to for quite some time, and when Sam had my car pulled apart to fix the clutch, he just replaced it. FOR NO ADDITIONAL COST. Anywhere else would and could have easily charged several hundred dollars more -- but Sam just did it because it needed to be done and done right. This place is the real deal for fair, honest service. I'd be hard pressed to take my car anywhere else, ever, for any reason. read more

I've been to The Shop twice now for service on my Mini Cooper. Both times I needed fairly quick turn around and was coming in on short notice (big oops on my part). Sam was incredibly accommodating and knowledgable about my vehicle. I left feeling very confident with the work he had done and when I had follow up questions he was very responsive. It's a very difficult process to entrust the work on your car to someone and drive away with a sense of comfort, but Sam is reasonable and skilled, he has a great personality and I've been very impressed by him. I've dealt with some very smug, over-confident mechanics and it's nice to walk in and be able to have an intelligent discussion about your vehicle with clear explanation and evidence of the problem without feeling talked down to or talked over. I highly recommend Sam to anyone i know, at the same time, I'm afraid to talk him up too much, he might get too busy to work on my car as quickly as he does. read more

I've shopped some different maintenance around at different shops throughout Seattle and Bellevue and not only does The Shop have the best price, they're always the quickest to get it done. The mechanics were all super professional and have always explained what needed done in a way that didn't make me feel ashamed to be a guy who doesn't know jack about cars. Highly recommend. read more

I've been meaning to write this review for probably a month now. I am a Rhode Island transplant new to Seattle. As such I took to Yelp to find a decent auto shop in my neighborhood for a persistent low tire pressure warning light. Turns out I had a nail in my tire and Sam patched it... FREE OF CHARGE! Had I gone to the dealership they would have told me it was too close to the sidewall and would refuse to repair it, leading me to purchase two new tires ('cuz you can't just buy one) when the punctured one has plenty of perfectly good tread left. Sam definitely earned a returning customer, I was very grateful for the generosity and ease of service. read more

Nothing but nice things to say about my first experience at The Shop. No charge for diagnosing the issue and once they realized it was a simple fix they were quick and surprised me with no charge again. They were friendly and efficient. They have definitely earned me as a customer for the future. read more

This place is the best! Austin helped me and replaced my brakes in no time at all. Would DEFINITELY recommend and will obviously bring my car here for future services!! New biggest fan :) read more

Sam at The Shop was awesome! After a bad experience at a previous establishment, Sam made everything simple and easy. I dropped my car off, got a call less than an hour later and was quoted a price $200 cheaper than the same repair, at a different mechanic. When I got there, I was billed LESS than the quote. He said he's finished early and knocked off 1/2 an hour of labor! The Shop provided me with affordable, quick and easy, honest service. They are no my go to mechanic! read more

Sam is a fantastic mechanic! His prices are reasonable, and he is extremely honest. He will explain all of your options to you, in regard to what is absolutely necessary, what might be a good idea, and what you could probably save the money on. When my clutch went out on my truck, he was able to have everything finished within two days (before the weekend) and he has a tow service that he can bill directly if you need to have your vehicle towed to his shop. He takes care of all of the billing for that, which was great. Less hassle for me in a stressful situation. Also, when I came in to pick up my truck, he took me back and showed me my old clutch and explained how it all works.... That was so cool! After my experience, I recommended him to my boyfriend, who also had an incredibly positive experience with Sam's honesty and efficiency. Sam is a nice, honest, GOOD mechanic with reasonable prices. I have been searching years for such a thing! Highly, highly recommended! read more

These guys repaired a broken flex plate on my 81 C-10 truck. I felt the price was fair. Quick turnaround. Also, Sam is a very personable owner/mechanic. Hopefully found a new place for all my auto repairs. read more

I haven't even picked my car up from Sam yet but I already know I'll be coming back in the future. My brakes sounded a little grindy, so I took my car into The Shop and also mentioned that there had been a burning smell back in the winter months when the heater was on. Sam called back 2 hours later to say there wasn't much to report - brakes were fine (but to check back for pads in 2-3 months) and a hose needed a new clamp. Since I was planning on spending some moolah on fixing my car up I mentioned that the passenger window was having issues rolling up. 45 min later Sam was calling me back to report that I need a new motor and after calling all over, it could only be obtained from the dealer (pricey, damn it). All in all Sam ended up changing my oil and reassured me that as long as the AC works the window could wait. Once I have a little more money to spend, I'll be definitely taking my car back to The Shop for a the window fixing! Such a rarity to work with an honest mechanic who isn't recommending you fix 13 other things you didn't even bring the car in for. Plus Sam is adorable. Bonus points. read more

The Shop is going to be the only place I ever take my car to from here on out. As a woman who has frequently been screwed over at car shops, there is nothing I appreciate more than being treated with honesty and fairness with zero condescension. Sam's the real deal. read more

Support one of the last honest businessmen in Ballard! Sam is awesome, straightforward and a good mechanic. Gotta love a mechanic who will tell you what you don't need as well as what you do. Support your local shop! read more

Sam is a decent guy and saved me some money on my repair. Seems very honest, straight forward, and not at all condescending. Also had a very good turn around time, so the car was ready quicker than I expected and for less money than I expected. I will definitely go back. read more

I had a great experience here! Very friendly service and fair prices. Excellent communication. I was always called and kept up to date with any changes or information regarding the repairs. I will be coming back again for any other auto needs. Thanks! read more

Sam is amazing, I know next to nothing about cars or engines and am constantly taking my car to him for the tiniest of problems and fixes them promptly and professionally!! I wont take my car anyplace else!! read more

Props to Sam at the Shop! I've taken my truck there a handful of times for various repairs and services and have been happy each time. I even took my truck in once expecting to do a BUNCH of repairs... my brakes had been making noise and I thought I was due for new tires... and ended up only needing air in my tires and an oil change and had time left on my tires and brakes. Sam is an honest mechanic that didnt take advantage of my expectations for a couple hundred bucks and instead saved me money and time. In return, he has a repeat customer who would refer ANYONE there. I trust this guy. Keep up the good work, Sam! :) read more

Unfortunately my son's car had another mishap & had to be towed to The Shop. I called Sam early on Monday morning and he already figured out the most economical fix & assurred me that he'd have the car fixed and back on the road today. Another exceptional repair! read more

Took my vehicle to Firestone as I have a credit card with them. The vibe and the story I received from the two different people I spoke with did not match. BS detector going off. Get my car towed to Sam's The Shop instead. They fixed the issue and I purchased a new battery for less than the cost of what Firestone said I needed. Sam's diagnosis of what was wrong and what needed to be repaired was correct even though the repair cost less. Firestone's was wrong and would have cost more. I tend to think the person who was motivated by the profit motive was either greedy, a scammer, or incompetent. Sam was trust worthy and the issue has not returned. I would recommend taking your vehicle there. read more