34th Street Garage - Seattle

Great customer service, quick service, and very straight forward. Called ahead and dropped my car off 10 minutes later. Grant called me about 2 hours later with the cost estimates and updates. Picked up the car 30 minutes later. I got the SPRING SERVICE SPECIAL 2026 (BLENDED OIL) for $164.72 total, WHICH INCLUDED: * REPLACE ENGINE OIL WITH SYNTHETIC BLEND OIL (UP TO 5 QRTS) * REPLACE OIL FILTER (EUROPEAN STYLE EXTRA) * BATTERY TEST * COOLING SYSTEM INSPECTION * TIRE ROTATION (AS NEEDED) * 49 POINT BUMPER TO BUMPER VEHICLE INSPECTION * CHECK AND SET TIRE PRESSURE

On 4/30/26, I brought in my 2016 BMW X5 for a free AAA inspection. They advised me to complete a list of services totaling $3,832.41, and I trusted them and had the following services done: cabin filter replacement, full oil change, spark plugs & ignition coil replacement, platinum fuel/air induction, automatic remission flush service, differential service (front and rear), transfer case, and brake system flush. I also attached my invoice. On 6/1/26 (a month later), I noticed a burning rubber smell and smoke coming out of the hood of my car, so I brought my car back on 6/3/26. They diagnosed a stage 4-5 oil leak from the valve cover area that was leaking onto the exhaust, and they quoted another $1,606.45 to replace the valve cover with an aftermarket part (URO aka a lower quality part). I asked Grant if this leak could have been missed during the initial inspection, since the leak was serious enough to cause visible smoke and seemed unlikely to develop out of nowhere in such a short distance. He had replied he doesn’t have an 8 ball and can’t read into the future, and that it was normal wear and tear. During my initial inspection, they knew my car was hitting 10 years and asked me to replace and service all the other stuff totaling almost $4k but not the one part that would leak 1 month later? Sure, you can’t predict the future, but how likely is it for a valve cover to completely crack and cause a Stage 4-5 oil leak onto my exhaust after 700 more miles? Another thing that really concerns me: Grant’s findings report stated that I had returned for an engine oil leak inspection "approximately 1,200 miles" after the prior service. My actual invoice shows 56,571 miles on 4/30/26, and my odometer read 57,283 miles on 6/3/26, so the difference is 712 miles, not 1,200. Please see attached pictures. I don’t know how this discrepancy happened, but it’s the kind of easy-to-fact-check detail that makes me question the accuracy of their documentation. It also made me not trust their work so I took my car to BMW Seattle and paid for the valve cover replacement with factory original (OEM) parts instead. At least my money spent came with a peace of mind Why am I writing this? To save you an expensive mistake. I trusted the knowledge of Grant and Logan and approved every service they identified on my initial inspection and paid ~$4k only to have a stage 4-5 oil leak 1 month and 712 miles later (not 1,200 miles per the report). I'd encourage anyone considering this shop to ask detailed questions and consider a second opinion before approving large repair bills. 7/13/26 My response to the owners: I can explain why I declined. I did initially authorize the repair, but then I found my 4/30/26 invoice and discovered your shop’s significant mileage inaccuracy on it. I could no longer trust your shop to continue working on my car. If the accuracy of an easily verifiable fact like odometer mileage cannot be relied upon in your documentation, how could I confidently approve further repairs based on the same documentation? I'm also glad I went to BMW Seattle, who replaced it using a factory original part, not an after-market part you offered. You acknowledged the documentation error with the mileage. But you have not explained HOW it happened. The correct mileage was readily available on an invoice from your own shop. A discrepancy of nearly 500 miles doesn't result from rounding. In addition, your shop recommended and performed 9 services in 1 day on my 10-year-old BMW. Yet somehow, you missed the valve cover, which is one of the most well-documented failure items on the N55 engine at this age. This was something you explained to me yourself when you were justifying how the cover could leak so soon after the initial inspection. You also never provided a sensible explanation on how a Stage 4-5 leak develops from nothing in 712 miles. If the thoroughness of the inspection justified almost $4,000 in services, your inspection should have been thorough enough to catch a failing valve cover.

This place has great feedback, and I really want to like it because it seems like a nice neighborhood mechanic. They are kind people, but I always leave with the feeling that I am being taken advantage of. They told me my previous toyota needed $10k worth of work for it to be driveable. All it needed was a new transmission belt and they quoted over $2k. Instead I went to a mechanic in queen anne that charged half that and told me I had no other serious issues. The next week my car made it on a cross country road trip without any issues. More recently, I was charged $500 for an inspection, oil change and for them to put on my all-season tires. They also tried to get me to sign off on unnecessary work, like replacing my 3 month old sparkplugs and prematurely replacing my brake pads/rotors. At this point I am going to start taking my car somewhere else. Like I said, they seem like nice people, but after 3-4 visits I can't shake the feeling that I am being overcharged or pressured into unnecessary work.

Updating my review to 3 stars. After my original experience, Grant reached out directly and was willing to work with me to make things right. He honored the original signed price and turned the work around quickly. He also felt strongly enough about replacing the spark plugs that he offered to do that portion at no charge, which I appreciated. My initial experience still had some frustrating moments, particularly around pricing changes after signing the estimate. The biggest downside was that it took me picking up the car and posting a public review before someone stepped in to resolve the situation. That said, Grant’s willingness to take ownership and follow through has helped rebuild some trust. I’m open to continuing to use the shop and would be willing to increase my rating further if future visits are consistently positive and transparent. ***ORIGINAL REVIEW*** Would strongly recommend finding another shop. I brought my car here hoping to switch to a mechanic close to home for a check-engine light diagnosis. The staff was friendly at first, but the experience steadily deteriorated, and I ultimately left without authorizing any work. The diagnosis took almost 24 hours longer than originally promised. When I did receive a quote, it included a $99 “bumper-to-bumper inspection” that I had explicitly declined. They removed it only after I pointed it out. They also recommended replacing spark plugs that had been installed recently. When I questioned this, they said they “didn’t trust the brand” and wanted to install their own parts—despite the plugs being new. I declined. Most concerning: after I accepted several line items and signed a contract for the quoted price, they called the next day to say the work could not be done for that amount and that the cost would be higher. The revised estimate doubled. At that point, I chose to pick up my car and go elsewhere. Between unexpected charges, questionable recommendations, and changing pricing after a signed estimate, I would not feel comfortable bringing my vehicle back here.

As usual, the people at 34th Street Garage nailed it. They quickly diagnosed what was wrong (and it wasn't what I had originally thought - and MUCH less expensive :). The turned it around quickly, and were very honest about what I really needed now vs what I needed over the next year. I have trusted them for 15 years, and they have never let me down.