Jackson Hole Motor Werks vs. The Garage: How to Choose

Jackson is a town of roughly 10,000 people with a short list of independent mechanical shops. Most drivers here call two or three of them before they settle on one. Jackson Hole Motor Werks and The Garage by Detail Driven both come up in that search, so this page sets out in detail what The Garage does, what it starts at, and what you get in writing.

We wrote this page, so read it with that in mind. We are not going to describe someone else's business for them. Motor Werks is an independent shop and their own site is the right place to learn about their work. We have not published their prices or their review scores here.

What follows is our shop.

Jackson Hole Motor Werks is an independent auto repair shop in Jackson, located on US-89. They are separately and independently owned. There is no partnership, ownership, or referral arrangement between their business and ours. For anything about their shop, contact them directly.

That is the whole of what we will say about another business. The rest of this page is about what we can actually stand behind, which is our own work.

The Garage by Detail Driven is a full-service mechanical repair shop at 940 W Broadway in Jackson, open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. We work on all makes and models, from daily drivers and work trucks to luxury cars, and we keep the whole job under one roof instead of sending you across town for the next step.

Engine diagnostics and check engine lights

A warning light is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Our engine diagnostics work starts with a full computer scan, then goes further where it needs to: fault code analysis, engine performance testing, electrical system troubleshooting, and a road test when the fault only shows up under load. You get a written estimate and a repair plan, not just a code read off a scanner. More on our engine diagnostics page.

Brake repair

Pads, rotors, calipers, lines, and hydraulics. Brake repair matters more here than in most places, because Teton Pass and the canyon put sustained heat through a braking system that flatland driving never does, and salted winter roads are hard on brake lines. A brake inspection is part of our standard multi-point check on every maintenance visit.

Oil changes and scheduled maintenance

Conventional and synthetic oil and filter changes, fluid service, filters, tire rotations, and factory-interval work. Our maintenance services come as three packages: an oil and filter change from $95, a full maintenance service from $195 that adds tire rotation, brake inspection, battery test, and all fluids checked and topped, and a major service from $495 for high-mileage vehicles or seasonal prep, which adds transmission fluid service, coolant flush, power steering service, and a detailed condition report.

Tires and wheel alignment

Seasonal tire changeover is $160, including removing your current set, installing the other set, pressure adjustment, and a lug nut torque check. We also run our own alignment rack. Wheel alignment starts at $195, with camber, caster, and toe adjusted to factory specification and before and after measurements you can see. Alignment is not a bolt-on service for us, it is a core part of the suspension department.

Transmission and drivetrain

Fluid service from $195, clutch replacement, and full repair or rebuild work on both automatic and manual gearboxes. Our transmission and drivetrain work also covers differentials, transfer cases, CV joints, U-joints, and driveshafts, which is most of what wears out on the 4WD and AWD vehicles that make up so much of what is parked in this valley.

Suspension and steering

Shocks and struts, tie rods, ball joints, and control arms and bushings. A suspension inspection starts at $75 and comes with a written report, and shock and strut replacement starts at $395 with a warranty on parts and labor. Washboard dirt roads and frost heave are hard on suspension components, and worn parts show up as uneven tire wear long before they show up as a noise.

Custom builds and aftermarket work

Custom builds are a core service here, not a side project. Front and rear bumpers, LED headlight conversions and tail light upgrades, lighting packages, suspension modifications, wheels and tires, and full builds done to a plan we work out with you. Having the same shop that fitted your bumper also do your alignment saves a great deal of back and forth.

Pre-purchase inspections

Before you buy a used vehicle, our pre-purchase inspection covers the engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, electrical systems, and undercarriage, and you get a detailed written report. It is completely independent, since we have no stake in whether you buy the car. On vehicles that have spent winters in Teton County we pay particular attention to undercarriage corrosion and brake line pitting.

We service Toyota, Subaru, Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Ram, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Audi, among others. Estimates are free, repairs come with a warranty on parts and labor, and everything we do is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. First-time customers get 10% off any maintenance service.

One thing we decided to do differently is to publish the details up front rather than hold them until you are on the phone. Here is everything we commit to in public.

Where and when

• 940 W Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001.
• Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
• Call (307) 249-8741 or use our contact form. Appointments are recommended, and we fit walk-ins in where the schedule allows.

Starting prices, published

• Oil and filter change from $95.
• Full maintenance service from $195.
• Major service from $495.
• Seasonal tire swap $160.
• Diagnostic scan from $95, comprehensive diagnostics from $195.
• Suspension inspection from $75, shocks and struts from $395, wheel alignment from $195.
• Transmission fluid service from $195, drivetrain service from $295.

We publish those starting prices so you can see a number before you commit to anything. They are starting points rather than final quotes, because the vehicle in front of us decides the rest, which is why estimates are free and always written.

What comes with the work

• Free estimates, in writing, before anything begins.
• A warranty on parts and labor, with the terms explained before we start.
• A 100% satisfaction guarantee.
• 10% off any maintenance service for first-time customers.
• Membership tiers from $150 to $350 a month, with priority scheduling and up to 15% off service across all four Detail Driven shops.
• Business fleet accounts. Contact us to set one up.

One shop for the whole vehicle. Diagnostics, brakes, maintenance, alignment, drivetrain, suspension, and custom work all run through the same building and the same service history. That means we can see patterns on your vehicle over time instead of looking at each visit cold, and it means a job that turns into two jobs does not turn into two shops.

Prices you can read before you call. Our starting prices for maintenance, diagnostics, alignment, suspension, and drivetrain work are published on this site. We think you should be able to plan around a number without having to ask for it.

Four shops, one group. The Garage is part of the Detail Driven family in Jackson Hole, alongside Auto Spa by Detail Driven for detailing and ceramic coatings, Mike's Body Shop for collision repair, and Windshield Doctor for auto glass. A rock chip on the way back from the pass, a scraped bumper, and a service light are three different trades, and between the four shops we handle all of them without you chasing separate appointments across town. Members get their discount at all four.

Built for what people actually drive here. Trucks, 4WD and AWD wagons, and vehicles that spend winters on salted roads and summers on washboard dirt. That shapes what we stock, what we check, and what we look for on an inspection.

Work that holds up. Free estimates, a written plan, a warranty on parts and labor, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If we get something wrong, we make it right.

A warning light you want actually diagnosed. Our diagnostic work goes past the code to the cause, with a road test and electrical testing where the fault needs it.

Brakes, suspension, or steering. Brake work, shocks and struts, tie rods and ball joints, and alignment on our own rack, which is worth doing together since new suspension parts change your alignment.

Anything driveline. Transmission, differential, and transfer case work for 4WD and AWD vehicles.

Custom and aftermarket work in the same place as your maintenance. Bumpers, lighting, and full custom builds alongside the routine servicing, by people who already know the vehicle.

You are buying a used vehicle here. An independent pre-purchase inspection before the money changes hands is the cheapest repair you will ever pay for.

You want a price before you commit. Starting prices are on our services pages, and the written estimate is free.

Rather than guessing at what a shop does behind the counter, ask. The Federal Trade Commission publishes consumer guidance on exactly this in its "Auto Repair Basics" article, and the questions below follow it closely. Ask us all of them.

1. How do you price your work? The FTC notes that some shops charge a flat rate for labor based on an independent or manufacturer estimate of the time a repair takes, while others charge for the actual time the technician worked. Both are normal. Knowing which one you are dealing with helps you read an estimate.
2. Can I get a written estimate? The FTC says a written estimate should identify the condition to be repaired, the parts needed, and the anticipated labor charge, and that you should get a signed copy. Ours are free.
3. Will you call me before the work exceeds the estimate? The FTC guidance says an estimate should state that the shop will contact you for approval before doing work beyond a specified amount of time or money, and notes that state law may require this. We call.
4. Is there a diagnostic charge, and does it apply to the repair? Many shops charge for diagnostic time. Ask whether that fee still applies if you decide to have the work done elsewhere.
5. What is the warranty on the repair, in writing? The FTC is blunt on this point: there is no standard warranty on repairs, so understand what is covered and get it in writing. Our repairs carry a warranty on parts and labor, and we go over the terms before we start.
6. What kind of parts will you use? The FTC breaks parts into new, remanufactured or rebuilt or reconditioned, and salvage. Ask which category is going on your vehicle and why. We use OEM and quality aftermarket parts and we will tell you which.
7. Have you worked on my make and model before? The FTC specifically recommends asking this, and it matters more here than in a big city because the vehicle mix in Jackson is unusual.
8. What do I get when the work is done? A completed repair order listing each repair, parts supplied, cost of each part, labor charges, and odometer readings in and out.

If any shop, including this one, gets cagey about a written estimate or a warranty term, that tells you something useful.

Jackson does not have enough bays for the number of vehicles that need work, particularly in the weeks either side of winter. Shops here refer work to each other constantly and that is a normal, healthy part of how repair gets done in a small valley.

What we can tell you about is our own shop. All makes, the full range of mechanical work from an oil change to a rebuild, our own alignment rack, custom build work, free written estimates, published starting prices, a warranty on parts and labor, and a satisfaction guarantee. For more on how we work across the valley, see our auto mechanic page.

If that sounds like what you are after, call (307) 249-8741 and we will book you in.