I was driving my wife's Fiat when the check engine light came on so knew I had to get the car checked. A friend in the area referred me to Kent Auto Repair. I stopped in without an appointment and they were able to get me taken care of. I dealt with Marlene and Don and they were both nice and 100% honest with me. They gave me an estimate which told me exactly what I was going to get and the exact price. No BS. I like that kind of business and honesty. They fixed my car and I paid exactly what I was quoted and picked my car up the next day. My wife's car was driving MUCH better. I am happy I went to them and don't get the low reviews. They are a small business and I am happy to support them and would go there again. Good experience for me at least. Thank you! read more

Kent Auto Repair notified me that the hood was damaged during service. They acknowledged responsibility and told me they would cover the repair cost. Following their instructions, I obtained two written estimates: $1,712.30 from a reputable body shop of my choosing $1,692.14 from the body shop Kent Auto Repair recommended Both estimates clearly document the hood damage and the cost to repair it. Despite admitting they caused the damage and directing me to obtain estimates -- including one from their own referral -- Kent Auto Repair later stated that both estimates were "too high" and refused to pay. They have not offered any alternative solution or provided any legitimate reason for rejecting the estimate from the shop they recommended. Because the business reversed its position and refused to take responsibility, I have had to involve my insurance company to assist with resolving the damage they caused. read more

I have taken my car to this shop 2. Both times the team has communicated with me regarding the situation and fee's. I have had no problems with their services and recommend anybody with a foreign car to visit this shop. This is a family run shop that is training the younger generation!! So far, they're off to a good start. read more

Disappointing Experience After Years of Loyalty I am not sure if this business is under new ownership or if the level of service has simply declined, but my recent experience was deeply disappointing. I have been a loyal customer for many years, consistently impressed with their ability to accurately diagnose issues and communicate repair costs clearly. This time, I brought in my truck due to a power steering fluid leak, letting them know that the pump needs to be replaced. Rather than performing a diagnostic to confirm the actual source of the problem, the shop replaced the steering pump, only to later inform me that it wasn't the cause. They then stated that a diagnostic would be needed, at an additional cost, to identify the real issue. When I asked why the diagnostic wasn't done from the beginning, their response was simply, "You told us what to fix, so we did." After going many rounds and getting nowhere, the women I spoke to even referenced that "if you go in and order a hot dog, they are not going to ask if you if you are sure you want to order a hot dog" Honestly not sure how to even unpack that little ditty of an analogy that makes NO sense. This approach is deeply concerning. Isn't it the responsibility of a professional mechanic to verify the issue before proceeding with costly repairs? I also find it interesting that this is their reason considering how they responded to a bad review last year to which they on 09/21/2024 11:52AM: "you brought a part in wanting us to install it. We recommend that we do some test to see what is wrong with your vehicle before installing parts. You insisted that you only want the part installed based on a scan from an auto parts store. You did not want to pay us to do any testing". This goes against everything they are standing on with their statement "You told us what to fix, so we did it". After several attempts and the women helping me just going around in circles, not willing to at least try and work with me, I picked up my truck, asking for the original pump since it was not the issue, and walked out. It's disheartening to end a long-standing relationship this way, especially with a mechanic that you thought you could trust, but I will be taking my business elsewhere and will make sure that all my friends and family know this is no longer a trusted shop. Customers should exercise caution when seeking service from this shop. Specifically, make sure you request a diagnostic upfront and avoid suggesting what you believe the issue might be, as that is all they will focus on...even though they contradict themselves in a response to another unsatisfied customer (again, see above note from the shop). read more

Some time ago I had some work done here. Very, very disappointed, the did some electrical work that sort of worked. The mechanic put stuff back incorrectly and I've spent some time fixing and I'm not done yet. read more

DO NOT GET WORK DONE HERE BEFORE READING THIS!! A local business that lies in their customer responses to complaint. They tried to say that I reviewed a dispensary, which I didn't, but how does that invalidate my review? Are you upset by your incompetence? I recently called Kent Automotive for a quote on replacing the heater hoses, upper and lower radiator hoses, and the serpentine belt on my vehicle. To my surprise, the estimate they gave me was over $400 more than the quote I received from the Infiniti dealership. That's a pretty big difference--especially considering dealerships are usually the more expensive option. As a middle-class, working individual, I've always believed that local auto shops are supposed to offer a more affordable, honest alternative. That's what I hoped to find with Kent Automotive. Instead, I was left scratching my head, wondering how a neighborhood mechanic could charge more than a luxury automotive dealership. I really wanted to support a local business, but unfortunately, the pricing just didn't make sense. If you're shopping around for repair quotes, make sure to compare--because you might be surprised where the better deal comes from. read more

Hi Marlene: Thank you for the heart felt message...THIS IS NOT A FAKE REVIEW!...We brought in a 2004 F150 pickup for a fuel pump replacement. You installed a defective fuel pump and replaced it, after waiting...Since the new fuel pump was replaced, the gas gauge is not working. It was working before your people replaced the fuel pump...So, get your head out of your rectum and stop blaming my so called FAKE REVIEW for your so called stellar reviews...God be with you! read more

Brought my Toyota Camry in to have it diagnosed for a parasitic draw. They never found the problem, nothing was fixed but they still charged me whatever they quoted me. I was very upset. Will I ever come back? Will I refer them to other? You know the answer. read more

I have to say I have mixed feelings about Kent Auto Repair at this point. They serviced my Kia Spectra A/C system when it failed. It was spendy, around $500 but they replaced EVERYTHING in the whole system so all in all I left very satisfied. Had ice cold air ever since. When I had them service my Hyundai Santa Fe, I was also pleased. They did a full fluid service. EVERYTHING. Brakes, power steering, oil, transmission, coolant, differential, etc. And they got it all done in one day. I was concerned though when I serviced my oil next, the car was missing the copper crush washer that is usually on the oil drain bolt. It wasn't there at all, they just put the bolt back in bare bolt against bare oil pan. I mean sure, it's not gonna ruin anything, but for a 30 cent washer it's kinda like.... how the heck didn't that get put back on? And finally, today was when I decided I will not go back again. I went to change the oil on my Mazda Miata today (I usually always do this myself as the car is my baby, but I had a broken arm at the time and needed it done). Upon trying to remove the oil drain bolt, it was EXTREMELY TIGHT. If you know anything about oil drain bolts they do not need to be very tight, only about 25-30ft/lbs compared to wheel lug nuts are around 85ft/lbs. THIS BOLT WAS ON THERE SO DANG TIGHT IT HAD TO BE WAY TIGHTER THAN MY LUG NUTS. The aluminum washer under the bolt had completely mushroomed up around the edges of the bolt because it was so tight!! I will give them this, they did make it right. I took the car to them and asked for them to crack the oil bolt loose and then BARELY snug it (not gonna risk him WRENCHING on it again) which they did take care of for me. So I appreciate that, but it is very frustrating because I should have had my oil done Sunday afternoon but because they were closed I had to drive down Monday morning before work just to get this taken care of and it took hours out of my day I could have been doing other chores. If you want to gamble with taking your car here, go ahead. I'm sure certain things and certain techs might be great at what they do, but I'm not willing to take that gamble with my vehicles. I will say this, the customer service was always good but no matter how nice you are, nothing speaks louder than the work you do. read more

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COMPLETE SHIT!. Don't waste your money and go to a dealership or another auto place. 3G worth of work the 1st time, went there again and car started having trouble again so decided to go to the dealership instead to see what's going on and the dealership said they replaced with used parts or didn't even do the services fully charged for. When I contacted the Kent Auto to discuss or get refund they told me to "Prove It" and asked if I kept old parts to look at... I had all the receipts and they continued to smirk about it and show the old parts which they had disposed of. They are a scam and have horrible customer service. Save yourself the time and money and go to a real mechanic shop who doesn't try to rip off people. read more

THE BEST!!! Real mechanics doing real repairs at reasonable prices if you want to have someone fluff up your feelings and over charge for the work, this is not the place to go. Old school repair shop who just gets it done right. From calling for an estimate, to getting the car back with the work completed was about 2 hours AND $400 less than what I was quoted by others with BETTER parts used. Thank you for doing what you do so well! read more

My conclusion from this experience is: they don't care about their customers so why would they care about your car? It's not their priority. If you want to take your car to a business like that, then you reap what you sow. The experience: The business promised to have $1800 repair done on a certain day and time in writing (text message): "The part will be here at 9:00am, vehicle will be done tomorrow." but failed to honor that promise, neglected to inform me that they were going to be late, and made no concessions on price, no apologies whatsoever. (The part arrived in time, so wasn't part late arrival.) I needed to take the car back that day due to my own work schedule. They still charged me $150+ for testing. And were rude on the phone, did not want to take ownership or any responsibilities whatsoever. Instead, they said on the phone: "things get busy sometimes...is there anything else?" Oh, forgot...they took a plug out with a bunch of grommets and didn't even bother to put it back in. So I'm now driving around without a plug/insert and have no idea where it goes. read more

My father went to this shop to get his oil changed and his AC fixed, a few months ago. This weekend he noticed a lot of his dash lights were not working properly, so he went to the dealership this time. Turns out his oil was never actually changed, they only "wiped the pan off." also according to the dealership, when they replaced the AC parts, they shoved it into its spot (next to the radiator) and ended up poking holes in the radiator. The mechanic at the dealership pointed out how the scratch marks and holes match up to the AC parts, which shows nothing else could have caused that. Over $5000 in repairs, after work done at Kent Auto Repair was not done at all or caused damage. There's no point in contacting the shop as they don't guarantee their work anyways. Just want to make sure others are warned. read more

finally made us take it somewhere else was, after having the car for 2 days, with no update, they told us, when we called them, that they had barely worked on it because they were busy, and that it could be up to another 2 and a half weeks, and started throwing out numbers like $2500 and 11 hours of labor. WTF? We took it to the dealership, and they had it PROPERLY diagnosed the next day. Don't let them tell you "This is the way business is done" because they are "Professionals". Don't let their poor diagnostics be your problem. We hoped it would be cheaper than the dealer and got screwed. *BOUNS* The claims of racism by other reviewers are backup by the owner's responses. I was quite shocked to see open racism in a Google review response from an owner. Yikes Edit : We can back up everything stated. You don't know percentages? We said nearly 1000. 850 is 15% (not 20,) which is nearly 1000... We obviously hit home based on your response. Ouch. You still haven't edited out the racist comment yet (we saved a screenshot just for fun.) read more

I have never worked with a group of people more unprofessional in all of my years. Oddly, my FIRST experience with this business was pleasant. Marlene, the receptionist, was rude and even made the statement after I asked someone to explain the invoice and what work was completed "I'm not a mechanic, you can read it". Their only method of payments are cash or card in person, which is what drew such an unpleasant experience as an agency was originally covering the cost. Marlene went out of her way to tell me that "I've been burned before" implying that this payment method was a scam. However, after different request to speak with an owner who was the decision maker she stated "do you think he's going to tell you something different". I've seen both covert and overt racism and I don't care if they have 10 people of color working there, it doesn't change the fact that this business put on its best show of overt racism. I strongly believe that if I were a white person, this experience would have been different and they would have been willing to work with us to find the best solution. Ironically, as I was walking in there was another person expressing how rude the workers were (I didn't experience that part). If it was possible to give ZERO stars, I would do it. If you use this business, use it at your own risk. The comments here are very real. Marlene even screamed at me when I asked for a mechanic stating "you do not tell me what to do". Only regret that I have is not reading the reviews prior to now. read more

It's pretty pathetic when a shop owner has to follow a customer for 2/1/2 years and continue pointing out the obvious. It's s sign of desperation. Business must really be that bad...business is closed until June 1. Hopefully you'll get a fresh start and figure it all out. I will be happy to remove my review if you pay back the $475 you stole. Maybe then with a little good faith on your part you just might be able to run an honest and reputable business. But for some reason I really doubt it. Good luck sport. Your definitely a sick individual that's lost touch with reality. There are plenty of NA/AA meetings around to steer you in the right direction. I hope you find help. As of now I'm done with this pointless exchange. It has been fun. read more

Is this place getting ready to close? Had a vehicle in there for three (3) weeks, after already spending money to fix what kept making it stall and paying. So three weeks later after already (supposedly) repairing it, this is what happened in their care: Cracked the radiator, lost a hubcap, lost the key fob! And after paying an additional $1200 to get vehicle out of jail...had it sent to Jeff's Auto Repair in Renton! Going to go through entire list of the alleged repairs made and believe it...court is in the near future on these "less than competent" repair technicians. Two thumbs down...do not go there!!!! read more

HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE The Lady receptionist is racist and gave priority to the white men behind us... We are brown people. We asked her when the mechanic will start working on our car and she yelled, "please stop asking me that question!" What the hell? We are two young girls who just came in in the hopes of getting our car checked out & fixed & this is the type of treatment we get? The most horrible place to have your car serviced. Please do not go here, go anywhere else but here. My friend forgot her mask in the car & she overheard us and said "you do not need a mask..." Mind you, we are in a global pandemic right now & she herself was not wearing a mask...... In addition, we are clearly not from here, & she acted like she could not understand our english. She had no patience at all!!! We left as soon as possible, they do not deserve your money. what kind of customer service is this? Our week is ruined cause of her. Thanks, lady... Hope you had a good day. read more

I will happily give you 10 stars. I'm sorry you've had so many bad reviews. You fixed our Volvo semi truck's AC in a very short amount of time. We were dying of heat this past month and I'm so happy you were so affordable!!! Keep up the great work!! My husband and dad were very happy with your professionalism and knowledge of AC units!!! read more

I'd give them more stars if I could! Not only did they provide the best quote compared to four other shops, but they also got me in immediately and finished my front and rear brake replacements in less than two hours. Kent Auto Repair has my business from now on, I can't thank them enough! read more

Here is the reply I got from Kent Auto Repair for my negative review. "I dont care what you think we dont do customer service here. WE FIX CARS!! You are obviously friends with the airhead I told to go elsewhere "xxxx xxxxx" As your complaint is the same date and there has been no McKenna as a customer. Once again eat shit!" You obviously have me confused w/ another customer that didn't like you guys either. Can you say UNPROFESSIONAL? And rude?! You've got to me kidding me! Based on the other reviews, I'm not the only person complaining about you guys! Grow up! read more

My car broke down in Kent and I live in Redmond. I debated whether or not to tow my car closer to home or to keep it in Kent. I stumbled upon Kent Auto Repair, as it was right down the street from where my car died. It was a Sunday. They were closed, but we saw someone there and decided to explain what happened & the guy was super nice. He predicted based on my explanation that the fuel pump had gone out. I proceeded to have my car towed to their lot. Monday morning, I received a call really early. Doug informed me that yes, as predicted, I needed a new fuel pump & filter. He quoted me $550 & I gave the green light. By end of day, my car was ready to pick up. I drove my car for 2 weeks and it ran great. Then one day upon leaving work, it died. It felt the same as the first time... as if it was out of gas. I immediately called Kent Auto Repair and Doug answered. I told him what happened and he offered to pick my car up in Bellevue the next morning and tow it to Kent. he expressed that if it was the fuel pump, he would tow & fix it for no charge under its warranty. Feeling nervous that I know little about cars, I decided to have a mechanic on the street where I work take a look at the car. He reiterated that there was no pressure on the fuel lines and that it probably was my fuel pump. Doug came to Bellevue around 10:30AM, towed my car to Kent and found a way to replace the pump by close of business. This was critical for me because I was heading out of town the next morning. I picked my car up and so far so good. It was inconvenient that the part only lasted 2 weeks but I was elated and relieved by the response that Doug had in resolving the faulty part. His customer service was friendly, communicative & speedy. They backed up their work and came through with flying colors. Oh... last thing. I asked for a quote on replacing my fuel pump & filter with a recommended Bellevue shop and they quoted me $250 more than Kent Auto Repair. read more

I took my Rav 4 to Kent Auto repair on 132nd just off Kent Kangley road. Thought well they're the local mechanic, $4000.00 later. Don't get me wrong they fixed some things for me, but they put grooves in my engine block when taking a gasket off and now I have a bad oil leak. I took to Toyota because I thought it was a oil pan gasket, course I had to save money for repair. after Toyota explained the situation to me, I took back to Kent auto they said to bad, 6 month warranty over. I even showed them Toyota written reason. My thought, PEOPLE don't take your car there. They're really nice until they get their money. Than, BYE BYE RATING -000000 BAD PLACE read more

Kent Auto Repair is so nice, fast and they fixed our AC so it's great now! It's at a convenient location for people living in Renton or Kent. They had to lose a star just because the parking lot and outside building could use some work to make it look a little nicer. The chairs in the office to wait were nice and comfy. We'll definitely be back for all our auto needs. read more

Best place I've ever had to go!! Very respectful and informative. Doug, the Manager, explained everything he was doing on my car, even showed me exactly what was wrong before taking anything apart. Won't ever go anywhere else! read more

First of all his place has poor customer service! How do you expect to run a successful business when customers don't have anything good to say about your services. Your work depends on the clientèle and you guys threatening and bad mouthing us just because you dont like what we have to say, is not the way to go. Don't come here! Crappy work. No customer service. And RUDE! Can't believe they are still in business. (They deserve 0 stars, but it wouldn't let me post unless it had at least one) read more

My car needed the dipstick removed from the oil container. Simple fix, and when it was finished, it worked well. However, the service I received was absolutely terrible. We left my car with the mechanic who said he'd have it done before he left. They then closed without a single line of communication about what had been done to my car. We grabbed it after hours and drove it off the lot, only to have it smoke up and find that the oil container had been removed completely and there was no oil in my car. I understand that things come up and parts need to be ordered, but we should have never been allowed to drive the car off the lot. The lack of communication among the workers meant that no on could explain to us what had happened properly. Too many negative interactions makes this the worst and last place I would ever take my car. read more

My AC still works great almost a year later. Thanks for helping me figure out how to fix it by myself. I have almost recouped my losses fixing 3 other cars with a similar problem! read more

Bryan, very rude owner. Don't give him any personal information. He will also stalk you if he has your number. Not sure how he's in business. Extremely unprofessional. read more

This place has been around for a long time. That fact made me question the negative online presence this company has. I also know when it comes to mechanics, caveat emptor rules. They don't care about BBB, or the AG complaints, they will always have an excuse ready, and you will always owe them more. I have come across these types before, and I always wish I had a warning. Don't Trust the claims of FAKE REVIEW or anything else they respond with online, apparently, that's the only reliable tool they have. read more

Great service! The new manager Leon was awesome. My AC broke and they took care of me very well and got me back on the road at a fair price. He communicated very well and pretty much exceeded my expectations. Will return and recommend! Update: called 3 months later Leon is now gone for stealing from the owner and they have yet to call me back for a quote on a repair I would like to have done there. That's too bad but typical of small business it is hard to find honest people out there. read more

This is the only place I'll take my truck from now on. Jason treated me with respect, answered all my questions, repaired my truck in a timely matter for being a drop in and was reasonably lower in their prices than other local repair shops. I recommend Kent Automobile to anyone looking for a trustworthy mechanic who won't try to sell you services you don't need. read more

My car was stolen and recovered after 4 weeks. Stunk so bad from tabacco I had to drive it back from the tow company with my head out the window. The bozo at Kent Auto Repair said there is "No Way" to get the stink out. Said anyone who says they can is lying. I had it detailed and ozone treated overnight at Jim's Detail in Federal Way. SMELL GONE! Don't trust this company. read more

Probably one of the best experiences I've had at an auto shop. They're extremely nice and trustworthy, and they helped fix my ac unit right on the spot for a great price. I highly recommend getting your car fixed here if you're in the area. read more

Hook and Bait; Miss-leading Pricing...whatever you want to call it. Called Firestone and they said they'll charge $40 to check integrity of the cooling system before re-filling it. Called Kent Auto and they said we'll charge you $160 to refill the system. They ended up charging $160 to fill it and THEN tell us that the compressor is broken and we need to pay another $1,000 to fix that and then they'll refill the cooling agent free. How Shady is this!!! The compressor is $170-$200 and labor let's take it 60/hour for 3 hours; this wouldn't cost more than $500. Very tricky and shady way of scheming a disabled man by the way (my father)! Would not recommend for anything!!! The tech/owner whoever he was got on the phone to tell me how he knows EVERYTHING about cooling systems and has worked on xyz number of cars over 25 years - If you know EVERYTHING then you would know better than to charge $160 just to say that a compressor is broken. This is not a sign of a mechanic who knows EVERYTHING. Diagnostics of a cooling system are fairly simple it's either a leak, compressor or condenser, and if you've worked on systems for over 25 years then you shouldn't have to charge $160 to diagnose the failing component. Frustrating to no end!!! If another company has the ability to diagnose before treating one shouldn't say "they're lying to you" and "I know EVERYTHING" --instead maybe investigate a bit. What they did was not fair by any means - total hook and bait. read more

i will not be spending any money with this business. i am currently in search of a place to take my car for some work and if you simply look at the responses from the owner on some of the comments here it is clear to me that the only customers that matter to them are the happy ones. no thanks! below i've included a picture of the response the "owner" of the company gave me ..... it is clear this is a family owned business and they live on the property connected to the "shop" this is a classic case of a dead beat joint just looking to charge you more!! read more

We had a check engine light on our Ford Freestar and were fearful of the cost to diagnose and repair our van. Its our commuter so not a car we wish to heavily invest in. The folks at Kent Auto Repair were very friendly and accommodating. Never did we have any worries. When we were told of the repair costs and options it was reasonable. I look forward to dropping my van off in the future without hesitation. Their schedule and open drop off policy really was a life saver. No pressure and worked me in when I was ready to perform the repairs and had the funds to pay in full. read more

Sad to say, our experience here was not one I would repeat. Took daughter's car in. Paid over $100 for diagnostic. Had problems fixed ($1200+) Before daughter arrived home, the engine light came on. Due to work, we were unable to take car back by the shop for about a week. Thought owner would check problem, and he did AFTER CHARGING $100+ FOR ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC!!!! We were told it took too long to return to the shop! Problem diagnosed - gas cap. Next time we'll get our diagnostic FREE at Auto Zone and FIND ANOTHER MECHANIC!!!! read more

I am new to yelp and I was very shocked to see the terrible reviews for my mechanic. My relationship started with kent Auto repair about 5 years ago when my Malibu would not start in the morning. I called Kent auto repair on the recomendation of a friend. The were at my house quickly and towed my car to there shop. they called me back within an hour and explained that my security system had disconnected my starter . They simply reset it. They did not try to upsell me and earned my trust. Since then I have taken my Durango and my Suburban to them. They have always treated me fair. And fixed things right the first time. I need to know my mechanic is looking out for what is best for me. Not just trying to upsell service to pad the bottom line. I have had great experience with Kent Auto Repair shop. read more

My car broke down on I-5 at midnight and the tow truck driver took me and my car to a motel in Kent. { I live in Bremerton] In the morning I found this repair shop and paid for them to tow my car to the shop. The problem was my timing chain so it was an all day affair, which meant I sat in the office for many hours listening to the boss, and 2 assistance managers deal with clients, potential clients and the mechanics. I was pleasantly impressed with them all but most of the time I listened to and observed Leon [ I hope I have his name right]. Youngish guy and brand new on the job. I was very impressed with his skills at dealing with clients both on the phone and in person. He was friendly, personable, very through, very intelligent, knowledgeable, organized and quick. He also had been a mechanic so he completely understood what work needed to be done, how to explain the estimate and the potential unknowns [ which are a common occurrence in car repair] and how to explain simply and clearly the needed repairs to the client. If I lived in that area I would definitely use this auto repair shop again. read more