Stew’s Self Service Garage

I’m a licensed CPA. I’m also an IT Manager, and the idea of doing car repairs myself intimidated the hell out of me (notice the past tense used here).
My story is simple. I had wet shocks in the rear (that sounds obscene, now that I think about it) of my wife’s 2002 Honda Odyssey. The dealership was going to charge me $ 475 plus tax. I called a national chain that does brake and muffler repair, and they quoted me $ 98×2 for shocks I could get online for $ 30, and another $ 130 for labor ($ 326 + tax and disposal fees, etc.).
It didn’t feel right. You ever get that feeling when you’re walking down a dark alley at night? Ever look at a bologna and mayo sandwich that’s been in the sun too long and wonder if you should eat it? Something in your brain just tells you something’s wrong. Well, I didn’t feel like paying lawyer prices, so I ordered the shocks online, which ended up being much better than the ones I would have gotten at the dealership.
I called Stew and told him that I would need ‘adult supervision’ and most of the tools that he has I probably have never used in my life. He assured me that they would have a technician there that could give me guidance and would show me how to use the equipment. I felt good after the conversation and scheduled a two-​hour window in a power-​lift bay.
I arrived, and dealt with a tech named John. Great guy! He showed me how to operate the tools, and the shock replacement took about an hour. John was there to consult with, but fortunately I had seen a couple of YouTube videos, so I wasn’t completely unaware of what to do. He was patient with me, which I appreciated.
When I was done, I went in to pay for my time in the bay. Stew was going to charge me $ 40 for the one hour, but I asked him to charge me $ 80 for two hours. They provided great service, and they helped me save a lot of money and stay safe in the process ($ 100 in shocks and $ 80 in bay fees). I’m a big fan of Stew’s!
Now, Stew’s isn’t for everyone. If you want to sit in your car and have others do the work, don’t come here. If you show up in a suit and tie, you might be better served going elsewhere. Not all repairs are equal, but you can call Stew and ask him what he thinks about a particular project. You’ll get a straight answer, which is more than I can say about other garages.
I will be a repeat customer.

What a great find! The facility is fully equipped with every tool you could possibly need. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and willing to provide assistance whenever needed. I highly recommend all those do-​it-​yourselfers and backyard mechanics use Stew’s facilities for all your auto repair needs.

I fully agree with the other very positive user ratings. Stew’s has a clean/​orderly garage and is well-​equipped with tools. The lifts are easy to operate and reach a good height. And most importantly, the staff are knowledgeable and remarkably helpful.
We are fortunate to have such a great option for those times when we need access to a safe and cost-​effective facility for working on our vehicles.

Stew is friendly. The place is a great place to fix your own car. They have quite a few tools but those tools are not pristine like my own tools. No big deal, just wipe them down before use. They are a bit more expensive than a place in Kent but you also get more. I like this place!

Excellent people to work with from beginning to end. First time i was doing some work on my car, and they really made it super easy, providing advice and suggesting the right tool at every step. Will be back!

A car enthusiast’s dream workshop! I’ve been there 3 times for oil changes, and recommend this place to all my friends. Staff is friendly and helpful in providing repair tips. Shop has a comprehensive selection of tools and the tools are clean, organized, easy to find, and in excellent condition.

I went to Stew’s today for the first time, having previously visited Self-​Service Garage in Kent. Stew’s is hands-​down better and on another level. It’s more spacious, cleaner, with a better tool selection, and you get to operate your own lift to save time. Staff was patient and courteous… I have zero complaints. I’ll be back!

I had quit working on my cars because it was a bit unsafe and really messy to be up on jack stands in my driveway and changing oil from a crawler underneath. Then there is the need for specialty tools for anything more involved.
After getting a substantial quote from my ‘regular guy’, I just finished replacing brakes & rotors on my full size GMC truck by myself — saving about $ 300. I’ll be back to do more work, starting with new tires tomorrow (great price from Stew!), front bearings (maybe, Stew said he’d show me what to look for), and certainly future oil changes.
They have all the tools & equipment, great parts suppliers if you need them, and plenty of expertise if you have any questions. Well worth a call or visit if you like doing things yourself and have a bit of aptitude.
Frankly, it was pretty fun to be able to get in there and make repairs myself like I used to when all the systems were so simple and all you needed was a basic tool kit.

This is a great service provided to the public. Great shop. No nonsense. I’m able to get in and get the job done, and get out. I’ll be back.

It used this place to replace the rear sway bar on my legacy, it’s super clean, well organized. John is very knowledgeable and helped me with some rusted bolts. I’ll definitely come back later for other works on my car.

I took my Porsche here to do a quick oil change and to check them out. The place was super clean, organized and well stocked. Stew and his shop mgr were helpful, polite and even just for an oil change, they had already set oil filter wrenches out for me. After a quick instruction on the lift, I had my car in the air, stood up straight and made this the easy job it should be.
This place is safe, helpful and puts the joy back into working on your own car. I’ll be back for oil changes and other more involved projects too.
Can’t say enough. Thanks guys!

I was so happy that this kind of shop exists, otherwise I could’ve ended up with a jaw-​dropping labor charge. Went here to change my car’s suspension. Stew and his team were very helpful, not only they gave me several advice while working with my car, they even lend me a hand when I was stuck. The complete tools list is also a plus. Can’t wait to come back here again!

Went to Stews garage this morning to do a oil change on my car. Stew and his staff are very professional and have the best customer service to make you feel welcome and feel comfortable to work on your own car when using the lifts, they are genuinely nice people. The garage has all the tools you can imagine from high end diagnostic tools which can control all the modules on the car, to basic tools to get a oil change done.
TIP: if you ever need to order parts for your car stew can order them for you and have them arrive to their garage within 20 minutes at whole sale pricing! beats going to autozone, napa and o’reilly’s when buying parts and bringing them in yourself. i was told they don’t make any money off of the wholesale pricing which is great for us DIY‘ers to save money on our projects. next time i come in and will definitely take advantage of this.
Will be coming in do do my own routine maintenance from now on. :)

Super clean shop! I went with my boyfriend so he could change his oil which would have been a messy and difficult job at his home. Stews shop made the job a breeze with everything you need to work on your car. Don’t be afraid to come here if your car is lowered! Stew and his staff did a great job accommodating my boyfriends super low car and getting it on to the lift without any scraping :) don’t go get any overpriced work done on your car when you can come here on your own time! Highly recommended

The atmosphere that Stew created here is incredible. The knowledgeable staff are extremely helpful and make sure you get the job done right.