Arctic Import Repair

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unknown

I have taken my cars to Bruce at Arctic Import Repairs ever since his humble beginnings when his small shop was at Arctic & N. Lights, which dates back to the late 80s.  Now he has a bigger shop on Int'l.  There are several reasons why I keep taking my car(s) to his shop.  He'll explain what went wrong, why & what he did to fix the problem.  While parts keep getting more & more expensive, as well as harder to get, he & his staff will get the best part at the best price.  Sometimes I have taken my car(s) to his shop w/o an appointment & he would always get my car(s) back sooner than expected.  Bruce seems to be a walking shop manual as he is familiar with virtually every car on the road and is very familiar with their idiosyncratic behaviors.  You could take your car to another shop or you could take your car to Bruce's shop & you'll find that you'll get friendlier & more thorough service at a better price.

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unknown

Clutch failed on car and we brought it to Arctic Import based on previous reviews here and elsewhere. Although the service was not scheduled in advance, they took the job and said they would be in touch. They did get back to us after several days to say they would need to investigate further and they wanted authorization for a few more service hours. We gave it to them and they continued, or at least said they did. A week later they still hadn't done anything else. When I went in to investigate, they said they needed further authorization...to the tune of $1,170 labor plus parts to tear into it some more and probably replace the clutch. And they said it would be another week before they could get to it...maybe. I paid them $380 to cover costs incurred to date and took the car to the local VW dealer. The dealer, of all places, is doing the job for $750 labor plus parts. On 5 separate occasions we were told they would be in touch...they only called once.
Arctic import auto service seems to be run more like a hobby (or maybe a day care center) than a business. There is no sense of urgency to get the job done in a timely manner and the front desk staff is tied up as much with their kids behind the counter as their customers. When I asked how long on the last visit, I got a rundown of all the other jobs the mechanic had before he could get to mine. If they are that swamped, they owe it to the customer to let them know up front, not string them along for two weeks on an 8-hour job. As for the dealer doing the job $400 cheaper...who knows. I've always been inclined to use dealer service, but on a 10 year old car though an independent would be a cheaper alternative--guess not.
Bottom line, I'm out $380 for nothing but wasting my time and will stick with dealer service in the future.

I was surprised that they were able to fix my car immediately. They are a very busy shop and I expected to have to make an appointment and come back later. I was extremely pleased to have the problem diagnosed and fixed same day. It is very nerve wracking driving a car with an Airbag light flashing, because it means your airbag will not protect you in a crash. They have also done other, much more extensive work on my two Toyota Siennas to my complete satisfaction. They are also a pleasure to work with.

The issue was diagnosed quickly, they stayed in touch through out the day with progress. Same car was brought to Honda dealer before and they missed the diagnosis of issue. I will continue to use Arctic Import Repair for servicing my vehicles .

These guys are great. They are fair, reliable, consistent and trustworthy. Car repairs are never cheap, but Arctic Imports does their best to take the sting out of it. I'd send my mom to them (and I like my mom).

It always goes great. Bruce and his team rock! Unquestionably one of the most honest, competent, friendly and helpful repair shops in Anchorage.

The estimate was accurate, the work was immediate, efficient and courteous.

Told them the car needed service, made the appointment.
Brought the car in, they provided a ride home.
The car was done on time at a reasonable price.

My heater was blowing cold air in my Toyota Corolla. I didn't know what service shop would be good for this type of work. I checked on Angie's List. Arctic Import Repair had great reviews so I emailed them when I got to work around 7 AM. Bruce responded to my email and we set up a time for me to bring my car in after work.
I am glad that I used Angie's List to find the right place. Bruce took my car right in, figured out what the problem was right away, and gave me the price to complete the repairs. As it turned out, the heater problem was very minor to what was really going on with the car. He replaced my water pump, and noticed that my timing belt was near breakage. Bruce is very familiar with all types of import cars, freindly, and definately knows how to get the job done right. He definately saved me from a break down by taking the time to check out another imortant part of my car while it was there.
Thanks Bruce for going the extra mile for me.
Very friendly staff, nice place, and they really take the time to explain the repairs for your vehicle.
I will definately go to this shop every time I need service done.

They are a good shop. Bruce knows what he is doing.

Our 1994 Toyota 4-Runner had to be jump-started when it was cold and with the very cold weather in Anchorage this winter we wanted to install a block heater. We contacted Arctic Import Repair after checking local reviews that were very positive. When we called them to get information and schedule the service, they were very helpful. The owner and all the staff we dealt with were great. When we took the car in, they gave us a ride home from the shop. They recommended an effective, but much less expensive alternative to the block heaters we had investigated, diagnosed and repaired the battery problems and charged a very fair price. They gave us information on some non-critical repairs to consider in the future, but didn't pressure us for any extra work or charges. We were very impressed with their customer service and professionalism and strongly recommend them.

Great folks. I had taken the Explorer to the local dealer. They told me it was the computer controller that was bad, that it was not made anymore but, lucky me, they found a used one for $900, add $300 for labor, so $1200 to repair the 4 wheel drive. Forget that. I took it into Arctic Import Repair, they said no, it was not the controller but a small motor on the differential, put a new one in, all for $350, and the car works perfectly now. I've used them about 5 times--excellent results each time. I will use no one else now for my automotive repairs.

Very professional; got me in right away. Asked if they would grease the squeaking doors. I waited in the office. After the service, it was explained that the type of lubricant I had been using on the doors (WD-40) was the wrong thing and he talked about different types. Bruce, the owner, is very knowlegeable (I have taken my car there for several years) and takes the time to explain what's needed and why. If you don't have enough money to do everything, (my car is 20 years old!) he will prioritize items.