My truck had been vandalized and needed a lot of work. Len's Automotive did a great job getting it running again. They kept me informed and kept costs to a minimum.
Reviews
Worked on my 60 year old collector car with NO trouble. Fix the problem and also did some adjustments which help the cars drive. Easy to work with, affordable and keeps the owner in the repair loop, my new auto repair shop!
Fast & efficient, patient with my questions.
Fixed oil leaks. It was a lot of money but the service great and quick and they were very communicative. I got a free shuttle ride home from them since we live within a couple of miles. I trust them.
Always receive great and friendly service here. They’ve been taking good care of my car for years. Highly recommend!
TL;DR: Overpriced services with unnecessary upselling, caused cosmetic damage to my vehicle; do not recommend, look elsewhere for an auto shop I came to Len's Automotive after seeing many good reviews on Google Maps and booked an appointment due to vibrations coming from the front left tire after hitting a curb on one side. I requested a wheel alignment/diagnosis since I was suspecting the vibrations were due to misalignment and noted that it was just my suspicion but would like to know if there was any damage to the vehicle that was instead causing the issue. I was only informed that a separate suspension test was required AFTER I arrived at the shop for an additional separate charge of $107.45 on top of the $89.95 alignment service advertised on their website. They explained that it was necessary after any kind of wheel impact to assess if there was any damage to other suspension components since an alignment would be pointless and the car would be out alignment within days due to the damaged component not being fixed. This sounded reasonable but was still an annoyance since this charge was not disclosed before I came in, even though I had specified what issue I was coming in for when scheduling an appointment. They also tacked on $11.70 in environmental charges and shop supplies, which was not disclosed either until payment. Regardless, once I came back to pick up my vehicle after a few hours, they let me know there was damage to the front left wheel bearing and recommended replacing both front wheel bearings for an outrageous subtotal charge of $1,831.18 (not even including a wheel alignment after replacement). The estimate breakdown listed the wheel hub assembly price at $400.54 each when the entire OEM wheel bearing and hub assembly is readily available from multiple Toyota dealerships from $250-280 each, and Toyota's own MSRP for the part is less than $400. They also listed labor costs at $975, and with Toyota's listed book time (the amount of time expected for mechanics to complete a repair) of 1-1.5 hours per wheel for this style of bolt-on hub assembly, they're charging an outrageous $325-$487.50/hr of labor when the labor cost per hour in the Bellevue area is $150-200/hr, or up to $250/hr if you're paying dealership prices. So if you go to Len's for this repair you're going to be paying up to double what it would cost if you went to any other reputable auto shop in the area. In addition, they recommended both wheel bearings be replaced at the same time when only one wheel bearing was actually damaged, which is typically only recommended if the bearing failed from wear and tear on an old vehicle since the other would probably fail shortly, not if it's a year-old RAV4 with less than 15,000 miles on it. If the damage is caused by an impact, only one side would need to be replaced, so that was upselling by the auto shop that would have doubled my cost on top of already extremely over-inflated pricing. They also did not let me know the vibration issue was caused by the damaged wheel bearing, not wheel alignment, until AFTER they had already done the wheel alignment following the suspension test, which should have already diagnosed the vibration issue and shown that a wheel alignment was unnecessary by the auto shop's own admission. This felt a little dishonest since they knew the reason I came in was to diagnose the vibration issue and I had only mentioned the wheel alignment as conjecture, and they knew the wheel alignment wasn't the issue but performed it anyways. On top of all of this, they left some kind of paint-like dripping near my driver's side door that I haven't been able to get off and will need to figure out how to remove. I always prefer going to a local auto shop to support small businesses, but their pricing far exceeds other mechanics by a significant amount. I would recommend looking elsewhere for a local auto shop that's honest or just go to Toyota of Bellevue if you want to overpay.
Hello Paul, first of we are very surprised to be getting this horribly negative review since when you left you did not mention any of this or seem discontent in any way. If we did cause damage to your vehicle, we would appreciate if you could come in and we can fix that for you. We would like to address some of these concerns you have...... as far as you not being informed of the separate suspension test, there was no way for us to tell you this beforehand since you booked the appointment through our online portal instead of talking to our service advisor, that is a risk you took. The environmental charge covers things like shop rags used, any brake clean used to clean the area for proper inspection, disposal of any trash generated etc. The environmental charge was also included in the overall price you agreed to, even though it is a separate line item it was not tacked on later or not included in the price you were quoted. As for the wheel bearings, we recommend both because anyone with experience in the industry will tell you it is best practice to do so, to keep wear equal and avoid future repair. When it comes to the price you were quoted it was not just to replace the wheel bearings, in order to get to the wheel bearings, the brake calipers, tie rod ends, steering knuckles, and wheel speed sensors all need to be removed. Also, the labor guide is just that ......a guide. It does not account for things like damaged, rusted or brittle components, the labor guide is also written in a factory setting all parts are brand new with all tools ready to go, and much of the vehicle already disassembled and the part is easily accessed. So no, your job was not going to take 1-1.5 hours per side it was going to take nearly double that.
Lens performed oil change/tire rotations on all three of my vehicles as well as inspections. They reported any problems they saw.
Very pleased with the service, love that they have a seasoned Mercedes tech. He's seen it all.
Excellent customer service and Superb workmanship, a job well done on my truck transmission! Thanks Len’s! Will do business with you again! :)
Staff is helpful friendly and highly capable. I would definitely go back.
I had some concerns about a noise coming from a wheel area. They researched it and resolved the issue quickly and my concerns were put to rest. They came in under their estimate. Amazing people and will return again.
Good Mechanics
Went here for a pre-purchase inspection and oil change prior to selling our high roof cargo van. Scope of the inspection was clearly articulated ahead of time and results were documented clearly in the final report, including mechanical components as well as a system diagnostic to highlight any signals hiding in the system. They caught a dead TPMS sensor in the diagnostic and recommended shops to have it fixed same day. No frills, no questionable upcharges, and service was completed ahead of schedule. Just good service/communication and an easy recommendation for me.
All is well. We will be back.
Professional staff, car was ready as promised. Price was very fair.
Issac(front desk person)was very generous during explaining. Went second time for another service just because Issac was very kind and welcoming. Thanks Issac
I brought my car in today for a simple oil change. I heard them fired up and tear down the road like they were in a drag race. When I asked the desk clerk, what the heck is going on with my car, He replied oh he’s just taking it for a test ride. They never asked my permission and it’s a performance car. They had no right to do this, especially before the oil had been changed. I left before they could do more damage to my car!!!
Experience was great. But price is higher side.
We have been their customer for a number of years and they have always been good. Flexible scheduling and very accommodating if needed. And of course, a thorough job on my car.
I came here to fix my AC and I explicitly told them that I repaired it twice before and it failed so I want to make sure that you could fix it. They said yes. The document I signed before I received service said I would pay around $600, you know “to get my car fixed”. I recieved my car and it’s literally spitting hot air after I paid $600 for the repair. They said we repaired a leak and recharged your system but your AC is still not working and we don’t have the tools to fix it so you need to take your car to a dealership. Why in the hell would you try to fix it then if it’s not going to work?! Just to take my money? I could have gone to the dealership from the first place and pay for services there for which just diagnostics is $500. So again why would you try to fix it if you know that you don’t have the tools? I came to this shop with a broken AC. I left this shop with a broken AC - $600
We took our high mileage car in for a quote on some work. They were very honest. We wound up actually not doing the work due to the severe high miles. They were still nice enough to top it off with some oil it needed at no charge. Highly recommend!
Have trusted Len's for years. Aleays dependable & friendly.
My car had a major malfunction and needed a new engine. Total surprise to me. Len's handled it, got a used engine, checked out the rest of the car and called it good, several thousand dollars later. I chose them because they were close and i had to limp my car there as it was dying. Very happy with the work they did. Should go another 100k. Isaac is very personable and on top of what is being worked on. A great asset to this crew.
This was not the first time at Len’s and won’t be the last. They were able to point out a few deferred maintenance items that my vehicle needed and I forgot. No pushy sales, just honest recommendations .
Our experience was very good, even excellent. Lucas went out of his way to explain exactly what was happening in the shop with the technician. I just got my car back yesterday, but it’s running very well. I’ll certainly let you know if that changes. I will mention on social media, what a good job you guys did thank you
Appropriate recommendations made
Excellent friendly timely service experience!
Great service, timely response
Affordable, speedy oil changes and friendly service. They’re upfront about the car’s quality and safety, it doesn’t feel like they’re trying to get me to fix things that aren’t broken. Which can be hard to find an auto shop that doesn’t do that these days.
good customer service, pretty knowledgeable about issues with cars, but confused about the oil change price… I guess it depends on your car. it took an hour to get my car back, I guess they had to really go over everything that may have been wrong with it. overall, I’d probably be back. (:
Shayleen is overworked and thus for does not do what she says she will do. Chuck the manager is too tightly wound and hard to deal with and thus for the turnover rate is just nuts. Jarod the ast. Manager is the only person keeping that store afloat and was the best person to do bussiness with. The head shop guy is one of thr best techs ive met ina a while. Really knows his stuff.
Knowledge and honest about work needed to be done. Oil change price could be more described. Overrall, great place.
Very satisfied with the time, communication and honesty.
Great staff, very reliable and just plain nice!! Thank you!!
I’m torn between 2 and 3 stars because the staff was very friendly and the manager fixed my alignment for free after the first attempt left my steering wheel crooked. However, I have to go with 2 stars because of a massive safety oversight. They noted in my paperwork that my ball joint nut was loose and the cotter pin was missing, yet they let me drive away without tightening it or replacing the pin. That is a life-safety issue that a professional shop should never ignore. I had to go buy my own tools and fix it in a parking lot. Friendly service is great, but safety has to come first.
These guys are the best. A few months ago my brake fluid cap got stuck between hoses & parts under my hood in an unreachable area & they took the time to get it loose for me. Believe me it was NOT an easy job to do & they refused money after all the time & trouble that cap gave them to get it. A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE MECHANICS AT BUD & CO.‼️ From: Gale Harris & her 2097 Kia Spectra
