All Around Automotive, Inc.

Bring your car here! James and Justin and everyone else here are kind, honest, and great at what they do. I needed a new transmission and they went to bat for me with my warranty company to make sure they did what they were supposed to do (you know, cover the things they say they cover in the warranty). This was no easy task. Once they got the go-​ahead for the repairs they did the work super quickly and thoroughly. I’m so grateful to All Around and I’m so, so glad I brought my car to them. I can’t thank them enough!

I needed a new alternator in my Honda Element and decided to give All Around a call due to proximity to my house and seeing them listed on the DMV site under certified smog techs. I initially got James on the line and he answered all of my many questions as thoroughly and honestly as he could. He wanted to make sure the problem was diagnosed correctly even though my car was a bit of a pain to read. The two guys I dealt with were both very friendly and kept in contact with me throughout the repair and diagnosis. I felt confident enough to go ahead with the repairs and have had no problems with the alternator since! I will be back, but hopefully just for routine maintenance! ;)

I’m not going to write a huge story about how my vehicle got to All Around Automotive, but there truly is no other place I feel comfortable taking my car. I moved here from the East Coast and knew nothing about the Portland area. Upon purchasing a new/​used car and extended warranty, I of course ran into issues and felt completely helpless. James has been my go to dude here and he is honestly, THE BEST. Super friendly, straight forward, and went above and beyond to make me understand exactly what was going on with my car and help me get the most I can out of my stupid warranty. His patience and kindness is extremely appreciated and will not go unnoticed. Sadly, I am moving to Vancouver BUT was so happy and pleased with my experience, I refuse to go anywhere else. Thank you so much, again and again and again!

I woke up yesterday to find my car had a flat tire. Not only that, but the spare (a full tire, not one of those little donut spares) in my trunk had a nail in it — because I am an idiot and hadn’t patched it in over two years.
No one I knew with a car was available, I don’t have AAA, and All Around Automotive was the closest auto shop at 10 blocks from my house. So I hopped in the car with my pup, threw the hazard lights on, and drove there at a brisk pace of 5mph to say hello.
They had my tire fixed and ready to go in under an hour, and let me and my dog Charlie hang out in their lobby. Their service was as wonderful as my bill (only $ 9!!!) and their team made a potentially day-​ruining situation a cakewalk. I couldn’t ask for better.

I decided to return to AAA because they had worked on my old Dodge Dart some years ago. So we took in our 1992 Toyota Camry for an oil change/​filter and AAA did a once-​over and discovered some things that needed attention right away (like a cracked axle and a valve cover leak) and gave us a very detailed estimate and description of what work needed to be done and why. We were very happy with the apparent quality and thoroughness of the work and the timeliness of completion. Further, AAA belongs to a nation-​wide network of dealers so that AAA can warranty the work and if repairs are needed on items covered by the warranty, customers can call a toll-​free number and be directed to the closest participating repair facility. I asked how this benefit came about and the manager told me that this nation-​wide network of independent auto repair businesses needed to be able to compete with a dealer network, and now they can.
Very happy with the work and the experience and will definitely bring future repairs to AAA.
P. S. I checked Unilocal and this review wasn’t on the page, so I’m attempting to edit it to get it on the page.

Every interaction I’ve had with All Around Automotive has been extremely pleasant, professional, and positive. From the most minor repair (headlight replacement), to an oil change and tire inspection, the All Around Automotive team has been excellent. They are honest, reliable, and a pleasure to work with.

I have come to AAA twice in the last four years, both times for emissions repair so that I could pass DEQ with my ’93 Civic. They also replaced my timing belt and water pump this last time, since that was in need of replacement, according to the sticker date (and I was leaking oil). They repaired all of this at slightly below the price quoted with the coupon going this month for Earth Day. Justin and James are very friendly and helpful, thoroughly explained what and why they were doing what they did, and even showed me the parts after they put them in the car. After going to DEQ the following day and NOT passing, I called them right away and they made time for me to bring the car in, surprised that I did not pass. Well, it turns out I was doin’ it wrong. They showed me on their computer that my car should easily be passing and after seeing that visual confirmation, and being told that engine revving while waiting in line helps, I went back that evening and easily passed after keeping my engine revved nearly the whole time I was waiting. I was not charged for going in a second time, which I greatly appreciated :). Overall I’ve had very positive experiences with this business, and they have become my go-​to for auto repair.

Admittedly, my first interaction with AAA, Inc was based on living on the same block, and so the idea of «well, worst case, we can push the van across the street» was the main inspiration.
Two unrelated small repairs and visits (once for a fender and headlight issue, once for a tire/​wheel problem) later, the folks at AAA have treated my partner and I well, repaired things at or less than the estimated price, and gotten our van back on the road in almost no time at all. Both situations were handled with a clear attitude of «how can we help you?» in both time frame and work, and both estimates provoked a comment like «Oh, that’s all?»
Note– I work in online marketing and I’d like to note that reviews are a weird game. Many factors inspire a review, and sometimes a review speaks more about the reviewer than the business they review. Most experts recommend ignoring the best and worse reviews, as those tend to be written by a friend and competitor, respectfully. I’m noting that the two worst reviews for AAA, Inc note that someone other than the reviewer had a problem. Since I was not there when one reviewer’s husband was there, I cannot speak to if he actually was insulted for his religious beliefs. What I can say is that of all the times I’ve gotten cars or bikes repaired, I’ve never mentioned what my religion is, so wonder how such a conversation would have even come up.
In any case, I endorse a number of repair shops: Bike and Hike, Community Cycling Center, Citybikes and Seven Corners for bikes; Hawthorne Auto, Green Drop and now All Around Automotive for cars. The proximity that made AAA originally a choice for worst case scenarios has simply allowed me to learn they are neighborly and helpful.

This place is great! Each time I’ve been here, they’ve been quick, helpful, friendly and gone above and beyond what I expected. Their work is reliable, well-​priced and they’re happy to help whenever you can pop by. I’d highly recommend them for any work you need to have done. They even helped me replace a tire that was flat when I was nearby. Great crew, great people. Thanks guys! :)

I came in on Nov. 5^th and had a diagnosis on my cooling system knowing my heater core was bad.
The estimate for my heater core, radiator, thermostat, hoses, etc. was $ 1,474.12 and Jonnie said I had to have it all done at once. I said I didn’t have the money to pay for it all to be done and she still wouldn’t break the job into a couple of visits. I was then offered the GE credit paperwork which charges 29% if you don’t pay it within 6 months. I couldn’t do that and didn’t want to. I knew I didn’t HAVE to get all the work done at once so I continued my search for an automotive shop.
I went to Mac’s Radiator the next day and they gave me an estimate for all of the above for $ 826.53. BIG DIFFERENCE. I was shocked and disappointed. Mac’s took advantage of the fact they did not have to charge as much for labor since a lot of the work is in the same area, not to mention the parts were cheaper and charges such as ‘shop supplies’ and ‘environmental fees, etc. were less.
All Around Automotive needs to re-​think their business strategy, how they figure labor charges, find a more reasonable parts supplier and let a large job be broken up into smaller jobs. Needless to say my business went to Mac’s Radiator.
They were nice and courteous but because of the huge price difference and unwillingness to break up the repairs into 2 visits I gave them only 1 star.
Sincerely,
Linda
A previous potential customer

So after I wrote my previous review, I had the chance to talk on the phone with John, the All Around Manager. Poor guy, he read my review and it kept him tossing and turning all night. Rightly so, I wasn’t the nicest. In talking with him, he’s a straight up guy who really takes pride in what he does. He REALLY WANTS to do a GOOD job! In talking, we both learned something:
We learned communication is key.
I should have asked more questions. I shouldn’t have assumed that the back-​to-​back breakdowns with my daughters car had anything to do with each other. I should have broken the third-​party relationship and spoken with the shop directly from the get go. I should have just come out and said, «This is a kid’s car. A beater. I don’t want to do anything I don’t have to do, or spend a lot of money to fix it.» I was at fault for keeping my feelings to myself and not speaking up. Relationships were hurt, and for that I’m sorry.
All Around Automotive has now proved their merit to me with their GENUINE concern for wanting to do their best good possible. Oh, and they warranty their work. Thanks for that AAA, Inc. You’re «All Around» right with me.

I’ve brought my car here several times and they’ve always provided excellent customer service and have done great work. One time they even came in on a Saturday just to put a tire on! Price is excellent also. Highly recommended.

I had an absolutely fantastic experience with these guys. Justin at the front desk was GREAT! He had great communication and was incredibly friendly. I choose to come here and have my pick-​up repaired because they are an eco-​business, were conveniently located, and had pretty good reviews. It was a good decision!!! They even provide a 2 year 20,000 mile warranty on parts and labor!!! WOW! I will definitely take my truck there again!

I’m just realizing that I didn’t write a review here yet. Thought I had. Anyway, I’ve had work done on a Subaru and a GMC here and was happy with both. They do call you before any work is done, give you a variety of options, and tell you what each different step would mean. Friendly and timely, I will use them again if I need to

My husband took the car back for another problem. The repair quote was $ 1,300. At no extra fee, the woman at the desk tossed in a ten minute long very friendly chat about how awful my husband’s religion is, though he couldn’t stop her from talking long enough to get her to understand what she was doing.
He took the car to another shop. Total cost: $ 135, a savings of over $ 1,100, and this time there were no insults. Problem fixed. We won’t be going back to All Around Automotive.

Jonnie is the shiz! All the guys are good guys, and the lady at the front can really talk shop with you. She would ask me questions about my car and I would turn red and be all intimidated cuz I wouldn’t know the answer.
I will not lie and say they are extremely affordable, but they definitely take care of you for what they charge. They always notify you before fixing anything on the car, and take full page notes documenting every interaction. They might find the tiniest detail on your car to fix, but they also won’t go near it if you ask them not to. From oil changes to break repair — these peeps are the friendliest bunch in town.