Hawthorne Auto Clinic

The service was exemplary and reasonably priced. I highly recommend having your car serviced at Hawthorne Auto.

owner and staff have always been helpful and knowledgable. I think they are honest and very reasonably priced. I don’t think you’ll find a better place in Portland to take your vehicle!

This is the Source of Excellence for Vehicle Repair in Portland OR.
We own and operate Car Forensics a local Mobile Auto Service and Onsite Diagnostics Unit here in Vancouver Wa. There are some areas of auto repair where we cannot benefit our customers as much as honest brick and mortar shops. One of these areas is major service on Toyota’s long list of Hybrid vehicles and Routine Maintenance. We have found that we can save our Portland customers time and money by referring them to Hawthorne Auto Clinic when they need routine maintenance or something special for their hybrid vehicle.
It’s not easy finding a shop that will treat your customers like family. Overhead is high, customers that believe in mechanics are scarce, and the challenges shop owners/​technicians are faced with are vast and ever growing. We love being able to trust the judgment and performance of other local conservative shops that specialize in areas we do not. Jim’s shop is clean and his friendly stable staff outputs expedited service to their customers at all costs. Terica could write the book on how customer service should be done in this arena. She believes in the same Auto Repair fundamentals as ourselves, such as great service the first time and building customer relationships. We believe shops like this will endure the tests of time.
Thank you Terica, Katie and Jim for all you do,
Shelby Seely

I’ve been a customer of Hawthorne Auto for years. They’ve supplied great care for both my 97 Subaru Legacy wagon and my 2003 Subaru Forester. Service has always been thorough and any additional service matters have always been brought to my attention. Jim and his staff even broke the news to me that the 97 Subaru was no longer worth repairing (we donated it and got the Forester as a replacement.) This is an auto repair shop worth visiting, especially if you have a Subaru.

In addition to being professional and knowing your business we regard pricing and customer service as in important. This business is 1 for 3! In speaking with a representative on the phone concerning an Alternator replacement I was inquiring to bring a brand new alternator, the same that they would purchase (and markup) to the shop and I would pay for the labor. It was their (her) policy not to do this… so during our conversation she became frustrated and hug up on me… during mid conversation! Business must be good to treat a potential customer this way! We will NEVER go to this shop again! The pricing is HIGH and looking at all of the Electric «clown cars» in their parking lot it seems these are the type of customers they get some type of Tax Break from Oregon. So, if you drive a «gas car» then the prices are high and the customer service is lower.

Friendly enough and I got bus passes free. I mentioned I already knew of some issues with my tire pressure light, I had just paid for new tires and was informed some of the meters need to be replaced as they do not read correctly, and that it was not the intention of my visit. Noticed later I was charged $ 96 to check my tire pressure light, this resulted in me having 3 flat tires since it didn’t read properly in the first place and shouldn’t have been a part of the process (ie he should not have touched it). Also called 3 other mechanics in the area and 1 from Idaho and was quoted about $ 1000 less for my repairs at EVERY single mechanic. No thanks hippie friendly auto body shop. Seeing that I’ve received a comment from the mechanic himself I’d just like to say I would have rather paid for an automatic transmission fluid flush which is also something I thought might be wrong. You’ve just proved why mechanics are the worst, you charged me $ 200 to diagnose my problems when it sounds like I had an idea what was wrong and really wanted to pay for the solutions You charged me $ 96 to tell me something was broken then changed something about it it only to have it cause me more trouble. I’m solutions driven and there are just too many problems with this situation.

It’s hard to feel good about giving 5 stars to a place that just handed you a $ 1000+ bill for repairs, and yet, that’s what I’m doing!
Everyone I spoke with was friendly, warm and helpful. Costs were explained thoroughly up front. The price was about what I expected.
The service (I needed an a/​c compressor replaced) was fast! I called and made an appointment for the next day. I brought in that morning, they diagnosed it, called me back right away and then had it fixed and back to me before the end of the day.

Great people, great service, definitely recommend!
I went in to get several of my lights fixed, the service was fast and Jim had a great demeanor.
The next day I noticed one of my front side lights was still out, and I was rather upset because I thought everything was taken care of (my fault for not double-​checking immediately after the service). I went in a few days later, and spoke with Liz, who was a bit nonchalant, perhaps even indifferent or even bordering on disinterested? Couldn’t tell. Not a huge deal. Again, they took care of it quickly, and Liz informed me that the mechanic didn’t spot the light the first time around possibly due to a faulty connection. A bit inconvenient to have to come in again, but because they didn’t charge me for the work, I thought that was a very fair resolution. So thanks guys, I’ll definitely be returning!

Jim and the whole crew at Hawthorne Auto are outstanding. They are talented and caring and ecologically responsible to boot! They never over-​diagnose or push for extra work. Just recently, our car broke down and needed to be towed. We took a chance and called at 6:30 pm. Jim not only answered, but he stayed another hour until the tow truck delivered the car and it got processed.

My trusted mechanic for years! They do quality work, always with an eye for the longevity of your car, yet they also let me know how long I can wait before I have to do a repair. I also like that they are always conservative in their quotes so I’m never thrown off by the bill at the end, and their support of our community.

Such great people! I had planned on bringing in my car for its 90k tune up, but it snowed so much the night before that I didn’t want to drive my car anywhere. I called Hawthorne auto to cancel, but they said they could come pick it up for me! We reviewed the list of things they would inspect and fix plus my total fee, all while standing on my front lawn! Totally reasonable price too. These guys go above and beyond and I’ve never met such kind mechanics.

Hawthorne Auto Clinic took over service on my 2000 Outback after I moved away from Hood River (and Andy of shadetree auto. seriously, if you’re in the gorge, GO TO shadetree auto in white salmon).
They’re nice folks and treated me well. I really have a hard time believing some of the 1 and 2-​star reviews on here.
That said, when I recently sold my car, the purchasing party’s mechanic noted the radiator hose would need to be replaced soon. That was pretty surprising because I’d had HAC replace my radiator 2 months ago. Their quote was at the high end of the other quotes. The part is $ 20, why wasn’t that included or mentioned?
So, yeah. They’re not perfect, but they’re pretty good.

I have made an error in my original report critizing Howthorne Auto Clinic. I went back over my bill in detail. My original complaint was that they charged me way too much. In reality, the service, though preventative, was extensive.
The service was over $ 1300 but less than the $ 1500 I had remembered. Therefore, I am retracting my original negative comments and revising this review so that it is accurate and fair. The receipt was detailed and easy to read. I know what exactly was done…
That said, they did miss an exterior light that was out, though the receipt claimed all lights were checked. This was mentioned in two places.
I also checked with the local Dearler regarding what they would charge and they claimed it would have been at least $ 700.00. (I suspect that the dealer is giving me a low estimate.) This is almost 50% less. I can not tell if Hawthorne Auto Clinic did more than the dealer would have, or if they fixed something that the dealer wouldn’t have. The receipt didn’t say they did. It is possible that the real costs at the dealer would have been more as well. Is Hawthorne justs being honest or ar they expensive? In this case the dealer would have to charge double their estimate to equal Hawthornes actual costs. Thats possible.
When I spoke to a neighbor, she knew of Hawthorne and said they were expensive. This was her first comment. I expect lower prices than the dealer. I would have given this place 2 – 3 stars for good but expensive service. But the service may not have been that good.
Get a quote and price comare before going here. I hate saying this as the dealers are not known for a good deal. In this case they may be.
Sorry Jim. Thanks for your professional response to my first review. Sorry for the correction.

Okay so I am a young women who doesn’t know to much about cars, however I am smart enough to know when I am being ripped off! I came to Hawthorne Auto Clinic with a broken Solenoid they told me it would be $ 575 to fix!!! I had an odd feeling about this so I took it to Bradshaw’s to get a second opinion they told me it would cost $ 280 to fix sooo needless to say i took my business else where. So people Watch out if your planning on taking your car here you may want to get a second opinion you may save 300 DOLLARS like i did!!!

My partner and I have used Hawthorne Auto Clinic’s services since 1987. Four of our cars have passed through their shop over the years. They are honest, the service is excellence, they stand behind their work and they support the local community. I noticed some folks on Unilocal were complaining about their prices. Well folks, you get what you pay for — at Hawthorne Auto you get the best!
peace, bob davis

Recently got minor service – very competent, friendly staff, amusing doggie hiding in a pile of blankets. My kind of auto shop!

I am consistently pleased with the level of service we receive from Hawthorne Auto Clinic. We have found their customer service and car repairs to be absolutely satisfactory. We are glad we were turned onto them as a mechanic and will continue to come to them when we have needs for our aging Subaru.

UPDATE: The answer by Jim contains inaccuracies (to his benefit, of course). Good thing I had a witness with me.
Your mechanic called me stupid. He was rude and pushy. I came from my work (a decent drive for me) and started the truck on my first try. And it started every single time after that. And the person who wanted to buy it bought it.
The way I see it, I was trying to sell my truck (this was a pre-​sale inspection), I had to go to my work, and I was put on the spot to fork over $ 100 to replace the battery connectors because your mechanic said they were rusted out or you refused to inspect the vehicle (which would possibly cause me to lose my sale) Most people can’t just come over and take their vehicle to another location as they are at work (say I was in HIllsboro?), and I am sure most people would have paid you the $ 100. Your person on the phone said that the connection was rusted beyond repair. We took a picture of the connection. There was no rust. I also took it to my mechanic.
I have no reason to say bad things about you (in fact, I really wanted to like you as you are very close) other than what happened. I hope you learn from this experience. I have an accent, but I am not stupid. I also want to think that this is an isolated incident.
A simple apology would have made me coe to you again. I respect people who make a mistake and own to it.
respectfully.

Really really nice folks and big on the ethical/​environmental
wife likes them which is rare for her, given how auto repair shops are notoriously harsh to women.
However, they are pricey, both on labor and materials. We had the coolant changed and it ran over $ 100, which is about double what you might pay elsewhere. I had also asked them to do an inspection and they called out a couple of items that did not need servicing («oil appears dirty»: yes, that’s the oil’s job, and over-​changing oil is hardly environmentally sound; «shocks are worn»: after 8000 miles, hardly likely).
Overall, 5 stars for being really nice folks, and three stars for price.
A good tool for sussing out repair estimates:
update: Jim, I think it’s kind of creepy to have a merchant respond to a review on this level, no matter how well intentioned. You may be surprised to know that I actually know how many miles are on my vehicle, having owned it for the past 15 years. And the shocks have 8000 miles on them, not 80 000.
And I had work performed on my vehicle for half of what HAC quoted. I think you folks have a nice garage and all but 2x is still 2x.

This place is as good as it gets. The owners and staff are very helpful, informative, and nice. I have felt that they were honest with the estimates and services needed for my car each time I have brought it in. They are an approved hybrid specialist auto shop, and really know what they are doing with my Prius. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my car.
**They also supply bus passes and directions while your car is being serviced. Very cool.