Matt was a great instructor in teaching how to use a manual transmission car. I liked how he teaches the theory of the manual transmission, why it exists, and illustrates what does the driver has to perform to keep the car moving forward. After learning the theory, apply it is relativity simple and I was confidently driving around Redmond in a manual transmission car. His lessons gave me enough knowledge (well worth the lesson investment) to where I can continue to practice by myself when I get my own manual transmission car or diesel truck. Read Less

I would highly recommend, Anna. She is an an incredible driving instructor! My wife (Kaushar) got driving session from Anna. She really enjoyed driving session with Anna. Anna was a fantastic and patient instructor. We have waited 3 to 4 weeks before we start driving session with Anna and I must say wait was worth. She is an amazing teacher. Read Less

Horrid impact on the North Mill Creek neighborhood. The cars often block roads and driveways. I don't care if someone is learning to drive, they must learn they can't block roadways or driveways. Pull over to an area where a car isn't coming. The instructors do not care about the impact to the neighborhood. Some instructors have laughed at fellow neighbors while others like to throw their arms in the air. Absolutely unprofessional. Read Less

I wish I had more teachers like Anna. Even though there was a lot of note-taking, Anna made sure that the class was never boring by playing games of Jeopardy and having us discuss interesting scenarios. Overall, it was a very positive experience and I hope that more teachers will adopt the fun and interactive teaching method that Anna effectively utilized throughout our classes. Read Less

They are crooks, the guy on call asked me to sign up for Knowledge and skills test and told me will refund you the money. They didn't. They charged me 65$ for test whereas it's 40$ everywhere else. 911 is way more professional as compared to them and you would have way more probability of getting a license with them. Read Less

I scheduled my driving tests here. It's really a hassle to schedule tests with them. They charged me 80$ for the test when the cost was 50$. I had to repeatedly call them for the refund. I wouldn't recommend scheduling tests here, 911 is a much better center and are more  transparent with the process. Read Less

They did not let us check for availability of time frames before buying a package of lessons. We were told to pay first and then can schedule lessons on line ourselves. Then after we paid, we found out there is only one instructor at this site per day and he is pretty booked with very limited availability, he only has a couple of slots in the middle of regular work hours per week. Then the instructor took the student (who is has an international driving license and is already driving in the city) on the road and instead of teaching the student what we specifically asked for to refine her skills,  did a beginner lesson, and then told the student to buy a package of 50 lessons. We then called to find another site with another instructor and they were all booked unless we wanted to go got Kirkland to take lessons. We asked for a refund, and they even charged us a service fee to give us the rest of our money back. Read Less

Very welcoming school with a small class size (a good thing imho). Our teacher, Anna, cares about the things being taught and does her best to make sure her students learn. The material itself is comprehensive and made very easy to learn. Overall, a very friendly and comfortable atmosphere that's just a good classroom environment. Read Less

Very easy-going and nice atmosphere. The instructors were very kind and patient. We played games like Jeopardy during class to get ready for the test. My teacher Anna was very funny and nice which made me look forward to sitting in a classroom for 2 hours 3 times a week. Read Less

I have 20 years of driving experience, only one ticket twelve years ago, and no accidents. I accidentally let my out-of-state license expire and had to go through testing. Marty picked me up from the West Seattle location and gave what felt initially like a very easy and fair test. He didn't say anything during the drive other than instructions, but then failed me with a 78 (out of 80 to pass). His list of hits seemed very arbitrary and he wasn't able to articulate where most of them had occurred. One of them he called an 'improper lane change' (for 4 points) but said it occurred while easing up to the curb on a 2 lane residential street at 5mph (at his instruction). He said I lifted one of my hands from the steering wheel at one point... I most certainly did not. Another time he had me park on the side of a residential street and act like I was backing out of a driveway. He said even though I was backing slowly and looking over my shoulder, I didn't stop at the sidewalk. But we had literally parked right past the sidewalk, and were thus starting the maneuver from the place I was supposed to stop at. I had already visually cleared the sidewalk for a hundred yards in both directions. The point was that because none of the hits were mentioned at the time, I was in no position to contest them. It was just his stubborn word that they happened. I understand that driving tests are subjective by nature, but I distinctly felt that he was lying to my face about these things. Very convenient to collect money from someone and then make them retest. In short, this guy was an absolute clown, and now I'm out a hundred bucks. Run far away from these people. Read Less

I took my test with Penny, a driving instructor at the Meadowdale location yesterday. I was incredibly nervous and very wary to take my test, but from the moment we arrived she was incredibly welcoming and kind. If you have issues with anxiety or are just a nervous nelly, Penny is definitely the driving instructor for you. She was calm the whole time and incredibly helpful. I will not forget my interaction with her and would recommend her to first time drivers or people who would like to take their drivers test. Read Less

My son took the Teens Driving Course and Collision Avoidance Class at Defensive Driving School in Issaquah during the summer of 2016.  The scheduling for drives was easy because you can do it online so if you need to cancel or change your appt, it is easy.  We also got email reminders so there is no excuse if you need to change or cancel your appointment within 48 hr. which it very fair.  Isaac Kim was my son's instructor.  He is professional and knowledgeable, but most of all, he is great with the kids taking the teen driving course.  Isaac made it fun for my son and my son really remembered a lot because of his excellent teaching in class and on the road.  I would also recommend the Collison Avoidance Class.  My son grumbled about having to take it on a Saturday morning, but boy, did he changed his mind!  He had so much fun learning to handle and to make decisions when driving a car that needs to stop suddenly and avoid collisions in real situations.  He gained a lot of confidence behind the wheel that day and most of all, had hands-on experience doing it in a safe, closed driving course.  The parents also had a turn on the course and I learned a thing or two that day!  I also recommend that as a parent to go along on one or more of the drives so you can observe and learn how your teen is learning with his/her instructor.  After all, you will be the one practicing driving with your teen so it's good to be consistent with what he/she is learning.  I highly recommend Defensive Driving School in Issaquah! Read Less

My child attended the Meadowdale location with a very disrupted class. We signed up for this location due to recommendations about the teacher. But we hadn't been advised he had quit and a new teacher was assigned. The new teacher was not able to engage with the class and my student found the teacher boring and full of lectures and was habitually running late.The driving lessons were easy to schedule and the schedule app reminders (11 per lesson) prevented any missed dates. Each drive ran late due to previous lessons behind ours.  The instructor was out of touch with today's youth and discussed her entire life story during the driving lessons.Unfortunately they didn't advertise how long it takes to actually get your final test done unless you read the fine print. And they mean 4 weeks and not one day sooner.At the final skills test my child was failed despite scoring 92 in the mock test. But miraculously there was another appointment available the next day for another fee. I'm not understanding how 1-it is legal to test at night and 2-how the score was a 94 just 24 hours later. I really feel that my child failed that first test so we would pay again and/or because I questioned why it was taking 4 weeks to process his paperwork so he could take the test. This review was purposely delayed until my child's license was official as I feared retaliation. Read Less

I have had a great experience at Defensive Driving School. I sent my daughter through the teen program. The instructors were great. The classroom portion was very good and I learned a lot at the parent session. Scheduling the driving appointments online was easy and having the text reminders was a great help. I will be sending my next two kids here as well. Read Less

I just passed my driving test. I am so excited and want to tell other people my positive experience here! Thanks for my instructor - Jim Freaney, he is really professional and patient. As an adult and foreign driver, he rebuilt my confidence of driving in this country. I leant some useful safety driving skills from him, he deserves to be the best instructor :) Read Less

Choosing a driving school for my teen based on the Yelp reviews for most of them was hard... It seems like most of the reviews are posted by folks who haven't had a good experience. We chose Defensive because it had a more competitive price. We knew that we - the parents - would have to take on some of the driving teaching responsibilities, but we were fine with that, because we wanted to have that oversight anyway. Bottom line: We are thoroughly happy with the education and driving training that our daughter received here.Our daughter thought the classroom teacher was fine - and from our standpoint, he was qualified, and helpful. Her driving was mostly done with Andrew, and again, all was fine. She thought he was a little bit tough, which is a good thing IMO. They also do the DOL tests through Defensive! Read Less

A great, efficient operation with professional and approachable instructors.  I have two more drivers to put through drivers ed and will be sending them both here when the time comes.  The only reason I'm not giving the review 5 stars is because my inbox was bombarded by the scheduling software giving reminders for upcoming drives.  I get that its important to remember drives but just one or maybe two reminders the week of the drive would have been  enough. Read Less

Bear with me as this is detailed:For the knowledge test: i was scheduled in Seattle and arrived to a shabby building (high school). No one waiting there and i stood wondering where is the tester. He shows up on time and to be honest he was professional and the test was kind of generic.For the driving test: i was scheduled at west seattle location. They say wait next to some grocery store, so you can't find them in their office. After waiting there i saw their colorful car park. I approached the car in an effort to introduce myself and tell the tester i was on time. She ignored me standing next to the car until she decided to get out of the car and acted surprised i was there. So i took the test, failed by getting a 76 and here is how she delivered the news: unfortunately u have not passed, u were too safe and hesitant and you slowed down when it came to roundabouts etc etc u didn't pay attention to blind spots etc etc. so i said thank you and she replied: oh by the way next time don't approach the instructor's car and stay next to the grocery store. I realized that 90% of her failing me came from my approaching the car which i did out of courtesy.Unfortunately i decided to retake the test with her: boom fail again. Didn't come to a full stop at a stop sign etc etc. totally understandable and i don't mind. But here is the funny part: when u parallel parked you didn't turn your wheels. It was a flat road not uphill or downhill and she never said treat it as uphill etc. Summary: if you value your money don't go there. At least not to the West Seattle location. Read Less

I once had someone say they weren't sure which was worse, potty training a toddler, or teaching a teenager to drive. Thanks to Defensive Driving School, I can clearly state the former, hands down! My son had a fantastic experience with Defensive Driving School. His instructor was knowledgeable, funny, friendly, and always had safety for students and other drivers first and foremost. Learning to drive in dense traffic can be nerve-wracking for both parents and students, but they made it feel effortless (though there were still a couple times when you hold your breath and pray, "Dear Lord, don't let us die!"). I also love that because they are registered as official DOL test administers, you can have your kiddo take the written and the driving with the instructors who taught them.I also signed him up for the skid training, which was not only really fun (closed course in the back of an airport runway), but I think essential when living in the NW where winter conditions can be unpredictable. Their customer service was great. We got lost going to the skid training (my fault - I missed the email they sent out with maps and directions) and showed up almost 45 minutes late. We missed his time slot, but the instructor said it was no problem and added him to the next group, so no need to reschedule and come back.  I had to reschedule a couple of his other drives and that was super easy with the online scheduling, and when I did have to call them directly, the office staff was always friendly, prompt, and helpful. 5 star service! Read Less

Learning Erving with DDS was great, the classes in March has very few students. I had a great time Interacting with the instructor. The course material covered the entire DOL test. The instructor is very helpful and patient in the car with me. Read Less

Did the 12 1-hour lessons package with Jim. The instructor was encouraging, precise, patient, and made me feel comfortable while driving. This was important to me since I was a novice. Overall, it was a positive experience. Read Less

Both of my sons have completed the drivers education course at Defensive Driving School in Woodinville. (Located near the Value Village.)  I found the school to be competitively priced and the instructors to be professional, approachable and great with my sons. I would not hesitate to recommend this driving school. Read Less

I just finished the class a little under a month ago. I had Jordan Kohagen for the classroom portion. He is really nice and really knows what he is teaching. He cares about your learning experience and tries to help you do well. I have also sat in the back of his car, a 2013 Honda Civic, for observations which is super nice. I'm halfway done with my drives. I've had Jason Pierce so far for my drives. He's really nice and puts a lot of effort into making the drives fun, yet educational. He also has a really good sense of humor to help your anxiety go down. He also has a really nice car. A 2015 ford fusion. Comfortable and easy to drive. Since I live up in this area, I have to call the lake Stevens office if I need anything. I have called them once to ask if they could show that my drives have been completed online. Very good at explaining things to you when you need a question answered. Also very fast at getting your requests for scheduling things like drives or tests. Also, very flexible to make things work with your schedule.  There's only one con. If you take the class in the summer, especially at this location, drive times will fill up quite fast due to many people taking the class and living in the area. As soon as you start the class, schedule your drives. You don't want to end up with very little time slot choices if you wait. I also highly recommend doing more then one observation to help you learn what to expect/environment in the car. Overall, very good driving school. Expensive, but worth the money to take it at this location. Would recommend this to anyone. NOTE: only teen classes at this location. Read Less

Took a summer teen course here. Interesting and fun teacher, Andrew Hunt, covered pretty much everything needed to pass the DMV knowledge test. The course drives with the instructor were very helpful although this school greatly depends on parent support. This school requires 10 hours of driving with parents by the end of the course, so anyone looking at taking a vacation while sending their kid to driving school, beware. Read Less

I'm an adult, and I've moved to the US recently. I had never driven before, as I had always lived in large European cities with very good transportation. Turns out, the US are pretty different!Anyway, I had to learn how to drive. I booked a pack of twelve lessons including a knowledge test as well as a skill test. Their website was simple to use, and you can easily book the lessons online. Their schedules weren't too busy, and I was able to book two to three lessons a week for over a month, right at lunchtime. Very convenient. I had to reschedule a bunch of lessons, and it was really easy to do, by email directly (I could have called, but I don't like the phone).I did most of my lessons with Michelle. She was simply great. Very calm, professional, helpful, and she went out of her way to teach. You could tell she cared. I was a bit afraid at first, because this system where you're passing the test with the same people that are teaching you seemed weird - I mean, wouldn't that mean they would make more money if you failed your test? Just one lesson with Michelle, and I had no doubt at all anymore.We went very progressively, at the rhythm I wanted. She did a great job taking notes, and I always felt she knew exactly what we had already covered and what we still had to do at every lesson right of the bat. That's no small feat given that she has many students in different locations. I used the school car, and it was great: the car was brand new, clean, comfortable, large enough to be representative but not too large.Anyway, thanks to her, I was able to get my driver license easily, first try, only a bit over a month after having driven for the first time. I feel confident (but not too confident), and I know I have good basics covered to drive as safely as I can.Would 100% recommend. Also, I finished up my lessons right before they moved their Eastgate office to Lake Hills, so I've never seen their new location except from the outside, but it seemed nice. It's well located. Read Less

Took my drivers test here and although I passed, the lady I was assigned with was nothing but impatient. Her attitude was just unnecessary. I would only say come here because it's quick and a bit easier than other locations. Read Less

First of all- THIS CLASS IS ONLY BORING IF YOU DON'T PARTICIPATE. My sister is currently taking this class and she thinks it's OK. It's not the most exciting classes you'll take but again- you're taking this because it's important to earning your driver's license. Participate and pay attention and maybe you'll find it engaging enough to try hard to pass this class.I was a student of that class about 4 years ago (I'm now 19) and they tried very hard to engage us with facts about driving, educational videos created by teens around WA themselves, class activities such as games... The only thing that the instructors leave up to the parents are the driving itself. There's a complete different package if you'd like the instructors to also help and accompany your child to drive. The reason for my 3 stars were from the customer service. This relates to scheduling the test drive for license through Defensive Driving. My sister scheduled a test drive through the phone for Saturday at 8:30am- only to find a different person there. We are very angered by this mess up- Now we have to wait for Monday to have the rep confirm we paid for it (which we can did looking back at our bank history) and also go through the wait time for test drives. Read Less

Be Careful, This place will just waste your money and time, They won't let you pass the road test if you don't pay the large amount of money (could be over a thousand dollars) to join their driving lessons. Read Less

Got stuck behind one of this schools students on a 2 lane road near Edmonds and it was such a horrible experience I had to Yelp about it. The student was driving more than 10 miles per hour under the speed limit, had a back up of more than 5 cars behind it and a driver even honked. How on earth is this even acceptable to teach a student that this is the best and safest way to drive?!?! The logical thing should have been to have the student pull over safely- instead of risking an accident. I called their 1-800 number to complain about the student driver and when they answered it sounded more like a cell phone call than a professional business. No customer service, or acknlowedge of the issue at all. I finally hung up. Parents --- stay far away from this place. There are clearly not interested in their safety or anyone else on the road. Read Less

Worse driving instructor ever, she was rude and impatient, just because I ask her to repeat an instruction does not give her the right to treat me this way, goto the one in u district, much kinder people there. Read Less

My wife was going to retake her driving test. This outfit was the closest. Bottom line read EVERYTHING carefully. You will not get a refund if you cannot make the appointment. We had not even received an appointment and tried to cancel...no dice.  There is a 9-1-1 place in Everett that takes walk-ins. Very nice fellows. And they have a front desk! Also if you don't know the state will charge you the fee again when you get your license. Even though they no longer administer the tests. Ouch! Read Less

The classes were fine, but the opportunities to actually drive with an instructor have been limited; the drives have been cancelled with as little as half hour notice (had the student cancelled with less than two days notice, s/he would have been charged); rescheduling means waiting weeks for another appointment.  It's been over six weeks since my child started with Defensive Driving and so far there's only been one lesson behind the wheel of a car.  Given what I paid, I'm outraged and  regret sending my child to Defensive Driving School. Read Less

When I called to make an appointment for my test I had to call back twice to finally get someone to answer.  When I finally got someone to answer they told me that they are able to do that on the phone and I have to go to website.  Registered gave credit card info and then was prompted that I had to wait for them to call me.  I waiting two weeks with no call.  Then I spent 3 days trying to contact a person again so that I could request refund so that I could test with a company that was actually responsive.  They informed me that they do not give refunds.  Tried to post review on their website to warn other people and they sent me an email saying they had no record of them taking my money.  Very very very unethically questionable. Read Less

The driving instructors do not spend the time required to train the student for their driving test but rather leave it up to the parent.  For the high cost of this class, I am really surprised at this.  Their failure rate for passing students is really high.  Once the student fails, they must pay an additional fee of something like $160 to take the test again.We do not recommend this school.Sincerely,Woodinville Parents Read Less