Your Trusted West Seattle Auto Repair Shop Since 1971
The Story of Tom’s Automotive Repair Shop
The Team
We employ only the best ASE Certified Technicians and highly-trained solution-oriented Service Advisors.
The auto repair technicians on our team have access to the best parts available and receive regular, ongoing trainings to make sure your job is done right the first time.
Our employees are our most important asset in our business. We support and rely on their skills and abilities to satisfy our customers’ automotive service and repair needs.
It’s important to us to provide an enjoyable working atmosphere and to pay our technicians fair wages. We encourage their #1 focus to be repairing your vehicles and making them as reliable and as safe as possible.
On the front end, our knowledgeable and friendly service advisors are always ready and quick to help you.
It is a team effort at Tom’s.
And we appreciate the contribution and care made by each member of our staff.
Proud to be your “dealership alternative” auto shop in West Seattle.
Kandie Jennings, Owner
Owner of Tom’s Automotive
Kandie Jennings, Owner of Tom’s Automotive Service, positions herself to serve you, our West Seattle customers & neighbors, right from the start. You’ll often find her in between the front desk and the shop itself.
Education is at the heart of the shop
She is a graduate from the Automotive Service Association [ASA] Automotive Management Institute with an AMAM [Accredited Master Automotive Manager] degree and is ASE certified.
Kandie is committed to lifelong learning and keeping up with the ever-changing industry & technology advancements and takes every opportunity to educate and better herself.
She has been with Tom’s Automotive since 1991, providing 35 years of dedicated service toward this business’s growth and success. She developed her career within the company and then went on to purchase the business from Tom in 2010. Her philosophy is the client always comes first.
Leadership in her shop, her industry and our community.
Kandie is a past president of the Greater Seattle ASA chapter, as well as a past president of ASA Washington Ascettes [women’s division] and is currently the Secretary of ASA Northwest.
She serves on the South Seattle College Automotive Technology Education Advisory Board, Shoreline College Automotive Technology Education Advisory Board and on the Automotive Technology Advisory Board at Puget Sound Skills Center. She is also part of ASA Northwests apprenticeship committee that is working hard on a program to get more technicians in our field. Locally she is on the board at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and an active participant of their government affairs committee.
Kandie has a hand in how future vehicle technicians, and one day owners, are being educated right now.
Tom Smith, Founder
Tom Smith, founder of Tom’s Automotive Service, opened the business in 1971. Right here in West Seattle, WA.
From then until 2010, Tom made this shop the successful business it is today, with a modern facility designed to take care of today’s customers and their cars, trucks, SUVs and hybrids.
Kandie, current owner of Tom’s Automotive Service, has been with the company since 1991. She purchased the business from Tom in 2010 and the business continues to grow and serve our community. She invests in this business to keep herself and her team educated, her shop modern and able to provide quality service for not only vehicles, but also our community.
John Bradley, Master Technician & Shop Manager
John has been part of the Tom’s Automotive team for 45 years. He is an ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician and is also air conditioning certified.
What’s more, and a little extra special is that John is our shop mentor. He started working here in November 1980, part time after school, cleaning and doing oil changes and is now our lead technician.
John built his career right here in our shop. He went to South Seattle Community College for the automotive technician program and has continuously taken classes to stay current with the ongoing changes taking place in the automotive industry.
Casey Clingan, Service Advisor
Casey has been part of the Tom’s Automotive team for 8 years. He is an ASE Certified Service Advisor. Casey started working at Tom’s in July 2018 and built his career here in our shop. He takes every opportunity to continue his education and career.
Song Ngo, Technician
Song has been part of the Tom’s Automotive team since April 2023. He started as a lube technician and is steadily increasing his knowledge and skill base with a goal to become a Certified Master Technician. He went to South Seattle Community College for the automotive technologies program and takes every opportunity to continue his education and career.
Andy Barnecut, Technician
Andy graduated from the University of Washington in 1988 with a degree in economics. Shortly after that he decided to follow in his fathers’ footsteps and go to work at Barnecuts Texaco, where he became a partner with his dad, Dick Barnecut, from 1996-2013. After selling their shop Andy went to Hege Chevron where he ran their automotive shop until joining our team in May of 2024. Andy is an ASE Certified technician and takes continuous training so he can stay current with today’s ever-changing automobiles
Alex Lindholm, Technician
Alex joined our team in May 2024 while still attending South Seattle Colleges Automotive Technologies program. He graduated in August and is excited to become an ASE Certified Master Technician. He looks forward to increasing his knowledge and skills and taking more courses to help him reach his goals.
Joel Williams, Technician
Joel joined our team in October 2024 after graduating from the South Seattle Colleges Automotive Technologies program. His goal is to become an ASE Certified Master Technician as quick as possible and he is excited to be taking more classes to increase his knowledge and skill set.