Had a absolutely wonderful experience here after someone side swiped my poor car whilst I was at work. They worked with my insurance company and rental company seamlessly - I could even drop the rental off with them when my car was ready to avoid the extra trip. My car was ready three days earlier then promised and under budget. And the repair looks great! Ryan stayed in contact with updates and was super professional and helpful. Hopefully I never need them again, but any future dings or smashes will definitely end up in their capable hands read more

If zero stars was an option...Our insurance company sent us to this shop to repair our gas tank after someone drilled a hole in it. What should have been a straightforward repair turned into one of the most frustrating and incompetent service experiences I've ever had. When we picked up our truck, they had already made multiple mistakes. They forgot to reinstall the mud flaps and returned the truck with the check engine light on. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were told not to worry because it would go away after a few driving cycles. It didn't.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We called and were told to bring it back for diagnostics. After driving across town, we arrived only to be told their diagnostic equipment wasn't working and that we would have to come back another day. That was just the beginning. On our third trip, they kept the truck for an entire week. Their solution was to replace the gas cap and once again tell us to "just drive it" until the check engine light eventually turned off. It never did. They also reinstalled the mud flaps, but somehow managed to put only one of the originals back on. The other mud flap was a completely different color, as if they hoped we wouldn't notice. When the check engine light was still on, we made a fourth trip back. This time they claimed their scanner wasn't finding anything, so they had someone with a "more powerful scanner" check it. That scanner found fault codes, but instead of fixing the problem, they admitted they couldn't determine the cause and told us to take the truck somewhere else. At that point, it felt like they had already been paid by the insurance company and simply didn't want to spend any more time correcting their own work. Because they refused to finish the repair, we had to pay another shop out of pocket since our insurance would not authorize another diagnostic inspection. That second shop identified and fixed the problems within a week. They found loose gas tank straps, a missing O ring between the fuel pump and the tank, and fuel tank hoses that had not been properly connected or clamped. These were basic installation errors that should never have left the original shop. This ordeal dragged on for two months and involved four trips across town, missed work, countless phone calls, unnecessary expenses, and an unbelievable amount of wasted time. The lack of organization, quality control, and attention to detail was staggering. Returning a vehicle with multiple unfinished or incorrectly completed repairs is unacceptable, and refusing to stand behind the work only made the experience worse. I would never trust this shop with another vehicle, and I would strongly recommend that anyone considering using them take their business elsewhere. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]TOTAL LACK OF COMMUNICATION, WEEKS LONG DELAYS[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I took my car in for a minor paint job, no dent, no buckling, paint barely scratched - clearly no body damage. Should take 1-2 days. It's been 9 days and I still don't have my car. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I asked 3 people and the automated text ai how long the paint job would take - all 4 refused to give me any sort of timeline.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When I called after 3 days to see if it was ready, I was told it would be 2-5 WEEKS because they had dismantled my bumper and didn't have the parts to put it back together. And no, I couldn't now pick it up. It's been 9 days and they refuse to return my vehicle claiming they don't have the parts to put it back together. They have made absolutely no effort to quickly source the parts and flat out refuse to provide me with a parts list so I can source them myself. I have no eta on when my car will be ready. This is completely inexcusable. This isn't someone having a bad day or legitimate problems or delays. read more

My insurance company scheduled me an appointment at this location for 10:30 am. I received multiple confirmation texts from CARSTAR confirming date and time. [[HIGHLIGHT]]When I arrived, I was told that I do not have an appointment. I showed the front desk the text confirmation emails I received and they confirmed that it was sent by them, but still, I had no appointment.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]She then looked again and informed me I was actually scheduled for 2:30 pm and their scheduling system was broken.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She then let me know that my 2:30 appointment was also made in error as they don't have any availability then to assist. Terrible experience and no remorse from staff for their error and no attempt to accommodate. read more

Horrible service. Was told my vehicle would be fixed in two weeks. They then proceeded to take an extra two weeks without providing updates of why it was taking so long. Will not be coming back. read more

Had my vintage jag fixed up here and I'm amazed at the quality of work. They finished the job in 3 days too!! If you need collision repair come talk to David, he's the best!! read more

Would give 0 stars if I could. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Scheduled an appt they called and said their appointment system was broken and I couldn't book for 2 weeks[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the woman on the phone was SO RUDE TO ME I was genuinely apalled.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Fix your scheduling system people are relying on you to fix their damn cars. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Scheduled an appt and the next day was told they had to reschedule me. Said scheduling system is broken and shows a lot more open than they are.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Sure OK. Talk about getting Paintless Dent Repair (PDR). Told they dont offer it. Mention website says they offer PDR. Well, they "do" but its subcontracted, and done offsite. Yeah, no thanks, have a feeling they'd overcharge on a small ding so I bailed. Fix your scheduler and update your website thanks. read more

No one answers the phone, no one calls you back... Disclaimer: This shop MAY do great repairs. This review is only for the intake/front office aspect. I appreciate that "everyone" is busy and short-staffed (I guess). We were referred to CARSTAR by State Farm. Multiple phone calls went unanswered and we received zero returned phone calls over a period of 3 days. Finally, I went to the shop in person, where a polite person was manning the reception desk, clearly "at work" and maybe even "working." I was told that I could not even make an appointment for an ESTIMATE until the paperwork was received from State Farm. After the estimate was completed, the repairs would take 6-8 weeks! State Farm subsequently informed us that this so-called paperwork was sent out 3 days earlier. Bottom line: It's tough to run a business if you don't answer the phone, return phone calls or process paperwork in a timely manner. This location must have plenty of work to do, so as to not need to gain new customers. We decided to choose a shop that is much further from our house but is staffed by people who answer the phone and is able to do the work within the month (fingers crossed!). read more

I sent my car to Carstar Ballard after stellar reviews on Google. I had a pretty bad experience due to these specific reasons: 1: Someone took my car on a joyride. My mileage in and mileage out had a difference of 300 miles. I have not heard back what they did with my car as I observed this after leaving the shop. 2: I took my car in the first time to get the necessary parts ordered. Then I booked a second appointment to drop off my car and we expected the parts to be already delivered. When I went for the second appointment, I was told that the parts are not ordered. This basically made my car be in the shop for 1 month and had an unnecessary delay. 3: I had to be on top of things to get the car worked on asap. There was no communication for more than a week after dropping off the car. It goes without saying that I am not recommending this place. read more

These guys did a wonderful job for me. Very much appreciated. Lauren was exceptional!

Very transparent and communicative! Car looks brand new after they repaired it. Worked with my insurance company and made the whole process very smooth and easy for me read more

Possibly the worst customer service I've ever experienced. My car has some bumper damage, so I called to make an appointment for an estimate. The first person I talked to was actually nice - we set it up so I could get my estimate on August 30 then bring my car in the next day for repairs. However, yesterday they called me, saying "We're overbooked and need to move your appointment, the earliest we can see you is September 9." I asked whether it would be possible to do the estimate and drop off my car the next day as originally planned. I also specified I'd need my car back by September 15, thinking this wouldn't be an issue, given the first person I originally spoke to said the fix would take 3-5 days. The person I was talking to said "There's absolutely no way we can do that." No apologies for the inconvenience, and no attempt to help work with my schedule. It felt like they didn't even want my business! I certainly won't be calling them again. read more

This was a resoundingly awful experience. I took my car in for repairs and just picked it up. Here's a rundown (with pics) of the many issues I had: - My initial estimate went from 3 days to "I don't know when" to "Worst case, 2 weeks." We delayed the initial start time and the adjuster promised to order the parts so they'd be ready to go. - After getting several updates saying the repairs were on time, I get a message on the afternoon of the day of pickup, saying they forgot to order the rivets/clips to reattach the bumper. I get ghosted for almost a week. - A second expected pickup date comes and I get a lunchtime, "Oh, the parts aren't here yet still" message. I get a notification 2 days later it'll be ready. - I go to pick my car up only to find chunky paint drips on the bumper (see photo). The adjuster offers to have them fixed...but then they don't have time to that day. On top of all of this, not even an in-person "sorry." I doubt they'll do anything, though. I wish I'd read the other reviews here before letting them take care of my car. read more

Ballard Collision CARSTAR - Paint drips - Body Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

So in all honesty, I'm a horrible driver. Very distracted, always trying to do too much while driving or even just getting sleepy. But this isn't about me. Anyways, I've crashed a couple cars. Two of which have ended up at Ballard Collision. I mentioned the sleepy part because I do get tired and pull over. I always have a blanket and a small pillow in my car. That being said. The first time I had a really nice Mexican blanket I got on vacation in the back and it magically went missing after being towed to Ballard Collision. I was very upset, asked everyone there and they all said they never saw it. Ok sure, that happens but someone Deff stole it, who knows? Second time I crashed a car. I had ANOTHER Mexican blanket I got on vacation and KNEW it was in the car and recalling my last encounter I made sure to rush to my car. Well, it also was GONE. At this point I'm like f*** that. I get I have my own car demons to work through but that does not entitle anyone to stealing my shit. And when I asked about my car on BOTH accounts. Everyone just said they didn't know anything. I'm sorry I'm pissed. Cus those blankets meant a lot to me and I even went to that country again to get one and they acted like I was insane for questioning the contents in my car. I really don't even know what they do besides steal your shit if I'm honest. This business needs to be held accountable. And when ppl ask about their belongings they should NOT be dismissed. In fact they asked if I LOCKED IT. Like, maybe I did? Maybe I Didn't? YOU HAVE THE KEYS. Anyways. I never write reviews like this but this is important. read more

They've been keeping my car in the shop for over 2 months now, and gave me no less than 5 different completion dates, 4 of which have already been missed. They have not communicated the delays in any way, I had to call them before the completion date to find out. When I did get to talk to the estimator on the phone, he gave me runarounds, was non-committal, and never explained the reason for the delay (there was no new work added according to the insurance estimate from the shop). Don't take your car to this shop, or you won't see it again for a long time. read more

I have used this shop multiple times for repairs on my car. Each time it has gone smoothly. They are a partnered shop with my insurance. Chris was extremely helpful with my situation and every situation, and does a great job keeping me up to date. Great communication, great work, and a decent turn around. This is not a walk in shop where you take your car and expect it back by end of day. They work with insurance and have to follow those guidelines. If you are someone looking for a quick repair and turn around I would look elsewhere. Thank you so much for taking such great care of your customers and their vehicles! And me each and every time! read more

I would take my car here again, but hopefully do not have to. The repair looks great and you can't tell the car was in an accident. I thought my car was totaled initially, so it was a big repair job. They are extremely busy so it was about 4 weeks between when I called and when they could take my car. The estimator told me these guys are THE BEST for subarus so I was intent on having them fix my beloved forester and decided to wait it out. I would say the quality of the repair was worth the wait. They were also flexible with me when I completely forgot my drop-off appointment, and took me the next day. 4 stars rather than 5 because I would loved to have gotten more frequent updates since the delivery time went from 3 weeks, to 1.5 weeks, back up to 2 weeks. I understood the reasons behind the delay at the end, and the was careful not to "promise" delivery... but I had to keep calling for an update and it would have been awesome if they had been able to call me instead. read more

After contacting this shop, they told me that they couldn't start the repair of my car for three weeks....a front bumper repair. They indicated that the repair would take a week or so. They have now had the car for almost a month from that date and the repair is still not completed. And all I get is some BS that the car is "with their paint team" and may be ready this week or maybe next week. No communication from them until I made an irate phone call. I have already notified my insurance company to avoid this shop and suggest that you do so also. read more

I'm not exactly sure if this is a 3 or 4 star review, so I'm giving them the benefit here. They replaced the bumper on my car after someone else backed into it. They had to paint the bumper to match the rest of the car, and when I received the car back, the bumper did not match, it wasn't even very close. There were also some pretty major scratches added to the tail lights that couldn't be buffed out. I brought my car back to them, and they replaced the lights, and repainted the bumper. If they had done the job right the first time, I wouldn't hesitate to give them 5 stars. Since they were very understanding and took responsibility for their less than perfect job, I give them kudos. Jay was a pleasure to work with, very communicative and wanted to make things right. read more

Don't do business with these people. They have $3361.46 of my money that is due back to me and I am getting a run around on getting the money back. I need the money to make a down payment on a new car since mine was totaled! I am not happy and to top it off they hung up on me for insisting that they write me a check today or I was contacting an attorney. read more

My car looks like it was never in an accident. There was an issue with the side sensors. Jay worked tirelessly to fix the issue. It turned out that the issue had nothing to do with the accident or the repairs, but Jay fixed it anyway. I highly recommend this repair shop. read more

Didn't take my car here, so I can't speak to their actual work. But I was so put off by my interaction with their scheduler/front desk person that I decided to take my car elsewhere. I'm in the middle of my busiest time of year at work, so asked if I could drop the car with them in the morning, have them call me with the estimate, and either pick it up at the end of the day or leave it with them for the repair. I was very snidely told that, since their parking lot is so small, it's a big problem to have cars just sitting in it all day. So I agreed to schedule an appointment for the estimate but was told that the earliest I could get in this week is 9am (they open at 8), which would put me getting to the office two hours late. I asked to schedule for close to the end of the day instead, and the first available appointment wasn't for over a week. If the woman had been even a tiny bit nice on the phone, I would have gone ahead and scheduled an appointment...but as it was, she was rude and talking like she was doing me a huge favor by having me bring me car to them for service. So I walked. Their work may be fantastic but I have a feeling the woman answering the phone is costing them a lot more business than just mine. read more

I wrecked my hubby's car awhile back and came here in tears hoping these people could help me. Long story short, they did and it looks like nothing happened. In fact, it looks better than before the accident! They were very busy when I walked in. Note: they do estimates by appointment. But the front desk lady got me scheduled and they accommodated me as best they could. It was a few days before they could do my estimate and a few weeks scheduled out for the repair. When I dropped my car off the lady at the front - I don't remember her name, but she had pretty red hair - well, she actually gave me one of her own personal shopping bags to put some stuff I forgot to take out of my car in. They estimated 5 days for repair, but a part showed up damaged (not their fault) and it took a few more days. They made sure my rental was covered for the extra days, which I really appreciated. I also liked that they kept me updated throughout the process. When I came to pick up my car it had been cleaned and had a fancy floor mat in it. Nice touch! Bonus points! I got a new headlight and so it made the other one look dull - they shined it up to match the other for free! How nice was that?!! Hopefully, I won't get in another accident again, but if I do (knock on wood) I will come back to this place for sure. read more

I have waited for someone to relay a message to the owner before I wrote this review. I knew he wouldn't pass the information on when I left it but I thought perhaps I would be surprised and able to register a complaint with the owner first instead of writing it here. A friend who has used this place for his automotive needs referred me to this place for a second quote on a rather minor ding to my new car. The guy, Jay gave me a quote which included an ominous message that my muffler was hanging and ready to fall off. I was shocked as the first place hadn't mentioned any such thing. I hadn't heard any unusual sounds by my car and worriedly asked if it was safe to drive a round trip of 200 miles that I had planned in a couple days. Jay said "I can't say that." and left me believing that my car was dangerous to drive around. I went home and crawled underneath the car and couldn't see what the heck he was talking about. I had a guy friend of mine crawl under there with me and he couldn't see what the guy was talking about either. Still freaked out about my scheduled trip,I then took my car to the Toyota dealership and they promptly put it up on the rack and lifted my car up to inspect it. They couldn't see anything as to what Jay was talking about and said that it was not in danger of falling off with my scheduled weekend trip. Then I called Ballard Collision Carstar and Jay ended up answering the phone. I asked to speak with the owner, without identifying myself. He said the manager was out and that he was the acting manager and "kin of the owner". I again expressed that I wished to speak with the owner or if I could have a way to contact him to express a concern I had. Again, Jay was unhelpful and asked what the problem was. I said that I didn't want to speak with him about it since it was he who gave me the quote and a false impression and recommended work that was not needed. He seemed to totally know whom he was speaking with and recalled the quote clearly and made excuses saying that they don't have the capacity to put the car on a lift. This is crap. You are sure enough to scare someone into thinking that their car is going to drop the muffler on the road at any second and yet now make excuses for being caught out in a lie? I again said I wanted to speak with the owner. All Jay would do was say he would take my information and pass it on. I was not given the owner name. I knew the chance of speaking with the owner would be very slim given the fact the complaint was against the guy who took the message. So a more expensive quote for an item that no one thinks that needed repaired. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. I will now tell the friend who referred me that this place is not honest and Carstar Ballard will lose a couple customers instead of just one. read more

Brought my car to Ballard Collision after being rear ended. They were very repair responsive, friendly, and helpful when questions arose. They even helped setup my rental car. Please with the service and would recommend to others. read more

I had what must have been the best possible experience with Ballard Collision. I was in an accident and my car, while still driveable, was held together with duct tape and in awful shape. I first went to Ballard Collision just to get an opinion of the damage to compare with the insurance company's determination. The guy I worked with, Chris, who turns out to be the manager, knew that I wasn't going to spend any money there, but he still spent time and effort on evaluating my car's condition and was very kind. A few weeks later I decided my best option was to get the car fixed, not all the way fixed but just enough to pass the state patrol inspection and get it back on the road. Chris worked with me and understood that I had an extremely limited budget. He found a new fender for me at a junkyard and I picked it up to save costs. Chris waited until I had the funds to do the work, and then I made an appointment. On the day of my appointment, things went from bad to worse; my kids were home sick with the flu AND the car had a dead battery. No worries. Chris drove out to my house, jumped the battery, and when I drove in to the shop, he offered me and the kids a ride back home. The shop did the work in one day and made my car look so much better than I had expected. I was absolutely thrilled with the results. I had asked them to do all they could for a very small amount, and they managed to get all the repairs done AND give me a new battery for that amount. Everyone was very nice, and Chris was so great to work with. I feel so lucky to have picked this place to fix my car. I hope I'll never need to, but if I should require any body work again, I'll be back there lickety-split. Thanks, Chris, and Ballard Collision! read more

By far the nicest auto body shop I have ever been to! Courtesy and solid promises through and through. Fantastic work... They also have a Hertz location onsite, so it was extremely easy to drop off the car and hop into the rental.. And vice versa upon return! Highly recommended. read more

Simple. Easy. Accommodating. My car was involved in a fender-bender recently, and I didn't have a local collision shop at the time. After asking around, I was referred to Carstar in Ballard. I was told they do great work. After navigating the insurance side of things, JJ (Or just Jay) was extremely helpful and customer oriented. They kept my car over the weekend, even though it was done the same day. The car looks great, and I'm happy with the work and service. I'll be recommending them any time and will use them in the future. read more

From the second I walked into the office I knew this would be a great experience. Their receptionist was exceptionally skilled at dotting I's and crossing T's while juggling multiple clients and manning the phones. The rental car company took FOREVER in picking me up (not Carstar's fault) and the receptionist noticed and offered to call and check for me. Above and beyond. Emoji heart eyes. Their team was clear with explanations about their repair process and when to expect the work to be done. When I picked it back up, they had detailed my car and sincerely thanked me for my business. I hope not to need an auto body shop again, but if I do I'll take my car here! read more

My car looks better than it did seconds before I was in the accident. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. I got my car back in about 10 days (they had to order parts) they worked brilliantly with my insurance company. Take your car here. read more

Great Job on my Subaru These guys did a fantastic job on my 2018 Subaru Outback. Restored it back to factory standards and they even showed me certain procedures that they have to do for my repair. I hope I don't need them anytime soon, but I will be using them again if needed. read more

brought my car in 3 weeks ago to get an estimate (lock cylinder and scratches). my insurance reviewed and approved the estimate 2 weeks ago, which i forwarded/emailed to julia. i called last week, and the receptionist told me to wait to hear back from julia. i called today and julia said she never received the estimate. i asked if she looked in the junk folder, and after a while she said she found it. well, she wouldn't be able to get me in for a month, and repairs would take 3 weeks. i wanted to give them my business because they are local, but i also read all the negative reviews. this has been a waste of time. read more

I called to get a quote for a bumper and to get it painted. I already know the cost of the bumper and simply requested they give me a quote to paint it (I already knew the paint code too). The estimator, I won't name him, was very rude and gave me the impression my call was beneath him. He was adamant that the car be present to give an estimate for a new bumper and paint. This makes no sense as the other body shops easily gave me accurate quotes without the car needing to be present. He wanted me to go through the scheduler to set up a time during the working day to get a quote for a new bumper and paint. I can't speak for the work, but will not look to do business with someone who is rude and does business in a backwards way. read more

Had a great experience and the customer service was top notch. I was able to drop my car off on Monday and then got it back Thursday morning washed and vacuumed. The damage to my truck was a side swipe from another truck so nothing structural, more cosmetic but the workmanship was great. read more

Well... they did the job- almost right. After returning my vehicle to me, they forgot to place a piece of molding back on my car. But throughout the entire process, they had horrible communication skills, unfriendly and made the entire process 10x more stressful than it should've been. I wouldn't recommend going to this shop. read more

I was contacted last week from Carstar. They said they discussed my situation with the owner, and the owner wanted them to take a more thorough look into what happened. The owner wanted someone to go up to Carter Volkswagen to see where the wires for the AC are located in the car. After looking into it, they said it was still a gray area but they wanted to reimburse me the full $168. I really appreciate that they followed up on this and looked into it. I know they still aren't definitive if they disconnected the wires but they wanted the customer to be satisfied and I appreciate that. read more

I have used CARSTAR twice, and would give a 6 star review if that was possible. Both times were for body damage, and my car came back looking good as new, but my favorite part was how clean the interior was... definitely the cleanest its been since I've owned it :) The staff were great, I found them to be very kind, and I felt very well communicated with. Now here is the part you have to take with a grain of salt: Both times I came in were for accidents that were the other driver's fault, so I never had to deal with pricing and billing, the insurance companies dealt will all of that. Acknowledging that those are the areas of greatest complaint with body shops, my situation was different, but based on my experience so far with CARSTAR, I would definitely return. read more

Customer service was horrible. Completely wasted my time which could have easily been avoided. I called them to describe what I needed (front fender seals replaced to fix a rain leak) and they scheduled me in 1.5 weeks to come in for only an estimate - even though this type of repair can easily be estimated by knowing the year and make of car. I show up for my appointment and they inform me that they don't do rain leak repairs of any kind. I asked if they would just replace all the fender seals (which is a typical task for a body shop) and he just said no. No apology for not telling me during the initial telephone call that they wouldn't do the work. The guy doing the estimate could care less. He just blamed the error on the new receptionist/scheduler. Just really unprofessional. read more

Terrible customer service. Called to make an appointment for an estimate and the earliest they could give me was next Wednesday. I called Werner's collision in queen anne and they said that I could come in anytime today for an estimate. read more