Gary's Olympia Auto Service

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Laura Love
2 months ago
A good place to get your car fixed. Been here twice and they've been decent both times. They didn't try to oversell me, which I appreciate cause too many shops rip you off women and queer folks. Not this place.First time they charged my battery and broke down my options with the hybrid battery at the end of its life.The second time they saved me from winter storms after my window regulator seized and the window wouldn't roll up.It's not a super fancy place, it's a good auto shop.

  Desiree S
a month ago
We took our car to Gary's and have realized there are still good honest mechanics in Olympia. Our old shop changed ownership and has gone downhill. Gary's was able to figure out the problem within a half hour when the old mechanic couldn't (they had it for 4 days). Gary's prices are very reasonable compared to what our old shop charged. Thank you Gary and Ty for your honest hard work.

  Evan Orth
3 months ago
Came to Olympia from Portland for the day with my family for the Hands On Museum and had my car smoking from under the hood as we got there. They were able to take my car day of and get back to me that I had a cracked radiator and they would have it fixed by the next day. Then Gary himself drove me to a rental car place so I could have a car and get to a hotel while my car stayed with them until they fixed it. Next day I was able to get my car. I wish more car dealerships were more trustworthy like Gary and his team. Very thankful for my experience with them. Know that you're in good hands if you take your car to them.

  Julia Gregson
3 weeks ago
Gary, Ty and the team have, over the years, taken great care of four family cars (so far) and they have saved us thousands of dollars compared to other estimates. If you appreciate local expertise, small businesses, and the personal service approach they provide, check out Gary s.

  Deb O'Grady
4 weeks ago
My friend who is 81 took her car to Gary's. They kept her car overnight and told her it was fixed. It wasn't. She took it back again and they charged her near $200 more and said it was fixed. It isn't! Living on a fixed income she could not afford a third shop fee. Someone suggested she take it to Schuks and have them hook it up to the computer to diagnose the problem. She did and they easily found the problem. Couldn't Gary's have done that, and shouldn't they have. A friend loaned her money to finally get it fixed. Scamming elders is a problem, I know, but shame on them for this. I believe they should refund her money. What do you say, Garys??

  Skye
6 months ago
I absolutely cannot give enough stars or kudos to Gary & Ty here at Gary's Olympia Automotive. I was travelling through here when my vehicle started making awful sounds that worried me enough to call around & stop somewhere. Even though they did not personally work on my vehicle they did take the time out of their very busy schedule to look at it & give me some ideas of what was happening & made me feel safer to continue on with my trip. In a world that is becoming heartless & selfish it is such a blessing to find special people like this that actually care about others & show it Stay kind everyone

  Linda Schneider
2 months ago
Gary's put in my car new alternator and battery for a reasonable price and quick service.I'll go back again.

  Quinn Foster
5 months ago
Never Fear! Gary's Automotive is here!Very trustworthy, put a smile on your face service.

  Patrick Massey
2 weeks ago
I trust the expertise of the people in this shop above anyone else I've ever had work on a vehicle

  ALWA
a year ago
One of my employees vehicles broke down a couple of blocks away from Gary's. Despite it being 15 mins before closing Ty and his crew pushed the vehicle to their shop!They did the repair which was very affordable and we had the vehicle back to us the very next day! You don't get customer service like this very often. Will DEFINITELY be bringing all my vehicles here for repair.

  Deanne Olson
4 months ago
Thanks, Gary & Ty, for your great service on our Lexus, that we just can't seem to part with.

  Sonya Geiselman
a year ago
Both my partner and I took our rigs in and they both came back with large bills and not fixed. They replaced my pads but didn't replace the rotors so the car still shook. They replaced the back breaks which I had told them had been recently replaced instead of the front. I didn't write the quote down so I couldnt argue with them. My partners truck has major issues and had an obvious thunk and when she took it in they charged her a bunch but didn't fix it either. Sad because my family used them for years they have apparently gone down hill. 1100 bucks and both cars seem worse than when they went in.Service: Auto brake repair

  Jess A
a year ago
Staff is helpful and knowledgeable. They got my car going again on short notice and within just a day or so. Very reasonable prices. I trust this mechanic shop.

  julia lueck
6 years ago
We've taken our vehicles to Gary's for over thirty five years with complete satisfaction. With Ty on board the high quality of work has been maintained on our Japanese and domestic cars. Recently when our Dodge truck needed extensive repair, one local dealership said it wouldn't be covered by warranty. Ty checked around and found a Chrysler dealership that correctly reported the true warranty situation to our advantage. We recommend Gary's Olympia Auto Services with complete confidence in the quality of their work and the integrity of their dealings. Five stars.

  TF Moore
3 years ago
Diane J. rated Gary's Automotive Repair Shop on Legion Way in downtown Olympia is great.... 4.5-4.8 Stars....!! Just be patient, plan on dropping your car off early & letting them have it for the whole day or two (diagnostics, ordering parts, & repair time).... Standard service repair rates, but they don't fix anything that doesn't really need fixing.... Or they will tell you fix this part now, the other stuff can wait 6 months, etc.... And they do quality work & will re-fix it if it doesn't work - Gary, Ty, & Jeannie are wonderful....!! Support this amazing, local business....!! D.J. /TFM

  Geoff Zimmermann
2 years ago
My wife went to get the AC recharged last week and was told the AC was turning off and on and to come back the next week to check it out. Well today was next week and she came back with a receipt for $170. She was told it would take 1 to 1.5 hours. 3 hours later they tell her that NOTHING was fixed and that they couldn't tell us what the problem was and to go to the dealer. They told us to come back to fix the problem! $170 dollars for NOTHING!!!! I would understand $50 for their time when you can't fix the problem but not $170.Edit: We were able to come to an agreement for$100 and I have changed my review from 1 star to 3. I appreciate the effort made to make things better.Service: A/C installation & repair

  Sarah George
8 months ago
Gary was incredibly honest and super nice. He saved us thousands of dollars after the dealership misidentified the problem.

  Thomas Solenberger
2 years ago
They were able to get my vehicle back on the road and ready to drive fast than I expected. When I got the bill I was floored, in a good way. Super helpful and honest service. We will be using them again in the future, forsure!

  Dave Butler
4 years ago
Been a customer for 25 years. Gary, owner, runs a clean and professional shop. Honesty is his passion. Several years ago, I brought my Honda in for new transmission. An hour later Gary called me. All done, NO transmission needed! They adjusted the bands and solved my slipping gears. Honest guy.

  Jack Ballew
10 months ago
Needed the car fixed now. Fast diagnosis, fast fix, good price. What more can I say. I live a ways away. Very worth the drive.

  Brandin Groat
a year ago
Called to schedule an appointment to have my car looked over as a pest got inside, was told we are not a pest inspector. Would not recommend I am taking my business to Terry's Automotive

  Coral Hilby
11 years ago
You can tell the review that downgrades Gary's is out of tune, as Gary has already retired, but backs up Ty, the new shop coordinator (a former Gary's mechanic himself). Gary worked at a Nissan (Datsun) dealership for 20+ years, and the practice bills itself as specializing in Japanese/American vehicles. I'd especially take my Japanese vehicle to Gary's without a doubt, although he did a credible job of keeping my PT Cruiser running on the road & safe as well, while I had it. I've been to this shop more than a dozen times with great results, often with some extra effort put in for no charge. Rates are reasonable, too. Best of all, Gary doesn't treat you like a know-nothing (even if you are female) and is SUPER good at explaining what's wrong & what is recommended. Ty is learning those personable skills but definitely is an intellegent fellow. Among all my good experiences there, in one instance Ty steered me wrong (the same direction) several times in a row and I was able to raise a little stink with the office staff who immediately had Gary intervene and he got it properly tested and fixed, even coming long miles out to my house with a mechanic to fetch the vehicle. Another asset to this shop is their extremely competent office staff person. The reason I went to Gary's in the first place is because the Toyota dealership shop nearby treated me rudely, misdiagnosed my car's problems, and would not admit to adverse consequences thereafter: a "check engine light" the next day and an unconnected wire bundle & connector left on the manifold to melt. Gary & mechanic JB took in stride my anger & tears, explaining what they had found that was wrong & promptly fixing it. My only problem with this shop is that they aren't located closer to my house! PS I currently own a 1986 Nissan and 1997 RAV-4.

  Jeremy Thompson
8 years ago
Took my 2000 4runner in to diagnose a misfire problem. They were able to see my vehicle same day and quickly diagnosed the problem. I told them I would repair the vehicle myself. They put it back together and provided me a detailed diagnosis for $75.I replaced the parts they recommended and the 4runner now runs perfectly. I'd go back to Gary's just based on the quick and accurate troubleshooting.

  Emmaly
6 years ago
Gary and crew do a great job. If you need your car towed in for service like we did, just call them up and have them arrange it. It's so much easier that way and it's all on one bill instead of two.

  Mira Anniballi
7 years ago
I took my car in for a 180000 mile service appointment and the bill was suspiciously low but I figured hey, great.Then I left on a 2000 plus mile road trip. I decided to take my car in to a different place for my next oil change because I had a weird feeling about Garys. So I went to Trusted Choice auto, where Rocky told me all my brake pads were worn out and my drive belt desperately needed to be replaced.I'm appalled that Garys did not catch either of these urgent repairs on my car especially when I was about to go on a long road trip. If my drive belt had snapped I could have been stranded in the middle of nowhere and needed a tow.Fast forward a month or so. I'm just getting off the highway 1.5 hrs north and at the light on the off ramp, my car won't shift into gear. It won't move. When I can finally force it into gear, it's making a horrible sound. I just barely made it to my destination which thankfully was not far from the highway. I called Gary's, since they replaced my clutch master/slave cylinder at the time of the last service and thought maybe their parts or labor were faulty. Tye said he would be happy to look at it free of charge and sounded confident in his guarantee of the labor and parts. So after a nightmarish rollercoaster of trying to get my car back down to olympia (finally had to rent a uhaul and tow it myself) Tye informed me that I needed an entire new clutch kit. He gave me a quote $400 higher than TCA and I told him I was having my car towed to another shop. He started yelling at me and throwing a tantrum. As if this whole thing hadn't been stressful enough. A grown man. Trying to bully me into giving him more money. Then he threatened to charge me for looking at my car which he had previously very clearly agreed to diagnose for free. He was so immensely unprofessional and downright mean that I actually feel embarrassed for him and Garys as a shop.Garys charged me $60 for an oil change, Trusted Choice $30. Garys takes half a day to get around to my car when I drop it of first thing in the morning, I was in Trusted Choice for a total of 40 min, a chunk of which was spent talking with Rocky. Garys garage is tucked away so they can do (or not do) whatever they feel like, Trusted Choice does all their work out in the open. Tye at Garys gives me weird looks, Rocky is all smiles.So yeah, going to Garys is a total rip off, not to mention potentially disastrous, and highly stressful. Maybe they just thought they could scam me because I'm a young woman, or they are simply careless.

  Lael Lucas
4 years ago
Quoted me 1200$ for a complete clutch system replacement. After repairs were done they charged me 2300$ and lied up and down claiming that was the quote the whole time as the work was done and I didnt record the original quote I just payed it. But a day later my speedometer stopped working I went back as obviously something they did broke it and they could find the cause of the problem but it was pretty clear they didn't even try too. Never again with these dishonest mechanics.

  Thomas Solenberger
a year ago
Very professional, knowledgeable, and honest staff. My family could not be more pleased with the service they provide. We are planning to return for all of our future automotive repair needs.

  Memms J.
3 years ago
This is one of the old school shops that truly balance customer service and pride in their work. Prices are very competitive and these guys are super efficient. I definitely recommend them if you are looking for a shop. Lots of experience on multiple types of makes

  AL Craft
8 years ago
It took longer than their quoted time for them to tell me what was wrong with my vehicle. When they finally told me about it they had already taken the engine apart. It ended up costing me $260 just for them to put it back together. Also I had to call them to find out about the status my car, each day they kept forgetting to call me. I waited for their calls until I had to run at the last moment to pick up my vehicle before they closed for the day.

  Mia Pinto
2 years ago
Ty was Awesome. They charged me exactly what they quoted me and had my vehicle ready is less time than anticipated. Great customer service!