If I could give ZERO stars, I would give 0. As soon as I walked in, I was wondering about the turnover. Joe has sadly passed away so that main mechanic is gone. The manager was replaced by a new woman manager Fay, who knows nothing about cars and no history of being a mechanic. That was my first clue that it wasn't going to be a good experience. You got this vibe as she hovers over the employees were uncomfortable as well.
First, I went to ask if I had a check engine light on I know it won't pass smog so what do I need to fix to pass smog. Last time, Joe used a device to check the codes( free) , but this time they said I had to still do a smog check and that way it will bring up codes to see what is wrong. So ok, received codes. from the failed smog check ( cost me 78.00!). They said they needed to do a diagnostic test for 135.
Timing chain was misaligned and needed to be changed. 1800. For that but if you go in, bill may be higher if you have to change other things. Oh, and they said I needed to replace the engine!!!! WTH?
I said it drives around fine, I haven't had any problems except with the smog check? Well, they reset my check engine light so now everything has to start all over and the car has to be driven through a series. Last time two years ago, the mechanic who was good drove it around and got it to pass smog. This time they said they would drive it as well. They kept my car for 7 days(2 were days off- Sun and Mon) and told me they were driving it around but could only do 30 mins a day. That is why they still had my car.
Finally, they called today and said still needed timing chain and it couldn't pass the smog as the check engine light went on when he drove the car. So I picked up the car, but I had written down the mileage of my car prior to leaving it with them and it was 143,709. When I went to get my car which had all these big branches on top of my car and hitting my car where they parked it so I haven't checked it for scratches yet( reminds me I need to do that), the odometer read 143,712. So they drove only 3 miles!? That is about 3-4 minutes worth of driving!
I addressed that with them ( they already took my money for diagnostic fees and smog check so about $ 213.00!!!)! Then of course the story keeps changing as they backpedaled. Oh now they just drove it around the block and once the check engine light came on they had to stop! So then why did you have my car for a week, telling me you were driving it for 30 minutes because it was so busy and no man power and then today you drove it and the check engine light went on?
I also asked another mechanic elsewhere and he said if the timing chain was broken your car wouldn't move and shouldn't affect the smog check so I don't know who is right?! They said it was misaligned and showed me the report so I don't know? BUT what I do know, was their story did not add up and what they showed me was probably the original smog check that didn't pass and the error codes that came with it and charged me a diagnostic fee not by actually checking it, but by reading the original smog check report ( I will tell my experience and you guys come to your conclusion!) and the state is using them as a STAR smog check which leaves us customers vulnerable!
Oh, and one more thing, NO communication at all. When they said they will call you, they never do! And you have to call them each time to ask the status. And honestly, Fay being the manager, is useless because she doesn't understand what is being done, cannot answer any questions about the car, just tells you the technician will call you or repeats what the technician says but if you ask any questions, she is dumbfounded. This business has seriously gone downhill from when I went there before and gave them glowing reviews!
And forgot to mention, due to Covid, I wore rubber gloves driving the steering wheel which my gloves were dark black afterwards and they left a dirty rag on my seat. Just an overall horrible, terrible experience all the way around!
ETA: On top of that, someone there BROKE my middle console cover/slide. It looks like someone was looking for something in the compartment? Half of my compartment cover/lid when I slid the cover out is completely gone! It was there when I brought it in bc I always close that middle cover to lay my cell on there! I am sooo mad- and I don't even know if anything was taken in the compartment?! But there must be some reason someone was looking in there! So I am just posting about my experience here, you can come to your conclusions. read more