Proline Car Stereo — Attraction in New York

I had a terrible experience with Gaetano from Proline Car Stereo in Brooklyn NY and want to warn others to stay away. I originally went in to amplify an external speaker in my car. Instead of doing that, they told me I needed to replace my current speaker because the amplifier they wanted to install supposedly wouldn’t work with it AKA a money grab to buy THEIR speaker that would need THEIR AMPLIFIER. I trusted them, paid over $1,000, and left with just a new speaker—which didn’t even work with my car. Keep in mind, I was originally quoted around $2,000 for this job for the speaker, amplifier, as-well as a tint package.

The next shop I brought my car to let me know that this speaker was not producing any sound with the car. When I called Proline about it, they said they never tested the speaker with my car, only by itself. I’d say they completely missed the point of why I brought my car in. They admitted they didn’t change any wiring or anything from the original setup and that it should work the same. After I paid the $1,000+, they happen to mention that they can’t figure out what to use to power the amp. :) Then telling me to find out what to use because they can’t do this project till then.

To make matters worse, when I picked up my car and was on my way home, there was a rattle that wasn’t there before and there was also a 6-inch crack with a small impact point in my windshield that wasn’t there before. I’m not saying they did this, but the chances that it happened on the slow drive down Utica ave with all their speed cameras was little to none. Yet the chances the crack started small and got bigger as the wind pressed against the car on my drive home were much higher. I let them know what I see, and they sent me over security footage of my car leaving without a 6 inch crack with decent quality… but wasn’t clear enough to see the tiny impact point. This is important in this case because the crack is now 2ft+ long.

After a ton of back and forth, I was instructed to take my car to the dealership service center and ask them to fix the speaker Proline installed. Gaetano even told me at one point for me to fix it myself. I responded saying that they are the ones in the field and that I wouldn’t know how to do this. He then proceeds to clown me, to make me feel like I’M the problem. Let’s just say they treat customers very nicely!!

After they refused to finish the job due to me talking to them about the previous stated events, I took my car to another shop, and they completed the work in two days—with my ORIGINAL factory speaker and an amplifier. Meaning, the $1,000 speaker install from Proline was completely unnecessary and useless.

This shop either doesn’t know what they’re doing or is outright scamming customers. If you’re new to car audio, avoid this place at all costs. They will take advantage of you. I trusted them because of their "good" reviews, but after this experience, I suspect many of them are fake or paid for. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Proline, if you still want to HELP me, you...

5 Stars for these guys. I am definitely a happy customer went in looking to upgrade my boring 2019 Mazda CX5 the factory headlights and stereo was terrible!! I explained to them that I could hardly drive at night because my headlights were not bright enough even with the high beams on! They demonstrated to me right in the shop a 3 way combo LED light bar super bright even in the day time!! They installed it same day in the front bumper with relay switches under dash to switch on and off. The lights were super super bright!! I get compliments about them all the time and more importantly I can see 100% better driving at night. And several months after the install I had an issue with the light bar so I called them on the phone and explained to them the problem I was having with the light they told me to come by the shop so they can look at it. Found the problem fixed it free of charge and even wired it so I would never have that problem again. While there i asked what it would cost to upgrade my car stereo to a more quality sound he looked at my factory system and suggested upgrading all the speakers add a sub woofer, processor and amplifier he gave me a price I could not refuse.. The system he installed is insane!!!! I can feel the bass throughout my entire body with my volume only at 20. I definitely recommend PROLINE AUDIO for whatever upgrades to you want done to your...

I WILL NEVER COME BACK!

I visited the old shop on Atlantic Ave two years ago to get an Apple CarPlay radio installed. They sold me a Kenwood unit, which worked fine until a week later when static started interfering with my music. I took it back, and they "fixed" the loose wiring. However, the static returned a month later, and after several visits with the same outcome, I was frustrated.

They suggested I upgrade my door speakers or amps. I agreed to upgrade the speakers, but the static problem persisted shortly after. I then called a shop on Utica Ave, but they warned me this was the last free service under my warranty. Again, they claimed the wiring was loose, and after another "fix," the static returned within a week.

Fed up, I went to a nearby shop in Queens, and in just 5 minutes, they identified the problem and installed a noise filter. After less than an hour, it was finally fixed, and there hasn’t been any static for months.

I'm extremely disappointed in the initial shop. They seem to prioritize upselling rather than resolving issues, and I suspect some reviews are fake since one of their staff used my phone to leave a positive review. How can an experienced auto sound shop fail to fix a simple issue? I’m considering taking legal action given the time, money, and effort I wasted driving there...