Tried a mobile mechanic in Phoenix and it was a total disaster

I hired a mobile mechanic last week to come to my house and fix a rough idle on my 2010 Honda. He showed up 2 hours late, no apology, just walked around my car for 10 minutes looking at it. Then he told me it was a bad MAF sensor and charged me $180 right there for a cheap aftermarket one. After he installed it, my check engine light came on within 5 miles and the car was stalling worse than before. I took it to my regular shop and they found a vacuum leak on a hose that was literally just loose. That guy took my money and left me with more problems. Has anyone else had a bad run with these mobile dudes who work out of their trucks?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly6381mo ago

$180 for a MAF sensor on a 2010 Honda? That's almost criminal. I had a mobile guy try to sell me a "premium" battery for my Corolla once, and when I looked it up later it was a cheap Walmart brand he probably got on clearance. The vacuum leak thing is the worst part too - that's like basics of car repair, checking for loose hoses before throwing parts at it. These driveway mechanics really bank on people not knowing any better (or being too stressed to argue). Hope you got your money back or at least badmouthed him on Yelp.

ellioth371mo ago

Wait, vacuum leaks are definitely a thing, but on a 2010 Honda the most common issue with the MAF sensor is actually dirt or oil from a dirty air filter or even over-oiled aftermarket filters. Not saying the mechanic was right for charging $180, because that's robbery, but sometimes a simple cleaning with MAF cleaner can fix it without replacing anything. Also, on those older Hondas, a vacuum leak usually shows up as a high idle or surging, not necessarily a MAF-related code. The real shame is these guys know most people won't look up the part cost themselves. A genuine Denso MAF for that car is like $80-100 online, so $180 is just a straight up markup for ignorance. Hope he at least used a real Denso and not some no-name Chinese part from Amazon.