Tveten’s Auto Clinic

I have always driven old cars, not classics just oldies which means I rely on good mechanics. Tvetens is one of the best… And the best I’ve found in the Tacoma area. I was referred by the previous owner of my 2001 Lexus RX 300. Not only do they remember my car and the work they’ve done on it but they have built a relationship with the previous owners. Relationship means accountability and integrity and that means a lot to me. Not only do they have great customer service, they treat each other with respect. The place is clean and professional. They take pride in what they do and it shows.
They didn’t have to take the 30 minutes to tighten my drive belt– I didn’t even have an appointment. But they knew it meant safety and good business sense to be conscientious.
Cars are not reliable, mechanics are not always reliable so when you find a good honest place like Tvetens we all drive safer, less stressed and our cars won’t end up in the junk yard before their time. Everybody wins.

I would like to share that these guys were truly a blessing! My car needed a jump start just down the road and I had asked so many people passing by if they could help me with a jump. They all nervously paced by like I was trying to ask for money or something and no one would help. At the end of my rope I decided to start walking hoping I would find someone who could help. I randomly saw their building so I though what the heck I will see if they could help. I walked in and was greeted by a gentleman who was very kind. I’m sure he could see the desperation in my eyes at this point. He said he had two guys just getting off work and they would be more than happy to help me out. So two young guys gave me a ride to my car, gave me a jump and then looked over the car and gave me some advice on a few things I may want to get looked at. This was the BEST customer service I have received in such a long time. Being new to the area it showed me that there are kind people left in this world!!! I can’t say thank you enough to these 3 men who helped rescue me!

I purchased a coupon brochure from Tveten’s and it has come in handy. I have been able to save a lot of money and the service is great. They have a family-​friendly atmosphere and do what they can to help you out. I appreciated their patience when I was running late to get my car and still reviewed all of my information with me without rushing me out.

The staff was very nice and helpful and I did get a courtesy ride to my home as well as a return ride to the shop. My visit to them resulted in a failure of the emissions test at another facility. My search of Unilocal indicated a high level of customer satisfaction so I went to them as they were an authorized WA state Ecology Authorized Emission Specialist for emissions failures. The issue was P1130 and P1135 engine light failure codes on my 2002 Toyota Camry. My engine light had been on for the last year and my Toyota Camry was still running very well, so I figured it was a sensor failure and was not that concerned about the light prior to this. Upon their review of my initial assessment (previous garage), they estimated cost of repair in the lower 300’s which was certainly not good news and it appeared that I had no other options or decision to make (and none was provided). It was about 2 hours after I was dropped off at my home, that I was called and informed that the price of repair had gone up to $ 475! I was dismayed and being new to the process of getting my car eligible for updating my car tabs, I openly opinioned to the nice lady calling me that «it appears I have no choice». About one hour later, one of their technicians had called me and gave me a summary of the work that they did and then the information that another sensor (b1s1 air fuel ratio) needed replacement and that the repair costs total would be in the upper 900’s! Paying $ 475 was extremely tough for me (still unemployed), but the 900 something amount was out of the question, and I told them that I could not afford this, so they made a note of this on their invoice. When I was brought back to the garage, I was given a veterans discount of $ 30 bringing my billing to $ 440.66 replacing a sensor that costs $ 169.75.(the market online had plenty of acceptable replacement parts with one year warranty in the 50’s ranges for do it yourselfers). After doing more due diligence on my review of WA state law/​policies in regards to emissions passing/​waiver procedures, it appears that I could have actually opted for no sensor replacements as long as at least $ 150 was spent towards analysis/​repairs. Frankly, I wish these options could have been openly discussed with me in a forthright pros/​cons, risk factors analysis. The nice front desk lady did mention to me twice that they did not need to use the max limit diagnostic range of $ 279.90(they used $ 119.90), so I am thinking the emphasis here was it was below the minimum $ 150 threshold established by WA state, so of course… they had to charge on for the repair. Frankly, I would have been glad to pay an extra $ 30.10 to save myself the remainder of the repair bill. I want to stress that at all times the staff was professional, very nice and thorough, but just not showing me the «humanity» enough to give me ALL of my options as regards to the process. As such and due to the circumstance, this is why I cannot give them more than 3 stars and hope that perhaps this might help them be more complete in similar circumstances in the future.

They’ve repaired several different problems with my car and always do exactly what they say on time. My car runs great now and they even have a headlight cleaning service! I appreciate the drop off service as well.

When I bought my used car I took it to Tvetens and asked for a total check-​up and specifically my brakes, which sounded odd. I paid $ 1600 for a variety of items but was told my brakes were great. I had my oil changed elsewhere and was told (by a dealership which sells my model car) that my brakes had to be replaced and my tie rod was bent. There were two other items that needed immediate repair which Tvetens totally didn’t see. The items, including the brakes, were in such bad states that there is no way my 3,000 miles could have caused it. They are expensive and they miss vital problems.

Poor customer service. Brought my car in Monday morning to find out how much for a 60k mike service. Filled out form, they took down the VIN & was told they’d call me later that day. It’s now Wednesday at 9:41pm & no call. Guess my business isn’t good enough for them.

Very pleased with my service. The staff is very kind. It seems like this auto shop does honest work & is fairly quick. I would recommend this shop to anyone!

Best Mechanic shop i’ve ever been at. They only sell you what you need and nothing else. They picked me up and even gave me a loaner car for they day. Thanks for the great service I will only go there for now on!

Love these guys. they don’t try to screw you. Great service and overall super professional!!!
They are pretty pricey for big things like a full tune up and whatnot, but they charge the same as Jiffy Lube, but won’t FUBAR your vehicle.
Customer for life.

I’ve been having my vehicles serviced and repaired at Tvetens for at least 15 years. They are a very professional automobile repair shop that gurantees their work and takes a personal interest in you as a customer. Thee are cheaper places to get your car serviced and repaired but you get what you pay for.