I have a cheap commuter and the clutch went out. It went from $1400 to $2000 to $2200 and when we hit that I said hey that’s dangerously close to me not repairing this car. I talked it out and the mechanic said he would give me all these deals. I worry being taken advantage of but I can’t work on cars.. what am I gonna do? How I am I gonna know? I said hey we’re a working class family I just had a baby it’s only my husband working. If it gets to $2500 I don’t want to fix it. Long story short it was $3300 and died in the parking lot. We got the car back Friday. Today is Monday. It now needs to be jumped. The car doesn’t hold a charge and it’s never had that issue before. On top of that the three day repair turned into over two weeks. The clutch that they repaired is very tight and seems to work well but I hesitate to even say that since the car doesn’t start. I would never come back here. It could have just been dumb luck and now there are other issues but I would never recommend this place to anyone. We usually go to tall guy small guy but these guys said they could get us in faster and I needed it done assp. Even that didn’t work out. To add to this. The car now has the battery light on and I have never seen that light on the screen once. The ABS light comes on and now the steering is locking up. Thinking of my experience at tall guy small guy they tell me the price, they are honest about what needs to be done, and I have never felt like this after a repair. This place is awful. Edit: I am unable to respond to the comment. I have sent now three emails to the mechanics in the last week with no response. The issues that the car is having now are unrelated to the clutch. I told the shop the amount at which we would consider not repairing and the bill was over a thousand more. This response is dismissive and untrue. I stand only firmer in my bad review and now with this misleading and predatory response I am sure that that shop took advantage.
We’re sorry to hear that you were dissatisfied with your experience, despite the extensive efforts we made to help you save both time and money. What began as a standard clutch replacement quickly turned into a highly complex repair due to significant and unexpected damage — much of it the result of prior wear and abuse. Our team worked diligently to save you over $2,000 in labor and approximately $3,000 in parts. Many components were either damaged or no longer available, including the bearing retainer housing and the clutch pedal box, which we showed you was severely bent — a level of damage that is highly unusual. Despite the challenge, we managed to repair and reuse several components that would have otherwise required full replacement, even though no new transmission or OEM parts were available for this vehicle. One particularly difficult item was the clutch pedal box. We explained how rare this part is, and how it is typically not inventoried at salvage yards. Nonetheless, we spent nearly a week searching and ultimately sourced one — a rare find. Even then, it required a specific bushing that is no longer manufactured. Rather than delaying your repair further, our technician took the initiative to custom 3D print the part at no additional cost to you. Additionally, we noticed issues with your vehicle as it was being driven away, including repeated stalling. This kind of operation can cause issues such as the alternator belt coming off — something we specifically recommended addressing, but which was declined. Manual transmission vehicles are sensitive to improper handling, and this kind of damage often contributes to premature wear or failure. Throughout the entire process, we kept you informed with regular updates via text and phone, explaining the parts delays, costs, and complications as they occurred. Given the condition of the vehicle and the rarity of the parts involved, getting it road-ready again was a significant achievement — and one that most shops would not have taken on, especially at the cost you paid. We truly believe our team went above and beyond to help you, and we stand by the work performed. We hope you'll reconsider your review in light of the full scope of effort and commitment that went into this repair.
- Bud's Auto Repair and Transmission