Impact Automotive

My husband and I recently came to Portland to purchase a car but thought we’d better get a pre-​inspection first… After reading reviews we chose Impact Automotive to do the pre-​inspection. They were able to get us in on short notice which was awesome! The vehicle was a newer vehicle and looked beautiful and drove fine on the test drive but oh man. we are sooooo glad we were smart enough to get it checked out first! LOTS of major problems were discovered. The folks at this quaint mechanic shop were both very helpful and knowledgeable. The best $ 89 we’ve ever spent!

Just got a pre-​purchase inspection done here, and can’t recommend David and Elizabeth enough. Elizabeth was super helpful on the phone and got me in on super short notice. David did an extremely thorough inspection within an hour. He made me aware of a lot of things I hadn’t noticed on my test drive. I highly recommend getting an inspection done before you buy a car because you just can’t see things like a mechanic can while the thing is up on the rack. For $ 89, I saved a ton of $$$ and heartache by NOT purchasing that vehicle! Additionally, I really appreciated how respectful they were of both me and the seller (who was also there in the lobby!), and David talked to ME because I was buying the car, not my boyfriend who was there for back-​up. That’s a big deal too.

I’ve been taking my car to Impact Automotive 2012. I chose them because they had great reviews and they are within walking distance of my house.
It started with one routine oil change. It turned to two oil changes after that. Then four. Then next thing you know, it’s been four years and I’m a loyal customer. David would do such a great job with my car and making sure to share with me what needed to be done (and what didn’t need to be done so that I could save money) in order to keep my car going.
Recently, Angela and David pretty much bail me out of a crazy tire situation even though they don’t actually sell tires. Even though they were having a crazy busy morning with oil changes, David and Angela both spent the time finding the highest quality tires for me from another business and getting them on there themselves. They seriously did some running around that day even though they absolutely were not obligated to do so. Now THAT is great customer service.
They knew I really needed my car and they made sure that I was up and running a few hours later. I was bummed that I couldn’t just buy the tires from them because I literally wanted my money to go to them and not anyone else but unfortunately, we had to get my tires from a big box place because we had to make sure that they were tires that would be new, durable, and haven’t been sitting on a a shelf waiting to be purchased. I learned that tires had expiration dates too. Did YOU know that tires have expiration dates?
Impact Automative is a small business and I like that I can go in there and I get to support a family owned business with people I actually trust. The only way I would stop going here is if they ever closed or if I moved far, far away.

Had my vehicle fixed here numerous times, every time I bring it in, they are professional and courteous, always fixed in a timely matter. I would strongly recommend bringing your vehicle here! Very trustworthy and honest, I told him if the repairs were basic enough I could do it, he even told me what needed replacing after him looking at it for 2 hours, didn’t charge me a penny.

I like bringing my Land Cruiser and Dodge pick up to this shop. I send my friends here as well. Just great.

Efficient and knowledgeable. I especially appreciated the extra time David spent going over some previous repair issues I had at another shop and offering help and advice.

This is hands down one of the best mechanic places i have been too and trust. I will never take my car anywhere else. Dave is such an honest person with great advise on keeping your car maintained.

These folks are obviously busy, but David always takes the time to explain what’s going on and what he recommends. Rather than push all the repairs at one time, he’ll prioritize them, stating which ones must be done now and which ones can wait a while. This is really helpful when someone’s on a budget.
I was referred here by a friend when David did the work on her car until it finally wore out, and gave her advice on a few used cars she was considering buying. I think he’s just an all-​around great mechanic and a genuinely nice, helpful guy. Every bit of work done on her cars and mine has been impeccable. Angela knows her stuff too.
Clearly a business run by people who take pride in their work, and value their relationships with customers.

Everything you want in a mechanic — knowledgeable, honest, thorough and accommodating. David really cares about making sure your car keeps running well and you spend your money wisely. He was able to correctly diagnose and fix an issue that my dealer’s service department couldn’t saving my close to $ 1,000.

One of my two trucks failed to start in a parking lot a few blocks away from Impact. A friend of mine had raved about this place, so I called to see how soon they could fit me in. I towed the small, dead truck with a much larger, working truck the few blocks to the shop. This was a very awkward, long, and unmaneuverable setup, but Dave dropped what he was doing to help me get my stupid little truck into the garage.
This is a family-​run business, and you can tell they enjoy what they do. Dave’s wife (I am so sorry I forgot her name!) runs the front office/​reception area, and she is extremely helpful and nice. Their daughter even helped steer the dead truck into the service bay while I towed it!
I told Dave which parts I had replaced myself ~2 months prior, and that it had been working fine until the sudden no-​start. He obviously knows far more about these things than I do, but he still let me offer information to narrow things down without making me feel stupid. I signed a quote for 1 hour of diagnostics, and left them to it.
I got a call the next day saying my truck was ready, the problem was a fuel pump relay. I was expecting to pay for diagnostics, the cost of a new relay, and the time to replace it. They reduced the diagnostic fee to half an hour, and I was back on the road for what I had already agreed to pay for diagnostics alone. Unbelievable.
I can’t recommend Impact Automotive strongly enough. I plan to bring my vehicles back for any maintenance I don’t feel like tackling myself, as well as any bigger problems that arise. They advertise $ 25 oil changes, and I know I would much rather have them change my oil and filter than a bunch of criminals at a Jiffy-​Lube, who would gladly charge you for «services» you don’t need.
Bring your car here!

Went above and beyond the call of duty to get me back in good shape, even kept the parts to show me what had been taken out and why. Will definitely see them again, but hopefully not too soon.

**UPDATE/​RESPONSE to David’s Email Below:
David — Thanks for your email and phone calls. As I mentioned, I’ve been traveling for work and away from my phone (and/​or little time to myself to engage in this matter over the phone). I certainly felt what was done was done, and my review below was to share my experience, rather than bash your character/​shop. Yes, people should take caution if electing to use your services because YOU LEFT MY TIRE LOOSE. It nearly fell off in traffic because you didn’t tighten it. So, telling other Unilocalers to take heed is entirely appropriate here.
What I find most interesting is that there was no effort to mend this relationship until after this Unilocal post was published. That there is the problem: little effort to communicate or make things right by ensuring my safety as your customer.
You claim that you are human, fallible and prone to error. Of course. I get it – we all are; however, it doesn’t excuse you from not responding correctly in this situation. I certainly understand this was an error and it’s great to know that extra safety precautions are now in place. However, it’s fair to remind you that your lack of communication did not convey the messages that you’ve claimed to have provided me below. I understand that you were embarrassed, and were of few words in order to avoid making excuses; however, communication is critical to a customer (to avoid the misunderstandings that we apparently are having now):
1. There was no mention of an arrival timeline of my new lug nuts. You simply stated, «I had to order new ones and you’ll need to come back,» when I asked about the safety of my wheel, the timeliness of my errands I had to complete and explanation that I was traveling the next day (and unable to come back to the shop). Why didn’t you tell me that the lug nuts were on their way upon my questioning? Additionally, you certainly did not mention this when I told you that I was going to try and find my old lug nuts in the street. That would have been an opportune time to share that relevant information so I could avoid trying to retrieve my lug nuts just so I could drive home. I even mentioned my pressing errands and asked about the drivability of my car. Your response, «I wouldn’t recommend it.»
2. Shake you down for more money? That’s how you speak about your customers trying to receive compensation for a safey problem and massive error? Yikes. You uttered these words to me, «there’s nothing I can do about the $ 25.» That would lead me to believe that you clearly understood that I was seeking compensation for my oil change. Again, I paralleled this scenario to you with a restaurant experience: if a patron sent their food back for legitimate reasons, there is likely a 10−20% reduction in bill due to error in standards or inconvenience in time.
Point blank: I feel that you didn’t make any effort to make this right while on the scene.
——
I’ll share my experience at Impact Automotive and let you be the judge:
I scheduled an oil change and brake inspection here based on positive Unilocal reviews. Until I left the property, everything was top notch: ease of scheduling, friendly customer service upon reception (from Angela), affordable pricing and timeliness of service. As I left the parking lot, my car starting making strange sounds/​movements that required me to pull over within 15 seconds. The car behind me also pulled over to state that he saw all five of my lug nuts fly off of my back wheel! My tire and wheel were half way off of my car as they were never tightened after the service!
Fortunately, the owner, David, quickly drove over to help; he didn’t say much but got straight to work. He also let me know that I would have to wait to drive my car (other than going home) until more lug nuts could arrive. When I ask if they had any on hand (seeing that I had many errands to run today), he replied, «We aren’t a tire shop and there’s nothing I can do.» So, that required me to dodge busy traffic on Powell to try and salvage the last two missing lug nuts (which I was able to do). David did apologize and said this has never happened (which I believe).
When I explained that I would appreciate some type of financial compensation for the inconvenience and huge safety hazard (potentially to myself, car damage and fellow drivers)…David made it clear that he was unable to make that happen (the total transaction was $ 25). He did empathize with me but said this didn’t warrant any type of refund for the service! I was appalled. He did offer a generous $ 75 discount off of a brake pad replacement if I choose to use them for this service.
This place has many wonderful things working in its favor but being unable to «save» a future customer/​heal that relationships for a mere $ 25 (after admitting that they were at fault… extremely)…I am left with the desire to inform fellow Unilocalers about what happened. If you elect to get your car serviced here, do so with caution.

Very friendly people. I have a hard time finding a mechanic that i trust, but i feel like they were completely up front with me from the beginning. His principles are to do the job the way that it is meant to be done, don’t take any shortcuts, and keep the owner of the vehicle informed the whole time. I’ve recommended them to everyone that has asked me for a mechanic since i started going there.

These guys are awesome. They are honest with you. They don’t charge a lot. They are also very friendly.

Got my oil changed here several times over the last year and had great service each time.

An honest, no-​pressure mechanic who will do a full inspection of your vehicle with itemized estimates for various repairs. David fixed a cracked serpentine belt and then informed me about less urgent repairs that my car might need. Very thorough.

This is the only place I take my car now. Great, quick service, every time. David, the owner/​mechanic is an awesome guy. Very honest and capable. (And originally from the South, like me, so bonus point there) The only time he wasn’t able to fix something with my car (tricky transmission issues), he gave me a great recommendation for another mechanic that he trusted and my problem was solved by the next day. Give them your business. You will be glad you did.

They are awesome here! They squeezed me in when it was inconvenient for them but didn’t make me feel like a horrible person for accommodating my schedule. Thank u a trillion times for treating me so well and taking such good care of our old subaru. I felt no pressure to buy unnecessary treatments or extras. I feel like they are the first honest shop I have encountered. Especially being female, I have been had in the past. These folks didn’t try to sell me anything I didn’t actually need.
Our car is old and everyone under the sun says we need this or that. I take excellent records and I know the last time my car had a timing belt change and it seems like every shop tries to get me to do it again! I’m not dumb and I know the intervals of service needed for our make send model. This is the first shop to make me feel appreciated.
Thanks guys! ! Keep up the great work

This place is amazing! David was incredibly nice and helpful and his work was exemplary. This is definitely my go-​to auto repair spot.

Buying a car, especially a used one, can be a bad experience. Luckily David and the crew took incredible care of me, inspecting a potential terrible buy quickly and thoroughly. Not only that, but he then went out of his way to briefly check out another car AFTER they had closed for the day. These guys are just very kind and helpful people. I’ll always go out of my way to go here for anything I’ll need done with a car.
Thanks a lot!