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Eschen Automotive, Inc.
Mechanic(s): Alex Eschen
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Features and Specialties:
Acura, Honda, Hyundia, Infiniti, Isuzu, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota | ||||
Please send us any corrections or additions to the above information. If you have experience with this shop, please add your own review!
Survey results: |
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| They are always honest |  |
| They are competent |  |
| The repair price is always reasonable | |
| They fix the problem the first time | |
| They complete the work in a timely manner | |
| They respond well when they screw something up | |
| They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs | |
| The shop is located in a safe neighborhood | |
| The hours of operation are convenient for customers | |
| They treat male and female customers in the same manner | |
| They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed) | |
Reviewers Comments:
First, Eschen Automotive specializes in Japanese cars. Second, They have recently moved from Kirkland to Bellevue and I rated the public transit and area safety down because I am not as familiar with the new location. Gary Eschen has been servicing my vehicles since about 1990. The first vehicle I brought to him was an '87 Toyota van after having difficulties with the dealership in my area (prices were high and often the problem was not resolved). I found Gary to be competent, quick, and fairly priced. He resolved several problems over the years on the Toyota for me and at the end even recommended when the Van should take the final ride rather than pursuing costly repairs. Recently I have brought my daughters '90 Accura Integra to him. The first problem was a distributor that came apart internally. He explained the problem to my daughter and also gave her some words of wisdom regarding the care and feeding of her vehicle. A little later she was having a problem with her battery. I recommended she take it in and have the cells checked. She ignored my recomendation as an 18 year old often will and continued to drive until it died on her one dark rainy night. I had the vehicle towed to Eschen where he replaced the battery at a reasonable price for the parts and labor. He also replaced the distributor an no charge again because he said the problem my daughter had experienced could have been caused by its being faulty. Basically I have found that Gary Eschen's License plate says it all: XLNTJOB XLNTJOB
--reviewer #12139, 1999
I've been going to Gary for the last six years after purchasing a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder. Since that time I've put about 110K miles on the truck. Gary has worked exclusively on the truck for general mait., 60K tuneups, and pinpointing mechanical problems. When researching a mechanic for the Pathfinder six years ago I found Eschen Automotive to be competively priced and a long track record in the area for servicing Nissan's. Since that time, Eschen Automotives has been responsive in completing the jobs on time, honest, and being accurate in the initial estimate of the job. My wife purchased a Subaru Outback about 8 months ago and there is no question that we'll go to Eschen Automotives for the service life of the Subaru.
--reviewer #22763, 1999
Gary worked on my Toyota Corolla and did a great job. He has been in business for something like 16 years and is really a hands-on guy: will explain things and take his time with customers. Definitely better service and less expensive than going to a dealer
--reviewer #22764, 1999
Gary Eschen has been our mechanic for 25 years and I would not own anything but a Japanese car because I wouldn't want to have to switch mechanics (he works on Japanese cars only). Gary has never recommended doing work on the car if there was an alternative or if the cost of the repair wouldn't be worth it considering the age and mileage on the car. He is a phonemonal problem solver when it comes to diagnosing a car's problem and we have NEVER felt that the work he did on our cars (and for a while we had up to 4 Japanese cars at one time) was anything but outstanding. And what a friendly, congenial guy! Anyone living or working in Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Renton, or even parts of Seattle who owns a Japanese car will never regret taking it to Gary Eschen.
--reviewer #13006, 1999
I have done business with Eschen Automotive for 20 years, and have never had a negative experience. They are honest, dependable, and a pleasure to work with.
--reviewer #107273, 2009
I went to Gary for brakes for my Honda, based on recommendations from others that I'd read in CarTalk. From our first phone conversation I found him to be warm, friendly, and a good listener. After he looked at the brakes he advised me there could be a slight noise at times after the report (from what I don't remember) but the additional cost wouldn't be worth it he felt. In no case would it do any damage to the car. (As it turns out there was no slight noise at all but he said he'd wanted to warn me just in case, so I'd know what it was.) I was impressed by his honesty. Throughout, from start to finish, he was extremely easy to deal with and he'll be my Honda mechanic from now on. -- Chuck
--reviewer #15035, 2000
My wife and I took her Suzuki Swift in because of oil in the air cleaner assembly. I had originally taken it to Midas and they said they couldn't do anything, so I looked here and found Eschen. At first blush, this looked like an engine problem (rings going out), but he checked around and it turned out to be less than a $100 repair job. He was very good about explaining what he had done and, more importantly, *why*. My wife is much more of a car person than I am, and he showed no evidence of patronizing her or otherwise being uncomfortable to discuss technical details with her. The hours are a little strange, and he was *very* busy when this happened, so it took a couple of days, but it was well worth any time inconvenience.
--reviewer #24587, 2000
I love these guys. The owner reminds me of Click and Clack - he seems straightforward and honest, does competent work, and he even tells me when he doesn't think a repair is worth doing (e.g. because it costs too much or isn't necessary). I've had him do a lot of work on my ancient minivan and he's always done a great job, except for one time- and that one time his shop made a small mistake on something. When they made the mistake, he immediately fessed up about it, was very apologetic, and gave me a big discount on the bill (he gave me the labor for free, and that was most of the bill). I'd recommend these guys to my best friends.
--reviewer #142237, 2009
Gary Eschen (& crew) have worked on my cars for 10 years. I'm glad to find him in this directory because he certainly deserves to be. He's worked on my Nissan Maxima, Toyota Van and Geo Prizm (Americanized Toyota). Always fair, competent and friendly. He doesn't work weekends, so that can be a problem ad he mostly does mechanical work - not a body shop, but they're located a few blocks east of I-405 in Bellevue so alternate transportation or "shopping distractions" are both available. This shop is a good choice for anyone with a car of Japaneese ex
--reviewer #25429, 2000
This is the first shop where i asked for them to check on possibly faulty parts and they didn't charge me an arm and a leg to fix them. gary also took the time out to explain to me what the problem was and how to fix it. the local nissan dealer when doing my tune up came up with about $1000 worth of 'problems' which were half bogus, gary and crew fixed my problems in a timely fashion and accurately.
--reviewer #29327, 2001
Gary Eschen is a delightful man who places his customers first. I contacted him because I had found his name and number through the Car Talk web Site. He was very pleasant and accomodating on the telephone. I was able to get an appointment that fit my schedule. When I arrived, I found his shop, Eschen Automotive, to be clean and tidy and his employees friendly and polite. I brought my 1992 Honda Accord into his shop to have the air conditioning unit evaluated and repaired. Due to a minor emergency earlier that morning, I was not able to keep my appointed time. I arrived three hours late and Gary was very pleasant and understanding. Gary worked my car into the shop's schedule and completed the job in a timely manner. I had occasion to observe Gary with several customers while I was there. He was always courteous and friendly with all of his customers. Each customer got Gary's full attention and the same courteous service. My airconditioner now works great, the price was reasonable and I'm satisfied. While I was there, I asked Gary to give me an estimate on some additional work. He gave me a written quotation for parts and labor -- I'll be back. I
--reviewer #29436, 2001
My car is old, and has a few (thousand) miles, but Mr. (Gary) Eschen and his son Alex were more than willing to set my problem right. They have been in business over 30 years, take the time to talk with you about your problem, and not over whelm you with garage talk. They do not "suggest" that you have other problems, that have no bearing on your primary repair concern, repaired at the same time. I had been referred to Eschen Automotive by a woman friend who has had a couple of bad turns with shops, she now feels comfortable having her car repaired as well. Not being a mechanic, nor mechanically inclined, I was relieved to find such a reputable shop.
--reviewer #113453, 2009
FYI: Eschen Automotive is at 12005 NE 12th St, Ste. 14, in Bellevue. 425-456-0466. There's Metro bus service on NE 12th St/Bell-Red Rd (#233) or it's about 1/4 mile to NE 8th where a couple of routes run. I picked Gary off this website last year when my '93 Camry needed brake work and an oil change. Not the cheapest work I've ever had done -- but not outrageous either -- and everything else was great. Several months later the brake warning light came on. The fluid in the master brake cylinder looked fine to me, but Gary said sometimes it drops a little. Sure enough, he put a little fluid in -- no charge - and sent me on my way. So I just scheduled another trip in to his shop, to have a look at an oil leak this time (hey, it's got 182K on it!)
--reviewer #36755, 2002
Always treat the customer with respect.
--reviewer #105051, 2007
Well-run, competitent, honest, and patient in explaining options. Until I got too old and too many drivers in the family, I did my own work. This is the only shop I have found I like to deal with.
--reviewer #37586, 2002
This is the first time I have gone to a mechanic and the end result matched the estimate. Amazing!
--reviewer #39694, 2002
Always honest. They have worked on my Acura Legend and Integra over the years and have always exceeded my expectations. Very thorough and competent crew; Gary never overcharges or fixes things that aren't broken.
--reviewer #41429, 2002
Gary Eschen has by far been the best Auto Repair Mechanic I've found. I was taking my 97 Honda Civic to the Dealership for maintenance and repairs but kept leaving with a list of "things that need to be fixed ASAP" and a gaping hole in my checking account. I took my car to Gary because a co-worker recommended him and now I hope to never have to find another shop. Gary has consistently stuck by his estimates and has paired down the list of things the dealership told me I was in DIRE need of. My car is happy and my pocketbook is happy. I would recommend (and have) Gary to anyone who would listen.
--reviewer #43479, 2002
I have taken my old Toyota Camry there a few times and as long as I own Japanese or European cars (which I itend to do) I'll take them there (they only work on imports). The last time I left my car there I said to fix what it needed and not even call me with an estimate if it's below $300. They looked the car over, test drove it, decided nothing needed fixing, told me to bring the car in 30K miles and charged me nothing. That's a different sort of car shop, isn't it?
--reviewer #58372, 2009
I have taken my car here for many years. Twice they have looked at it, told me I didn't need anything done and not charged me a dime. They are honest and don't try to sell me (a young woman) stuff I don't need. Thank you! Thank you!
--reviewer #57749, 2009
Gary and his shop were great. They wrestled with an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) problem on my Toyota pickup. He was forthright in the complexity of diagnosing the problem (and the complexity was confirmed after I spent the better part of a weekend on web bulletin boards). After spending quite a bit of time and replacing a part that we agreed was the likely problem on the first visit (in line with what I would have guessed based on symptoms and what I could gather from the web), a slight problem still existed, although quite subtle and only noticeable under very specific conditions. When I brought the truck back, with better info from me he was able to refine his diagnosis and nail the problem entirely AND only charged me for the ($40) part. Bottom line is that the problem was tough to diagnose (EGR problems are legendary on late 80 Toyota 22R engines), and with EGR systems often involve more than one problem source. End result is that I am very satisfied with the overall experience, cost and his willingness to educate me and work with me on the issue through to resolution. I will return to him for any future work I need without hesitation.
--reviewer #57751, 2004
What a relief to find this shop. I went there based on the Car Talk reviews and was not disappointed. They are very pleasant to work with and I could tell from the outset that Gary was really listening to what I was trying to explain regarding my car. I feel that they are very competent and their prices are reasonable. It's pretty rare to take your car to a place where you don't feel in the end it would have been more cost-effective to just learn how to do it yourself (even if it involved years of schooling), but this is truly a mechanic that I trust to take care of things correctly and charge a fair price.
--reviewer #56263, 2009
Gary is always honest. When I was *convinced* my 1989 Civic needed new brakes, he told me several times that I had at least another year until the brakes needed replacing. He also throws in a few "freebies" every time I go in, like tightening something he noticed was loose, etc. I used to go to the Honda dealer, but when they told me it would cost five hundred dollars to fix a damaged part, Gary did it for half the cost! I will always go to Gary Eschen!
--reviewer #48850, 2003
My wife and I have taken our cars (Acura Integra, Nissan Maxima, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Corolla) to Gary for years and we have ALWAYS found his shop to be skilled, honest and willing to explain what work was done or needs to be done. He talks to my wife the same way he does to me, and we always leave our cars with the assurance that they will be fixed right the first time, no tricks, scams or deception. After living out of state for six years, we are even more convinced that Gary and his crew are outstanding, since we could not find mechanics of their caliber in Hawaii. What a relief to come back to Bellevue and have them work on our cars again. Example: my wife's Nissan Maxima developed some AC problems shortly after we moved back, and his mechanic A.J. got us in for repairs the next day. Another shop wanted to have us come in three days after I called (I did not know that Eschen Automotive had moved to a new location, or I would have called them first). All of the mechanics are friendly and very helpful and take pride in doing quality work. We just bought a 2003 Honda Accord for my wife to replace her Maxima (Gary's son, Alex bought it!), and we will continue to go to Eschen Automotive for a long time. They truly do an EXLNTJOB!
--reviewer #50218, 2003
Gary and his mechanics were very easy to work with. My experience is they fix the problem correctly the first time. They have always been on time and at a reasonable price. The only time I had a problem was with a pesky oil leak and they followed through to find the leak and to fix it. I would not hesitate in recommending Eschen Automotive.
--reviewer #54293, 2004
Took my 89 Toyota Corolla to dealer and was told I needed a new starter and flywheel--$1700. Escher looked and said only the starter and bendex needed replacement--$300. I'M HAPPY!!! Got his name from CarTalk. He'll be my mechanic from now on.
--reviewer #61939, 2004
I must say that they proved to be upfront and honest on our first visit. We received a phone call after dropping the car off. Gary was calling to ask if he may borrow our muffler to use on another identical subaru to make sure that the problem in question was exactly the problem. At that time he also said that for helping them out he discount our labor cost on our repair job. Now I am not exactly sure, but I don't outrightly know too many auto repair shops that are that up front and honest about asking first, especially when we really would never have known the difference. I cannot express my respect enough to someone who operates a business on that level. Very impressive! Thanks to Gary, Alex, and AJ "the goat"
--reviewer #62008, 2004
I called several shops for estimates on a head gasket replacement. They took the time to discuss what might be involved and still had the lowest quote.
--reviewer #62450, 2009
Had a great experience with this shop, bought a clean 91 Toyota Corolla LE in 2001 with only 68,000 miles, car needed new struts (?!) and some bearing/front end work. He put the parts on and charged me less than other places would have, and was very pleasant to deal with. Will come back for sure when the next service comes around!
--reviewer #62955, 2005
Bar none, the best shop I have ever used. The repairs are quick, the cost is reasonable, and most importantly I *know* they really care about the customer. I had an issue with a faulty switch in the brake pedal assembly on my 95 Honda Civic. We had replaced one switch and it sort of solved the problem, but it didn't entirely. Gary took the time to look at the car two more times - it turned out the new replacement switch was faulty as well! It was replaced free of charge, and since then (2003?) it's worked great.
--reviewer #64674, 2005
After hearing the good reviews on cartalk, I took my car to have some brake work done. They completed it in a timely matter. The prices were reasonable and they did not try to recommend replacing thing I didn't have to like in other shops. They heard some other noises and took the time to inform me about it and investigate and explain the problem to me. I had a good experience and would definitely recommend them.
--reviewer #65435, 2005
I also found Eschen Automotive through www.cartalk.com when I started looking for an independent Honda shop to get a second opinion on a problem that an authorized Honda service technician diagnosed as an AT torque converter problem, requiring an expensive repair job. After reading all the positive customer feedback on Gary Eschen's shop, I decided to get his diagnosis as the second opinion. I immediately found him very professional and at the same time very personable. After a test drive he immediately thought that the strange howling sound was not coming from the transmission but from somewhere else. For an accurate localization, however, he needed me to leave the car there one day so he could subject the engine to a methodical process of elimination. Two day later I left my Accord there and a few hours later I received his phone call with the diagnosis: failing AC compressor. When I asked for the cost of a new compressor, he offered an alternative to the expensive new OEM part; a used AC compressor from some lower milage totalled car of the same model. As my car was already past 200,000 miles, I felt I could take that risk and save a bundle as well, having already some good experience with such salvaged parts on this and other, prior cars. After Gary and his son, Alex, finished with the car, it runs better now than what I remember for a long time. Not just because that new-old compressor really runs quietly, but finally the air conditioning also seems to be more effective than before. And last but not least, Gary set the ignition timing so well that the periodic pinging is also gone, while the engine runs smoother and sounds tight as a drum. All this for probably about half what a Honda dealer would charge and for questionable quality. Needless to say that Gary got himself another return customer, though judging from the quality of his work, he may not need to see me very often. Maybe on routine scheduled maintenance visits only. But I'll do my best to fill that void in my return visits with new customers who may need a good mechanic for their Japanese car.
--reviewer #67869, 2005
Gary Eschen and his shop is a first rate establishment. This single experience sums it all up! Gary replaced a faulty alternator on our Nissan Sentra. A few months later, the alternator quit on us and my wife was stranded in the city. I called up Gary to report the issue and he immediately offered to send a mechanic from his shop to replace the alternator on the spot. He put the customer first, covered the full cost of the replacement and repair, and fixed the issue within a couple of hours. Just tremendous service that you only expect from a shop that truly values customer loyalty. I would recommend Gary's shop to anyone who has older Japanese imports.
--reviewer #68974, 2005
The owner and mechanics work well together to provide excellent service. They have always been honest and upfront with me. I highly recommend them for Toyota repairs.
--reviewer #72233, 2009
Took the car in for a front brake job and axel boot repair. The dealer had recommended replacing both axels, Gary said that the one with the bad boot had to go, but other was fine. Brakes are now working better than ever since I've owned the car. At the same time he noticed that the timing belt looked worn. Since it was a used car I didn't know when that had been done. He found the receipt in the glove compartment and it had been over 70,000 miles. At the same time he recommended a replacement water pump, at no additional labor cost. ($50 part). Car is running better than it has ever. Highly recommended.
--reviewer #72587, 2005
Having just traveled/moved 3000 miles to Redmond WA from Maryland I was in search of a good tech who knew his/her stuff. I don't trust just anyone messin' with my 95' Pathfinder (I had 300k on my '89 240sx) especially after the long x-country trip. Okay, at this time I just needed a good-clean oil change. I take care of my cars big time (way to expensive to buy new ones). But as an ex-NY'er (say what you will, I did say "ex") I don't like to settle for anything but excellence. So I came to Cartalk to find Alex at Eschen Automotive. I called same day & he fit me in for the oil chg as I arrived in Seattle area. Right away I said "pretty cool" but I didn't want him to rush any of the job either (he did do great). As I drove up, though the shop is not huge, I had a hunch that he ran a good honest shop. True, all I was doing was an oil change ($25) but he does use good OEM parts even for just a 'simple' (Nippon filter) oil change. So I knew just by the filter he just "gets it". I also mentioned to him what the truck just endoured. He gave it the once-over to check for obvious problems for no additional cost (no major problems found from my 3k mile trip). While the PF was up on the lift Alex took me under it to SHOW me a small oil seepage. I had known it existed from my just as honest Maryland mechanic so I knew Alex was not messin' with my wallet. It was coolio that he took the time to show me (while on the lift) & all he said was just that we should just watch it as we go. Geez, with the car being 11 years old, it make sense that the rubber oil seals could be wearing. But, my point is, he didn't suggest anything that wasn't needed at the time. On the contrary he suggested to me to begin budgeting over the next year or so, that's all. Thinking ahead to save me money. That is one sign of a darn good tech (in my ex-NY mind). Look, I'm not made of money but a good mechanic should not be a quick-lube like place. Nor should it be as clean as a hospital. Eschen has a very clean shop but not too clean that it overshadows what they do (hellloooo, they are mechanics!). Good tech's should be paid good. Eschen does a good job for a good price. I don't mind paying a wee bit more (though not the prices that rip-off dealers charge) for good techs & parts. And good cars deserve good techs. OK, I don't have any experience with them yet for major (i.e. brakes, hoses/belts, pumps, etc.) work but I will give Alex & company a shot at them for my next scheduled maint. Somehow I think I'll be glad I did (if not you'll hear it here). "Service in America" is scarce but not dead yet as Eschen seems to show. No, I'm not related in anyway to these guys, I just had a good first experience & trust my gut with a hugely important asset, my 'wheels'. Mitch (Redmond, WA)
--reviewer #73716, 2009
Hello All, I just moved from California to here about 6 months ago. I went through car talk for mechanics expertising in Japanese cars. I was a student and have a 16 year old nissan maxima. I wanted to get a check up done and also get the non-working heater to work. So I took it to Gary Eschen. He drove my car to drop me back in office, and he immediately recognized that one of the fuel injectors were not firing and my exhaust pipe was rattling - two obvious problems. After going through most of the common problems for heat vent and being unsuccessful to determine exact cause, he said that it was either the water pump not working or there could be some blockage near the engine; both expensive propositions to check. Since I told him that my temp never rose, he said it is possibly not the water pump. But his passing of fluid through hoses had some marginal effect. He fixed the fuel injection problem beautifully and the car now runs like a dream. The heater is not working primarily since I thought I can survive a seattle winter with the current status and did not want to invest in a thorough repair of it.
--reviewer #75239, 2009
When I moved to Seattle in 2002, I found Eschen Automotive on the Car Talk website. Looking back, this was like hitting the jack pot! Gary, Alex, & A.J. have always done a fantastic job on my 1993 Toyota Camry. I'm getting ready to move out of the state and the one thing I'm concerned about most is finding another honest mechanic. They performed all types of work on my Camry from routine tune ups to a new transmission. I can't say it enough, you won't find more honest or better mechanics. They always took the time to explain all the repairs and even kept me from replacing a timing belt that I forgot was a done a few years ago. They aren't the cheapest, but compared to dealing with mechanics who don't know and love their job they are the best value. Also, when my wife and kids broke down Gary offered to come pick them up. They live their motto "XLNTJOB"
--reviewer #80582, 2006
I've got a 1993 nissan maxima w/ 193k miles. My left CV joint was making noise, so i wanted it replaced. some other thing to fix as well; a/c, washer pump, and timing belt. My car doesn't have a timing belt, it has a timing chain, which I didn't know at the time. Alex called and said, "I screwed up, you don't have a timing belt, you have..." He said right up front that this was his mistake. Even though there really was no mistake to be asigned. He also said that even though my right CV joint wasn't making noise it would because the boot was torn. So he replaced that one too. I called him and said that if he got bored, the radio antenna didn't come up and so the radio didn't work, but don't spend a lot of time on it. He got the radio to work! no charge! It only lasted a week, but what the heck! over all, I'm satisfied. We drove 20 miles to this shop.
--reviewer #82096, 2009
After reading the reviews here at CarTalk, I decided to call Eschen Automotive and explain the laundry list of repairs needed on my 1989 Toyota Camry. I was impressed by the fact that I could get the cost of the repairs item-by- item right then and there, and so decided to schedule the repair. I brought the car in and put the keys and laundry list (Gaskets, Dist O-Rings, seals, power steering pump, CV boots, etc) in the drop box. The next day, Gary called and explained what was and wasn't necessary to repair and how best to make the repair: "Replace the leaky valve cover gaskets and distributor O'rings", "that hydraulic sound you hear is probably not the power steering pump, but probably transmission noise - but it shifts alright, so change your fluid more often for awile", "It's best not to change just the CV boots because of dirt an wear in the axle joints, we can do a better job replacing the axles; you only need one of them replaced" (asked that he replace both so I wouldnt have to do the other one later). "You should wait on the lower unit seals and Pan gasket". The repair was done that day, and I went to pick it up the next day. I walked in, paid Alex, looked around their clean shop and thought to myself that it was a great decision to choose this mechanic. They might have saved me 50% and were forthright and honest, I recommed them and are now my 1st choice in a mechanic.
--reviewer #85974, 2009
Good stuff: Repairs where excellent for a decent price. Nice people.I personally witnessed the employees dealing with elderly and females very professionally. Bad stuff: I have never been to a place that won't take payments; they didn't mention that before we took the car to them on the phone. Their Friday hours are ridiculous. 08:00 am - 11:00 am... two hours. That is unacceptable. They "started" the repairs on Tuesday and didn't have two day repairs finished until next Thursday.
--reviewer #88052, 2006
I took my 2001 Outback in for a routine service (i.e. tune- up) in the Spring of 2006. Eschen noted a couple of problems with leaky seals and a torn CV boot on one of the front half-axles which was spewing grease all over the engine and causing a horrible odor. Gary patiently explained all the work he COULD do to the car, and then we discussed what SHOULD be done immediately and went forth with that. I never felt pushed into doing unneccessary repairs or maintenance, and Gary's explanation of what was wrong and why it was important made it easier to swallow the eventually sizable repair bill. The work was completed in one day and they guaranteed everything for 3 months or 10,000 miles. The great part was that I took the Subaru back in Jan 2007 for a strong vibration in the front end and they determined that it was a faulty CV joint - the one they had replaced 9 months earlier. They replaced this faulty CV joint at NO COST to me, and again had me back on the road in a day. I trust them. They are friendly and family owned, and I definitely recommend them to folks looking for a new mechanic. Auto repair in general is not cheap, and Eschen is no exception, however they add value to their work with their guaranteed repairs and exceptional customer service.
--reviewer #90329, 2007
Gary and son Alex run an honest, quality shop. I was really relieved when my wife started taking her Subaru there. Prior to Eschen, I often felt that she was taken advantage of by dealerships and chain shops. Eschen will do the work that is needed and not more.
--reviewer #93895, 2007
My daughter insisted I take my 2005 Tacoma to Eschen for the regular maintenance. They accomodated me with a last minute appointment; dropped me off at her office when I left the vehicle; called with an estimate and explaination of what they suggested I have done; completed the work before they said they would; charged me what the said they would; explained in detail what was done and what would need to be done at the next maintenance. I was not disappointed that I waited until I got to Seattle to have this done rather than in California where I live!
--reviewer #98489, 2007
My wife and I have been taking our Japanese vehicles to Gary for over 8 years. We now live about 20 miles away and still make the trip. He is the best mechanic we've ever dealt with, personable and honest.
--reviewer #112657, 2008
I had been having my 1997 Toyota Camry repaired at a national franchise repair shop since it was new. In November, they replaced the steering rack because it was leaking. Since then, there was a noise in the fron end. I took it back to them in May and they said that the problem was in the strut bearing caps, so they replaced them. The noise just got progressively worse. I took it to one of the local dealers and they said that the problem was in the rear struts. Finally I found Eschen and they correctly diagnosed the problem as a failure in the original replacement of the steering rack. They quoted a fair price and came in underneath it. I'm quite satisfied with their work.
--reviewer #101159, 2007
Although they are Japanese car specialists, several friends recommended them so highly I asked them if they'd work on my Daewoo. Gary said sure, they'd never worked on one, but they'd give it a try. They were great! The only problem was getting parts (not their fault) and they persevered until they were able to get what they needes. Great communication throughout the process and the bill was very fair.
--reviewer #102454, 2009
The first time I took my Nissan to Escher, was to get a second opinion after being told by another shop (that I also found through your website) that installing a used engine from Japan would be the most economical way (about $3500) to fix my (multiple) problems. Gary immediately pinpointed the sources of my problems and I was back on the road for under $500.
--reviewer #115080, 2008
My last service at Eschen Automotive was another example why people keep singing the praises of Gary, Alex and their crew. After one morning when my Honda Accord would not start up, with only rapid clicking sounds coming from under the hood, I suspected the worse: a bad starter and a potentially expensive repair. Then I called up the Eschen shop and explained the symptoms to Alex. He immediately knew the cause: bad battery and suggested a jump start. When I told him that I had nobody around to get a jump start from, despite his usual busy schedule, he offered to drive to my home himself and so he did with a portable battery with which he was able to start the car and I could at last drive it to the shop where a new battery was already waiting for me. Alex installed it and checked out the alternator as well while I took a short lunch at the nearby pub. I consider Alex's prompt response to my car emergency an act way beyond what most mechanics would do for their customers these days, yet the charge for all this was quite modest. I cannot recommend Gary Eschen's family enterprize highly enough to all Japanese car owners on the Eastside.
--reviewer #119854, 2008
They do a great job. Honest and forthright. I trust them with my car though they are not Miata specialists they listen to what I say and do the work the way it needs to be done.
--reviewer #126374, 2008
Even though their hours are not too convenient, I still go out of my way to bring my 2002 Honda Accord in for any problems. When it comes to service, you cannot find anyone better. Example: I brought my car in to have my brakes checked. From my past experiences, if I brought my car to a dealership, I would receive a report with a numerical value to indicate the remaining life of the brakes. At Eschen, they are more comprehensive; not only were my brakes checked, but they also checked and adjusted my steering. Normally, this would have cost me an arm and a leg at a dealership, but the one or two minutes that they took to adjust while the car is still on the lift is what draws me back. Instead of charging for every bolt tightened, they truly take the time to ensure that your car is better than when it came into the shop. They have earned themselves a repeat customer.
--reviewer #130951, 2008
As far as I am concerned, Eschen is the best repair shop I have ever had the pleasure of doing business with...through my last 4 cars and 8 years of patronage they have always been honest and forthcoming. I wouldn't trust my cars with anyone else - they are first class all the way!
--reviewer #135517, 2009
Great mechanics. The original founder, Mr. Eschen, is the best mechanic I have ever seen. His son, Alex runs the shop now and does a great job. Thoroughly trustworthy: I would never question their diagnosis or their repair. They always do things right. I have been going there for years. I would not take my cars any where else.
--reviewer #137719, 2009
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