WARNING: Avoid This Shop - Dishonest, Incompetent, and Costly…read moreRating: (0/5 Stars if I could)
Do not trust Bob, the owner of this shop. He presents himself as an honest, family-oriented Christian man, but his business practices are entirely deceptive. I ended up spending $600 with him for repairs that never actually happened, plus hundreds more in towing, rentals, Ubers, and hotel fees.
The First "Repair" (1 Week, $350)
I left my car with Bob for a whole week to fix a piston rethreading issue. When I picked it up, the check engine light was still on. Bob assured me it would go away the next day. It didn't. On my way to work, the piston popped right back out and the engine started rattling again.
The Second "Repair" (4 Weeks, $250)
I brought the car back and it sat there for four weeks with absolutely no timeline, just a string of weekly excuses:
Week 1: Claims the parts shop didn't have the right part.
Week 2: Claims they sent the wrong part.
Week 3: Bob left early for his daughter's rehearsal instead of having a mechanic stay to receive the part and finish the job. Because of his selfishness, I missed my Memorial Day weekend trip to see my son.
Week 4: I arrived and the car still wasn't ready.
The "Fix" and Gross Negligence
When he finally "worked" on it, he didn't even open the head gasket. All he did was put a little bit of glue, rethread the piston, and made me wait for two hours in his moldy shop while it sat. Within two hours of leaving, the piston popped again and the engine was rattling.
To make matters worse, Bob told me it was "perfectly fine to drive the car running on only two cylinders." When I finally got the car to a real mechanic back home, they laughed in disbelief and told me the car could have literally caught on fire if I had listened to Bob.
The Reality & Financial Damage
Paid Bob: $600 total ($350 the first time for a 1-day fix; $250 the second time for a 1-hour fix).
Extra Expenses: Uber rides to work, gas money for coworkers helping me out, a rental vehicle, tow trucks, and multiple hotel stays because I was stranded away from home.
The Resolution: A real mechanic took off the head gasket, re-soldered, re-drilled, and tapped it correctly. It took them 5 days (not a whole month), and the car now runs perfectly with zero check engine lights.
Message to IES and Meta Technicians
I previously recommended Bob to all my coworkers at IES. I am officially taking that back: stay far away from this shop unless you just need a parking lot. If you are a Meta technician, do not bring your vehicle here. He will overcharge you, hold your car hostage, ignore your texts when you ask for a well-deserved refund, and lie to your face every week.
There is nothing Christian about lying, stealing people's money for unfinished work, and leaving them stranded without a care for how they get home to their families. Do not trust this man.