I brought my Outback that approaches 100,000 miles to Jim for service. Everything that I could verify was done badly or not done at all. Details: He flushed the radiator, but the coolant reservoir was completely empty the next day. He overfilled the engine oil. He didn't check the PCV valve. I swapped it the next day, and the valve was completely clogged. This $20 easily replaceable part can cause a lot of trouble to your engine and should have been checked during the service. Jim didn't mention it and didn't check it. He didn't flush brake fluid. When I asked him why, he said, "it's a waste of money". I measured water content in break fluid and it was in the red. I took it to a different mechanic, they said break fluid was dirty and in need of immediate replacement. The rear break pads were gone. Breaks were listed on Jim's invoice as checked. I had to swap them at the other mechanic. So everything that I could check didn't check out. Use at your own risk. read more

My experience at Askim's yesterday was exemplary continue to be a customer for many years. My radiator hose burst in the morning and by the time I was able to get the the shop, Jim had already gone and picked up the replacement hose. Most people would have just replaced the hose and sent me on my way but Jim was determined to find out why this would happen as it is not a common occurrence. He seemed to take it very personally and of time until he finally got to the cause which was a stuck thermostat that he said he had never seen all the years he's worked on . It took a while for him to but he went the extra mile to find the cars and fix it and only charge me for the parts. Askim's auto Works displays qualities that are rare in businesses these days: competence, efficiency, and ethics. read more

Jim Askim went above and beyond to diagnose and repair a 2015 Subaru Forester. The wheel bearings were grinding and it wasn't clear which wheel needed repair. Jim drove the car extensively and located the broken wheels which he repaired at a cost roughly half what the local dealership wanted. read more

Quick and easy! Jim attended my Subie with care. I look forward to the next time, which he promises will be a big one!

I was there for the firs time today. Jim is very approachable and easy going. He even talked me out of spending money I didn't have to. That's a car mechanic to keep! read more

Jim is the best; explains everything, including what was wrong and the cost breakdown.

Jim Askim is the best auto mechanic I have ever encountered. He is honest, skilled, and precise. Jim is also frank in any transaction. You always know where you stand, the true condition of your car, and the costs involved in a repair. He is sharp of mind and humorous, too. A few times, I found myself smiling well into the day about some observation or pun or allusion he casually mentioned during our discussion of a repair in the morning. You can't go wrong by working with Jim Askim. read more

Jim has taken care of my Subaru and my previous Subaru. Trust yours to him he is fantastic!

Jim and his team always provide outstanding customer service. they are friendly, responsive and get the job done. They provide quality work for a very competitive price. read more

Jim is awesome! I just needed him to check a light and he squeezed me in and fixed the problem quickly. He is skilled and efficient, always. I appreciated all that he has done for my cars over the many years I've been a Subaru owner. Thanks Jim! read more

Previously serviced my Crosstrek at the dealer. Jim was super helpful, honest and fair. I will be bringing my Subaru there in the future. Thank you! read more

I'm so happy a friend recommended Jim Askim for my Subaru Outback. I'd been taking my car to the dealership for service, but I got tired of them gouging me! read more

Jim does a great job. Very knowledgeable and his through inspection gives you confidence in the vehicle and let's you know what to expect for future maintenance. read more

Jim and team was great. Fast, friendly, and fair priced. He was able to get me in for an oil change quickly and work around my schedule. He discussed what might be needed next time and asked to review any past service records to make sure he does what is needed and not what isn't next time. They even looked up the carfax report to try to see past history of service to same me time if I can't find the paperwork. read more

Askim's Auto Works is the best place for your Subaru maintenance. Jim Askim provides excellent service, customer service, quality workmanship and appointments are easy to make. I discovered Askim's Auto Works from another satisfied Subaru owner. I would never take my Outback anywhere else. read more

really honest and helpful. saved me a lot of money by telling me I didnt need to get anything fixed on an old car. He also put oil in the car and charged me only for a quart of oil read more

Great customer service . Very knowledgeable manager who will go the extra mile to ensure the job is done correctly read more

Jim and crew have Subarus down to a science. He took good care of a used one we got for my son and now we take our 2019 there. I typically wait for minor services which is very convenient. I like the way he does what is needed and is honest and friendly. Pricing is right and we'll be back for bigger service intervals in the future. Always easy to get an appointment at a time good for us. read more

perfect as always value is great quality service Jim is the best and his assistant is always so nice reliable and is a local best

Been hearing of Askim's for years. Finally a bit of impersonal, slow and expensive service at Dealership forced me give them a try. Everything was true and more. Easy, quick and personal service. If you own a Subaru and haven't tried Askim's, you don't know what you are missing! read more

I have been taking our gaggle of Subarus to Jim for years now - I LOVE HIM! As a single Mom I feel so safe and confident when Jim works on my Son's Subarus as well as my own! He is SO HONEST - and helps in all ways possible - even to send a problem to Marin Subaru because it was still 'under warrantee'...He definitely got a lovely bottle of wine from me for that solid call! He is the type of mechanic I look forward to seeing - because he is so nice! Jim Askim is a Subaru owners Best Friend! Best Mechanic in Marin! read more

Wanted to try to resuscitate James, my 2003 Forester @ 258,000 miles. James died on me and I had him towed to Jim @ Askim's, where I bought him 10 years ago @108,000 miles. Got the call today... James "isn't worth repairing" "Can't live with myself fixing it and then a major thing happens in 4 months" per Jim. I fully appreciate Jim's honesty. Jim realizes that old Foresters are great cars, and 21 years is a damn good life. So, off James goes to be donated. Thanks for the memories: Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Tahoe, and lots of other places. Thanks again Jim/Askim's - you're the best! read more

On June 26, 2022, I was driving off road and hit an unexpected rut, then a bit later hit a rock. I could tell something was wrong with my car, it was clunking and I got it home, but it smelled like burning oil/rubber. The transmission would Clang when I put it in gear and at low speed. On 6-27-22 I had it towed to Askim Auto. I told the above to Jim. He called me later and said I had a broken transmission mount, that he ordered the part and it would be in the next day. I asked how much and he said he didn't know, that he didn't ask. The next day he called and said "The plot thickens, they sent the wrong part and the part was on national back order for two months. Do you have some friends that want to call around?" I said what about salvage? He said - OH - hold on, let me call you right back. 4 Minutes later he called back and said he found one! But it would not be available until after the holiday weekend on July 5. So my guy friends called around and found some, but after market. I called Jim to tell him this. He said: "My guy went to great lengths to get you this part for you!" and he didn't want to use after market. I said Ok, you're the expert. He also said my car was fine to drive. That he drove it to the parts store and it was fine. He said: "Why don't you pick it up and enjoy your holiday weekend? Just don't drive it off road, but you could drive it like that for a year. Honestly, it's fine. " I was concerned about causing more damage, Jim said: "I'm 99.99% sure it's safe to drive and that you won't cause any further damage. Don't worry about it. Just have fun!" So I picked up my car and was still concerned about driving it, but did because I was told it was safe. I didn't go anywhere except for absolute necessity because despite his assurance the car was fine, it felt Wrong. I dropped it off 7-5-22 at 6:50 am. Jim said it should be done by noon for sure. He called me later and said "The plot thickens. You have a broken motor mount. I had to special order the part, it will be here tomorrow. I started to ask a question, he cut me off and said "I don't know how much, I didn't ask, I just know you need it." He said it now was not safe to drive. He also said: "You know, I never even looked under the hood" The next day he said the car was ready. Yes, I was Very upset. Jim put me and the public in harms way and also potential further damage to my car by "not looking under the hood". I had an apt with a new mechanic. When I arrived to get my car, he said, "There she is!! Let me show you something, and was guiding me to the broken mounts on the work bench. I wanted to know why he told me he was 99.99% sure my car was safe to drive and sent me out on the highway when he also told never looked under the hood. He tried to talk in circles several times, but I stood my ground repeating my question, eventually he said: "I saw the broken transmission mount right away and just figured that was it." Me: So you looked at nothing else?? I cannot understand this behavior from a so called professional. He said he was just trying to help me. By telling me my car was safe when he didn't even look under the hood? I asked three times for him to show me what he wanted to. He said, "I deserve to be treated like a human and with respect" I said I feel like I was not treated with respect when you told me come get your car it's safe when you never even looked at it!! He said he was going to give me a discounted rate of $590. I said I wanted an itemized bill. I wanted to see the receipts for the parts to verify they were factory and his hourly rate to verify that's what his other customers get. He said: "If that's the way you feel, then leave. You don.' pay anything just leave." I said "OK" Took the car to a new mechanic. They told me that was Jim replaced was a broken Snubber mount. Jim attached the new Subber to a broken subrame. He said the subrame was not just cracked, but completely broken hanging down 1.5 inches and I also had broken motor mounts. Yep - your reputation will speak for itself! read more

A night and day difference from the Marin Subaru dealership! Jim diagnosed the problem over the phone, gave me an honest quote, fixed the car in the same day, and it cost 1/3 what the dealer quoted me. read more

A friend recommended this place to us. We had brought our Subaru to the dealership in San Rafael (from which we had bought it a few years ago) previously , but with mixed results. At Askim's, I had an appointment first thing on a Monday morning. He got to it immediately--I had time to take a brisk walk over across the train tracks and over toward the highway, stopping for a couple of burritos. It took about an hour for an oil change, tail-light replacement, and a couple of other small things. The bill was about what I expected, which wasn't bad. We'll be bringing the car here from now on. read more

I need to reiterate once again what an amazing shop this is. The last time I brought my car in for an oil change, Jim actually put a used brake pad in for me to extend the life of my brakes by 10,000 miles. He also cut a hanging plastic piece off of the bottom of my vehicle so it wouldn't scrape the road. I had been zip tying it up and frantically scrounging for the money to cover the expense of getting a new plastic cover and replacing my brake pads. Especially so close to the holidays. I have never met a mechanic who would do either of these things and certainly if I took my car to an auto body shop, they'd immediately want to replace the cover and up charge me triple or more for the part alone. What I appreciate about Jim is he genuinely cares about your safety on the road. It's so obvious he does what he does because he cares about people and wants to lend a hand. I will never take my car anywhere else and nor should you. I've been to many mechanics over the years and Jim is the best one out there. Plus, he knows Subaru's like nobodies business and Subaru's are in a league of their own. If you have a Subaru, this is the place. read more

Great service! Overall great people to work with. Relieved I have a place to take my car that is fair, honest, and legit. I highly recommend Askim's Auto Works!!! read more

I highly recommend Askim's for any Subaru owner. Jim is very honest, fair priced and communicative. Great local business!

Jim has been the best Subaru mechanic I've ever been to. Can't recommend him enough - and I've recommended him a lot, to subsequent happy customers. read more

Askim was awesome. He knows Subaru in and out. Friendly and expert service with a smile.

I dropped by with what I thought were several Subaru specific problems. Jim road-tested my car, then put it up on his lift, and then looked under the hood. His conclusion: no problems, no charge. Thanks, Jim! read more

I just bought my used Subaru. It had some problems. Jim diagnosed all aspects including the scheduled service that was due. I compared his prices with Marin Subaru, and Jim's was the best price. He gave me a schedule for the job and delivered both price and timing as promised. A great experience and I will use Askim's for all my car's future needs. Highly recommend. read more

We went to Askim's for a tire rotation and adjustment on our 2015 Subaru Forester. Jim offered to do a minor service (well-check) and found we needed new front tires instead of a tire rotation. The evident honesty and integrity are appreciated. We will be back. read more

Second experience working with Jim on some more repairs to keep my car in great running shape while I shop for a new one. Jim called me to double check it was OK to move forward on the larger repairs. I ended up paying within a couple of dollars of the quoted price, and he got my car done in under a day. Very happy and would recommend again. If you have a Subaru and need an expert to work on it, Askims is worth the trip even if you don't live close by. read more

Jim and his staff are the best. As someone that knows nothing about cars, Jim's communication, reliability, and quality of service are second to none. read more

Car repair is like one activity behind calling the IRS on my list of things I would rather stab myself through the eyeball than deal with. I bought a used Subaru 6 months ago knowing that it had a slow oil leak and would eventually need to be fixed. Now that it's mid-June and I have finally filed my taxes, it was time to deal with the oil leak. The Subie wasn't happy and I was starting to have gear-shifting issues, too. I brought it into Askim's with trepidation, and was pleasantly surprised to discover a fair, reliable, easy-to-deal with mechanic. He replaced the clutch with a used one that he just happened to have on his lot, and fixed the leak too, for about half of what I had previously been quoted on the leak alone. He turned it around in a half a day and could not have made the experience more painless. read more

I'm bummed. All these great reviews, and mine's the opposite. I guess that's why I didn't post this a year-and-a-half ago, when it happened. Or maybe it's because I felt like a fool, and just wanted to block the whole experience out of my head. The problem: my Subaru Outback wagon developed a periodic loss-of power while driving. Not enough to create a danger... just enough to make you think the next time it COULD be a real danger. Plus it would rev at stop lights. Sometimes. Really weird. I didn't trust the Subaru dealership in San Rafael, so took it to Askims AutoWorks. Jim had it for days, and when I called to pick it up, Jim said (I wrote this down) "I'm going to be beyond kind. I probably have 8 hours of justifiable billing - like a thousand bucks - in this." I was billed - I don't have that receipt handy - something like $680. Maybe $720. The paperwork had all sorts of work documented on it. And a statement that there was no guarantee that the car was fixed. Well, that part was right. I phoned Jim a day later, stating that the problems still existed. he said to bring it back. I did, and left it with him for... jeez - it might have been a few weeks! Turns out he had passed the car over to another mechanic up the block, who was working on it when HE had time. This was a weird situation. I went up and took the car back. The owner of the second auto shop was charming, but the problem still wasn't fixed. I then took the car to the San Rafael Subaru dealership, and they got it fixed. Not the first time, but they DID get it fixed. Askim got something like $700 from me, and I got nothing for that. Did Askim make money off of me? I have to believe not. I'm sure that he wishes that he never saw my car. I guess that's why I didn't write a bad review a year ago. But is this isn't a one-star experience, I don't know what is... read more

Jim is very thorough, his initial inspection of your car will uncover more than you may want to know. He is also very honest. In my case the repairs on my car were probably going to be close to what the car is worth and he suggested I consider trading it in. A less honest mechanic would have lowballed the initial estimate and then let the bill grow as new problems were "discovered" and made a ton of money in the process. He lost a job but gained a lifelong customer. I wish more people still used this old school business model. read more

I've been going to Jim for over a year. Before I went to Askim I was ready to retire my 18 year old Subaru Outback. Now the car runs better than ever. Jim is an honest mechanic who does great work. read more

I found out about this place from here on yelp..I am really picky on who works on my WRX..My brakes went out while i was driving so i pulled in and Jim was there to help right away. Even though he was busy on other cars he fixed my car right away. Turns out he knew my Dad from past times. I asked jim how long he has been working on Subarus for and he said "38 years" I had a 5 star experience and i would reccommend Askim's to anyone no matter the make or model... read more