I took my truck to the guys at Marvin Smith auto repair for a power steering pump and gear box replacement. They were great. Not only did they fix my truck, they came and picked me up at home to take me to get my truck when it was finished. They are the only auto repair service I will ever use for all my vehicles. They treated me with respect and kindness and impressed me so much that i am writing this, my first review, to let people know these guys are good. I give them 5+ stars. Clay J read more

Car battery died. By sheer luck the person I flagged down for a jump happened to be from Marvin Smith Auto Repair. I had thought I had my own cables and it'd be a quick fix. Sadly I was wrong and my cables werent in my car. Thankfully he offered to grab cables from their shop. He was there and back quickly and had my car jumped and me on my way faster than I could have called roadside for help. Took time out of his day to help a complete strangle. Wonderful, kind hearted people here. read more

My motor home had broken down on a trip from Washington to California. Went to several auto shops in Cottage Grove to try and get it repaired. They all had excuses. "Too busy." "No time." "Didn't have a lift to be able to fix it." Etc. Etc. Went to Marvin Smith. They diagnosed the problem, ordered the parts, and got it fixed! (without a lift) And they worked in the pouring rain. Great job Ernie! These guys were excellent! Highly recommend. read more

IMPORTANT! - This is a lengthy post but important, if you are looking for an auto mechanic in the CG area. For those looking for a reliable, trustworthy, experienced auto repair service in town, MARVIN SMITH AUTO REPAIR IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR! My car was having an ongoing problem with overheating. I had replaced the thermostat a couple of times thinking I had run into a batch of bad ones. I began noticing puddles of coolant under the front end, and began inspecting all the hoses for leaks. Not finding any apparent source of where I was losing fluid, I decided to take it to a "professional" shop to have the coolant system inspected. Being on a tight budget as many of us are, the appeal to take it to Marvin Smith was the fact that their $150 "Inspection Fee" would be applied towards the repairs. We brought it in and felt confident in our decision to do so, after talking with them. I expressed to them what had been going on in detail and expressly asked them to double-check the latest thermostat I had installed to make sure it was not a bad one as the previous ones were. I received a call later that afternoon saying they had "checked the ENTIRE SYSTEM and the only thing it might be is the water pump." Trusting they had crossed off all the simple checks originally mentioned, I agreed to them going in and replacing the water pump. A few hours later, they called back saying that the original water pump was in "pristine" condition and was put back in, and THEN decided to check the thermostat. They found it "was not opening fully". Hmmm...?!!! Although I was excited to have my vehicle supposedly repaired, my first reaction was to wonder why they hadn't checked the thermostat initially, as I had specifically mentioned...!? I then realized that this place wasn't trying to solve the problem but rather trying to charge their customers for every little thing they could. My conclusion: "Marvin Smith isn't the place to go. Lesson learned." But, the car was "fixed", and I could proceed with my life, or so I thought... The next day I had to drive to an event at the coast for my business. I got 80 miles into my 145 mile drive and again, and again, the car overheated. I was in between Corvallis and Newport with no services nearby on a Sunday night. I decided to have my vehicle towed 55 miles to my destination at $5/mile, so I could take care of it the next day. I met up with a friend of mine at the event in Lincoln City, who agreed to take a look at my car. Although he's not a professional mechanic, within 5 minutes of running the engine doing some routine coolant system inspections, he noticed a large crack in the top of the radiator, dripping fluid. And based on the size of it, had been there for quite some time. I was able to fix it and get it back to CG, later in the week. The following Monday, I went into Marvin Smith and requested a small portion of their misdiagnosed inspection fee and misplaced labor, to offset some of my tow charges. They said they had to discuss it with the owner and manager. Two weeks had passed and still no response from anyone their. So today, I went in to inquire about their decision, in person. The manager proceeded to say that the crack that was in the radiator must have occurred in the 80 miles I drove it AFTER they looked at and "fixed" it, even though it was doing EXACTLY the same thing it had been doing for the last moth, and in EXACTLY the same manner and time frame I explained to them, when I brought it in... Then the manager tried to write it off as though I were trying to get a free repair rather than taking responsibility for their mistake and only charging me for the things they had done correctly that never truly fixed the problem. Marvin Smith Auto Repair makes their money by NOT LISTENING TO and THEN LYING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS; CHARGING ADDITIONAL LABOR to do things that could've been AVOIDED; NOT PROVIDING A COMPETENT DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE; and INSULTING THE CUSTOMER after I called them out on their mistake. I can understand that errors can be made, but as a professional, I stand behind my services, and make things right to the best of my ability, when I make a mistake. That's what being a professional service technician is all about! If you need ANYTHING done on your car, DO NOT USE Marvin Smith, or it will COST YOU, too! read more

I would give this place 10 stars if I could. My vehicle had a check engine light go on while I was heading south to San Diego. The first mechanic in town I went to was more concerned about closing his shop on time for the week end. Luckily I called around because the parts needed for my car we're going to be difficult to locate on a Friday afternoon and most shops are closed in Cottage Grove on weekends. I would have to stay at least through Monday. The station told me they could get the parts in by Monday. But just to be sure, I drove to the station and they were absolutely wonderful. They took a look at the issue and they told me they were going to do their best to temporarily repair the issue and get me back on the road safely. It didn't matter what time of the day it was to them, they were truly going to help me out. What impressed me the most is they told me that they treat their customers like family and they would never put anyone in danger on the road. Ernie, Curt and crew are angels on earth! Thank you! read more

Great customer service, from wiring a boat trailer, to replacing tubing for my windshield washer and must more. Honest and fair pricing! No pricie gouging here! read more

I recently burned out the clutch with my 1989 Toyota Camry outside Grants Pass, OR (About 100 miles away). Luckily, I had AAA Plus so my tow was covered since my goal was to get as close to home in Portland, OR as possible. The drop off occurred on a weekend and even though it was totally unannounced, they quickly confirmed the issue Monday morning had my car ready to go the following day - below estimate. In addition they gave me a list of recommendations for repair without any pressure to preform them. If you are along Interstate 5 in a major bind and need emergency repair - go to Marvin Smith Auto Repair they will take care of you. read more

I have had a wonderful experience with this repair facility for many years. They do honest work in a timely manner. Kurt is very professional and courteous. You can even leave your vehicle over night, and they will contact you immediately in the morning to get the ball rolling on your car. It is stressfull sometimes when one of your vehicles becomes disabled, but they ensure you that they will take care of everything. Bring your car to them first before anyone else in Cottage Grove. read more

Traveling on I-5 south with my family from Seattle to San Diego just before Christmas, our '94 Nissan Pathfinder started sputtering and jerking just before Salem, OR. Stopped at the dealership there for a fix--turned out it was the distributor--but the same problem returned just outside of Cottage Grove. The next morning we fortunately found Marvin Smith Auto Repair (Kirk and Ernie did the work) who applied their expert knowledge and experience to fix the issue. Their service was really as good as it gets! Thank you for making our Christmas work! read more

My car's engine came to its end traveling on I-5 outside of Cottage Grove, and the car was towed to Marvin Smith. I was impressed by how quickly the mechanics were able to diagnose the car and provide estimates for both rebuilding or replacing the engine, with no pressure to perform the services. They took their time explaining the problem and the repair options and were excellent communicators, making sure all of my questions were answered. I highly recommend Marvin Smith Auto Repair - I plan on bringing my car down from Eugene for this level of service. read more

Over billed, and very unfriendly. These guys are look for the easy customer that doesn't question they're work. Don't trust these guys to purchase your parts because they will mark them up way beyond what they're cost is. GET A SECOND QUOTE from one of the other many repair shops in the area. read more