Bernie's Automotive Service

I took my 1991 Mazda to Bernie's Automotive and it was a customer's nightmare. I would strongly urge you to take your car anywhere else but here. I've had my car for 12 years and it's always been extremely reliable. It broke down while I was driving it one day so I had it towed to Bernie's to find out what the problem was. They gave me an estimate of $1250 to fix the car including fuel induction cleaning, a tune up, new spark plugs, battery cables & terminals, etc. Bernie's couldn't tell me exactly what caused the car to break down so I told them I'd need to come in and get a written estimate before I approved the repairs. * When I went into the shop to look over the written estimate, the manager at Bernie's casually informed me that they had 'disassembled' my car and that they had had someone from the salvage yard come over to look at it to see if the salvage yard was interested in buying it. Bernie's then offered me $200 to sell them my car. * Shocked to learn that my car was sitting in the service bay dismantled, I told them that I wasn't interested in selling the car and that I had brought it to them to repair... * At this point the manager upped the offer to $360 to buy the car. Again I told him I wasn't interested in selling and I had no idea where they got that idea. Obviously they mistook me for an idiot if they thought I was going to sell my car for a couple hundred bucks. * At this point I just wanted my car out of there immediately. I told them to put the car back together and I drove the car to another another repair shop nearby. The second garage I took it to ran a series of diagnostic tests and they told me the car actually had a blown head gasket. It was going to cost me $2500 to to replace the head gasket so I decided it wasn't worth doing the repairs. a.) Bernie's Auto mis-diagnosed the problem. If I had left my car there and let them do the work, I would've been out $1250 and it wouldn't have fixed the actual cause of the problem. b.) Bernie's had no right to dismantle my car and show it to a third party to buy without my knowledge. According to Washington State law, it's ilegal for a repair shop to 'use a customer's vehicle for purposes not related to the repair or diagnosis without the customer's permission.' Would you want a stranger going through your car? c.) When the second garage tested the fuel in my gas tank to find out why it was running so poorly, they found that someone had put diesel in the car instead of gasoline (which causes the engine to stop running.)I didn't put diesel in my car but it just so happens Bernie's Auto sells diesel on the premises. There's several reputable AAA repair shops in the Ballard area. You might want to check one of them out instead. more

DO NOT take your car here. These guys will rip you off while smiling at you. Yes, it is true that they are very nice to you, they take the time to explain everything they do, and they have a shuttle service that will take you wherever you need to go so long as you let them know ahead of time. more

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Have had nothing but good experiences with the guys and gals at Bernie's, and i have been to alot of car shops across the country. i have recommended all my friends to these guys and they have all been treated as well as i have. the first experience i had was for a brake service where it sounded like metal on metal, which turned out to just be brake dust and they informed me there would be no charge. every service i have brought my vehicles in for have been handled professionally and promptly. they seem to pride themselves on their customer service, which is something i think too many people overlook. i consider them all to be friends not just mechanics. more

The staff was professional, but after their service, my car has never been the same. The engine runs louder, and dies every once in a while, which it never did before. I was very disappointed, and wished I had taken my car somewhere else instead. more

We take our two older vehicles to Bernie's and really feel like they have our backs. They understand that often times we need to pick and choose what services we do due to budget restrictions. Once, our car battery failed and they wheeled their battery several blocks from their shop to give the car a jump start. more

One of the items on most people's "dread" list is car repair. At Bernie's, the apprehension is eliminated: prices are fair, service is thorogh and very friendly, and, importantly, work is completed in a timely manner. What more could you ask for? Check them out! You'll be pleasantly surprised. Jane more

no pressure with work that they recommend. very honest and not overpriced. helpful with ways to get around while your car is there more

I will always recommend Bernie's to family and friends. I felt we got the best advice, the best service and speedy repairs and am glad we went to Bernie's!! more

The people at Bernie's do excellent work and are trustworthy. more

I brought my car in for a power steering fluid leak. I was told that I needed an oil change. I agreed, and since it was in the shop already I let them do it. Since then I have had a low oil light on my car. I have to service my car with about a quart of oil a week now. RESPONSE FROM Bernie's Automotive Service: Hi Tiler - Thank you for taking the time to review. We take all our reviews serious (good, bad, or indifferent) because it let's us know where we are successful and where we need improvement. I have spoke with my advisors and are not aware of your oil light being on or having to add oil. Now that they do, let's get your vehicle in ASAP and get the situation corrected. I'm sure it is something that can be easily remedied. A service advisor will be contacting you today. Again, thank you for reviewing us and letting us know that your visit was unsatisfactory. If you hadn't we would have never known nor would we have the chance to correct the problem. Thank you, Troy (owner) more

I have been a customer for 25 years or so. Bernie's has always made every effort to give me the best service possible. Rarely, a second visit is required, but Bernie's always makes it right. I'm in good hands at Bernie's! more

Will and the gang are excellent. Whether we call or drop in, they are "ALWAYS" willing to take a look or troubleshoot on the phone at "NO" charge. Scheduling, Estimates and Repairs are convenient,competitive and reiable. We will always have our Vehicles serviced at Bernie's. more

My oil light was on. So I called to see if they could check & they got me right in. It was nothing but like to be sure. So thank you, you guys are awesome more

My turn signal was stuck on and I took my car to Bernies to get it checked out. Mistaking me as young and inexperienced inv automotive repair they quoted me $200 in parts and $250 in labor. Although I understand taking apart a steering wheel can be complex, I thought $500 was unusually high. I ended up taking my own steering wheel apart (10 screws total) and finding a replacement part at an auto parts store for $30. The whole thing took me 2 hours and $30 when I was quoted $500 for 5 days. more

You should only go to Bernie's if you like paying WAY more for any work they do and still not have it done correctly. I have gone there three times now (twice only because I had a problem and thought it was related to a previous repair) and won't go back again. Car #1 I took my blazer in because I was hearing the sound of water rushing in my dashboard. They told me it was my water pump so I had it replaced however I still hear the water sound so it makes me wonder if I needed the pump. I still have the problem $550 later. I had a bad battery which should have been maybe a $150-$175 repair that turned into $300. They charged $97 just to tell me my battery was bad. Any other repair shop that I have ever been to (even the dealer) doesn't tack on extra fees just to tell you what they are going to fix. Once you are into them for those fees, they have you because the actual repair still needs to be done and taking it to another shop is not always practical. If you don't go ahead with the repair then of course you need to pay for their time but adding $97 to the cost of the battery is a total rip off. The AAA driver told me it was the battery. I should have listened to him and just bought a $75 battery. Car #2 I took in my older Acura Legend, which only has 45k original miles and is in excellent shape. I purchased it from my elderly aunt. She always had problems with the battery not holding a charge. I bought a new battery which worked for awhile then it started going dead. Seemed to me like a drain somewhere. I took it to Bernies and they told me it was just bad battery cables. With the diagnostics it came to $150.00. A few weeks later it started going dead again. This time they told me it was the alternator so I had it replaced at a cost of $500. They assured me that would fix the problem. So I took the car home and a couple of weeks later same thing, the battery wont hold a charge. So now Im into them for $650 and I still have the same original problem. Again, makes me wonder if I needed the expensive alternator. They have the car again (for 2 weeks now) and still do not know the problem. I originally went there because a friend of mine that lives in Ballard used to go there when the father owned the shop and was very pleased. Now that the business has passed on they had the same bad experience and no longer go there or recommend them. They are relying on their previous reputation to get customers. Too bad because I own several cars and was hoping to find a good local mechanic I can trust. more

You guys rock! more

My Bernie's experience has been pretty hassle free. My car problems have always been accurately diagnosed and resolved. Any unresolved problem related to the original work was readdressed at their expense. Patrick at the front office runs a nice personal interface between me and the mechanics. It's a nice formula of the mechanics do their job and the office guys do theirs with professionalism and integrity. Bernie's isn't cheap but I do feel that I get what I'm paying for in terms of good mechanical knowledge and application. I recommend them. I especially like their policy of giving you back a percentage of what you spend on a gift/loyalty card to apply to further work. You can feel safe taking your vehicle to Bernie's. more

My husband and I have been using Bernie''s for years. We have recently moved to the south end and still drive to Ballard to get our oil changed. Great service, reliable and trustworthy. more

Service was prompt and courteous. Very well schooled. Quick and easy. Spent a bunch of money for something I think would take a new guy to do. Little personal interaction on the reality of what is done for these kinds of service calls. I know I should know that things cost money and there is little to be done for some old truck that needs a valve job or something though I feel it is the business' job to make it clear the effort was given to study the readings and give a verbal account of what is really going on. I can't really read what the paperwork says. Numbers and such. Does this truck have a future? Etc. Thank. I will probably come back though won't recommend to anyone for now. Ken more