Kar King Auto supplied me with a 2.4l 2RZ rebuilt engine for my son's 2004 Toyota Tocama. They shipped from LA to Sacramento within 4 days with no hassel. The rebuild looked perfect and included all gaskets required to complete the installation. The engine had been throughly cleaned and the cylinders were honed. They installed new lower end bearings, new pistons and rings and a fully rebuild head. They also installed a new waterpump, timing chain and guides. Everything was lubed correctly for start up and we had no problems. We have just finished the install and the engine is strong running and so far has zero issues. I will update this post in the future to let you know how it is running. I highly recommend Kar King and thank Jorge for his insite and knowledge in providing us with a well priced quality engine rebuild.
During covid I had just bought a car within a year the engine went out. I called around in my state and no one had the engine I needed. I called Kar King in California and George was so helpful he was able to give me a quote and get my engine shipped to me within days. I would definitely recommend you get your engine from Kar King and speak to George. He's very helpful has good customer service and will get you the engine you need!
Not very great rebuilds. My Z24I had rod knock from the start I eventually spun a bearing in about a year and also accumulated blowby aswell as a blown head
The only thing I can say was to standard was my valve setting
Great work and a fast turnaround time. I shipped my engine to George for a rebuild, had it back to me a week early, and he included a gasket kit. Will definitely use again in the future.
Absolutely outstanding from start to finish. My shop is in Pittsburgh PA. I found these folks on the internet, whole looking for an engine. It was strange because every reputable salvage yard wanted 2500 dollars for the same engine with 150,000 moles on them
I called and spoke to George. He verified that he had the correct engine in stock. I paid him over the phone and within 7 business days, the engine was from California to Pittsburgh
Installed the engine 2 days later. Ran into a problem with a different designed timing cover, so free of charge, George sent me the piece that I needed. Sent it on a Monday and I got it the next day.
Engine started on the first try and everything is absolutely fantastic. Our shop is now going to become a regular customer of theirs.
Thank you George
Wanted to give a friendly update, for the folks that pay attention to reviews. The kid who owns the car that I put the engine into, delivers pizza. So he's put a solid and hard 5000-8000 miles on the engine already and it's still running perfectly. Again, thank you!
Purchased a brand new engine for my husband’s Kia Optima that had just died for no apparent reason. The install was quicker than anticipated. Overall, great service. This was in December 2023 and the engine has been great. No issues at all.
JANUARY 2025: FULL COMPLETE REVIEW ON YELP.
It finally happened. The engine gave up and revealed how truly awful the craftsmanship of this build. Where to begin? Number 3 rod bent, completely shredded the bearings and slamming into the head. Sounds like I had some fun right? Wrong. Seemingly out of nowhere and no fun was I having, no knocking previous to this. It gave out on a 3 mile commute home. Not a fun story.
Dirt. Mud. That's what was inside of this block after draining the coolant. When I installed this engine I also overhauled the cooling system; completely new hoses, pipes, even a new radiator. Obviously that also includes new coolant. Curious, where could it have come from? Hmm.
Continuing to break this engine down I come to discover that not just 1, but all 4 of the bolts holding the timing chain guides were but hand tight. Hell I didn't even need a wrench for those ones. Ridiculous to say the least.
When originally asked about the bore when buying the engine I was told it wasn't overbored. Its overbored to .060 or 1.5mm. Thats a maximum oversize. But it doesn't stop there; the block bore and deck are not perpendicular as they are supposed to be. The crank is out of balance and as a reminder from the very beginning the snout has been chewed up something you refused to fix. (Another reminder, that would have been within the warranty window, engine wasnt even installed yet and you still denied...yikes)
Number 4 cylinder chamfer has a nice chip in it. None of the cylinders have proper chamfer. Lack of proper or uneven chamfer and leaving sharp edges on a block like that can cause detonation. Hm.
Number 4 piston just bounces around on the wrist pin. Did you even properly size the bushings? No, probably not because its very out of spec.
According to two independent machinists the block was never even decked at all - and that shows in the heat scoring throughout the top. And another reminder, this engine to this point has had less than 9,000 miles put on it as a daily driver. California truck. Aisin carb, all smog equipment installed. No performance, no pushing to the limits or overheating like George has tried to blame in the past. I accept my faults and buddy even if I did anything wrong there's no denying that this engine was doomed from the get go. I have touched every single bolt on this truck I have torn it down and put it back together over and over and seemingly the only thing that continues to fail is the one thing that YOUR BUSINESS touched. Not me, my shits proper. George my only fault in this was trusting that you would be honest. You failed me and according to your reviews across other platforms you've failed many others as well. I've worked in some pretty questionable auto shops but I must say the low quality from you truly takes the cake.
Truly I wish I could take the blame. This makes me wish I actually did push it to the limits and abuse this engine. Who gets to say they killed a 22R? That's an impressive feat.
Now to you dear reader, form your opinion, blame me if you want but at the end of the day would you trust him to build your engine?
I called this business on 1/27/25 at 8:20 AM to inquire about an engine for a swap job. During the call, I provided my company name when asked where I was calling from and asked if they delivered engines. The gentleman on the phone seemed agitated and asked again where I was calling from, so I repeated my company name. He then clarified that he was asking for our location, to which I responded, ‘We are in Ontario.’
Despite answering his question, the tone of the conversation became increasingly tense. The call ended abruptly when he hung up. I called back to follow up, and he answered with noticeable frustration, stating it was “too early for this.” He then quoted me $3,500 (with exchange) for the engine. I politely mentioned that the price was too high and ended the call.
While I understand that mornings can be busy, this interaction felt unnecessarily unprofessional and dismissive. Clear communication and respectful customer service go a long way in building trust, especially when dealing with specialized parts. I hope this feedback encourages improvements in how inquiries are handled, as professionalism is essential for building good client relationships.
Just purchased a rebuilt 6G72 V6 for my 1990 Montero and, within 1k miles of installation, I'm back in the shop already with excessive lifter noise and an experience that sounded like a rod was being thrown. No response to my email either about getting help with this issue.
Purchased a 3vz engine back in Aug/Sept 2022. I put the engine in myself. I am not at all a mechanic but a DIY type of person and the engine has been pretty good. I even cracked the head on the core and he said it was fine, and he gave me a timing gear on the crankshaft cause I misplaced mine and thought I left it on the engine core after I gave it to him. Pretty cool of him if you ask me. The rebuilt engine has been running great for me and it's got 10k miles on it so far and it don't hiccup. Thanks KarKing
I had Kar King Auto rebuild a core engine for my gen 1 Tacoma and it’s never ran better. Going strong 30k miles later. Would definitely recommend and now I’m coming back to try and get my transmission done too.
Sold me an engine for a B2200 and found out after they install the head was leaking coolant into the combustion chamber from a cracked valve seat. They sent me a new cylinder head after they verified the old one was cracked. This delayed my project by 2 weeks which is why I’m leaving 3 stars. QUALITY CONTROL
Kar King sold me a rebuilt engine that was not properly rebuilt. It has a engine code of P0022 which is indicative of Timing Chain and/or Camshaft phaser problems. The engine rattles, has less power, and has very poor gas mileage. On a full tank I'm only getting 160 miles when my old engine would get atleast 280-300 miles per fill-up. This is due to the Camshaft phaser not being able to adjust the engine timing as needed due to KarKing Auto not correctly reassembling the engine they sold me. in order to fix the mechanic shop needs to replace the camshaft phaser and redo the timing chain alignment which is a very expensive job. Seller asked me to remove the engine which would cost me another $1000 and then ship it back to him which would be an additional $300. Then I would have to pay the same mechanic another $1000 to place a new engine from elsewhere in my truck. The timing chain job is quoted to be a $3500 job at the local Toyota Dealership. I initially only asked for half and the seller still declined to make things right and only offered me returning the engine from Texas back to California. Stay away from these guys unless you like being scammed.
Update: 2/19/2024
I won the small claims suit against this company but I still was out of an additional $2000. The problem was indeed the timing chain being off which was fixed at a Toyota Dealership. Stay away from these guys.
Bought a Kia 2.4L engine and it failed after only 22K miles, same exact way as the original engine. I specifically asked if it got new updated bearings, which was the determining factor of whether i keep it or not, and owner said "Yes new bearings, it shouldnt happen again" ...Well it did
I live in the Atlanta metro with a 2012 Toyota Prius. At the 221K mark, the head gasket went on it, so it was either replace gasket or engine, mind you it was Christmas 2023. I opted for the engine. Did some internet looking and was referred to Kar King Auto. Called up George, told him my situation, and provided specs. He came back with a very reasonable offer and shipment charges to get it to my mechanic in Atlanta. He originally stated it would be ready in early 2024, but to my surprise, he had it ready for shipment before the end of 2023. Shipped fast, had it installed, and now it runs like new again. Very pleased with the communication and price.
Thanks George!
I purchased a rebuilt engine from Kar King Auto a few months ago and our car has been running great ever since! I was a little skeptical about purchasing from an out of state company that I found on the internet. After I had read the reviews, I called and talked to George. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. He sent us exactly what we needed and within the time frame he promised. He was also quick to respond when I had questions. Outstanding company! Thank you Kar King Auto.
George was awesome to deal with. We needed an engine for a Hyundai that we could not find anywhere and he not only rebuilt one for us but did it twice as fast as he said he would. We were able to install it and get our guest back on the road much faster. We will be using Kar King's moving forward.
I was looking for an Nissan engine and found it at KarKing. It came fast. The problems I had was the engine was faulty. I called was told 'I was lying and trying to pull a fast one on them'. My calls I felt were avoided, and when called from another number they were answered quickly. I took the truck and engine to a second mechanic and they talk to George also and were not impressed. George offered to look at the engine at his shop. I would have to take it out, ship it at my expense. Then he would look at it and determine if it was the shops fault. If he was he would ship it back at his expense. By this time my trust was lost and I did not feel like I would not be treated fairly or with honesty.
I choose to have the 'Rebuilt engine' Rebuilt locally. (cheaper then taking it out and shipping it back) or left with nothing.
I was on vacation in South Carolina when my Toyota FJ blew the engine. Several months earlier I was on the Arizona Interstate stuck in stopped traffic due to a accident ahead and the alternator went out destroying the serpentine belt causing the engine to drastically overheat before I could get off the road. The Toyota dealer there wanted over $12,ooo to put used engine because NEW was not available. i had the vehicle shipped back to midwest to a authorized shop - but after several months and two short blocks later both refused due to defects I had it hauled AGAIN to a Toyota dealer close by my residence. Their estimate was considerably cheaper and they also could not get a new engine - only a short block. Upon them tearing down the old they found considerable repair was needed in the heads and the price skyrocketed.
So I researched and found Kar Kings out of S. Cal could build me complete engine for less than the short block. I called George and we had a great conversation wherein he explained how they do the work. 5 months later from it breaking down and less than two weeks after I paid Kar Kings the engine is on its way. What was disappointing for me was the Toyota dealership knew of George and Kar Kings but did NOT suggest it to me. They had his name and phone number.
I have no doubt that I will refer others to Kar Kings and specifically George M. He reminds me of the way business was done back in the early 60's when I was a teenager. Ethics and customer satisfaction with a personal touch. I am thankful.
** Buyer beware.... you can tell from their responses they will not take ANY responsibility for their work and their goal to charge you as much as possible and then claim your car was old when they create more problems.
Absolute garbage service and installation for rebuilt engine. They do not stand by their work and are quick to take your money. My engine repair was nearly $5k and I returned multiple times to have them fix the nonexistent performance, only for them to tell me it was fine. A few miles down the road it would stall or some major issue would be identified. They didn’t properly install the air intake, and it literally fell off. The MAP and oil sensor guage were not properly installed creating major headaches and several thousand dollars more in diagnostic and repair. Ended up selling the suburban to a scrap yard as it could not tow anything after the engine rebuild as the vehicle literally could not handle a 2k load with any kind of incline. BEWARE!
Got a rebuilt motor for my Toyota FJ Cruiser and admittedly, I was hesitant in the beginning of the process. Having said that, I now add that I highly recommend this outfit. From the start of the transaction, George explained everything that would take place from start to finish. Let me say that it went just as explained to me, I was constantly updated on the process of the rebuilt and was notified on the day it was to be shipped.
The engine looked great and to date, I have put in over 2.000 miles and have had zero issues. I highly recommend this outfit to anyone that is thinking about doing business with them as I am certain that my engine will last a very long time.
Our 09 Pontiac Vibe had an engine failure and needed to be replaced. I found Kar King Auto online and after reviewing their Customer reviews and looking at BBB information I felt they would be a good choice for purchasing a rebuilt engine. Although their shop is in California and we are located in Michigan there was no problem getting the rebuilt engine to us and the shop installing it gave it good marks as well. The motor looked great and is performing as it should. Thanks George!
First off I want to say I didn't buy anything from Kar King Auto but nonetheless had a wonderful Experience. I called looking for an engine for my Kia Sorento. I talked to George very knowledgeable and he quoted me prices which were more than fair. After that he made me aware that this Sorento of mine might have a recall and asked if I ever looked into that. Told him I did and was turned down he lead me to another Dealership he was familiar with I said won't hurt to try so I called then and I want to say Thank You to Kar King Auto Especially George his recommendations where more than GREAT Kia honored the Recall and I got my car fixed at no charge. If all businesses operated like this it would be much easier to not worry about spending your hard earned money. I had to write this Review because I am very Appreciative of the honesty shown from this Company.
Would not Hesitate to Recommend this place to Everyone I know!
First off, George is the real deal and one of the most responsive and honest repair shop owners I’ve had to deal with after over 30 years in the Air Force doing transportation and supply. Secondly, EVERY-TIME I called this business George answered the phone and was professional and genuine. My experience started off bad as I went through a company in Florida who subcontracted with KarKing to provide a rebuilt engine for my Kia Sportage. After working with the unresponsive and untrustworthy owners in Florida for warranty work due to issues after 1600 miles, I finally realized I had to work the issues with George because they didn’t want to take the time to address the issues. George stepped up to the plate and hit a home run by sending me a replacement engine after inspecting the engine I sent back. He explained exactly what was needed to ensure the engine was installed along with the recommended lubricants and filter…even sending an oil cooler to ensure no contaminants were present. He also provided some technical help after the engine was installed as the rebuilt motor took different VVT solenoids which rectified the issue and now the engine is running smoothly. I was deceived by the company in Florida into thinking they were the ones rebuilding the engine and if I had to do it all over again I would have went through KarKing the first time. Thanks George you have my business in the future.
I ordered a rebuilt motor off of eBay from this company, The motor arrived two weeks earlier than was promised by (George) , by the way whom was very knowledgeable and professional. The motor was immaculate you can tell by the appearance that workmanship was excellent. I installed motor and it fired up right away with no leaks or problems. The motor purrs like a kitten. I highly recommend Kar-King I have had a good experience with them, and their pricing is reasonable.I definitely will do business again with this Company.
I have maintained my 2005 car myself since I bought it new. I pretty much had done all the maintenance until my engine unfortunately gave out at 160k miles. I was sad to think that was the end of the line for my vehicle and I was researching the options: I could take a gamble on a salvage yard engine, pay for a lot of labor to get the engine problem diagnosed, have my engine rebuilt or buy a rebuilt one. I opted to have my engine replaced with a rebuilt engine with a warranty.
I ordered a rebuilt engine from Kar King and had it delivered to my shop and they took excellent care of me and my car. I was surprised how clean the rebuilt engine was when it arrived.
George communicated at every step of the way and kept me up-to-date and worked with me to coordinate the delivery. He handled the return of the old engine and everything was seamless.
I can't tell you the delight it brought me to get back in the driver seat and hear my car roar back to life, knowing that I'll get to enjoy my vehicle for some more time.
I can't recommend Kar King more.
The reason I have waited so long to post my review is I wanted to wait and see how things were after the 6 month warranty they give with their work expired. It has now been around 7 or 8 months since I purchased a motor and transmission from Kar King and they are running just fine. I would recommend this company to anybody that wants quality work without the inflated price tag. Before Kar King I was quoted $5900.00 from one shop (that was just for the motor w/warranty) and $3700.00 from another (used motor w/o warranty). Since these prices were way out of my price range, I decided to shop around and found Kar King. Not only did I get a new rebuilt motor (with a warranty) I also picked up a rebuilt transmission. I figured might as well do them both since the tranny had around 140,000 miles on it as well and had to be pulled out with the motor (easiest way to do it). The price for motor and trans was $2750.00!!!! Nobody else could even touch this price! Another nice thing about George and his crew is they stand behind their work. Long story short, there was a slight discrepancy concerning the transmission and it had to be sent back to Kar King. I called George and informed him of this. Kar King paid for all the shipping to and from their shop in California. Not only that but when they took another look at it he informed me of a different, more serious problem with my transmission. At this point he called me to let me know what was going on, that they had fixed it and was sending it back with a trans cooler.....FREE OF CHARGE! So to sum it up I think the guys at Kar King do a great job so don't bother looking anywhere else.
A very satisfied customer
Purchased a transmission for an 84 Toyota truck and George at Kar King was great to deal with and very helpful. I mail ordered this part and was a bit concerned of what I might see in the box when it arrived...well there were no dissappointments! The transmission looked fantastic and after installing it I was 100% pleased with the transmission. I worked with George to get round trip shipping up front which worked perfectly and UPS came right to the door to pick up the old one. I was notified by UPS when my core arrived and Kar King had the core charge back to me in no time. Can't say enough good things about George and Kar King...I will definitely go to them again in the future.
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