Hinga's Automotive Co

NO STAR. If you need anything related to engine repairs, do NOT take your car here. When you have an issue with their work, they will ignore your calls and will try anything but to make things right. Joy, the office manager and owners daughter, told me “unfortunately in these situations someone is a victim and in this situation you are the victim that’s just how it goes”. My car is now worthless as the engine is damaged due to the “35 year” experienced mechanic being negligent and not properly doing what they “specialize” in. I took my car in for a noise, however my car was still driving normal, no shaking, no stuttering, it had nothing but a sound. The mechanic replaced camshaft follower and intake, all of the lifters, rocker arms, timing set, fuel pump gasket, vacuum pump gasket, vvt valve and timing cover gasket which ended up being $3k. At pick up time I noticed my motor was shaking a lot, I asked the mechanic and he said it was “normal”. I brushed it off to avoid conflict and decided to drive my car and see how it drove. The car began to stall when accelerating (which it never did before). I took it back to the mechanic the next day, he said everything looked good and to change the spark plugs and ignition coil in cylinder 4. The car was not stalling anymore but still shaking a lot and he kept saying it was normal. I also mentioned the second time around that oil was leaking from my car as well from the timing chain, a part he fixed but he said he cleaned it up and it was not leaking and that it was just old oil. FOUR days of driving my car, the oil pressure light turns on. I had to tow my car back to Hinga’s Automotive. This is the THIRD time they have my car, and the mechanic says that my oil looks golden and it looks like there could possibly be metal in the oil from the bearings. I asked him if he checked the engine oil after he did all of the engine work. He said he checked it and it was “clean” but not even a week of having my car and taking it back, it is not clean anymore? I asked Volkswagen Dealership and another independent mechanic which both confirmed that an oil change is necessary after major engine work is done as it was on my car because debris or metal from old parts can get into the oil and engine from the exposure. I had an independent mechanic go to Hinga’s shop and look at it because Hinga suggested I should, the independent mechanic said the parts used did not look new and they are refusing to let me look at the receipts to the parts used for MY car which I PAID for as “new parts”. The independent mechanic asked Hinga’s mechanic questions that he could not answer, he just stayed quiet the whole time, knowing he messed up my car. I again mentioned to Hinga’s mechanic that the oil was leaking again, and he then admitted that he did not seal the part correctly and it was leaking a few drops. I asked for a refund and should ask for the mechanic for another engine due to his negligence. No one was helping and management never called me. I spoke to Joy who is the “manager/owner” ONLY AFTER my dad put a bad review but she did not want to issue me a refund and said I had to wait a week and a half which would have been 11/28 for the owner, Mr.Hinga, to come back from out of the country for him to talk to me about the engine. Mr.Hinga then had to extend his trip until after Christmas ( I was told this on 11/21) for that reason he would not be able to see the car himself to discuss the refund and will not even call me to talk to me personally. Joy admitted to me that the Mechanic recognized he messed up and that this was a “one time mess up” because he is a “good mechanic”, however, he failed to do one simple step that should be routine for a mechanic that specializes in engines. They say it’s under warranty but even though the parts and labor are under warranty, if you want a refund, they will not give it to you. These people are money hungry and will not do the right thing even when they know they are in the wrong. Don’t waste your time and money like I did.