You get what you pay for, buyer be wary of low estimate on big jobs. Find a reputable shop and pay a little more for a job done right! I was fed a load of garbage when I called Union Bay Garage to ask if they would replace a part. They did a clutch job a while back, left out the pilot bearing, and did such a crappy job that the flywheel they installed was all burned up after being driven only 15,000 miles. For reference, the flywheel should easily last 100,000 miles (and I have another 5M with 275,000 miles still on the original flywheel). Their botched job was only discovered at another shop when they were taking things apart to investigate & repair an oil leak. Turns out, it's leaking from the rear crankshaft seal UBG replaced when they did the clutch. It's easily going to cost double what UBG originally invoiced to fix the mess that Union Bay Garage made. I will pay a fair price for a job well done. And it isn't so much UBG's refusal to replace an out-of-warranty part, I figured I was SOL before dialing the number, even when it was their screwup, but it was Jordan shovelling all flavors of CYA BS that earned this poor rating. It wouldn't have lost UBG any revenue if she had simply refused to provide replacement parts for this out-of-warranty request instead blaming their crappy job on user error. Pull the other leg, I'm not buying your tall tales. read more

Great service! Friendly and honest about what is needed and not needed. No upselling. I spoke to Jordan on the phone for the whole process and they made it easy for me. They called on the phone to let me know that there was something they missed during my service. So they came to my house directly to fix it really quickly. I really appreciate their honesty and integrity read more

I have used this garage for 15 years with both domestic and foreign cars. They are through, honest and great to work with. Not always the the cheapest, but it is great work at a great value. I trust them completely. read more

Union Bay was recommended to me by a friend. My granddaughter is a student at the University of Washington with a car. Well, she informs grandpa the car is making a funny noise, short of it needs to get fixed I call and talk with Jordan at UBG. This lady is amazing we set up an appointment. The granddaughter took the car in, fixed the same day minor issue that could have become big. All this was done by phone, as a person that turn wrenches, I know my 19 year old granddaughter was treated fairly and honestly. Thank You UBG and Jordan. Grand Pa Tim Port Ludlow Wash read more

After my first experience with Union Bay Garage being a positive one, I have to state I am a fan, but based on other reviews, I am tentative about forming too strong an opinion until I have bigger car issues. In which case, this garage will not be an automatic go-to. In any case, I had a broken side mirror and they remedied the misfortune quite satisfactorily. They got the $67 mirror the same day that I called and fixed it in about 2 hours the next day. The estimate was $110 - $155, which another garage told me was a really good price. Plus, for some reason, I've had this problem several times(!) and its about what I have paid before. Since the door panel had to come off, it was on the higher side of the estimate and $167 after tax. The customer service was fantastic. I can recommend this place for cosmetic issues, but I would take other reviews into consideration for bigger issues. read more

I can't recommend this garage enough. The best auto mechanic operation in Seattle, and unfortunately I've used a number of them. They brought my car back from the dead in 2014, and they have just helped me out again by fixing yet another complex problem through rigorous investigation. Jordan at the front desk is outstanding in her patience and ability to explain a complex problem. They are my go-to. read more

I would highly recommend Union Bay Garage for any brake services that you need. I was referred by a colleague of mine and am always hesitant to go to any new place. I am so used to being taken advantage of when I bring my car to places, often trying to get sold parts that I do not need, often being taken advantage of because of my ignorance related to the mechanics of my vehicle. This was not the case with Union Bay Garage. I had been driving my car for 95,000 miles and had never had my brakes changed, so I was worried that I had gone past my brake pads and more repairs would be needed. They were able to make an appointment for me, within a week and shortly after I dropped my car off, I received a phone called informing me that about 30% of my brake pads remained. She then explained that most people get their brake pads replaced when about 20% is remaining. I was so surprised by her response. She said I didn't need them that day, but would need them soon. I had new brake pads installed that day anyways, which they had in stock and completed in only a few hours, if not less. I was very pleased that they did not try to sell me anything that I didn't need, or take advantage of my lack of knowledge. They were ver honest, the price was spectacular and they had me driving my car with new brake pads in no time! Thank you for being trustworthy and affordable Union Bay Garage. I will gladly refer you to anyone needing brake services in the future. read more

Agree with the other posts. Won't up sell needless repairs and the work is done both speedily and competently. HIGHLY recommended. read more

I'll pretty much just agree with the previous reviewers. I went here a couple of months back when my beloved Subaru was making bad noises and losing power on hills. My father recommended the place to me and I called and talked to Jordan who made me feel immensely better after she explained in simple language what she thought was wrong with my car. I brought it in a few days later and got a call saying that my front brakes were almost finished so I told them to go ahead and replace them, knowing that Union Bay wouldn't jerk me around. There's something to be said for a garage where you can leave your car and walk (or bus) away knowing that everything is going to be ok and nobody is about to screw you over. read more

Pete and Paul at Union Bay have been maintaining my 1987 Ford van for 22 years. Recently, during a Trip Check test drive, Pete noticed a problem in the front end and replaced the left outer tie rod end. It solved a steering problem that I'd noticed, but thought was normal because the noise increased so gradually over time. It's this sort of preventive maintenance that I get from their experienced test drives that have kept me coming back. A trip check includes all belts & hoses, brakes, fluid levels, antifreeze, exhaust, tires, steering, suspension and lights for less than $100. In 22 years I've never had a problem on a road trip. One warning however, when leaving your car, ask Jordan at the desk to call you if any repairs over $50 are needed so you're not surprised by the bill. The shop has a very good AAA record. read more

When you walk into Union Bay Garage, the first thing that may come to mind is the fact that a lot of smoking has been done in the lobby. It's walls are papered with comics snipped from the paper depicting various hilarious situations in which your average Joe is screwed in some way by a mechanic. They are all brown, and I would guess a little sticky, with cigarette smoke going back for years. Your eye might then wander to the wall with photo's of the garage from the '30's. That's right - the '30's. The while the guy you see in the picture is not in the back covered in grease, but his sons are. It's the real deal. If you come in before 10 am, you will probably get to meet Pete McLeod (one of the aforementioned brothers). His nails are permanently black with grease, his long gray pony tail and balding head suggest that he may have had his last haircut sometime in the '70s. This is the guy that is going to fix your car. He's not going to fuck with you or your trust in humanity - he's going to fix your car. If you wander in after 10 you will meet Jordan and her many piercings. This girl knows everything about the automobile. It's scary. I call her and whine about one thing or the other and more often than not she can diagnose me over the phone. It's almost chilling. Go - any make for the most part. If they can't help you, they will refer you to someone who can and who will treat you as well as they would. read more

You know why these guys get good reviews? Because they are actually interested in fixing your car, not just taking your money. I took my wife's Lexus in because of a loud 'thunk' coming from the front end. The vermin at Lexus of bellevue had told me that it would be $3000 to fix the problem!!!!! Right there in the driveway, Paul took off some covers, and poked around. We went for a test drive, and he located the problem exactly. A shot of spray lubricant, and the problem was solved!!! Instead of trying to sell me on some crazy expensive repair, he basically said, "lets try this first, and if we have to do something larger, we will. But lets just monitor it." What?!??! An honest auto repair shop, that actually wants to fix the problem? AWESOME! read more

All of the previous reviews of Union Bay Garage are spot-on. First and foremost, Jordan is amazing. She works at the front desk, but I don't think she's just a front desk person. She's clearly running the place and she's amazing and smart. Enough of the mush. I took my car here the first time last week for an oil change and to get a clicking noise checked out. They did the oil change and gave me an estimate on the clicking noise, which turned out to be the radiator fan hitting the shroud. The part was nowhere to be found in the state of Washington, and the only one that they could find would cost $300 and had to be shipped from California. She didn't seem as though she was particularly concerned about this replacement part, however, I tend to err on the side of caution, so I told her to go ahead and order the part. Fast-forward one week. I brought my car back today and 3 hours later the work was done. I came back and picked it up, and to my delight discovered that they charged me about half of what the estimate had been for the part. Apparently they dug a little deeper and found something less expensive. She didn't point it out or expect a hardy thanks or anything like that, I didn't even notice until I got to my car and reviewed the receipt. This place is down-to-earth and honest and I will come back here anytime I need work done on my car. read more

It was a dark and rainy night..... ....as I was driving back on I-5 from Southcenter to Seattle, I saw a darkness ahead of me... to my horror I found both my headlights were DEAD!!!!! dun dun daaaaaaah..... 70mph, rainy weather, busy commuter traffic, no headlights... i did noticed that my high beams still worked so I had to drive the 20 minutes with those on instead. (apologies to all those I blinded/annoyed) I was baffled as to why both the bulbs died at the same time, so I figured it was a fuse or something. I checked the fuse boxes and there was nothing wrong in either one. Called the dad to get his opinion, he said fuse, maybe the switch. hmm... no luck there. I barely use my truck so I kept putting off bringing into a mechanic. Partly cause i'm poor and hate paying extremes amount of money on something i use less than once a week and partly because I moved here about a year ago and haven't had to get anything on it fixed. It's always kind of stressful trying to find a mechanic you can trust and rely on. Back East there was always a mechanic friend of a friend or a mechanic friend of my dad or even my mechanic dad that could do the work. I finally caved one day after getting released early from work and searched a bit online for a mechanic. I looked on yelp, and looked on CarTalk's website and I saw that Union Bay Garage had a bunch of good reviews on each site. It was in the UVillage area and I headed over there before I went to class. I figure if they needed to keep it overnight, I could just take the bus to class and then back home. They got me right in immediately, (Tuesday afternoon, 330ish?), I grabbed my books and headed over to the Tully's across the street. less than 45 minutes later I get a call and they said it was all fixed. Turns out it WAS just the headlights. 15 bucks for parts, 40 bucks for labor, It was reasonable because the headlights are mounted in the most awkward spot to get to behind the battery etc etc, and I wasn't gonna be able to check em. I am going to need a general tune up soon, so I will definitely be bringing my truck back to Union Bay Garage. read more

Great first experience with a non-dealership garage! I have a 2002 Buick Century and it has been fairly low-maintenance. A few months back a number of sensor lights came on-- brake, low coolant, and low tire. The brake light scared me, but my coolant levels were fine (checked the reservoir) and I had plenty of air in my tires, so I took it to Union Bay on my girlfriend's advice. The lady at the front desk couldn't have been nicer-- very courteous, and also very knowledgeable about cars in general! They fixed all of my cars issues in timely manner (had my car back that afternoon), and the price seemed fair. When my low coolant light came on a day later, they attributed it to a faulty sensor-- they asked me to bring it back in for a 20 minute visit once they got the part in, and sure enough, that did the trick! I will absolutely be going back to Union Bay Garage for my vehicle needs. read more

I love love love this place! 6 months ago, I went and to get a part replaced. Lexus quoted me over $1000 and I came here and they quoted me $400. On top of that, last week, I was having the same issues so I took my car there directly from work. After 1 day, they were able to get the part and replace it all for no charge!!! I was convinced I was going to at least pay for labor but no, not at Union Bay!!! Definitely coming back! read more

If we have a problem with one of our aging fleet this is where we go. No nonsense, honest and if they can't fix it, they don't keep you waiting, they tell you as soon as they know. Oh, they also have the greatest Rolodex of body shops and electrical folks that can fix it that are of the same vein. No bs and good at what they do. Oh, my mom and dad now love them too, which is great because they need an honest mechanic. So they don't have a barista or 106.9 warm playing on the speakers or a non smoking policy, but I'll take that over a 400 dollar oil change and that bad feeling you sometimes get when you leave your car. read more

Finally a auto repair shop I can depend on! I've lived in the Seattle area for 30 years and I've tried out many auto shops, from basic oil changes to major repairs. Union Bay Garage is the last one I will ever need to try... FANTASTIC! They provide great service at reasonable rates, and most importantly, give honest, expert assessments of your car. I've taken four cars there over ten years now without a single bad experience. Oil changes, brake jobs, air conditioning fix... proactive replacement of ancient hoses etc. to avoid nuisance brake-downs on an old rig... maintenance on a new Acura. Always great. read more

When you don't know what's wrong and need a straight answer, this is the place to go. Ken is the real deal. read more

Overall a bad experience for me. Twice, they said my car was ready for pick up, I went after work (and after their hours) to get it and had it died on me driving it less than a mile. On top of that, two weeks after everything was done with (car was fixed and payment was processed) they charged my card AGAIN! Like I wouldn't notice a $500 charge on my card. They even told me that they discard my credit card information immediately after payment...so how come they still had my information two weeks later? hmm, i'd be carefull with your credit card information with them as well as them screwing you over on repairs. read more

They may do a good job at general repairs but for A/C forget it! I specifically asked when I brought my car in if it was possible to check for leaks before filling the system with the $90 per pound R-12 freon, use some kind of dye? or something else? Just to make sure we are not wasting time and money and polluting the environment? "Sure, no problem" was the answer. So, 2.5 lbs of R-12 freon and $190 later, the A/C does not work. The answer from the boss? The only way to check for leaks is to fill the system with freon; oh, and we can refer you to an A/C specialist. Duh! So I just threw $190 away, you wasted your time and pumped another 2.5 pounds of ozone layer destroying freon into the atmosphere. Great job, guess you should have actually listened to my first question, eh? read more

These people are amazing and honest. We have used them several times for our car and they replaced our brakes a couple of years ago. We tried another shop (because Union Bay had moved) and they told us we needed new brakes. We decided to bring it in to Union Bay to get a second opinion and they told us that we did not need them. They took them apart to review and oiled them and put them back together and charged us nothing. They said we just needed to drive the car more often otherwise the brakes squeak. I mean come on - how often does that happen these days. I was blown away by their kindness and service. Thank you! read more

I have been very dissatisfied with Union Bay Garage. I brought my car because water got into the fuel tank. I was charged over $1,100 for this. In fixing the water in the fuel tank, the senior mechanic broke the side panel of the driver side door, which now does not close and causes the alarm to go off. When I pointed this out to him, he was very rude and basically said that he did not break it. And that I should find a new mechanic to fix. It is quite incredible that some-one in the service business can behave this way, damage a vehicle, and refuse to fix. [car door closed fine and the panel was attached to the door when car was towed to garage] Work done is shoddy, over priced and the mechanic is extremely rude. Writing a negative review for me is very rare. It only happens if something is really wrong, people are rude, and they waste my time and money. All three happened for me. I would not recommend. Not coming back here ever. read more

Took my car to Union Bay Garage after a bad experience with another University-area garage. After getting my oil replaced at Affordable Tire and Brake, they claimed I needed my brake pads and rotors replaced, and talked about charging $400 -- just for parts. I went to Union Bay Garage and told them I thought the rear brake pads needed replacing and the rear rotors might need turning (machining on a lathe to flatten the disk) or replacing. They told me the wear I was seeing on the rotors was normal and that only the pads needed replacing. They charged me $65 for the pads, about 15% less than any price I could find on the internet for the same part, and $115 in labor. These folks were quick, professional, and didn't try to upsell. I will recommend them and bring my business here in the future. read more

Professional and fast. I was able to book an appointment online. Brought my car in and the issue was diagnosed quickly. My car was fixed on time. My favorite thing about this place is that the woman running the front desk knows her stuff and was able to translate to me without making me feel like an idiot. Highly recommend, and will go again (should a need arise). read more

My family and I have been taking our cars here for as long as I can remember. They always provide a terrific work product as well as great customer service. On top of that, they won't sell you on work that you don't need. I recently took my car in to have the turbo checked as I thought it may be broken. Paul checked the codes, drove the car around the block, and determined that there wasn't anything wrong. He then took the time to explain all of the reasons the turbo was fine and tried to think of other reasons I might be feeling a difference in the engine. He did this all while be patient with a relatively naive car-owner and without any charge/fee. Would highly recommend for their terrific customer service. read more

We were recently told at a Seattle dealership that our Subaru needed new tires and alignment. Union bay suggested before we got the new tires to bring the car in and let them look at the tires. The outcome new tires yes, alignment no. We have dealt with union bay for anumber of years, have had great service and have never felt work that was not needed done or suggested. Five stars earned. Jo Ann f read more

Amazing shop. They pushed up a major repair for me because I had to leave on a 30 hour trip in a couple days. They kept me informed about everything they were doing throughout the whole process, and were incredibly nice. Amazing people and amazing work. read more

This place has been around since 1930 according to their sign and if they keep up their great work it will be up there for a hundred more years. I took a car there for inspection before purchase, they were really nice on the phone and set me up with an appointment the next day. The gave me a very accurate quote and explained everything to me with patience. I am new to the Seattle area but I think I just found a garage for the next few years. Thanks ! read more

My car battery was shot, so I replaced that which still did not fix the problem. I've not had to use a mechanic in the 5 years I've lived in Seattle, so with a recommendation from a coworker and raving Yelp reviews, I walked over (I work almost next door) and explained what I was going on with my car. Every other shop I called instantly said it was my alternator without even looking at the car or listening to me. These guys listened, agreed it was something other than the alternator and fit me in the next day. They were able to locate the drain, fix it and I was on my way that same day! I will recommend this shop to anyone that needs a repair. Honest, knowledgeable and prices are great!!! Thank you, Union Bay Garage!!!! read more

Paul has been our trusted mechanic since the day my family met him. He does amazing work, quickly, and won't overcharge or charge you for anything you don't need. I will definitely be going to this garage the next time I have a car problem, and every time after that. Would highly recommend this shop to a friend! read more

the REAL BOSS-HOSS. great service, super friendly, and fast. Didn't try to sell me anything i didn't need, and most importantly, it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. It was a fairly simple issue, and if i still lived in kansas (were all my tools live), i would have fixed it myself. Ultimately though, this is why i'm giving them such a good review, because i knew what was what, and they never tried to convince me otherwise. oh and their prices were reasonable. read more

Customer service here is not what it's cracked up to be by all these reviews. I brought my car in two days before christmas for a diagnosis, and the front desk girl told me that it would be a major repair. Due to the time of year, and the cost of the repair, I decided to get a second opinion at another lot, and picked up my keys but due to busses and having to pick up things for the holiday, I missed the time for the lot to close. I called but they had left, so I realized the only option for me to make it to my family's holiday the next day was to leave the car locked up in the lot as they were likely closed the next day, as it was Christmas Eve. The next day (Christmas Eve) Janelle or whatever her name is (she has significant facial piercings) calls and simply repeats to me "We can't have a car in our lot that we don't have the keys for." I say that I am surprised they are open, sorry for the misunderstanding on my part, but I sadly have ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to get from my family's house to the lot to pick up the car on a holiday (as I don't have a car, and my family is an hour from the university district). I tell her repeatedly that I will be in to pick it up on Thursday morning. AT NO TIME did she mention that they would be CLOSED on Thursday. She simply repeated over and over that I had to somehow overcome the IMPOSSIBILITY of coming to the lot before they closed to pick up my car THAT DAY as if she was deaf. She had no ability to wrap her mind around the fact that I had no way of doing what she was blindly repeating. It's possible lot can provide good repairs. However, they will not be getting my likely over $3000 worth of business thanks to her absolute stupidity and inflexibility on a national holiday. read more

Very nice and honest service. They won't try to rip you off. I went to have my car computer checked and they didn't charge me anything for plugging into the car. I've heard of places charging as much as $75 for that... read more

Super rude people, expensive price. I don't understand why this garage gets good reviews because none of my experiences there was pleasant. And the last one finally kicked this name out of my list of garage - FOREVER!. One of the owner actually yelled at me and hanged up on me simply because I hesitated to make decisions to let them fix my car after they diagnosed my car. After they told me their quote, I said I need to think about it. And the person on the phone yelled at me : your car needs to be fixed. I donn't understand why you need to think about it. What else can you do? Then I said, because this is a big amount, I 'd like to check with other garage. But I'll pay you whatever hour you have spent on diagnosis my car. Then he yelled at me again: you shouldn't bring your car in if you don't want us to fix it. then he hanged up on me. To be fair, I just want to see if there is any garage that will charge me less. Actually, there indeed is one. I asked the Union bay garage to give me several quotes before and they are always more expensive then other garage. however, because they are close to my home, so I go there for little fix. But for jobs that cost me over several hundreds, they are always a lot higher... So after this time, I WILL NEVER ASK THEM TO DO ANYTHING FOR MY CAR, NOT EVEN FOR A LITTLE FIX. STRONGLY NOT RECOMMEND THIS GARAGE The review of this garage is strange. I don't know what those people are who wrote the reviews. I had several experiences with this garage not because their excellent services but because they are very close to my home. Even though my experience there is not pleasant every time, I did not totally stop myself going there until this time! I read more

Union Bay Garage is the absolute best. They went above and beyond to fix my car after it was dropped off by AAA over night. A mechanic stayed after hours to figure out what was going on and kept me updated the whole way through. The woman at the front desk was so nice and accommodating. I will absolutely take my car here the next time I need anything! Having car troubles sucks, but they made it a breeze and I was back on the road in a day! read more

This place is awesome! It's the sort of place that you feel they're being completely honest with you. I took my 1988 Toyota Corolla here after taking it to Downtown Automotive, who misdiagnosed my car and told me the wrong parts or expensive version of parts in addition to quoting me an outrageous number. Union Bay Garage told me exactly what I needed, was upfront with me about the cost, and was significantly cheaper. They confirmed what I already knew was wrong, the choke (while Downtown Automotive didn't correctly diagnose it even though I told them what I suspected). This is now my mechanic of choice. read more

Union Bay has nursed my older vehicles along for years (Saab, Jaguar, BMW, Suburban) and I have always been pleased with their service and results. Recently a routine replacement item did not last. I returned the car, they fixed it immediately, no questions asked, along with an explanation as to what might have gone wrong. A great response. Thanks guys! read more

I had to create a yelp profile solely for the purpose of telling everyone how much I love Union Bay Garage. Not that I ever love dumping money into my trashy intrepid, but at least at Union Bay I feel confident that I am only paying for what I need. Last year I made the mistake of going to a chain auto shop at University Village to get my oil changed. They then gave me a laundry list of expensive fixes I supposedly needed desperately. I drove that list right on over to Union Bay where Jordan immediately scoffed at the list of nonsense. Union Bay was able to fix my car for a fraction of the price. Jordan also attempts to share her vast car knowledge to the less auto inclined among us, so I always walk out the door feeling like a somewhat more responsible care owner who vows to never again go 4 months without adding oil to her engine:) read more

Good experience x1- I requested an oil change and clutch check, they didn't tell me I needed to replace the clutch. Bad experience x1! The radiator hoses and belts were replaced as part of maintenance, the car drove ok on surface streets but overheated badly the first time I took it on the highway, alas, on the way to work. I was an hour late for work. There seemed to be something wrong with the radiator cap, as the mechanic at the nearest exit wasn't able to find anything wrong with the coolant system pressure and it didn't seem that the coolant was mixing with the fuel in the engine. It had lost a gallon of coolant (out of 6 quarts) in 15 miles, some of it spattered on the engine block! When the right-off-the-highway mechanic tried to replace the radiator cap after giving up on identifying the problem, it was a lot easier to put it on crooked than straight, which I luckily noticed before driving off. When I complained to Union Bay, they swore that they could not have made a mistake and told me "good luck" when I said that I wanted the labor cost refunded. This place is convenient to my work and it's a pain to use the shop close to my house, but I will be catching the bus to work the next time I need any maintenance work on my car! read more