Pimp My Ride producer responds to claims by former contestants they didn't bother to fix cars properly
Published on Aug 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM (UTC-4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Aug 28, 2025 at 12:50 PM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A Pimp My Ride producer responded to claims from former contestants that their cars weren’t fixed properly.
In the years since the iconic MTV show went off the air in 2007, many former contestants have come out to have their say.
Among the litany of accusations hurled at the show was the claim that the show didn’t bother to fix cars correctly.
Larry Hochberg, a producer on the show, responded to these claims.
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A Pimp My Ride producer has spoken out about claims from former contestants
Several participants who had their cars pimped have come forward over the years.
Justin Dearinger from season six of Pimp My Ride, for example, had his 1997 Toyota RAV4 pimped by MTV.
After filming ended, the team actually removed some of the coolest parts of his car, like the ‘pop-up champagne’, because they were unsafe or illegal.
Another contestant said one modification caused a fire.
These are just the tip of the iceberg as far as Pimp My Ride car-owners’ stories go.
But now a Pimp My Ride producer has spoken out about the accusations.
Larry Hochberg, who worked on the MTV show, spoke to The Huffington Post about some of the claims.
He disputed the notion that the crew didn’t do their jobs properly.
“It’s not accurate to say that we didn’t work on the mechanics of the cars,” he said.
Some of the cars were so old and rusted that they would have mechanical issues no matter how much work you put into them, [and] the production team and the car shops worked their butts off to get parts for these cars.”
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This iconic show has been making a lot of headlines recently
The show has been off the air for nearly two decades, and yet, it’s still generating discourse online.
Even the show’s host, rapper Xzibit, has been known to air some of his grievances with the show.
One such complaint was that it took him away from his music career and that it prompted people to talk to him about cars.
“Soccer moms coming up to me telling me about their husband and their car that they had since the ’60s,” Xzibit recalled.
He also wasn’t too happy with how much he was getting paid, but he has since said he’s moved past that dispute.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
