Independent hybrid repair at 102nd and Glisan. We test before we quote, and say so when it doesn't need fixing.
We think you're in for a treat. Atomic Auto is a Portland hybrid and EV repair shop. We like these cars: they're more efficient, they have fewer parts to break, and they make less waste, especially here, with the Northwest's renewable power behind the plug.
Our job is to translate what the car needs and what it's telling you. People bring us lists of things they were told these cars need, and most of it is misinformation. We'd rather explain it properly, fix what is actually wrong, and say so when something can wait.
In the middle. ASE Master Technician, and fixing cars in Portland since before Atomic had a sign.
About the shopThe four things people mention most in their reviews of Atomic, and how each one actually works.
A warning light tells us where to start looking, not what's wrong. We find the actual fault, show you what we found, and tell you when a repair isn't worth it on a car of that age.
You get a digital inspection with photos of what we found and an itemised estimate. Nothing gets done until you approve it, and you can approve and pay from your phone.
For longer repairs we're happy to lend you a car from our fleet of Super Hero hybrids and EVs: The Flash, Wonder Woman, The Hulk, and friends.
Snap a photo of your keys, text it to us, and drop them in the slot. We take the car in when we open at 8. When it's done, you can collect it after we close, too.
Type what the scanner gave you, or pick one of the codes we see most.
P1121
148 repair orders since October 2014
On a 2004-2009 Prius, the three-way valve in the coolant heat storage system has failed. It usually arrives with P1116, and the fix is the valve.
Nine codes, three problems: a 2006 PriusP0A93
148 repair orders since October 2014
On a 2004-2009 Prius it is usually the inverter coolant pump. Mostly a hot-day problem: let the car cool, get it home, then get it fixed.
P0A93, explainedP0A80
28 repair orders since October 2014
This one usually does mean the pack. We still separate the 12V codes from the high-voltage ones first, because a weak 12V can make a new pack look faulty.
P0A80, explainedC1391
20 repair orders since October 2014
The brake actuator's pump and accumulator wearing out, mostly on a 2010-2015 Prius or Prius v. ABS, brake and traction lights come on together.
The brake actuator, by generationC1256
18 repair orders since October 2014
The same brake actuator, losing pressure. The pump buzzes longer and more often after you park, and the pedal can go hard. Do not put it off.
The brake actuator, by generationP0AA6
13 repair orders since October 2014
High voltage leaking to the body. Despite the name, we often find it in the transaxle, the A/C compressor or water that got in, not the battery.
P0AA6, explainedP1116
11 repair orders since October 2014
It travels with P1121 on a 2004-2009 Prius, and points at the same failed three-way valve.
Nine codes, three problems: a 2006 PriusP3000
6 repair orders since October 2014
On the 2006 Prius we wrote up, it came with P0A80 and a failed block inside the pack, alongside two problems that had nothing to do with it.
Nine codes, three problems: a 2006 PriusP148F
4 repair orders since October 2014
The electric water pump spinning without moving coolant, because coolant is missing. On a 2010-2015 Prius we test for a head gasket before anything else. Stop driving.
P148F00, explainedP0441
4 repair orders since October 2014
Usually a loose, missing or aftermarket gas cap, often with P0455. The car drives fine, but any check engine light fails Oregon DEQ.
P0441 and P0455, explainedCounts are distinct repair orders since October 2014 whose Shop-Ware records note the code. Not every order notes one, so they undercount.
Every repair order we write goes into Shop-Ware. So instead of telling you we know these cars, here is the count.
2005
The year Atomic opened. 21 years on these cars.
40,362
Repair orders written since October 2014.
14,539
Of them on a system we keep count of.
7,030
Of those on a Prius, every generation.
The 14,539 counted repair orders since October 2014, by what they touched. The small 12V battery beats everything else, and it isn't close.
Counted from Atomic's own repair orders in Shop-Ware, October 2014 to October 2026. One order can touch more than one system, so the rows add up to more than the total.
We like explaining this stuff. These write-ups are here so you know what your car is likely to need, what the warning light usually means, and when the right answer is to leave it alone.
Each one comes from a car that came through our bays: what it came in with, what we found, what fixed it. Travis and the crew write them up from the repair order.
Codes and lightsC1241Toyota C1241 Code: What It Shows Up Alongside on the Prius and HighlanderWritten in the shop5 minHybrid batteryP0A80Toyota Hybrid Batteries Explained: NiMH vs Lithium-Ion, Model by Model, and Why the Electric Rear Axle Beats a DriveshaftWritten in the shop18 min
Known issuesChevrolet Bolt Clicking Noise From the Front? Often a Deteriorating Anti-Click WasherWritten in the shop5 min
Known issuesChevrolet EVs and Hybrids: What We’ve Seen Servicing ThemWritten in the shop3 minWritten in the shop from real repair orders, with names removed. Fault codes are what the car reported, not a diagnosis on their own.
Mostly things you can use: a discount, financing, an emissions test without a second trip.
Short lines from real reviews. Every one links to where it was written.
“The most honest mechanics on the planet.”
“They easily could have kept quiet and charged me for the repair.”
“I totally trust them to recommend what is actually needed.”
“Competence, honesty, and good service deserve to be rewarded.”
“Very smooth, reasonable prices, and great communication.”
“Talking to me like a friend and colleague, not a helpless woman.”
“No one's trying to pull wool over your eyes.”
“Persistent in getting to the root of a problem and fixing it.”
“The trifecta of auto repair: this place is a gem.”
“This place is what a mechanic should be.”
“The best HV auto mechanics in town.”
A text with a photo of the dash gets you an answer fastest. Booking online holds a day and a time.
