Salt air off the Narrows is genuinely hard on brake lines and exhaust. We inspect those closely on any car that lives near the water.
University Place is about 18 miles from the shop, and the trip usually takes around 29 minutes. Most customers come north on Meridian, then head west on SR-512 toward Bridgeport to get there. It is a real drive, not a quick errand, so people from University Place tend to bundle their visit: drop the car off in the morning and plan the rest of the day around it, or ask us what can be handled same-day before making the trip.
We work with cars from University Place proper, and from Chambers Bay, Sunset Terrace, and Day Island as well. Auto Star is located in Graham, not in University Place itself, so this is worth saying plainly: we are not a shop around the corner from Chambers Bay golf links or the Narrows. We are a shop your car drives 18 miles to reach. What makes that drive worth it for a lot of people is straightforward: the two owners are on the floor working, not just running the front office, and you get a straight answer about what your car actually needs.
What we see on cars from this area
Cars that live near the Narrows spend their lives in salt air, and it shows. We check brake lines and exhaust systems closely on anything that lives near the water, because that salt exposure corrodes metal in ways that inland driving simply does not cause. A brake line that would look fine on a car from Graham or Puyallup can be pitted and thin on a car that's been parked near Day Island or Chambers Bay for a few years. It is not something you can see from the driver's seat, and it is not always something that shows up as a symptom until it fails. So if your car is a regular near the water, mention it when you bring it in — it changes what we look for.
If you are coming from University Place, call ahead at (253) 375-7057 to talk through what you need before you make the drive. We can tell you what we can look at the same day and what might need to wait for a slot on the lift.
Getting here from University Place
From University Place it is roughly 18 miles — north on Meridian then west on SR-512 to Bridgeport — and typically about 29 minutes outside of rush hour. If you know Chambers Bay golf links and the Narrows, you are on the right road.
Customers come to us from University Place, Chambers Bay, Sunset Terrace, Day Island.
What we handle
- Routine Maintenance — Oil, filters, fluids, tires, brakes checked properly. Boring, cheap, and the reason some…
- Oil Change Services — The right oil for your engine and the way you actually drive. Not a 3,000-mile sticker on…
- Brake Repair & Services — Grinding, pulsing pedal, pulling to one side. We measure the pads and rotors before we…
- Check Engine Light — The light tells us a system, not a part. We find out which before anyone spends money on…
- Auto Diagnostics — Warning lights, no-starts, and faults that only happen sometimes. We find out what is…
- Engine Repair — Oil leaks, misfires, timing components and head gaskets. The work that keeps an engine…
- Engine & Transmission — Timing belts, head gaskets, slipping transmissions. The expensive jobs, done once and…
- Transmission Repair — Slipping, hard shifts, leaks and fluid services. Transmission trouble is worth looking at…
- Cooling System & Radiator Repair — Overheating, coolant leaks, radiators, water pumps and thermostats. An engine that runs…
Booking from University Place
Call (253) 375-7057 or send us your vehicle details. Tell us the noise, the light or the mileage and we will tell you what it takes before you commit to the drive.