Askim’s Auto Works

I hit a rut off roading and hurt my car. Took it to Jim. I complained of a burning rubber/oil smell and severe rattling, clanging of transmission. He said it was a broken transmission mount. Took 11 days for him to get the part and fix it, but in the meantime - he ENCOURAGED me to drive it. Said he was 99.99% sure it was safe and would not cause further damage, said he drove it and I could probably drive it like that just fine for a year! After he fixed the transmission mount, he said "the plot thickens" you also have a broken motor mount, but he didn't notice because "I never even looked under the hood". What kind of mechanic doesn't look under the hood?? Once I got the car back, I took it to another mechanic so they would look at the entire car. Well - Jim did NOT fix the motor mount as he said, he fixed the snubber mount and - attached it to a completely broken subframe. As in hanging 1.5 inches off. Broken not cracked. Jim Never told me the subframe was broken and he had my car up on racks more than twice in the 11 days he had the car. The car was NOT safe to drive, I could have been killed or killed someone else. DON'T GO HERE HE HAS NO F'ING CLUE ABOUT CARS. Charming - yes, but that does me no good when I need a functioning car. Also, he refused to tell me how much anything would cost or how long it would take. Every time I asked, he would cut me off and say: "I DON'T KNOW. I didn't ask. I just know you need it."

Would you be happy with a mechanic who didn't look under your hood, but told you your car was safe to drive when it was not? Of course you wouldn't. when I went to retrieve my car I demanded to know why he never looked under my hood!! Incredulous! He replied: "once I saw the broken transmission mount, I thought that was the only problem." He wanted to charge me $590 so I asked to see the receipts to verify the parts were factory and wanted his hourly rate listed so I could verify I was being charged properly. It was at that point that Jim said: "If that's the way you feel then just leave". So I did. This person is either extremely incompetent or a dangerous liar.

Seriously the best customer service I’ve ever received in Marin County and probably at a mechanic shop ever. You can tell that everyone who works here is happy, knowledgeable, and is really good at what they do. I don’t see another reason to get my Subaru serviced anywhere else, ever.

They service your care like it’s their own. They only do what’s necessary and they do it well and for a fair price. Askim’s is the place for Subarus. So happy to have found them!

So glad to have found Askim’s! I highly recommend this shop. Very friendly owners who are very helpful and they work really fast to get you back on the road as soon as possible.

Best Subaru service in the Bay Area, as far as I’m concerned. Jim has been nothing short of amazing helping us with our 2008 Outback since we moved to Marin a year ago.

The last thing Askim’s needs is ANOTHER 5-​star review, but I can’t help myself.
After having had ENOUGH of the dealership, I stopped in there to have my squeaky belt diagnosed. Of course it wasn’t making the noise when I got there, but he tightened the belts for me because he did think they were a little loose, and he believed my report of rhythmic squeaking, and even topped off my oil. All in 10 minutes, rather than the _​3 hours_​the dealership wanted my car for the SAME procedure (without the oil top-​off).
He made me feel valued and smart, not like some dumb female coming in not knowing anything. I do know some things, and it’s nice to be respected.
They even have a car they can loan out if they need your car a long time (all day) and you reserve it when you make your appointment.

I’ve been going to Askims for the last 5+ years and have never once been pressured to get work done that was not needed. He is professional, honest, and does fantastic work. He has done all the major services and most recently a strut replacement (they do wear out) all for a fair price and I trust he has done a great job. If you have a Subaru, take it to Askim.

Once again, Askim’s came through when I needed Jim the most. My check engine light came on today. I need the car tomorrow to drive into San Francisco, taking my husband for a medical procedure. I took a chance and drove to Askim’s. Jim told me to put my car into a stall; he repaired the defective sensor, and I was on my way home within an hour. Jenny, in the front office, served me tea, while she worked and answered the phone. Nothing better. As others have commented, service and honesty like this is rare these days.

I brought my 2007 Outback 2.5XT to Askim’s for an issue that Jim diagnosed within about 2 minutes during our test drive. He gave me three repair options, from cheap to not-​so-​cheap, from bare-​bones to thorough, and explained the pros and cons of each, which I thought was cool and unique, at least in my experience. That kind of honesty is rare these days. I chose the thorough route because I’d love to be still driving my Soob 100k miles from now. He seemed excited about the repair, and even more excited about how smoothly the car was running when he called me (earlier than expected, which was great) to let me know it was done. Jim’s a really down-​to-​earth guy and i like his style. No fluff, no barriers. He actually seems enthusiastic about Subarus. I’ll definitely go back next time.
There’s a guy in the LA area (Monrovia) that people refer to as the «Subaru Whisperer.»
I’m hoping I’ve found the Bay Area equivalent.
Great vibes. You’ll like him…

Jim was pretty amazing.
My 2004 wrx needed some serious TLC that I’d been putting off. Not only did he do an amazing job on all repairs needed and the major tune-​up, he also worked on good faith, which is rare these days (of course I was good for it!).
Highly recommended for Subaru repairs in Marin!

These guys are really nice, but TWICE they have done a poor job with my suburu. I went to them for my 30,000 maintenance check-​up and not more than 1,000 miles later, (at an oil change from a different provider) I discovered I needed a transmission flush re-​preformed on my car. Askim had preformed this for me at the 30,000 mark but apparently did not do a good enough job. I let it slide and returned to them for my 45,000 maintenance check. Again, about 1,500 later my battery corrosion was SO BAD that my car died and need a battery placement. Again, Askim had said they preformed this function for me. So basically these guys have failed me twice and it has cost me a pretty penny.

During a road trip my forester started acting funny. I found Askim’s on google and checked out the Unilocal reviews and was blown away by all the good things people had to say. So I called that evening and he saw my car first thing in the morning and fixed it right then and there! Great, fast and thorough work. Jim is awesome! He fixed just what needed to be done and keep the costs down and I had my car back before 9:30am! Thank you Jim! I will be back again next time I need some work done.

I dropped in without an appointment. Jim seemed extremely busy, but took the time to listen about my concern, an oil drip. He stopped everything and personally put my Forester on the hoist. The Subaru has a common problem with leaking head gaskets. Mine is just enough to get onto the exhaust pipes but not the garage floor. Jim told me he could fix it for around $ 2,000, but suggested that since it is so slight that I monitor oil consumption and return in 20,000 miles. Two other shops did not offer this option.

I’m bummed. All these great reviews, and mine’s the opposite. I guess that’s why I didn’t post this a year-​and-​a-​half ago, when it happened. Or maybe it’s because I felt like a fool, and just wanted to block the whole experience out of my head.
The problem: my Subaru Outback wagon developed a periodic loss-​of power while driving. Not enough to create a danger… just enough to make you think the next time it COULD be a real danger. Plus it would rev at stop lights. Sometimes. Really weird. I didn’t trust the Subaru dealership in San Rafael, so took it to Askims AutoWorks. Jim had it for days, and when I called to pick it up, Jim said (I wrote this down) «I’m going to be beyond kind. I probably have 8 hours of justifiable billing — like a thousand bucks — in this.»
I was billed — I don’t have that receipt handy — something like $ 680. Maybe $ 720. The paperwork had all sorts of work documented on it. And a statement that there was no guarantee that the car was fixed.
Well, that part was right. I phoned Jim a day later, stating that the problems still existed. he said to bring it back.
I did, and left it with him for… jeez — it might have been a few weeks! Turns out he had passed the car over to another mechanic up the block, who was working on it when HE had time.
This was a weird situation. I went up and took the car back. The owner of the second auto shop was charming, but the problem still wasn’t fixed.
I then took the car to the San Rafael Subaru dealership, and they got it fixed. Not the first time, but they DID get it fixed. Askim got something like $ 700 from me, and I got nothing for that.
Did Askim make money off of me? I have to believe not. I’m sure that he wishes that he never saw my car. I guess that’s why I didn’t write a bad review a year ago.
But is this isn’t a one-​star experience, I don’t know what is…

I found out about this place from here on Unilocal.I am really picky on who works on my WRX. My brakes went out while i was driving so i pulled in and Jim was there to help right away. Even though he was busy on other cars he fixed my car right away. Turns out he knew my Dad from past times. I asked jim how long he has been working on Subarus for and he said «38 years»
I had a 5 star experience and i would reccommend Askim’s to anyone no matter the make or model…

I called today as I was in desperate need for an oil change. Per another auto shop, I was recommended to Askim’s for my Subaru. Jim was not only friendly, he was also helpful and made me feel as if I were not being taken advantage of due to my complete lack of car knowledge. Will soon be moving to the city but definitely plan on coming back for my car services!

We’ve been taking our Subaru to Jim for a couple years now. Before coming I was told that he was the best, but most expensive Subauru mechanic in the North Bay, but I actually think he’s saved us thousands of $$. He’s done repairs that Subaru dealers in other cities quoted us much more to do, found rebates (for our model of car) that have saved even more, and seems to be an expert at finding a hundred-​dollar fix to a thousand-​dollar problem. It’s rare to find such a great mechanic – I highly recommend this shop.

Jim is very thorough, his initial inspection of your car will uncover more than you may want to know. He is also very honest.
In my case the repairs on my car were probably going to be close to what the car is worth and he suggested I consider trading it in. A less honest mechanic would have lowballed the initial estimate and then let the bill grow as new problems were «discovered» and made a ton of money in the process. He lost a job but gained a lifelong customer. I wish more people still used this old school business model.

For a couple years I ignored the occasional business card that Askim’s would leave on my 1999 Subaru Outback wagon, and I am sorry for the wasted opportunity! I finally brought my car to Askim’s and I am very happy I did. He and his crew have kept my car running without any unnecessary expense. I appreciate the timely, expert, and honest service and advice. No tricky up-​selling here – they’ll give you plenty of options in line with your budget and priorities.

Car repair is like one activity behind calling the IRS on my list of things I would rather stab myself through the eyeball than deal with. I bought a used Subaru 6 months ago knowing that it had a slow oil leak and would eventually need to be fixed. Now that it’s mid-​June and I have finally filed my taxes, it was time to deal with the oil leak. The Subie wasn’t happy and I was starting to have gear-​shifting issues, too.
I brought it into Askim’s with trepidation, and was pleasantly surprised to discover a fair, reliable, easy-​to-​deal with mechanic. He replaced the clutch with a used one that he just happened to have on his lot, and fixed the leak too, for about half of what I had previously been quoted on the leak alone. He turned it around in a half a day and could not have made the experience more painless.

Jim is a Subaru genius and there’s no one else I’d take my WRX to in all of Marin. When you bring your car to Jim, you are going to get top notch service, honesty, fair prices and speedy gonzalez turn-​around. For example:
I brought my car in with no appointment on Monday at 7:30 to fix a check engine light caused by a bad oxygen sensor. Turns out I was also due for timing belt and water pump replacement along with radiator hoses, etc. based on the milage. In other words, a big job. Nonetheless, Jim got started right away and finished in less than a day and a half. He called me with an initial estimte, then a revised estimate and then again to tell me the car is ready. Anywhere else I would have had to chase THEM down. They know what they are doing and they do it damn well.
If there’s any downside its that they close early (3:30−4) and aren’t open on weekends, but that’s offset by the fact that they are there at 7:30 most weekdays, so you can get it in before work. Since I’m not going to be able to pick it up until after they close today, they are leaving it out for me with the key inside and letting me come back tomorrow to pay. Trust — with Askim’s it goes both ways.