October 12, 2026
Nine months is a long time for a car to sit. This 2014 Scion FR-S came to 34th Street Garage after being parked for about nine months. The brakes had failed while it was being driven, and by the time it arrived at the shop, the car would not start either. It had only about…
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October 5, 2026
Grinding from the brakes usually gets a driver’s attention. On this 2014 Lexus IS250, the driver could hear and feel the problem but was not sure whether it was coming from the front or rear. The inspection answered that question. The front brake pads had no remaining thickness. The rear brake pads were still over…
Read MoreSometimes a repair starts with one obvious problem. Then the inspection shows there is more to the story. A 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with nearly 223,000 miles recently came to 34th Street Garage for front CV axle work. Both front CV axle boots were torn open. The grease that is supposed to remain inside…
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September 22, 2026
Buying an older Toyota 4Runner can be exciting. But when the odometer reads 262,000 miles and the service history has some big gaps, there is another question that matters just as much as how the truck drives: What exactly did I just buy? A recently purchased 1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5 came to 34th Street Garage…
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September 14, 2026
A car with only 17,531 miles shouldn’t need much, right? That’s an easy assumption to make. But a recent 2019 Volvo XC60 T5 Momentum at 34th Street Garage is a good example of why mileage is only one part of a vehicle’s maintenance story. The Volvo came in for a routine yearly service. It had…
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September 8, 2026
If your Volkswagen Tiguan keeps needing coolant, finding the first visible leak may not tell the whole story. We recently inspected a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan S at 34th Street Garage after the owner reported having to refill the coolant twice during the year. The right first step wasn’t guessing which Volkswagen cooling system part had…
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August 31, 2026
Audi Q5 S tronic Service: Why Transmission Fluid History Matters You may know when your Audi Q5 last had an oil change. But do you know when the S tronic transmission fluid was last serviced? That question becomes especially important as a Q5 gets older, changes owners, or moves between repair shops. Oil-change records may…
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August 22, 2026
Audi Q5 Maintenance: What 2018–2024 Q5 Owners Need to Know If you drive a 2018–2024 Audi Q5, keeping up with maintenance involves more than waiting for the dashboard to say “Service Due.” Audi uses scheduled oil and inspection services, while other maintenance items can have their own mileage or time intervals. That can sound…
Read MoreSeattle Roads Are Hard on the Suspension. Damage You Can Find Before You Feel It Most suspension problems do not begin with a loud clunk and a steering wheel suddenly pointing sideways. A lot of them start quietly. You hit a pothole harder than expected. Drop into a rough pavement seam. Clip a curb while…
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August 8, 2026
One of the best things about driving a hybrid or electric vehicle around Magnolia is regenerative braking. Lift off the accelerator or press the brake pedal, and the electric motor can help slow the vehicle while putting energy back into the battery. That means less energy gets wasted as heat. It can also mean something…
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