Superior Import Repair

I called in because my drive belt was sounding pretty bad and the power steering was shot. After 5 minutes on the phone, the staff had diagnosed the problem and booked me in 3 days later. I dropped the car off and 3 hours later, it was done. Ritchie called before they did any work on the car to explain costs and what service was being done. When I picked it up, Ritchie went through all the service and even wrote notes on the invoice about parts to monitor and get checked in a year or two. They were also kind enough to apply the coupons they offer that I didn’t even know about. It was the most painless, pleasant experience I’ve had at a mechanic before. They know Subarus and won’t give you any bull. Highly, highly recommended

Absolutely the BEST place to take your Subaru. I have been using them for 6 years now, and know several people who have been using them much longer. Straight up, won’t be ‘selling’ you repairs you don’t need. Can’t say enough good things about them. I am surprised there aren’t more reviews of them up here.

Richie and his crew are the best – super genuine people who care about cars and the people who drive them, not maximizing profit. As a 23 year old girl, I’m always nervous taking my car in as I feel like an easy target to be oversold or otherwise taken advantage of for my lack of specific car knowledge. Not once have I felt that at Superior Imports. I have been taking my car here for a year now, they have done everything from my 90k servicing, new brakes, and repairing/​replacing my spark plugs after another garage (A1 auto on SE 17^th) royally screwed me by selling me plugs from an old subie they had laying around (I paid more at A1 for one used spark plug & labor than I did for a whole new set & labor at Superior), quick headlight change, mystery check engine light… These guys really are the best. They have always been completely honest with me about what needs to be done with my car, what could be done with my car, and what I could probably put off or go without paying for (because I’m 23 and broke AF). All in all, I will be taking my 2008 Impreza here as long as I live in PDX. As far as the Google reviews complaining about the mom & pop or «dusty» feel… Come on. Garages are dirty by nature, not that I would call this place dirty at all. It is a small, family-​owned business and that is what I love and trust about it. Big shops have fancy waiting rooms precisely because they overcharge people. I’d much rather support a small local shop.

We needed some basic stuff on our Subaru as well as a kind-​of open-​ended «well, here’s the problem, I have no idea» to get taken care of. They got us in right away, took care of the basics, and called me with a list of what they thought could be the cause of our problems, along with which ones we should do, which could wait, and which we should probably wait on. This was the sort of thing that they could have really run the bill up on (or attempted to, at least) and there was no hint of that. It was also fast service, way faster than I expected. We’ll be back for sure.

This was one of the best experiences I have had with an auto mechanic and will definitely be back when my Subie needs some doctoring! The mechanics and and the owner were extremely helpful and not overzealous running up repair costs. The owner even made suggestions on how to prioritize repairs (even when it went against their own self interest). Pricing was very reasonable and service was fast and professional. A++++.

These guys are great. I took a ’97 Legacy to them for a check-​out before buying it in ’08. They’ve been my mechanics ever since. Good prices, very patient with a single lady who doesn’t have anyone else to help with car issues.

Have taken our Outback here multiple times over the years and have had nothing but great service and a car that runs perfectly. Ritchie is honest and upfront with no BS, which I totally appreciate. I also appreciate that he will come out and check the car himself. There is a no frills waiting area, but thats no problem (they have wireless to connect to).
We did some major work on our outback before we moved out to the midwest and I am super thankful that Ritchie told me to purchase tires from a company that has a presence where we were moving to. He even emailed me the different companies and which tires he recommended — this was above and beyond.
Wish we still lived in Portland because I wouldn’t dream of taking my car anywhere else if we did.

God’s gift to Subaru owners in Portland.
One does not need to second-​guess anything that they say. This is a hot place but even so, I have always seen Ritchie at his finest, offering matchless service at a matchless price.

I had heard good things about these guys and needed a Subaru specialist. These guys were awesome on the phone and super nice. I brought my car to them to «diagnose» the problem and they instantly told me my turbo was blown. They wanted $ 2k to put in a new one and I have the capability to do it myself so I didn’t have them do it. Got in there and my turbo was ABSOLUTELY FINE, no shaft play. Brought it somewhere else for 2^nd opinion and it just needed new spark plugs.
The fact that they instantly jumped to the conclusion my turbo was going out is ridiculous and I’m curious if they would’ve went through with it even after getting in there and realizing my turbo was fine. We’ll never know and I wont take my chances there.

I’ve taken my Legacy in 3 times now, and Ritchie always gives me an honest answer, or plan of action. He suggested I have a few things extra done the first time, as they were parts that would need to be replaced in the near future. They were already deep inside the engine, and it was going to save me a lot of money on labor cost to do it all at once, rather than go back in to the same area in a year or so. On my most recent visit, I was let know of an issue with the steering, and given a cost estimate, but told that it was not an issue that would affect the function of my vehicle, so we chose not to replace that part.
I’ve never had such an honest mechanic. I trust these guys. They are professional and very friendly.

I came here to get a quote for my 94 Subaru legacy due to my check engine light. Forgot the older gentleman’s name but he was super helpful and kind. He read the code and told me what it said — a Knock Sensor malfunction was the issue. He quoted me at $ 225 to replace it. I thought it was pretty steep so I decided to research and see if I could do it myself. Turns out I could. It took me no more than 10 minutes and it was a simple screwing out the old one and screwing in the new one which cost a grand total of $ 45 for the new Knock Sensor… it runs smoother than ever & I passed DEQ emissions with flying colors. I’m giving this place 3 stars because they had outstanding customer service and were very helpful BUT charged way too much for an easy fix that takes less than 10 minutes…$ 45 do-​it-​yourself or $ 225 and have them do it… not sure how much they charge for labor but it must be quite a bit. definitely glad I didn’t end up having them do it.

All I can say is these folks are the best! They are completely honest and really nice! I brought my Subaru into them thinking it might need a new clutch, and within 10 min they had it fixed, got the air out of the line, and only charged me $ 15. Awesome! My other mechanic couldn’t figure it out and was trying to tell me to get the clutch replaced. Thank you Superior!

I have been taking my Subaru (s) in to Richie since he had a back of a parking lot shop in North Portland in the 1990s. I trust him completely. I am adding this note to my prior Unilocal review because he went out of his way to help me sell my snow tires. When my 99 Subaru died, I had just bought new snow tires (on rims) from Les Swab, essentially unused. I discovered they did not fit my 2011 Subaru. I live way out of town, so Richie let me keep the tires at his shop and advertise on Craig’s list. He was not there when an interested buyer came in, so one of his mechanics sold them for me. I told Richie to keep out whatever he thought was fair from the sale, but he declined, saying it would be nice, however, to give $ 25 of the $ 500 to the mechanic who sold them. One more positive experience with Richie and Superior Imports.

Big compliments to Richie the rest of the team at Subaru Repair. One more than one occasion they’ve gone out of their way to find a solution to my car’s problem that was considerably cheaper than quotes thrown out by the competition. Prompt, honest and dependable — what more can you ask for from your Subaru mechanic. Enthusiastically recommended.

Disappointed :(Seriously, I’m actually pretty sad about this. These guys have been my mechanic since their shop was on Prescott and 82^nd. I’ve had my car taken to them countless times over the last 5 to 6 years or so and have been nothing but satisfied. When they opened their shop on Burnside it was right down the street from my work, how convenient is that!
Unfortunately Richie at the Burnside shop asked me to start taking my car to the location on Sandy because it’s an «older» Subaru and they want to work on the older one’s there. I was disappointed and resisted a bit, but eventually stopped trying to take it to Richie and complied with his request.
Since making the switch I’ve been a little less satisfied but they still seemed to be pretty good and honest mechanics. Worst thing about them in comparison is their lack of communication with me whenever my car is there.
This last issue with my car is turning out to be the final straw. It has a rough time starting and idling properly in cold temperatures so I took it to the shop to get it looked at. Next day they say come pick it up, it’s all done. Replaced a part, $ 150 charge, thank you have a good day.
Went to go pick it up, it was not fixed. Doing the exact same thing. Mechanic guy came out, got it to start (barely), fiddled with something using a screwdriver and said come back if it still has issues. Brought it back the next day
Attempt #2) dropped it off and they kept it overnight so it would be nice and cold. Don’t remember what exactly they said they did but was advised to come pick it up, she’s running good. Nope… same symptoms so I brought it back again.
Attempt #3) Dropped it off again and left it overnight again. They call me the next day saying was a bad ground to the idle control valve, they’ve tested it several times, she’s good to go… Nope. Same symptoms, maybe a little better… but a VERY little.
Attempt #4) Dropped it off yesterday to leave it overnight. Was told they’d call me today. They didn’t, I call them they say someone didn’t show up for work he’ll get to it tomorrow «I promise». Feeling kinda blown off but I guess if someone didn’t show up for work what can you do.
For the record the only time they called me was after attempt #3, all other times I had to call or drop by to follow up with them. See what I mean about poor communication? To their benefit they did not charge additionally for any of the «work» they did on subsequent visits. I can’t believe it’s working out like this, they have been so good to me in the past. This feels like a 1 star experience but I am giving 3 because of our long, good, history.
I’m really REALLY bummed it’s working out like this, It almost feels like I’m loosing a friend. My plan is to wait and see what happens tomorrow, allow them to finish attempt #4, and if it’s still not fixed take it to Wentworth Subaru Service center and see what happens there. Even if they do fix it I feel like I should try a different place next time. Ever since I was asked to go to their Sandy location it just hasn’t been the same experience. They won’t miss me, they are a very busy shop, it’s a shame.
I will update this review as this situation plays out.
Update: They gave it back to me broken again, this time he wasn’t even sure what to tell me as whatever was done wasn’t written down. Took it to Wentworth and just got it back today. Everything went well, was done on time. The guys at Superior were on the right track, it was in the wiring harness. Couple of wires to idle control were grounding to the engine.
Anyway, I’m still disappointed in the lack of communication and being put on the back burner for so long at their Sandy shop and still won’t go back. But being that I inadvertently wrote this on the Burnside shops page (didn’t know there were 2 pages) I bumped their stars up to 4 because Richie has never let me down. That was until he told me to stop bringing my car there because it was too old :/​. I would still recommend the Burnside location to other people. Too bad they don’t do the older Subaru’s there anymore. I guess I’m happy with Wentworth for now.

I had been searching for a place since February 2013 and the day before my car broke down in the Trader Joe’s parking lot, a fellow Suby owner told me of this place. So with their name in my pocket, I went forth and found an incredible shop that offered me a fix without the upsell. They also noted down several things in order of necessity for a fix, giving me a clear outline of how to get my Subaru back to incredible. This shop was cost friendly, swift and nothing short of convenient.

Ritchie (the owner and service manager) has always been honest about the condition of our car (2005 Baja) and the repairs it needed or not. He will special-​order any parts for you.
Everything has always been fixed right the first time, no need to take the car back. The major tune-​up that our Baja needed came out cheaper than the dealer (and done better as well)

Great mechanics. Always give me good counsel about what to do with my 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback. Most recently it was just telling me my gas cap needed to be tightened, which is why my check engine light came on. Other times it is giving me a list of priorities in what to fix on the car and telling me that some things don’t need to be fixed.

I am continually impressed with these guys. Being that I’m a girl that knows 0.0 about cars — it is so comforting to take your subie in and know that you’re not going to get hassled. My car had a problem with a heater and was in the shop for a week until they go to the bottom of it. I was expecting the bill to be astronomical — but they told me the truth that it was just a piece that had come loose and only charged me for labor.
My boyfriend had a similar experience where they had his car in there for a week because he thought something might be wrong with it. They drove it around town and no one could find any problems with the car so they told him that and charged him nothing!
In this day and age, a trusting mechanic can be hard to find — unless you go to Superior Import Repair!

They charge very reasonable rates, do quick work, don’t try to upsell, and are truly honest. What more could you want from a mechanic?
These guys keep busy because they really know Subarus, the standard-​issue vehicle for anyone moving to Portland.
In fact, I even encouraged my sister to get a Subaru because I already knew a great mechanic: Superior Import.