Quality Auto Service

A very dishonest shop that makes clerical «errors» in hopes of padding the bill and the victim, I mean, customer not noticing.
It also appears that there is a mentality of adding line items to the estimate once they are aware that insurance is involved.
Staff is very unknowledgeable on basic computer operations, which is what runs their billing and accounting systems.
And last, but certainly not least, their communication is horrific. Imagine being out of town while your wife and son are at home without the use of a vehicle, and the shop doing repairs never calls to give an update or ETR.
There are several shops within a few minutes of this one. Avoid at all costs.

Having read other reviews on Unilocal,I was a little trepidatious of using these guys. As it turns out, my fears were very much unfounded.
My wife and I suffered a slipped serpentine belt due to heavy rainfall (a weird glitch of 99 Grand Caravans), and found ourselves stranded while on vacation to Bainbridge, Island.
Our roadside assistance recommended we tow the car to Quality Auto Service, and having few options, to Quality Auto Service we went.
Jeff coordinated with me throughout the process, and I found him both pleasant and helpful in getting our minivan repaired and on the road. The mechanics even put off their lunch by some minutes in order to help me out, which I appreciated greatly.
They examined the belt, found nothing wrong with it, replaced the belt, and then proceeded to solve a couple of other problems that had been nagging at me for months.
Our van now shifts correctly on all grades of incline, and the brakes work perfectly.
I had no trouble with these gentlemen at all. To the contrary, they helped me out of a rough spot in record time, and for a very reasonable price.
I did not meet anyone named «Dave.»

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NEGLIGENCE, DISHONESTY, AND INCOMPETENCE
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I left my 2010 F150 King Ranch with Dave and asked for a simple oil change. I also asked him to checkout spark plugs and seat heater — just a quick look and a report on what he finds.
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HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED:
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** Note that Quality’s work was only double-​checked after they showed negligence in causing damage to my vehicle and failure to diagnose. Otherwise I would have trusted their word as I have in the past.
1) LIED ABOUT FILTER: Dave said I needed an air filter (now wondering if I really did), and that he could only get the «premium» one, for which I was charged $ 41. Turns out he got a cheap filter (Napa Gold 9883) with a retail cost of around $ 15 — not the high end one.
So assuming at most a cost of $ 15, it was marked up 275%!
The norm is 25% to 100% markup on repair parts, with 100% generally considered pushing the limit. 275% is outrageous. Unilocaler Carl L. also remarks on experiencing a 300% markup from Quality.
2) LIED ABOUT PLUGS: I was lied to about inspecting the plugs. Said he looked at spark plugs and pulled the second one from top on passenger side. I looked at every single spark plug. None have been touched. There is residue all over that comes off immediately upon handling. There was additional debris at the fitting that would have come loose. He charged me $ 50 to «pull one plug and look at it» … the mechanic I took my truck to after this said (a) none were touched (confirmed by both manager and owner, and pictures taken), and (b) my mechanic did pull a plug for me, and it took him 5 minutes. Dave at Quality not only lied about looking at the plug, but charged me $ 50 for the work.
3) LIED ABOUT SERVICE: Overall I was charged $ 280. You would think that an oil and filter change that ends up costing $ 280 would include basic service like checking fluids and tire pressure. Under the description of services on my invoice it says «Inspected and topped off all other vital fluids, tires for wear and pressure and a visual inspection» After leaving Quality, my power steering fluid was empty, and my tires were low. Their maintenance report checklist checked «GOOD» (from GOOD/​FAIR/​POOR) next to «Power Steering Fluid.»
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IT GETS WORSE …
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4) ACCIDENTALLY OR INTENTIONALLY CAUSED $ 500 IN DAMAGE: It turns out that when they changed the air filter, they broke a sensitive part attached to the air filter housing called the mass airflow sensor. This sensor tells the Engine Control Unit to balance and deliver the correct fuel mass to the engine. When the sensor is broken, it sends the ECU mixed signals, and the vehicle behaves as if someone is randomly pressing on the gas… from flooring it to taking their foot off completely. This is very scary to experience, especially when you have no idea what is causing it, and you are transporting a 17 month old baby.
5) FAILED TO DIAGNOSE DAMAGE THEY CAUSED: I called Dave and asked him to diagnose. I mentioned several times that it was obvious it had to do with recent repairs, I just couldn’t put my finger on what. His theory was that it was because I was low on gas. For the next several hours, I spoke with him on the phone, spoke with his mechanic, walked to the gas station for gas, attempted to drive the vehicle (his advice was that adding gas and driving it should make it go away). After several hours of troubleshooting and speaking with Dave (he also physically came out to the vehicle twice), I decided I needed to tow it. I decided to have it towed to another mechanic that I could trust, as I had exhausted my options with Dave.
** Note: The new mechanic figured out the issue almost immediately (it’s a very serious issue that is somewhat common and has very specific symptoms). Their charge for diagnosis and fixing was $ 516.49.
6) REFUSED TO HELP PAY FOR FIXING DAMAGE THEY CAUSED: I went back to Quality and explained my findings to Dave. I told him I wanted to give him the opportunity to make it right — still giving him a chance to make good even after all that I had experienced.
All I asked was that he pay to fix the part he broke (the mass air sensor).
He refused to pay for any of it.
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DAMAGES NOW IN THE $ 2,000’s…
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At this point I have spent around $ 1,000 for the oil change — counting the initial $ 280, the $ 516, and the towing expenses. This is not to mention lost wages dealing with the problem, and the danger that my family was put in due to the bad sensor.
Filed complaint with BBB.

HIT THE BRAKES!
Make a «U» Turn now and go elsewhere…
My experience was a terrible waste of time. I found them to be dishonest with a bait and switch tactic. I was very specific about what I needed prior to arriving and believed to have had all of the details and cost worked out. When I arrived and was completing paperwork, the story had changed and NOT what we had discussed the day prior. His quote did not included things that I had previously confirmed. I would never use this place and recommend that you do not either.

NORDSTROM level customer service. These guys are amazing. Do first rate work at really reasonable prices. Always looking to find a way to save you money. Surprised and delighted us today when we picked up our Rav 4 today by informing us that because it was our nations’s birthday, the oil change was free. 3 months ago, I had them do the 30K check on the Toyota plus replace brake pads and was very pleased with the service and the savings on the parts. And for those of us who commute to Seattle, having them right at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal couldn’t be any more convenient.

Dave and team are great at what they do, affordable and quite reasonable in recommending vs. forcing repairs on auto repair consumers. If you commute on the ferry, Quality Auto can’t be beat – in fact, it can’t be beat as compared to many other auto repair places. Highly recommended!

I used this place when it first opened and loved it and the owner, but then a new owner took over, who was nasty and even threatening when I questioned the charges. FWIW

I have used a number of places on the Island and round about. I own a car I love but that needs lots of loving — its European! My experience here too has been superb. They are honest, hard-​working, get to the bottom of tough problems and are very fair about what they charge — thank you Dave! I use Quality for oil changes, regular services and the BIG stuff. They can accomodate quickly, efficiently get back to me once they have diagnosed a problem, we talk over pros and cons, they don’t try to suggest unnecessary work — they know how to build loyalty. For the ferry commuter also, there is no where more convenient. Give them a chance — I recommend them.