Emily's Garage is a new full service auto repair shop in Gresham. (Staff photo: Christopher Keizur)

Days before a new full-service auto repair company had opened its doors in Gresham, during a barbecue celebration over the 4th of July weekend, a woman frantically pulled up in an old Toyota.

She was in scrubs, baby in tow, and needed help. Her grandfather’s car wasn’t running properly, and she had reached the limit of her automobile knowledge. So the team at Emily’s Garage ignored their burgers on the grill and leapt into action.

They quickly diagnosed the issue — she had overfilled the car with oil. So they drained out the oil, refilled it to the right level, and checked everything out with a test drive. Thirty minutes later they sent the woman on her way with a fully functioning car, without ever charging a dime.

“That is the culture we want to bring to Gresham,” explained Emily Chavez, owner and co-founder of the business.

Emily’s Garage, 815 N.E. Hogan Dr., offers “honest answers without the upsell.” The new business has set itself up as a haven for those without a deep knowledge of automobiles. They care for cars without any judgement, whether or not you know how to handle an oil change.

“I grew up around my dad’s auto shop, where people would come in and be on a first name basis,” Chavez said. “I want my shop to have that old-school, welcoming feel.”

Too often she had faced the opposite scenario. Going into car shops as a woman she would be underestimated, and face attempts at upselling because of the perception she wouldn’t know any better.

“We opened this place to not be that ‘grease monkey’ shop,” Chavez said. “The customer experience is everything for us.”

“This is a place to get your car fixed without getting ripped off,” she added.

Full-service shop

Emily’s Garage had its grand opening Monday, July 7. The business is Chavez’s fourth location, with the others located in Washington (Tacoma, Everett and Burien). That means the team brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Gresham.

She made her way into East Multnomah County with her husband and business partner through a partnership with Hertz Car Rental, providing repair services for the fleet. But Chavez had been wanting to get back into a more public-facing enterprise. So when they spotted the “For Lease” sign in front of the shop, they leapt at the chance.

“I love this location,” she explained.

There is a bright, spacious intake area, as well as a customer lounge with comfortable seating and a television. There are also plenty of restaurants and coffee shops within easy walking distance.

The services provided are dizzying. At Emily’s they do:

• Oil changes, $89 full synthetic and $59 for semi-synthetic
• Engine service, including tune ups
• Brakes, pads and rotors, fluid exchange, including “Em’s Brake Special” for $199
• A/C and Heating, evacuation and recharge
• Steering and suspension, wheel alignments and steering fluid service
• Diagnostics, check engine light, A/C blowing hot air, no start, battery check, strange noises, electrical issues

“I value quality work,” Chavez said. “We work with all our clients because you never know their backstory, budget or challenges.”

Emily’s Garage is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Learn more at emilysgarage.com