Auto Fix Repair and Sales

Review: I am filing this complaint as advised by my attorney in the hopes of avoiding a civil suit against Auto [redacted]. In February 2014, I dropped off my car with them so they could [redacted] oil leaks in the engine. The valve gaskets were leaking badly. I was told the engine would have to be pulled in order to accomplish this task. When I took my car to Auto [redacted], [redacted], the service advisor, I spoke to about the initial repairs assured me they would “stand behind their work”.

Auto [redacted] pulled the engine and “[redacted]ed” the leaks. I picked up my car on March 5, 2014 and paid the invoice in the amount of $1516.85. In April/early May, I smelled oil burning and discovered the valve gaskets were leaking again. I took the car in to Auto [redacted] per their “warranty” and they claimed they [redacted]ed the issue. However, on September 12, 2014 I was smelling oil burning again so I took it in to [redacted] to have the oil changed. There was less than a quart of oil in the engine due to severe leaks in the valve gasket covers.

At that [redacted]e, [redacted] and his mechanic went over the engine. When they pulled the valve gasket bolts, they told me the bolts had been over-torqued and the seals on the bolts had not been replaced either. They noted several other places where seals I had paid for both parts and labor to replaced did not look like had been replaced.

[redacted] advised me to take the car back to Auto [redacted] to have the valve gasket cover leaks [redacted]ed. He said reputable shops will warranty their work and a good shop will redo things that aren’t [redacted]ed properly at no cost. I did as he advised. I dropped the car off with Auto [redacted] on September 18 to have the leaking valve gasket covers repaired. I requested that all the valve gasket bolts and seals be replaced. One of the mechanics mentioned that they might replace the valve gasket covers as they could be causing the issue.

I didn’t hear from anyone concerning my car until September 26, 2014. [redacted] called to inform me they had pulled the engine again and parts were on order. I was very surprised since no one had obtained permission to pull my engine. I was informed that they had to replace “wedges” and there was a bill for $542. I never agreed to replacing ‘wedges” or having my engine pulled again. The mechanic I was talking to seemed sketchy so I hung up with a sick feeling that I was getting screwed. I stopped by on September 29th to see what the status of the repairs was. The engine was out of my car.

When I picked up the car, I paid the bill because I wanted my car back. I was charged $542 for work on the camshaft…. I didn’t take the car in for issues with the camshaft. I asked if the bolts had been replaced per my request and Mr. [redacted] assured me they had.

I immediately took my car to [redacted] for them to look at. They were shocked over the bill. They informed me that the work done on the camshaft didn’t require removing the engine. Additionally, my valve gasket covers were still leaking and the bolts had not been replaced per my request. I saw and felt the leaking oil for myself. My air conditioning unit squealed intermittently due to a loose belt and the engine had a rattle.

[redacted], the owner of [redacted] said there was a serious miscommunication between myself and Auto [redacted]. He said he never does unauthorized work without discussing it with his client and giving an es[redacted]ate. He felt I should have received a call prior to the work being done on the camshaft and pulling my engine. I agreed with him.

I was mad when I learned that my engine was still leaking and that my engine had been pulled again for no reason. I went back to Auto [redacted] but no one was there. I called the number on the door of the shop and got no answer. I called Mr. [redacted] on his cell phone. I told him I was extremely angry. I explained that my car was still leaking oil and told him what the other shop had said about the bolts, the seals and them not needing to pull my engine to do the repairs. He said I needed to talk to the owner.

Within a few minutes of hanging up with Mr. [redacted], I received a called from a man demanding to know “what [redacted] shop I had taken my car to because they were liars and he was going to kick their [redacted] as.” I was shocked because the man on the phone was the owner of Auto [redacted], [redacted]. During the call, Mr. [redacted] never once made any attempt to listen to what I had to say or try to resolve the issue. He repeatedly accused the other shop of being liars and threatened violence towards them. He finally hung up on me after demanding “get your [redacted] car back to my shop now!” After being treated so unprofessionally and hearing him threaten violence against others I had no intention of taking my person anywhere near him.

On October 8, 2014, I took my car in for a third opinion to [redacted] in Missoula. They came highly recommended by a number of people. I received a call from [redacted] who looked at my car while it was in their shop. He confirmed that the valve gaskets were still leaking and the bolts had not been replaced. He adjusted the drive belts at no charge so the squealing stopped and I was able to use my air conditioning unit.

[redacted] also agreed that the work I requested for the leaking valve gaskets did not require pulling the engine. The engine did not need to be pulled for the work on the camshaft either. He said his shop could [redacted] the leaking valve gaskets for $360. This is drastically less than the $2059.72 I have paid for the incompetent work done by Auto [redacted]. He said the wedges that Auto [redacted] charged me $50.88 actually cost no more than $5.00 each. I was overcharged by at least $30 by Auto [redacted] for the wedges. I was charged for coolant and oil too. There was nothing wrong with the oil and coolant in my car prior to the repairs and both [redacted] and [redacted] agreed these fluids should have been collected and returned to my car.

Auto [redacted] has had three opportunities to [redacted] the leaks on my engine. I paid them $2059.72 for parts and labor to [redacted] oil leaks and my car continues to leak oil. They did work to my car that I didn’t authorize and expected me to pay for it. Two other shops agreed that they needlessly pulled my engine twice which can cause damage to other systems in my car. They blatantly lied to me about work and parts. Mr. [redacted] failed to address the leaking oil issue and instead chose to use profanity and verbal threats against others who were trying to help me due to his incompetent workmanship. I have never been so badly treated by a business owner as I was during my phone call from Mr. [redacted]

Due to these repairs on three separate occasions, I have been without my car for almost a month this year. Thankfully I have a second vehicle, but it costs me twice as much to operate because it doesn’t get very good fuel mileage. I have had to rely on friends to get me back and forth to the shop each [redacted]e my car goes in for servicing. I have wasted a number of hours in the past few days researching the reputation of Auto [redacted], preparing and filing this complaint, as well as taking my car in for second and third opinions. During my research I have discovered that I am not alone in the verbally abusive manner in which Mr. [redacted] spoke to me or the incompetent workmanship. I also learned that Mr. [redacted] has been turning back the odometers on cars that he sells and services.

In closing, I insist that Auto [redacted] return my $2059.72 since they failed to do what they were paid to do, which was to stop the oil leaking from my engine!Desired Settlement: In closing, I insist that Auto [redacted] return my $2059.72 since they failed to do what they were paid to do, which was to stop the oil leaking from my engine!