We had an emergency. Someone at our company put regular gas into our diesel Sprinter delivery van. This rig is our workhorse and we needed it running. First we went to Mercedes of Seattle and they said $30K for a whole new fuel system. Then we tried other independent mechanic shops and nobody wanted anything to do with it. Finally I called Don at his shop in Ballard. He said "We can fix it...bring it in". I had it towed directly there in the morning. By 4pm on the same day he called and said the van was fixed and running again. And now, a year later, it continues to run great with zero problems. The price was fair and the service was excellent. I highly recommend Doctor Don's. read more

Alternator went on my car. I needed someplace close so as not to have to have my car towed too far. I called Dr. Don's and asked if it would be ok to have my car towed there. guy I spoke with was very nice and welcomed me to bring my car as well as listening to me as I described the issue with my car. This carried over when I arrived there. The guys were pleasant and told me they'd look my car over and get back to me in a couple hours with a diagnosis. When it was confirmed that it was definitely my alternator that needed replacing, I was quoted and told the job would take a day to get to. About 2 pm the following day it was ready for pick up. About $1100 later I was up and running again. This is also the approximate rate for a replacement, so I felt the price was fair enough with labor etc., and again I needed a mechanic that was close. There was the usual slight upsell on other services, but they weren't pushy about it which I always appreciate. read more

Doctor Don's Automotive - Front entrance - exterior - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went in for a couple upgrades to my truck. When I got it back, the hood was left unlatched, which nearly caused it to snap back when I took it onto the highway. Also, one of the protective boots for my shocks was not zip-tied and left open to the elements, which would've allowed debris to build up inside if I hadn't noticed. Not ideal, but when you're paying about a grand for the service, the smaller things shouldn't be overlooked. read more

Very professional! Fast service, decent price and went extra mile to help me with gas when I ran out only 1 mile after leaving their business! read more

I have used these guys before and been happy. This time however, they really shafted me. The brakes went out in my hearse the Friday before the week before Halloween. I stopped in the shop and asked if they could fix it before Halloween, they said yes, bring the car in Monday and "we'll have it done by Wednesday". So I ordered a tow company to take the car to them. That was the Monday before Halloween. I didn't hear from them at all so I called Thursday. The owner of the shop answered and 1st told me that the master cylinder on the car was wrong (I've owned the car for 3 yrs and never had any brake issues and I looked online at replacement ones before I had the car towed in and mine looked correct), and that they were waiting on parts which were to arrive Tuesday (after Halloween). I said I need the car before Halloween so he said "we'll have it done by Monday afternoon". Friday morning around 10am I get a txt from them with a video, and a message saying that the car was not salvageable and they were pushing it out to the curb. I wasn't going to leave my hearse on the curb in Ballard over the weekend. How rude! Imagine my shock, the car was fine until this, it only has 28K miles on it! Since I was leaving town at 11am I had to act fast and arrange another tow. I was furious and I know that the owner lied to me because they wouldn't order parts until they knew which to order and seeing the video it was obvious that they hadn't even looked at it until Friday ! Therefore, they have lost my trust and I won't be using them ever again. To finish the story, no hearse for Halloween but I did find a brake shop and they fixed the car in 2.5 days ! Works great again. And it didn't take 35-40hrs like Dr. Don's suggested, and the car was salvageable. They just didn't want to do the work. My hearse was rusty underneath and probably came from a place where they salt the roads. Even so, you don't just throw a car away because of rust, and fear of parts breaking, that's the JOB, fix it. Dr. Don's cost me over $500 in towing fees and lost sleep, emotional distress and anxiety. Adios. read more

Doctor Don's Automotive - Does this car look "unsalvageable to you? - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've been a customer here for over 15 years, and they've helped me through all sorts of issues with lots of different cars (Kia, VW, Subaru, Chrysler/Maserati, BMW, Porsche). Most recently I had to stop trying to fix one when it became obvious the cost to fix it was way more than the car was worth... A sad day, but they were super great and didn't charge me for the months of work they did investigating and searching for a solution. These guys are good bunch! read more

My husbands fuel line went out, they replaced it quickly and we are back up and running. Thanks so much

I wouldn't recommend these guys for complicated technical diagnosis sadly. I just sent in my car in for them specifically to run a compression test and a leak down potentially, and when I picked it up they had done neither. In addition all he said was I have 15 psi in my crank case and that I obviously had my cylinder walls worn. Essentially he gave me a hypothesis that I need to rebuild my engine. I'm probably not ever going back there again now. I gained no new information, I already know theres extra pressure in my crank case because the rear main seal is broken. I asked for a compression test specifically to nail down "exactly" what the problem is, and they've only scammed me out of my money. My previous time they also declined to do any further investigation because "they thought the car was fine". Their suggested solution at the time was a band-aid. read more

I had the pleasure of taking my 2014 Volt to Doctor Don's and experience first hand what a class act Ric and his crew are. They took exceptional care of my car when it was in the shop. I really feel that I received excellent value for what I paid and the work which was performed. Doctor Don's has been serving the Ballard for years and community if fortunate to have this successful, family owned business in their back yard. Doctor Don's techs can do it all; old & new, foreign & domestic, gas & hybrid! Don't hesitate to take your auto to Doctor Don's for your next routine maintenance or emergency. read more

Doctor Don's Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My catalytic converter was attempted to be stolen during the ice storm in dec. Had a cage around it so the thieves couldn't steal it but they did remove it partially. I took my car here out of location convenience- they quoted us 400-500, but ended up taking an entire week and charged us almost 900 to WELD BACK A PART THAT WAS ALREADY ATTACHED TO MY CAR. No parts, just 900 dollar labor. On the drive home from the mechanic, my check engine light came on. It has been a month since then and my car is having more problems than I've ever had in the entire time ive owned it. Before, i had never had a single check engine light come on. They seriously messed up my car. DO NOT LET THESE INCOMPETENT MEN PAW AT YOUR CAR AND RIP YOU OFF. Take your car literally anywhere else! read more

Doctor Don's has excellent service. They are friendly, professional and quick. I've taken my foreign diesel there twice and they have done a great job. I highly recommend them. If you need work on your diesel they are the ones to go to! read more

So my usual spot in Ballard seemed to have disappeared or relocated without warning. I didn't feel like chasing them down so I called around the area and found Dr. Don. They were super friendly over the phone and despite not having an appointment, they said they would squeeze me in for an oil change and tire rotation. They finished the work ahead of their prediction and I was on my way in my Mazda 3. They didn't even charge me for a portion of their labor! Super friendly guys, and for sure I'll come back. read more

I have had my imported Japanese Domestic Market diesel van repaired here a few times -- first time for a new drive belt, second for a new clutch install. The repairs were both done quickly and the quoted charge was accurate. I will trust them with my future service needs. read more

I RARELY write reviews, but I felt compelled to write about the amazing service I received at Dr. Don's. My car has been having an issue for several months, and I had previously brought it to a transmission specialist. That place ran a diagnostic said they couldn't find an issue. Thinking I had ruled out a transmission issue, I brought it into Dr. Don's, who had appointments available within the week. After bringing it in, they called back and described the exact issue and that it had to do with my transmission. (Unbelievable that the first shop couldn't figure it out, but that's a separate story.) Because the fix required a transmission specialist, they said they weren't going to charge me a thing for their time! I will 100% be bringing my car back to Dr. Don's for service in the future, I very much appreciate their honesty and care for customers. read more

My family has been customers of this shop for years. At the beginning of the summer I had Levi do some major repairs, and my car runs great! I had to stop in to ask a question this morning, and he came right out to my car and helped me out even though he was already quite busy. Last month, when I was considering buying a new used car, John talked on the phone with me for quite a while, giving me suggestions about what to watch out for and what questions to ask of the car owner. This is a great neighborhood shop, and we will continue to be customers for life! Thanks, Doctor Don's! read more

I have 22 years of experience in the automotive industry. Rick, John and the team at Doctor Dons are amazing It's so tough to find a mechanic you can trust. They also know how to properly fix automobiles. They take great car of our automobiles and a couple of our friends. We highly recommend them Greg and Christina Dale Here's my 67 Cougar. They just added sway bars and fixed several miscellaneous items You can trust them read more

Doctor Don's Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Excellent and friendly customer service. I was in and out very quickly, and everything that was done to my car was explained so that I could understand. I highly recommend Doctor Don's for outstanding and honest work! read more

They were rude to me when my truck was towed there through AAA (based on AAA's recommendation), put in a driveline that didn't fit properly and made squealing and grinding noises fresh out the garage, and completely over charged ... they clearly didn't drive the truck and I could have gotten a driveline from advanced auto parts for $300 rather than the $1000 plus $500 in labor. I was completely taken advantage of on an easy ten bolt swap out and had to get a new driveline when I got home. read more

Highly suspect for taking advantage of susceptible customers. Maybe because I'm female, maybe because I was a first time customer, maybe because I came in without a referral - I was estimated 10x the amount I ended up paying at another auto shop to fix my problem. My experience: My 2006 Ion was making disturbing noises under the driver's seat so I dropped it off with them earlier this week. I chose them based on location, within walking distance of my house. When they got back to me later that day (I spoke with Levi) I was told it would cost over $1700 - replacing the strut mounts and one strut ($810), sway bar end links and bushings ($420) and the steering shaft ($442). I absolutely could not afford that. They charged me $107 for the estimate. Based on a referral from a friend, I called another auto shop in Bellevue. I told them what the problem was and what had been recommended to me. He said they had tried to "shotgun" the problem - replacing everything in the area and hoping the problem stopped. They looked at my car, diagnosed the noise, and fixed the problem all for $170. I couldn't believe how much Doctor Don's tried to charge me. read more

The good: I took my car here a few months ago for a tune up, they did a good job, took a little longer than expected, but it happens. The bad: Took the same car back after it died while waiting at a traffic light, had to have it towed there. The guys couldnt figure out what was wrong with it for some time and finally came to the conclusion that the battery terminal was loose and charged me $100. This is interesting since I just had both battery terminals replaced at Les Schwab and they only charged me $22!!! That is my first complaint, but whatever they said they fixed the problem so I didnt bother with it. They also said I needed ball joints ASAP that would cost $1200. The ugly: Two weeks later, my car dies again-same problem-after they "fixed" it (and charged me $100). I had my uncle look at it (he's been a mechanic for over 20 years). Turns out the car needed a new idle air motor, which he replaced. Of course after that, I went back to Doctor Don's and asked them to refund me for the initial $100 since they made a mistake. They guy tried to explain how they did fix the problem since the car was able to drive out of their garage and went on to explain how loose battery connections often require one to reset the idle air motor. So I asked why they didnt reset mine, and he kept saying it was because he fixed the problem and didnt need to (but I thought you just said otherwise?). Sounds like a bunch of crap to me. This place completely wasted several hours of my time and I would discourage anyone from doing business here! And, I just got a quote from Les Schwab on those ball joints for under $700! They also said I could wait a month or two before replacing them. Glad I didnt give Doctor Don's $1200 to do it! read more

I've been here twice. For two diesel trucks. The first time they replaced a ball joint, rocker arm, simple stuff, pretty pleased with how professional they were. But I drove away with a check engine light on. What? My second truck visit the diesel tech found a nonfunctional fuel injector on the 6th cylinder. At the 50th location John was my service manager at Dr. Don's. John told me that if my injectors have never been updated I would have to replace all 8, as they wouldn't work together otherwise, and with a parts cost of $800 apiece and about two grand for the labor. I asked him to call around and see if he could locate anything that would work without replacing them all because I wasn't paying that to fix one bad injector. He said he would call around and get back to me. Next day. No word. Second day I called him midday and got the machine. He returned the call and stated that he had found a couple used ones but not a full set of 8. I don't know why he was insisting they wouldn't work together if you replace 1, or 4. I don't believe this to be true at all. I also don't believe it's hard to call and get the parts. I did. I learned that I can buy new replacements for $275 at a couple places at least here in town or online for $200. Not used ones or $800 new ones. It came off as a very high bid for a job they either didn't want or need. They also failed to notice that the diesel engine was running on gas that an employee had filled the tank with. I took it to a Chevy dealer and they promptly replaced the one cylinder injector, because it alone had failed, at a reasonable price. The job was $1500, not $8800. BIG difference. I wince when I think I almost let them go ahead and do the work. Sometimes going with your gut pans out. read more

They give back to the community. Thanks Doctor Don and Rick. They were open and had my car checked out earlier than expected.

Several years ago I noticed an oil leak coming from my aging Tahoe and thought the worst. I had already watched my wallet get drained by the dealership and another entity in Ballard that won't be named putting the fear of god in me about all of the things wrong with my vehicles. I started to get suspicious about all of these "so-called necessary repairs" and decided to try someone else! Dr. Don's is a match made in heaven for my 2001 Volvo Cross Country XC70 (now @ 114,000 miles) my 1996 Chevy K10 4 Door 4x4 Tahoe (now @ 164,000 miles) and my 1987 325E BMW (now @ 143,000 miles). If it weren't for Dr. Don's, I would probably not be able to afford the aging fleet of cars that are like new! From my personal experience, dealerships and short term minded mechanics would look at these cars and say "PAYDAY"! Case in point: I took our Volvo to a reputable tire dealership earlier this year to have a tire repaired. They told me my car needed new brakes. I knew it didn't (It had been done recently)! Last year I took my car to another reputable tire dealership to have my tires on my BMW rotated and an alignment. This tire dealership told me that I needed two new struts ($200)! I took it to the folks that I bought 4 new struts from 4 years prior and they agreed I needed a new strut. The strut that needed to be replaced was in the back, not on the front ($40 for labor). Scary to think of how much money I spent on unecessary repairs over the years. I have a number of great stories to tell about Dr. Don's capabilities, customer service, integrity and value! I have never had an issue engaging Dr. Don's like the ones I describe above. -Just recently my out of town family member borrowed my BMW to drive her friends around town. Somehow the car was losing gas fast and she managed to get it to Dr. Don's (as per my instruction) that day. John embraced my Aunt very warmly and was able to look at the car that afternoon (a Friday) and I had it back on Monday morning for an important business trip (it was a cracked gas line). 2 hours Labor (5 feet of Fuel Line) and minimal cost for parts. A Value! - 4 weeks ago my was planning a 3,000 mile road trip with my kids to see her family. On short notice, she was able to schedule our vehicle for an inspection and they identified some must fix, and nice to fix items. The must fix items were done next day and the nice to fix items will be addressed as our budget improves in December. I don't know another mechanic that would have given me the Must Fix/Nice to Fix option. They have typically taken the Fear of God approach! - Dr. Don's scope your problem incredibly fast and with accuracy. Scoping a problem is a very big challenge for a mechanic! On one occassion with my BMW a mystery problem emerged after I had bought a new distributor cap (It must have been 20 years old) but the car was still randomly cutting out? I brought it back during a very busy time, "told them to keep it as long as they needed to get it right because I have another car". They gave it back to me working! No Charge for the extra time! - A few years ago I had a very large Oil Leak coming out of my Tahoe. It turned out to be faulty "OIL COOLING LINES". I suspect that other mechanic's that I have used in the past would have told me I needed a new engine and/or a seal. Last time I checked, this is very expensive. I got my truck back a few days later and went on a very long road trip with (0) problems. 2 years later I had a new leak. I brought it back and was told that the Oil Cooling Lines were leaking again? They replaced the OEM/After Market Parts with Factory Parts and charged me the difference in the cost of parts (After Market Part Cost (-) Factory Part Cost) and made me an amazing deal on the labor. Still working great! I could go on with many more stories. Just do the right thing and give Dr. Don's a try! In my opinion, you won't be disappointed! read more

Absolutely the worst service. They lost our appointment, wouldn't write down what we needed them to do, then claimed I told them not to do the work we asked them to do. After two days they only completed half the work and so we end the day extremely disappointed and looking for a new mechanic. Don't waste your time and energy here. read more

Oh you'll love reading this one... So I have a 2004 Audi TT . It had this really annoying clicking noise coming from somewhere in the interior but for the life of me I couldn't figure out where and I tried EVERYTHING. So I bring it to this place called Dr. Don's. The owner apparently prides himself with being able to find and fix such noises. Boy did he ever! Yup he definitely fixed it. But the amazing thing is how much effort, care, and time this guy put into the search. He actually GOT INTO THE TRUNK and had his people ride him around while he looked for the noise. He even was completely UPSIDE DOWN in the car as his people drove him around still searching for the source. I had never met Ric (the owner) before. I'm not his neighbor. No one asked me to write anything but when a mechanic goes to this length to solve a problem... well, I just had to write about it. Thanks Dr. Don! you have my business forever! -Paul Donovan pauld@construx.com read more

As the proud owner of a large and varied fleet of vehicles (dump truck, panel vans, 30 year old logging truck, full size pickups, small pickups, Smart cars, hybrids, and then a number of "normal" cars), I love the fact that Dr. Don's can service them all. Over the last 12 years we have taken all our vehicles to Dr. Don's. And referred all our clients. The drawbacks: the hours they are open. They aren't open on weekends or evenings. But as a small family run business myself, I WANT all our employees to be home with their families at dinner time. So I commend Dr Don's for their hours. Fair pricing and good, good work. read more

Doctor Don's has my return business. The staff was polite and friendly, they were flexible with their schedule, and best of all, they didn't make me feel like an idiot. Which, as a male in his 20s who knows embarrassingly little about cars, is pretty huge for me. My problem was so easy that they fixed it for free and refused to let me pay for even an hour of labor. They gave me the options for other standard maintenance services that my car could use (new fan belts, oil change, the usual), but were not pushy about it at all. read more

I've been servicing my car (Volvo S60) at Dr. Don's for the past two years since moving up from Southern California. First off, the level of customer service you get the folks here is unparalleled. They're very proactive in keeping in contact with you, and won't start work on other problems they find unless consulting you first (thanks Levi). The first major repair here was for a shot alternator. I picked up my car and everything was fine.. But then I noticed my gauge cluster was malfunctioning. Drove right back to Dr Don's for a diagnosis. Turns out I needed new spark plugs. They put them in. Free of charge. Free! Yes, it's a little thing that doesn't cost that much.. But it showed me the folks here aren't trying to nickel-and-dime you (like most shops). Another instance where Dr Don's prices themselves was, more recently, when I had to get both of my drive axles replaced. In addition to that problem, which was dealt with professionally and within a reasonable price, I'd been having fuel pump issues. I relayed this to them.. Levi got back to me and said that the pump *might* be going bad, but recommended that I just drive around and see if any major problems crop up. Any other shop would say REPLACE NOW. Again, Dr Don's does not try to nickel-and-dime you. I highly recommend this shop. read more

Chose these guys when I was in a bind and AAA said they were an approved shop. So glad I did. My car was towed there at 3pm and was ready with a brand new alternator by 230 the next day. For a fair price, too. No attempts to tell me other things were wrong (and there are) that need fixing right away. My car needs more work and I'll take it up then rather than the dealer. Rick and Levi were very helpful and courteous. read more

I have lived in Ballard for 30 plus years and have worked with a number of car repair places in Ballard(I support locals) and by far I have found Doctor Don's to be the most accommodating and knowledgeable. John (JP) Bundy is my contact and now my friend because he knows his business and above all, does not make you feel like you are from Mars when asking questions. Got a problem with any car, give him a call. read more

Very quick service and excellent customer service. I will recommend this place to any and every body.

I just got my car back yesterday. They're another typical shop, but good service/communication and willing to do what you ask (if it's doable and safe for you). I felt like they did a fine job, but if anything changes I'll definitely update :) They focused a lot on European cars and the utility vehicles that's around their shop (there are some plumbing, some painting and some other services companies around there) The price is decent, but if you tell them that you heard about them through Yelp and it's your first visit, you get 20% off! (up to $100). I was helped by John (the manager) and he was very helpful, very knowledgeable. Everyone that I encountered were very nice and friendly. The car I had the service done was BMW '96 and 7-series. I had my rear axle brakes done and some oil change (only to 5 quarts and I'll refill the rest myself to save some $$) read more

Don's has been my shop for 15+ years through multiple vehicles (VW TDI, Mazda, Toyota). They are terrific! Clear estimates, on time and my car always runs great when I pick it up. Everyone needs a great mechanic. Don's fills the bill. read more

Found my mechanic! Have been so anxious about the sounds coming from my old Buick...finally took her in and Levi knew just what to do! My car is running great! Paid way less than what other shops had quoted and the crew was so fast and friendly! Check out this shop! You don't be disappointed! read more

I am so thankful for this shop! My car is a wreak & I am a student. They were super honest and quick! Shout out to Levi for knowing exactly what was going on with my brakes as well as tons of great advice moving forward! Having been quoted by a few shops in the area I would highly recommend getting work done here! read more

Super friendly, super efficient. Price was really reasonable and never tried to upsell- to the contrary, they let me know what what I could wait on fixing in order to save money. Really impressed. I've had my favorite shop for years that recently closed, so ended up here just based on proximity, and was so pleasantly surprised. This will be my new go-to shop for sure. Thanks Rick!! read more

Doctor Don's has been servicing my personal vehicles as well as work trucks for several years. I should really write 50 five star reviews, one for each of the times they have worked on one of our rigs. I think what sets Doctor Don's apart from other shops is: 1. Trust. I have never once felt that they had anything other than my interests in mind. 2. Expertise. Regardless of which vehicle I call about, Ric (the owner) knows all about that model, and is up on any recalls or service notices that may be related to my issue. 3. They get it right. Almost always the first time. But if additional work is ever needed, they do it quickly and graciously. Doctor Don's is my auto shop, and will be as long as they are around. Also, scroll to the bottom of the visible reviews and click on "filtered reviews". For some odd reason, Yelp hides most of the good reviews there (unless a business pays for advertising). You will get a much more accurate sense of this business of you read those opinions. read more

I agree with Mike S. Doctor Don's is a clip joint ,I took my 01 Ford their to have the A/C compressor replaced and after 4 months &$1,000.00 the A/C was blowing warm . went back & found out the clutch assembly had fallen off resulting in the work having to be redone -at that point I wasn't letting this TOOL! suck any more money out of my pocket. Take your car to Scott Sherman just a mile down the road. read more

I had taken my Mazda there for years and really been very happy with the service and prices for maintenance and repairs. However, I took in my Audi for an oil change and they charged me $100. For an oil change! (The dealership charges $50). It took six hours to complete as well. Then, the next day, all the oil leaked out of my car on the highway, probably resulting in engine damage. They were closed and I had to get the filter replaced and bring it back another day. They did change out the oil again at no extra cost and reimbursed me for the extra repair expenses, but for $100, I expect no problems from an oil change. I don't think I can go back. read more

Finding a mechanic you can trust is one of the hardest tasks around. I've had a number of repair jobs done at Doctor Don's over the years and each of them was done expertly, on time and with courtesy. The shop is actually a little bit out of my way these days, so I tend to go when something big needs to be done. When those big things go wrong, though, this is the shop that has always come through for me. read more