Steer clear of C&H Foreign Auto or be taken for a ride…read more
As a business founder, a manager, and a lifelong Audi owner, I know exactly what industry-standard service, competence, and customer care look like. When you look for a reliable mechanic, you naturally want honesty and respect. As you read about our devastating experience below, you will quickly find yourself deciding to avoid C&H Foreign Auto completely. The existing reviews characterizing them as cowboys, crooks, and rip-off merchants are tragically accurate.
This nightmare centered around my 16-year-old son, a 4.0 student at his high school and a volunteer member of a civic youth organization. He worked incredibly hard to save for his first car, a 2001 Audi TT. Unfortunately, taking it to C&H Foreign Auto for a simple "hot smell" resulted in a heartbreaking lesson in predatory business practices.
We approved an estimate for $2,408. However, after the technician began working, the Service Advisor called with a staggering ultimatum: Pay an extra $567.77 or take the car back in a broken, "misfiring" state - you already know that the car was not misfiring when we took it in! But this was just the beginning of bill inflation.
Manufactured Problems: The shop's own diagnostic report from 9:07 AM on the day of service proves the car had ZERO ignition faults or misfires when we dropped it off. Their technician broke the 25-year-old wiring connectors while disassembling the engine. Instead of taking professional responsibility for the damage they caused, they held the vehicle hostage and forced a teenager to pay to fix their mistake.
When you carefully review their billing practices, you will recognize why it is essential to protect your vehicle from this shop:
Extreme Markups: They charged $360 for four plastic connector clips (Bremi pigtails Part #219037005). These exact parts retail for just over $32. So nearly 3x market rate and more than the cost of a brand-new complete wiring harness... This is predatory. Similarly, the thermostat (Part #314187D) and coolant were marked up significantly beyond standard margins.
Labor "Double-Dipping" & Double Billing: They charged $1,083 in labor for a valve cover gasket, then added $208 more to fix the wires right next to it. Since the engine was already apart, charging full standalone labor for the second task is egregious "double-dipping." Furthermore, they inexplicably charged us twice for a single gasket cover.
Inflated Hours: They billed 3.5 hours for a thermostat, for example, even though industry-standard guides (AllData) show it is a 2.2-hour job.
Appalling Customer Service and Intimidation: At the shop, I witnessed something that shook me to my core as a husband and business owner. My wife, standing just over 5 feet tall, calmly expressed her meticulous research into industry-standard rates, times, and costs of each part number they used. In response, two burly auto-workers bullied her. They were argumentative, condescending, and intimidating. I would instantly fire anyone in my business who treated a customer with such appalling disrespect. Even when presented with undeniable proof of double-charging and inflated labor, they refused to reduce the bill a single cent.
The Aftermath: To add insult to injury, after doubling the price of the car with their extortionate bill, we drove away only to find their shoddy workmanship made things worse. They snapped off part of the bumper. The original "hot smell" is still completely present. The car idles harder than it ever has before, has a noticeable judder, and drives far worse than the day we dropped it off.
Our son does everything right - grades, community service, and working hard for his belongings. Seeing a "professional" shop take advantage of him is devastating.
As you absorb this information, allow yourself to never consider them for any work on your car. Save yourself the financial loss, the bullying, and the mechanical sabotage. You will feel much more secure when you take your business elsewhere and leave C&H Foreign Auto the absolute pariah they deserve to be.
