A.C.A.R.

I went to ACAR in May of 2013 when my [redacted]'s brake light and abs lights came on while I was running errands in Augusta. In addition, the front brakes were making a horrible sound, so I knew that I needed to take the car to a mechanic ASAP. The customer service from [redacted] at ACAR was very helpful and put me at ease, although the cost of the repair was high I didn't want to take a chance on brakes (not knowing a lot about cars myself). I left with a friend that afternoon since ACAR needed to wait for my new abs sensor to be delivered the next day in order to put in new front brakes and repair the abs sensor.

A couple of days later, I returned and picked up my car at ACAR and as I drove off I heard a strange thump in the front drivers side of the car. I made a mental note but didn't think too much of it assuming that the mechanic had thoroughly checked over my new brakes.

A few weeks later (June 2013) I returned to ACAR to have my car fully looked over and the oil changed before I left to drive from Maine to California with my boyfriend. I was told by the employees at ACAR that the thumping I had heard was not a big issue and that the car looked perfectly fine for the 3,000 mile journey to California.

Feeling safe and confident with my car, my boyfriend and I set out on our trip across the country. Unfortunately, as the trip went on the loud noise coming from the front of the car became worse with every bump in the road, to the point where we were scared to be driving my car. Upon arriving in California, I brought my car to a mechanic my family uses who specializes in Japanese cars. Almost immediately after they pulled the car into the shop, the mechanic came out and said that my boyfriend and I were lucky to be alive. The mechanic brought me out to the garage and showed me why the noise had been happening... ACAR had not put the caliper bolt in the left (drivers side) of the front brakes. In other words, my front brakes were balancing on the frame of my car and could have dropped down and locked up my wheel and caused my car to spin out. Needless to say I was furious that not only did ACAR install my brakes improperly, but they okayed the brake job weeks later when I trusted them to make sure my car was ready to go.

After having my mechanic in California send pictures to [redacted] at ACAR and explain the situation to him, [redacted] finally agreed that it was indeed ACAR's fault. [redacted] spoke with me and told me they had suspended the mechanic who worked on my car for two days without pay (why they didn't fire him I do not know) and that ACAR would send me a check to cover the repair bill ASAP.

A couple of weeks later, I called ACAR since I had not received the check and was told that they had misplaced the invoice my mechanic in California had sent them. I then emailed copies of the invoice to both of ACAR's email addresses. Several weeks went by and I never received a check. I called ACAR again and told [redacted] that they had two weeks to send me the check and then I would be in contact with the Maine State Police to revoke their inspection station license. I still have not received the check and I have called the MSP.

Needless to say I am beyond frustrated with ACAR, I put my trust in them and their shotty work put myself and my boyfriend (as well as other cars on the road with us) in danger. This was not a simple mistake, mainly because brakes should be checked and rechecked and I brought the car in to be inspected after the repair and they missed the mistake again. I do not recommend anyone trust this repair shop, totally unprofessional and irresponsible.