Moss Alley Motors

I used to love this place because the customer service was awesome and I felt like they were pretty expedient — I’m not someone who knows too much about cars and it was a relief to feel like I was in good hands. I stopped going because I moved to Everett and my boyfriend just started fixing my car for me to save me some money, otherwise I probably would have continued going to Moss Alley for repairs.
The short version: I’d like to echo another reviewer who said it perfectly: «They will also quote the worst case scenario without informing you of better value options that will save you money without comprising the performance of your vehicle»
The long version: I was recently going over receipts from past repairs, and I started noticing that over the years, they’d fit in completely UNNECESSARY repairs here and there where they could get away with it. For example, I had my drive belts replaced in 2013, which was denoted in big, bold letters on one receipt. About a year later, I then had the TIMING belt replaced, and I just noticed in fine print underneath that — it says that the driving belts were also replaced at the same time, as well as a few other small things. As in, a year after they had just put in new drive belts, which are supposed to get between 3 and 4 yrs of use before they need to be replaced. My boyfriend pointed out that the driving belts were listed by a different name too on the second receipt, probably so it wouldn’t be so obvious (like «rib belt» or something else that he said was just another name for «drive belt.»). He also pointed out that a lot of the labor for the repairs was rounded up significantly, based on his personal experience. As in, something that should only take 15 minutes was rounded up to one or even two hours of labor.
Sure, these little discrepancies and additions aren’t independently going to add on that much. But that’s the whole point, which means you’re less likely to know that they’re doing it — that way if you return regularly, they could be collecting hundreds or even thousands of unnecessary dollars from you over the years. Let me be the first to note that if I was more experienced and read these receipts more carefully, it might not have happened, or I could have requested that they do some of their recommended repairs and not others. But the whole reason I have someone else fix my car is so that I DON’T have to worry about this or spend an extra hour consulting someone else and cross referencing all of these quotes. Also, two of my visits to Moss Alley actually required me to have my car towed there because it had broken down unexpectedly somewhere, leaving me late to work without a car to get there… meaning I was completely stressed out and not in a position to do the aforementioned gruntwork before deciding what to do about my car.
Also, this is a bit speculative, but I was initially recommended to these guys by a male friend of mine who is also really knowledgable about cars, who thought they were fair with their prices for labor/​parts. The fact that they WEREN’T with me makes me a little worried that they might actually prey on people who are obviously not knowledgable about cars, and might also explain the mixed reviews I’ve seen here on Unilocal

I had recently purchased a used Prius from some retired folks and had it for less than a month. On Thanksgiving, after leaving my grandma’s, I started my car and there was a stinky smell. I couldn’t figure out what it was. It was foul. I closed my vents and ignored it. I didn’t drive again until Sunday night and that’s when I noticed a red engine warning light on. I wasn’t familiar with the sign and did some Googling to see what it was. Come to find out it means I was low on coolant, there’s a leak somewhere, or something is wrong with my sensors. I’m thinking great. I just got scammed by some old folks into buying this car. It was dark out so I decided to wait until Monday morning to pop the hood to check it out.
Monday comes around, the light was still on, so I popped my hood to check my fluid levels. Low and behold, what do I see? I freakin RAT under my hood! Alive! It quickly squirmed deeper into the engine block and hid. AAAH! I was in shock and was super disgusted! I wasn’t sure what to do, but I knew I had to get it out of there! I grabbed a stick and start banging around the engine and tried to poke into the spaces in between. That dang rat wouldn’t come out! That’s when I noticed it had pooped and peed all over my engine. It was so disgusting! I was almost in tears. I started the car and banged around some more and that’s when the poor rat jumped out from below and ran off. I know it was just trying to stay warm, but not in my car! Oh yeah, I’m reviewing Moss Alley.
So I walked over to Moss Alley which is a few blocks from me and met Donovan and told him my story. We laughed. He explained what they were going to do, what it was going to cost, and if it needed more work he would let me know. They were super busy so I had to wait a couple days before I could bring my car in. Luckily, I caught the rat in time before it did any major damage. It did chew a whole lot of wires and through one wire which caused the low coolant light to come on. I’m glad there wasn’t a leak in my tank or hose. My brand new looking engine was now looking all old and raggedy with all the tape job they did on the bitten wires. They replaced a part and did some soldering and cleaned off most of the rat poop and pee as well. I felt they really helped me out here and were easy to work with. I didn’t go get a second opinion but not sure I really needed to since it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. I’d definitely come back if I had any other issues. So far the car is running just fine, besides the fact that now I’m paranoid and pop my hood every other day to check for rats. haha

I have been coming here for years — everyone is helpful, honest and reasonably priced. For the people who have had negative experiences, that has not been my experience. Kendra, Donovan and the whole team are A-​1, first rate. Glad to have them in the neighborhood.

So I called Moss Alley Motors to make an appointment after visiting my dealership who suggested thousands of dollars in maintenance services. The folks at Moss Alley recommended some of the services, fixed issues that the dealership had caused, and came in quite a bit under the dealership. Did I have to wait a few days for an appointment? I did, but it was worth it. Lydia got my car working better than it has worked in years. I’d recommend them to every Subaru owner out there! Great job!

This shop came recommended to me by good friends who are loyal customers of Moss Alley so when my car began sputtering and jerking as I left work on Capital Hill I thought I knew where to go — boy was I wrong. Unfortunately they were unable to help on such short notice but offered an appointment 6 days out, I was disappointed but I understood. Here’s why I would give 1 star. Poor customer service and unnecessarily rude employees. Gal at the front desk offered little to no empathy or interest in helping assess or problem solve the situation although did give me the name of a service station (only after I asked for a recommendation) I could drive to several miles away with a flashing engine light (so it’s recommended to continue driving a car in this condition???) She could give a rip about me, my car or my future business. I opted to call for a tow and when the AAA truck showed up to help their employees came out and proceeded to yell and swear at the driver because he was blocking the entrance (the whole process took about 6 minutes start to finish, three of which was the employee yelling at the driver.) The driver told me on our way to another repair shop he drops cars there all the time and always helps drop and position the cars to help them out, even he was taken back by the rudeness. I felt bad for the driver for being treated like that. Not my kind of human beings or business owners so they’ll never see me again. Customer (and future customer) service holds a lot of weight in my opinion, not mention treating industry partners so poorly.

These guys are 100% pro’s — Donovan — the lead mechanic — is very straight-​forward and honest — they deal with both my Dad’s Lexus and my car — and they do an excellent job — and it is NEVER a «rip off» — Donovan prevented me from buying a previously-​damaged Acura via a pre-​purchase inspection — the details were neither on Carfax OR Autocheck — BUYER BEWARE — and he is genuinely a nice, personable guy. This is a great place to have your used car serviced, for quality, at a reasonable price — you sincerely cannot beat it in Seattle — a real gem.

I’ve been here with two different cars, and they are absolutely the best. The check-​in process is always easy, and the front-​desk staff always know their stuff. They will work on finding the best prices for parts, and they never rip me off. They usually say, «you don’t need that yet.»
We’re super lucky to now live just a few blocks away, but I would happily drive from another neighborhood to get the high-​quality service at Moss Alley.

My old Honda was making some terrible noises so, being new here in town I had no idea where to take the car for repairs. I took to Facebook for recommendations and my friend Kendra suggested I bring the car here (where she happens to work). Anyway, turns out the car needed an upper ball joint replaced. Kendra made me an appointment, had me in by 9 am and out the door by 3:30−4 that very same day — all for less money than I expected to pay! Can’t beat that — everyone was so friendly and kept me informed every step of the way. I am a fan, and I’ll be back. Thank you!

I’m writing this after I realized I was recommending Moss Alley to my 3^rd friend.
I’m always shocked as to the level of warmth and genuine enthusiasm at Moss Alley and all of their staff. One woman in particular Kendra, is an absolute joy to work with. She’s always has a smile on her face seems to genuinely enjoy her work and has a passion for her craft that is reflected when she talks to you about your car.
If more businesses had this level of enthusiasm tied with this quality of work and great customer service the world would be a better place.
There are real honest people and am so happy that i have a mechanic for life.
From their showroom quality garage, to their A+ customer service, to their outlandishly reasonable prices (i have a BMW and i’m not getting over charged!?) to the adorable dog who greets you by your car. This place is a bright shining star in a world full of duds.
STOP LOOKING AROUND, TAKE YOUR CAR HERE AND THEN LIKE THIS REVIEW ;). (you’re welcome)

Moss Alley is expensive and I, frankly, don’t entirely trust their work. Customer service is good, but I usually have to bring my car back 1 – 2 time after the initial service to get the job done. They will also quote the worst case scenario without informing you of better value options that will save you money without comprising the performance of your vehicle.

well.
i went there because one of my old bosses took his car there and i figured that since he was really an intelligent guy with a phd he knew what he was doing, so i took my car there to have something specific done and talked to one person and got a quote, when i took my car in he was not there and after they did their inspection another person called me and let me know there were other things that could be done (minor) and i figured if it needed to be done it needed to be done. so i get there to pick up my car and one of the services they recommended was not done and they said it was because they didnt want to shock my wallet basically but they didnt explain why it needed to be done and then all of the sudden it didnt. they also couldnt produce the parts they took out of my car. they charge more than other shops so you think these must be some awesome mechanics all the while your car is being worked on by technicians new to the field who are practicing on your car. i ended up paying 3 times the original estimate and walked out feeling like i just got bent over.

I still drive to Moss Alley from West Seattle because I think that Moss Alley is skilled, efficient, and do not push for unnecessary repairs (in my experience – I see some other reviewers have had different experiences). They even reassured me that a weird noise my car made periodically was nothing that needed fixing, which is not something I expected of a repair shop! I have been using them since 2005, and will continue to do so.

I have given these guys multiple tries because they are very conveniently located near where I live. Unfortunately, every single time I go, I am disappointed.
The service often takes longer than they expected which leaves me without a car at a time that I need it. The prices are significantly higher than other places in the area (most recently almost double for a water pump and timing belt change). And the people aren’t particularly friendly.
I have been to many car places where the mechanics don’t treat you like an idiot just because you’re a woman. I have a mechanical engineering degree. I can understand how a car works. At Moss Alley, the woman behind the counter treats women like idiots! I have had several lady friends agree with me on this. It’s sickening.
I’m not interested in going back. They absolutely lost my business.

I have no rating to give this place. Worst car shop on Capitol Hill. There is no attention to detail. I went in for an oil change and to check leakage of other fluids since I had had some steaming under the hood. They kept my car two days, put in a new fan resistor and said my car was «in good working condition.» I picked it up Tuesday at 4:30pm, Wed. at 7:00am on my way to work, the same issue happened and I barely made it to work. Had to get it towed back to the auto shop. Where they then realized it was a radiator and asked $ 500+ for the part and labor (and that’s even at a discount for my «inconveniences»). Those inconveniences wouldn’t have been there had I not been told that my car was in «good working condition.» When I had picked up my car on Tuesday evening, there were leaves throughout the front seats, and they couldn’t even put the fuses cover back on. They clearly had not pressure checked the radiator before giving me back my car. That would have saved me another trip to them less than 24 hours after picking it up from them the first time around. Talked with Donovan several times, AJ several times, and Kendra several times (who acted like my «best friend»). There was no way they should have missed a huge leak in my radiator and let me go with my car in that condition. Worst auto shop in town. Do not go here. Full of scams (even though they say they are giving you a «deal»). This is a University community and there is no commitment to serving the students of this area. Not impressed.

First time customer, and I’ll be back for any of my maintenance needs!
I brought my 99 4Runner in here completely unannounced this morning, no appointment, no phone call, no nothing. My clutch cylinders were failing, and I just barely got it parked outside the shop. I told Donovan what was going on, and he told me he’d call with an assessment. Sure enough, he did, and asked for the ok to do the work. I gave him my blessing, and away they went. By the end of the day, they had completed all the work, and my car shifts better than ever!
Thank you Moss Alley Motors, I’ll see you guys soon, but not too soon!

I have generally been pleased with their work and Donovan has been exceptionally courteous and willing to go the extra mile. On the other hand, Kendra is the reason why they lose points in this review. She is not personable and makes it seem like a privilege that they are working on your car rather than the other way around. She should not be the first face a customer sees when they enter the garage. Every conversation I’ve had with her, she makes you feel like you’re inconveniencing her. While I’ve been satisfied with the work performed under Donovan’s watch, the past few times I’ve brought my car in my concerns have not been addressed, coincidentally when I’ve dealt with Kendra. In those instances, I can’t help but wonder if any work was actually done.
This place is hit or miss. If you have the chance to deal with Donovan, you can be assured of quality, honest service. On the other hand, if you get Kendra, good luck.

Honest, reliable, timely, excellent work, etc. As others have said, I would buy a car simply because I know they could/​would service it. Though they are a business, money is not the motivation. Getting your car up and running and running smoothly is all they care about. They give you a heads up about what service is coming up/​needed.

This guys are AMAZING! as soon as we walked in there they were super friendly and had a smile on there face, we locked our keys in our car and it’s the first place we could see that could help us out, we were super desperate, a cab to our hotel to get the spare key would cost $ 60 and a lock person would cost the same, so when we went in here they were helpful enough to send one of there guys out there to see if they could do something to help, sure enough it was a 2 minute job and only $ 20. So THANK YOU GUYS!

The staff at Moss Alley and their mechanics are the best! They were able to accurately diagnose and repair my Honda CRV the first time I brought it in. Before I found Moss Alley I had spent months with my car in and out of the shop while other mechanics replaced everything but what was actually wrong. Louisa at Moss Alley was able to diagnose a loose sway bar the first day I brought it in and the repair cost was minimal. I wish I would have taken my car to Moss Alley in the first place. I have had additional repairs done by them since and they always get my car done on time and turned around quickly. I also like that I can leave my car at their shop before work and take a quick bus ride on the #12 to my office downtown. Thanks Louisa, Andrea at the front, and all the other great mechanics who worked on my car at Moss Alley.

Ten stars for customer service @ Moss Alley Motors!
I am so happy to find a reliable auto shop with friendly, trustworthy people in my neighborhood!
Once I was driving by with a busted window in the pouring rain. I had done a crappy job of taping on some plastic & it had fallen off. I stopped in (in a rush) & they were incredibly nice enough to help me do a much more thorough temporary plastic/​tape job so I could get on my way. They sought out a used window & installed it at a decent price a couple days later. Wow, how nice!
Then, I had a battery problem. My car was at my house & wouldn’t start. Someone from Moss Alley came up to my house (.25 mi away) & jumped it. Then, I brought it in directly where they helped me assess the problem. I ended up having to leave it there to be monitored as I was again, in a rush. Turned out to be only a $ 30 fix of clamping the battery down better. No charge for the house call!
I really appreciate it & will highly recommend your shop!