Bret's Independent

After trying many different car repair shop recommendations and having the same feeling of being ripped off over and over again... FINALLY a honest and extremely professional shop I can take my car to forever! I first took my Honda to Bret's after getting a really high price quote from a different shop for a timing belt. Without telling them that they were my second opinion, Bret's quoted me $200 less than the other place! Bret's can always get me in right away, and has most repairs done the same day. They stand behind their work and have always been very patient in answering all my questions and explaining everything to me. I highly recommend this shop to everyone I know and when buying my next car I will make sure it is a Honda just so I can take it to Bret's. I feel very fortunate to finally have a shop I can trust for all my repairs and relieved that the elusive search for a honest mechanic is finally over !!! more

My car never had any leaks or made any noise until i took it to brets. I had to take it back 3 times for them to do the work he had charged me for and the kid not only scratched my dash but left greasy fingerprints on the interior. If you value your car,money,or time go elsewhere. more

Went to Bret's to get the headlight bulb replaced for my Acura. They changed the bulb (for close to $200 with a supposedly original Acura bulb) but it still didn't work. They said they would need to change the ballast which would cost more than $600. Took a step back at that time (thankfully!), purchased a complete headlight set from a used parts warehouse at half the cost and went to a local mechanic. Surprise ! Surprise ! What we found was that the existing ballast was working perfectly fine and it was the new bulb that Bret's had put on, that was not working. When I went to Bret's and shared this experience, he refused to take accountability saying that they only have a limited warranty which goes void the moment somebody else touches the car. Not only that, he was rude and told me I was playing games. Great customer service indeed ! more

Would not take my two Hondas anywhere else and have told Bret so. Does what is needed but if part is going to be excessively expensive, will give me options on repair / replace . Has "looked over" a potential used car purchase for me and advised on problems I might have with the car if I bought it at no charge to me. You can count on a partnership with Bret. more

This used to be a place we would tell everyone in Edmonds to try and it was always a wonderful experience even though having your car fixed is like going to the dentist. We moved to Portland a few years ago and for a while would continue to make special trips to Edmonds for repair that is saying something possibly the best most friendly service of its type anywhere. The owners name at that time was Bill who I understand became ill and is no longer there. There have been several of our friends who found that the quality service and Bret the other owner who was a mechanic who now "works" with customers(bad choice} does not bother to call fro authorizations and "assumes" with a horrible atttitude that you brought your car into to get it fixed. This was my daughter in laws first experience no call for an extra 100 dollars and as she said "it looked like his head was going to explode" when she asked why she had not been notified. This is not the same place that would call me when it was going to be ten dollars over a quote. Now back in Edmonds and with teenage drivers we had hoped that the rumors were not true. This is no longer the same friendly customer service shop that i used to be so impressed with i would force my friends to try them. The place is not welcoming the work is not explained and as a matter of fact not even authorized. As I read through the reviews I realize we are not the only ones who are dissapointed in losing what was once a jewel of a repairshop with a friendly owner that would explain everything and quality work that you felt was worth every penny. FYI alot of our friends that used to use Brets have found High Road Auto to be the same type of friendly quality place that Bill used to run. more

Bret's has serviced all my cars for the last 8 years - they are honest, reliable, friendly and fairly priced. All the work done has been quality - Bret's found problems that the Nissan dealer didn't find or address until I pointed it out. They take great care of me and my cars - what more can you ask for.. more

I took my Honda to this shop after it stopped running on my way to work. The tow truck driver that showed up reccomended Bret's. I agree'd for him to tow it there. (Later I found out the Tow truck company/driver is employed by Bret's to get customers in the door) I left it for a day and recieved a phone call telling me my alternator had failed and that needed replacement. I agree'd to the repair (over $500, which i also later found out shouldnt be more than $300). The next day i recieved another phone call telling me my vehicle was still not running and needed a battery as well. This was not in the original estimate and my feeling was the vehicle had not been properly diagnosed. I ended up buying a battery and having my brother install it for me when i went to picked up the vehicle that evening. The owner was also very rude when i asked why the battery had not been checked. All in all i would stay clear of this shady shop. Overcharging customers and not correctly diagnosing vehicles. more

My wife took her Honda Accord to Bret's Independent about a month ago. Not only did they leave greasy footprints all over the vehicle and greasy handprints. They failed to fix the problem it was in for in the first place. I ended up taking it to another local shop in the area and it was fixed within a day. I heard this used to be a good shop but I believe the owner has issues because he was very rude to my wife. Not someplace I will be doing business with again. more

If I could give them a 0 I would. I took my vehicle to this shop to have a 30k miles service. The price was a little steep and after doing some research on the parts that where installed on my vehicle I found I was charged nearly doulbe the cost of parts. The owner is ripping people off on parts charges. Dont waste your money here. more

We've been using Bret's since 1997 on our 91 Civic and wouldn't take it elsewhere. They're proactive in making you aware of upcoming issues that need addressing and will let you know if it's something that would be cheaper to replace a part at the time they're working in the same vicinity on the vehicle to avoid a bigger bill later. On the flip side they'll let you know if work is unnecessary at the time or not recommended. Great service, great team! more

They're great they know what they're doing and they use oe/oem parts what more could you ask for some people just get upset because they don't get their car fixed for free or they repair one issue thinking they will have a new car at the end of it all... keep up the good work and don't worry about the idiots writing bad reviews they just want hand outs more

I heard back from the Better Busines Bureau regarding my complaint against Bret's independent automotive. The BBB reported back that Bret's did not respond to the inquiry and that my request to have a formal complaint on their record would stand. Steer clear of this shop unless you wish to be swindled out of your hard earned money. I can only think they fell on hard times and started gouging customers as I heard that this USED to be a reliable shop. Times change, people don't. Check with the BBB before using this shop. Or just pay out the zing zang for shotty service. Your call. more

I had my 1997 Honda Accord towed to Bret's this morning. Even though I typically go to the Japanese Auto Care in Lynnwood, I listened to the tow truck driver's recommendation to bring the car to Bret's. I gave permission to get my car fixed based on urgency. My total bill for alternator parts and labor + tax was $500+. I inquired about pricing for parts and labor from Sears Automotive and Japanese Auto Care after I picked up my car and the difference was devastating -$326.50 from Sears and $320.00 from Japanese Auto Care. My bill from Bret's was definitely excessive and not competitive. Based on my experience with Bret's, I am not going back there again and not getting any advice from the driver of R&R Towing. more

Brought my truck in when a "service engine soon" light came on. Was told it was a faulty thermostat and had it replaced for around $235. Two weeks to the day I had a another "service engine soon" light come on. Told this time it was a faulty water pump that was purging coolant. Okayed this repair only to find I've also been charged for replacing a"serpentine belt" which I never okayed. a little over 2 weeks after paying $400 for that visit, my breaks all the sudden become mushy and my "emergency brake" light stays illuminated. This time, I don't make the mistake of taking it to Bret's and ask friends and co-workers for a more reputable shop. I'm told by the current autoshop I took it to that a seal within the front break calipers is bad and it caused brake fluid to purge from the lines. I don't believe that this many "symptoms" arise within such a short period of time and should have followed my initial instinct not to go back the 2nd time. They will never get my business again (and since having related my experience found co-workers that said "we wished we had known you were going to take it there. We would have warned you against doing so".> Of all the shops I have dealt with the past 20-25 years I have never been so suspicious that my vehicle had ACTUALLY been tampered with and I have filed a formal complaint with the BBB. more

We have been loyal customers of Bret's Independent going on 14 years, and for the past two it hasn't been easy...since we now live 50 miles to the south. Bret and his crew have taken sole care of our beloved Hondas, and we have never once needed to worry about them making a poor diagnosis, or throwing unneeded parts at our cars or the quality of workmanship, which has been exemplary. Bret and his staff are courteous and accomodating. Bret has even been known to arrange for a free loaner when our vehicle was on overnight "outpatient" status, and has gladly performed free purchase inspections. The last Accord we bought (and love) came as a recommendation from him. If you live in South Snohomish/North King (and maybe even further), there's no reason not to take your Honda/Acura or other foreign make to Bret. He's a straight-talking, diligent mechanic who'll go the extra distance to make sure things are done right. more

We've had all of the major service for three different Hondas over the past 8 years done by Bret's despite the fact that I had to go way out of my way to get there. Now that we've moved, we're a bit closer and now we go to them for *everything.* I've never had to worry about being sold repairs I don't need and another great perk is that they offer FREE buyer's inspections. Everyone there, from Bret (the owner) down to the guy at the front desk, is courteous...almost to the point of being weird. It's like walking into a dimensional warp of some kind--you just don't expect "grease monkeys" to treat their customers with respect. I cannot recommend them highly enough. more

I took my vehicle to Brets Independent for a simple repainr and ended up with a destroyed engine due to the poor mechanicle work done by the shop. I will never go bakc for any kind of work done on any vehicle!!!! I was forced to take my vehicle to another mechanic just to find out that my engine was bad. more

I just took my Acura Legend in for a 30k service.I have over 200k miles on my car. I attribute a lot of the great success I have had not only to Acura but the continued excellent service I get from Brett's. I think I get great service, no BS, and a great price. I am always trying to tell people about this place more

I was introduced to Bret's Independent by my friend Carol. She said they specialized on Honda's and they were very trust worthy!! I have been there twice and have been very pleased with their service. This is definitely my new Auto and service repair for my car... I would highly recommend them to anyone I know. Kathy more

Bret's is always honest with me. When our cars need work they will let me know if something needs to be done right away, or if it can wait. The recomdation is always based on safety and comon sense, not money. With two kids in college they are always mindful that we are on a budget. more