34th Street Garage / Rollingbay, Washington

Rating: ★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Engine Rebuilding & Exchange, Auto Transmission

Address: 2410 34th Ave W, Rollingbay

Postal code: 98199

Phone: (206) 792-5592

My wife brought my car in to have the battery replaced and oil changed. The technician must not have tightened the drain plug enough though, because on the return trip from Snoqualmie Pass two days later, we lost it entirely and the engine died a few minutes later. This is really just a forgetful mistake, not evidence of a general ineptness. We were distraught, and based on some experiences at other garages in t... view morehe past, thought we were going to have to fight with them to get it fixed. Quite the contrary though. Gene the owner is semi-retired and typically only works one day at the shop. He personally spoke us every day for the next three days while he towed the car to the shop, ordered an engine with 85000 fewer miles, replaced it, performed some additional, optional maintenance and detailed the car, inside and out. He also furnished us with a rental car and apologized vehemently. I was hoping to have an equivalent replacement engine at no cost, but they went above and beyond my expectations, definitely earning my trust and confidence.

extrasensory / 12/13/2011

Our friends raved about 34th Street Garage and we are too! My husband started taking his ""baby"" there and was very pleased. My Mercedes has always been serviced at the dealer but recently needed significant work and 34th was several hundred dollars less. The work was done beautifully and they stayed open late to finish it up. We`re raving about them now too!

KathieC / 1/30/2011

The first time I went into 34th Street Garage to make an appointment, a few years ago, my turn signals on my VW Passat were blinking fast and i thought the car would need major electrical repair. Gene, the owner, knew exactly what was wrong. Even though they were really busy Gene went out to the car and immediatly found a bad rear bulb in my left turn signal light. He quickly renewed the bulb and...bingo, fixed. I... view more asked him what i owed him and he said ""nothing, we dont nickel and dime our customers"" Wow...exceptional...especially in this day and age. I dont have to explain to anybody how hard it is to find a good mechanic!!
The second time we took the Passat in we had a different unexpected problem. My wife was driving the car this time and called me from starbucks to inform me that the car was steering poorly and pulling. I told her to go see Gene and drop the car off to have it inspected as they were just around the corner. Planning on picking her up, i was just about out the door when she calls me back and says not to bother as the problem was a low tire and they would have it fixed in twenty minutes. I was relieved that it was a simple fix and all the tire needed was a screw removed and then a patch. Knowing that Less Shwab fixed tires for free, I had her have Gene fix it anyway as he had treated me right the time before. I asked her what they had dinged her for on the tire and she told me they fixed tires for free as well!! She even tried to tip the mechanic and he wouldnt take it!
Today i was in for an oil change. Today I was bound and determined to give 34th Street Garage some of my money...no freebies this time as the guilt would get to me, LOL!. I was a little put off at the price of the oil change ($108.00) and thought ""ok, this is how they get ya"" My oil changes previously at Jiffy Lube have been no more than $69.00 for sinthetic. But Eric explained that there are only a few brands of sinthetic oil (that are more expensive) that VW recommends in my Passat. My car specifically needs a sinthetic oil with a specific API rating (005 500) . Confused, I looked at my owners manual and sure enough, I confirmed what he had said. This means that Jiffy Lube had been instaling the wrong sinthetic oil in my car all along and nobody at Jiffy Lube ever told me of this VW requirement. Not in all my many visits. I have to take some blame as well for not reading my owners manual earlier. Its unsettling to know that my car has had the wrong oil in it ever since it went off warranty 34,000 miles ago.
Anyway, I will not ever take my car anywhere else but 34th Street Garage now. Gene and Eric are professional old school straight shooters and they dont blow smoke up my a_ _ and they dont sugarcoat important information about my car. They are eager to ""show me"" what is wrong with my car...not just tell me. Today i recieved a good amount of information about my car that nobody has ever taken the time to explain to me. They showed me a few things, coming up, that I need to budget for and didnt pressure me. Most of all they listened!! How`s that!!! Unbelievable!!

stormwatcher414 / 1/13/2011

I`ve never, ever, ever, had a mechanic manhandle my car the way it was done during initial diagnosis, and I`ve never had a car returned to me dirty. The steering wheel was greasy, the gear shift knob was greasy, the keys were greasy, the door handle was greasy and the floor mat was filthy. We scrubbed the hard surfaces with a cleanser and then with glass cleaner AND then I used a baby wipe that came away dirty from t... view morehe remaining grime. Didn`t like the customer service guy, either. Very defensive when I expressed concern. Oh, and no storage lot, so your car sits on the street before and after it`s serviced.

98199 / 11/18/2010

My girlfriend needed an oil change and found a Valpack coupon for a $19.95 oil change at the 34th St. Garage. She dropped the car off while I waited in the other car. She confirmed that she was in for the $19.95 oil change, discussed the need for synthetic oil, and then we left.

When we got home a few hours later, the garage had left a message. She called and was told she needed a $1,900.00 coolant pump (we... view more were already aware of the slight leak, and knew it wasn`t urgent). She declined that repair. She was then told that the oil change was done, and that they had put in a new, $30.00 air filter. That, plus the synthetic oil, brought the bill for the $19.95 ""oil change, filter and lube"" up to $120.00!

When my girlfriend protested and pointed out that no one said anything about synthetic oil costing more, here is what ""Eric"" said: ""You can pay for the synthetic oil or I`ll have it changed out and replaced with the wrong oil.""

In short, THEY made a mistake, then browbeat my girlfriend and threatened to damage her car! Neither of us has EVER been treated so rudely before by any ""service provider,"" period.

In the end, they made it right and charged her the $19.95, but that does not excuse the intolerably rude behavior and overt threat. Given their treatment of my girlfriend, I wouldn`t trust these guys to tie my shoes. And we will NEVER again take a car to these creeps.

Area Man / 11/10/2010

Gene and company are first rate. They have gone above and beyond duty in helping me keep my car in top running condition. Twice they have intervened for me - first with the Toyota Dealer in Seattle and then with a tire manufacturer, saving me hundreds of dollars. They never push services I don`t need and their work is guaranteed. They even helped a friend visiting that had trouble with her Ford Bronco. She just... view more had her car serviced at the Ford dealership and 34st St corrected a problem the dealer overlooked, and she was able to go on her way back to Oregon. Convenient location, reasonable prices ,and the best customer service I`ve ever experienced with car repairs.

Diane1 / 8/24/2010

This is the first review I have written. I have always been a high performance automotive gal on a budget. Have been to so many shops/dealers over the years. Was quite loyal to a local shop for the last four years-no more. Kudo`s to my buddy who, referred me to them.

From the moment I pulled into the miracle shop, 34th Str. Garage I was so pleased. Clean, courteous, explained things to me clearly, kept in... view more communication...you name it! My cars are an older Landrover and older M3-nether are cheap in any way. These guys made it right from the ""get go"" on both cars. Gene and his employees are super professional. You guys ROCK!

Cheers,

A Loyal Customer

KJensen / 6/15/2010

I have two experiences to relate about the 34th Street Garage. First, I thought I would take my car there for an oil change since I live very close to their location and had found a Val-Pak Coupon. I called several days in advance to ask about their oil change and was told that they only do oil changes between 8 and 10AM. I told them I had a coupon and asked if I should make an appointment. They said that yes, they o... view morenly took appointments, so I made an appointment for a day that I happened to have off. My appointment was for 9 AM, and I showed up to their very tiny garage about 5 minutes early. I walked in and wasn?ˆ™t even greeted by the man behind the counter. I told him I was there for my oil change appointment and he said, ?ˆ?I just need a key.?ˆ? He never showed me any paperwork and when I presented him with my coupon he seemed put-out to take it even though I had told them on the phone when I made my appointment that I had a coupon. He took my cell phone number to call when my car was done. In the meantime, an older man came into the office. I asked if they could give me an estimate of how long it would take to finish with my car, since I?ˆ™d just be wandering around the neighborhood. Both men looked at each other puzzled. They shrugged their shoulders as if they couldn?ˆ™t answer, and then told me it would be a couple of hours. I was more than surprised, and I asked why it would take so long. They said they had to take care of the people who got there before me. They apparently had 5-6 other cars ahead of me. I asked what the point was of me making an ?ˆ?appointment?ˆ? when it seemed to be first come first served. The older man was very defensive and said that they weren?ˆ™t just an in-and-out place and it took time to do a safety inspection. I told him that even when I take my car to the dealership it only takes an hour and they do all of the same things the 34th Street Garage had said it would to. I said that?ˆ™s the point of having an appointment?ˆ”so they know you are coming. The older man said to the younger man, ?ˆ?Just give her back her keys. We?ˆ™re obviously not going to be able to get her car done in time for her.?ˆ? He was very rude. I left feeling very deceived and that they had completely wasted my time. Had they told me when I made my so-called appointment that it would take hours for my oil to be changed, I could have planned for it, but to spring it on me after having me make an appointment felt like a really bad deal.

When I told my sister about what happened, she said she had called the 34th Street Garage to get an estimate of a repair for her car and the estimate they gave was $100 more than any other garage she called. I thought I?ˆ™d just put this out there so you can be informed if you?ˆ™re looking for a garage. I?ˆ™d say keep looking.

arsag127 / 4/19/2010

I own an `89 Ford Festiva, which is very hard to find parts for since they`re obsolete!! These guys will hunt down the cheapest part & do a great job!!! This is the second time I`ve brought my car to them & both times I`ve been pleased. Also, they have great customer service!!!

Bri Lee / 3/30/2010

I`ve been going to 34th Street Garage for over 7 years now since I got my license. He sold me 2 great cars and always handles them as if they were his own. He`s not like any other mechanic I`ve been to because he also likes to talk and get to know you. He knows whats best for you and your car and that`s why I`m grateful to Gene and the crew over at 34th street garage.

James Bennett / 2/19/2010

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