My experience with Haines is based on maintenance only. No repairs. I have taken my Mazda 3 here a couple of times for service and so far, it's been great. One of the mechanics (I assume the owner) was honest about what I needed. - My first visit two years ago was to have Spark Plugs replaced and Brake Fluid flush. - My recent experience with Haines was to flush and replace the coolant system. ($95) (I think the coolant used was Peak Green Coolant and not FL-22 coolant) Haines might be a "Mazda" Auto Service, but they can service any makes/models. I've seen Toyota, VW, Chevrolet being serviced in his shop. Depending on the service, his prices are mostly fair. read more

I have a 2013 Mazda 3, brought it in to do shocks and struts. He quoted me a price on the low end that also included an alignment. He didn't suggest any unnecessary work which I will hand it to him for. It was a little difficult to discuss parts and which ones he was going to use in the way it seems to often be with some mechanics. The generous way of putting it is that they are very busy. The less generous way is that they communicate like they're trying to preserve some deniability and keep me in the dark. He said he was "probably" going to use KYB struts. I had asked if he did 'bare' struts or if he bought pre assembled ones with the mount and some mystery coil spring in an attempt to make sure he was going to use bare ones and keep my original springs. Assembled ones are much easier to install and can be cheaper than a bare KYB strut (which are not pricy to begin with). There are assembled KYB struts but reviews make them sound worse than using individual KYB parts and the original springs. He also said he would do a transmission fluid drain and fill, he agreed the 'lifetime fluid' claim is bogus. Had the service done but it turned out he had installed very cheap assembled or "quick" struts on the front, not KYB, and put quality KYB shocks on the rear. He bragged about how much easier it was and made it seem like it was my idea even though I had only brought it up to try and make sure it wasn't the case. I asked him what brand they were and he hesitantly said "ProMaster" like the van but I think he perhaps meant "Master Pro" which is an in house O'Reilly brand. He also said they were performance parts. Knowing what I know now I can say that none of that is true and I don't want to say he lied but it doesn't add up. I eventually was able to get a look at the code on the struts when I did some work myself later on and the code was for an Autopart International assembled strut (Pro-Strut is the brand, Chinese made). From what I have read it is possible such a part could have been put in a 'MasterPro' box from O'Reilly's but why would he be getting his parts from there? I can find KYB Excel Gs or even Bilstein B4 struts for less than what he paid for the Pro-Struts. He clearly misspoke about the brand name but these are not performance parts. These are cheap struts and coils pre assembled with cheap mounts. The price for the work was on the low end and I needed to go back to work so I just accepted it as my fault for not being clearer ahead of time. It didn't help that every time I came to the shop I had to remind him who I was and which car was mine. I had thought going to a Mazda specialist would be smart but the several dead RX-7s laying in the lot you see in pictures going back a decade or so on yelp are not a great sign. Driving the car the ride quality was not great, there is significant nose lift when accelerating, handling is sort of numb, very harsh on average road surfaces. They don't seem to be in harmony with the KYB shocks in the rear. I'm not an expert but using different brands of struts in the front from those in the rear when doing both the front and rear at the same time strikes me as a red flag. Now 50,000 miles later the mounts are getting noisy and require tightening every now and then which I guess is reasonable considering they are not quality parts but I think my car would be driving much better for longer if bare KYBs were used and the original coil springs were left in place. The alignment didn't last long. They are not leaking fluid yet so not technically failed but I have basically been anticipating replacing them ever since I got them installed. I'm going to put new springs on as well since my original front coils were tossed. Would not recommend anyone go here unless they lived a short walk away and needed minor work done. I did the next transmission fluid change myself. read more

Haines Mazda Specialist - The "ProMaster" "Performance" strut in question. - Auto Repair Near Me - Alhambra, California

Service is first come first serve. The oil change only took about 30 mins. I waited in the lobby. The whole thing was quick and painless. Another shop quoted me $90 so $65 is a steal in my opinion! read more

Haines Mazda Specialist - Auto Repair Near Me - Alhambra, California

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I've been coming here for about 15 years now, and my real rating would be a 4.5. There's 3 things I really like about them. One, they have consistently been the most reasonable in labor compared to anywhere else. Two, I have never had any issues with any work they have done. So they know what they are doing and are very reliable. Three, they seem to know how to do almost everything. From replacing broken windows to door sensors, etc. Almost like a one stop shop. Possibly the only thing they don't do is body shop work or alignments, which they outsource. Oh and one more, you can bring your own OEM parts and they'd gladly install for you. However, I recommend you double check your receipt every time. One time, I was charged $20 to replace license plate lights, which I didn't authorize. (Could be a safety issue, but you should at least ask me before proceeding.) Another time, I was charged for parts I actually bought in myself. (Could be a honest mistake, my bad I didn't review my receipt before paying). The last time I paid $80 for a full vehicle inspection, they forgot to check my brakes, which were worn. Which is funny because my other oil change place checked it for free along with a printed report of estimated life left. I'd still recommend them and I'd still keep going. They are reliable for all the big stuff. Especially if you want a second opinion or a second quote. A couple of minor snafus in a course of 15 years or so doesn't take away from the fact, that this shop adds a ton of value to the community. read more

Came to get my Mazda checked for MAs air flow sensor Dude was real nice on the phone told me to come in so he can look at it . Right away he tells me I need to leave my car so he can work on it and I'm like leave my car ? And I told him the reason for the check engine and he said ok leave it overnight and I was like how am I supose to get to work and he's like well do you want the service or not and he's said it was gonna be 500-600 dollars to replace the MAs air flow sensor and install it and when I told him I already ordered a oem part from a certified Mazda dealer and he was even more rude and said no he has to buy the piece ... I didn't feel comfortable and his rudeness made it an easier decision to go elsewhere and they checked it for me no problem in two minutes and comfirmed it was a bad MAs air flow sensor and he said I can use my sensor and my car cleared up right away and he didn't charge me anything! Shame on this man trying to take advantage and still have the audacity to be rude and act like their the only shop around! I went to Jeff's automotive service by the way I definetly recommend him and his shop is nice and clean unlike this one . Thank you I won't be coming back and I hope people get this warning read more

Oil change price was very reasonable. No appointment needed. Very knowledgeable an competent mechanics. read more

I Have been taking my vehicles to Haines since the early 1990's. They consistently do an excellent job and I have absolute trust in their skills. Their repair costs are reasonable and I've never had a bad experience. Best of all Haines will not recommend service if it is not necessary. Last year I went to a mechanic closer to where I live. It was a complete disaster with that mechanic wasting my time, energy and making the repair work worse. Thankfully Mr Haines team corrected the problem with minimal time and expense. I will never go to another mechanic. read more

If you are looking for knowledgeable auto service at reasonable prices, this is the place for you. Haine's is staffed with real people, with years of solid experience - honest-to-goodness auto repairs from techs who know their stuff and can turn it around pretty quick. Be warned - there's no fancy waiting area with free coffee or wi-fi. No apps to track your service or coupon mailers to look for to get the best price - but they're cheaper than most of those other places even with a coupon- and to my mind, definitely better and more trustworthy. There's also no folks in fancy suits telling you you need all kinds of extra stuff, upselling you on everything or calling you for the next 5 years trying to convince you to sell you car and/or buy a new one from them. Just the basics, done right, at a fair price. I found them when someone recommended them to me - do now I'm sharing my secret "go-to" guy with you. You're welcome. read more

Haines Mazda Specialist - Haine's - Japanese auto repair service, Mazda specialist - Auto Repair Near Me - Alhambra, California

1st time to Haines Mazda with my newly purchased used 2008 MX-5, Clutch was not engaging and I had a good idea that my Master Cylinder was bad. I let them check it out, and they confirmed my suspicion right away. I brought the car to them late in the day and they were quickly completed before noon the next day. The price was exactly what I thought it should be. Thank you gentlemen, Great service! I'll be back! read more

My 1994 Miata purrs like it did when it was new. I forgot how much fun my car was to drive. Haines diagnosed in a day what was wrong....camshaft sensor gone bad...he offered two options -- used Miata part or new Miata part -- i researched and discovered the new sensor from the dealer was the price Haines quoted...labor was reasonably priced...since everything except brakes and clutch were factory original, i asked Haines to check out everything..it cost $100.00 to diagnose.....also he knew without me telling him I hadn't been driving the car (probable giveaway were the cobwebs in the wheelwell!!)...when I asked to be called so i could watch the sensor repair, he called me as requested without complaint. He also retained the old parts so I could inspect them, tho I didn't. Haines also helped me do the smogcheck... thanks to the repairs, the car passed no problem. I got my car back within a weeks time..would be sooner but when i wemt to retrieve my car, Haines also warned me the water pump and the timing belt would be in need of replacing soon...but since both were factory original, i authorized that work and left the car for another day. Now i feel more confident about my old car. And I can feel the results of the work wgile driving on the road. Zippy and taking corners like a beast. Not bad for a 1994. Fair reasonable ...from a master mechanic. read more

A Mazda dealer let me know my water pump needed to be replaced and quoted me $780. Took it to Haines and confirmed it needed to be replaced and charged me considerably less. Great experience all around. If you have a Mazda this is the place to take it to. read more

I have taken my Mazda 3 vehicle to other places and spend over 2k in repairs only to come out and continue to have the car running in the same conditions. Haines identify the issue right away (issue that was supposedly taken care by other car repair shop supposedly), and fixed it the right way. I felt the difference as soon as I drove my car out of Haines' parking lot. Haines gives you an approximate time on repair and keeps you updated through the process if any changes happen. read more

My car decided to die out of no where while driving and so I had to tow it back home. For the longest time I've been looking for a reliable shop to fix my car. I diagnosed my car at first hand to see what would be the problem and sensed it was probably my fuel pump. I asked my friends what place would they recommend me to bring in my Mazda Rx-8 and so I was introduced to this place. Before heading here I made sure to read the reviews on yelp to see if people were actually satisfied with the service Haines Auto Shop gave. Luckily everything were positive reviews. Because they specialized in Mazda's I decided to tow my car over. They performed a full car inspection and told me it WAS the fuel pump. The fuel pump cost me around 400, almost 500 and another 200 or so for the seal. Their labor was $120 and then taxes were added. They also recommended I change my oil so that was another expense which was an extra $25. So all in all I had to pay a whopping $800.... I just wish there were alternatives to bringing down the price but he recommended me to just purchase a new fuel pump from the dealership because it's too risky to install a generic one. Overall the service was great, I just hoped to pay less. I'm just glad my car is running again. read more

Haines Mazda Specialist - Auto Repair Near Me - Alhambra, California

Needed a drive belt/tensioner replacement for my low mile (103k miles) 2014 Mazda6 Touring 6MT. The replacement cost, including the drive belt, belt tensioner pulley including labor, falls in line with the repair cost estimate range of RepairPal. Haines is straightforward, fair and honest in his pricing. The warranty for the replacement/parts/labor, is good for 1yr. This was my 1st time using his Mazda specialist expertise. If I had the time/parts and tools (plus a lift, to easily reach and remove the underside engine panels & clips), I would DIY the replacement myself. Otherwise, Haines is my go-to, for my current (and future) Mazdas, for repairs and maintenance work. read more

Less than one star. Diagnostic of the issue was wrong I end up paying 6K and issue is still not fixed. I'm having a personal mechanic take a look of the repairs and find the root cause. I went to this please because of the ratings and I'm very disappointed to follow the ratings. If I find out that parts were used or were never replaced I will take legal actions. read more

First time coming here and I won't be returning. Charged me $600 to adjust my timing belt in 1996 Miata. Went back to complaint about my accessory belts making a noise and said I would need to replace those for $140. There's other things that disinterested me. Made me feel stupid being a woman and thinking I don't know what he's speaking of. Also complained since my car was modded that he didn't know how to work on it. read more

Had my first visit with Mr. Haines last week. He is a LIFE SAVER! Brought my 2015 Kia in for a new ignition cylinder and had it installed within a couple days. Brought the car back to life and solved all my worries. Thank you Mr. Haines I will definitely do business with you again. read more

Oh my God, I would absolutely recommend Haines! I've been coming here, off and on, for literally 24 years. I only stopped coming for a while because I had moved out of the area and didn't own a Mazda for a while. Mr. Haine, the owner and master mechanic, has always been consistently fair and reasonable. The shop work is impeccable. I can't say enough good things about this shop. I have trust issues with many mechanic shop but I totally trust these guys. read more

Have taken my Mazda 3i to Haines for multiple maintenance needs and he always gives fair pricing and great service! No matter how busy he is, he NEVER makes me feel like my job is too small. Really can't tell you how much I appreciate his service ethics. Definitely a diamond in the rough! read more

My car has noise on the front right side and Haines diagnosed the brake problem. He charged me more than $400 to replace two front rotors. However, the noise is still there. He diagnosed again and said it's the wheel suspension problem. He said it needs around $1000 to fix. I was so disappointed to hear that. I feel he is not trustable, and not decide to fix it there. By the way, when you ask the quote, please confirm it includes tax and labor fee. Otherwise, it will be more than $100 than he tell you. read more

I have consistently brought my '17 MX-5 here and they always provide great service with affordable prices!

Haines is great! He provides great service and pricing. I wouldn't take my Mazda 3 anywhere else.

I have my 2nd miata now, they are the only shop in LA I would trust with my miatas. Have been coming to this shop for years, they always provide quality service at a very reasonable price. A true mazda specialist. read more

I love Haines, he is very fast and responsive. Gives me a quote right away and estimate of time. Turn around time is also fast.

Found them by googling Mazda mechanic and they did not disappoint! I am very satisfied so far. I've been here about 3 times since, for anything that the dealer charges are overpriced. read more

Haines did a thorough service check on my 137k mile Mazda Tribute bought used off a car lot - the "you never know" kind of used car purchase. He suggested a "service light" for me, dissuading me from paying $500+ for the full Mazda 120K protocol tune-up. That was thoughtful of him. I over-rode him and paid for the bigger service visit - I WANTED the whole enchilada. But I just felt like calling that out, that he wasn't looking for the big ticket with me; he was trying to just get under the hood and look around first. I respected him. I also like the way he briefed my son and I when we came to pick it up - walked us through everything he did. He gets my picky yelp thumbs up. The place ain't pretty, but I'm not paying for pretty. I'm paying for good honest work. read more

Fixed my side view mirror quickly. I would recommend scheduling ahead since they need to order parts sometimes. They are fast service and nice people. read more

When you find and honest and competent mechanic, you stick with them. I found Haines around 20 years ago, found that they did a good job, I trusted them, and the prices were reasonable. I'm a good backyard mechanic myself, having rebuild many engines, so I know cars well, I just don't like working on them anymore. So Haines is my place. read more

Claimed "Mazda Specialist" but knows nothing about Mazda's MZR engines, knows nothing about why your direct injected engine is running rich or lean, or what to look for, knows nothing about tuning turbos and solving detonation issues. There, your so-called "Mazda Specialist" read more

Haines is the absolute best mechanic! He is extremely helpful and his prices are great. He is honest about if he can fix it or not and what to do if he cannot fix it. He is my go to guy for all my cars! read more

Haines Mazda have been (and will be for a very long time) the ONLY people to have touched my car. I've been there for every oil change, every maintenance, every little "malfunctions" that my paranoia brings about. I love how he doesn't BS me with all these add-on services. He gives me the quotes straight up and rarely goes over the original price. One of the things I also like about them is that I could pop in any time I want, and no matter how many cars are being worked on, they always fit me in. Doubt it'll stay like that for long though -- I've noticed more and more ppl each time I've come in. Oh well..good for them. It's honest ppl like these that deserve our business. Screw the dealerships! read more

I had my strut and shock mounts replaced here in about 2 hours. The guy is very knowledgeable and communicative!

No doubt they know their Mazdas, tale it here to avoid any problems with someone who doesn't work on them everyday.

My Mazda 3 2016 has been making a crazy sound! I went on yelp after going to all my mechanics (who couldn't help) & I came across Haine! I called Haine & he was so sweet over the phone! He wanted to help & understand why my car was making the sound it was. That right there made me want to take my car to him. Upon arrival Haine was so nice & welcoming. I'm sad my car is down right now but happy to have went with Haine read more

I Brought my Speed6 here to see why my clutch was not engaging properly after I had replaced the clutch and flywheel myself. Haines showed me that the fidanza flywheel was stuck to the pressure plate and recommended I purchase a new OEM flywheel and new LUK clutch and they would perform the work. Hey, as long as it gets it up and running I am cool with it. Being a full time student and working 30hours a week with limited driveway room at home I was relieved that my Speed6 would be up and running soon. They made it happen!! My clutch felt smooth and it felt amazing! After driving it home and excited to drive it the next day I saw a puddle of oil under my engine bay. I towed the Speed6 back to HAINES only to be told that my transfer case oil was low and that if it's the transmission leaking that I would need to pay for the labor so that they could diagnose and fix the problem. Another $600 for labor?! After paying about $1700 for labor, clutch and flywheel.... No way, I'm good. The Transmission was leaking on top from the pivot shaft seal, I replaced that 1 week ago. Transmission is also leaking from the axles. They lack Customer retention, will not be recommended by word of mouth. read more

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A very professional and capable repair shop for all your auto repair needs. Mr Haines and his technician work very well together and make sure that you are satisfied. read more

Haines and his crew are some of the best I have had the pleasure dealing with when my 94 Miata wasn't running right. The work was also done much faster and cheaper than I expected. He let me know a few things he would take care of when I was able to put a bit more money into it, but no high pressure dealership BS. Once work was completed, I was taken on a test drive ensuring me everything was taken care of. read more

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Over price and the results are really bad I give Haines three opportunities to fix my Miata and cost me more then two thousand just an labor plus the parts and didn't fix it ,just to give examples he charge two hundred to replace the two oxygen sensor he recommended to buy original parts each sensor cost almost 400 and didn't fix the problem ,I stop going to Haines he was just guessing he said that he have 40 years of experience he didn't pass the test couldn't fix a miss firing problem ,what to expect from this guy he is going to make you waist time and money don't go there bad really bad mechanic. read more

In 2011 I had a 2007 Mazda 3 Hatch and started looking for a good, trusted mechanic. Haines seemed to be highly reviewed on yelp so I took a shot and pretty much only went to him for oil changes, fluid flushes - all the "simple" stuff. Around 2014 my car began running into bigger challenges related to transmission, struts, etc. I realized that as the car problems grew in difficulty, Haines began doing a messier job. Here are the three top examples in order of messiest work: 1) Leaking front struts - Car was dipping forward b/c of this. He checked it out, charged me $800 to give me new ones and realign them. This was very expensive to me (as struts cost maybe $120 each) but the car was pretty much grinding against speed bumps and car body when turning so it was a necessary evil at the time. After driving the car off his lot and driving around for a few days I found out he simply used some old struts from another car and it was clicking very badly every time I hit a speed bump - as if something wasn't mounted correctly. He wouldn't refund me and said it's just how it's supposed to be. REALLY??! 2) Jerky Acceleration w/ Check Engine light - He insisted in flushing the very dirty transmission fluid which was changed less than 20,000 miles ago under normal driving conditions. He also cleaned the throttle and did a few other things. The car worked fine for two days and went back to the normal jerking. Whatever he did, it definitely didn't last so I attribute this to a bigger issue in the car OR he again did a messy and quick job. $350... 3) Brakes felt off, too squishy and long brake times - He claimed to have bled the brakes and made some adjustments to the brake system and didn't feel there was anything wrong with them. Got charged $150 for essentially a 30 minute brake diagnostic. There was definitely something very off b/c i had to floor the brakes to make them work. The final straw - the local mechanics look down on the guy. Every time I travel to another mechanic in the SGV they all know him and when they hear I went to him they always wave their hand in my face and say "don't go to him". They don't recommend him but you don't hear the same things being said about anyone else among them. My assumption is the shop uses used parts but charges full price for them thus leading to messy and incomplete jobs which endangers the consumer. If you have simple jobs I think he's fine. For anything 'bigger' outside of oil changes, tires, etc you should explore other options. By far though, he is nice guy and will always keep you in the loop. I'm just not happy with the outcome of his work but his customer service is pretty good. Just my two cents. read more

Okay time to spice things up a bit. I really hate this shop, this old man should seriously feel ashamed. He has 0 reputation amongst shops around the area that know his work (Silver Star on Garvey, Toyota Specialist on Rosemead Blvd.) Anyway, found out today that he re-used the old valve cover gasket on my mom's miata, used NON-OEM serpentine/accessory belts (and according to my mechanic friend, one belt is so wrong, but it should be fine for now), used NON-OEM distributor plugs (IN WHICH DO NOT ''LOCK'' WITHIN THE SPARK PLUG HOLES. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not receiving enough spark). I have a cut on the rack and pinion driver boot...this car only has 22k miles, the passenger side looks fine. I wouldn't be surprised if this clown did that on purpose so I can take it in for "service". Those rating 4-5 stars are absolutely mechanically inclined or came here for easy jobs. Hey if you're happy, more power to you. But haines is a joke. Do not come here. He screwed up two of our cars (my celica and my mom's miata). Now, I'm paying the consequences. read more