My journey with Hayat Auto:

My journey with Hayat Auto began after I had just sold my daily driver as a repairable for $500.00
This was a 97 Ford Escort I was not ready to give up as yet as it had a 40,000 mile motor in a clean 80,000 mile body. I had bought tires for it 1 year ago as well as a new battery,it got great miliage and I liked driving it.
Unfortunately the heater core had broken, it was refusing to run right, and had developed a mysterious electrical draw. Both my son and I are mechanics and the electrical draw had us baffled. We had no where to work on the car and it was to take at least 6 hours to repair the heater core,as the whole dashboard had to be removed to get to it, and there just was no spare money to put into it either. It was sold and that was that.
Now we went on the internet to search for Buy Here/Pay Here car dealers in St Paul. Many showed up on Concord but it just made me think of the old Minneapolis notorius Lake Street lots and I wanted nothing to do with that, we drove by, but all we saw was overpriced junk.
Discouraged, I called Hayat Auto and told them I had $500.00 to put down and I needed a car today, did they have a good inventory and could they put me in a car today. The gentleman I was speaking to said "You come in and speak to the owner Kristo,I'm sure he can do something for you". I looked at my son and said "I've got a good feeling about this place."
I asked where are you ? He began to give me directions, sensing I had litte idea what he was talking about as I was new to St Paul, he said " Let me have you talk to someone who will get you right here" The next person gave us perfect directions to a place we didin't know existed, and we were able to drive right there.
As we entered the establishment we were right away welcomed, and treated with respect, my son and I looked at each other and were immediately impressed.

Kristo wasted no time trying to figure out what he could put us in, and shortly came up with two options a, 2000 Toyota Camry, and a 2001 Hyundai Sonata.
As we were walking out to look at the Toyota, Kristo came to the doorway and said "No look at the Sonata I want to put you in a better car, same money better car, I can see you are a hard working man and I want to help you out"
The Sonata had 92,000 miles on it and he said he got it from the bank, it was a very nice car inside and out with the exception of Hail Damage and minor corner collision, but it drove and felt like a new car.
We decided that would work just fine, he said he would actually need $800.00 down but we will work with you on that, we completed the paperwork and I gave him the $500.00 and we left with the car rather pleased with the whole experience, but this was just the beginning.
A few  miles down the road the car shifted hard into third gear and kicked out a check engine light. My son and I both thought here we go, used car. We figured it was a speed sensor causing it. We called Kristo right away and he said bring the car back tomorrow and we will scan it, maybe we will have to flash the computer.

The next day we scanned it at home and got a code, and then we had Kristo scan it as well, and we both got he same code. We checked the transmission fluid and it smelled burned. Hyundai only allows you to get the general code stored in the computer it does not allow you to communicate with the transmission directly, for that you must bring it to the dealer. Kristo said " No problem we will pay for the scan so we can know what needs to be replaced and maybe we need to put you in a different car" I said I liked the car just fine. He called and made an appointment with Inver Grove Hyundai and we took it right over there. We got the car in right away and in minutes it was confirmed it was the front speed sensor, and the mechanic showed us it's location. When we got back with the information Kristo offered us a choice, You take the car pay for the part and repair it and I will forgive the remaining $300.00 down payment owed, or I will pay for the part and your son can repair it here in my shop, as previously stated I had no other money to work with so we let him buy the part. The Hyundai mechanic did emphasize that Hyundai uses a specific transmission fluid and if it is replaced with something else it will not shift correctly, we also told this to Kristo, He said "Ok maybe I can get it for wholesale, but we get it and your son can change that as well.

Kristo had the part and the transmission fluid the next day, and my son did the repair, it is now shifting correctly.
Kristo also has called twice to see if it was performing properly.

I've bought lot of cars from a myriad of dealers over the years, but I have never been treated with this level of Customer Service, I myself have worked in and trained people in Customer Service for over 20 years this was phenomenal, and I will definitely send him customers.
Thanks Kristo, this could have been extremely uncomfortable.

Curtis Marie