Firestone Complete Auto Care — Attraction in Seattle

I used to bring my car to Pep Boys in SODO for service; and for a while, they were fair to middling - nothing great, but nothing bad, though I began to notice that I kept returning more frequently than I wished. But, they were cheap, the mechanics were friendly (if a bit too familiar), and I didn't mind: it's an older car; what did I expect? Then, one very hot summer day, I watched the temperature gauge shoot to its uppermost limit. I had just come from Pep Boys - what could have been the matter? I filled it with coolant and water to keep the engine from burning, then returned to the shop: the radiator had been inexplicably drained. Then, one day, I was driving down 99; I had just come from Pep Boys. The brakes gave out completely. Through some miracle (and setting aside false modesty, some very skillful driving), I made it back to the shop: the brake line had been inexplicably cut. "I nearly died - may I please get a refund and free service?" Manager: "Welllllll...." I returned a couple more times, but their service became less and less trustworthy and people quit en masse. I departed. After a single encounter with Moss Alley Motors (my goodness, those folks were strange and abrasive!), I decided to try Firestone on MLK. On their first inspection, they discovered and clearly identified what the other mechanics had carelessly ignored: the bolts holding the engine in place were rusting and broken; the timing belt needed replacement; 'who did the work on the rack and pinion?!?'; oil leaks; worn tires; broken tailpipe; and on and on. The bill was daunting, to say the least. But my poor 89 Camry wagon (which was otherwise in legendarily good shape for its age), needed a drastic make-over. And when they were done...the problems vanished. It took me a couple months to pay that bill, and finally retrieve my car, but the problems had been resolved. One and done. I returned after nearly a year away (bad, I know), and the recent problems I've been having? Repaired under warranty. Come to a follow-up at the weekend to sort out another warranty-related problem, and you're good. The bill? Not daunting. Paid it right away. Car operated perfectly. A lot of folks gripe that this Firestone costs more - maybe even too much for some (see bromide above). But with this shop, the old maxim, 'you get what you pay for,' rings absolutely true. They cost more, but they got the job done right the first time; they were very transparent in their services and pricing; they answered all my questions courteously; they graciously gave me discounts in addition to honouring my coupons; their work and all the parts are guaranteed; and they have thus far kept my beloved wagon rolling. So, until this shop falls into some disrepute (hopefully not involving cut brake lines), I shall be returning to get my vehicle maintained and...

These guys are more than reasonable with price and always provide excellent customer service! If you have any questions/concerns they take the time to make sure you are absolutely pleased (or as pleased as you can get dealing with car troubles lol!) with the service provided! I never feel swindled and or taken advantage of when taking my car in for repairs/maintenance which is super important if not the only reason why I initially choose a place for service. As much as we would like to think we are progressive and treat people the same regardless of sex (and all the other protected classes of course!) that’s simply not the case or at least not what I have experienced with other facilities when it comes to servicing my vehicle. Not at this Firestone though! They have always treated me exactly the same as they would anybody else and they do not talk down to me and or patronize me because I clearly don’t know much about cars or because I am a woman. And trust me, I’ve asked a ton of questions haha! Their patience never cracks, they are always friendly, their prices are super reasonable, and whenever I get my car back it always feels like it’s running on a brand new engine again! The service/maintenance I have needed to date include the following: all new tires, new brakes, routine oil changes, other basic routine maintenance, and several diagnostic tests which included the need for repair at 30k miles, 40k miles, 50k mikes, etc. so I can only review on what I have experienced in terms of the above listed services. There have even been times when I came in because I had no idea what was wrong which usually always means an astronomical bill with endless need for repairs forcing you to put blind trust into what someone is telling you yet even in these circumstances the result was never anything super crazy expensive and I still felt confident that the repair recommended was the repair needed. I can’t recommend these guys enough! Also, last but not least, I do want to mention Dawn (I initially had the wrong name as I was thinking of her as Dawn Celeste and associated C to Cheryl, brain fart!) Anywho, Dawn Celeste who no longer works there but when she did, she was amazing too! Knows her stuff about cars and is super friendly! Everyone there is awesome and knows what good quality customer service means! Thank you Firestone on MLK! I’m a huge fan with a blabbering word of mouth! My apologies for the novel review - cheers!

Please note: when I refer to myself as not knowing much about cars and being a woman I do not mean that all women do not know about cars disclaimer. I am only referring to myself and what I have experienced. Again, I am not lumping all women into a category of car ignorance;...

Standard big tire company grift. They'll promise things they can't deliver, and charge you full price for the privilege. When they inevitably mess up, their corporate policies will make sure that nothing can be done to make it right.

I ordered a full winter tire replacement with a particular brand I had researched. I went with them just because they're local and at least some of the money would go back into the community. The person who took my appointment apparently forgot to order them. When I dropped off the car and they realized the mistake, the only option they could provide was to instead use their in-house brand. No discounts or additional service were offered, despite my request, because it would require manager approval and the manager "wasn't working over the weekend". Then they asked me if I wanted to pay another $100 for a wheel alignment, and had me rush over 30 minutes before closing to pick up the car. So here I am stuck with the tires I didn't order, and $500 poorer for the trouble.

Firestone doesn't get another red dime from me. I hope they start empowering their employees to take responsibility for their mistakes, and replace their absentee manager. Next time I'll just go with tirerack.com or go 1 minute up the road to...