Andrew M.
2/5
Summer 2020 update:
Only two out of five stars. Here's the story (and first with the good):
In the summer of 2017 the clutch went out in my 2001 PT Cruiser. The car was towed to his shop which is just down the street from me and he took it in for service within the day (and at the time Hung's shop wasn't as busy as it is today). Hung confirmed that the clutch needed to be replaced and he reported that there was another noise issue with the transmission - bad bearings. Hung recommended that the transmission be replaced with a good salvaged one from one of his trusted suppliers. I was well aware of the noise in the transmission and since I had it repaired elsewhere several times over the years, I was pleased to finally replace it once and for all. Hung also referenced a Chrysler TSB that required the factory transmission oil be replaced with the newer ATF+4 as the factory oil was not compatible with the bearings in the transmission. I very well knew that this was the issue with the bearings but the TSB confirmed my suspicion. This was all good service on Hung's part - kudos! Three days later, the car was running again and ready for pickup. The replacement transmission worked better than the original! Hung's shop also fixed a small leak in one of my tires, presumably at no extra charge. As of writing the PT is still on the road nearly 20 years old with 205,000 kms.
Now the not so good: Hung's shop did not replace the two axle oil seals and I queried him about that. One was leaking. Since this is a relatively easy job, rather than raise an issue with the shop and tie up the car again so soon after this big repair bill, I replaced the seal myself since I was otherwise very happy with how the salvaged transmission performed. When replacing a transmission or clutch on older vehicles with high mileage, it is good practice to replace the rear main oil seal *even if it is not leaking*. Well, two months after I picked up the car, I noticed this new leak and confirmed that it was the rear main seal (and not from the axle seal). I think that as added service *value* Hung's shop should have replaced this part as it is only a $10 item requiring maybe 20 minutes of labour and is real easy to do when the engine is already separated from the transmission. He could have just asked and I would have totally concurred. I now have a small leak leaving stains on the garage floor like a tombstone reminder of what *should* have been done in this service event. Hoping that Hung will read this review and let it serve as a LESSONS LEARNED: customers appreciate added value in service! There's more to costs and timing.
The saga continues: In the summer of 2020 I brought in a 2005 Honda Element to get a mechanical Safety Certificate. Standard cost for this is $120. Hung explained that the qualifications have changed over the years and the process is more comprehensive; many shops won't do this service. After completing the inspection, Hung recommended over $1000 in repairs and if I didn't get his shop to do the work, I would need to pay another $120 for a re-inspection. I asked for a quote for all this work and Hung said that I would have to wait a week for this. I decided I needed a second opinion so I went to another shop and all they recommended was to replace the two front calipers. I did the labour myself and the total cost was $200. The car is now fully licensed and certified. It appears that Hung took this as an opportunity for a "cash-grab". While it is up to the professional opinion of the licensed mechanic to decide on what needs to be done, the safety standards do not require the car to be "perfect" and this was an example of excessiveness. It is truly unfortunate that an independent shop in a small community such as Port Hope would wantonly perpetuate this negative business model. Sorry, it's on Social Media now and everyone else can read up on it and make their own decisions. I know that other reviewers have positive experiences, I just cant say the same.
