This was a confusing experience. Paul came highly recommended by a few mechanics. Asked my buddy to take it down to his shop. It was an old Toyota Tacoma. After this experience I can't say I would recommend him to anyone. Paid over 400 bucks for the car to not start and we had to tow it out of there. I got it running in five minutes and I am a hobby mechanic. This one deserves more context. He just bought it and he had some intermittent electrical issues, so we paid for an initial diagnosis and a pre-purchase inspection. The inspection was very thorough and came with a lot of pictures. However, things went south from here on out. In my opinion, there was not enough time or care put into the diagnosis, and it was clear to me that he just wanted the vehicle out of there. An hour of shop time resulted in the following: - The claim that several engine sensors had been disconnected - with no specifics on what was disconnected. - The engine was not standard with what came with the truck. They also looked at the check engine light but did not tell me what codes they were or what the problem actually was. This is, at best, five minutes of work. A cursory look with Toyota manuals revealed that even it was not the same 2.7 the truck came with, the 2.4 that was in there shared exactly the same wiring harness and diagram as the 2.7. This swap was extremely popular in the field and easy to make work. I think it was unreasonable to charge my friend over $200 for this extremely poor diagnosis work. We went out of the garage none the wiser on what the problem was. To top it off, this once-running car did not start when we went to pick it up, necessitating further time off and a tow. The mechanic even joked that "it would be funny if it started right now" when the tow truck driver was picking it up. Extremely unprofessional. It took me a couple of minutes of looking under the engine bay and reconnecting a few connectors and it started right up. Did they not attempt this for the money we paid them? A full diagnosis will be underway at another shop or by myself. In short, the shop displayed poor diagnostic skills, a lack of concern and effort for my friend's only vehicle, a lack of specific knowledge about old Toyota trucks, and an unwillingness to make things right after the car died at his shop. How could I possibly recommend them?
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and I appreciate the detailed feedback. I’m genuinely sorry that the outcome was frustrating. We did our best to be thorough and transparent during the inspection, and I want to clarify that none of the concerns raised were a reflection of you or your friend personally — you were both pleasant to work with. The challenge with this vehicle was its age and overall condition, combined with extensive prior workmanship issues. The engine installed was not original to the truck, and while similar swaps may work in some cases, this particular installation showed multiple inconsistencies and unresolved electrical concerns. Given the condition of the vehicle and the unknowns created by previous modifications, a complete and reliable correction would have required significant time and expense, well beyond a basic diagnostic visit. When a vehicle presents in that state, especially with non-standard components and intermittent electrical issues, there is a limit to what can be responsibly resolved within a short inspection window. Our intent was not to dismiss the vehicle, but to avoid pursuing repairs that could quickly escalate in cost without guaranteeing a dependable outcome. I regret that the vehicle did not start at pickup, and I understand how that added to the frustration. That was certainly not the experience we aim to provide. I truly wish you the best in getting the truck sorted out, and I appreciate you giving us the opportunity to evaluate it.
- Baltimore Location