I made the big mistake of recommending Orinda Motors to my dad whose car overheated over the weekend. Of course, my dad said he just needed to add coolant, but I insisted he double check. Sure enough, Orinda Motors said my dad needed a new hose and wanted to charge $2300 for it when my dad’s mechanic would have charged $400 for the same job. My dad did the smart thing - he said no thank you and drove home. Not only that, but Orinda Motors diagnostics specifically called out that there were no leaks detected…so why did they tell my dad he needed a new hose? Furthermore, they did add in the coolant for him BUT they overfilled it! They didn’t use a cone, so my dad had puddles of coolant all over his engine, including running down the side of the car on the paint. Not to mention that any person who can read a label or has common sense knows not to overfill the coolant. Stay away from these guys! They are the perfect example of mechanics who overcharge for shoddy or unnecessary work. Scammers. And now I have to deal with my dad constantly pointed out how terrible Orinda Motors are.
Hi Dena, We appreciate your response, our technician stated your dad’s vehicle came in with coolant stains at the lower radiator hose and was low on coolant by 1/2 a gallon. The leak was not active when it was in our shop, we also conducted a pressure test on the cooling system to find any active leaks to which there were none. Concluding the leak happened overtime eventually creating an air pocket allowing the engine to overheat and throw the check engine light code as well. We recommended to replace the lower radiator hose to fix the immediate issue. But for preventative maintenance, due to the vehicle being 15 years old, we also suggested the upper radiator hose and thermostat to ensure the cooling system’s longevity, this upped the price due to parts and labor on top of our initial inspection fee. We presented the options moving forward and neither were taken.
- Orinda Motors Inc.