Winston’s Auto Repair

I had a similar experience to all the other 5 star experiences listed below. The shop was honest, timely, friendly and offered excellent customer service. This will be my mechanic moving forward! It is extremely hard to find a shop that communicates clearly, treats their customers with respect, and has a fair price. This place is top notch!

My son and I took his car in for diagnosis and repair, their diagnosis was that he needed a new car, which was not the case at all. His car was in need of a few minor repairs, but by no means was it needing to be replaced. I have worked on cars, trucks, and equipment for years, and I was trying to help my older son establish a relationship with an honest and reputable mechanic. I Unilocaled these guys, and went by the ratings and reviews, but that was a mistake. My younger son repaired the car and it has been running great for months. These guys are out to sell cars. I would not recommend these folks for car repair to anyone.

Absolutely love the service here. I’ve been taking my cars here for several years and right now I’m onto my third car that I’ve owned! Davey is a genuine person and also Kite at their other location. They are the friendliest mechanics you’ll ever meet and they won’t try to push you into spending more money by listing off «more problems» with your car. Winston’s Auto repair offers the best prices! They saved me loads of money by welding a part for me instead of replacing it for hundreds of dollars. Sometimes they even try their best to squeeze me in without an appointment :) Before purchasing the car that I currently have, I was always on the look out for a decent car to drive. So I brought in a couple of used cars from craigslist and they were able to inspect it for me with short notice. I can tell that they not only care about my car, but they care about me as well!

Love these guys! Friendly and honest. It’s refreshing to have a reliable mechanic that I can trust.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE MECHANIC! I ONLY take my cars here, I have lived here for 4 years now, and ALL of my vehicles are seen by these guys, they know me, and my mother well and I appreciate that they remember her when she comes in. Talk about REAL customer service, I have no complaints at all. Normally a mechanic will soak the last bit of money out of you, but they are honest and they’ll let you know if it’s time for you to get rid of a vehicle before it starts costing too much! I’m a happy camper!

Winston Auto was a great place for me to take my car to. My car breaks were bumpy and Davey did a great job fixing my break system. I was expecting a long wait time but Winston Auto fixed my car fast and with a fair price. I would recommend Winston over the other competitors because not only did Davey, the owner sits there and talks to you about what’s real wrong with your car, but the price was fair and the service was fast. Well deserving of these 5 stars!

They were brutally honest with us! We took our car to a couple of dealers, then a few buddies who worked on cars regularly. Everything Winston’s told us was legit.
Also, they were so nice and friendly! I would easily recommend to my friends and family!

I cannot begin to tell you how much I am in love with this shop! As a woman (granted my dad and grandpa did a damn good job teaching me about cars), I can walk in here and get greeted the same way a macho car-​man would. Whether it be Dave or Tracy that you talk to, you will get superior customer service, extremely detailed reports with price breakdowns, and excellent workmanship.
You drop your car off, leave them your keys and they call you WHEN THEY SAY THEY WILL (bonus!) to discuss everything they’ve found. They give you parts prices (to the penny!) and labor costs. They will never go above their estimates, throw in extra garbage, or do anything without your consent. They will tell you things that should be done immediately, and will notate your account with things that are/​should be on the horizon to fix.
They even look for ways to save you money on labor by checking other similar items, or items that need to be maintained that could be part of the same job as to not have you come back in for the regular maintenance and be charged again for labor — (which saved me nearly $ 100 just today!)
Also, if you call around for pricing, and find a better price, call them back and they will do the best they can to work with you.
In addition to that, if something they fix isn’t quite right, bring it back and they fix it for free — no questions asked. AND, in December, they give FREE oil changes for Christmas.
Seriously, hands down… these guys are it. I don’t know that I’d ever take my vehicles anywhere else… even if I moved an hour away!

Davey is an amazing reliable trustworthy person. He really understands my position that I’m a college student and low on money. When I wasn’t able to pay my repairs up front, he made a payment plan for me with no interest. I’ve been going to them for years. They do quick oil changes for me and its always fun talking to Davey while I wait. I would recommend anyone who is having problems with their car to go check them out. They only fix what you need and prices are not bad at all. Thank you Winston!!!

I can’t say enough about these guys. They have gone above and beyond on every level. I am so glad that I found a great auto shop.

Very happy with Winston’s Auto Repair! They we really friendly, and knowledgeable! No high pressure tactics which is much appreciated after all the car troubles I have had. Would defiantly recommend then and go in the future when needed.

I purchased a used vehicle from them one year ago. At the time I purchased the vehicle the purchase was contingent upon them getting the check engine light off and doing several repairs. They said they had maintained the car for the life of the vehicle, if this is what them maintaining a vehicle gets you… i certainly don’t recommend them at all! They had the vehicle more then I did the first 3 months. The entire year I have owned the vehicle the check engine light has been on for sooooooooooo many different things, They would supposedly repair something, I wouldn’t even get out of there driveway and the check engine light would come immediately back on… they said for different codes I ultimately got sick of dealing with there bullshit, I have done 6k in repairs to this vehicle in one year…, and the check engine light is still on for items that are far to expensive. I am now in debt 8k for a car that I can’t drive. Fuck Winston’s auto repair!

Have had considerable work done here in the last two weeks. Tracy always explains the exact repair needed for the problem. I had spent a certain amount and they rented a car for me as they didn’t have a loaner. I feel they are honest in their repairs and in their dealing with customers. definitely give them a try!

I’m not sure which shop «Katherine S» is referring to but it most certainly Is NOT Winston Auto. It’s a pretty vague review so I am pretty suspicious right out of the gate!
This place is heads and shoulders above any auto shop not just in Des Moines but anywhere in south king county!
Finding a good mechanic is like finding a good hair stylist or a good lawyer, only better. I have found MY mechanic in Davey!
I actually found him about 8 years ago when a problem with my car at the time had me frustrated beyond belief, to make a long story short — taking it to Winston auto was all I needed to do and my problems were solved.
My latest experience has been even better. After inheriting a vehicle with a blown engine Dave installed the rebuilt in a matter of days. We have since come to learn that the original problem was something other than the motor itself which Davey diagnosed, repaired and installed ANOTHER rebuilt motor without ever blinking an eye. He not only honored the original warranty but allowed the warranty to be reset as if it were day one.
When your car is pretty much all you have in the world and you need to rely on it why would you take it to someone and «hope» they will treat you right!!!
I rely on my car and am happy to say it is still running like a dream but should anything ever happen or to any car i have in the future I’m taking it to Winston. I know Davey and the entire team there will take care of me and peace of mind is priceless!
Rob K.
Des Moines, WA

WOW! Let me start there. The service that I received from both Tracy and Davey were amazing! Tracy, explained everything in detail of what was wrong with my car and saved me $ 3000k from what my dealership quoted me.
Tracy was far more concerned that I wasn’t getting taken advantage of, then she was about her «sale.» I was impressed, because there are very few repair shops that are selfless. There is no other place that I will take my car.

WOW! Ok so this is my first time ever writing a report on Unilocal,and I am conflicted at this moment. I could not give a score high enough for this shop! My problem is that I don’t what them to get too busy to work on my cars in the future!
The bottom line with this company is the Customer Service (Tracy) is flat amazing! Being a dedicated Costco man I set my high bar based on Costco’s customer service and return policy. Honestly Winston’s has blown this away! If Costco did auto repairs this would be their flagship store!
I brought my 2004 Dodge truck in for an engine miss and brake noises. They accepted the truck right away (very tough parking situtation though), and the next day they called with a report based on their free pre inspection.
The brakes both front and rear needed pads and the rear needed new rotors. The engine needed a tune up so they could see if that solved the many error codes the engine was ommiting. Tracy asked my engine size… i chose the largest… I must have been compensating because the one i chose was larger then the actual one in the truck.
Anyway, they gave me a quote and I said ok. They told me if the tune up did not fix the miss then they would need to replace more things but lets start with the cheapest and quickest option. And the truck would be ready the next day! I told them i couldnt pick it back up for 3 days since i was going Rv’ing (that ended up braking too but that’s another issue).
So they called the next day and said that the engine I actually had (smalller) only required only 8 plugs instead of the one I said I had whcih required 16 so the price would be cheaper by 8 plugs and the labor to put them in. How sweet was that!?? Wait! it gets better!
Then they called a few hours later and said the mechanic wrote the wrong rotors that needed replacing and the rotors that actually needed to be replaced were the front ones not the back one and the front ones cost more money then the rear… a moment of silence… the drum roll please… and «we will absorb the extra cost since we already quoted the price»! Wow?! well hold on folks!!!
I called an hour later and said i could actually pick up the car that day if it was going to be ready. Vicky said yes no problem they are just finishing up and she gave me the final price after reducing for the plugs. She said come by at 4pm. I received a call at 2:30pm and Vicky said that after they put the new rotors on the front and took it for a test drive the caliper froze up. Bottom line is that the truck now needed 2 new caliper too! Now the big moment… Vicky said «so I am calling to tell you that the truck will be ready after 5pm and we are covering the cost of these too»!!!
Seriously folks she said it was their mistake for not checking the truck before quoting me a final price. So they would not only pay for the parts but pay for the labor… and give me a full TRANSFERABLE warrenty on all the worked performed.
Yes folks this is an OMG moment brought to you via the best automotive repair shop in the country… if you live near DesMoines WA… or even DesMoines Iowa its worth the trip to see Vicky at Winston!

Davey is the main mechanic that runs Winston Auto in Des Moines Wa., and I would like to tell anyone, and everyone that his honesty, and integrity is most important to him when it comes to his customers, and his work. Davey rebuilt my engine in my 89 ford F-​150. For some unknown reason I blew a rod in Sept. of 2012. After 2 yrs. well beyond the warranty period, Davey took on the task of rebuilding my engine again at no cost. He is the best mechanic I have dealt with hands down…
If you need an excellent mechanic, this is your guy, you will not need another. You have questions regarding you vehicles, Davey’s got the answers.
I am so glad to have a mechanic that I can rely on, it makes life a little easier!
THANKS DAVEY

Best auto repair in town! These guys are all about integrity and quality with their service. I had my BMW z3’s clutch/​flywheel and belts replaced and they accommodated to my schedule. My car run like new and I will definitely refer this place to anyone I know!

Thoroughly impressed with this place! The service is fast and friendly and they even came in cheaper that what I was originally quoted. Definitely not another rip-​off mechanic, you get good service at a reasonable price, something that is rare these days.

Dave Van the owner was a sweetheart and truly made us (2 women) feel at ease. He diagnosed the cars, as well as explained everything. He never left us in the dark about repairs and things that were needed and not needed.
We spent no money here but he made us feel like we were special. No haggling and no male macho prides to deal with here.
Ladies I highly recommend this place. They were friendly and informative. If I ever need any vehicle repairs in teh future or even maintenance. this is my go to place above all else.
Prices are low and Service is Five Stars. I rarely give Five Stars and I have to say this place was the best.
Only down side is no realy waiting area. So get a friend and drop off the car. Go down to Marine View Expresso and enjoy some caffine and warmth!