Hinshaw's Acura

Extremely Disappointing Experience — Felt Taken Advantage Of I don’t usually write reviews, but I felt it was important to share my recent experience with Hinshaw’s Service Department so others especially women are aware of what they might encounter. Reading prior reviews helped me realize this isn’t an isolated issue, and hopefully, mine helps someone else. My vehicle was towed to their service center on October 8 because it wouldn’t start. It turned out to need a simple battery replacement, which I expected to be straightforward. During that time, my service advisor Tim informed me about two recalls (the bearing rod and fuel pump), which I approved to have completed. My car was ready on October 10, and I picked it up that morning. The very next day, my vehicle unexpectedly shifted into neutral on its own and wouldn’t change gears. I recorded the issue and contacted the service department right away. The car was towed back a second time, and I was told no error codes appeared but that they would keep it for observation. The following day, they said everything looked fine and that it was running fine. However, within two minutes of leaving the lot, the same problem happened again. I called immediately, and Tim advised me to bring it back yet again. Later, he said the issue is the Transmission Control Module (TCM) but the part was on backorder and could take up to a year to arrive. He even suggested that my “best option” is to trade in the vehicle, then transferred me to sales. When I spoke with David in sales, he told me the used car manager wouldn’t buy a car with an undiagnosed issue but could take it on a trade-in. The whole thing felt off. I specifically said I don’t want to trade my vehicle in but please quote me on an as is amount they would possibly give me for the vehicle. By this point, I had already paid $387.54, and now I was being told I’d need to pay another $220 for diagnostics and potentially $1,700 (TCM) + $800 in labor for a repair that might not even fix the issue. There was no clear explanation or guarantee. Tim was polite but seemed rushed, dismissive, and uninterested in hearing my concerns. His push to get me into a new vehicle felt manipulative. Feeling uneasy, I contacted Service Manager Mike McCoy to better understand what was actually done to my car and what I was being charged for. Mike called me, explained the steps taken, and apologized. However, he also implied that I might have caused the transmission problem because I hadn’t done a transmission fluid flush something he confirmed by calling my oil change shop and checking my CARFAX, which felt unnecessary and accusatory. Interestingly, Mike also discovered that the TCM part was not backordered as Tim claimed it could be available within a week. About 30 minutes later, Mike called to tell me that after personally inspecting my car, he found three software updates that needed to be installed and that this resolved the issue completely. While I appreciate that Mike ultimately took the time to fix the problem, this entire experience was stressful, frustrating, and deeply disappointing. It’s clear there’s a serious lack of communication and oversight in the service department. Tim, in particular, should be monitored more closely his actions nearly pushed me into a completely unnecessary trade-in or buying unnecessary parts which could have cost me thousands of dollars. In the end, the issue was fixed with software updates, not a new transmission or part on “backorder.” The thought that someone could intentionally mislead a customer especially one already stressed and unfamiliar with car repairs is disturbing. Hinshaw’s needs to take a hard look at how their service advisors operate. What happened to me felt predatory and dishonest. I sincerely hope no one else, especially another woman, has to experience what I went through.

I have an accurate 2024 MDX with less than 20,000 miles on it. I went in because my sensors for my braking system went out and according to the Acura dealership in Fife, the factory warranty is not good because my car is from Canada. They wouldn’t fix the problem unless I paid even though on the Acura website, it says that the Acura factory warranty is transferable from Canada to the United States.

Tim Cook always provides excellent customer service! I’ve been servicing both of my vehicles at Acura in Fife, WA. Tim always listens to my needs or concerns and willing to help! Appreciate your services! Thank you, Tim Cook!