My daughter, an active-duty service member stationed in Monterey, brought her 2019 Honda Civic to Pacific Motor Service for a no‑start issue. The battery price was fair, but the labor and diagnostic charges were not. She was billed a flat $245 diagnostic fee for a simple battery / no‑start problem, the kind of test most auto‑parts stores perform for free. On top of that, she was charged additional labor for the battery replacement, bringing the total labor cost to over $300 (Total cost ~$500 for a car battery!) and for a job that takes 10–20 minutes. Having been a business owner, I understand "mark-up" is required to pay for salaries and overhead... no problem. But $245 for maybe a $50 test fee? Excessive IMHO. The inspection report also listed several items as “recommended” (cabin air filter, brake fluid, transmission fluid). These items had all been serviced within the last month! The service advisor later confirmed these recommendations were not based on actual inspection, but simply auto‑generated by mileage. CLASSIC “Up-sale” in my opinion. An honest / good mechanic would actually LOOK before recommending! As I understand it, service members on base cannot perform their own vehicle maintenance, which makes them especially vulnerable to inflated diagnostic fees and generic upselling. I strongly encourage military families and out‑of‑state customers to verify recent maintenance and ask detailed questions BEFORE authorizing work. The battery replacement itself was correct — but the billing practices were disappointing, and I cannot recommend this shop based on our experience. Caveat Emptor!!! ADDENDUM: I appreciate the professional and courteous callback from Pacific Motors, and I’ve upgraded my rating to three stars based on that follow‑up. Although my schedule prevented me from returning the call, I do appreciate the detailed response and willingness to address my concerns. As someone who owned a service business for over a decade, I understand that signals can get crossed. My daughter — whom I love dearly — was not faultless in this situation, and I take partial responsibility. She now knows to always request a quote before authorizing work and, whenever possible, speak with someone face‑to‑face to build that relationship. Before delivering the vehicle to her at DLI, I personally ensured all fluids, filters, and systems were thoroughly checked ("Take care of your equipment, and it will take care of you!"). The battery replacement cost itself seems reasonable, assuming a quality battery was used. My concern was primarily the cost of the electrical draw testing, which felt high relative to typical industry ranges. My biggest “seeing red” moment was the list of recommended maintenance items based solely on mileage and age of vehicle. I understand shops include these as part of a comprehensive inspection, but I would encourage technicians to tailor recommendations to what is ACTUALLY needed rather than defaulting to generic interval‑based suggestions. I appreciate the feedback and professionalism shown, and I will encourage my daughter to return in the future. Hopefully her next visit earns a full five‑star experience. I’m also open to speaking further if needed. — John
Thank you for your feedback, Mr. Harvey. I'll start by expressing gratitude for you daughter's service. I too am a military veteran. I spent a decade in the U.S. Army, so rest assured we are very respectful to our active duty and veteran clientele. Incidentally, I am also a concerned father of daughters. As far as the inspection of your daughter's battery is concerned, according to her, she had already visited a local parts store due to repeated no-start conditions and the need to jump-start the Civic on multiple occasions; they informed her that her battery was in normal working condition. Her concern based on that information was there may be an underlying reason for her battery repeatedly failing and asked us to make sure there wasn't a draw on the battery coming from the vehicle's electrical system. For that portion of the service we charged $245. It is an inspection that takes a commensurate amount of time and expertise. Our normal starting and charging inspection fee is considerably less, but she requested and approved the more comprehensive inspection. We did not find a draw on the battery and confirmed the battery was well below the necessary level of cold cranking amps. As for the recommended maintenance items: we have never seen the vehicle before and these are items that are generally due well before the 7 year mark, so we include them on the inspection report to be addressed in the form of a question/conversation when we speak to the vehicle owner (that is why they are marked in yellow as opposed to red.). This is not a "CLASSIC Up-sale"" (sic.) but our means of serving our clients with a comprehensive full-scale service and education process. At the top of our list of values lies INTEGRITY and we do our very best to serve our clientele with this in mind. We pride ourselves in customer service and the relationship we have with our clients. We are AAA's western area's TOP Shop and #2 in the their national rankings. These are not awards received by taking advantage of any set or subset of clientele, particularly "vulnerable" groups such as our military class (I never viewed myself as vulnerable after signing my contract with the U.S. Government as a 17 year-old). You give excellent advice however! ALL vehicle owners are responsible for knowing the maintenance intervals and condition of their vehicles at all times, and finding a reputable, trustworthy shop to build a relationship with is paramount in taking care of their means of transportation. Self reliance and personal responsibility are key tenets in my life. "Caveat Emptor" goes without saying in any situation. Your daughter's situation is a particularly disappointing one from our perspective, because we never actually met her in person. She dropped of before hours and picked up the vehicle after hours (a prime condition for actually taking advantage of a client). our shop is located one mile from DLI and we have dealt with 1000's of DLI students over the years (I was also a student there at one point in my career and understand the challenges) Rest assured, if you need a reliable shop to take care of you or your loved ones, a shop that focuses primarily on providing world-class customer service and takes pride in the relationships we foster with our clients, we are one of the only shops you should consider. With that level of peace of mind and our level of expertise, coupled with the fact that the cost associated with living in one of the most expensive areas on the planet, our price structure is indeed on the high end (especially when compared with the southern United States), but if you were able to experience the entire process in person, I am confident you would come to understand. Perhaps you can stop by and we can meet when you come to your daughter's graduation.
- Monterey