Wagon Shop Incorporated

Darryl has been replaced by Mike at the front desk. I know how to check the fluids, but for anything else, it's off to the shop. This is one place where I can trust them to do a good job, not try to sell me anything extra, and point out things (like needing a new seal because of oil leakage) both to keep my car running and me safe. And to top it all off, they are reasonable. I can go in and say I'm going to wait (by going for a latte at Larry's Market, etc.), and they will say, "Come back in 2 hours." About a month ago, a woman from Seattle called looking for a mechanic--that's when I decided to submit this. Finally, The Wagon Shop is located on NE 8th @ the RR tracks.

These guys are great! They kept my '68 Bus alive and worked on a "punch list" for keeping my '87 Jetta going. They offered great advice and I never felt they were trying to repair stuff that didn't need reapiring. If you are a VW/Audi owner on the Eastside, these guys are the best! No Worries!

They did a fine job, quickly and affordably! I'm new to the area, so I needed to find a VW friendly shop, and I did! I have no doubt that I'll keep going to them! -Scott

Not only do they provide great work at a fair price, but Karl is always glad to give good advice and will let you know when you're better off doing something yourself if it's cheaper and you are capable of doing so. (Since an old VW is as much a labor of love as it is trusty transportation.)

This review concerns my 1966 6V, original air-cooled engine, VW convertible. I bought the car new in 1965 and have kept it in excellent condition. It is not a show car, but a car I drive as I would any other car. I am a 68-year-old woman. Take that as you wish. On July 23, 2007 I brought the car to The Wagon Shop, recently moved from a funky shop to a slick warehouse several miles away. For a couple of months, I had consistent difficulty starting the car. Ultimately, it would start after a few tries and then have what appeared to be a dead battery in inconvenient locations. After two calls to AAA, I stopped driving it. There was also a minor oil leak in the right rear I wanted repaired. At the Wagon Shop, I spoke with Karl, a 10-year employee. I asked him to check the battery, the electrical system. He told me it would be ready in 2 days. I asked to have back any replaced parts. He said, of course. On Thursday, 7/26, when I hadn't heard from them, I called. Karl said they hadn't had time to work on it, but they had tried to start it several times and couldn't replicate the problem. This puzzled me since I always had the problem. He told me they would check it out later that day, and I could pick it up on Friday afternoon, 7/27. I called to make sure the car was ready and went in to pick it up. Karl told me they hadn't been able to replicate the no-starting problem. They had replaced the flywheel which was worn ($40 part, rebuilt) and the flywheel seal which would stop the oil leak. No OK from me to do this. I was charged $563. I asked to have the old flywheel back as I had requested; Karl told me if I wanted this part back, I would have to pay an additional $300. They had to send the old one back if I wanted the newly installed one for $40. He showed a flywheel to me. It was very clean and, to my eyes, only marginally worn. I left it there. Also, the thick VW floor mats were missing. I never saw them again. I drove the car home. The next day I could not start the car, and it still leaked oil. A few weeks later, Greg, the manager, called me to say he had keys with my name on them - had I left them there? I said no, but expressed my concern that the car was having the same problems as before they replaced the flywheel. Greg told me that Karl had been fired. He also told me he was not responsible for anything Karl had told me or the work that had been done. He offered to have the car in again to further research the problems. I was hesitant, but he offered to send his tow over to pick up and then deliver the car back to me. This seemed to be a positive gesture on their part. They picked up the car on Wednesday, August 29. A week later, I called to ask if they had found anything. Greg told me they had been very busy, had an employee with a bad shoulder, and hadn't time to look over the car. He also said they had not been able to replicate the starting problem after trying multiple times. I asked if the car would be ready by Friday. He said he didn't know. Greg finally told me he could have the car ready by Friday. It was towed back to me on September 7. The next day the car wouldn't start. Apparently, I paid $563 for nothing. If they replaced the flywheel, it appears to have been a random (and expensive) guess at what might be wrong. Greg continued to tell me he was not responsible for anything his ex-employee, Karl, told me or did. He also said they couldn't fix a problem they couldn't replicate. I had the car towed to an another shop in Seattle. They checked it out, replaced the battery, and the car still runs beautifully as of now, June, 2009.