Art of Maintenance

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Suzi Worden
2 weeks ago
I own an old Mazda mini truck and the team at Art of Maintenance has gone above and beyond in education and repair on my vehicle. I've gone to them several times for fixes and they exceed my expectations every time. The staff is friendly and organized, so matter who I speak with they are able to easily answer any questions I have. I also really like Art of Maintenance invoice they email for approval on any job required as it gives me time to look at parts required and learn more about my vehicle. Knowledge is power and Art of Maintenance makes that convenient and accessible. The work they have done on my truck is top notch and I would recommend anyone to give them a call if needing their vehicle fixed. I've definitely found a shop I trust with Art of Maintenance.

  Brian Sanderlin
3 weeks ago
Came in with my used car I recently bought and had it in and out of the shop in less than 6 hours. Ultimately there was quite a bit of work that needed to be done and I had anticipated it being there for a while, but they took care of it immediately and now my car runs great! The facility is clean and inviting and the gentleman I spoke to at the front desk was super professional. Defiantly coming back if I ever have any other issues!

  Dan Blaisdell
a month ago
They are charging $140 for a synthetic oil change for a VW Golf, which seems quite highUpdate: I originally left a 2 star review with the above message. The full story is:This shop is close to my home and I saw a review on Google saying their oil change price is good, so scheduled an oil change the night before so that I could get in and out faster. At the counter I found out the above price and was hesitant but since I was already there I decided to proceed with the oil change. I left the original review while waiting at the coffee shop next door.An hour later the manager calls saying he saw the review and told me that their oil change price is typical. He also asked if I wanted to cancel the oil change since I left a negative review. I told him that from all my past oil change experiences, a synthetic change is ~$90, and a survey from Yelp indicated a range of $65-$100. He told me that s not accurate and I m saying things that aren t true. After going back and forth for a few minutes and realizing that they hadn t even started on my oil change, I took his offer to cancel the service and picked up my car and left.I am willing to pay a little more at an independent business, especially if there s some kind of advantage in speed or experience. In this case the service was not faster and I did not appreciate getting a phone call about my review that made no attempt to resolve my complaint. Instead the manager just seemed to want to express frustration with my review and convince me that their high price isn t actually high. Maybe oil changes just aren t their core competency and where they provide the most value. I could have waited until after the oil change to post my review but since he saw it, that was a chance to actually adjust the price or win me over with quality, fast service.Either way I don t need to pay more, wait 90 minutes and debate reality in order to get my oil changed.

  ben may
a month ago
Consumer Beware!took car in for transmission issue, 2 days later received a text from Art of Maintenance they fixed it.paid 900 cash and drove 1/4 mile and car had exact same issue when i dropped it off, I had to limped the car back to the shop after they told me they do not offer towing.the next day they texted me that i needed a new transmission which would cost 4-5k. (my vehicle is a 2002 escalade with 185k miles, what they did not know is that I had put a new transmission in 3 years ago with only 10k miles on it. the new transmission is good for minimum 100k miles)i had another mechanic tow the vehicle to inspect. They told me the work that Art of Maintenance performed had nothing to do with what the problem was.The new mechanic added 12 quarts of transmission fluid, as it was very low upon leaving Art of Maintenance, and he also filled up the oil as it was very low as well.Filling the fluids corrected the issue, (250 dollars for towing and repair from new mechanic) very reasonable.Art of Maintenance refused to pay my $900 back, even though my car had the exact same problem driving off their lot. Total ripoff!!!i checked many other reviews and it appears Art of Maintenance has many similar bad experiences as my own.Art of Maintenance use to be solid repair shop back in the day / as I was a long time customer, not any more as they have had a major turnover with new employees who are not experienced and just want a cash grab.Go there at your own risk.

  Mik Kurzhal
4 months ago
External struggles made it hard for me to pick up and drop off my car, but they were incredibly patient and worked with me. Services were quick and efficient, with an itemized list of results from the check-in on my car (complete with pictures) and each service was completed very quickly compared to previous mechanics I have worked with. Will absolutely be coming back again for my next tune-up!

  Noah Foley-Beining
7 months ago
They popped my tired and then ghosted me :) Dropped off my car to have them look at the battery. Battery was fine but when i picked up the car it was parked such that the back tire was up against a jagged curb edge. I drove home and 30 minute later the tired was completely flat with a hole right where the tire had been up against the curb and Art of Maintenance ignored my requests that they reimburse me for the cost of a new tire

  Nicholas Hankins (Nick)
10 months ago
AoM has repaired my vehicle multiple times and my friend's vehicle. I have a 1992 Dodge campervan. There aren't many mechanics around Portland that will even do work on vehicles this old. But .there were many frustrating issues along the way.I had a power steering leak due to a failed gasket that required them to replace my steering gearbox. They also overhauled my transmission to correct a bad oscillation I had at certain speeds. They recently did a lot of work diagnosing and repairing the van after it stalled on the highway. It took a couple months and, even though we had some miscommunications throughout the repair, they reviewed all of our past conversations and ended up comping some of the work they had done.However, the techs that worked on my van did a ton of damage that will be incredibly difficult for me to repair. The interior of my van has been immaculate since I bought it. However, now it s rather ruined. They scratched many surfaces, they broke plastic hinges for storage trays in my heat shield/center console, they soiled and stained the upholstery of my passenger seat in multiple places with oil and grease stains that they tried unsuccessfully to remove, they smashed my custom vanity license plate in the front and back, they tore the upholstery on my driver side seat, and that s only what I ve discovered so far since getting the van back.My friend had her passenger window smashed in (because Portland is a hot mess) while it was parked in a private garage by the Harrison Towers downtown when the garage was under construction and the door was left open. We called AoM and they gave us a quote, took the car in, and had the car repaired in less than 24 hours. For comparison, Safelite quoted $100 more and wouldn't take the car for another week. However, they contracted out the work to another company and that company did a horrible job and left motor switched unplugged in the door which forced us to come unnecessarily to try and pick up the car before it was ready. The next day, AoM tried to rework the window and they got it moving up and down but upon closer inspection after we left the shop, that passenger window is not tight like the driver side and it wiggles at the top of its travel which may ultimately prematurely wear out the window motor or damage the glass.James was nice to talk to and the shop is generally communicative and prompt. When there were miscommunications or errors, in my experience, they have historically done the right thing, created a positive experience for the customer, ensuring customer retention. But all of this collateral damage to my vehicle really left a bad taste in my mouth about the shop techs carelessness and poor attention to detail.My van is older and doesn t look impressive from the exterior but the interior was spotless and now it s tarnished in a very difficult way to remedy. In my business, I treat my customers devices and possessions as if they are my own, with care and attention to detail.I feel that while they tried hard to fix my vehicle, they just caused so much additional damage, did not bring it to my attention (dishonest and apathetic), and did not offer to take on the cost to fix all the things that they broke and damaged (pictures attached).I wish I could have given a higher rating but my experience was ultimately negative, even after they did a lot of mechanical work that other shops would not do for me. I now have to spend time and money trying to repair all the damage they caused.UPDATE:Stranded. Took Vanny out to Smith Rock for climbing this weekend from Portland. It drove fine all the way out there. Let it sit Friday night and Saturday and when I tried to start it to leave Sunday it wouldn t start. It just cranks forever but no fuel delivery. They worked on the fuel delivery system for over a month and told me everything was good to go multiple times. Now I have to wait until Monday to tow it to a shop in Redmond or Bend and pay for a bunch of rework on the fuel delivery system. Luckily, I m very thorough and documented. Avoid this shop.

  Chris Oien
4 weeks ago
Best place to get the job done with quality behind their service. I got my brakes done in a very short window I was working with. The team there was very professional, and the shop was clean and orderly.

  Jack Pilarski
3 months ago
Took my truck here to diagnose a misfire. They diagnosed it as bad timing, charged me $1500 to tear engine down and verify timing. Turns out this wasn t the issue. They said they would keep looking into it and kept the truck for a whole month. Finally when I hear back from them they think it s the distributor but won t know until I spend an additional $1000 to have it replaced. I towed the car away and took it to another mechanic who diagnosed it as 2 bad spark plugs within 5 minutes.

  Solaq
2 months ago
RE: Uber inspection.I appreciate the response below. This simply requires an ASE certified mechanic to spend about 10 minutes checking things like whether the blinkers and horn work. It does not require endorsement through Lyft or Uber.It would be a great way to make some quick money and acquire some new customers.

  John Jurgens
4 months ago
I was referred to Art of Maintaince and finally used them. Couldn't be happier. 1 1/2 in the shop . When I was looking to book a Taxi to go home, they called Lyft and I left within 10 minutes. My van is feels brand new and I didn't feel raked over the coals like other shops I've visited. Took it in and had a diagnostis done and picked the repairs. I actually can't wait until my next round of service in January and that says alot

  Benjamin Riemer
4 months ago
We have used Art of Maintenance for many years with our older cars. They do quick and accurate repairs and service on our vehicles and are help at understanding how to prioritize what work needs to happen when you are on a budget.

  Paal Nilssen
11 months ago
These guys were great! My car broke down on the freeway and was towed to them right before closing on a Friday afternoon. They took the time to take a quick look at it and let me know a general timeline of when it'll be fixed. I received a call Monday morning with an update with all the issues and a price estimate. They also did a FULL and thorough inspection of the car and gave me a heads up about things to consider. Felt like they had my best interests in mind and made me feel reassured. They returned the car quickly and so far, running great! The whole team was super nice and welcoming. Will come back again for sure!Edit:A week later my car broke down again for a related issue they should have seen the first time if they have run the proper tests (I.e. pressure checks, fluid flushes). Instead of doing an inspection, they just recommended changing all the parts that may be the issue. Finally after going back and forth, they found the actually issue. That was after the mechanic told me it was my fault for not coming in sooner even though I was there the week prior. Really surprised by the poor service this time since my first experience was so great.

  Rachel Allred
3 months ago
I m editing this review because the quality of service has gone WAY down here. I used to give them 5 stars, but they really upset me the last time I was there. They send out text messages when they re slow, but they barely read them or pay attention to anything you say. It s very clear they just want your money. They used to call you after examining your car to talk about what you needed. Now, they send you an online thing to approve services and act like it s an inconvenience when you call to inquire about what they found. If you google the price of parts, they re often 1/2 to 1/4 of the price that AOM quotes. Most recently, someone via their text system told me to drop my car off for a couple of hours and i was there waiting for 8 hours. A full day. It was never communicated to me that it was going to take longer. They then tried to blame me and say you should have told us you were waiting! we could have done it faster! Like, how is this my fault? I ve read other reviews about their quality going down. They also bait people for 5 star reviews by offering gift cards, and the dude that checked me in had a confederate flag tattoo. I don t typically judge anyone for art that they put on their body - but a confederate flag tattoo? Come on, man.Services: Transmission, Air & cabin filter replacement, Vehicle Inspection, General repairs, Air conditioning, Wiper blade installation, Oil change

  Bruce Fuller
6 months ago
I took my 2012 MAZDA MX-5 Touring to get a baseline of what might be needed since it was a relatively newer purchase for me. While I was sticker shocked at first, looking over the estimate it made sense, and I didn't feel any pressure with the decision making. I am completely satisfied with the customer service from the front of the house AND the back of the house, having met Mike, the mechanic who actually worked on my car - it was great!

  Justin Haag
a year ago
This shop is pretty dang amazing. They definitely went above and beyond with following through with my repair needs. Engine mounts are so finicky, especially aftermarket ones. Long story short my Element is back and ready for camping in the wilderness. The E drives smooth as the day I bought it. Thank you guys for your determination to resolve anything that comes your way!Services: Vehicle Inspection, General repairs

  shootskukui
3 months ago
Totally responsive and easy to work with. First time interaction was like dealing with an old friend. I ve found my mechanic.

  Jay Moskovitz
7 months ago
After years (and several cars) as a happy customer at Art of Maintenance, I just had perhaps the worst repair experience in my long life. The simple and straight-forward complaint was "passenger's electric window not working". Their $200 "check out"/estimate/minimum charge got me a $1000 repair estimate (including two $400 parts). Surprised at the cost, I reluctantly agreed. A week later, I received a text/website-link telling me they needed an additional part for $500. Feeling trapped, I again agreed. But I decided to research the prices of these expensive parts. ALL could be easily found on-line for 1/4-1/2 the price.I paid the bill and picked up the car. Previously, the "check engine" light had been going on and off. Now, it was on constantly. I reviewed the estimate and noted a line about "Finding: Check engine light is on", with an additional charge. I was told that it was not addressed because I "had not mentioned it" - even though it was noted on THEIR REPAIR ESTIMATE. With no more trust IN these guys, I drove to another repair shop. In about 3 minutes and at no charge, they read the computer information to me.After long and tedious emails back and forth between me and some guy with no title, he basically decided that his repair guys had done absolutely nothing wrong and all of the misunderstandings were all my fault for not "asking more questions". He finally asked me "What do you think is a fair amount to refund?". When I gave him my idea of a meaningful amount, he wrote back: "We are done wasting each other's time. We will agree to disagree."I don't know what changed - other than a possible wave of greed- but I would go elsewhere.Follow up note:After a dozen emails back and forth, all I know is the name Andy Platt. He has given no information if he is the owner or manager. The legal owner seems to Eugene Pulver, but he is probably busy running his TWO OTHER family owned repair shops (Multnomah Automotive and Jantzen Beach Chevron).One might think that, dealing with a loyal ten-year customer, Mr. Platt might wonder why I am so unhappy. But his only messages have been to defend everything his staff has done with me. Apparently, new customers are more important to him than long-time customers.The parts prices I was charged are 4-10 times what is readily available on the internet..When picking up my car, after paying the exorbitant bill, I had no desire to have a long conversation with the counter guy, and then with the manager, and then perhaps with the owner. So I wrote a very clear and detailed note of my complaints, handed it to the counter guy, told him he could read it if he wanted to, and specifically told him to give it to the manager or owner.In one email, Mr. Platt asked me what refund would be fair - pretending that ANY refund was coming. My first proposal was half of the bill - certainly a high number but written in the heat of the moment. Even though I have TWICE asked Mr. Platt what he thought was a fair amount, he refuses to answer and was clearly lying about the possibility of ANY refund.

  Shanna Kellogg
4 weeks ago
Car troubles are stressful but coming here to get them assessed and fix is not Environment is welcoming, service is awesome and responsive. Will continue to come here again and again

  Karissa Fuller
a year ago
Excellent customer service, very kind staff. My car broke down a few days before Christmas while I was in the middle of driving back from a trip to Seattle and they were able to get me in during the pre-holiday rush. They went above and beyond and did a full diagnosis of all the maintenance and repairs my car needed, and informed me of everything, not just the problem that I brought it in for. Even though I decided not to repair the car, all of the staff I talked to throughout my entire experience was so kind and gracious! Felt like small town service in the middle of the city. Highly recommend!

  Kristen Ando
11 months ago
I brought in my car because I have having a problem where it would stop accelerating in the middle of me driving it. They charged me $180 for an inspection and did not find the problem. They quoted me over $2,000 in "preventative repairs" that they discovered, but they told me that they can't tie any of those issues to the problems with my car. They had no useful information for me. I brought my car into Entler's auto repair and they did a free inspection and found the issues right away. The man said "I can't believe they charged you that much for an inspection and didn't see that your oil was completely empty and that your spark plugs needed replaced". The guys at Art of Maintenance said that my oil was DIRTY, not empty and said that it was not likely the cause of the problem. They also did not mention spark plugs. My car has been working fine ever since I brought it to Entler's. Don't go here- they're expensive and there is better out there. It was a waste of my money.

  Cassandra Koehler
8 months ago
Clean fast shop with a nifty SMS-based order and invoice system that lets you check which services you do or don't want and authorize them without a phone call. Was able to book a morning appointment in 3 biz days and get my oil change/AC recharge done in 2 hours, car purred like a happy kitten with a tuna treat afterwards.

  Cindy Scheel
a year ago
These folks are awesome! They took amazingly good care of us when two cars needed significant maintenance in just one week. They were very easy to work with, very thorough and kept us informed every step of the way. I don t think we could ve asked for a better service!

  Beth Spence
a year ago
In October, just after I got a "new" used car, they ran a diagnostic on my SUV, contacted my after market warranty people, ordered the transfer case, did the repairs and checked on their work after I had it back a few weeks! Kevin and James answered all of my questions (which was a lot) so I could understand and were patient with my calling for updates.They were honest- right on budget - and I would definitely recommend them to family and friends! :)Will also use them again for future repairs!Beth SpenceService: Engine repair

  Mackenzie Davis
10 months ago
Nice guys but wow such a racket. The AC was broken on my car and I knew there was a leak before I brought it in, but they had to charge me $300 for the full AC service just for them to look at it. Then in order to fix it they quoted me $1800 additional, which is more than the car is worth. So I walked away after they checked it out with my car in the same state, no AC and $300 less in my pocket. This is the closest shop to my house so I was hoping to have them be my go to place, but was pretty disappointed with my experience.

  Jasmine Genereux
a year ago
Had to get the breaks on my car looked at. It was very easy to bring my car there, just had to drop it off whenever was convenient for me. All of the staff was very gracious and nice. As a woman, I have had experiences in the past where men at mechanic shops have been patronizing and mansplain me, but this did NOT happen here. Everyone there treated me with respect and it was very refreshing. Service was fast and I was able to pick my car up the next day. The office is very nice inside and they have a very welcoming customer lounge. All in all it was a very good experience and I m very very happy with the work that was done on my car. I highly recommend to everyone!!! :))Service: Brake service & repair

  Becca Meierbachtol
a year ago
The Art of Maintenance crew was so amazing to work with! This was my first time taking my car to them and they exceeded my expectations. They are friendly, timely and precise with their diagnosis of problems. They gave me a full detailed list of things that look good on my car, things that might need attention and things that are urgent to fix. This was so helpful for me and I never felt any pressure to do work on my car on things that can wait. I will definitely be coming back for my regular maintenance and any car needs! Thank you!

  Michele Bennett
a year ago
I had a great experience getting my Honda Fit 30,000 mile service and new tires. Communication was quick and clear, staff were friendly, and I felt the cost was reasonable. Thanks for making this normally stressful process very easy!Services: Air & cabin filter replacement, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine tuning, Vehicle Inspection, General repairs, Auto battery maintenance, Auto tire replacement, Vehicle safety inspection, Brake service & repair, Auto maintenance, Oil changeServices: Air & cabin filter replacement, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine tuning, Vehicle Inspection, General repairs, Auto battery maintenance, Auto tire replacement, Vehicle safety inspection, Brake service & repair, Auto maintenance, Oil change

  Jordan Gates
a year ago
I have gone to this place a few times in the past, I had interacted with Kevin each time I was there. It was the holiday season and they where a little busy, I needed new breaks and new parts for the engine, originally it was thought that I'd be ready in January 3rd, unfortunately I was to move out of Portland on the 1st so I needed my car. I explained the situation to Kevin who was very professional and transparent, he was able to get things fixed for me sooner so that I'd be able to move out on time. Itd be easy for other people in his position to just throw their hands up and say "it is what it is" but he went the extra mile to as helpful and dexterous as possible, which shows that which shows that Art of Maintenance is committed to helping their customers.Services: Wiper blade installation, Auto brake replacement

  Patrick Cecil
a year ago
Had my oil pan replaced yesterday. Amazingly fast service! They also did a complete vehicle checkup on this older car and gave some tips on what needs to be done to keep everything working. Got more than I expected and paid less than quote. 5 stars for sure. Will use them again.Service: Engine repairService: Engine repair