Ming has been servicing my cars for six years. I have taken my Audi to him for that long and he has always been punctual, honest and incredibly efficient. He uses top shelf oils and materials, but will make an effort to use cheaper materials, asking you what budget you have and providing different estimates for different wallets. He has never pushed for services the car didn't need. He has never pushed for a more expensive part, when a cheaper one was available, unlike pretty much all mechanics I've had in the past.
Every time Ming services your car, he has it detailed before returning it to you at no additional cost. That seems like nothing, but it goes a long way to making you feel that you are getting back a new car. I love driving my car away from his shop, it always feels great.
Ming has also been servicing my Jeep Cherokee XJ for two years now. I bought the car used as a back up car and for the snow, and it has had a number of problems peculiar to its model, including a recurring engine light, a non-functioning AC and rust, all of which are common in New England and with this particular model. Ming has made my Jeep run like a dream! He has extended its life, made it run tight and checked from time to time by email to know how it's running. That is not your average mechanic!
He has accommodated my schedule on multiple occasions, rushed to return my car if I needed it, and provided a ride home when no one was available to drive me back.
I am not a person who trusts people easily, but I am grateful to have met Ming and I can say without a doubt that I trust him as a professional and as a person.
The last service involved oil change, muffler swap (with a special muffler I acquired online), check for availability of fog light wiring, reload and fix AC, check error codes in engine light and return a diagnosis.
Ming swapped the muffler and used the pipe the car already had in order not to charge me for extra muffler pipe (expensive). He welded the new muffler in and adapted it to the car, with custom brackets.
He changed the oil and checked engine light codes, which returned a gas evap problem and a couple of other more cryptic issues. Ming fixed the first problem with a new gas cap and addressed the other problems by checking cylinders and ensuring the engine was not misfiring. He then test drove the car for a number of days to make sure that the problems did not resurface.
The AC was found to be leaking freon (the gas that allows it to make cool air). Instead of charging me for an expensive UV check and then for more expensive AC parts replacements, Ming reloaded the freon in the AC with a dye, which will allow for easy spotting of the leak at the next service. This way, I have a functioning AC for the rest of the summer and the guarantee that the leak will be sealed at little cost to me, the next time I bring it in for an oil change.
Lastly, I asked Ming to check if the car had fog light wiring ready to be used to install a couple of OEM fog lamps I bought on ebay. He checked and told me that the wiring was not present and that therefore he wouldn't install the lights. Another mechanic would have rigged up a wire and relay and charged me for the time, but Ming is honest and he reported the truth so I was able to make a decision.
The car was returned to me in great shape, detailed and running like new. As usual, a pleasure to drive.
Later in the week, Ming emailed me to ask how the car was running and if the engine light problem had returned. That is the sort of care and feedback that you will get at this great shop. I recommend him wholeheartedly. read more
