Kar King Auto

Our 09 Pontiac Vibe had an engine failure and needed to be replaced. I found Kar King Auto online and after reviewing their Customer reviews and looking at BBB information I felt they would be a good choice for purchasing a rebuilt engine. Although their shop is in California and we are located in Michigan there was no problem getting the rebuilt engine to us and the shop installing it gave it good marks as well. The motor looked great and is performing as it should. Thanks George!Service: Motor building

Got a rebuilt motor for my Toyota FJ Cruiser and admittedly, I was hesitant in the beginning of the process. Having said that, I now add that I highly recommend this outfit. From the start of the transaction, George explained everything that would take place from start to finish. Let me say that it went just as explained to me, I was constantly updated on the process of the rebuilt and was notified on the day it was to be shipped. The engine looked great and to date, I have put in over 2.000 miles and have had zero issues. I highly recommend this outfit to anyone that is thinking about doing business with them as I am certain that my engine will last a very long time.Service: Motor building

Back in early 2020 I was looking for a rebuilt engine for a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. NOBODY had these, they were unobtanium. Enter Kar King. They had it and because my car was in the shop they shipped it the same day. It is now late 2022 and the car is still going strong 60k miles later. Kar King really came through for me and provided excellent service. I highly recommend Kar King. They go the extra mile to make customers happy.Service: Motor building

George is a great owner. Worked with me on my car. Built me a fresh motor and installed it. I was so impressed with our conversation on the phone that I chose to drive to Cali for his team to install. Then drove back to Az. All was perfect. Thank you George and team at Kar King!!!Service: Motor building

** Buyer beware.... you can tell from their responses they will not take ANY responsibility for their work and their goal to charge you as much as possible and then claim your car was old when they create more problems. Absolute garbage service and installation for rebuilt engine. They do not stand by their work and are quick to take your money. My engine repair was nearly $5k and I returned multiple times to have them fix the nonexistent performance, only for them to tell me it was fine. A few miles down the road it would stall or some major issue would be identified. They didn’t properly install the air intake, and it literally fell off. The MAP and oil sensor guage were not properly installed creating major headaches and several thousand dollars more in diagnostic and repair. Ended up selling the suburban to a scrap yard as it could not tow anything after the engine rebuild as the vehicle literally could not handle a 2k load with any kind of incline. BEWARE!Services: Engine repair

I was on vacation in South Carolina when my Toyota FJ blew the engine. Several months earlier I was on the Arizona Interstate stuck in stopped traffic due to a accident ahead and the alternator went out destroying the serpentine belt causing the engine to drastically overheat before I could get off the road. The Toyota dealer there wanted over $12,ooo to put used engine because NEW was not available. i had the vehicle shipped back to midwest to a authorized shop - but after several months and two short blocks later both refused due to defects I had it hauled AGAIN to a Toyota dealer close by my residence. Their estimate was considerably cheaper and they also could not get a new engine - only a short block. Upon them tearing down the old they found considerable repair was needed in the heads and the price skyrocketed. So I researched and found Kar Kings out of S. Cal could build me complete engine for less than the short block. I called George and we had a great conversation wherein he explained how they do the work. 5 months later from it breaking down and less than two weeks after I paid Kar Kings the engine is on its way. What was disappointing for me was the Toyota dealership knew of George and Kar Kings but did NOT suggest it to me. They had his name and phone number. I have no doubt that I will refer others to Kar Kings and specifically George M. He reminds me of the way business was done back in the early 60's when I was a teenager. Ethics and customer satisfaction with a personal touch. I am thankful.Service: Motor building

First off, George is the real deal and one of the most responsive and honest repair shop owners I’ve had to deal with after over 30 years in the Air Force doing transportation and supply. Secondly, EVERY-TIME I called this business George answered the phone and was professional and genuine. My experience started off bad as I went through a company in Florida who subcontracted with KarKing to provide a rebuilt engine for my Kia Sportage. After working with the unresponsive and untrustworthy owners in Florida for warranty work due to issues after 1600 miles, I finally realized I had to work the issues with George because they didn’t want to take the time to address the issues. George stepped up to the plate and hit a home run by sending me a replacement engine after inspecting the engine I sent back. He explained exactly what was needed to ensure the engine was installed along with the recommended lubricants and filter…even sending an oil cooler to ensure no contaminants were present. He also provided some technical help after the engine was installed as the rebuilt motor took different VVT solenoids which rectified the issue and now the engine is running smoothly. I was deceived by the company in Florida into thinking they were the ones rebuilding the engine and if I had to do it all over again I would have went through KarKing the first time. Thanks George you have my business in the future.Service: Motor building

Bought a engine and transmission 8 years ago from them that they installed themselves. 8 years later on my truck with 15k miles on the rebuilt engine the timing chain went and head gasket blew. For a rebuild to only last 15k miles and the company that built it take no responsibility ….not even a discount towards a replacement I wouldn't recommend them to anyone I mentioned on the phone that I wasn't expecting anything for Free but no discount was ever mentioned. You said you could do nothing about it. I am aware I'm past the warrenty but a engine with that low of miles shouldn't fail. I wasn't completely blaming y'all for the failure but based off the mileage I was expecting some discount.Service: Engine repair

**PURCHASE FROM THIS BUSINESS AT YOUR OWN RISK** It's truly a gamble. Here's my story: In August of 2021, I purchased a rebuilt motor from Kar King for my daughter's 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. Once the motor arrived, I had it installed by a certified mechanic. Upon installation, the motor had a noticeable rattle between 2500-3200 RPMs. Everything on the exterior was looked at. Two mechanics one who has rebuilt numerous hot rod motors and an engineer from Japanese Engine Exchange all determined that the noise was coming from inside the motor. I contacted Jorge at Kar King and he asked that I video and audio record the rattle as well as a reading from hooking up an oil pressure gauge, which I provided. Jorge said I would have to send the engine back so he could have his mechanics take a look at it. He would not say that it was their Kar King error, even though the noise was coming from something wrong inside the engine. Also, his policy is that Kar King does not pay shipping, nor labor for the engine under warranty. A six month warranty is better than nothing, but really does little to save the consumer money when you have to uninstall the motor and pay for shipping to have them fix something that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place. He offered to fix it or give a refund. Either way, I had to have an engine and would have to pay to have this one removed, shipped back, then get a new one or have this one "fixed", pay to have it shipped, and pay to have it installed $1000 at a minimum for the Hyundai Santa Fe. I elected to have a local mechanic look at the crankshaft, bearings, and possibly the rods. It was determined that Kar King put the original bearings back on after polishing the crankshaft, even though they no longer fit. There was a lot of movement with those bearings. This was recorded on video and sent to Jorge at Kar King. Jorge offered to pay for the new parts $122, give or take, but obviously would not pay for the labor associated with fixing Kar King's error. The vehicle was finally ready to go in late October 2021. We followed all the protocols of breaking in the rebuilt motor. The maintenance schedule was followed as well. It seemed to run very smoothly. Fast forward to July 9, 2022. My daughter was approximately 100 miles into a 115 mile trip when the motor started clanking and making other loud noises. She pulled over immediately. Later when the oil was checked, it was determined that there were bits of metal in the oil. We towed it to a mechanic who confirmed that the engine was done. With approximately 8,000 miles on it, Kar King's rebuilt motor blew. Simply put, I would not recommend Kar King. Sure there is a 6-month warranty, but, at minimum, you will lose time if you uninstall the motor yourself and some shipping expenses to exercise the warranty if the product is low-quality as mine was. Otherwise, it could cost you thousands.Service: Motor building