Red Rocket Auto Tech

The below is our current dispute between Red Rocket and our Credit Card Company.
* On May 23^rd whilst driving with my family to Santa Cruz for our summer vacation we had a check engine light come on our 2005 F150 Lariat with 39,768 miles.
* The vehicle quickly lost power and I was forced to have the vehicle pulled off the road. We quickly called AAA for a tow to a preferred Ford Dealership. They have contracts with local service repairs facilities and suggested Red Rocket due to proximity. I did not want to go to a local repair facility as the issue seemed severe. However, due to proximity, as well as timing, we were heading on a long trip and we had ample time for them to repair the vehicle, I agreed.
* I informed the then service manager on May 23^rd what had happened and that we would be back in 7 calendar days on May 30^th to pick up the vehicle. As we had to go rent a large SUV to make our vacation we would «Appreciate the vehicle back by the following Saturday, May 30^th. The service manager stated that she would update Dolly on the issue and we would be working with her.
* On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week, I called Red Rocket to speak with Dolly and follow up with the progress of the repairs. The service manager, Dolly, informed me they were struggling to find out what the problems were as so many problem codes were coming up. I asked each time I called that we needed the truck ready by Saturday, May 30^th, and the response from Dolly was «It would be ready.»
* On Saturday, May 30^th as we were driving back from our Santa Cruz vacation I decided to call Dolly and find out the status of my F150. Dolly informed me and my wife they were still having issues with the truck and was not «ROAD READY.» We were very disappointed that after a week seven days they still had not fixed the problem, Red Rocket was obviously having issues drilling down the situation and finalizing the solution. Dolly stated to me that the truck would be ready first thing on Sunday, May 31^st at 9am.
* On May 31^st I and my family arrived to pick up the vehicle. While driving away about 2 miles from Red Rocket I gave my truck some gas and the bogging started up again. I turned around and return the vehicle to Dolly, she asked a mechanic to jump in with me so he could hear and feel the issue. As we went around the block and I gave the truck some gas, he said stop and drive it right back, your flooding something out, there is an issue.
* Dolly informed me they would review their work and try and get it back to us by Monday.
* I informed Dolly I was traveling all week until Thursday and my 8 month pregnant wife with a three year old and 1 year old would have some difficulty picking up the truck. If should could assist with helping my wife with the truck and help return the Tahoe we had rented I would appreciate this. Dolly even stated that she would reduce the cost of the services to offset our set back with having to rent the Tahoe another three days.
* My wife picked up the truck on Tuesday. She stated it worked Okay however lacked the power it had. Something was off. I told her not to drive very far anywhere. The 250 miles that John Hutchinson states on page two bullet point two (2), we drove after the vehicle was delivered back to us was and is absurd. Red Rocket had my vehicle for 10 calendar days and were driving it daily to correct the problem, I am sure they put on a few miles themselves. Since we were going on vacation on May 23^rd, the truck was full of fuel, when we picked it up on May 31^st, it only had a ¼ of a tank, and this I noticed and was shocked. Red Rocket was obviously trying to fix my truck, however could not make the needed repairs to finalize the fix.
* On Wednesday, June 3^rd while my wife was driving around the check engine light came back on. My wife called me and I told her to take right in to Midas. Midas Auto Center, 8118 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, CA 95 628 916−726−3310. Ask for Renton the service manager, he has handled my vehicles from May, 2010 to August, 2015. 2011 Ford Taurus, 2013 Ford Taurus, 2009 Nissan Rouge and my 2005 Ford F150.
* Renton review the work order from Red Rocket and spent a full day on my F150. Renton informed me that there was an issue, however he did not have the equipment to diagnostic the vehicle fully. He suggested we take it to a FORD dealer. No charges were issued as he could not fix the problem. My wife baked them all cookies as a thank you.
* On Saturday, June 6^th, we drove my truck to Future Ford in Roseville. I explained to the service manager what had transpired. His first words were let’s see if there is a recall on the fuel injectors. Nick Tate did a one minute review and noticed that Ford F150 from 2005 had a FUEL INJECTOR RECALL notice on them. As long as it was within 11 years of the vehicle life and less than 120,000 miles all issues around or caused from a Fuel Injector failure are 100% covered by Ford. I asked about the billing from Red Rocke

My daughter took her car there on a Sunday because Check engine light came on when visiting sacramento from college 4-​hours away. They put it up, checked everything, and cleaned things. No charge! O2 sensor needs to be replaced when she gets back to her college town. They are awesome. I highly recommend them. Awesome!

More like a 3.5. I didn’t interact with Dolly, but with another woman whose name escapes me at the moment. She was very friendly on the phone, but then when I came in to pick up my car didn’t recognize me at all from just a few hours earlier until I reminded her who I was (she did the whole «hi, how may I help you?» thing again, after I had just been there earlier that morning). Also, I had to call back to have her explain to me what the technician found wrong with my battery (positive terminal not connected properly) — she ultimately went and checked with the technician, but I would’ve appreciated more of an explanation upfront. She also couldn’t recommend any good autobody shops (they dont do body work), which I thought was strange. And finally, I made an appointment for 10am, but they didn’t finish with my car until around 1:30pm — but, I did call the day before, and it was a Saturday, so they were very busy. I can’t complain that much, because so far my car problem appears to be fixed, and they didn’t overcharge, and the location is very convenient such that I can walk home when I drop off my car, which is why I will probably come back here.

Great place! Great customer service. Saw us quickly on a Sunday during lunch to replace a front headlight. Would definitely recommend based on our experience.

My right brake light went out and I needed it replaced ASAP before I took a trip. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes and they charged a very reasonable fee. Very nice customer service too. I would return again.

Fantastic customer service and auto work. I recently got my distributor replaced there and my car purrs like a kitten now. Ricky did a great job on my car and even gave me some pointers on what to look out for next and some good up keep ideas. I won’t go anywhere else in Sacramento now

So fast, easy, and affordable! They really have their customers’ interest in mind. Great customer service, and great hours. Perfect for dropping off and picking up before and after work. Would definitely come here before trying the dealer.

Post-​tacos on Sunday night, Agnes Lincoln (aka my car) wouldn’t start, then once she did start, she died on the street. Boo. The tow truck dude from AAA told me about Red Rocket, and since this was the first issue I’ve had with Agnes since I got her 5 years ago, I said okay.
I spoke to Dolly on Monday morning & she got the car in to see what was up. Bad fuel pump. Ugh. She explained everything that was going on in a way that I could tell she was very knowledgeable about cars, but never once talked down to me, which I appreciate. She was super patient with me and made it easy for me to arrange payment (shout out to Pops for helping me take care of this).
By Tuesday afternoon Agnes was all fixed and ready to pick up. Dolly & I chatted about SoCal life vs. NorCal while she finalized the bill. She explained the warranty information, possible issues that could come up, and was overall very friendly and kind. For that reason alone I would go back.

The only place in downtown Sac to take your car. I’ve been going since they opened around 2010. Now my kids bring their cars there too. Just honest people who will help either get your car, or keep your car, on the road.

Overall I did like Red Rocket! I live in Rocklin so it a little out of the way for me but from what I have seen on Fox40 they seem to know their stuff so I was going to give them a try. Plus I like bald men ;)
Got my car back and fixed as promised.
I didn’t run into Hutch but maybe next time you sexy man!

Excellent, fast, friendly, service! I wouldn’t take my car to any other place. Very reliable!

Oh, I really wanted to like Red Rocket Auto Tech. :(
TL;DR: Charged $ 600 (for radiator quoted $ 200-​$ 300 elsewhere), then told that the $ 600 would not fix my overheating engine and I would need to pay $ 1800 more (for a head gasket replacement quoted $ 800-​$ 1000 elsewhere)
I am in the process of moving to the Bay Area from Sacramento, and was visiting Sacramento over Labor Day Weekend. My car, a early 2000’s Toyota, overheated and broke down on the way home, full of boxes and personal belongings I was moving from Sacramento to the Bay. AAA recommended me to Red Rocket Auto Tech and towed my car there. After some hullabaloo with my key (no fault of RRAT’s) and some back and forth with Dolly, the work on my car began almost a week later. It was determined that the radiator was cracked and needed replacing — no big deal.
I’d like to take this time to emphasize that the delay in working on my car was NOT the fault of Red Rocket Auto Tech, and Dolly was very prompt, polite and courteous on the phone every time I spoke with her.
That being said, I came to Sacramento the next Saturday to visit my in-​laws for their wedding anniversary and, while I was in town, went to pick up my car with my fiancé. We arrived at Red Rocket after confirming that my car would be ready for pick-​up at the end of the business day.
When we arrived, the car was not in the lot — it was being taken on a test drive by an employee with no cell phone and no way to contact them. The notion of a stranger having my car and no one knowing where they are made me uncomfortable, but I let it go. While waiting for the mechanic to come back with my car, I paid for the replacement radiator — a whopping $ 600. Every person I’ve talked to since — both car enthusiasts and professional mechanics alike — agreed that $ 600 to replace a radiator was outlandish. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice — the work had already been done, and I am not one to deny money for a service provided.
My car finally came back. We were informed that the engine was still overheating, and that in addition to the radiator, we’d need to replace a blown head gasket as well. The price I was quoted for a head gasket replacement was «at a minimum, $ 1800», in addition to the $ 600 radiator. I was not able to afford $ 1800, and I informed Dolly of this. She said it might not be the head gasket, but they would take a look at it closer on Monday. I asked if I could keep my car there until then, and she said that was fine.
My fiancé and I unpacked my immobile car, to at least retrieve our personal items. One mechanic made several «jokes» about how if he «had known we had boxes in the trunk», he would have «stolen them». He must have repeated himself three or four times. All of my belongings were accounted for, but that’s a very inappropriate joke to make, especially when no one is laughing.
Today is Monday. My father-​in-​law, who lives in Sacramento, has picked up my car. When he arrived, work was being done on my car without my knowledge. Dolly gave me a call and confirmed that my father-​in-​law could take my car, and I allowed it. He called me after the car arrived at his home and told me that they gave him trouble for taking the car, and urged me to write a Unilocal review.
Talking to friends who know their way around car motors, I was informed that a busted head gasket should have been the first thing a mechanic looked for in an overheating car, not to overcharge for a replacement radiator and then see if something else might be the issue. I am very disappointed and $ 600 poorer.

My friends were passing through town worried about their car on a Sunday needing to get to Oregon by the next day. Red Rocket quickly as well as thoroughly checked out the car last minute before closing and sent them on their way giving them the okay that they’d make it safe. I’ll definitely pay back the favor and bring my car in the next time I have a problem of my own!

Great people. Great service. Great prices.
Dolly and her crew are real professionals providing personal service with very competitive pricing.
You can’t go wrong!

This place is all around great. Everyone knows their stuff and isn’t afraid to let you know exactly what’s going on with your car. My car has had a squeak ever since I purchased it and they were able to find it, fix it and inform me how to go about resolving the issue if it ever happens again. Fast, friendly, affordable and honest. I won’t take my car anywhere else.

Their commercial ad that shows a red 65 mustang being worked on which indicates they know how to work on classics is misleading. I took my classic 65 mustang there for a pretty basic fix. It needed a new u joint installed and the idler arm tightened-​a 1 – 2 hour job.
Dolly, the lead crew chief told me as I brought my broken down car in that were not confident in their skills with classic cars and «they didn’t have access to parts» even though they didn’t even try or call around. I told them there’s plenty of shops that has the parts.
So they passed up on repairing a pretty basic job after telling me on the phone one day before «we have experience on classics and work on them all the time.» I then had to have my car towed to sac mustang out north (who did an excellent job by the way) and pay for a tow. Sac mustang told me it was a job that could have easily been done by any shop.
I call to complain about the service Because a car shop should do what it takes to repair a car when it is fixable or at least try. It’s like going to a barber to her your hair cut and the barber says they can’t cut your hair… This is what they do!
Dolly never owns up to her mistakes. This is the second time I’ve brought a mustang in and they weren’t able to fix it. She doesn’t say «I apologize» and shows customers service by fixing the issue, but she argues with you and tries to justify herself.
Nice people but I wouldn’t take a classic car or a job that needs a little more diagnostic/​skillful attention to this place. They have basic skills in car work.

Our daughter lives in Sac, and was having a loud noise in her VW Beetle engine. My husband is a motorhead, but hasn’t had time to look at it, much less repair it. She was overdue for a timing belt replacement. We had heard good things about Red Rocket, so told her to give them a try, since the dealership is always so expensive. When my daughter took the car in, they told her is was just a rattling guard over the oil pan, and that even though her timing belt was overdue for a change, it was still in very good shape, and since she didn’t drive her car much, she could put it off for a while more. Charged her $ 80 for looking at it and fixing the rattle, when they could have charged her $ 700 for a timing belt change. Very honest– didn’t take advantage of a young woman they way you expect with auto repair. Great place to send your college kids for honest engine repair.

Awesome service here!
My son took his classic Mustang here for repair and they couldn’t have been more helpful or nicer. I went with him to pick it up and they answered all his questions and treated him with respect. This is nice to see! They didn’t talk down to him because of his age. (He’s 24).
His vehicle now runs with a purr… instead of a crazy bark and we are very happy with the repair. I plan to take my car in to them soon and cannot say enough good things about this shop.
Great place!

Honesty in diagnosing your problem is what I appreciate in a car repair shop and that is what they have. They can diagnose your car problems with pinpoint accuracy and give you a fair rate for it. That’s what they did for me and I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone because they will have my business if I need more repairs.
Thnx Red Rocket!

Outta my way crappy auto care service centers — Red Rocket has my business… fo life!
Ok, maybe that’s a little extreme, but I did really enjoy my experience here. I had some power steering issues with my little KIA, and with the slight pushiness of Diane S, I decided to take the old girl in for a check up.
Going to an auto care business is a pain in the ass — I’ve never had a stellar time wasting a weekend while my car was being serviced. So that’s why I was pleasantly surprised by this place.
First of all — it was open on a Sunday (score) — so I knew that if I brought it in on a Saturday, there was a good chance I wouldn’t be car-​less on a Monday.
They fixed the old girl up — stayed open later on a Sunday night, just to make sure I had my car for work on Monday. Amazing customer service — you bet I’ll be back.