Defensive Driving School of Kirkland

Fantastic experience: Jason was incredible! As a parent I listened in on most of her online classes and Jason was so fun to listen to! He made drivers ed fun! Highly recommend!!

Fantastic experience: This is a great driving school to go to, especially if you are an anxious driver like me. Before taking classes here, I was having panic attacks behind the wheel and barely able to practice. Tina did a great job empathizing and setting me up with a lesson plan that worked for me, and Marc is an incredibly kind and calm instructor who made the learning process so easy. I'm now way more confident behind the wheel, able to drive everywhere including freeways, and I just passed my skills test when I previously thought I'd never be able to. If you are a late learner or need extra help like I do, I highly recommend taking classes here!

Fantastic experience: I did a concierge package for knowledge and skills test. My instructor, Marc, was an absolute angel. He explained all the key areas of the skills test clearly prior to the test. Couldn't have done it without him.

Fantastic experience: Thanks to Defensive Driving School in Kirkland, I am now a newly licensed driver. I took the online study-guide course, which was incredibly helpful in passing the knowledge test. I also took a few driving lessons with Walter, who is a great instructor. I’ve had anxiety about driving for a very long time, so I was a bit nervous at first, but Walter was patient and offered valuable and practical tips to all my driving questions and concerns. I would recommend DDS to anyone who is new to driving or looking to improve their driving skills. Thanks!

Fantastic experience: Scheduled a skill + road test with warm up and passed the test. The coach is pretty nice and informative. Good place to take the road test.

Fantastic experience: Wrote my knowledge test in Kirkland and passed ,I would like to thank Christopher for being very kind and making me very comfortable, am African and I know sometimes my accent can be very difficult to understand but Christopher was very patient, overall every defensive member I spoke with on the 14th September 2024 were very kind, I will be coming for my driving lessons soon Thank you

Fantastic experience: Everyone here was so kind and helpful. Great job.

Positive experience: Had a great testing experience with Christian, he was super helpful and clear about what to do. Other instructors should follow this example.

Fantastic experience: clay + vincent are the best

Fantastic experience: Wonderful driving school. Tina was super nice and helpful. She is very good at explaining concepts and helped me get through my driving anxiety.

Fantastic experience: I took a manual transmission driving lesson with Walter and had such a positive experience! Walter explained and demonstrated many of the small details that a YouTube video could not. He helped me polish up a lot of the small things that made a world of a difference in smooth shifting, driving in stop and go traffic, and starting on hills. Highly recommended!

Fantastic experience: DDS is great! The Zoom class is way more engaging than I thought it would be, and I learned a lot. My instructor, Clay, was amazing; they explained the material quite well, made sure it was interesting, and answered questions whenever possible. The class doesn’t just teach laws, either, but makes sure students learn about how to drive safely and react to drivers who aren’t, car insurance, maintenance, how to buy a car, and more. The written tests sum up the material nicely. The driving instructors are patient and do a wonderful job of talking students through everything that needs to be done. The drives go over lots of important skills for new drivers, and they are ordered in a way that allows students to gain confidence in easier skills (such as parking and suburb driving) before moving on to more advanced skills (such as city and freeway driving). Students are also able to sign up for drives in a way that fits each of their individual schedules.

Fantastic experience: The online booking and training applications are very intuitive and easy to use. The helpful fact sheets let you know what to brush up on, they all come up in the questions. Special shout out to Bridget the driving instructor/assesor, she was very professional, constructive and definitely makes passing easier. Well done.

Fantastic experience: This school answered questions about cars I didn’t even know I had and my driving instructor is very kind and helpful.

Fantastic experience: Had an amazing experience with Walter Avillanoza at the Kirkland and Redmond Center. He was patient and polite, explained the rules very well at the start and gently guided through the drive. I took two lessons from him and it greatly improved my driving and I was able to pass the driving test in first attempt. I am an immigrant and was new to left hand driving which is different from my home country and several of my friends had bad experiences at other schools and instructors, but Walter was patient, precise and just a lovely person. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Vincent and Clay are great instructors and very fun teachers, I wish the best for them in the future :) I learned a lot.

Fantastic experience: My girl Tina!! She is the BEST as a student with debilitating anxiety, she learns what helps YOU. If I had a concern, we talked through it. She would make jokes on days I was talkative, and on my quiet days she was content with short instructions. This place was WAY more accommodating than 911 or any other local places I’ve found. Thank you!!!

Fantastic experience: I took classes from here, and Walter is the best instructor I've met. Very descriptive about the rules and calm while teaching you how to drive. Plus personally, I take inspiration from how hard he works. Totally recommend it!

Fantastic experience: Both Christian Holtz and Mark Eilers are phenomenal instructors. Send them my regards. Thank you

Fantastic experience: My daughter took classes from Jason. He was very informative and entertaining. He held my daughter’s attention and was kind and professional. She took her drives with Brett. Extremely fun and kind! He made her feel comfortable and was positive and complimentary, even when she was a little scary to drive with at first. Love this company and location and will be using them for my other children!

Fantastic experience: I have Bri and Clay as my instructors, they are amazing they keep the class on topic and engaged. They will open the chat to the whole class during lessons with group activities or just to interact with our other classmates during lessons. They are fun and easy to have as instructors. 10/10 Boomers for Bri and 100/100 Dinosaurs for Clay!!

Fantastic experience: Very professional. Marty not only took me through the driving test he explained all the why's and why not, for that I can never forget him or his, " and always turn your wheels in on a hill must not forget that"! which I did in fact... forget. Any questions were always answered no matter who answered the phone. They cannot be beat .Best customer service experience I've had in a long time!

Negative experience: We purchased the 5 drive 1 on 1 package and spent a pretty good chunk of $ to do so. The driver Marc was phenominal (I want to make that very clear). What was not so great was the unwillingness to work with us on a rescheduled appointment. We had something pop up 24 hours before hand, but that didnt happen to fall within there 48 hr window. I either just had to cancel or repurchase a drive. After spending a good chunk of money here, I was not going to spend more because of there unwillingness to work with me. I understand there are rules, but to not work with somebody who had invested quite a bit of money into this, it was very disappointing. When my kids are ready to drive, I will not be sending them to this school.

Fantastic experience: I've had a really great time with Jason as my online instructor! I've never been able to be engaged for a full 2 hours during an online course but he makes it really fun!

Fantastic experience: My skills examiner Christian was AMAZING! I felt so comfortable during the test and he instructed me very clearly

Fantastic experience: Very well organized and informative. I liked that they had other ways of making sure we were engaged other than keeping our cameras on the entire time. Teachers are very friendly, knowledgeable, and when going on drives they are very calm. Would recommend Defensive Driving school!

Fantastic experience: Now I previously posted a review that I now have deleted after todays lesson. Driving instructor "Tyson" is the most amazing and nicest person I have ever met. He is incredibly relatable, funny and it I have fun learning about driving with him. I would award him with "Employee of the Century" if I'd run the office!

Fantastic experience: Just went on my second drive with my driving instructor David on Bainbridge island. He is such a great instructor and very calm. He is also very nice and makes the lesson fun.

Fantastic experience: What a fantastic experience! We are a returning family. Glenn at Everett was our middle son's instructor 10 years ago. Returning to the school to have him teach Hayden was a no brainer. His professionalism and care of how he taught him was amazing. Today Hayden passed his final driving test, and I cannot thank Glenn enough for taking the time to teach our son. I want to think Hayden will take this experience and carry it on for the rest of his life. I would highly recommend Defensive Driving School if ever asked.

Fantastic experience: The instructors were pleasant but firm and full of great tips. Christian was a wonderful instructor and went above and beyond to make my experience great.

Fantastic experience: I had the privilege of taking driving lessons with Marc Eilers at the Kirkland location, and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a patient, knowledgeable, and supportive instructor. Marc explains the driving concepts clearly and concisely. I am grateful for his personalized approach, as he tailored the lessons catering to my individual needs. Marc's feedback was consistently constructive, allowing me to improve my driving skills without feeling overly criticized. Initially, I was quite nervous about driving, but Marc's calming presence and unwavering support helped me relax and gain confidence behind the wheel. His guidance not only enhanced my driving abilities but also instilled in me a strong understanding of safe and defensive driving practices, for which I am truly thankful. I highly recommend Marc as a driving instructor!

Fantastic experience: It’s a very positive experience. My instructor clay is awesome he’s really good at keeping class engaged and making it fun while staying professional, Vincent is cool too he gives great feedback, he’s really good at helping the class when we have questions, and making sure everyone understands the lesson.

Fantastic experience: The experience I developed under the class maintained by "Clay" and "Vincent" was "a" very memorable moment of which I will remember for decades in the future. I appreciated both "of" their great attitudes to their teachings and fun methods of helping "the" "students." Overall it was a very good "class" and helped "me" learn how to be a better "driver" in the "future" and increased my driving power.

Fantastic experience: Clay is the funniest instructor and is super relatable. Vincent also gives really good answers in the q&a chat that help me understand why we do some things on the road.

Fantastic experience: My instructor Christian was honestly a blessing for me. I was really out of practice as a driver since moving to Seattle. I have a lot of anxiety around taking the wheel, and was nervous before many of our sessions. However, every day Christian managed to be kind, knowledgeable, and firm in teaching me the rules of the road. He helped remind me of my driving skills and gave an encouraging word when I needed it. Teaching a new skill is a team effort involving both the instructor and the student. I’m grateful that during my time at Defensive Driving School I had the best teammate in Christian Holtz. I also want to give a shout out to Tasha the receptionist. She made me feel welcome since day one of my classes and she always helped me with any question I had. Her professionalism and kindness are top notch. I will definitely be referring my friends here and will return for additional classes if needed.

Fantastic experience: Took a stick shift driving course through this school - Mark was a fantastic instructor. Really helped make the car feel intuitive, and helped me handle sticky situations effectively while offering ways to improve. Scheduling via the portal was easy and I learned lots of useful ideas with just a 90 minute course. Highly recommend!

Negative experience: This is a money scamming franchise. Avoid Kirkland Defensive at all costs. Purposely failing students to get more paid attempts. Rude instructor - avoid Christian (specifically)

Fantastic experience: Marc Eilers is amazing. He's professional, calm, and a wonderful teacher. I did a total of 6 lessons with him and it was 100% worth the money. I also highly suggest scheduling with him for the test as well.

Fantastic experience: Great experience. Fantastic instructors.

Fantastic experience: *Redmond Location* Both my daughters class instructor (Tyson) and drive instructor (Josh) were outstanding and kept my daughter engaged the whole time. I thought they were both well set up and well done. Josh (Drive Instructor) was so great. He was knowledgeable, professional, calm, collected and really encouraging. My daughter and I both enjoyed and appreciated his instruction. The DDS customer service was great, convenient and quick to answer all of my questions and help w scheduling.

Fantastic experience: I had a great experience with the Defensive Driving school. The instructor Christian was very professional and understanding. He helped me understand the common mistakes, rules etiquettes, etc and provided the steady and focused environment that I needed to pass the test and get my driver’s license. Thank you !!!

Negative experience: Don't choose Kirkland for your skills test. You're forced to use their vehicles, but they look for something to fail you on. For all of 2 seconds going down a 40-degree slope, I hit 36mph in a 30mph zone, and I was failed for 'violating the law'. No point tally was even given. It was a full fail for that and that alone. From the things I got marked off for, the 'backing' was legit. It was a bend with poor visibility and I tapped the curb not once, but twice. Can admit that those marks are valid. However, the 'parking on a hill' was not done on a hill, nor was I told I should simulate being on a hill, but I was marked off for not using the parking brake. I'm also 100% confident that at no time did I stop beyond the line for a stop sign or traffic signal. You pay for every single test - no free retakes like with the knowledge test. They just want to get more money from you. Go somewhere else.

Fantastic experience: Everyone was very nice and patient with my son.

Fantastic experience: We enrolled our youngest child in Defensive Driving School in Snohomish. My son’s classes were online. We were unsure if a two hour zoom class would be beneficial. It was much better than we anticipated. He drove with Cameron and Tyson. They both did a fantastic job with our beginning driver.

Fantastic experience: My daughter had a great experience with Defensive Driving School. She drove with Issac Kim in Issaquah, and he was amazing with her. He had the perfect sense of humor to make her at ease and was always very reassuring to her. He gave excellent feedback to her on ways to improve. Overall, we had a phenomenal experience with this driving school and will be returning with our son.

Fantastic experience: The teachers are really nice.

Negative experience: Overall student experience is poor for price you pay (that are higher than other counterparts who provide driver training in the area). Low empathy for helping newer learners navigate the process and understand how they can avoid redundancies. There are other options in the area like 911 driving school whose drive test price is cheaper, and the instructor gives a thorough run down of why you failed the drive test instead of a plain, opaque 'You failed'.

Fantastic experience: Very pleased with everything.

Negative experience: Instructor was rude and made lots of passive aggressive comments, and didn’t provide any tips or feedback while learning to drive a manual car (other than saying “you’re doing it wrong”), played his music while I was learning, and cut the lesson short.

Fantastic experience: After having car service for the last 35+ yrs I needed to get my license , after speaking with several different driving schools I felt this was the right place to to take my business. I have had nothing but a 100% positive experience and the young people that I saw while I was at this school all had a smile on their face ( some maybe a little bit of a nervous smile but a smile none the less ) . I have a high profile job and life style, and was treated very well without the knowledge of this information. Thanx for the help! SD Howell / Rock Int'l Playboy

Fantastic experience: This place is valid Fr. Don’t forget to log your hours though.

Fantastic experience: After hearing about other programs in the Ballard area that friends were not very pleased with, we wanted a better experience all around. After speaking with someone at Defensive Driving School, we found the process to be straightforward and easy. Additionally, when we had questions, the team was quick to respond. We felt our needs were taken care of on all fronts. We went to the University District location and highly recommend Defensive Driving School.

Fantastic experience: I have had a great experience with the classes, they are always very easy to understand and keep the class involved and learning- shout out to Vincent & Paul. With the drives I would HIGHLY recommend James. He has a very informative and calming demeanor which in my opinion is the only combination to have for a driving teacher! He was able to detect what type of personality my daughter had and engage with her as a person, she was able to relax and just focus on learning! It was amazing to watch; also I had some trouble with the scheduling agent site and Clay could not have been more patient even though I was panicking. I don't know if anyone in charge reads this, but if you do- these people I have mentioned all deserve a raise. This is my first experience with a child in drivers ed and I could not have been happier. Highly recommended!

Fantastic experience: Great and helpful instructors

Fantastic experience: I had a fantastic experience at the Yarrow Point location! The instructors are always on time, professional and are able to put you at ease. I would highly recommend Marc Eilers as well as Tony Nguyen. They were both fantastic and are great with teenagers and adults alike. Thank you so much for all the time and effort!

Fantastic experience: Best. School. Ever.

Fantastic experience: Both of my daughters learned how to drive through defensive driving school at the Yarrow Point location. They are very organized, professional and positive in their approach. A special thank you to the instructor Mark and Carol for teaching them how to drive.

Fantastic experience: The instructors were amazing and made me a confident driver.

Fantastic experience: Just finished my Driver's Ed class with Whitney and Michelle online and the class was great! Very clear classes, the workbook was useful, and all around a great experience! Thanks

Fantastic experience: I was a 16 year old who didn't know anything about driving. Signed up for this course. Got in Whitney's class. Best instructor out there 10/10. Classes help with facts you need to know. Issac is really good at teaching the actual driving. He makes stressful situations fun.

Fantastic experience: Best money ever spent on classes. Took driving lessons from Marc and Tony both are great instructors, very good at building confidence and they go an extra mile to teach you safe drivng.

Fantastic experience: I've had two kids learn to drive through the Yarrow Point Defensive Driving School, and I would recommend them to anyone. They taught my children to be very aware, very safe drivers. Most recently, Marc did all of my son's in-car instruction, and it was a fantastic experience. He's a such kind guy and a great teacher, and he made what could have been an anxious experience into something really fun, and also extremely instructive. Thank you Marc and all for teaching my kids well!

Fantastic experience: Instructors are nice and cover the material very well, and manage to keep it pretty interesting. This probably varies from class to class, but the other people in the class I'm in are all pretty awesome too. All in all a pretty solid experience thus far, definitely recommended

Fantastic experience: Great lessons and informative.

Fantastic experience: I had a great experience learning to drive here. All the instructors were patient, gave clear instructions and made me feel confident and safe all the time. Marc is awesome! I definitely recommend you guys!

Fantastic experience: Marc was my driving instructor and I felt very confident driving after taking the lessons with him. He is very professional, patient and easy to communicate with. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend. We have three children who have completed the driving course at Defensive Driving, and each one has had a positive experience. I have recommended them to friends in the past, and will continue to do so.

Fantastic experience: Я брала уроки у 3 инструкторов. Здесь терпеливо относятся к обучению учеников со слабым английским. (Ранее делала попытку учиться в другой авто школе, но там мне не понравилось). Лицензию уже получила))). Автошколу рекомендую.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend. My 82 year old mother thought she was ready to start driving again after not driving for several years. I took her to DDS for a two plus hour evaluation. After testing at both the office and driving, they recommended she not drive again. Using an independent, qualified service, helped her to make an informed decision on whether or not she'd be safe back on the roads. We appreciate their professionalism and care during the process. It was worth the money. On the other hand, the department of licensing recommended she just start driving again. Thank God for the pedestrians and other drivers on the road, we didn't take their advice.

Fantastic experience: I love this place!!

Fantastic experience: Has help me get ready dtive even during a pandemic

Fantastic experience: Even in a pandemic they make learning how to drive fun.

Fantastic experience: Helpful instructors. I did my courses during Covid-19. Which required the lessons to be online. They made it very easy to stay engaged while learning and taught very well even if they were online.

Fantastic experience: Tyson and Verla were always very upbeat but they also taught efficiently. Would recommend.

Positive experience: I learned a lot about driving and I loved how thorough it was as well

Fantastic experience: I had a great experience learning from all of my instructors, and the office gave great support when there was an issue that needed to be fixed. I would highly recommend going to DDS.

Fantastic experience: I have tried 4 schools and a few instructors in the area and Marc Eilers who works out of DDS Kirkland is the best out of the lot. He is patient, kind and very thorough with his teaching style. If you are looking to get your license, go to Marc!

Fantastic experience: Exelente lugar las personas que m atendieron me atendieron exelente

Fantastic experience: The instructors are the best, the class teaches you so much useful stuff you never would have thought of. I'm so happy I chose to go here

Fantastic experience: Each and every teacher I had during my web-based instruction made sure to be thorough and clear on what I needed to know! This class was definitely worth the $500 :)

Fantastic experience: Marty at West Seattle location was wonderful and delightful and friendly and non intimidating. My daughter relaxed and he made it easy to learn and removed her anxiety.

Fantastic experience: I completed the online course during April to May, I had vallare and Kyle both exceptional people and exceptional teachers! Both so sweet! I recommend defensive driving school! It had too would do it again there. 10/10!

Positive experience: My son took the web-based DDS learner class during the covid shutdown. It was the first webinar version of the course, and they were really well organized. He found it very informative and really liked instructor Kyle. The condensed format was terrific. Looking forward to in-person drives when everything opens up again.

Fantastic experience: The online class was fun, Kyle is very cool.

Fantastic experience: I took online classes with this driving school and the instructors Kyle and Val were wonderful, and it was a great overall experience!

Fantastic experience: I did half of my class in a classroom and half online due to covid 19. The online classes were just as good as the in person ones. Everything they teach has a purpose and is very helpful in knowing what to do on the road. All of the instructor are very nice and experienced. I would highly recommend this driving school for anyone learning to drive.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I took driving lessons from the kirkland branch. Marc taught both of us. He is a very good instructor who was patient with us and gave a very detailed feedback after each class. I would highly recommend Marc to anyone who is learning to get behind the wheels in a safe way.

Fantastic experience: Issaquah location was outstanding!! Isaac was an outstanding instructor who has the gift in teaching a dry subject and making it memorable for the kids. Highly recommended!

Fantastic experience: I’ve had four children take classes through DDS. The instructor makes classes enjoyable and is great with the on the road instruction. Highly recommend them!

Fantastic experience: I have had three teenagers learn to drive at Defensive Driving School in West Seattle. The instructors were professional, realistic, responsive, and very patient.

Fantastic experience: Mr. Brett is the best instructor here. He is quite fun, but I have also learned a lot from his instructory manner. I now feel much more confident behind the wheel after taking this class. Thank you for this experience.

Fantastic experience: So much fun! Best way to learn how to drive! I feel smarter!

Fantastic experience: My instructor Nycci made the course really fun and interesting and i have learned a lot so far (I’m on session 9 out of 15)

Fantastic experience: Wonderful place to learn Driving! Marc Eilers was the instructor. He was great instructor and helped me a lot on improving my Driving Skills. Highly recommend this place to anyone who's looking to learn how to drive.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful place! Marc Eilers was the instructor i had and although i stalled the vehicle a number of times he never made me feel pressured. Such a good guy. Highly recommend this place to anyone who's looking to learn how to drive a stick (or learn to drive in general).

Negative experience: Not recommended, horrible instructor who seems like had a mission to make me fail with no reason and ask me to register for the next test !

Fantastic experience: Kyle who did the stick shift lessons was very patient and helpful. He even gave me a little extra time because he didn’t have anyone after me.

Fantastic experience: Great experience with DDS in Poulsbo! Very thorough teaching and learning and I felt that my child was very equipped with the knowledge he will need to be a safe and conscientious driver. :-)

Fantastic experience: I took 10 lessons at the Kirkland/Bellevue (Yarrow Point) location, and did most of them with Marc. He was very patient, and explained things well. The commentary driving helped a lot. I passed my driving test first time round, and couldn't have done it without these valuable lessons. Definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience: Was taking driving classes here, 10 x 1.5h sessions package. Had Marc Eilers as the instructor for most of these lessons. He's a great instructor, would definitely recommend!