Author: joshuarosenberg327

I hired L&K Mobile Mechanic LLC to perform a pre-purchase vehicle inspection as they have hundreds of 5 star reviews. Larry performed the inspection and said the only thing wrong with the vehicle was that the cover for the timing belt was missing and there was a small power steering fluid leak. He even looked me in the eyes and said “I would buy this vehicle”. I trusted Larry’s inspection and the next day, bought the vehicle. Flash forward ~a week later (I had not driven the vehicle at all as I was out of town) and I drove the vehicle from St. Petersburg to Tampa and noticed the engine was shaking. I took the vehicle to another local mechanics shop (this mechanic is ASE and AAA certified) and they instantly diagnosed the vehicle with MULTIPLE problems including a positive combustion test, excessive moisture in the crankcase, excessive oil in the throttle body and intake, low oil, an incorrect hose on the fuel return from the pressure regulator, broken connectors on all the fuel injectors, and an exhaust leak. The mechanic did a compression test based on his initial findings and it turns out I need an ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE. In this mechanic’s opinion, many of these issues had been present prior to my purchase (so Larry should have found something!). In fact, the mechanic said it was a miracle the engine didn’t explode on my drive to Tampa and back. So I spent a large sum of money on basically a totaled vehicle based off of Larry's inspection- a licensed mechanic in the State of Florida. I understand a compression test isn’t typically included in a pre-purchase vehicle inspection, but Larry didn’t see or failed to perform basic inspection skills that would have found the visible warning signs (there was goop under the oil cap and in the throttle body). He could have at least urged me to get a compression test. Looking back, he didn’t even drive the vehicle himself and only sat in the passenger seat. I did speak to Larry initially after this happened and he is a nice guy, however he even admitted that he didn’t even look under the oil cap! I tried calling L&K Auto Mobile Mechanic LLC again multiple times to discuss the above situation. After leaving 4 voicemails and no responses, I tried calling again. On THE FIFTH time Kylee answered. Kylee’s communication style, in my opinion, is completely unprofessional; she is defensive and condescending. Even after saying that “sometimes mechanics make mistakes” (in reference to Larry’s inspection) she only offered to refund me my $75 I paid for the pre-purchase vehicle inspection and discounted engine installation services. This offering does not even come close to the amount I’ve lost in purchasing the vehicle. I think they are failing to see how serious this situation is. I have escalated the issue and filed a case in Pinellas County Small Claims Court against them. I have also contacted the Department of Agriculture and they are opening an investigation. Please learn from my story and never hire L&K Mobile Mechanic LLC. As licensed mechanics in the State of Florida, they are held to a certain standard. I believe that they were grossly negligent in their inspection of my vehicle. This negligence could cause serious harm to other vehicle owners. I hate to bash a local family owned business but not only did I buy a vehicle that was totaled because I trusted Larry, but I was put in a dangerous situation driving that vehicle.