I was quoted 8 hours of labor not to exceed $800 for the HG replacement (I already had all the parts I needed in a box ready to go) and A/C delete. No other shops were able to get me in before I needed to leave on my road trip so this seemed reasonable. I scheduled the appointment, then dropped it off the night before with a note on the key envelope authorizing them to machine the heads if necessary along with a reminder that I wanted to keep the parts from the A/C delete and to call me if they found anything that needed to be addressed.
I got a call the next day requesting authorization for a new clutch. I was quoted $200 for a new clutch and since the old one was slipping I agreed. I stopped by that afternoon to check on the progress. The mechanic said the heads did not need machining and looked brand new. He showed me a tiny hot spot on the flywheel that he was going to buff out and told me the car would be ready the next day.
Went to pickup the car the next day and this is where the positive experience ended. I should have taken the car for a test drive and looked under the hood before paying the bill but didn't. When they gave me the total I was not a happy camper. There were several additional charges added to the bill including two additional hours beyond what was quoted. The manager removed some of the charges but the total ended up being 50% more than what I was expecting. By this time I was so torqued that I just went out to my car and left.
Serious disappointment set in right after I started the car. I was expecting the clutch to be tight but not STi tight. I killed the engine twice in the parking lot before and a few more times on the way home. Once I got the car rolling I noticed a serious decrease in power from when I brought it in. When I got home I did not see the A/C compressor in the trunk so I popped the hood to see if they even did the work. Sure enough the compressor was still in place although the mechanic did unplug the electrical connection and remove the hose.
I tried calling them right away but they were closed so I left a message for them to call me. I did not receive a return phone call for over a week. When they finally called I told them clutch had loosened up a little but was still ridiculously tight and the unexplained loss of power was still a major issue. I was told to bring it in so they could look at but of course I had to schedule a time the next week. When I brought the car in they had it less than 30 minutes before I was told it was good to go. Took there word for it and took my car. The clutch was fine for a few weeks (which isn't saying much because it is not my daily driver) but the loss of power was still present and I noticed an increasing oil leak that was not present before the HG replacement. I took my car in again and I got the same quickie treatment again.
Since that time I've tried to get my car in a couple of times to have them take a look but they are always "a month out" which now puts them out past the warranty. I was able to get one appointment scheduled a couple of weeks ago but then it was canceled by them. To make matters worse the car has started overheating and the throwout bearing is making a ton of noise!!
