Canavan's Automotive Repair

Roger Clarke-Johnson

★★★☆☆

2 months ago

Was referred here for advanced wheel repair but got nowhere. Left my cell number in person, no call. Submitted service request on-line two days later, again no call or email. Have up and went to L Schwab.

Royalty EntertainmentLV

★★★★★

7 months ago

Great service! They have worked on 2 of my vehicles and I have no complaints. James took care of us both times. These guys are efficient, trustworthy, and reasonably priced.

JJ Lynn

★★★★★

8 months ago

We had a issue with our wiring for trailer connector plug. Called James. He worked us in (on a Friday) and was able to promptly repair it. He was professional, courteous and offered us a fair price for the repair. He is a local, small business and I definitely recommend calling him for any opinions on repairs!

J

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 11 months ago

My 2016 Ford Escape was leaking coolant into cylinder 1. We took it to Canavans Auto Repair on March 26, 2024. I called the owner James Canavan on April 10 for an update. James said they couldn't find where the leak was coming from but was continuing to look for it. I called May 22 for an update. James said they couldn't find the leak and they were going to buy a special scope camera. I called on May 24 for an update. James says they can't find where the leak is coming from with the scope. At this point me and James mutually agree to leave the car with James, at his shop, while he researches for a remedy. Six and a half months ago buy with no updates from James. December 6th, Friday. We called James to discuss taking the vehicle home since a fix was not materializing. James tells me that just three days earlier he put 'Bar's leak block seal' in the radiator, idled it for 30 min. then drove the car 98 miles. Said it no longer had head gasket issues and passed the block test. We did not give consent to this, nor did he communicate to us he was doing this at the time. We went to pick up the car that day, Dec. 6. The check engine light was gone and everything seemed to be functioning properly with the engine. Paid him $1524 We noticed a dent in the middle of our rear hatch door that wasn't there prior to bringing the the car in. The car was in excellent condition with very low miles and no physical discrepancies. A very unique dent, not one that I imagine a vehicle would make. The dent is the size of the end of a slot screwdriver but pushed in over an inch deep into the metal, almost piecing the metal in an upward direction. Never seen a dent like it. When we pointed this out to James, he acknowledged he did not notice the damage when we brought it in but did notice it prior to us picking up the car. James said he would contact his insurance. I called James Canavan on March 7 for an update on the insurance, No answer. I left a detailed message. No return call. On March 17, I went down to the shop and spoke with James. Mr. Canavan tells me that because there are six other businesses in his proximity he can't be sure the damage was caused by him. James said he contacted his insurance, Travelers Ins. and they said the same thing. Regress back to the engine repair. The head gasket failed three days later, leaving us stranded. ***Update*** April 8, 2025 I called James's insurance company, Traveler Ins. today and spoke with Sylvia. Sylvia had no record of a claim being filed or any notes from James to his insurance regarding the damage to my car. Said she went back 1 year and sees no communication from James Canavan with them.

Side “Note” Note

★★★★★

a year ago

I can’t recommend James Canavan’s Automotive Repair highly enough! This shop is hands-down the best place to go for car repairs. You can trust them completely, which is such a big deal. The team is clear, concise, and very upfront about everything. They’re incredibly easy to talk to and as honest as the day is long. About 10 people in my family rely on this shop, and several friends do too. None of us have ever been disappointed. Everyone has been more than satisfied with the quality of service and the professionalism here. The only challenge? Finding the entrance off Smokey Point! But once you do, it’s smooth sailing. If you’re looking for an honest, reliable repair shop, this is the one!

O S

★★★★★

7 months ago

I came in to get a car I was planning to buy inspected and they gave me a very professional and detailed explanation of everything that was going on with the vehicle. They saved me from buying an absolute mess and getting ripped off, I couldn’t recommend more. One of the best mechanics I’ve ever dealt with , I highly recommend 🙏

T “Ten Beers” Bear

★★★★★

a year ago

When my 2019 Ford Fusion Titanium HYBRID, threw a Fault Code, I took it to James. James assured me it was no problem to replace the O2 Sensor, told me the possible Cost and when the Car would be Ready....my car was ready before Schedule and at a very reasonable cost, Indeed. Thank you, James. A good, reputable and honest Automotive Shop and Mechanics are had to come by now days. I will have James and his Team take care of All my Auto Repair needs.

Monica Schlink

★★★★★

a year ago

James was very helpful since the the time i called him till i got my car back all fixed . Had issue with my Jeep and with my panic moment i took my car to the dealership (bad idea)with they quoted me a insane amount especially because was not on the warranty anymore plus the date that would get done was not the best either. His team work so hard and got done in less than 1 day so he saved me money with the rental car and the price that he quoted me was very resoanable in my view. My car was filled with coolant in the pan due to the leak on the radiator but sure enought they did a great job cleanup and all. Really happy and hope this review will catch people attention and see that there is always a good reliable mechanic out there.

Shia Teague

★★★★★

2 years ago

Amazing service, Holly and James were both super helpful! We rented a U-Haul here and even though the app was having some issues, the process was so much easier thanks to their help. They even lent us one of their personal dollies for free when they didn't happen to have any extra U-Haul ones on-site at the time. We'll be coming back next time we have an issue with our car because the people here are top-tier.

Chris Baltz

★★★★★

3 years ago

The only place I will take our cars to James is very straight forward, does a excellent job and always a great experience. With his shop I always feel safe with the price and no unnecessary work has been done. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND James to anyone looking for a new mechanic.

Kaleb

★★★★★

2 years ago

super amazing customer service and extremely friendly people. I was in a pinch last night trying to get off work, and get to them to rent one of there trailers so i could go get my car that broke down a week ago. i was running late trying to get the trailer back before they closed and gave Holly a call letting her know what was going on and she was very understanding and sympathetic, so she decided out of the kindness of her heart to leave the gate open for me so i could drop the trailer off. thank you guys you helped me out a lot and i recommend them to anyone!!!

Travis Robertson

★★★★★

3 years ago

Had an appointment at Firestone in town to have a fairly straightforward ignition fix. They screwed me and left me with no fix. Called James he had my jeep within 30 minutes explaining that he was booked but would figure out how to squeeze it in. He called me back later the same day to pick it up it was ready to go. I picked it up the next morning starting perfectly. He really stepped up and helped a traveler out. Thanks so much James.

Urszula Golod

★★★★★

4 years ago

Where to start. I was driving home when my car started to shake, it was Saturday and all the mechanics were closed and by luck we found James. He literally saved our life as the car got almost on fire. He didn't didn't even charge me. Fantastic, super helpful and honest. Not many people like that anymore. Highly recommend for everyone who needs a good honest place to fix your car. Thank you James

Davin Stedman

★★★★★

4 years ago

I've known James for a long time. He's a real mechanic and one of the good guys a community relies on to get to work and keep their families on the road. We trust him. We tell our friends about him. Word of mouth still matters. This rating system is inauthentic. Everyone is supposed to get 5 stars, as if there are no good B+ students. To be fair, how do we rate a guy like James that constantly exceeds expectations? Until I see 6 stars, for folks in my life that keep our community safe like James, I have to just hit 5 stars and give yall' some truth. Quite simply, mechanics like James are as important as first responders. They are unsung heroes, because James does his job, the cars are handled back to the owner honestly, and first responders are not called because we are getting into vehicles that have been cared for like his own family is going to travel in every car he brings into his garage. That's worth more than 5 stars.

John Mangum

★★★★★

3 years ago

James saved our bacon! Thank you! My family was heading back to Seattle on the North Cascades Highway after our vacation when our alternator in our Honda Pilot crapped out at about 4:00 on a Friday afternoon outside of Darrington. We needed to get our rig into a shop fast, but all the auto repair shops for a 30 mile radius were either closing by 5:30 or were not able to fit us in for service. We called James at 4:30. His shop was one of only several open until 6:00, and he was able to squeeze us in at the end of the day even though the job would likely keep his crew in the shop after hours (on a Friday evening of the 4th of July weekend). We arrived at the parking lot of James’ shop just as the battery died, and our Pilot shut down completely. His crew got to work straight away. We were treated with the utmost professionalism, and he charged a very reasonable price to replace our alternator. This shop is clearly all about providing outstanding repair service! Thanks James! I was NOT looking forward to attempting to swap out a dead alternator on my own... an hour from home, after 4 and half hours of driving, with a hungry wife and two hangry teenage girls, and with a fairly bare bones tool kit in my rig. Did I mention that James saved our bacon (and probably some bloodied knuckles). Happy 4th of July to Canavan’s Auto Shop!

Dawn Taylor

★★☆☆☆

5 years ago

husband and myself essential workers, ex military went to James with an open ended account on both our vehicles. expressed our position of having the cash ( saved over time) , and the need for an honest mechanic. tired of getting screwed in the past. had the direct conversation with James himself. don't mind paying whatever it cost, trust was of the utmost importance. he assured us he understood where we were comming from. left vehicle one with our own parts supplied, vehicle two in his shop with a down payment of a thousand dollars in his possession for over a month. called, asked if addition money was required, looking for an update, after many times to reach James he finally got back to us and said we could pick up vehicle. needless to say day one of repairs my husband broke down halfway to work. cost us a tow, days labor, a write up at our job, and rental car costs. did not change out a small part on gas. line as he said plus many other things that were said to have been done but were not. per new mechanic. needless to say as of this point in time neither vehicle working, neither one of us has a job anymore due to pandemic and these vehicle issues. 5000 dollars plus it what it cost to believe in someone doing what they said they were going to do. do we think James himself is directly a bad shady person? no, we try to believe he is overwhelmed, passed our truck issues on to others, who somehow let us all down. all though this situation had been devastating in the long run we still believe that James is innately a decent human being and we wish him well.

Jamie Kingham

★★★★★

8 years ago

James figured out very difficult issues with the engine in my Honda Pilot. He is very smart and found the exact problem and fixed it. His price was very reasonable for the repair. It has been over a month now and my Pilot is still running strong. I highly recommend James to honestly find and fix your automotive issues. Also he communicates well and is patient to explain technical issues so you can understand. A great mechanic you can send your friend to...