Pittman Automotive Service

My truck broke down right behind Century Link Field, right after a Mariners day game. The perfect storm, as it took me 40 minutes to drive 2.5 miles. I had my truck towed to the closet mechanic with the highest rating on Unilocal! And Pittman Automotive Service pulled though and fixed my truck in nearly 1 business day. Dave was an honest mechanic with a solid no-​nonsense price.
There was hiccup on pickup time (and the truck was not ready as anticipated), which I was going to drop him to 4 stars, but he gave me a discount, so that put him back to 5 stars!

We have used Dave at Pittman’s Automotive for repairs on our service trucks for many years and he has always been reliable and fair.

I have taken three sets of cars (Subaru, Dodge Dart, Mini Cooper) to David over the last ten years, and have always been treated really well. He’s knowledgable and friendly, bringing out the parts to show me what was broken or rubbing the wrong way after he did the fix.
I’ve found his pricing to me more than reasonable, and much appreciated. After selling my 1966 Dodge Dart (which he helped to lovingly maintain!), I didn’t go to David because of having a brand new MINI. But when that car’s transmission basically broke – and the dealership wanted to charge me $ 9k for the repair on a car with less than 50k miles! – David was the first person I called, and he gave me advice through that sticky situation (at no charge).
Most recently, I brought my car to him for a second opinion after a potentially $ 3k repair. He diagnosed exactly what they had said – for $ 700, rather than the amount they were prepared to charge, having thrown in the kitchen sink of everything they could find to fix to juice the bill. David, instead, breaks down every labor and parts cost, and makes you feel in control of the situation by calling to confirm anything new he finds that needs a fix.
One of the things that I like about Pittman’s is that it’s in the SODO, not fancy, not a lot of overhead. Just his shop and his sweet dog, Comet. It feels like the real deal, and it just feels like such a relief to have a trustworthy mechanic who will do right by my cars, that I wanted to spread the good word.

David has helped me out more than he knows hes an honest working man and this review is the least i can do for him. My name is Tyler Wood and I’m am currently in the coast guard stationed in downtown Seattle. Being in the military it hard to find mechanics who are great because most know they will never see you again and only care about the money. I drive a 1995 jeep wrangler and when i got my vehicle shipped to Seattle it was giving me trouble he was the closest shop with good reviews so i took a chance. It was well worth it my jeep has had alot of work done in his shop and runs like a dream now. David worked with me while i was deployed to get the necessary repairs done so when i got home from being out at sea i would have something to drive. If he cant do the job he’ll tell you instead of bullshitting his way through it i highly recommend this shop to all the Seattle area. He’s a great man with a great shop.

Great guy!!! Had my car towed here before they opened and left a message so I could explain why it was there. He immediately gave me what I needed to know and although he doesn’t do what I was needing, he directed me to the right place and got me back to working with no charge once I brought what was needed. Super nice and helpful!

I’m sorry that I can’t concur with the other five star reviews that Mr. Pittman has received from others. Originally, I thought that it would go that way, but it surely didn’t. I live in Southern California, and was negotiating on the purchase of a Gold Moonmist 1979 Lincoln Mark V that is located in Issaquah, Washington. The car is listed on Craig’s List for $ 10,000. I had the seller take the car to Evergreen Ford and paid them to check out the car for me. Unfortunately it came out of there with a terrible bill of health stating a lot of mechanical and safety problems. The seller later told me that he would take the car to a friend of his fathers and have these problems repaired. This facility was Pittman Automotive. I spoke to Mr. Pittman on several occasions about the repairs he was doing. He seemed to be very straight with me. Through my experience, I thought that he was charging the seller at least double as to what the job should cost, considering the cost of the parts and the approximate time involved at around $ 100/​hour. But that was between him and the seller. Since I have to get the car smogged in California, I was a little concerned when I asked Mr. Pittman about the condition of the catalytic converters and emission control equipment. He mentioned that there weren’t any catalytic converters. I told him where they were supposed to be and to please look again. He found them. I understand that at this point he had a business relationship primarily with the seller and not me. I the meantime the seller assured me that this car had documented 29,000 original miles, was never in rain, and was probably the finest example in the country. On his confirmation of the condition and that everything else worked «perfectly» on the car I purchased an airline ticket to Seattle with the full intent on purchasing the car and heading back to California with it that day. Mr. Pittman assured me that he felt comfortable that the car should be totally reliable and safe, except the tires were in question. Based on his confidence, I consulted with him about at least replacing the fuel pump, filter, rubber fuel lines, heater hoses, and put some spare belts in the trunk for me. Even though I thought that he was high, it was still cheap insurance for me to get home. When I arrived at his shop and saw the car, I was blown away at how the condition of the car was misrepresented to me. The paint was terrible, patches of rust patch repair on the body, major evidence of years of neglect, interior showed major discoloration and neglect. The sunroof would barely open then not close. At this point I was ready to totally renegotiate my deal or go home. Then I opened the hood while the engine was running and smelled a strong odor of gasoline. Mr. Pittman told me that this was normal. I guess he thought that I was stupid. I now knew that I could not trust Mr. Pittman. I was done with him and the seller. There was no use renegotiating, as the car would not only not pass smog, but was unsafe to drive. It could have easily ignited on my way home. Even though Mr. Pittman now had a fiduciary responsibility to me along with the seller. He should have been straight with me. I don’t even know if he got permission to work on this other person’s car on my behalf. I think he really got himself in a box dealing with these people in the first place, but that’s not my problem. In what I contracted him to do, I think I was taken advantage of not only by the seller, but Mr. Pittman. I set boundaries before I came up there and didn’t get what I paid for. By the way Mr. Pittman took a few bucks off of the bill as a parts discount, for parts that were grossly overpriced in the first price. I don’t know who his supplier is, but the most expensive prices that I could find on the internet were about ¹⁄₃^rd. of his. He said that he felt bad for the way it worked out, therefore was giving me a little discount. I didn’t want to argue or debate, just get out of there. I still never got a refund for the extra belts that were never installed either.”

Gotta add my name to the list of very happy customers.
I was referred here by my hairstylist, who’s been bringing his cars to Dave for a couple decades. While I haven’t done any car-​repair work since high school, I did take an automechanics class at one point. I credit this with my ability to sense when a mechanic is doing his best to take me for a ride and/​or is condescending.
You will get NONE of that at this place. Dave is always courteous, will tell you what’s going on without talking to you like an idiot, and most importantly: will fix your car for a fair price. I wish he was closer to where I live – I’d get everything done here! It’s worth the trouble, though, to come here whenever I need a repair or a big tune-​up.
Polite, efficient, competent, fair prices. I wish all car mechanics were this awesome!
Thank you, Dave!

Dave at Pittman Automotive (in SoDo) has been my mechanic for years – he’s proved himself trustworthy and dependable every time. He does quality work for a price that’s reasonable. Seriously, this mechanic is gold. I repeatedly thank my friend for her referral.
I find it a joy to pay Dave for my car repairs because I value and trust his honesty and expertise. Dave treats his customers with utmost respect and offers realistic options.
Today, Dave saved me $ 1,000. And it’s not the first time. (two examples below)
This morning I spotted a coolant leak when I was in North Seattle. I went to nearby «Affordable» Tire and Brakes in the U-​District. Unfortunately, I wasted $ 43 on their diagnosis. «Affordable» inspected my car’s coolant leak and reported over $ 1,000 of repair work required to drive my car safely.
Luckily, I reached Dave this afternoon before «Affordable» started any work on my car. Dave advised it costs $ 50-​$ 100 to fix the coolant leak, my car’s immediate concern. Affordable quoted their emergency fix being over $ 200.
So, I had my car towed to Dave at Pittman Automotive this afternoon. (go Pemco!)
Dave at Pittman Automotive fixed my coolant leak for $ 49 in less than half an hour.
I was in Spokane when Dave’s free advise saved me another small fortune. My car had slid on some ice and a tire dealer quoted $ 400+ required before I could return to Seattle. I called Dave – he suggested I drive back to Seattle for a second opinion. As Dave predicted, I made it safely to Seattle and took my car to my trusted Les Schwab location in SoDo on 4^th ave S. They fixed my slightly bent rim for free. Dave’s free phone consultation saved me more than $ 400, plus a lost day/​hotel charge had I stayed in Spokane to wait for unnecessary parts.
In short, my gratitude to Dave at Pittman Automotive for being my trustworthy mechanic.

A mechanic had suggested several repairs/​maintenance items for my car. One of my co-​workers referred me to Dave, whom he’d been taking his car to for years.
I was ready to perform all the repairs on my car and Dave actually told me that several of them weren’t necessary (some of the parts «slightly worn» but still in fine shape). It’s AMAZING to meet an honest mechanic (or anyone for that matter) that isn’t simply trying to maximize their profits.
I have now been back twice to deal with Dave and have referred my brother-​in-​law and a friend there also. I can’t speak highly enough about him — truly a class act!

I’ll make this review short and sweet: Dave is the last honest auto mechanic in Seattle! His no frills workshop and calm demeanor remind one of days gone by, and his prices are appropriate (as opposed to charging you up the ying-​yang unnecessarily).
One example: At 60k miles I figured I should have the timing belt on my KIA changed. I called the KIA dealer in Shoreline and they told me it would cost around $ 1500.00 for parts and labor. Then I called Dave, and after researching which parts he would need, he called me back and told me the total would be about $ 500.00. I took the car into his shop in the morning, and drove it home in the afternoon.
I’m actually a little hesitant to post this review because I consider Dave «my little secret», but I suppose you’re entitled to experience what it’s like to not feel screwed while getting your auto repaired too.

Dave is a great, honest mechanic! I was recommended to Pittman Auto by a friend for a second opinion after Hilltop Service Station on 15^th Ave quoted me $ 900 to get my brakes fixed. Hilltop told me that my calipers had malfunctioned and I needed all new brake parts, but Dave said there was no such malfunction and my rotors and brake pads were just worn down from normal wear and tear. Brakes and a few other adjustments and my bill was under $ 400, a far cry from the $ 900 Hilltop quoted me! My car was done within a few hours and is now running great!