Ken’s Auto Repair

I moved to Crescent City last year and was looking for a mechanic who knew old Toyotas. I was told that Ken’s Auto Repair was the place to go, and especially to Nathan. This is a family business — Ken (Dad), Roberta (Mom) and Nathan (Son).
I ended up selling my old Toyota Corolla and replaced it with an old Nissan pickup, which needed a lot of work. Both Nathan and Ken have worked on my pickup and every time they only did what needed to be done. And their rates for labor are really reasonable — about $ 70/​hour. And if something only takes them 30 minutes, they only charge me for 30 minutes.
I actually took it in for a tune-​up and Ken told me it didn’t really need one LOL. He checked it out and tweaked what needed tweaking, but he could have charged me for a complete tune-​up and I would have happily paid him to do it. But, that’s not how this shop operates.
For me, so far, they have fixed an intake manifold leak/​gasket problem and the truck felt like it had a new motor! They fixed the heater, replaced broken parts (light lens, a/​c vents, front grill). They did the alignment for me after I bought new tires. They have made my truck run and look like new. Today, they’re figuring out where a water leak is coming from, causing water to build up under the cab.
And if they don’t do something, they suggest who to take it to, that I can trust.
Someone else joked about moving to Crescent City so they could have these guys as their mechanics. Well, I told them that I’m never moving away for the same reason! I intend to keep this little old pickup forever and I know they will keep it running great.
They are so popular that they are normally booked out a week or more in advance. From other posts, obviously they help people in emergency situations. I’ve never had an emergency, so I haven’t put them to the test on that. But, I can tell you that other mechanics in town can see you the same day or next day, pretty much. I think it says a lot that these guys are that booked up.
And to the reviewer who gave them 1 star because they were closed? Give me a break! These guys have family and close up at night and on weekends. Had you gone when they were open, you would have loved them.

Dear Someone Who Works at Ken’s:
My car was towed there last night. Tow truck driver dropped my key in your mail slot. I have left you a bajillion messages and also walked to your shop and hung out for hours hoping someone might show up. The police are even trying to get contact info so I can get my key back and take my car to a shop that is actually open. I am stranded in this city until I get that key sooooo… please check your messages and call me ASAP!
Thank you,
Crissy Williams

Very helpful on emergency service. Nathan dropped what he was doing to clean and service a battery on a long trip

Had to get an oil change so I picked this shop based on the few reviews left. Total rip-​off. Charged me $ 100 dollars for an oil change. $ 30 labor for an oil change is ridiculous. Try another place in town for service or repairs.

I needed a repair on, I thought, my car’s transmission linkage, and didn’t want to drive 100+ miles to a Toyota dealership, so I took a chance on Ken’s from the 2 good reviews already posted. Nathan was very quick to diagnose and fix the problem in a professional and courteous manner. It was a quick and simple fix, thank goodness, and was only a minimal charge. I would certainly go back again, and will recommend them to my friends.

I was driving down the coast from Seattle and my car started making a funny noise. I read the reviews on Unilocal about Ken’s and Les Schwab also recommended them. I couldn’t have been happier with their service. They are a small family owned business that gets five stars from me. Ken was able to assess what was going on with my car and gave me an estimate for parts and labor. I was in and out in about thirty minutes. Honestly, being a woman and not knowing much about cars, I was so thankful and grateful that they are honest and do such excellent work. They are a gem in Crescent City and I would tell anyone and everyone to go to them.

My truck was acting funny while I was on a road trip down the coast, thousands of miles from home. We walked up to the shop, told the guy we had a problem, and he took our truck in and looked at it right there on the spot! No wait!
The guy we met (I think he was Ken) was extremely friendly, soft spoken, and was an excellent listener. He understood what was going wrong with my truck (burning smells going uphill, and a leaky rear diff) and he took us in the shop, showed us the underside of the truck, and talked to my friend and I about what could be going on. He was very honest, and helped me understand what was going on down there, which I really appreciated since I’m kind of a mechanically minded person. I trust his judgement. All we needed was some rear diff fluid. A cheap repair and we were back on the road.
I highly recommend this repair shop.

I’ve only gotten service from them one time, but I couldn’t possibly say enough nice things about Ken’s Auto Repair. They helped us out when we were in a real jam and needed help fast, and other mechanics in Crescent City had this or that reason for turning us away.
Ken and all his employees were friendly and welcoming to a fault. They did not play up the extent of the car trouble to try to extort more money from us (as some mechanics are wont to do, alas), but actually let us know about cheaper solutions that would have saved us money and netted them no dough at all. We opted to have them do the work anyhow, and they did good work, without cutting corners. And the bill was dramatically lower than we expected. We feel exceptionally lucky to have come across such an outstanding car-​repair shop, manned by such outstanding people, in a moment of need.
I almost wish that I lived in or around Crescent City, so I could take my car to Ken for all its maladies. Almost!