I wrote a review about 9 months ago, but was "nice" BC I didn't want to hurt Ricardo's business. This is the real review, and I'm really crusty after staying up all night after having to heli-coil yet another bolt hole. My wife and I bought a "Carfax" used car in Riverside, the motor blew after 2 months, and the dealer said I had to use 10 Degrees or he would not honor the warranty. This because he said "He's easy to talk down on the repair price". Not my agenda. They wanted to do junk-yard motor, I said no and ordered a remanufactured motor. Gave Ricardo carte blanche on replacing old sensors, mounts, rubber, anything. Asked them to bolt on a set of "shorty" headers. Happened to be there the day they were starting the motor change. Ricardo called me over to show me where the car had been in a crash. The subframe under the front end was bashed in front and back, like they had hit some giant rock. Transmission mount was broken. He said he would replace the transmission mount, I said the subframe must also be replaced, he said the dealer would not fix this (CARFAX, remember). I said this would mess up the entire steering geometry. He asked if it made alignment, I said yes, what he said next shocked me so much, immediately after we talked I went to my wife, told her, then wrote it down as to never forget. Every person I've told this story could not believe it. Ricardo's quote: "Well maybe you should learn the subject, so the next time you question the mechanic, you know what you're talking about"
So here's a rundown on stuff I have had to fix, because of 10 Degrees sloppiness or disregard:
1. At 3500 miles, thought I'd pull the spark plugs, see how they were burning. Champion specified, .46 gap. 10 of the plugs were wayyy off, like .07 to .10, others varying but still less than factory. 12 out of 16 wrong. (Minor but had to mention)
2. At 1 month, the oil pan started leaking (remember under the car damage). Called 10 Degrees, was told if it wasn't their fault, I would have to pay for the work. Said hell with them, hired a mechanic to install a newly-purchased pan, cost me $600. And yes, the pan was slightly belt, enough to cause the leak.
3. The headers? I think they waited until the motor was in the car because they complained how tight it was. WRONG! Shorty, snug-fitting headers.
I know how tight, had them off twice because: I guess they were upset, and didn't follow the specific and very cautious bolt tightening procedure. "Gorilla'd" them on. Aluminum block, steel bolts. Well guess what? They stripped 9 of the 17 exhaust bolt holes. This has caused me about a hundred hours tightening and/or fixing, heli-coiled 6 holes (make that 7 after last night), 2 holes by a shop after I tried but couldn't do. Because they didn't put on the snug headers first? Really? Hey Ricardo, what's a hundred hours worth to you? Heli-Coils, $40, gaskets $45, shop repairs $500. And I know this hell still isn't done. You M-F.
4. Oh, and the subframes? The car MAKES ALIGNMENT, lasts about a month. I have "lifetime alignments" at 3 shops. Rough on the tires. This has cost us around $1500 plus my time, still isn't repaired. Ricardo, maybe YOU should learn the subject, so you know what you're talking about.
5. There's other nit stuff like the dent in my trunk, not there when I delivered the car, but the hell with this. read more