Customers are accusing a Santa Clarita auto body shop of refusing to return their vehicles after lengthy repair delays and disputed charges.

The allegations involve multiple customers of Gary’s Auto Body in Newhall who claim they paid for repairs or attempted to retrieve their vehicles but were unable to do so, according to reporting by FOX 11 Los Angeles.

Mark Haberman told FOX 11 he brought his truck to the shop expecting repairs to take between two and three months. More than a year later, Haberman said the vehicle remains largely unrepaired despite records being provided showing approximately $20,000 was paid for the work.

“Here we are about a year and five months later and it’s almost untouched,” Haberman told FOX 11. “I wake up every morning stressed out. I have anxiety about it. It’s my truck. I should have it.”

Gary’s Auto owner John Wright declined to discuss specific details with FOX 11, citing a lack of authorization to share information about the repair. However, Wright told FOX 11 he is not preventing work from being completed and expects the truck to be ready by Friday.

Another dispute involves Tesla owners Malcom Moyenda and Cheyenne Seranco, who told FOX 11 they brought their vehicle to the shop on Nov. 8, 2025, following a collision.

The couple said they initially received a verbal estimate of approximately $4,000 for repairs. After returning weeks later and finding little apparent press, they requested the vehicle be returned.

Instead, they said they received notice that the shop had filed a mechanic’s lien totaling $158,913. Documents reviewed by FOX 11 reportedly showed the majority of the charges were related to towing and custodial care fees.

Under California Law, repair facilities may file mechanic’s liens in certain situations to recover unpaid charges associated with vehicle repairs, storage or related services.

Wright told FOX 11 the original estimate was preliminary and that additional damage was discovered after the Tesla was dismantled. He said repair work had been performed before the lien was filed and that he was entitled to pursue the lien after receiving notice the customers did not intend to pay for the work completed.

The couple contacted law enforcement but were reportedly told the matter was a civil dispute.

A former employee identified only as Vanessa told FOX 11 she left the business because of concerns about how customers were treated.

Vanessa also alleged Wright owes her more than $10,000 in unpaid wages, a claim Wright denied.

Regarding the Tesla dispute, Vanessa claimed repair work had not begun before legal action was threatened.

“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 told FOX 11.

She further alleged that customers were often told repairs were in progress when they were not.

Wright denied instructing employees to mislead customers.

“I did not tell her to lie. Those words did not come out of my mouth,” Wright told FOX 11. “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.”

The mechanic’s lien filed against the Tesla remains active and continues to accrue storage-related charges, according to FOX 11.

Moyenda has filed a civil lawsuit against Wright alleging fraud and unfair business practices. A mediation hearing in the case is scheduled for July 30.

The allegations and claims described in the lawsuit have not been proven in court, and Wright disputes the accusations made against him.

Court records also show that on May 22, 2026, Main Street Newhall, LLC filed a commercial unlawful detainer, or eviction, lawsuit against John W. Wright in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The case remains pending, with the next scheduled court hearing set for January 2027. The filing is separate from the customer complaints and civil litigation discussed in this story.

No allegations related to the pending eviction case were raised in the customer complaints reported by FOX 11, and the court filing does not establish wrongdoing by any party. The matter remains before the court.

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