Dan Hansen Auto Repair

Dans a great guy very knowledgeable and very helpful. The kind shop that gives mechanics a good name.

Dan Hansen takes care of our fleet of vehicles, and we have been consistently going back for years. Their capable team always handles our vehicular issues efficiently and effectively, would definitely recommend

Spencer and Surge absolutely did a fantastic job on my "new to me" A3. I would highly recommend them to anyone for any issue they may have. Remember, you get what you pay for so if you don't mind putting out a bit of dough, then you will get a quality company who will do quality work using quality parts which they will stand behind. Also, they are awesome to deal with and straight forward, which I like and think is hard to find these days. Thanks again Spencer. My Audi rips and Im stoked to have used you guys.

Customer service here is top notch. Communication about the repairs needed and timing, even better. This is an honest shop with fair rates and they delivered when they said they would; you'd think that should be easy to find but it's not. I'll be bringing all my vehicles here moving forward and will recommend to anyone. If only they worked on motorcycles too!:)

Dan and his team have taken care of my daughter’s 2005 diesel truck and horse trailer for the past few years. I can’t say enough good things about them. Straight forward honest repair shop. They give a fair estimate of the repair cost and most importantly stand behind their work! Their one of the good guys. They deserve all 5 stars and more.
Rob Barrett
President
Bartec Group of Companies

In summary, this shop went WAY above my expectations, but if I am going to give a shop 5 stars, I am going to write out the long version so here it goes:

My Jeep TJ 4.0 engine developed a ticking sound and I used a stethoscope to narrow it down to the camshaft synchronizer. So, I wanted that replaced with the OE CPS re-used, I wanted the new CPS as a spare and old synchronizer to tinker with, along with the coolant system flushed, coolant replaced with a specific brand (local lube shop I went to last couldn't even tell me what they put in.yikes!) and the upper/lower rad hoses replaced. Figured I would look for a place that would take this on and get it done same day (yes, I am one of "those" customers)

I started calling around local shops in Langley but evidently asking service desks to replace a camshaft synchronizer with a better aftermarket part (OE part is known to be defective) or use a specific brand of coolant is an "outrageous" request: "No, we don't carry that", "Prestone 50/50 is all you need", "Who diagnosed the engine tick? What, you did? Well we don't perform work based on customer diagnosis", "I don't know about the synchronizer, but we can replace your oil pump and CPS for $2000". What? ! It's 4: 30PM late in the week and I need to leave Friday night for a road trip. Worried as I'm running out of time and places to call, then I called Dan Hansen's.

Spencer picked up the phone. I'm reluctant to even ask about the camshaft synchronizer because of the beatings I took from other service desks, but I did anyway. Holy cow. He is listening and understanding every word (I say a lot, as demonstrated in this review) and retaining every nitpicky detail. I think we hashed it all out in 10-15 minutes.

I dropped the Jeep off so they could go to town. Now here's a backstory. I've had a "mystery" coolant leak (about a pint every 2 years) for a few years I could never figure out because it was so tiny and sporadic, which is why I wanted to know what the last shop put in, so I could top it off. Well, if you have a leak, good chance it will get exposed when you have it flushed and those deposits are unclogged. I didn't mention this, which probably made the technicians day a little more frustrating (Sorry Roger) Turns out my mystery leak was the water pump and now it won't even hold coolant. Spencer calls me up to give me the news. I speculate this is the worst part of the job. I've worked on enough vehicles to know things always take longer / cost more and expect the unexpected. So you found the leak.can you get it done today Spencer? I REALLY need it done. "Yes we can". No way! Are you serious? "Yes, we can have it done by 3PM. Is that too late"? Spencer is a hero, 100%. I get the call a few hours later. It's done.

I go to pick up the Jeep and we go over the work. Spencer even printed me out a belt routing diagram for my engine, as the sticker had rubbed off my radiator long ago, probably from the water pump sporadically spraying coolant around (thanks for that btw, diagram is a perfect match and will keep me safe if the belt goes when I'm 40km from cell reception)

First thing I did before I left was plug in my OBD2 scanner to watch for codes & log the exact temps driving home. Slight concern seeing it to up to 219F on the short drive along the Langley bypass, but later did 200km of highway, 80km of forestry service road and a little off road, weighted down with a lot of gear and it only went above 210F (normal) twice to 212F. So that seems to have settled. OH! And NO more engine TICKING either. That old synchronizer (they gave it back to me to play with) had some up/down play that was causing the ticking. Only slight wear on the gear so it seems we nipped it in the bud before it tore up the meshing in the camshaft. Got it BEFORE the "check engine".

Great first impression of this shop! Spencer is a a gem and Roger does great work (hope you didn't miss lunch over this) I don't know how my OE rad still functions, so I'll be back to have them swap it (Mopar) as a preventive measure. Tnx Spencer & Co! See ya soon

Dan has been servicing my many family vehicles for approx 10 years or so, in that time he has probably serviced 6 different vehicles of mine maybe more. I have always found Dan to be a man of his word, he and his team do very good work and I completely trust their workmanship and recommendations, I have never in that time had cause for complaint. I would recommend Dan and his team to anyone. They will always try to find the most cost effective solution to the problem no matter what challenge I bring them with my "fleet of older vehicles" over the years. Thanks guys.

I've been bringing my Volvo to Dan and his team for several years. They have kept my car running well. Very accommodating shop as they offer courtesy cars and can get work done quickly. Honest people, good communication, great service, average pricing. Highly recommend them!

Way better than I have experienced in a mechanics shop in a long time.

Awesome service and exceptional knowledge

They saved me money by repairing an expensive part that they could have said needed to be replaced.

Good, honest people. Thanks Dan

Buckle up! This is going to be somewhat lengthy.

I first required the services of Dan Hansen’s auto shop about 2 years ago. I was in need of brakes on my SUV. I took my vehicle in and the brakes were serviced. It cost roughly $600. My brakes were still making a squeaky noise. I was told that only my rear brakes were in need of service and the squeaking is coming from my front brakes, but not to worry because they were only squeaking because my previous mechanic used cheap parts (I was a little weary of that statement, but let it slide). They were safe for the road.

I know nothing about vehicles and had never had a mechanic gouge me in the past, so I believed him. Little did I know I was grossly overcharged and my brakes would only last 2 years. I had my brakes serviced by a reputable mechanic recently and for a better product charged less for all four brakes.

I had a second incident with Dan as well. In January 2018 I visited for new tires and a head light. After his infamous “thorough inspection” I was told that there was multiple “urgent” issues with my vehicle that must be addressed. My total that day was a bit over $2000.3 weeks later, my car wouldn’t start!

My friend is a commercial mechanic, looked to over and couldn’t believe Dan didn’t find the issue if he actually did the “thorough inspection” he charged me $139 (give or take) for. It was a Sunday, so ended up taking my vehicle to Mr. Lube and spending another $800 to fix the issue and service my oil- which should have been serviced 3 weeks prior.

At that point I felt duped and embarrassed and decided I wasn’t going to say anything and just cut my losses.

But after the recent issue with my brakes I felt as though I had to speak out.

There is honestly more but I feel as though this review is getting long and these are the most important points.

This man is charming, warm and inviting and makes you feel comfortable in his presence. He smiles at you while piling up the costs in hopes that you are a poor single woman who doesn’t know any better, as I am.

I’m very disappointed in this establishment and hope that this review deters another person from putting themselves in debt.

Appreciated Dan reaching out to check on whether or not I was happy with his service and him offering to rectify any issues.

Wow great guy
WONDERFUL crew
Explain every detail and why they do it this way I will be taking my autos here always
I highly recommend Dan and his shop for all your auto needs.

I'm not sure why I've waited a year to write this review, but the experience has stuck with me all this time and left a bad taste in my mouth. Do not go here for your car services. The prices are OUTRAGEOUS, and the work they do is TERRIBLE. Here's my story. It's long, but it's accurate to the type of service you can expect from this place.

I went to Dan to have my just purchased (used) car checked over; all the belts, hoses, fluids, alignments, etc. His billing states that the price is about $130, but if he needs to take longer to look over the car that price gets bumped up to about $230. Seems a bit much, but this is my first experience with a shop and what do I know?

Anyway, when he calls back he says: "You won't believe this, but this is one of the most well maintained cars we've ever seen. The only issue is the vapor canister. That's going to be about a $700 fix, but other than that you're good to go. " I tell him thanks and that I'll come get the car.

When I get there he informs me that he had to spend an extra hour on the vehicle to get at the canister, and I'll be paying the extra price. I don't find this too hard to believe, so I pay.

As I'm paying, I ask about my steering wheel alignment (It was very obviously off). He responded with "We didn't notice any misalignment, " I told him it was obvious, and he sent one of his guys to take it for a quick spin and check it out.

His guy comes back, "Yup, it's off to the right a bit, " At this point I start to get worried about what I just paid for so I start asking questions.

"How's my timing belt? Did you guys check that out? " I asked and I couldn't believe what I heard, he said that the ". Car looked so well maintained that they assumed that it had been changed, and was probably fine, "

I asked them if they could do be a solid and check it out for me before I left, and his guy cracks open the timing belt cover. I swear to god, I have no idea how the belt didn't snap on the way to the dealership because it was cracked and worn ALL OVER. They both agreed that it needed to be changed immediately.

At this point I'm mad and I ask them what exactly they did with my car, because they were about to let me leave with an unaligned wheel and a rotting timing belt as if everything was just fine. I start wondering if they checked anything at all.

He apologized and strangely got into my personal space and said: "You're right. We messed up. What would you like us to do? " In a weirdly intimidating way. I asked for at least some money back, the extra 100 seemed fair. He made some excuse about it being very hard to refund money with his system (lies I'm sure) and said he would MAKE ME A DEAL INSTEAD.

He said normally a timing belt change is $1300, but if I get it done with him, he would ONLY charge me $1000. I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. It still makes me mad to think about it to this day.

He wanted me to spend more money with him after he just showed me he cuts corners, lies, and overcharges. The man is a crook and you risk a lot of money gambling on him.

I went to the toyota dealership down the road and paid $450 for my timing belt change.

Very Disappointed in Dan Hansen's lack of accountability we met when I asked for an assessment on the safety of my vehicle for mountain travelling. He cost me money and time doing non=necessities nothing to do with safety yet let me drive away with front brakes that had only 20% ablility.

One of the biggest rip offs in regards to pricing. Dan seems like a great guy, super easy to talk to but is extremely cunning. I brought a $500 work van and told him to check it out and the next day he bills be for almost $4000 after he did all the work. Will call to tell you what needs to be done but will not give a price until you come in to pick the van up. Shortly after I decide to bring my personal vehicle over because I figured I would give Dan another chance (being a nice guy and all). Needed to replace my brake pads and synthetic oil change. Yup, bills be for almost $600 and says to me "well we use the good quality stuff and really good oil. We could use the cheap stuff but blah blah". Same story too where he tells me to come pick it up and then gives me the news. Any establishment who does the work first and bills you after should send red flags. Repeating my previous statement, Dan seems like a really nice guy but holy smokes get ready to pay an arm and a leg. Quality is good though I'll give them that.

Very friendly people who guarantee their work! They are always willing to help out and want the best for you and your vehicle.

Frustrating and a Rip-Off!

We are very disappointed and frustrated with the service from Dan. We purchased an older vehicle and wanted a thorough inspection to ensure there would be no issues and would prolong the longevity of the car. The car was not fully inspected, and he let a number of problems go without addressing them which costed us almost triple of what it should have been, due to multiple trips back to him for ongoing problems. We were overcharged, and he didn’t ensure the quality of his work. We didn’t feel like valued customers, even after spending 6k on our vehicle. We won’t be bringing our business back to Dan.

Dan is very helpful and honest. Rare nowadays when so many shops will upsell you for unnecessary work.

The boss was apparently away, which might explain this, might not.

So the vehicle ends up with one of those advertising border things around the rear license plate. If we wanted to rent out ad space to them, we'd have informed them in advance, and set a fee for doing so.

But a bolt was snapped, so the unforgivable thing was to get the advertising bolted on, they drilled FOUR NEW HOLES through the body of the car. Photos taken just in case.

As we don't want to deal with an insurance deductible, I'm going to seal up those four holes myself. As for the snapped-off bolt? I, an amateur with home tools, was able to drill it out using an ordinary drill and some cutting fluid in about 10 minutes, how is this beyond the skill of a professional mechanic?

A closer look at the bill reveals they charged $44 to do this on top of the things that were actually asked for. $5 was for parts.the ad itself maybe? ! Or was it for the 4 masonry screws they punched through the body of the car.

Addendum:

They admit fault, will even pay up (but only after the reviews come down), but won't offer an explanation for how it happened, nor any guarantee that they won't do it to someone else. He even gave some song and dance about how the ads are normal business practice (which they sort of are for the more desperate outfits, but they really should ask first since there's an actual dollar value to advertising - doubly so if they have to put holes through your car to do it). Zero explanation for why auto mechanics couldn't drill out a snapped bolt, had they had this skill we wouldn't even be talking about this, I'd have just quietly removed the ad that had been screwed into the official mounts.

So the bad reviews stay up unless they can come up with some explanation and guarantee, that's the whole point of reviews, to spare future customers the aggravation.