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Customers accuse auto repair shop owner of wrongdoing
Customers and a former employee are accusing John Wright, owner of Gary's Auto Collision Center in Newhall, of leaving vehicles unrepaired for months or even years while refusing to release them. Wright denies the allegations.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Customers are accusing a Santa Clarita auto body shop of refusing to return their vehicles. One says he paid about $20,000 for repairs but still doesn't have his truck, while another said he was hit with a mechanic's lien for nearly $159,000 after trying to get his Tesla back.
What we know:
Several customers have shared allegations with FOX 11.
The $20,000 Truck Repair
Mark Haberman says he brought his truck to the shop expecting repairs to take two to three months.
"Here we are about a year and five months later and it's almost untouched," Haberman said. He provided records that he says show he paid the shop $20,000 for the repairs. "I wake up every morning stressed out. I have anxiety about it. It's my truck. I should have it."
When asked why the truck remains at the shop more than a year after receiving payment, Wright declined to discuss specifics, stating he did not have authorization to share those details.
"I'm not stopping from working the vehicle. The vehicle is there," Wright said, adding that he expects Haberman's truck to be ready by Friday.
The $159,000 Mechanic's Lien
Another customer, Malcolm Moyenda, and his partner, Cheyenne Serano, say they dropped off their Tesla at the shop on Nov. 8, 2025, after a collision. They say they were initially given a verbal repair estimate of about $4,000.
When they returned weeks later to check on the vehicle, they say little work had been completed. The couple demanded the Tesla back, but instead received a notice that the shop had filed a mechanic's lien. Documents reviewed by Fox 11 News show the lien totaled $158,913, with most of the charges attributed to towing and custodial care.
Under California law, repair shops may file a mechanic's lien under certain circumstances to recover unpaid charges.
"I got the demand letter, which tells me that they're not going to pay me for the work that I did on it, and I am entitled to a mechanic's lien on the vehicle," Wright said. He stated the original $4,000 figure was only an estimate, additional damage was discovered after the Tesla was dismantled, and repair work had been performed before the lien was filed.
The couple contacted police but were told the dispute was a civil matter.
Former Employee Speaks Out
A former employee named Vanessa, who asked that her identity be concealed, claims she left the business after becoming frustrated with how customers were treated. She also claims Wright still owes her more than $10,000 in unpaid wages, which Wright denies.
According to Vanessa, repair work on the Tesla did not start before the legal dispute.
"The customer would call every day to check in, and it wasn't until they started sending paperwork about suing him that he started ordering parts and making phone calls," she said. She also alleges customers were routinely told repairs were underway when they were not.
Wright denies instructing employees to mislead customers.
"I did not tell her to lie. Those words did not come out of my mouth," Wright said. "She would ask me, and I would tell her that we were working on the car because we are technically working. We are holding every car that's on the lot."
What's next:
The mechanic's lien filed against the Tesla remains active and continues to increase because of ongoing storage-related charges. Moyenda has filed a civil lawsuit against Wright alleging fraud and unfair business practices. A mediation hearing is scheduled for July 30.
The Source: This report is based entirely on provided interviews with customers Mark Haberman, Malcolm Moyenda, and Cheyenne Serano, shop owner John Wright, and an anonymous former employee, as well as a review of payment records, mechanic's lien documentation, and civil lawsuit filings.