1 /5 Ted Mumford: BEWARE OF EXPENSIVE MISTAKES
I am a long-time customer of Paul’s Automotive that is severely disappointed by the high costs and mistakes that this shop has been making. I have brought several vehicles to this shop over the years, but I am sorry to say that I will never come back to this shop or recommend this shop to anyone I know.
I brought my 2016 Ford truck into Paul’s about a year ago when a check-engine light came on with a “P0430” code. The shop took a look at my truck and told me that I needed a new catalytic converter. The shop quoted me at about $4,300 to replace the catalytic converter. I told them to go ahead with the repair, and I paid the full amount.
A few weeks later, my check engine light came back on with the same “P0430” code. I took my truck back into the shop, and they could not figure out the issue. They cleared the code and I went home.
A few weeks after that, the same P0430 code came back on. This time, the shop told me that I needed to replace one of the oxygen sensors. I was hesitant, but I paid the money for Paul’s to replace the oxygen sensor.
A few weeks after that, my check engine light came on AGAIN with the same P0430 code. I took my truck back into the shop for the third time, and the mechanic told me that another oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. I paid for the new oxygen sensor to be installed.
A few weeks later, the same P0430 code came back on with the check engine light. I made an appointment and came back into the shop. However, I was turned away when the shop staff told me that they had overbooked me. I returned the following week. The mechanic then told me that they had to charge me for another diagnostic run. I couldn’t believe they were trying to charge me again for the same issue. This time, they told me that the issue was a tube that had melted in my exhaust system. Paul’s automotive told me that it was a few hundred more dollars to fix that. I paid it and went home.
A few weeks after that, my check engine light came back on with the same P0430 code. I went back to Paul’s again. I made an appointment, but the shop told me that they had overbooked me. I made another appointment and returned. The shop staff apologized and said they overbooked me again. I returned a third time, and they told me that their mechanics were sick and they could not service me.
I then went to a different mechanic to get my truck looked at (which I admittedly should have done long before then). The new shop looked at my catalytic converter and determined that Paul’s installed a faulty catalytic converter. They also told me that Paul’s went with an expensive aftermarket catalytic converter instead of the reliable one from Ford. Paul’s charged me over $3,600 for the part alone, while Ford charged about $1,500 for the part. I was also told that because the catalytic converter wasn’t doing its job, my engine had been running at the wrong fuel mixture, which caused excess heat to build up, cracking my exhaust manifold. The exhaust manifold alone was over $900 to replace.
Paul’s replaced their faulty catalytic converter with a new one, but they refused to refund me for the cost of the exhaust manifold, the exhaust tubing, the oxygen sensors, the $2,100 markup for the aftermarket catalytic converter, or the extra diagnostic fees. They also told me that the owner of the shop would give me a call to straighten things out, but he never returned my calls. The shop also refused to explain why they charged me $3,600 for a $1,500 part.
Pros:
1. Kind staff that seem to be doing their best
Cons:
1. Inexperienced (or dishonest) mechanics
2. Overbook appointments
3. Charge 2-3 times the going rate for parts
4. Charge 1.5-2 times the going rate for diagnostics
5. Unprotected outdoor parking for multi-day repairs
6. Difficult to get through to staff on the phone
7. Staff does not return calls
