Autobahn Autoworks Inc.

RE:  J[redacted] / [redacted] / [redacted]   Again, this customer is creatively responding rather than stating what actually happened.   1)     Mr. [redacted] stated in his 2nd response that “there was NO fault with axles OR bearings, or ANY part that was brought to Autobahn.  I brought them in for PREVENTATIVE wheel bearing replacement because I lacked the special tolls needed to do the job…”  No one we’re aware of removes their hubs and wheel bearings as preventative.  To confirm this, we followed-up with Autologic and Alldata both automotive repair information companies used by dealers and other independents including Autobahn.  If as Mr. [redacted] stated, “EVERYTHING was totally functional when they were dropped off”, why would he go to all the time and effort to remove the axels himself from his vehicle and bring them to us for replacement of the bearings?   2)     In response to his direct question about how to get them in if you don’t have the correct tools, he was told by Eddie of Autobahn that many people use a “rubber mallet” to install them in conjunction with the axle nut until they are in.  This is not the method used by Autobahn.  At no time was he told we use a hammer to install them.   3)     After Mr. [redacted] picked up and reinstalled the axels in his vehicle, he telephoned and stated he wanted $500 to purchase new axels as we had damaged them.  When he was told he’d need to bring his vehicle in for an inspection to see the damage and how he’d reinstalled them in his vehicle, he immediate threatened the company owner by stating “is your reputation worth $500”?  At which point he was told to have a good day and the telephone conversation was terminated.

Pursuant to your inquiry dated May 4, 2015 in reference to the above, please be advised of the following:Our records do not reflect a customer with the name you provided ([redacted]). However, we do have a customer with a different first name with the same address and we are going...

to assume they are husband and wife.If indeed, they are husband and wife, please ask the claimant to provide a release from his wife to provide information regarding her vehicle and we will happily provide a response regarding said vehicle, the issues presented, and the services we provided. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Pursuant to your initial inquiry dated May 4, 2015 and our previous response, in reference to the above, please be advised of the following:On November 24, 2014, Mrs. [redacted] brought her vehicle (1988 Mercedes-Benz 300TE with 216,903 Miles) into our shop for an oil & oil filter change. It was noted and Mrs. [redacted] was advised of numerous oil leaks from her engine and drive train as well as several other issues; we prepared a written Quote for her based on the leaks that were identifiable as the entire underside of the engine and drive train were covered with oil.In late February 2015, Mrs. [redacted] returned to have the services performed based on the written Quote.  Mrs. [redacted] picked up her vehicle on February 27, 2015 and as is our policy, Mrs. [redacted] was offered a cash payment discount.  We had cleaned the underside of the engine and drive train and Mrs. [redacted] was advised that we believed we had identified all the leaks possible, but due to the massive amounts of oil that had covered the underside of the engine and drive train, only by driving it and watching for additional oil leak drips or spots could we be sure.On April 7, 2015 Mrs. [redacted] returned with her vehicle and reported that she had noticed fresh oil spots at her residence.  Upon examination, it was noted that the rear main seal also had a leak and Mrs. [redacted] was so advised and provided with a Quote for the additional cost of replacing the rear main seal and pump.  Mrs. [redacted] declined to have the rear main seal replaced. We are saddened that the [redacted]'s are experiencing issues with their 27-year old vehicle, but also believe based on it's age and number of miles, that some issues are unavoidable.  Further, the oil clad underside of the engine and drive train lent itself to making initial diagnostics difficult at best, impossible at worst.   We have had no interaction with Mr. [redacted] regarding their vehicle or our services throughout this process.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }"we expect that unhappy customer to at least relate the events that resulted in his or her unhappiness accurately" - This recount of the crucial facts by Autobahn is ironically a deliberate lie to protect themselves. It is also revealing of their character that their statement is so full of misinformation that their defense is to state that I am not being accurate. I am taking my time to act honorably with concern for other potential customers and am 100% accurate in ALL statements and swear to their accuracy. I know now more than ever the parties responsible for these statements are dishonorable and untrustworthy 1) "he’d diagnosed the assemblies needing new bearings" - Your facts are not "accurate". There was NO fault with axles OR bearings, or ANY part that was brought to Autobahn. I brought them in for PREVENTATIVE wheel bearing replacement because I lacked the special tools needed to do the job, (and so does Autobahn). EVERYTHING was totally functional when they were dropped off. The axle that NOW has a fault due to improper procedures was not spilling grease as it is now 2) "At no time did we use a hammer to extract or insert the axles from/into the hubs" - This is the important lie. The fact that they used a hammer is the basis for their accountability for my losses. There are significant hammer marks on the tin grease seals on BOTH axles. The real evidence that this is a lie about the wrongdoing was provided by Eddie's own words, twice. 1) He told me in person at Autobahn's location, that the way they install them is with a hammer. To paraphrase Eddy..."You hammer a little, then use the axle nut to pull a little, until it's in..." 2) Then AGAIN he confessed to this process on the phone by his response to my claim that it was the hammering that caused the grease tin to fail. Response was this method was proper and that he even supervised the mechanic who did it. He said this with the owner of Autobahn on the call

Pursuant to your initial inquiry dated May 4, 2015 and our previous response, in reference to the above, please be advised of the following:On November 24, 2014, Mrs. [redacted] brought her vehicle (1988 Mercedes-Benz 300TE with 216,903 Miles) into our shop for an oil & oil filter change. It was noted and Mrs. [redacted] was advised of numerous oil leaks from her engine and drive train as well as several other issues; we prepared a written Quote for her based on the leaks that were identifiable as the entire underside of the engine and drive train were covered with oil.In late February 2015, Mrs. [redacted] returned to have the services performed based on the written Quote.  Mrs. [redacted] picked up her vehicle on February 27, 2015 and as is our policy, Mrs. [redacted] was offered a cash payment discount.  We had cleaned the underside of the engine and drive train and Mrs. [redacted] was advised that we believed we had identified all the leaks possible, but due to the massive amounts of oil that had covered the underside of the engine and drive train, only by driving it and watching for additional oil leak drips or spots could we be sure.On April 7, 2015 Mrs. [redacted] returned with her vehicle and reported that she had noticed fresh oil spots at her residence.  Upon examination, it was noted that the rear main seal also had a leak and Mrs. [redacted] was so advised and provided with a Quote for the additional cost of replacing the rear main seal and pump.  Mrs. [redacted] declined to have the rear main seal replaced. We are saddened that the [redacted]'s are experiencing issues with their 27-year old vehicle, but also believe based on it's age and number of miles, that some issues are unavoidable.  Further, the oil clad underside of the engine and drive train lent itself to making initial diagnostics difficult at best, impossible at worst.   We have had no interaction with Mr. [redacted] regarding their vehicle or our services throughout this process.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }
"we expect that unhappy customer to at least relate the events that resulted in his or her unhappiness accurately" - This recount of the crucial facts by Autobahn is ironically a deliberate lie to protect themselves. It is also revealing of their character that their statement is so full of misinformation that their defense is to state that I am not being accurate. I am taking my time to act honorably with concern for other potential customers and am 100% accurate in ALL statements and swear to their accuracy. I know now more than ever the parties responsible for these statements are dishonorable and untrustworthy 1) "he’d diagnosed the assemblies needing new bearings" - Your facts are not "accurate". There was NO fault with axles OR bearings, or ANY part that was brought to Autobahn. I brought them in for PREVENTATIVE wheel bearing replacement because I lacked the special tools needed to do the job, (and so does Autobahn). EVERYTHING was totally functional when they were dropped off. The axle that NOW has a fault due to improper procedures was not spilling grease as it is now 2) "At no time did we use a hammer to extract or insert the axles from/into the hubs" - This is the important lie. The fact that they used a hammer is the basis for their accountability for my losses. There are significant hammer marks on the tin grease seals on BOTH axles. The real evidence that this is a lie about the wrongdoing was provided by Eddie's own words, twice. 1) He told me in person at Autobahn's location, that the way they install them is with a hammer. To paraphrase Eddy..."You hammer a little, then use the axle nut to pull a little, until it's in..." 2) Then AGAIN he confessed to this process on the phone by his response to my claim that it was the hammering that caused the grease tin to fail. Response was this method was proper and that he even supervised the mechanic who did it. He said this with the owner of Autobahn on the call

Pursuant to your inquiry dated May 4, 2015 in reference to the above, please be advised of the following:Our records do not reflect a customer with the name you provided ([redacted]). However, we do have a customer with a different first name with the same address and we are...

going to assume they are husband and wife.If indeed, they are husband and wife, please ask the claimant to provide a release from his wife to provide information regarding her vehicle and we will happily provide a response regarding said vehicle, the issues presented, and the services we provided. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

It saddens us when we have a customer who is unhappy with the services we perform.  However, on those extremely rare occasions when a customer is not happy with us, we do everything possible to...

regain his/her confidence and happiness.  If we are still unsuccessful, at a minimum, we expect that unhappy customer to at least relate the events that resulted in his or her unhappiness accurately.   This customer, [redacted], has a 14 year old vehicle which he diagnosed as having some issues with the hub/bearings/axel assemblies.  He removed the hub/bearings/axel assemblies himself and brought the hub/bearings/axel assemblies and the replacement bearings to us for us to install (he’d diagnosed the assemblies needing new bearings).  At no time did we use a hammer to extract or insert the axels from/into the hubs;  additionally we used a hydraulic press to install the new bearings, which is the correct method.  He reinstalled the hub/bearings/axel assemblies himself, we assume at his residence.   He then telephoned us two weeks later and requested $500.00 with which he wanted to purchase “new” axels.  We advised him that we couldn’t authorize that without seeing how and what had been done when he re-installed hub/bearings/axel assemblies and we scheduled an appointment for him for Monday, 04-25-2016 at 1:00 PM.  After a brief conversation during which we repeated our need to inspect his vehicle and his installation, he insisted that we simply give him the $500.00  He then asked if the damage to our reputation was worth $500.00 to us.  He was asked, are you threatening us?  To which he responded “yes”.    At that point, he was told “this conversation is over, have a good day” and we hung up the phone.    We are saddened that this customer thinks such tactics are part of doing business and then elects to write a extremely lopsided inaccurate review on YELP in which he restated his threat.

RE:  J[redacted] / [redacted] / [redacted]   Again, this customer is creatively responding rather than stating what actually happened.   1)     Mr. [redacted] stated in his 2nd response that “there was NO fault with axles OR bearings, or ANY part that was brought to Autobahn.  I brought them in for PREVENTATIVE wheel bearing replacement because I lacked the special tolls needed to do the job…”  No one we’re aware of removes their hubs and wheel bearings as preventative.  To confirm this, we followed-up with Autologic and Alldata both automotive repair information companies used by dealers and other independents including Autobahn.  If as Mr. [redacted] stated, “EVERYTHING was totally functional when they were dropped off”, why would he go to all the time and effort to remove the axels himself from his vehicle and bring them to us for replacement of the bearings?   2)     In response to his direct question about how to get them in if you don’t have the correct tools, he was told by Eddie of Autobahn that many people use a “rubber mallet” to install them in conjunction with the axle nut until they are in.  This is not the method used by Autobahn.  At no time was he told we use a hammer to install them.   3)     After Mr. [redacted] picked up and reinstalled the axels in his vehicle, he telephoned and stated he wanted $500 to purchase new axels as we had damaged them.  When he was told he’d need to bring his vehicle in for an inspection to see the damage and how he’d reinstalled them in his vehicle, he immediate threatened the company owner by stating “is your reputation worth $500”?  At which point he was told to have a good day and the telephone conversation was terminated.

Review: My wife brought her Mercedes Station Wagon to Autobahn Autoworks to get an estimate on repairs. They quoted $3300 if we paid cash. I called and spoke with [redacted] who represented that these repairs would eliminate the oil leaks. We took the cash out of the bank and had them perform the repairs. When my wife brought the car home we noticed that it was still leaking. I took the car back to show them it was still leaking and brought a photo of the oil leak in our driveway. I spoke with both [redacted], and [redacted], the owner. They quoted that for an additional $700 they would take care of the leak. Then they said they would speak to [redacted], the mechanic to see if they could make any concessions and would call me back the next day. They never did, so I called several days later and left a message for [redacted] asking him to return my call. A couple of weeks have gone by, and they never called back. I feel that my wife and I have been taken advantage of. We worked them in good faith. They did not provide any disclaimers about the oil leak, we did not sign anything, and we did not receive a properly dated receipt for the work they performed.Desired Settlement: My wife and I would be satisfied if they refunded one half of the cash we paid which is $1,650. They did perform other repairs, but they claimed the repairs would eliminate the oil leaks, which was our priority, and they clearly did not as the car is still leaking oil as much or more than before they performed the repairs.

Business

Response:

Pursuant to your inquiry dated May 4, 2015 in reference to the above, please be advised of the following:Our records do not reflect a customer with the name you provided ([redacted]). However, we do have a customer with a different first name with the same address and we are going to assume they are husband and wife.If indeed, they are husband and wife, please ask the claimant to provide a release from his wife to provide information regarding her vehicle and we will happily provide a response regarding said vehicle, the issues presented, and the services we provided. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Business

Response:

Pursuant to your initial inquiry dated May 4, 2015 and our previous response, in reference to the above, please be advised of the following:On November 24, 2014, Mrs. [redacted] brought her vehicle (1988 Mercedes-Benz 300TE with 216,903 Miles) into our shop for an oil & oil filter change. It was noted and Mrs. [redacted] was advised of numerous oil leaks from her engine and drive train as well as several other issues; we prepared a written Quote for her based on the leaks that were identifiable as the entire underside of the engine and drive train were covered with oil.In late February 2015, Mrs. [redacted] returned to have the services performed based on the written Quote. Mrs. [redacted] picked up her vehicle on February 27, 2015 and as is our policy, Mrs. [redacted] was offered a cash payment discount. We had cleaned the underside of the engine and drive train and Mrs. [redacted] was advised that we believed we had identified all the leaks possible, but due to the massive amounts of oil that had covered the underside of the engine and drive train, only by driving it and watching for additional oil leak drips or spots could we be sure.On April 7, 2015 Mrs. [redacted] returned with her vehicle and reported that she had noticed fresh oil spots at her residence. Upon examination, it was noted that the rear main seal also had a leak and Mrs. [redacted] was so advised and provided with a Quote for the additional cost of replacing the rear main seal and pump. Mrs. [redacted] declined to have the rear main seal replaced. We are saddened that the [redacted]'s are experiencing issues with their 27-year old vehicle, but also believe based on it's age and number of miles, that some issues are unavoidable. Further, the oil clad underside of the engine and drive train lent itself to making initial diagnostics difficult at best, impossible at worst. We have had no interaction with Mr. [redacted] regarding their vehicle or our services throughout this process. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

We've all heard about automotive shops and how they sometimes aren't the easiest to deal with. Well, my experience at Autobahn, particularly with the owner, Kent, has turned me into a real believer that there are automotive repair folks who really care about their customers and in my case, my car.