Dere Auto

Squeezed me in last minute for an oil change. Great first impression. Fast, professional and reasonably priced. Francis did a great job.

Dere Auto was able to correctly diagnose what the loud noise was. Two other establishments, including the dealer, gave me incorrect information. Had I chosen to go with either of those places, the problem would not have been solved.
Dere Auto is a pleasure to deal with. All of the people I talked with were very professional. They would call me and give me a progress report. A seamless experience, they know what they are doing, and they saved me money and time. This is your go to place if you need repairs.

Did what they said. Didn’t over charge. William explained things to me and I will definitely bring my next car there.

I took 2 cars to get serviced here before, and each time they were very professional and honest about the work done and price. They will always call you and explain to you the defects and projected charges of each major line item before doing work on your vehicle. If they notice any other anomalies, they will bring this to your attention and give you and honest opinion. You as the customer make the ultimate decision on how to proceed.
Con: They may sometimes overcharge for parts, but it depends because parts locally are usually 20%-50% more expensive than on the internet (
) but will get your job done faster to reduce down time of your vehicle.
Service 1:
Pontiac Grand Prix 2000 SE Brakes and Rotors ~ $ 500
Service 2:
Toyota Corolla 95 1.6L Vital Fluid change and flushes.
Transmission Flush $ 105.00
Brake Fluid Change $ 55.00
Power Steering $ 65.00
Replace Coolant $ 50.00
Windshield Wiper Switch Fix $ 37.50
Tire Rotation $ 15.00
Rear Brake Shoes $ 105.00
Rear Brake Drum Machining $ 15.00
Brake Shoes $ 27.28
Radiatior Cap $ 16.18
Shop Supplies $ 6.00
Service 3:
Buyers Pre inspection $ 80
I was thinking about getting a used Acura TL 2005 for 5.5k. They noticed 4 issues
with the vehicle and recommended not purchasing.
1. Transmission makes winding noise, and has dirty fluid ~$ 3.3k
2. Shocks and strut are noisy, recommend replace ~$ 1k
3. Rack and Pinion Leaking, recommend replace ~$ 1k
4. Engine Oil Leak from front of engine, possibly front seal or gasket ~ Est Cost, Unknown until you inspect engine further.
5. Body has Spider crack damages ~ $ 1k– $ 1.5k
I have not bought the vehicle yet, but looking at all these damages so far, it might be worth getting that car. Who knew so much problems could surface from one inspection.

They are honest about their work and don’t try to rip you off. I’ve had them check my brakes and although they could have just told me to change my brakes, they said there was still life in it and it would last for awhile. I trust them with my major repairs; I’ve done suspensions, oil/​transmission fluids, timing belt, struts, ignition, injection relays, and a bunch of other stuff here. They are always on point and will accommodate same-​day services if needed. I highly recommend them. Plus, sometime they give you a free calendar :)

My check engine light was on. I called and I got a super super HONEST mechanic who gave me advice on what to do. I was blown away by his honesty. Well, my check engine light went off by itself anyway, but I know where I’m taking my car to the next time it breaks down. Yes, this place! I don’t know why I’m writing this review, it will just increase their business and make getting service there later more expensive. The manager of O’Reilly auto parts also told me this is one of his favorite repair shops, but of course they all do business with one another.

Tried to scam me telling me I needed to spend $ 800+ for new brakes, when mine were just fine!
I took my minivan in for an oil change there last month. I was hoping to support a local business. The oil change was pricier than at a chain, but that was okay with me.
They called me after the oil change to let me know they had noticed some squeaking in my brakes, and had inspected them. They said I needed new front and rear brakes ASAP! That they were so low I might already need new rotors, and they really recommended I get them done that day as I would definitely ruin my rotors within another month if I didn’t get them changed. The estimate seemed high, and I didn’t have time to leave my van there that day. I called Les Schwab for an estimate a month later and brought it in the next day to have a brake inspection.
Surprise! I didn’t need new brakes– front or rear! The front is getting a little bit low, but not enough to do yet, so they recommended I just get another inspection in 3 to 5 months. Rear was just fine.
Dere Auto apparently saw a young woman who didn’t seem particularly knowledgeable about cars and tried to take advantage of her. I won’t be going back there again.

I have taken all my cars to be seen and fixed by these mechanics. I’ve been their customer for about 10 years now and I have not a single complain: price is right, attitude is trustworthy, estimate is fair. In fact, when we chatted at work about best mechanics in town, we’ve found out that 4 of us are taking our cars to Dere Auto on Rainier and 3 more went there on our recommendations with a very positive feedback afterwords.

I went against my better judgement here, but I was in a position that I suspect this establishment knows how to take advantage of. I hope you can learn from my mistake.
I recently moved to Seattle and needed to get my CA car registered. Oops, it failed the emissions test: now I have to take it to state approved emissions testing garage where the problem is fixed, or I spend at least 150 dollars trying to fix it, in which case I can receive a waiver for a one-​time registration.
I dropped the car off, and they got back to me fairly quickly. They claimed to check for the «obvious» issues that could have been causing my problem, but were unable to find anything wrong. From there, they presented me with a choice: they could either charge up to 150 dollars so I could get my waiver, or they could order a part that had a «90%» chance of fixing the problem.
See the predicament? I could either put $ 150 down the drain with no chance of anything changing, or I gamble a $ 100 on their supposedly «90%» chance that the part would fix the problem. Kind of like a prisoner’s dilemma.
Big surprise: it didn’t fix it.
I’m sure there have been many worse experiences with mechanics then what I had. But despite this, I found it very unscrupulous of them to take advantage of my position and squeeze an extra hundred dollars out of me. Do they deserve 1 star? I think so. The thing that really gets me is the line about «there’s a 90% chance this will fix it.» Had they been more honest with me I wouldn’t be giving them such a bad review.
I recommend Lioe’s Automotive on Beacon Hill for auto work around the area: they were my first choice but since they aren’t an «authorized emissions garage» they couldn’t offer a waiver. I’ve had some work done with them before and they’ve been great.

Finally, trustworthy mechanics. I love this place. They don’t push things on you. Very reasonable. And they offer reliable recommendations for things they don’t fix.

I have been a loyal customer at Dere Auto for several years now. They are always very honest with you and their prices are fair. I have never been ripped off which we all know a lot of auto shops will try to do. I have referred friends and family here and they all had good experiences.

I had them replace all four ball joints and both tie rod ends on the front suspension of my Ranger. A week and a half later, on the highway my truck started to uncontrollably serve, then spun around and smashed on the median jersey barrier and was totaled. The front end wasn’t involved in the impact, but the steering tie rod — the half-​inch thick shaft that connects the steering to the front wheel had snapped right where the shop had done the work to replace the end. With that rod snapped, the front wheel was free to wobble back-​and-​forth with nothing to hold it in place.
In talking with other mechanics about this, i was told that heat can be used to loosen the tie rod end, and if applied improperly it can weaken the metal. Whatever the means, it appears that this shop had weakened that part and caused a crash and the total loss of my vehicle and other possessions. And they got away with it: given the relatively low value of the truck, the cost of an investigation and court case was out of the question.

This place is awesome! I looked in the Puget Sound Consumers guide and this shop rated very high on both quality and price. They take the time to explain what’s going on, their prices are reasonable… the other day my knock sensor was out causing the check engine light to come on, they explained the problem and my options, and then fixed it the same day at a reasonable price.

Honest and reliable. What more can you say about an auto repair shop.

Dere Auto changed my oil in July 2012. Ultimately, the oil was almost a quart short of «low,» and they left my car on a relatively busy street unlocked for several hours.

Not only did the guys at Dere fix my CRV for an affordable price, but they explained everything to me in terms I could really understand. (Yes, I’m a girl and know nothing about my car’s engine!) :) Seriously though, they spent time talking to me and answering all my questions with a smile. This is an honest shop. After some simple maintenance repairs, my car is running great. I will definitely be going back for all my auto needs and I will be sharing their business card too.
Thank you Dere!

These guys seem to be pretty honest.
I’ve had my car towed here twice so that they could take a look to see what was wrong with it. Instead of telling me that this, this, and this was wrong with it to try and get money out of me, they told me exactly what they THOUGHT was wrong with it and directed me to another place that could better assist me with it. I really appreciated that.
They don’t do any work on your car unless they call you before and let you know what they think they’ll have to do and how much it’ll cost. Being a girl and going into an auto shop alone, you just never know who is going to try and rip you off because you don’t know a tire from a steering-​wheel. Lol.

The guy who manages our car fleet at work recommended this shop and I’ve visited them two or three times now– their work is trustworthy and prices fair. And I’ve always had same day service for multiple repairs, even when they order parts from their warehouse across town!
They call and give me a quote before doing any work, and even offer less expensive alternatives if possible or explain if/​when it’s appropriate to delay a repair or service on my car.
Dere Auto will always be my Seattle mechanic.

I absolutely love these guys! They’re good mechanics, honest, nice, and won’t charge you an arm and a leg. I mean, really, how many mechanics can you say that about?

If this part won’t fix it then there’s plenty more we’d love to try.
Dere automotive is fairly fast and very courteous, but I think they’re over their heads with cars post 1985. They just love to replace any part within reach even if it’s not associated with the problem at hand.
We tried them once and were very unimpressed. Make sure you have them stick to the estimate and don’t get suckered in to the death spiral of paying for them to learn.