5
MINHS Automotive is the most professional car mechanics I've ever used. I brought in my 2008 volvo c30 after not having AC for two years. Previously, I had struggled to find a mechanic that I trusted to fix the AC, especially as every mechanic told me that there was a different problem. Additionally, my car was making a weird noise, so I had them check this out too. When I brought the car in, Nick was very transparent in explaining how they would diagnose the AC (which costs $270, so not cheap). From talking to other mechanics, I had an impression that the compressor and condenser needed to be replaced. Nick talked me through several scenarios of why or why not this would result in lack of AC. This provided me with confidence that they weren't trying to pull the wool over my eyes given the cost of the repair. What also distinguished MINHS Automotive was their usage of Tekmetric. They appear to use this software for both backend and frontend communications, as I noticed that they used it to coordinate and track how a repair was progressing. As soon as they finished the general inspection, they uploaded the report with photographs of what needed to be inspected, providing me with physical evidence and visuals to confirm the repairs. I didn't end up approving these repairs after I talked with Nick about what was urgent vs. not, but it is a good reference to have for the future. Additionally, when they completed the AC diagnostic, they had me approve the repair digitally so that they could begin the job. These checks and balances help with i) organization (internally and externally), ii) ensuring that they have the proper approvals, and iii) providing a detailed cost vs. labor breakdown for the various repairs. Initially, I pushed back on some of the labor costs, but Nick made it clear that he needed to pay the techs for their time, which made me more understanding as a customer of the cost. Initially, when Nick and his techs looked at the car, it looked like it was just the condenser that needed to be replaced since it was leaking as they had ran the compressor for 3 hours and it was being responsive and generating cold air. He said that it was highly unlikely that the compressor would have to be replaced. When I came to pick up the car, Nick told me that "I won the MINHS lottery." I paid for the condenser repair, but they ended up replacing my compressor as well because the next morning, my car was still blowing hot air. He didn't want to charge me for it after promising that the condenser wouldn't have to be replaced especially as a new customer, so I got a free compressor. This told me a couple things: i) their regard for a customer as a lifelong customer and ii) thoroughness in continuously checking the car. Last, Nick and his team found that the noise came from the oil filter housing that needed to be replaced and sent me videos to help me understand the repair. Initially I didn't want to do the repair immediately because it would have cost $1k, on top of a $1.5k AC repair expense. He came back with a lower estimate of $500 from using aftermarket parts and bundling some of the labor with the AC repair. I would say that MINHS is probably more expensive than other mechanics I've been to but worth the money given their professionalism, attention to detail, transparent communication, and ability to fix the issues (cold AC now and no more noise in the engine). Highly recommend.