Jeremias took $3500 from me to put a used engine in my old car. Once ... read more Jeremias took $3500 from me to put a used engine in my old car. Once he took possession of it and took the head off, the game was over. When removing your car and going somewhere else is no longer an option, you have the tiger by the tail. The "cost" kept increasing up to $1800 that I still (involuntarily) agreed to. ($1500 had been my target cost) The last day he told me the final price was $3100, (+ the $700 for the used, untested motor...which was BAD) without my having approved of THAT absurd figure. Many "chores" were charged as separate procedures to jack up the price. Charging hours of labor for motor mounts when the engine is being replaced anyway is one example. The engine had no oil pressure and the "engine" light was on. Smog was due in six weeks and a component was missing. I had to sell the car for junk ($49 at Pick N Pull) and I had to go to court. I won in court but he won't pay. The sheriff went for a "till tap" but couldn't collect any money because he does cash transactions from his pocket. His profile with the BBB and others was not consistent with his past life, as far as years in auto repair, etc. He knows every trick in the book. "If you give this man your ride, sweet memories will die." (slight variation of the Jim Morisson song) I have all the paperwork to prove these comments, from the greed-driven invoice from 1st Choice to the $49 receipt from Pick N Pull. In court he acts confused and thinks I should have brought it BACK to him! I'm actually a little curious to see how high his lack of shame would allow him to raise the price. Of course I regret paying the total to remove my car. I should have let him keep it, but I thought the legal route was the way to go. Well...not so much with this slick operator.
1/13/2018 A few months ago I brought my 2002 Hyundai XG350 in to ... read more 1/13/2018 A few months ago I brought my 2002 Hyundai XG350 in to look into leaking power steering fluid. I was told of several possibilities and associated costs. Hoping for the best I let them take a look. Later that day I was called by Leah in the office and she explained it required the "Mid cost" fix of a high pressure power steering hose. She gave me an estimate, explained they had to order parts and gave me a two day window to have the work completed. I agreed to these estimates and gave the go ahead. At the end of the next day I received a call that the work was done. When I went to pick it up I was informed the part was @ $120 less than expected due to a manufacture revision. Now that's refreshing! One thing; the check engine light came on a couple days after picking up the car indicating the EGR valve wasn't working. My son investigated and saw one of the hard plastic hose connectors to the EGR valve was broken. It was near the area of the power steering hose so we guessed it happened during that service. My son said high heat and age makes them very brittle. He said most shops tell you these things will likely break on older cars and include replacing them in the estimate so you won't be surprised if it happens. It was an easy fix for $2 and 10 minutes so I didn't even mention it to Florin Auto. Subsequent to this visit I received a post card with further maintenance recommendations and a 10% discount offer. I was going to change the tranny fluid and considered struts anyway so why not? Again, I was given estimates of costs and time frame of completion. Anyway, low and behold the actual cost was less than the estimate since an exterior transmission filter and alignment wasn't necessary! The one thing that kept me from giving 5 stars was my traction control system and anti lock brake system warning lights were on when I went to pick up my car. They had to keep it any extra day. They couldn't figure out what was wrong and just reset the system to clear the warning lights and told me to drive it for a while and let them know. If necessary they would have to run a full diagnostics. I've put on @ 300 miles and the lights haven't come on again so I guess it's all good. Bottom line: They may not be the cheapest shop but at least 1. It's a clean and organized shop 2. I got verbal and written estimates for cost and time 3. They display honesty in passing on lower than expected costs to the customer 4. They met the expected time frame for completion 5. My car didn't have greasy smudge marks all over it when I picked it up on either occasion. So, a couple of things weren't as planned but I know sometimes these things happen. I truly feel Florin Auto would have taken care of the hose connector if I needed them to. The overall snapshot I've received from this business is a good one and honesty in an auto mechanic is golden so I'll be a returning customer.
I love this place, my car always gets fixed with no surprises. I trust... read more I love this place, my car always gets fixed with no surprises. I trust Manuel and he makes it easy for me to prioritize what work needs to get done on my car. Not just an expert but honest. I refer my friends to him with no hesitation. Briana Burnette
