Sun Devil Auto

I've been going here for a while and no longer will go here. They charged me an arm and 4 legs in 2023 to put in a new catalytic converter. Apparently, I have a forwarded and back cat converter. Tho I was told my cat converter was changed out. Apparently they only did the forward part of it (they never said anything about it being a forward and back). Because they never changed out the whole cat converter like I thought they did, the piping between the two areas became so clogged no air was flowing at all. My check engine light has come on repeatedly over the past couple years and always the code for the catalytic converter. They didn't check what the problem really was defaulting to the quickest most expensive fix instead of actually finding out the problem. Several times I went in and was told that they just turned off the "check engine" light. Two weeks ago they said it would cost $4000 to fix my car and do an oil change. I went to another place (because I can't afford $4k) and they charged me $278 which fixed the problem and included the full synthetic oil change. Now I have to wonder how many other expensive fixes I could have gotten at a more reasonable price by going somewhere else before now. They just want to charge you a lot till you have to open a credit account with them so they can continue to charge you a lot. Their workers in the bays seem nice enough. Wayne need to learn customer service skills... he's probably good at business (non customer related) but is extremely standoffish to the point where whenever I went in I told them to call my husband and talk to him when the car is done. They definitely treat females differently than males at this store...which is insulting. **I do not recommend the store at all** I will miss Stanley, the shop dog. He's a sweetie!

Apr 05, 2025 · Jenn Hardesty

This review will be long, however worth the read... We use Sun Devil Auto (SDA) in Tempe Elliot road, pretty consistently for all of our vehicles, including business and family members. About 2 1/2 years ago I brought my 2016 Ford Explorer in to replace the Water pump. Turns out this is NOT an easy job as they have to drop the engine to get to the pump. The total was $2300. While they had it down, the Tech asked if I might want to put a timing chain kit in it at the same time as the vehicle had 114K miles on it. He suggested this as it would cost the same as again they would need to drop the engine to get to it. I felt the extra $400 for the kit was worth the insurance even though it was not needed. Grand total $2700. Fast forward to January 2025. Got into the car to start it and it would just crank over and not start. I call SDA to ask them what it might be and they said it sounded like it may have "Jumped Timing", but to be sure tow it in and they would diagnose it. Towed it in and we spoke about having replaced the timing chain 14,000 miles ago! They told me the 2 years was up and it was no longer under warrantee. We had a very long conversation about this especial after he told me that because this was an "interference engine" there was a very good chance we would need to replace the engine at the tune of $5k to $8k !! They were sticking to their NO Warrantee even though it only had 14k miles on the timing chain itself. I ended up get corporate involved and the district manager as SDA is owned by a very large corporation, Sun Auto.com, 500+ stores nationwide. After explaining what happened 2.5 years ago and that I elected to change the timing chain back then to avoid this exact problem, they ended up working with me. We agreed to pay 50% as 1/2 the warranty was valid on miles but the other 50% of the warranty had lapsed due to being past 24 months. I wasn't jumping for joy, however I did understand their position too. The conversations were never heated and both sides remained professional. It ended up the engine did need to be replaced and SDA did it for $2700 using a used engine with 114k on it. Very fair considering the car has 119k on it when it stopped. I picked the car up a week later and it has started and drives perfectly every day so far. No oil leaks, no issues at all. Wayne said he wanted to see the car after we put 250 miles on it to check it over. I wasn't sure how the relationship would continue but I am pleasantly surprised and happy we were able to work out the issue together. I will continue to have my vehicles serviced by Sun Devil Auto in Tempe and I hope they continue to have us as their long time customer. The only reason I did not give 5 stars was the fact that a new Timing chain should NOT jump time after only 14,000 miles. It should last well over 100,000 miles !

Feb 28, 2025 · John Degraaf

We've been going to Sun Devil Auto for over 20 years! The work and service has been awesome over the years! Wayne Hendrix and Chris Knight are very knowledgeable and very courteous every time we needed our vehicles worked on. From engine replacement to simple oil changes, this shop is top-notch in everything thing they do! Our only regret is that Chris Knight moved to Texas and is no longer our #1 mechanic! Wayne has now taken over for Chris! Sun Devil Auto-Tempe lost a great employee when Chris left. However, we just had service done this week on one of our 3 vehicles and we are very happy with the result. Thanks Wayne for taking care of us! Perry & Penny Toro

May 18, 2025 · Perry D Toro

I recently took my vehicle to Sun Devil Auto for an issue with the air conditioning, as it was blowing hot air. They evacuated and recharged the AC system, assuring me that the problem had been resolved and the leak was fixed. I was charged $622 for this service. However, when I attempted to use the AC again a few weeks later, it continued to blow hot air. I contacted Sun Devil Auto to report the issue, and was informed that I would need to bring the vehicle back in for further diagnostics, and this would require an additional charge. At no point during the initial service was I informed that further work might be needed to address the underlying issue. To ensure the problem was properly addressed, I took my vehicle to a Subaru dealership for a second opinion. It was determined that the issue was actually the condenser. So Sun Devil Auto both misdiagnosed the issue and performed unnecessary work, which resulted in an improper resolution and additional costs for me. Furthermore, the lack of clear communication throughout the process was disappointing, and I feel taken advantage of. Based on this experience, I will not be returning to Sun Devil Auto for future services, nor would I recommend their services to others. I believe there are significant improvements needed in their diagnostic procedures, customer communication, customer service, and pricing.

Apr 16, 2025 · Chelsea Giblin

Took my son's car here to rectify a noise in the engine I was not familiar with. Wayne and Wes were great about keeping me in the loop and clearly explaining the issue (plugs, wiring and more). Found and fixed the issue the same day and feel like it was a (more than) fair price. Highly recommend this team!!!

Apr 23, 2025 · Matt Owens