Bernie's Automotive Services

Reviews

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  Andrew
a month ago
The Review:Brought my old (1991) truck to Bernie's for a number of reasons over the years, nearly every visit has had some issue and the overall quality of work is average. Most recently there was an issue with parts not fitting or being lost and weeks after the repair i find more issues that were caused or flat out unaddressed by their techs. Customer service is sometimes great, other times not. I would not recommend if your vehicle is over 10yrs old.The Story:Long so I apologize in advance:Years ago (2019?) I brought my truck to the Bernie's on Market. Cedar worked there at the time and although he was very charismatic there was a lapse in communication causing my truck to sit in the shop for a week before techs began work on it. Whatever, it happens i get it they're busy NBD. A portion of my work was installing a refurb starter and a couple weeks later my starter engages while I'm driving down the street. It locks up on the flywheel and fries itself. I pull over as starter is smoking. I drive manual so I disconnect starter and bump start to get home. I call Bernie's and Cedar makes it right. Installs a new starter and even gives me some credit for a future visit. Awesome!Fast forward to some months ago. I redo passenger side ball joints on the same truck. I have some money and i didn't feel like spending another weekend on driver side, so i call up Bernie's and schedule appt. Later that day I drop off and ask for upper and lower ball joint replacement on driver side then alignment. Ball joints are new in box on passenger seat (AC Delco Gold i believe). They say "we don't use customer supplied parts" which makes sense (i had no clue) but they make an exception for me. Very cool +1.They state because of it there will be no warranty on any work done. No problem, understood.Later that day i get a call stating they're working on other stuff and they'll begin working on my truck in a few days. Why a few days? What's the point of making an appointment if my vehicle sits there? They say they are slammed so i say OK and buy a bunch of bus tickets for the week.Two days later they call and tell me they've started working on my truck, but the upper joint doesn't fit in the knuckle. How? It's the same model as the one I installed on the passenger side... i wonder... but ultimately i say OK and authorize them to buy and install a new one. (they gave me back the one that didn't fit. It's absolutely mangled. I still have it in my garage.)The next day I get another call: "Hey so we got that ball joint in, but where's your camber sleeve?" (for those that don't know a camber sleeve is a metal cylinder that sits in the ball joint of some Ford trucks. Without it the tire will wobble endlessly making driving difficult and dangerous)I don't know if they lost it, threw it out or what but there's no way i was driving without one. I had even taken the truck in for an alignment a few weeks earlier! No way it was "missing".They say they can buy another one and put it in for me: "Don't worry they aren't very expensive..."Another day goes by and I finally get the "everything is completed" call. I stop by after work and make it just in time before closing. Immediately i notice my steering wheel off center and slight pull to the right. Did they align it?? I take it to my tire guy and have them align it. It was so off i couldn't believe it. Bernie's must've forgot to align it after doing the work. *sigh*A month or so later i install new brakes and rotors on my truck. while removing my hubs i notice my spindle nut is cracked! There's no way this went unnoticed during the work they completed. Either that or they tightened it SO tight is cracked and got worse over the past few months. Either way I order a new spindle nut and reinstall everything to torque.In summary: Frequently inconvenienced and felt looked down upon for bringing in such an old vehicle. Will not be returning here.I'm not looking for any conciliation, by the way. This review is only to share my experience. I'm sure some of the techs here do good work.

  Natafoo
a year ago
The first time I brought my car to them the technician ended up installing a part without much care and it prevented my headlight from working. I brought in my car and photos of what I was seeing and they immediately dropped everything to correct it and I was back up and running in 10min with no charge. I was also informed that that that technician was actually no longer with them. How easily they owned up to the mistake and how quickly they corrected it was very professional and instilled a lot of trust. Mistakes aren't a big deal to me, we're all human, but owning up to it and making it right is huge. I want to trust that my mechanic will do what's right, and I'm now confident that that's exactly what they'll do. Will be going to them for all my car maintenance needs from now on and would recommend them to anyone.

  Ryan & Oshie
a year ago
I brought my truck in to get the brakes checked and overall vehicle inspection performed. The inspection was thorough and they gave honest answers about the work needing to be done.They kept me updated and I had my truck back the following day. Awesome place!Services: Vehicle Inspection, Brakes

  Rachel Zolotarsky
2 years ago
I moved to Seattle recently and was nervous to find a good mechanic (loved my previous one). Luckily Bernies has been nothing but wonderful. They do their best to help you and not overcharge you. Their work feels very honest.They are quite busy so I try to schedule any maintenance a month in advance. However, when I ve had an emergency, like a faulty battery, they were able to squeeze me in to their busy schedule.I would recommend them!

  Brandon Marr
6 years ago
Thorough, fair, and extremely helpful. My customer experience here has been top notch. I have so much more piece of mind about my vehicle after talking to these guys and their experience with Subaru's in particular. Alan even managed to save our family vacation this summer by squeezing us in on late notice. While I don't want to be too regular at any mechanic, these are quality guys I'm happy to rely on.

  A.M. Kelsey
2 years ago
Super nice but enough glitches in service that I wouldn't go to again for anything complex.I brought in my car to check out 2 issues. They couldn't repro the 1st issue and took 3 days to fix the other. However, I had driven less than half a block when the issue made itself known - a very obvious noise from the front of the car. I brought it back and the person from the shop rode around the block with me. "Oh yeah, that sounds like a brake problem." OK. Couldn't lose the car for another 3 days. Finally took it somewhere else to get the job done.

  Rob Goehrke
10 years ago
Bernie's is great. They are extremely friendly and helpful. Their opinions and auto work are both high quality and trustworthy. They go the extra mile to make sure your car is safe and will last, informing you of your options and never pressuring you to buy more. They are not the cheapest I've ever experienced, but I think it's because they focus on the long-term care of your car.

  Stefan Baatz
6 years ago
Certainly the most courteous and friendly auto shop I've visited in Seattle, and I'm a local. Thank you Allen for your professional and prompt support.Long story short, my Subaru dies and I take it to Bernie's for a checkup. Soon after they call me saying the engine is likely totaled (my fault), but end up only charging a few bucks for the oil they poured in when they were taking a look. They could and should have charged me for the time spent under the hood, and honestly I felt bad when the bill was just retail for some engine oil. But was I grateful!Honest vibes here, no BS. Though I cannot speak to the quality of their repairs or prices, I know I won't hesitate to come here again when my next car needs any work done. Very professional service.

  Keith Gormezano
6 years ago
I'm normally pretty wary of car repair shops but Bernie's Automotive restored my faith in them and I have gone back to them many times over the last ten years.I had to replace some tires in Portland and used Firestone. At my alignment last month, Firestone on Aurora in Seattle told me that I had to have new front brakes and rotors and that the sky was falling.They gave me an estimate of $596 for their Plus Brake job with a limited warranty of 24,000 miles or 24 months on the parts and 12,000 miles or 12 months on the labor. I asked them how much brake lining did I have. No response.So I took my 98 Volvo S70 that I rely upon to get to my QuickBooks and Quicken clients that I set up, review, and train at their offices and homes in the Greater Seattle area to Midas who also tried the same thing.Only their estimate was $715 but they offered a "lifetime warranty" on their brake pads but not for their labor which was only warranted for 90 days. They also neglected to tell me how much brake lining I had.Since I was having my 30K tune up at Bernie's, I was curious what they would say. Will told me that I have about 3mm (the first auto shop who gave me precise numbers) on my front brakes. He said "You can replace them at your next oil change. You don't need to do them now."So I asked him how much I should start budgeting for this repair.He replied, "Oh, about $400 and that includes the rotors. And that is covered by our 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty on labor and parts."You can trust these folks to tell you what and when you need to repair, at a lower price, and a superior nationwide warranty.

  Amielle Love
9 years ago
I was very impressed with both the customer service I received and the work that was done on my vehicle. I came in thinking that my broken down '98 Honda Civic was a lost cause, but it's running really nicely now and for what I feel is a reasonable price. Tayler was very responsive to all my questions and I felt like I was getting an HONEST appraisal of what was going on with my car (I've had terrible experiences at another repair shop in town - so this is super important). I will definitely be coming back! The only drawback was that it took a few days for the work to be done because Bernie's is so busy. Busy is a good thing, though, because it means lots of other folks like what they do as well!

  Shannon L
3 years ago
Be patient, these guys are busy but will take excellent care of your car. I left my car with them in case it could be serviced early (I couldn t drive it in it s state anyways) and they got to my car within the week. An estimate was given to me before any work was started and the next day I was able to pick up my car. Charlie is on the phones and he s solo up there so have a little patience when you call and if/when you drop your car off. Take a cold 6 pack when you pick up if so inclined. It s a hot, dirty job that these guys are doing and a cold beverage tip is always appreciated. Thanks guys!!

  Aidan Strein
4 years ago
I had the pleasure of meeting with Will, who had helped me figure out my check engine light problem. I had experienced a similar problem where the CEL came on, evap code popped up and clearing the code got me back on my way without any problems. The light came back on thousands of miles later, I tried to get a same day appointment before I had to drive back to Tacoma which wasn't possible due to them being full booked, understandable now based off of my experience. Will checked out my car, same code was read, he cleared the code and told me it should all be fine. It was a quick interaction, 5 minutes maybe, but Will's simple gesture was greatly appreciated during a very busy morning for the shop. Great example of customer service, I have since recommended Bernie's to others.

  Mitchell O'Brion
6 years ago
Bernie's Auto shop was the best car/customer service I've ever had.I looked on google for a good place that I could trust and found this little gem in Ballard. I walked in the door and Seeder (sorry for the spelling) greeted me and seemed to actually care about what I was saying. I had just gotten my oil change at the dealership and was not told much as to what was wrong with my car. I was just given large numbers for vague problems. Seeder on the other hand, walked me through what everything that was wrong from the inspection and told me what I should do and when I should do it. I felt like he was a human being and wasn't trying to squeeze a couple extra bucks out of me. They were honest and did a exceptional job and will have my business for as long as I'm in the Seattle area. Great work!

  Michael Carruth
4 years ago
Friendly. Transparent. Honest. Competent.I dropped off my 1990 Jeep Wrangler for a top to bottom inspection - it has been sitting idle for a while. The folks at Bernie's came back with a long list of needed repairs and then helped me prioritize what needed to be done ASAP, what I probably should do, and what I could do later. In the end, they got my Jeep running great again. Great folks. I'll be back.

  TK McCarty
8 years ago
First review I've ever written, but had to highlight the great service Bernie's Automotive offered me. I have built a bit of a franken-car and most mechanics won't touch it. Didn't have the time to put in my new axle and they didn't hesitate to help me out.Great group of people

  Romeo Kaiser
2 years ago
A mechanic you can trust! I ve taken both of my SUV s to Bernie s the last 7 years. They are professional, knowledgeable, and honest. Cedar is always a joy to work with. Thank you to all you guys at Bernie s !Services: General repairs & maintenance, Oil changeServices: General repairs & maintenance, Oil change

  Bryn Johnson
8 years ago
I send everyone I know to Bernie's! Almost two years ago I decided to purchase a early 90's Ford Bronco. I was referred to Bernie's by my mechanic at the time who only worked on imports (that alone says a lot). Since then, I've never regretted the choice of mechanic while I've occasionally regretted buying the Bronco. Will worked with me to do a thorough inspection pre purchase which helped me understand the costs of any future repairs and he has has been a great partner on quite a few repairs since then. He has patiently explained the repairs and personally stood behind his work. When I had an issue with a defective heater core they installed, he replaced it the same day at no cost. I expect to never take my truck anywhere else.

  Beth Rice
4 years ago
At 184,000 miles my Prius was in need of some serious repairs and the guys at Bernie s handled them beautifully. I m back on the road and gladly recommend their service. They explained what was going on with my car, what needed to be done, and then got it done. Many thanks guys!

  Kimberly Scholten
5 years ago
I always take my car here and the service has been exceptional every time. I came in last minute today because someone snapped my wiper blade and I was in an out of there in 10 minutes. They're helpful and informative on the phone and do a great job of explaining all your options.

  Chris Giordano
11 years ago
Being newer to the Ballard area I was skeptical of finding a new "go-to" mechanic since I had found a great one when I was in Everett. I was really pleased with their service and their willingness to help. Granted most companies should be like this, but most never are. These guys actually care. I had a control arm and axel snap on me meaning my car completely disabled. I had made an appointment the night before and then while driving it broke and I needed to get it towed to the shop. They kept me in the loop every step of the way and did what they could to keep the price as low as possible.I'll definitely go back and recommend other local friends, family, etc to check them out!

  Rachel Sidles
6 years ago
I ve never experienced such an honest, friendly, and thorough auto shop. They really treat you like a very valued customer, with fair prices, knowledgeable mechanics, and the highest quality of service I ve ever had. They have shuttle service to local residents, give you numerous bonus s like free car washes and discounts, and did I mention the fair prices and friendly staff? You won t find a better shop. I really can t say enough good things about this place, every time I go I m impressed by the quality of their service.

  An Nguyen
3 years ago
I was there for an oil change. They were very nice and able to squeeze me in with their busy schedule on last minute call. They did the oil change and check up your car as well. The price is a little bit pricer than the other place, but I think they provide good service. Will come back again and will update.Service: Oil changeService: Oil change

  Josh McGaffey
8 years ago
They have taken care of us better than any other mechanic I have had. From the roadside assistance to when things get messed up. Recently I had my car towed to their shop and the windshield busted while being towed by the tow truck company. Bernies reimbursed me for a new windshield even though it was technically not their fault. I know a bit about vehicles and they have never tried to run up the repairs. Both Will and Tayler are very helpful and provide great service.

  Tyler Maxfield
5 years ago
They messed up the alignment when I had them replace the rear breaks and drums. Took it back to get fixed. They told me it was test driven, and the noise was fixed. NOPE. After a few miles it was 10 times worse! Severe grinding and clunking. Taking it in for a THIRD time.... It appears to be fixed.At this point the manager got ahold of me. They got a new mechanic to redo the entire job. I appreciate the work they put in, I just wish the experience had gone more smoothly.

  Jake Mooney
7 years ago
Bernie's has become my family mechanic. The whole family brings everything from trucks to minivans, new cars to old rust buckets to Bernie's and they take care of it all. These guys are great, honest, and knowledgeable. I will be recommending them to everyone I know.

  Jaadi Marchant
6 years ago
Incredible service! On my first visit I went in to have my broken, side rear-view mirror looked at, and they repaired it on the spot and even buffed out a scratch on the side of my car. They did this all for free and wouldn't even take a tip! I was so impressed with the level of kindness and professionalism. I will definitely be going back for all of my future auto repairs.

  McKenzie Cienian
10 years ago
I have been taking my vehicles to Bernie's and only Bernie's for the past 8 years. I use them for everything from routine maintenance and oil changes, to major repairs and part replacements. They have always been honest and fair with pricing and estimants, and get my vehicle in and out of the shop quickly. Will and Patrick (the store managers) are the very personable and professional, whenever I call they remember exactly who I am, and have always been able to solve the "my car is making a funny noise" mysteries that I come to them with. I would reccomend Bernies to anybody.

  Jason Lien
4 years ago
Called in to check the price of new seals on my intake manifold. Easy job, should take about 1-1.5 hours. Chrysler website says this fix should cost between $250-350, including labor. Guy from this garage says impossible to give me a quote, is laughing, and told me to find another garage. I will. The guy didn t know I worked as a mechanic for a decade. I know he s giving me lies. Will never use them. DO NOT TRUST.

  Ky Huggins
11 years ago
Been loyal Bernie's customers for years. Girls attended Ballard High and Bernie's has let the school teams use their property on weekends for car washes. Good community citizens.Anyhoo...have had at least four cars worked on there over the years. I am very particular with parts, outcomes, communication and customer service. I'm less price sensitive, I guess.These guy have been great and gracious. Had to dump a whole lotta dough-re-mi into an aging Mitsubishi Montero. This vehicle had issues but it was the devil you know vs. the devil you don't (replacing it with another used vehicle). The car had a catastrophic failure (unrelated to the work they did) about four months later. They worked with me to fix that situation for minimal cost on my part.I've trusted them over the years and will continue to do so.

  John Hurr
11 years ago
Bernie's has been my mechanic for the past 5 years. Will is constantly working with me to save money and keep my car running. I've never had to second guess a repair or maintenance service. I recommend this place to everyone in the Seattle area.