Eric’s Garage

I pulled into Eric’s Garage to see if they could help diagnose a bad smell coming from my car. It was late on Friday and they were getting ready to close up but Mark, one of the mechanics didn’t hesitate to take a look. He helped us determine that, believe it or not, a rodent had gotten into the car (which was recently shipped across country to Seattle) and died… hence the stink… UGH!
This can be a difficult/​expensive thing to deal with. not to mention unpleasant for the mechanic working on the car… but Eric and his team didn’t hesitate to take it on. I had to bring the car back the following week and Eric was very patient and sweet on the phone when I called several times to try and figure out how to best deal with this situation. He worked me into the schedule quickly and they were able to find the dead mouse/​clean out the car after just a couple hours of labor.
I wouldn’t trust just anyone to go on a digging expedition in my VW Passat but I felt like I was in the best hands with smart, kind people… we had a few good laughs over this crazy/​gross situation. I couldn’t be happier with the service and results… and will definitely make the trek back there from Queen Anne when I next have (a hopefully very boring and normal) problem with my VW! Thanks Eric + Mark!

Eric is amazing. I called with a problem on a day he was booked. But he listened to the problem and told me to bring in by for a quick look. He had an idea it could be something simple. I drove right over. Three minutes after I arrived, Eric confirmed he was right, swapped in a quick part, and it was working!
While other members of our family had used his shop before, he didn’t know that. This was my first time. A complete stranger, yet he took care of me quickly and didn’t charge a penny for his incredibly good deed and insightful work.
I’m convinced. Our family is hooked on Eric’s Garage. Thanks so much!

Good experiences here over several visits over a few years. Explains things without being condescending. Let’s me know what can wait for a little down the road (so to speak). Definitely recommended!

Eric is worth his weight in diamonds. Not only does his team do top notch work, but he has a heart of gold. I will forever take my car there for servicing. I truly am thankful for these guys.

We used to get our Toyota Camry serviced here, and always had good service and fair prices. Then we bought a Prius, and had a few years of dealer-​paid service. Now that that’s over, we decided to go back to Eric’s because we’d had good experiences there. First, I didn’t receive any response to my request to get an appointment through their website. When I made the appointment over the phone it went fine. At the garage Eric was very pleasant and accommodating even though the service we needed – basically an inspection, not even with an oil change – was so minor. The service was fast, but they charged us twice the amount that the dealership does! I am not sure why an inspection of fluids, brakes and tires would cost $ 60, and this wasn’t explained to me. I think we will shop around for a new garage.

I have been taking my cars to Eric and his team for 7+ years. They have always done great work and from day one treated me as a valued customer.
Eric is trustworthy and knowledgeable without being a «know-​it-​all.» He clearly has lots of experience with many kinds of cars. But if he happens to run across something he doesn’t know, he will admit it (Thank you!) and research the answer before he does the work. Any time I’ve had questions he’s been great about taking the time to answer them completely.
He keeps his pricing reasonable and he stands by his work. While I do go to a tire shop for tires and a glass shop for windshield work, I take everything else to Eric’s Garage.

I don’t know why I haven’t written a review for Eric’s before. Maybe because I got busy and took a break from Unilocal.Anyway, I went to him for every car need when I lived in the area. Then I moved away and went someplace closer to home. After increasing assertions that I needed more and more work on my car, I went back to Eric. He fixed two of the several reported issues and laughed at a couple that frankly didn’t make sense even to an uneducated car user like me. For example, I never lost a drop of oil (and still haven’t) but was told that I needed my oil pan resealed. And that my engine overheating meant replacing the thermostat, some sort of heat sensor, and the radiator. Why not a whole engine?
Anyway, Eric’s always been true to his word and gotten the work done at a very reasonable price and as expected. He’s not open on weekends, and he doesn’t offer a courtesy car, but he’s honest and trustworthy. What more could you want?
I will admit that he can sometimes come off as a bit grumpy, but he’s more like a curmudgeon, like the late Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes. Those unfamiliar with him might be put off, but I’ve always appreciated his humor and straightforward manner.
So I’m back to my original mechanic. I have a solid electrician. If only I can find a good plumber…

«I’m not interested in that job, sorry» — phone call regarding an engine swap.
It seems like less of a ‘business’ than a hobby/​pleasure thing. Take of that what you will… Maybe unrefined customer service + being extra selective = cheap, good service? Maybe.

Eric and his team replaced my Honda’s starter in less than a day, without my making an appointment. The price was right, Eric didn’t try to hard-​sell me on other services, and my car starts like a dream again.

Brilliant. I just moved up to seattle about a year ago and had an issue with my power steering. I’m not a huge car guy but knowing a little about how the power steering system works, I figured the problem was either going to come down to my power steering pump, a leak in one of the hoses, or an issue with my rack and pinion.
I came into the garage and spoke with the guys, they explained that I was probably right and that they would check it out and call me first. As expected I got a call they figured it was either the pump or the rack and pinion and clearly said that they would fix the pump first and then get back to me before ANYTHING else was done.
Everyone was very straightforward and honest. I got a call the next day. The pump seemed to be the only problem and I was on my way.
Admittedly the bill was a little more than what I thought it should be (but not by much)
Service is about $ 100/​hour and the parts were right about what I figured they would be.
Quick service, no bullshit, right to the point and really nice. I’m definitely coming back next time I have an issue with my car.

Excellent and affordable service. Done in a timely manner. Eric was very thorough in explaining necessary repairs.
I will definitely come back! Also love the fact it’s a family run shop, dogs included!
Thank you:-)

Went for a oil change for my 2011 camry.
They were pretty good in opening up a slot the next day I called.
I drove my car up, and asked Eric what the cost estimate was for an oil change.
«$ 45» was his answer. Expensive than Jiffy Lube, but I guess he knows what he’s talking about. Says he’ll be done in 45 min, so I went off to kill time at a coffee shop.
2 HOURS later he calls and says the cost will be 100 BUCKS.
Hmmm.
Tells me he used synthetic oil, which is a lot more expensive than the other kind, and changed the air filter & gasket, plus the labor costs totals to $ 100. Without talking any of this with me.
I said «That’s a lot more expensive than I thought.»
Eric «Well, what do you want me to do? Put it all back?»
Now, my car may have needed all of these maintenances, that being said, a confirmation phone call couldn’t hurt.
I could’ve changed the air filter my self for $ 8 – 10 & I don’t understand why he ended up using an air filter that costs $ 18…
So despite the fact that my car is all good, this whole interaction didn’t help creating trust doing business with him.
A little explanation couldn’t hurt.
Will NOT go back again —

Had a major problem with my 02 Highlander, Eric had his guys dig in and gave me an honest and helpful assessment of my engine situation without trying to upsell anything. Considering the time it took to get to the car cylinders I was surprised at how reasonable his rates were for the work. Thanks Eric.

These guys are great. I came to them with a rather bizarre issue (I’d completely messed up the wiring on an important sensor). I was out of options, and the car ran like absolute crap without it.
Brought it down to Eric and his guys and they fixed it up by the end of the day. Made it easy. I learned a lesson about fixing what isn’t broken (an expensive lesson though!)

I’ve finally found my Seattle mechanic. I drive an older car so I constantly have mechanics telling me about the three dozen things that «could» be replaced at a cost twice my car’s worth when I take it in for a simple service. Eric’s Garage was different — Eric gave me a clear list of the issues with the car, prioritized them, and told me what it needed to be safe and driveable, and what could wait until later.
The repairs were done quickly, and Eric was great about keeping me abreast of what they were up to. The final bill was right at the quoted amount, which was also great.
On top of all of that, Eric and his staff were super nice guys! I will definitely be taking my car to them from now on!

Eric always comes through with a clearly outlined list of what’s wrong with your car. He gives you a quote, but is then honest about what you should prioritize fixing and what can wait. Each time I’ve been to his shop, the fix has ended up being less than originally quoted.
I definitely trust this garage and would recommend it to anyone who has an old car that needs a fix. I won’t give them the full five stars for two reasons. The first time I went, they said they had topped up my fluids, but as soon as I left, the low coolant light came on – they’d drained and forgotten to refill the coolant. They happily refilled it and apologized profusely. The second time, it took a lot longer for Eric to call back with a quote than I expected. It’s a small shop, I wasn’t in a rush, and he explained and apologized for the delay when I called him. It didn’t bother me too much, but it’s worth knowing there may be delays.
Overall, a great customer experience and a place I feel I can go back to and trust to repair my old VW. Definitely consider this place if you’re shopping around for a local mechanic with whom you can openly discuss the costs and benefits of sinking money into your car.
Bonus: Eric has cool dogs. The first time I went, he was out taking them for a walk when I arrived.

I’m a girl and I know next to nothing about cars. I would have no idea if I was getting ripped off or if a mechanic was doing work that was uneccesary. I’ve never been to a mechanic where I felt like I was being treated fairly or honestly.
Except at Eric’s. He doesn’t treat me like an idiot because I’m a girl-​even when I have to get him to explain everything he’s doing, which he does every time. He’s given me and my car sound advice and even saved me some money. On multiple occasions, he has even given me discounts when I got freaked out over parts or repairs on my crappy old car. (new parts for the price of used ones, labor discounts, etc.).
Eric is a nice person with an honest desire to run a good business and fix cars. I would reccommend him to anyone and do it with a good conscience.
And his Airdale is adorable.

Eric has always been very helpful and friendly.
I have taken two different cars to him and he always helped out and did a good job of fixing them up.
The first car was a 1979 Camaro that had numerous problems. I first had my clutch fixed at the dealership down in Oregon. It worked for a while but quickly got worse than it was before. By this time I lived in Seattle just up the street from Eric’s Garage, so I took the car to him. He fixed it a less than a quarter of the price and unlike with the dealership, it stayed in good condition. I took it to him for every problem after that until I gave the car away.
Later I took my wife’s mustang into him for battery problems and he fixed it up perfectly.
The only problem I had was that once when he fixed a problem in my car I got the car back and the speedometer stopped work (halfway to Portland!) Luckily I could tell my speed via the gear and tachometer. Turns out the previous owner did some home made work on the dash and the connection had been jerry-​rigged. He acknowledged that he had accidentally weakened the connection and fixed it for free.
If I ever have another problem with my car I’ll take it back to him.
Other note to any potential customers: He cannot handle airbags. He contracts that work out. So if you’re looking for that sort of collision repair he’s not you best bet.

I did not get my car serviced here thanks to whomever answered the phone:
Me: Hey, I was wondering if I could get an estimate over the phone.
Them: Heh, that depends on what it is…
Me: I need to have a new clutch and flywheel installed.
Them: Nope, sorry, can’t do that. [CLICK]
Easy as that, he hung up on me. Didn’t explain why he wouldn’t do it, didn’t offer any suggestions as to who could do it.

Finally, a car mechanic who is genuinely friendly, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. My extensive repairs (new axle, brake rotors, coolant flush, etc.) came in at less than half the cost of my Firestone estimate, and he had my car ready to go same-​day. He even replaced my headlight free of charge. I almost felt guilty signing for the bill. Eric stayed late on a Friday night waiting for me to take the bus across town to pick up my car. Highly, highly recommended.