These guys are WONDERFUL! I went to them for a used car inspection and after they discovered the car had been in an accident and was a terrible buy, the mechanic I spoke with offered to call around and see if any of his contacts had a similar car for sale. I mentioned I have been car shopping for over a month and he jumped at any chance to offer a helping hand. Again, wonderful people and service. Also, he was able to give me an extensive list of the areas they covered in the inspection. Great job all around, wished I lived closer to take my future car there for any and all repairs. read more

Lake City Auto Works is very expensive, but the service is friendly and fast. I've had everything from brake to suspension work done here and although you will find shops that charge you fewer hours to perform the same repairs, LCAW's quality and consistency kept me coming back anyway. They will let you know exactly what needs to be repaired, how urgent it is and what it will cost. read more

I have never reviewed anything on Yelp, just because I didn't feel the need to. However, Lake City Auto Works deserves much praise and I felt compelled to write a review for them. I have been taking my 2001 Honda Accord there for 3 years and don't have a complaint. My car has close to 240,000 miles and I seriously believe they are part of the reason it has remained running. Here are some of the good things you will experience: - Honest: Karl and the other team members will NEVER try to sell you something you don't need. In fact, there was a time they thought I needed a battery (in addition to other things) so I told them to go ahead with the work even though it was going to be tough for me to afford on my grad student income. They easily could've left it at that and just replaced the battery, but instead they kept trying to get to the heart of the problem and figured out that it was something that was much cheaper. What mechanic does that? - Affordable: I don't know what the other reviewers mean when they say it is expensive. It doesn't seem any pricier than most other mechanics. The big difference is that you know you're not buying parts you don't need. More importantly, you know they are doing a thorough job. - Fast/Easy Scheduling: the other reviews are correct, you're usually in and out in a day. I've never experienced one of those conversations about ordering parts from Kentucky or somewhere that will take 4 days, etc. at LCAW. Boom. Car done. Also, almost every time I call they just tell me to bring my car in whenever I want. I only remember one time they told me that they were swamped and I should make an actual appointment. There have been at least two occasions where I was quoted one price and by the time they did all of the work, it comes out to be cheaper. This past service was about $75 cheaper than quoted. I know it sounds like that could be a sham, but I trust them and I truly do not believe they need to try to fool you. They are way too professional and way too good to do something like that. Basically, if you live in the Seattle area, it is absolutely, hands down worth it to come to LCAW. I only wish I weren't moving so I could have them help keep this car running for more years to come. read more

I wish I knew what their service was like but they are always SO BUSY. I've even called in and have been told "we're busy today but you can come in tomorrow"...so I come in the next day early and the lady in front says "I'm sorry we're backed up today". They seem nice and I'm glad that they are busy but it's just not realistic to try and bring my car in to them anymore. You can try to make an appointment but they handle those so casually...I question how accurate their appointments are anyways. read more

These guys are fast, friendly and have proven to be honest. My only qualm is that they one time sold me chains that did not fit the wheels of the car. Ever since I bought a diesel car I have taken it to Earl's Garage because they are more experienced in working with cars that run Biodiesel. read more

I limped my 4Runner here after it was over heating and they diagnosed a faulty water pump. I had my water pump replaced a little over a year ago at a different shop and when I mentioned that, they actually recommended I contact the other shop to inquire about the warranty rather than proceeding with the repair as I was prepared to do. I wasn't aware that water pumps shouldn't fail so quickly and was prepared to pay for the expensive replacement, so I greatly appreciate their service and forthrightness. Now if I could only find a reasonably priced towing company! read more

Brought in our 2000 Catera. It was tortured by another mechanic. Brother Karl had us on the road. Was it spendy? Yes, but it was done correct the first time and again Karl was cleaning up some other person's slop. In the end it was a fair price for great and competent worth. What is the value of that? CShurick read more

Lake City Auto Works is the best. I do not have a negative thing to say about them. They are reliable, willing to answer questions and explain steps, and always super nice! I would recommend them to anyone! read more

Usually I'm never happy when I have to take my car into a shop to get fixed...$$$$$$ but the staff here are super friendly and the service is great! Came in thinking I was gonna spend $100 for a job and ended up being $300 problem was needed different parts which I understood.. A lot of other shops though well tell you new parts are needed without any explanation the manager here I forgot his name but he explained everything to me to detail and showed me physically what was needed. Also pricing was not terrible considering the fact it's getting work to your car. Can't complain though. I would definitely refer anyone to come here and get their work done!!! read more

Karl and his team are the best! I've taken my car and my boss's car in for service a number of times. They never try to sell me something I don't need and will even explain why I don't need work I've requested (tune up) which saves me hundreds of dollars. I won't take my car to anyplace else. read more

Brought my 2000 Subaru Outback in for a head gasket replacement and new clutch amongst other things. Karl had me back on the road shortly. Unfortunately I immediately had the car die on me while on the highway two days later. Understandably I was pretty upset after paying over $5,000 for repairs just to be sitting in a tow truck again. I had it towed back to Lake City with some serious skepticism. Karl got to work right away. He found the problem and actually rebuilt my engine at NO EXTRA COST. These guys put just over $4,000 into my engine for free after I brought it back with no arguing or haggling. Had the car back for about 8 months now and it runs like a dream. They're honest. The work is great. I highly recommend them. read more

New to Seattle and I needed a service center. Thanks to Yelp reviews, I found this place. I came in for a quick check up and oil change. The service was fast and the staff are really friendly. Great sense of humor as well, especially the front desk. Just wanted to give my 2 cents and the stars for just the overall experience. I will definitely come back! read more

Finally. An auto shop I feel I can trust. From the moment I called and given ways to save on towing all through service...excellent. They didn't blow smoke, price was less than quoted and it felt like I was driving a sports car after (it's a Jeep). I'll definitely be back for work I'm unable to do myself. Friendly, reasonable prices and great work. read more

I brought an Audi A4 here to do a used car inspection before I bought it. On my drive in, I noticed something that the brake light was flashing and I asked the guys to have a look why. 2 hours later they gave me a report saying everything in the car was fine except that it was low on brake fluid and that the front passenger power window wasn't working. The quote for repairs they gave me was: $79 for a brake fluid top up (they claimed low brake fluid was the source of the flashing brake light) $680 to replace the power window So I went ahead and got the car with the intention of topping up the brake fluid myself and leaving the power window dead. When I got around to topping up the brake fluid, I noticed something interesting... the fluid reservoir was full. Using a VAG-COM cable, I checked for error codes which would help work out why the brake light was on and the two main errors that appeared were: ABS Error Right Front door communication error Looking at the fuse box, the wiring for the right front door was loose. After tightening that, the power window started working! Sleuthing on the internet reveals that I'm out of luck with the ABS unit, but at least I saved myself $700+ from getting these guys to work on the car. In summary: These guys are useless and don't seem to have even basic diagnostic tools to find errors (I'll give them the benefit of doubt and chalk it up to incompetence rather than malice) Cost me $120 to learn nothing useful, and had they done their job propperly and found the ABS issue I would not have bought the car read more

Took my vehicle here to have a used car pre-purchase inspection. Took them about 15 minutes and said they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Didn't give me a checklist of fluid levels, tire tread, Belts, Brakes, Air filter, or anything like a mechanic would normally. I purchased the vehicle and took it to another shop to have the oil changed and to look at some of the other fluids. They ended up doing a full inspection on it and found the oil was black, a mouse had made a nest in the engine compartment and had chewed through some electrical, the spark plugs were rusty, the battery was 8 years old and failing, washers didn't work, Gasket leak in engine, and a few more things. I would have thought the Lake City Autoworks would have caught at least a few of these items on a used car pre-purchase inspection but didn't tell me about any. That was kind of the whole point in me taking it here. I would have been able to negotiate on the vehicle purchase price to cover the cost of repairing these issues. read more

This place is fantastic! My family has been using this shop since about 1975. They have always done great work, at a good, fair price. They do not up-sell and they are very good at communicating to you what your vehicle needs. The staff is also very, very friendly, and they really treat the customer very well. I can't recommend a better place to take your vehicle! Thanks guys! read more

Lake City auto work was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't of asked for better service. Thank you thank you thank you

Potentially dishonest. Will verify in a few weeks. They told my wife one of our struts was bent, and that the car had obviously been in an accident and then covered up. $900 service recommendation. Took the car to another mechanic - no sign of a bent strut. He called Lake City Autoworks and they told him that they recommended new struts since "they seemed weak". Perhaps they didn't remember our case exactly, but it's shady that their story changed and nearly cost us $1k. When I get the alignment done, we'll find out definitively. Happy with my new mechanic - he easily could have made the $900 from the service and I would never have questioned it. read more

$600 for spark plugs, wires and coil for a v6...which seems high; it included a hefty diagnosis fee. It was missing... not rocket science to pinpoint the plugs. Also told me my transmission fluid was black and my radiator needed to be replaced...estimated at $900 more. I followed up with Jiffy lube and confirmed my tranny fluid was fine, bright red and just changed out 5,000 miles ago. Radiator did have small leak so good catch; but is it a hose?. The completely inaccurate information on the tranny fluid conditions and "full retail" price makes me think about other options. Fast turn around!. read more

Front headlight went dead. Hopped on YouTube and watched a few videos. Changed one headlight and its fuse. Nada. Now granted, I'm 99% useless when it comes to anything mechanical, but I thought it was an electrical problem. Took it to Lake City Autoworkers and they listened to my description and then had a look themselves. An hour or two later, they called and said the car was ready. Turns out it was the headlight bulb, but the wrong one. Duh! They could've charged me for something in the range of $200, $300 and I wouldn't have been any wiser. Instead, they were honest. I was thrilled to pay the $18 bill. read more

Staff was really kind over the phone and made time to get my car in ASAP. My engine was overheating, they did a quick diagnosis and I feel they charged me a very reasonable price for the parts that needed replacement. Service was quick and genuine. I'll definitely contact them again if my car needs work. read more

I've taken both of our vehicles to this garage. It is one of the only auto repair shops that I thought was both knowledgeable and affordable. They are really good at what they do and fast. They even sent an email with our estimate and services they recommended. I've always gone to dealerships in the past and felt like I got ripped off. LCA has great customer service and I'll continue to have my cars worked on by them. read more

Wow! Honest, affordable, quick service. The door lock on our car broke. We asked Lake City Autoworks to disassemble the door and take the lock cylinder out so we could have it repaired at a locksmith. Instead, Carl disassembled the door, inspected the cylinder and realized it just needed some cleaning. He repaired it himself and only charged us about $50 for everything, which was much less than we expected to pay. We will be back if we ever need similar work done again. read more

Came in for an oil change last week. Nice people, great service.

I chose to bring a car to this shop for an inspection when I was considering buying a vehicle, simply because it was the closest place to the used car dealership. But I was so pleased with the service and the cost, that I would go out of my way to return again in the future. When I brought my prospective car in, I sheepishly implored them to hurry because I was on a break from work-- I could tell they were busy, and I didn't want to be a pushy jerk. But the mechanic heard my request, and he did the inspection in a third of the time I'd been quoted. Fortunately, the car ended up being in great condition, and he didn't recommend any repairs. This confirmed to me the honesty of the business-- I think many auto-shops invent "necessary" repairs, because they can get away with doing so. Anyway, I was still nervous about buying a car, so I wasn't quite ready to walk away. The mechanic patiently answered all my questions. When I finally left, I felt totally confident about making the decision to purchase the car. read more

These guys deserve the 5 stars I've given them. I took my car in for a radiator replacement - I verified everything they told me with my own mechanic in the small town I'm from and everything I was quoted was right on. They did a great job, were open, easy to communicate with, and had my car back to me in no time. So, when my alternator went out, I literally left my car on their doorstep. read more

I am yet another customer who has been repeatedly impressed by the service and expertise at Lake City Autoworks. And I too don't write reviews on yelp unless my conscience compels me to put out the good word. Karl has taken care of my 2005 Mazda 3 on several occasions and only charged me when he found something to fix. That's right I'm a neurotic car owner which is probably every auto shop owners dream but Karl is honest and has told me there is nothing wrong when there isn't and fixed what was wrong only when there was something to fix. And fixed it well I might add, meaning it stays fixed. read more

These guys are simply the BEST! I've been taking my cars here for several years and they always do what they say and say what they do. I trust Karl and his team of mechanics to never fix something that doesn't need to be fixed and he has gone out of his way several times to keep costs low. Plus, he's just a really great guy! If you're in the north end look no further than Lake City Autoworks for all of your car repair or maintenance needs! read more

honest, fair and candid. owner Karl is a straight shooter who I appreciated doing business with. A previous review said they were expensive, I found them to be very reasonable - perhaps it's unfair to compare them with the Toyota dealer down the street, but they did the work on my Prius for about half the price. Strongly recommended. I plan to return when my car needs service in the future. read more

I love these guys! I had my car die on the freeway, and didn't know where to go, so I just had it dropped off there, because it was close to my gym. I called the next day and they were able to fit it into their schedule that day. As it turned out the timing belt had broken and there was a lot of internal damage. At that point he presented me with several choices, weighing what the full extent of the damage he would find and the costs. He made it clear he would not proceed with any work if I didn't want to. While he was doing his work, they noticed that the battery was low, and asked if I had purchased is locally and when. I gave them this information and since it was still under warranty they dealt with the store and got me a replacement battery! I had him do the full repair, and since I didn't get any other quotes I don't know if it was expensive or not, but I know next time I need service, I'm going back. Since I would have had to take a bus to pick up my car, the owner came and gave me a ride! These folks know what service is! read more

I cannot recommend Lake City Autoworks enough! What a refreshing change from the pumped up estimates and mediocre service provided by a garage much closer to where I work and live. Due to outstanding customer service, honest advice and very fast turnaround, I would take my car here even if it were in another town. Karl is a rare gem, providing competence and honesty wrapped in a great sense of humor. Can you beat that?! read more

Helpful and friendly. Gave me a ride back home when I left my car. The first time they ordered the wrong piece twice so it was a hassle to go back and forward , but then they agreed to just charge the costs of the material and don't charge for labor. My only wish is: that they call me on my cell when they know that the labor takes longer. I had my car in for two days and was organizing everything in order to pick it up on the evening of the second day. When I called them around 3:30pm, however, they told me that they need the car for a third day. I had wished they would have told me earlier, so I would have organized the pick up etc. differently. But generally happy with Lake City and will come back. read more

This shop is one of the best I have ever used. They are knowledgeable, efficient, friendly, and accommodating. No shop is cheap these days, but here you can be sure you get your money's worth, be treated with honesty, and be assured they will back up their work should any problems occur. read more

i sent my 1990 rx7 there about two weeks ago to have the clutch fixed.. well in the process of that a ground wire was knocked loose, creating some starting problems. i took my car back and the guy who owns the place ( i think) was very helpfully and nice. they looked my car over and could not find the problem. i took it home and tryed troubleshooting it myself and was unsuccessfully. i brought it back to the shop and picked it up the next day fixed. they did not even try to charge me labor, for the time to fix the ground wire, and i liked that. i will try them again.. read more