34th Street Garage

Carla’s review reflects Genes hose job to Keely, go here at your own risk.

Our family has been a customer of 34^th Street Garage for many years. During those years, we had three kids driving and extra kids with used cars; a neighborhood garage like 34^th Street really kept me sane. We are truly satisfied with all of the repairs/​maintenance on our vehicles over the years. Gene backs up his work and always goes the extra mile to make something right. I really appreciate his honesty and straightforward style. There is no BS with Gene! I recommend this garage and Gene/​Kai to anyone who asks about car repair.
Lat year I stopped by in my old truck and mentioned to Kai that my canopy access was difficult since a control rod had disconnected from the canopy door handle. He asked to take a look, went in the shop, added a pop rivet and I was good to go at no charge.
A couple of weeks ago, I drove by 34^th Street and saw a Tacoma for sale. Well, the short story is that I upgraded from my ’98 Tacoma to a 2004 Tacoma Crew Cab! I could not be happier. This truck handles better, has leather HEATED seats, low miles and is just a more feminine version of my old ’98 Tacoma. With the extensive repairs/​maintenance and new wheels/​tires added by 34^th Street, I added a red aluminum canopy which is perfect for the dogs. My annual cross-​country trips will be a dream in this truck.
I also own a Mini Cooper and a ’91 Honda CRX. Other family members own: 2010 Subaru, 2013 Subaru and a 2005 Toyota Corolla. Gene, Kai and 34^th Street Garage keep ‘em all running!

You must read this review before you go here! These people are crooks, here’s why:
Took in 2004 Toyota Tacoma to be looked at, thought there might be a gas leak.
Shop owner claims there is $ 4000 worth of rust damage, and not salvageable.
We try to barter, see what’s possible we don’t want to lose our truck!
Owner «generously» offers us $ 6,500 to «take it off our hands».
We struggle with the decision, know the vehicle is worth more, but can’t seem to find a solution that won’t end up costing us more than we are prepared to pay. Maybe we just live with the damage or figure out how afford the repairs?
Owner tells us, «it will have a nice home, his daughter is going to drive it, take good care of it, and needs a dependable car, and since he’s a mechanic, can fix the rust damage without the labor costs». Heartstrings pulled, in many directions, so we make the deal.
3 weeks later… our truck, new tires, new rims, and a FOR SALE sign in the window.
We call, could this possibly be our truck that was supposed to go to his young daughter, her first vehicle to make memories in, as our family did???
NOPE — «I’m taking $ 18,900 out the door, it’s worth $ 20,000, but I’m trying to get rid of it».
Unreal. This guy is a heartless criminal, taking advantage of people’s good faith and trust. Selling lies and telling you he’s doing the admirable thing. Go anywhere BUT here.
ZERO stars.

Kai is the man! I got towed in due to an electrical issue 1 hour before close and he was able to have my car running in 15 minutes :) this shop will not rip you off and they have your best interest in mind. My car is a subaru and they seem to know a lot about these cars. Definitely coming back for all my mechanical needs!

I honestly don’t know cars that well, so I didn’t quite know what to make of the initial quote for brake pads, rotors, and a serpentine belt, which I had requested. Along with these services, Kai also noted that I needed several other things (sooner rather than later). I was shocked by the total cost and requested that only the most necessary services be completed. That said, I have never had my car serviced at a reputable mechanic’s (bad idea), and when I returned to pick up my car, Kai thoroughly outlined the services that had been done along with the list of what should be done in the future. Yes, I experienced sticker shock, but I also realized that it’s important to have your car serviced at a reputable place! There were some very concerning issues with my car that would have been noticed earlier, had I not solely relied on places like JiffyLube to take care of everything. I assume that because they are a small garage, labor will cost a bit more than the «big guys.» Nevertheless, it’s worth it to be driving a safe car for a little more money.

I had an oil change done here ($ 45). During their complimentary inspection, they found a hole in a tire caused by an embedded nail whose head had worn off. They patched the hole and rotated the wheels ($ 33). We had noticed that the one back tire needed air more often, but hadn’t thought too much about it since it was never close to getting flat. They also replaced the air-​filter and I’m not sure they even charged labour for putting in that part, just the $ 17 for the filter.
When it came time to pay, Kai asked if I had received their coupon in the mail and I said I saw it but didn’t have it with me. He gave me the $ 10 discount anyways.
This is a small, friendly, independent garage and I hope they stay in business for many years. It is great to find a professional garage you can trust to keep your best interests at heart.

My car had been having issues for a long time, and when I took it in to Kai, he took care of everything. Service was fast and affordable (especially for a college student) and my car is happy. Thanks so much!

As an out-​of-​towner, I was nervous when my car broke down in Seattle. Since I was near the garage, I had them check it out. They patched it up for me enough to get it home without worry, and didn’t even charge me anything for it. Really great folks.

I like having a local garage where the technicians treat me right. I like knowing that I can trust my auto mechanics who tell me when I need work and when I don’t. I like having a locally owned business in my neighborhood. I take my car here for oil changes and major transmission work. They’re great!

I’m delayed in writing this but just had to give Gene/​34^th St Garage some love. Back in October 2013 I was on a massive road trip when I did something that completely blew my manual transmission. Other garages rushed me off the phone when they realized I wanted information and might not make an appointment right away, but when Gene answered the phone his friendly demeanor immediately put me at ease and he said, «Sure thing! Bring it in today and I’ll take a look for you.» He got in the car with me immediately when I brought it over, and as I drove and described the issue he thought out loud about what might be going on, but emphasized he wouldn’t know till actually opening the car up. It could have been something pretty cheap or pretty expensive.
Unfortunately I had done irreparable damage and needed about the most expensive repair there is… a complete transmission replacement. To help lower the cost, Gene researched used gear boxes as an alternative to a new one and he helped me decide that used was the way to go (the new one would have been over TWICE the cost!). The ideal part he found was located on the east coast, so then there was a waiting game for it to be shipped/​arrive.
I took the car in to Gene on a Friday, and that same day he diagnosed it, spoke with me, and ordered the part. We didn’t know if it’d get there by the following week or not, but it arrived Friday morning and he prioritized my car RIGHT away, knowing that I wanted to continue on my road trip! I was SO thankful to be in good, honest hands, with someone who clearly takes pride in his work and expertise, as well as who tries to give you the best value. Also — the end cost was about $ 100 less than the estimate, which is spot-​on for a multi-​thousand dollar fix!
I don’t live in Seattle, but if I did I would go nowhere else. I HIGHLY recommend this place. THANK YOU Gene!

I recently took my Xtera here for new tires and an oil change. The guys were very friendly and knowledgeable. They took the time to explain to me why I didn‘t need four new tires (only two) and how they could tell that I took good care of my car.
I went in expecting to be up sold and came out having spent half what I had planned on. I‘m also feeling pretty awesome about my ability to take care of my vehicle! I‘ll never go anywhere else. These are my «car guys»!

The 34^th Street Garage is, literally, as good as it gets! Gene is the personable owner, and has been in the business for 40 years. His staff are equally professional and friendly. I’ve only taken my car in a couple of times, but the prices are more than reasonable and the service extraordinary.
I had a flat tire today (of course, with a very busy day in front of me). Gene took my tire and said to come back in about an hour. I came back, and not only did he fix it, but he had one of his staff members put it on for me, and also put my spare back securely in its home in the trunk.
When I pulled out my credit card, he waived me off and said it was a no-​charge service. A… what!!! A what-charge…what?!? Was I in some alternate world where Congress does their job and mechanics are not just great, but generous too? My mouth dropped so wide open that I’m surprised I didn’t catch a couple of flies.
He saw my look of shock, and explained that he didn’t like nickel and diming his customers to death, and considered flat tires to just be par for the course in keeping his customers happy. Well, he was dead-​on with that theory, and I made a car maintenance appointment on the spot. And if I ever, EVER have to have my car repaired I will go nowhere else as long as he is in business. And you should too.

I’ve been meaning to write a review for 34^th St for over a year! Kai and Gene (guessing at the spelling, sorry if it’s incorrect) are thoroughly pleasant to work with and my car is always well taken care of. They are honest and good at what they do – they’ve even prevented me from paying for unnecessary services that a chain store had been trying to sell me. As my car gets older I will have to rely more and more upon the knowledge and honesty of my car mechanic and I am glad to have found 34^th Street Garage. Even though I have moved from Magnolia to West Seattle, they are still my preferred service shop.

Had a coupon for an oil change… since it’s in my neighborhood, decided to give them a try. Took my car in… was told when I made the appointment that it would take 1 ½ hours…3 hours after taking my car in, I get a phone call from a VERY RUDE man telling me «your battery miserably failed the test». I said, «I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about». He says, «your battery is about to die, you have probably noticed your car starting slowly and in this cold weather, your battery is going to die any day now», I say «no I have not noticed that, the battery is fairly new, I don’t need anything done to the battery at this time, thank you», he says «ok, bye», I say «wait a minute, is my car done?», he says «um, yea, of course.»…REALLY, he could NOT have been any ruder! I have had the battery checked since… IT IS COMPLETELY FINE!!! Not only did it take twice as long to change my oil as they said it would… they literally tried to scam me into getting a new battery when I didn’t need one! I will NEVER bring my car back there and I will make sure everyone I know in the neighborhood is aware of this! BEWARE!!!

Gene had to fire the fellow who took over for him and is now back in Magnolia trying to straighten things out. I believe the other guy overcharged people or charged them unnecessarily. Anyway, he’s trying hard to get back on track to the good reputation he earned over many years. He helped us out in the snow storm and did it free of charge (which he shouldn’t have). It was really nice given the pinch we were in and supported his efforts in trying to regain customers’ trust and satisfaction. Anyway, we’ve always had good luck with him.

The men that work at this shop are honest and helpful. It reminds me of a time when people did nice things because it was the right thing to do. Thanks for doing a great job on my oil change and rotating my tires. You went above and beyond by getting price quotes for a new set of tires. thanks guys!

They are always friendly and fast and have a coupon for my oil change. When I brought my filthy car in for an oil change they even washed it for me!!!

I enthusiastically give this shop 5 stars for quality of service, timeliness, appropriateness of pricing, and fantastic customer service.
Based on prior experience, I never expected the amount of work we were having done to be completed in one day – but it was. Now, a week later, I have been pleasantly surprised by a follow-​up call from the shop to see how the car is running and to gauge our satisfaction with their service. So awesome!
I highly recommend this shop and wish them all the best for their business.

We’re new to the area, so I only recently used the 34^th St. Garage for the first time. I took our late ’90’s minivan in for some service before we went on an extended trip.
They were able to work me in the same day I called and finished the all the work by 4 in the afternoon. They addressed the problems we went in for — an electrical problem and worn brakes — with no trouble. And the price for the work seemed reasonable.
They also identified a few additional problems with the car. Given that we have not owned the vehicle for long and that it has more than 100K miles on it, we were not surprised by some of these suggested repairs. While it was not fun to pay the bill that ensued, the car is running better than ever.
I only give 4 stars rather than 5 because I want to use them a few more times before I give that strong a review, but so far I am pleased with the service I’ve received.