I rarely leave negative reviews, but after months of - charlie.lacroix
I rarely leave negative reviews, but after months of dealing with Hopkins Acura of Fairfield, I feel compelled to share our experience so other customers know what to expect. Our 2017 Acura TLX suffered a connecting rod bearing failure that was covered under Acura's recall. Before the failure, the vehicle routinely achieved fuel economy consistent with Acura's published ratings and our years of ownership experience. Around the time of the bearing failure, fuel economy dropped dramatically and has remained severely reduced ever since. Over the course of several months, we worked extensively with Hopkins Acura, providing fuel receipts, mileage logs, manual MPG calculations, photographs, and detailed documentation. We gave them every opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue. Instead of focusing on finding the root cause, we were repeatedly met with shifting explanations, contradictions, delays, and ultimately a refusal to continue helping. One of the most concerning aspects of the entire experience was the quality of the recall repair itself. After major engine work, the vehicle was returned to us with the battery improperly secured. While Hopkins corrected the issue after we brought it to their attention, it understandably raised concerns about the overall attention to detail during a repair that involved significant engine disassembly and reassembly. The most disappointing part of this experience was dealing with General Manager Mike Gough. Rather than taking ownership of the situation or demonstrating genuine concern for a long-standing customer, his communication reflected exactly the type of stereotypical car dealership mentality most customers dread. When we raised legitimate concerns supported by documentation, his responses became increasingly dismissive. Instead of addressing the facts presented, he ultimately chose to tell us to seek a second opinion elsewhere while simultaneously banning us from future service at any Hopkins Auto Group dealership. Think about that for a moment. After multiple visits, multiple repair attempts, countless emails, and months of effort on our part, their final solution was: "Go somewhere else." Even more frustrating, Hopkins repeatedly suggested obtaining a second opinion from another Acura dealer yet offered no assistance with the cost of doing so. When I directly asked whether Hopkins would cover the expense of the second opinion they were recommending, I never received a response. The email was simply ignored. What stands out most is that nobody ever actually explained why a vehicle that once achieved well over 20 MPG now struggles to achieve 15 to 16 MPG. Nobody identified a root cause. Nobody offered a meaningful plan toward resolution. They simply declared the vehicle "normal" despite extensive documentation showing otherwise. Jessica Wagoner and Sheila Roberts were generally professional throughout much of the process and at least engaged in the conversation. Unfortunately, once the matter reached upper management, customer service and accountability seemed to disappear entirely. If you're looking for a dealership that stands behind its work, thoroughly investigates customer concerns, and takes ownership when problems arise, my experience suggests you should look elsewhere. Hopkins Acura had months of documentation, multiple opportunities to make this right, and every chance to demonstrate exceptional customer service. Instead, they chose to dismiss the concern, refuse future service, and stop communicating when asked difficult questions. Extremely disappointing experience, and based on how this situation was handled, I would not purchase a vehicle from Hopkins Acura of Fairfield nor would I recommend their service department to others.
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