Car X Auto Service

Review: I took my car on October 25, 2014 to Car-X to repair a broken power window on the passenger side door. I first checked the company's web site to see if they repaired power windows and if they were open on Saturdays. They were. The employee behind the counter, [redacted], say that they could fix the window. The repair took about two hour and it cost $334.54. I had no problem with the repair or the cost until later that evening. I use my vehicle for work. With my first client, when he tried to leave the car, the inside door handle did not work. I was able to open the door for the client, but he complained that I shouldn't be taking clients with a door that doesn't work. I wanted to go back to Car-X to fix the problem but it was Saturday evening and Car-X was closed for the weekend and wouldn't be open until Monday. I went to Car-X early Monday morning. [redacted] was there and when I reported my problem, [redacted] said it happens and would repair the problem. It only took 40 minutes to fix the issue. When I asked about a refund of the labor cost because I explained that the repair man didn't earn it since he was the one that failed to repair the broken window properly and that the failed repair cost me 4 shifts at work. My employer didn't want me working with such as obvious issue. All the client leave though the passenger side door and aren't willing to wait for me to open doors for them. Again [redacted] said that this happens but he wouldn't refund the labor cost. A few days later, I reported the issue to the main company though the company's web site. I haven't hear from anyone, no one from the local repair shop or the corporate offices. I've wait for several weeks for a response from the corporate offices.Desired Settlement: At first, I was only asking for a refund of the labor cost, $75.00, but since no one is concerned about the problems I've encountered with Car-X, I now want a full refund. I spent enough money to get the window fixed properly the first time and [redacted], the Car-X associate, said they could fix the window. [redacted] should have warned me that the mechanic was not experienced in repairing power windows, so I would have had the option to find another repair shop. And I expressed my displeasure with the inferior repair with the local shop and with the corporate office but no one seemed to care of the quality of the work or service, I want a full refund. And since the inferior repair cost me 4 shifts at work where I would have earn 300 to 400 dollars, which would have covered the cost of the repair, I demand a full refund.

Business

Response:

[redacted] came to us with a complaint of his power window not working. We brought the vehicle into the shop, diagnosed the problem with the power window, estimated a cost to repair the power window, presented the estimate to [redacted], he authorized the repair, we did the repair, and the power window worked and is still working to this day. According to the technician that did the window repair, the door also worked at the time of [redacted]'s departure from our establishment.

[redacted]'s employment has his car doors being opened and closed on an hourly basis. Any one of his customers or himself could have created the problem with his door. However, in the interest of customer service and the fact that the work we did came with a 12 month/12000 mile nationwide, legal and binding warranty, [redacted]) made arrangements to have the door repaired, which ended up being a cable that does not effect the power window operation. This was done at no additional cost to [redacted]. We are sorry that something non related to the repair that we did failed after we fixed the window but both window and door are working now. There will be no refund provided for work that was done.

As for Car-X not contacting [redacted] after he filed a complaint with the corporate office, below is his final statement which does not indicate that he wanted or was asking for anything. After investigating the facts of what took place, I did not feel the need to reach out to [redacted] as his last statement made it very clear what he intended on doing.

"Since this repair job cost me more than just the charge of $334, it also cost me two days of work, I plan never to use Carx again and also plan to tell all my friend and co-workers to avoid Carx."

Review: For the last 6 months my Son [redacted] and I have been dealing with an issue caused by an oil change completed on 3-19-2013 by the Carx store located at [redacted]. The car is a 2004 Mazda 3 purchased new by my ex-wife in 2004. [redacted] has owned it since 2007 and up until the last 6 months it has been an exceptional car. In my opinion the oil filter was not properly tightened by the shop listed above and spun off when [redacted] went through a large water puddle. The engine lost all of its oil and failed 231 miles after the oil change was completed. Since the oil change, the car has been towed five different times for a total of 112 miles. Multiple repair bills have been paid for by my son or I. Carx employees were the last people to touch the oil filter. Carx replaced the engine in late April. Problems continued with the engine, parts that they replaced were not done correctly and have to or yet have to be redone. An additional $1750 in repairs is needed to sell the car that was improperly completed. Carx stopped returning phone calls in May, so we have been on our own even though they gave a 12 month 12000 mile warranty on the replacement engine. The problems we have been encountering are with sensors and connections that were either part of the replacement engine, or were improperly completed at the time of install.

My name is [redacted], I am [redacted]’s father. I was called when the filter was found inside the skid plate of [redacted]’s car and called by [redacted] to help resolve the issue. In my 20 years as a supervisor in a large manufacturing plant, I have learned that people make mistakes all the time. I estimate during those 20 years I have supervised over 200 different individuals. Even my best and most trusted employees have made mistakes.

We are asking for payment of $1864.06 for money already spent on repairs, original cost of flushing of the power steering and coolant (Had to be done again with new engine…was it done?) Plus an estimated $1750 in needed repairs caused by the faulty repairs of this shop. Our plan is to repair this vehicle to salable condition. A replacement vehicle was purchased in September of 2013.

In total we are looking for $3614.06 for money we have spent on repairs since the oil change, and estimates to make this car salable to the next person. $3614.06 will settle the claim. We are not asking for loss of use unless the case ends up in court, and the judge feels we are entitled to loss of use of 95+ days (43 miles per day average in the 5.5 yrs prior to this event). We expect to retain ownership of the car which has a clean retail book value of $7025 as of 10-15-2013 from [redacted]. We will and have paid for repairs we do not feel are the responsibility of Carx (brakes, master cylinder, wheel bearing). These costs are not included in the claim against Carx. Below is an extremely shorten version of events. Many contacts were made with the Store manager [redacted], the district manager [redacted], and [redacted] at the corporate office. The only contacts included below have costs associated with repairs improperly completed by carx. A more detailed 18 page version with dates, contacts and receipts will be used if the case needs no go to court for resolution.

1. My son, [redacted] (21 yrs. old at the time) went in for an oil change to CarX, located at [redacted], on 3-19-2013. The receipt shows that [redacted] was the technician that was given the job. CarX recommended additional services of a radiator flush, and power steering flush, which [redacted] agreed to. The total bill was $387.56, and mileage out was 111444. This is the original charge that wrecked the engine. We would like reimbursement for $387.56

2. While going to work April 3, 2013 the car quit running after [redacted] went through a large water puddle. [redacted] saw a bunch of lights come on in the past, which went out after the car dried out. He suspected the same issue this time. The car was towed to [redacted] to diagnose the problem. [redacted] did not know about the missing filter, and this shop was recommended to do the repair by a friend. A $400 deposit was left by [redacted] for the repair. I was called when the filter was found to be disconnected from the engine. [redacted] sent me the attached picture through text of the oil filter in the skid plate from his phone to mine.

3. The car was picked up 4-9-2013 ([redacted]’s 22nd bday) by a Carx called, and paid for towing company (2nd tow – 30+ miles). I have no idea how they towed it. The tow prior to this was on a flatbed trailer. The wheels did not touch the ground when [redacted] had it towed. [redacted], the store manager told me on 4-11-2013 that [redacted], the district manager told him they were not going to fix the car.

4. I called [redacted] on 4-11-2013 and he did not answer. I was upset and called the corporate office and talked to [redacted] in Illinois Ph#[redacted]. I asked her if there was a camera at this shop that recorded oil changes and she told me there was not. I explained the situation and she said she would contact the owner of the shop ([redacted], address [redacted]. She also gave me the Administers name and number [redacted] Ph#[redacted]. She told me to contact her any time if the situation was not being handled to my satisfaction. Within 30 minutes of the call to corporate, [redacted] called me. [redacted] told me that he did not tell [redacted] not to repair the car, only to do what “he thought was best”. I was told by [redacted] that “[redacted]” would contact me within the next 24 hrs. I was never contacted by [redacted], the owner or [redacted], the administrator. I assume these contacts were made as [redacted] told me they would be. Based on [redacted]’s comment I believe [redacted] knew the circumstances and chose not to call me.

5. On 4-12-2013 [redacted], the district manager told me that they were going to replace the engine “in the interest of customer service” [redacted] told me the engine comes with a 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty.

6. I got a call from [redacted] on about April 20th saying the car needs a front wheel hub & new motor mounts, a transmission filter and flush. In total they wanted $1300 to finish the car. I told [redacted] to only go ahead with the motor mounts and trans filter and flush which he said would be around $600. The final bill at carx was $533.20. Again [redacted] was the assigned technician according to the receipt (the same person who did not tighten the oil filter to begin with). We were later told by [redacted] there were bolts missing from the new mounts, the Mazda dealership told us the engine vibrates excessively because aftermarket mounts were used, and [redacted] said the mounts need to be replaced again because they were improperly installed. [redacted] also said there was a spacer missing from the starter mount, and the space was filled in with silicone sealer. We would like reimbursement for $533.20 that carX charged for motor mounts that need to be replaced again.

7. [redacted]’s ended up charging [redacted] a total of $280 on May 2, 2013 for 2 tows to his shop, replacement of customer supplied wheel bearing, and addition of bolts to “new” motor mounts not put in by Carx. The sum for above was taken out of the $400 deposit put down for the original repair estimate from April 4th, 2013. [redacted] got back $120 of the original $400 deposit he put down for a suspected timing belt break on April 4th. Carx estimate was $600 for 1 wheel bearing replacement. I bought a “premium part” from [redacted] for 117 + 30 shipping, [redacted]s charged for 2 tows(30 plus miles each time) and labor to replace bearing and missing bolts from “new motor mounts “, plus original diagnostic work prior to finding the oil filter in the skid plate. We would like reimbursement for $140. We are taking the wheel bearing repair as our responsibility plus half of the labor.

8. A loaner car was provided by Carx on April 16th, 2013 after I inquired about the length of time the repair was taking. The loaner car was used by [redacted] for 9 days until carx completed engine replacement. He picked his car up on April 25th. After the engine replacement [redacted] said the wheel bearing was making a lot of noise. He had not heard this noise before. I instructed him to drive the car home, stopping every quarter mile to let the bearing cool off for 10 minutes before moving on. He had 2 miles to get the car home. This is the first time he has driven the car since April 4, 2013. When I told [redacted] this is what we planned on doing, he said the car could catch fire. I was not as concerned as [redacted] was and felt it was a scare tactic to get another $600 plus out of [redacted]. Again, I found the correct wheel bearing on [redacted] for $117 +$30 shipping. Which [redacted] called a “premium part”.

9. The car was towed from [redacted]’s home To [redacted] on a flatbed truck on about April 26th (No date on [redacted]’s receipt) to repair the wheel bearing that was now making a lot of noise. They replaced the wheel bearing, and said that there were bolts missing from the new motor mounts installed by Carx. Third tow, paid for by [redacted] in his bill – 30 plus miles.

10. On May 2, 2013 [redacted] called me after the wheel bearing was replaced at [redacted] said his check engine light came on. Since April 4th, this was the second time [redacted] had driven the car. He said the engine vibrates a lot, and runs rough at idle. I called [redacted] and he told me to take it to take it to [redacted] store #[redacted] (phone #[redacted]) to find out what the problem was. After a scan (at 14:05pm) they determined the MAP sensor was bad. I called the store and they told me it was between [redacted] and I to get the MAP sensor replaced. I called [redacted] and he told me that he told them to give me “a hell of a deal” to replace the sensor and was surprised that they didn’t make the offer. [redacted] also told me the MAP sensor was not part of the engine & that it was mounted to the firewall. I did some checking on the internet and found that the MAP sensor is mounted to the engine, near the manifold. I suspect the junk yard motor sensor was left on the engine. [redacted] told me the car could be continued to be driven & that it may run rough and gas mileage would decrease without replacement. Carx was not going to pay for a replacement. A new MAP sensor was purchased on 7-25-2013 for $97.41. We are looking for reimbursement of $97.41 for the part. Labor is added to “needed repairs”

11. On May---, [redacted] called me and said that the car would not start. I called [redacted], he did not answer. I left [redacted] a message telling him that he lied to me in telling me the MAP sensor was not part of the engine, and that the car would not start. [redacted] did not call me back. I called [redacted] at Carx and left a message that we were not getting satisfactory responses. She did not call me back. This was my last contact with anyone from CarX. [redacted] left a message with [redacted] at the corporate office when his air conditioner failed in July, but she did not call him back.

12. In early May, the car was towed again to the local Mazda dealership to figure out why the car would not start (4th tow, paid for by [redacted]’s insurance – 20 plus miles). The diagnosis was a faulty wiring harness between the starter and the battery (part of the replaced engine?) Replacement cost was $220, with towing. They said that the engine vibrated excessively because aftermarket motor mounts were used. They also said they could not reattach the skid plate & that it was nylon wire tied in place during a previous repair. They recommended a replacement part for $160 plus labor. I told them to put the old one in the trunk in a plastic bag. We are looking for $220 for parts towing and labor for the replacement wire harness.

13. In July the air conditioner stopped working. It now only blows hot air. Was the connection done properly? Did they leave the donor engine compressor attached to the replacement engine? This is when [redacted] reached out to [redacted] at Carx corporate office and she did not return the call.

14. On August 2nd [redacted] took the car to a fourth shop, [redacted] for diagnostics because the engine runs rough and vibrates a lot. [redacted] has to shift the car into neutral when stopped to bring up the RPMs. [redacted] stated that the starter was in crooked and missing a required spacer. The gaps were filled in with silicone sealer. They stated that the starter jumps around when engaged and will eventually fail prematurely because of the missing spacer. They also said the motor mounts needed to be replaced and got a good chuckle when [redacted] told them they were just replaced by Carx with new ones. They stated the lower motor mount bolts were screwed into the rubber of the mount and were not properly tying the engine to the frame. Again Carx ignored our calls from the beginning of May. I no longer trusted them. I believe Carx owns this repair, we took it to 4 different shops, trying to save money all the way through by sourcing lowest cost parts and towing. Carx ignored multiple messages leading me to believe we were on our own even though we were given a 12 month, 12000 mile warranty on the engine and attached components. The short term failures lead me to believe the engine components were not properly transferred or replaced. We are looking for reimbursement of $144.20 for diagnostics charged by [redacted] 15. [redacted] estimated repairs at $1750 to repair items that had failed or were improperly completed by carX. Repairs include a new starter, starter spacer plate, new MAP sensor, new motor mounts, new thermostat housing for the ac, and ac recharge.

16. On August 13, 2013 [redacted] called me from his driveway and said his car would not shift out of drive. Again the car needs to be towed to a shop for repair. [redacted] called the insurance company to find out if they would pay for towing and they told him that his insurance may be dropped if he turns it in. He called 10+towing companies to find the cheapest price to tow it to[redacted]-2.5 miles from his home, and [redacted] was the cheapest at $60. 5th tow paid for by [redacted] in his bill, 2.5 miles.

17. Total repair cost was $93.94 for the new shift cable (customer supplied by [redacted] wanted 160 for the part) + $247.75 labor and towing. We would like reimbursement of $341.69 for repairs.

18. A replacement vehicle was purchased in September 2013. Because of timing we had no choice but to repair the Mazda 3 once again to keep [redacted] on the road.

19. [redacted] has no place to park the Mazda 3. We are still looking for the best price and place to keep it, but it looks like monthly storage will be around $30 per month from Oct 1, 2013 until completion of needed repairs and sale or resolution by Carx. Monthly storage costs will be attached to the claim from October 1. I could ask an insane amount of $100 per day as some auto shops do, but we are not looking to do anything but settle this in a fair and equitable way. We have shopped around to find the best deals on parts, towing, repairs, and storage. I feel Carx did not do this when they were looking for $1300 in repairs in addition to replacement of engine, motor mounts, transmission filter, and transmission flush. I felt they were trying to pay for the engine that blew up because of their negligence.

Summary:

Carx employees made a simple oil change turn into a nightmare that we have been dealing with for over 6 months now. CarX chose to stop working with us 5 months ago, even though there was a supposed 12 month 12,000 mile warranty on the engine. They turned my son’s 2004 Mazda 3 into a piece of junk that we cannot ethically pass on to another person without proper repairs. Carx severed all ties to us in May with unreturned phone calls, and the problems persist. We chose to allow Carx to do the right thing by putting the car into the same condition they received it in, and they chose to sever ties with unreturned phone calls.

I could have taken the car to a Mazda dealership and sued to recover costs (I am just guessing it would be over 10k to replace an engine?)I could have had [redacted]’s Transmission Service (he really wanted to do the work, but understood my reason for sending it to Carx) complete the repairs and sue Carx for repairs, but I chose what I now believe to be the incorrect path. I gave Carx the chance to repair the vehicle to “as received condition” at their cost. I felt during the repair they were trying to recover these costs with inflated parts costs for motor mounts and wheel bearings. Carx chose to have the same employee that caused the problem replace the engine according to the receipts we have. Experienced mechanics (my grandfather owned his own shops for over 40 yrs, and others) have since told me that with an engine swap you pull all cables and sensors from the old engine because they worked before with the previous engine control module. Based on the problems we are having, I do not believe this happened.

After unreturned calls from [redacted], the regional manager in Austin TX area, and [redacted] at corporate office in Illinois we chose to continue to pay for repairs to keep the car running. We have had enough. The car was turned into a piece of junk by the negligence of this shop.

In my opinion, we went over and above to allow the store to make things right-they did not. They have not met even minimum expectations. The car has been behind a tow truck five times for a total of 113 miles to four different shops. This car was purchased new by my ex-wife, and has been owned by [redacted] since 2007. The car has been exceptionally dependable until Carx touched it.

I am not a litigious person. I have never filed a lawsuit against any company or person. My Son, [redacted] has never filed a lawsuit against any company or person. The way this was handled by Carx (decline, ignore, half try-hoping we would go away, blame the other guy, decline, ignore…etc.) rallied us to look for a solution through either a claim against Carx insurance, or resolution in court. Carx has forced many financial decisions in the last five months to fix the car (at our expense- no returned calls) and continue driving it as is, or buy a different car with no trade equity and come up with taxes, higher monthly costs. I have lost a lot of sleep, as I am sure [redacted] has during this period. The car is no longer dependable. We want a solution to this issue that is fair and equitable. I asked to have the car put back to condition received by Carx and this has not been done. We have chosen to stop making repairs and replace the car. [redacted]’s equity in the vehicle will be locked up until resolution. We cannot ethically pass this lemon on to anyone else knowing the repairs were not done properly. The car is now parked, and will be stored in a location that will be paid a monthly sum while we await solution to the issue.

This letter is first being sent to the Revdex.com. If we cannot resolve it there, a copy of the full letter will be sent to [redacted], the store manager of the shop that caused the problem for claim against the store’s insurance company. I expect a claim to be filed with Carx insurance to meet our terms within a timely manner. Response (within 7 business days from receipt of a copy) is expected. If we cannot resolve it with the insurance company, a lawsuit will be filed with the Austin TX clerk of court. A lawyer will be retained, and legal costs will become part of the claim. Monthly storage and insurance fees will also be attached at a cost of an estimated $40 per month starting October 1, 2013. Loss of use for 95 days will also be added to the claim @ a total cost of $3990

Settlement cost before court:

$3614.06 out of pocket costs, cost of needed repairs to sell the vehicle

Total $3620.06

Honor 12 month/12000 warranty for new owner. Start over from resolution date. Only 2500 miles on replacement engine because of issues encountered since replacement.

Settlement if the case goes to court:

$3614 out of pocket costs, + actual cost of needed repairs to sell the vehicle

$3990 loss of vehicle use (95 days @ $42/day. If he had the financial means he would have rented a car. He was forced to go without)

$2500 retainer of lawyer

$400 Estimated court costs

$1500 Additional lawyer costs-estimated. Actual cost added to claim

$140 Monthly storage and insurance cost from October 15 2013 to settlement date

Total settlement cost $8010 + additional repair discoveries +actual monthly storage and insurance costs

Total court costs $4400 estimated + additional costs not anticipated

How we can be contacted:

Vehicle owner:

[redacted] Cell [redacted]

Owner’s father, main contact through events:

[redacted] Cell [redacted]Desired Settlement: return the car to condition received by your shop

Business

Response:

Sorry for not responding sooner. I was on vacation. This complaint seems to be much more involved than others that I have had to deal with. There is a lot of he said he said within the complaint that will have to be verified. I will need some time to speak with everyone that was involved and I will also need any and all receipts that Mr. [redacted] is in possession of in regards to any work performed on the vehicle in question. If you can formulate some sort of response based on this, let me know. If not, I will provide a blanket response that will push us to the next level.

Office Manager

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

First all, I am not rejecting any offers by this business, but I am not given another option.

Is it acceptable for this business to miss a response deadline by over a month? Is “I was on vacation” an acceptable reason for not responding to a Revdex.com complaint? Our initial complaint was registered 10-16-2013. We got a response on 12-30-2013, or 50 business, and 75 calendar days after the initial Revdex.com complaint. We have been ignored and blown off during this whole ordeal, so I am not too surprised. We are all busy, and I get that, but this is typical of what we have been dealing with since the oil filter fell off.

Carx may feel that they went over and above by replacing the engine, but the problems continued with improperly completed work, or problems with the replacement engine ( the same technician who didn’t tighten the oil filter was given the job of replacing the engine). These problems had to be repaired or redone at other shops because Carx severed ties with us in early May by not returning multiple phone calls made to [redacted], the regional manager, and [redacted] at the corporate office in Illinois. We were given a 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty which we found after [redacted] drove the car 5 miles they would not honor. The engine shook excessively from day one with the replacement engine and we were told by Adam’s repair there were missing bolts from the motor mounts the first time the car was driven (2 miles after engine replacement). [redacted] said the engine shook because aftermarket mounts were used (5 miles after engine replacement, and after the starter wire harness failed. This resulted in another tow). In July the air conditioner failed and [redacted] left a message for [redacted] at the corporate office which was not returned. He had to shift the car into neutral to bring up the RPMs and stop the vibration for 4 months. In august the car had to be towed again after the shift cable failed. [redacted] told us that motor mounts were left loose, and the thermostat housing had to be replaced to fix the A/C. [redacted] recommended and we agreed to replacement of 2 mounts In November (in total we paid for 5 engine or trans-axel mounts between Carx and [redacted] and there are only 4 in the car. [redacted] originally recommend replacement of 3 mounts, but said one was left loose so they only had to tighten it). I tend to side with [redacted] because the car ran as it should when they were done with it, and three shops told us about motor mount problems after Carx completed their work.

Since the $1821.01 in repairs completed in November by [redacted], the car runs as it should. In total this oil change has resulted in additional repairs of $3029.93 that we feel are the responsibility of Carx. Since this oil change the car has been behind a tow truck five times for a total of 125 miles. [redacted] had a loss of use of 95+ days based on the 5 years he has owned it and mileage he put on it prior to this event.

After reviewing totals actually spent for additional repairs needed to make the car safe and resalable, we are looking for a settlement of $3029.93. This total was reduced from our original settlement request for items that would be considered “wear and tear”. The car has a book value of almost $7,000 so we had no choice but to make the necessary repairs.

The Revdex.com website is not friendly to [redacted] word or excel which is what I have used to compile pictures, receipts and the original claim. I am not comfortable going outside of the Revdex.com website unless Carx is willing to accept our terms, or there is another way to submit these items through the Revdex.com website. Again, we will pursue settlement in court with addition of legal fees and loss of use if terms are not satisfactory and filed in a timely matter. I suggest this be shared with more than one person on the Carx end in case someone goes on vacation for more than a month.

Regards,

Business

Response:

At this point, the only thing that I can respond with is all work performed by Car-X Auto Service comes with a legal and binding warranty of 12 months or 12,000 miles unless otherwise stated on the invoice. If it is necessary for this to go to mediation, Car-X is prepared to do so. Please be advised that if this does go to mediation, we will require that all documentation be present at that time for our review. Thank you.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

From: [redacted] [mailto:[redacted]]

Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2014 6:18 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Re: Your Revdex.com Complaint ID#[redacted], Car X Auto Service

[redacted],

Attached are the requested receipts by the business. Tab one has the cost break down, and the "pictures" tab has copies of all the receipts. This is our final review of what it will take to settlle the complaint. The total expenditures we expect to be reimbursed for by Carx to settle the claim are $2992.68.

.

Business

Response:

This will be our final position on this matter. The engine replacement that we did came with a 12 month / 12000 mile legal and binding warranty. Some of the repairs that you are claiming had to be done are not covered as part of the engine replacement warranty and the select few that are related should have been done by Car-X as they were under warranty. We do not offer a money back warranty to any customers that chose to have work done, that is under warranty with Car-X, at another facility. Since the vehicle has been sold, we have no responsibility to warranty any parts or labor associated to said vehicle from the date of sale forward. Car-X is open to mediation. If mediation is selected, please fax to me all receipts including payment documentation and the bill of sale for the car. The fax number is [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

If the Engine replacement came with a 12000 mile 12 month warranty, why were multiple phone calls ignored and not returned? I was done dealing with the store when they told me multiple times that the car would not be repaired (we had a tow truck on route twice) after engine failure and the car was in their possession. There seemed to be a disconnect between the store and regional manager. When [redacted] told the store manager to “do what he thought was right”, our claim was denied. The same night I was told by [redacted] they would replace the engine with a “crate motor in the interest of customer service”. To me and any other car guy, a crate motor is factory new not a junk yard motor. I was not called by [redacted] as I was told I would be. [redacted] stopped returning calls in May. [redacted] at Carx corporate did not call back in May or July. We lost all confidence in the abilities of this store through improperly completed repairs. We lost all confidence in regional and corporate management with unreturned phone calls and denial of repairs that should have been covered… they caused the engine to fail. We never had confidence in store ownership, because contact was not made by them as I was told it would be. Why would we continue to deal with a company that:

1. Couldn’t tighten an oil filter in the first place?

2. Assigned the same tech the job of engine replacement that didn’t tighten the filter?

3. Left bolts out of motor mounts during engine replacement? (see [redacted] note)

4. Filled in gap from missing starter spacer plate with silicone? ([redacted] picture)

5. Left upper motor mount loose after engine replacement? ([redacted] verbal)

6. Denied responsibility throughout the event?

7. Took 23 days to replace the engine?

8. Denied repair of MAP sensor 2 miles after engine replacement? (check engine light on)

9. Didn’t return my phone calls when starter wire harness failed 5 miles after engine replacement?

10. Didn’t return phone call after air conditioner stopped working in July?

11. Missed Revdex.com claim response deadline by 50 days?

Carx was given more than enough chances to make the situation right and they failed miserably. They were given total possession of the car after the discovery of the missing oil filter. We are talking about the largest single asset owned by a 22 year old man, which was made useless for over 95 days by the negligence of this store. Sure the car is not perfect but it still has a value of $7000. It was completely dependable prior to the oil change. If the engine didn’t blow up, would we have to replace 5 motor mounts (there are only 4 motor connection points, we paid for 5)? Would the MAP sensor, EGR valve, air conditioner, shift cable, and starter wire harness have failed on the original engine in 3 months? I think probably not. We removed expenses that could be considered wear and tear from responsibility of this business. [redacted] cares about the car and trusted the “professional” opinion he was given to preserve the value of the car when he agreed to additional repairs of $300+ with the initial repair (they did not recommend replacement of motor mounts, Map sensor, shift cable, EGR valve, wheel bearing, brakes, rotors, starter wire harness, master cylinder, a/c recharge, thermostat housing, or any of the other repairs we have done in the 4 months after the engine failed). When the oil filter fell off, the junk yard replacement engine or improperly completed work caused multiple failures that were ignored by Carx. We had no choice but to have the car repaired elsewhere.

I believe this situation is different from one where a customer brings in a car with a blown engine, Carx replaces it, junkyard components fail, & the customer would be expected to pay for the repairs. In our situation Carx caused an engine failure, Carx replaced the engine with a junk yard motor, and I am guessing they plan to hide behind the “warranty” that only covers mechanical components of the engine. I believe they still expect us to pay for the component failures we experienced. We believe these failures are the responsibility of Carx and feel it is their responsibility to put the car back into the condition it was received in on March 19, 2013. We should not be expected to pay for junk yard engine component failures, & improperly completed work with an out of pocket cost of $2992.68. We would not have had 90% of these expenses if they had tightened the oil filter.

From our dealings with Carx in this situation we have learned that “professionals” make mistakes. Without strong leadership from owners and the corporation the customer is on their own. There seems to be some gaps in the leadership of this business that I hope will close up based on this Revdex.com claim for the sake of customers in the Austin area. The time for denial has passed and acceptance of responsibility needs to be taken by this business. If a tech makes a mistake, own up to it, accept it, & don’t nickel and dime the customer with other repairs. Fix the problem and move on. You could have done it much cheaper using your labor and part costs if you would have made the contacts and stayed in contact with us, all parties would have been better satisfied.

We are not talking about a lot of money here; it is the principle of the whole thing. The car has not been sold as the business response states. We repaired the vehicle at other shops to get it to saleable condition, and it is in our possession. I am not sure that matters anyway, we are talking about Carx restoring the car TO THE CONDITION THEY RECEIVED IT, which we had to pay for out of our pockets with a total expenditure of $2992.68 We feel these costs are directly caused by the failure of a Carx employee leaving the oil filter loose and these costs are the responsibility of carx.

Regards,

Review: I took my vehicle in because it had a check engine light on and an oil leak. I first took it in on January 2nd. They said it was because of the motor mount which shook the engine and it also caused the oil pvc pipe to loosen (the main cause of the oil leak). I paid them $313.22. I go pick up the vehicle and the check engine light is still on and I noticed it was still leaking oil. I brought it in again. They then say that I need a tune up. I pay them almost another $200.00. Thinking this would solve the problem. I again had the same negative results. This work was done on 1/04. I took it in again after complaining to the area and [redacted] on 1/07. They say it's the distributor and I pay another $249.90. Again the same negative results. During this time the store managers tell me their master mechanic was missing for days and that the people looking at my car were not as experienced as the missing mechanic. They even made the comment "well do you want us to tell you it will be $2000.00 to fix your vehicle." They then tell me that it's a fuel issue which they did not diagnose the first three times. They tell me it's because of a recalled part that distributes the fuel. I call the Chevrolet main number and they tell me there are no recalls of any parts on my vehicle. My problem never got resolved and the check engine light is still on and it feels like the car is about to die. I am now going to have to find another mechanic and pay more money for something that wasn't taken care before. I believe they were negligent and they did nothing to solve my problem.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We have completed our investigation into your situation. We have determined that certain repairs done to your vehicle did not correct your driveability issue. Therefore we are honoring your request for a refund for the work we performed to your vehicle in the amount of $446.65. Please contact our store manager in Round Rock to process your refund.

Thank you for your patience with this matter and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Sincerely,

Car-X Associates Corp

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,