Halsey Automotive Repair Inc

John Rudeen

★☆☆☆☆

9 months ago

Show recently a very good friend of mine took his karmann Ghia into Halsey automotive repair to have the wiring for the turn signals redone. What happened the three days that Halsey automotive was working on his vehicle is that they left the power on to his vehicle the entire time which also left the power on to his electric fuel pump which they told him they heard running. With the fuel pump running the entire time it flooded the motor with gasoline thinning out his oil to the point that when he tried to drive it home is motor totally blew and now needs completely rebuilt!!! When he went back to them so that they could fix their mistake they blame him for it so they will never work on his car again and that he is responsible for having his motor rebuilt not them. They actually got very belligerent with him arguing with him and even though they said that they knew the fuel pump was running the entire time and all they had to do was cut the power to the fuel pump and his motor wouldn't have been flooded with gasoline which would have prevented his motor from being destroyed. They told him that the repairs were on him and that they have no responsibility and don't even want to see your work on his car again! I want to warn everyone not to take your classic Volkswagen or any car to Halsey automotive repair!!!

Michelle Delepine

★★★★★

a year ago

Wow! Can’t recommend this shop enough! My trusted mechanic shop recommended Halsey Automotive Repair to me for my 1981 Rabbit Pickup and they have not disappointed! I’ve brought my truck in for a few different issues and they always fit me in even though they are a busy shop (and for good reason!). Every repair they have made has been a job well done and they charge very fair prices. Very happy customer!

Tom Merfeld

★☆☆☆☆

9 months ago

DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR HERE!!!! I am the President of a local car club and my club brother brought his Carmen Gia in for some wiring specifically the turn signals this car has a electric fuel pump that activates when the key is on. They proceeded leave the key in the on position the entire time they were working on it causing the fuel pump to flood the engine causing the motor to be ruined. This could have been avoided by simply disconnecting power to the fuel pump while working on it when confronted about it there response was see you in court

Daniel Yorba

★★★★★

a year ago

One of the only places in town to get reliable work done on older VWs. Especially Vanagons. There are separate parts and maintenance businesses under the same roof. The maintenance side is run by a super friendly couple that have been at this for many decades. They do good work and are super reasonable with the pricing. They seem to genuinely care about people and that they are satisfied with the outcome of their work. I'll definitely be back next time my van breaks down!

Dan Man

★☆☆☆☆

2 years ago

I got my 1990 Vanagon serviced here and they did a horrible job on my car. Installed an antenna that's already loose. Already experiencing leaks that were fixed less than a year ago. They replaced my rear hatch struts after I told them that I already installed new ones. They also replaced cosmetic things that I didn't want to spend money on. Halsey Automotive won't listen to you and I won't be coming back for any services. Also good luck getting your car back, it will probably sit there for a long time.

ruby hosking

★★★★★

4 years ago

I worked with Tom - he explained my cars issue and time line to get it fixed very well. He called when he found exactly the issue with a reasonable price. Got my car back sooner than expected! Also, he noticed some issues that were covered under warranty/recall from VW thankfully he didn’t try to upset me on those repair but instead sent me to a VW dealership. Great shop 10/10 recommend!

Teresa McKee

★★★★★

a year ago

Great work! Charming family owned business. Fair prices and great work. Very happy to have my 84’ Volkswagen up and running again.

Bob Jaques

★★★★★

Edited 3 years ago

I've been doing business with Halsey for 20 years for VW and Audi work. I've always received straight-forward information and recommendations for service from folks who clearly are experts with both brands. At times I've been advised NOT to have service done because of the expense vs. immediate need; I appreciate Tom's taking the point of view of the customer. Occasionally unforeseen bumps mean a few extra days at the shop, but I'd rather drive away knowing the car is fixed and safe, than leave it to another shop that occasionally works on VW or Audi.

Laura Phelps

★☆☆☆☆

10 years ago

My boyfriend and I were treated horribly from this business. We were cussed at, yelled at, had my keys thrown at us and were kicked off the property for arguing the quality of the repairs done on my car. Over 2 visits in an attempt to have an extremely bad wheel bearing fixed and window mechanics diagnosed for a window that wouldn't roll up, I was charged $50 for the diagnostic. But after the diagnostic they had broken the door handle inside the vehicle so the door could not be opened. They claimed they had nothing to do with this. Had it checked by another mechanic who said it was clearly broken by Halsey and not completely put back together. Halsey ripped me off to repair nothing and break the door. As for the wheel bearing that was bad, it never got fixed during that visit! They replaced the wrong one! One that was in good shape. I was told to bring the car back and they would fix it. They fixed the bearing and charged over $550 for $225 in actual repairs as I was charged for wrongful work that was their fault. When complaining about the quality of service they got extremely aggressive and hostile. We were repeatedly yelled at by the mechanic to shut up and told we were liars. Their excuse was things magically broke like a light bulb not turning on one day (no joke), which is ridiculous because a door handle doesn't magically break after the door has been taken apart and a bearing doesn't magically go bad between being repaired by the mechanic and picked up by the owner. They're very kind until you have anything negative to say about their quality of work done to your vehicle. After looking at the recommended and not recommended reviews on Yelp we see we're not the only ones with this experience. (Quick sum up of Yelp. We signed up specifically to write that review which automatically lists us in the not recommended reviews because it's how Yelp "prevents" spam posts until you upload a profile picture and or other reviews. There were 15+ one star reviews in the not recommended section of which people had the same issues and clearly signed up just to write a review like us. To sum it up, we were treated like horrible people, yelled at, cursed at, thrown keys at and 86'd from the property for arguing the quality of their horrendous service.

Jas Harnett

★★★★★

3 years ago

Great place for vw items. Their staff has always been very helpful and patient with me and other customers from what I have seen since 1983. Their prices are competitive within the industry, and they are the best source in the Portland and Vancouver areas for 90% of all vw supplies. They also have supplies for Japanese and other Asian vehicles.

Allan Church

★★★★★

2 years ago

I had called around to multiple shops and only got voicemails. I called Halsey Car Repair and they picked up on the 2nd ring!! Even though insurance ended up totaling my SUV, this group were incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and empathetic. I will refer anyone I know who asks about a car shop to them. I know (heaven forbid), that they are the only place I will take my car after an accident. Thank You Halsey team for making the loss of my car (which I loved) a lot less painful.

Andy Pernsteiner

★★★★★

4 years ago

Even though their mechanics are working through a big backlog, they were able to squeeze me in last minute for a quick fix for my 2002 Eurovan camper which had been throwing some transmission related codes. The van was in and out in less than a day. I'll definitely be coming back!

Jason Ausmus

★★★☆☆

10 years ago

Haven't really worked with them yet apart from having them do a pre-purchase inspection on a vehicle I didn't end up buying. Their reputation for quality work means it may be a bit of a wait, but the word is that they'll do the job right. Unfortunately, the main standout of my experience with them so far was that you definitely shouldn't ask any questions about the popular Subaru engine swap. The owner jumped down my throat at my first question on the topic, and didn't seem to really take any of my other questions on other topics seriously afterward. Though everyone else was friendly, I would probably try one of the several other highly reputable shops in town before coming back here, for the sake of being able to ask questions freely without being treated that way.

Phil Orchard

★★★★★

3 years ago

If you own an out-of-warranty VW or Audi…look no further! This shop is awesome. Quality work for a fair price. As a bonus, they are attached to a great parts store that has all kinds of stuff (like a full selection of Liqui Moly fluids) for German cars.

David Devora

★★★★☆

4 years ago

Excellent customer service, comprehensive car parts care, and organized facility. My only negative is some parts are not made in Germany. Sometimes the country of origin is not clearly labeled, too. My last part had something scraped off. However, I’ll still get my VW parts at this location for now.

Erik Olaf

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

On Monday, July 1st, I called Halsey Auto and talked to Tom about some problems with my VW. Before I had it towed there, I asked him, "You can get to it by next Monday?" He replied, "No, it'll be done before the 4th." So, I had it towed there. On Wednesday, the day before the 4th, I called about it, twice. No one answered the phone and you can't leave a voice message. Around 2, I called again, and Deborah answered. I identified myself and asked about my VW. She checked and said there's a different VW on the rack. I asked if there's a list. She said, "You're number 2." So, I called back after 4 to ask about it again, since I'd have to get over there if they worked on it. Deborah said no they hadn't gotten to it and "As soon as they have word for you, they're gonna call." They weren't open on the 4th of July, but they WERE open on Friday the 5th. If I was "number 2," as Deborah had said, you'd think they could've gotten to it that day. But I didn't hear from them. So, I decided to wait until Monday to call. On Monday morning I called, and Tom answered the phone. I said, "This is Erik with the Vanagan... So, when can they get to it?" "What are they DOING with it?" Tom asked. "Don't you have notes?" I asked, then went through the basic problem with it. "Oh, they're working on it right now!" Tom suddenly said. "If you get off the phone, I can get to it." So, a little relief. But then I called back around 1 pm. "So, what's happening with my Vanagan?" I asked. Tom said, "I was wrong. I thought they were working on it." I started to say, "Well, when are they... " "You're not the only person!!" Tom yelled. "Come get it right now, since you're the only one who's perfect," he said. I said I didn't want to have to do that. "Ok, I'll give it another chance," I said. "Don't THREATEN me like that!" Tom said ( ?! ). I let it stay there the rest of the day. On Tuesday, I biked down there around 10:30 am. Deborah was at the desk. "So, what's the story with my VW?" I asked. Tom got out from behind his desk and said, "I had to put the computer from MY van in there," like it was an imposition on them, to have to work on it. "So, what does it need?" I asked. "It needs a computer." I considered for just a moment, but then decided I'd given them PLENTY of time to get to it, and I wasn't sure I even trusted them any more. "At this point, I need to just get it back," I said. I'll give Tom credit for at least mostly keeping his cool at that point. He went and got my keys, and I went and got my VW, which was parked on the curb, near where I'd left it a week ago. But what a runaround dealing with these people! And Tom was so RUDE, most of the time, and acted like I was the one to blame every time it kept taking longer than he said it would. Never again.

Damian Barron

★★★★★

a year ago

I was very happy with Halsey Automotive. There price and series’s better than fair. They’ve been around for a long time. I would highly recommend. 2014 VW Passat TDI.