Independent Motors

Boulder, United States

3.9

Closed now

17 reviews

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 303-449-8949
Website:
www.independentmotors.net
Address:
5440 Arapahoe Ave Unit A, Boulder, CO, 80303
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 mi55th St & Central Ave
0.7 mi55th St & Flatiron Pkwy
1.5 mi30th & Arapahoe
Categories:
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Today

Today 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Boulder) 22:37 Thursday, 3 July 2025

Business hours

Monday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Friday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

If you shop around you’ll find that Independent Motors offers the best value in Boulder. Our technicians achieve the highest standards of excellence and our service writers are very knowledgeable, friendly, honest and good communicators.

Independent Motors performs the following services:

All factory-​required maintenance services

Brake and clutch jobs

Tune-​ups

Diagnosing emission test failure

Wheel alignments, tires rotation and balancing

New tires sales, including snow tires and studding

Automatic and manual transmission services

Coolant system flushes

Brake, clutch and power steering fluid flushes

Struts and shock replacement

Engine and transmission replacement

The best testimony to our quality service is our 27 years in business. We have a large extended family of satisfied customers. Chances are someone you know is one of them!

History

Established in 1983.

I opened our shop in 1983 after working as a Master Nissan Technician for a Denver dealer. I didn’t like the way the employees and customers were treated, so I decided to do things differently. I immediately installed lifts for each of my technicians so they would not have to wait around for parts. I offer health/​dental insurance to all employees along with matching IRAs. I made sure that our service writers were paid on salary instead of commission. That way they wouldn’t have any incentive to sell customers unneeded repairs to increase their paychecks. We were pioneers in offering employees such a complete benefit package.

If you own a domestic or Asian car/​truck, my aim is to be the only shop you’ll ever need. Whether your vehicle needs maintenance service, repairs, tires, detailing, windshield replacement, oil change, or a tune-​up, Independent Motors is the place for you. We have been family owned since 1983 and invite you to become a member of our extended family, too.

Meet the Business Owner

Bill B.

Business Owner

Opened Independent Motors in 1983 after working as Master Nissan Technician.

Related places

Explore similar places:
10
ft
Boulder Tire
5440 Arapahoe Ave Unit B
180
ft
The Auto Repair Place
5472 Arapahoe Ave
180
ft
The Auto Repair Place
5472 Arapahoe Ave
1
mi
John’s Auto Care
1900 55th St #104
1
mi
Bolder Auto
5461 Western Ave Unit H
1
mi
Fuji Motors
1900 55th St

Nearby

Near this location:
10
ft
Boulder Tire
5440 Arapahoe Ave Unit B
40
ft
Concepts Furniture & Accessories
5440 Arapahoe Ave
140
ft
Whole Body Balance
2995 Baseline Rd Ste 110
170
ft
Boulder Wellness Center
5420 Arapahoe Rd Unit F
180
ft
The Auto Repair Place
5472 Arapahoe Ave
180
ft
The Auto Repair Place
5472 Arapahoe Ave

17 reviews of Independent Motors

No registration required
Place rating: 1
Alpharetta, GA
Terrible mechanics. Air intake left disconnected. MPG didn’t work when we got it back. We only took it for a pre-​purchase inspection and they said a great car needed lots of stuff replaced that my other mechanic said is fine. Criminal mechanics. Go across the street. Haglin. Way more honest.
Place rating: 5
Irvine, CA
They are the most honest people here. I have been going to them for two years now and they always do what is best for me and my family, not what is most profitable for them. This keeps me coming back! They also will squeeze me in when they are busy when my car is really in need of maintenance. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. These people are smart, nice, honest, and affordable.
Place rating: 1
Boulder, CO
Had lots of respect for this shop as a Boulder native for almost 30 years and many Toyotas… wanted an estimate on a 30k service on my FJ Cruiser (meaning diff fluid changes and checking a couple things reccomend end by Toyota). Got a bad feeling from the guy at the service desk… obviously not a mechanic… and then a sleazy offer to change my cabin air filter for $ 85! This is a $ 5 part that takes 3 minutes to change. Grease monkey has competition! Don’t treat us all like we don’t understand our vehicles… wishing you all a bright future…
Place rating: 5
Boulder, CO
I’ve now taken two different cars into these guys and both times they’ve gone above and beyond what was required from your typical service. As a fairly new Boulder resident, I was most nervous about finding a dependable shop, but these guys have proven to me that they are my shop for years to come. If this review wasn’t enough to convince you to check them out, their 30+ years as a Boulder business should tell you something.
Place rating: 5
Boulder, CO
Our family has been using them for years. They’re awesome, always helpful, and have taken great care of our cars. I highly recommend Independent Motors.
Place rating: 2
Boulder, CO
I work on my own vehicles and was bummed I when I couldn’t do this latest job, but I heard good things about Independent Motors, so I thought I’d turn to them. I couldn’t reach two bolts during a starter replacement, so I decided to have Independent Motors do the installation for me. It stinks that I had to spend $ 200 because I didn’t have the means of getting to the bolts, but for first time putting my vehicle in the shop in 5 years, I considered this minor. They did a good job of replacing the starter and were very quick about it. They also made of list of recommendations on what I should do maintenance on and listed the cost of parts and labor… here’s where I’m indifferent about this shop.
What I didn’t like about their service…$ 497 to replace an ignition cylinder and get a spare key??? First off, I looked this job up… the ignition cylinder cost me $ 52 at O’reilly auto parts. The installation… took 10 minutes! I looked up how to do the job online and it was simple as hell. These guys wanted to charge me $ 500 for a 5 minute job for them. They are definitely taking advantage of their customers. maybe to pay off the bills of the new location. Trust their work, but also beware of them overcharging you. Do your research before locking down a job with these guys.
Place rating: 2
Boulder, CO
first of all they’ve moved way out on east arapahoe.
second of all, i’ve called for two days and they don’t answer their phone. half the time it went to a pre recorded message, and half the time it just rang and rang.
i’ve used these guys before for an emergency repair on my ’89 jeep cherokee, so i am bummed they’ve let me down this time.
i’m calling gene’s in the morning.
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Independent came highly recommended from a friend and he was right. I had just come off a terrible experience with another shop in town and these guys delivered in spades. More precise diagnosis and as a result they were able to pinpoint the problem in my car and repair it for a THIRD, yes, ONE THIRD the price of the other shop in town. My car runs like new. These guys are professional and courteous but also direct in a way I’m used to hearing from a good mechanic. They tell you what needs to be done and what can be skipped. I’m so glad I found these guys. A dealer needed to fix one last problem with the car and they even discounted the repair to compensate for how much that would cost. Um, what? That is unreal service.
Place rating: 5
Denver, CO
i bought a used Honda and Sam at Independent Motors gave me good advice on engine work that should be done and steered me in all the right directions. very nice, very trustworthy people. 5-​star :)
Place rating: 5
Boulder, CO
My car died on me on a Thursday night, stuck in downtown Boulder. The guys at Independent had it up and running before the weekend, which helped me out alot. They were totally professional and courteous, and didn’t try to rip me off at all (my father is an ASE certified mechanic so I’ve been exposed to the business). I will be bringing them all my car repair business, which hopefully won’t be much. ;)
Place rating: 2
Boulder, CO
Brought a car in for pre-​sale inspection. Turns out they somehow missed a few important problems and they don’t consider themselves qualified to fix them. Customer service is great and the guys are not crooked or anything but after my experience I have to question their chops. Took the car to the dealer who was able to figure out stuff fairly quickly.
Place rating: 5
Boulder, CO
This place is great. Really friendly, honest people who are all about customer service, and they seem very technical as well. I even got a free ride home with the owner after I dropped off my car. Their prices seem reasonable as well. Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
Aspen, CO
Went in for a routine high-​mileage service on my Jeep Liberty… found some obvious stuff like brakes/​rotors were necessary… had further problems with some rear axle bearings as well… spent a decent amount of money to get the car dialed back in for a few more thousand miles, but it still wasn’t quite right. returned to Independent Motors and they acknowledged that they had missed something. then they offered to do the work at their cost… I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to afford to get the additional work done, yet they went above and beyond to fix something that they missed… great customer service, great experience overall… would recommend to anyone!
Place rating: 5
Boulder, CO
Had a great experience with selecting and getting new tires put on my Mini by these guys. Talked to a couple shops in town and these guys were the best. Love the friendliness, responsiveness, cost, and cool West Pearl vibe.
Place rating: 5
Longmont, CO
I was totally bummed to lose my mechanics after trading in my Saab for a Subaru, and my terrible experience at Super Rupair made me regret ever buying something other than a pre-​1993 Saab! Then I found these guys and regained faith!
They’re always honest, thorough, and fairly priced. They’re the only people I’ve taken my car to who haven’t tried to convince me that my spark plugs need to be replaced (the previous owner installed pimped-​out ones that don’t really belong in an old Subaru but will last forever). They’re also very friendly, never condescending. What more can you ask for in a mechanic?
Place rating: 4
Louisville, CO
I had a good experience at Independent Motors. I have been going to Hoshi, but Hoshi was too busy for me. They were good enough to recommend Independent, since my clutch was about to fail.
Independent was able to look at it that day, and fix it quickly the next day. They even came in under budget! I’m sure I will be back.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
Hey, finding a good mechanic is a crucial as the right bar in every town I’ve moved to. Don’t know why it took me 3 years to find these guys and only I work 10 blocks away. They do it right: Need an oil change? They’ll do it for a great price and no bullshit about needing this or that, trying to sell you crap you don’t need. It’s clean, friendly, inviting (who says that about a car place?), free bottled water, juices, loaner cars, a comfortable waiting room and free WiFi! Fo’ Shizzle! this place rocks. Makes you kinda glad you live Boulder, makes up for all the yuppies… almost. They even had Buddhist quotes that you can take with you. I noticed a general feeling of peacefulness and graciousness, like they all enjoyed what they did. I’ll be going back, it might be better than my bar…