If I could give this place a negative rating, I'd be at -5000, since that's how much money I don't have due to this place.
This may be long, but bare with me, the time, money, and amount of problems this place is STILL giving me is worth the read.
Unfortunately for me, my timing belt snapped on my 99 Passat about 2.5 years ago around October 2013. Helpless and not knowing what to do (I was 21 at the time), I searched up a reputable place online and found Wayne's. Good, wholesome men is what I got from the reviews, with a mom and pop shop feel, so I took my car in.
Upon diagnosis, they told me the dreadful news that my engine was shot. A price tag of roughly $3,500 (parts and labor) was what I would have to pay, and at the time being in school and having two jobs, and my car only having 105K miles, I decided to fix it. They also suggested I get my water pump changed as well, but that would've added another $250 to the bill, so I passed. That initial payment would've been fine if it weren't for what happened a year later.
Around January 2014, my timing belt snaps again. You could only imagine the amount of anger I felt! I brought my car back to Wayne's, demanding they tell me what happened to my rebuilt engine, especially since I was still under an 18 month warranty. They do a diagnosis and sure enough, my engine is shot once again. For anyone who knows about timing belts (I didn't at the time but I definitely know now), a timing belt job REQUIRES at least two things on a Passat: timing belt and the tensioner/pulley. I even went to a Volkswagon dealership to see what they require on a timing belt job, tensioner is on there loud and clear. When I spoke to one of the workers at Wayne's, he had the nerve to tell me, and I quote "You didn't tell us to replace the tensioner, so that's what broke this time."
........
Being 21 at the time, and having a grown man tell ME that I didn't tell him to fix a necessary part on my car after I spent $3,500 dollars?!?! I almost lost it. Yes, I told him not to do the water pump, but never in my life had I even heard of a tensioner before he told me this! This is when I learned that since they didn't replace that part on my engine the first time, it was NOT covered under warranty....
....therefore another bill of roughly $3,500.
To make this long story semi shorter, me and Wayne's, with the help of my father, got our bill down to $1,000 (Wayne's was so gracious to only charge us for some labor....sarcasm) but they did also include the water pump "for free" in there after I requested it, which I did appreciate.
Flash forward to today, as I'm writing this review, my car is once again in the shop. I get a call from the auto shop where they say, and I quote "I don't mean to throw the last place you took your car to under the bus, but they really messed up on your gasket. It wasn't aligned right, therefore your exhaust is leaking/rattling." My gasket was completely replaced by Wayne's due to them rebuilding the engine. I am now stuck with another $300 bill to replace this!
If anyone has read this, INCLUDING WAYNE HIMSELF, you have been warned! If it wasn't for my move away from Oregon I would've sued the place, but seeing as I didn't have the time nor money to do so, I filed with the BBB. When you mess up that bad on something, especially with a price tag that high, it would be great to just own up to it! These men really do seem nice in there, but I have no good feelings towards this place at all! I am now 24, and since taking my car to Wayne's I have spent almost $5,000 in three years because of this place.
****UPDATE ON REVIEW since Jerry was so kind to respond. Note my dad did help with this, also note my dad is not a mechanic, and ALSO note that I was WITH my father when we told them to repair the car, and NEITHER one of us were asked ANYTHING about a tensioner. ONLY the water pump. Note once again that when I went to an authorized VW dealership, when doing a timing belt job, tensioner is INCLUDED! It would be NEGLIGENT to NOT change the tensioner since both work hand in hand, and they go out around same time! ALSO NOTE I SPENT $3,500 to get my whole engine repaired after my timing belt broke!! "Replace what was necessary" Jerry? Yes the tensioner was NECESSARY! Jerry is STILL telling me that it was not only my (or my fathers) fault, but that if I were to have gotten the tensioner done, it would have added MORE TO MY $3,500 BILL?!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS JERRY! I stand by my first review and your response just goes to show the type of service here. read more