Where do I even begin?…read more
I love my Jaguar F-Type. It's not my only car, but it's the one I genuinely enjoy driving. So when things started going wrong, it hit different. I took it everywhere -- local shops in Anaheim, Jaguar dealerships, even "specialists" in the LA area. I spent thousands of dollars and kept getting nowhere.
Then the real scare happened.
Every time I started my car, the RPMs would shoot up extremely high and fluctuate like crazy. It honestly made me nervous. I knew something wasn't right.
I took it to Jaguar in West Covina. They charged $270 an hour just to inspect it. After a $1,400 leak-down test, they told me I needed a $35,000 new engine. Yes -- $35,000. They said my engine was fried. On top of that, during their testing they blew out my starter and then told me it was "failing" and wouldn't take responsibility.
I was numb.
That's when I reached out to Mina Gallery. They manufacture performance parts specifically for Jaguar, and I had purchased my cold air intake from them before, so I trusted them. After explaining everything, they referred me to Keith at Tapa Jaguar & Land Rover Engines.
From the first phone call, Keith told me straight up: I did not need a new engine. After being burned so many times, I didn't know whether to believe him -- but something felt different. He told me to look up his reviews. I did, and I was blown away. People ship their cars from all over North America to him.
So I shipped mine about 100 miles north.
Within a day, my car was basically back to normal. The "blown engine" turned out to be a few relatively inexpensive parts. No catastrophic failure. No $35,000 replacement. Just honest diagnostics and real expertise.
They replaced my starter correctly. Hilario even did some wiring work as a short-term fix because I had underlying electrical issues. Instead of pretending to handle something outside their specialty, Keith referred me to a trusted electrical shop in Santa Monica that specializes in that department. Two weeks later, they fully corrected the issue. That level of honesty meant a lot to me.
Keith even went out of his way to help me fight Jaguar West Covina. He wrote a detailed breakdown explaining what was really wrong and why their diagnosis -- and the damage done during testing -- was on them. He didn't have to do that. He gained nothing from it.
Because of what he wrote, Jaguar reduced my bill down to $700.
He helped me get money back.
Later on, I developed a coolant leak underneath the supercharger. If you know these cars, you know that job isn't small -- the supercharger has to come off, and it can get pricey. Keith and Hilario replaced the coolant leak properly and replaced all the necessary parts that go along with that repair while everything was apart.
Around that same time, I was hearing a rattling noise from the supercharger. Keith was honest and told me I didn't have to replace it. The rattling only happened because of the original RPM issue -- it caused internal parts inside the supercharger to loosen up. He wasn't pushing a big-ticket repair.
But I didn't want that rattle continuing, so I chose to replace the supercharger anyway. And when I did, he gave me a killer deal.
Now my car runs smoothly. No noise. No rattle. Everything sounds perfect. It drives exactly how it's supposed to.
The biggest thing for me is this: Keith could have made way more money off me if he wanted to. I was frustrated and vulnerable. Instead, he chose integrity. He calls, texts, keeps me updated, and I never once feel taken advantage of.
I've even spoken with his wife, and they are genuinely good people. The kind you're grateful to meet. The kind you want in your corner.
If you own a Jaguar or Land Rover and want someone who truly understands these engines and operates with honesty, bring your vehicle to Tapa Jaguar. You will not regret it.
I'm beyond grateful. Thank you, Keith and team. God bless you.
