Christian Brothers Automotive

[redacted] called us on the 12th of May and said that her vehicle was broken downShe also said that she thought the issue was with the alternatorWe sent a tow truck to pick up the vehicle, and we performed a starting system diagnostic on the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the vehicle breaking downWe determined that the alternator had in fact failedWe informed the customer of what we determined to be the issue and the total costs of the repairAfter receiving approval we proceeded with the repair and the customer came and picked up the vehicleThe process was standard and all pricing and margins have been verified by myself personally.I have personally tried to reach out to [redacted] by phone and by e-mail and have received no response from herI did speak with a gentleman who said that he was her significant otherThe conversation was not very productive due to the gentleman's attitude and liberal use of expletives directed towards myself; however, I believe I can address the majority of his claimsIt is company policy that we perform a diagnostic on any vehicle that is towed inWe do not stand behind the diagnosis of a customerThis is similar to the way that you cannot call and demand a prescription from a doctorYou visit the doctor and then he will tell you what is wrong and what medicine you need to takeWe follow the same logic hereWe also, charge a stand alone fee for diagnostics, and customers are made aware of this up frontI have to pay a tow truck to go and pick up any vehicleOur vendor offers this service to me at an extreme discountThese savings are then passed down to our customersAll of our tows are about half price to what they would have payed if they lined up a tow truck themselvesCustomers are also required to pay for the towThis is a direct cost that I pay for up front and then the customer reimburses me for the serviceIt is company policy that we obtain approval from the customer before we make any repairs to the vehicleThe customer at the time is informed of what the issue is, what is needed to fix the issue, and what the total cost will beI have absolute confidence that the customer was made aware of the cost associated with repairing he vehicleOur parts are bought through reputable vendors that match our warrantyI am sure it is possible to find parts for cheaper at some placesHowever, we only put premium parts on the vehicle that we know will workWe are the premium auto repair facility in the areaWe have the absolute best technology that you will only find in dealershipsWe have A.S.Emaster certified technicians performing all of our repairsWe only put the best parts on our customers vehiclesWe also provide the industry's best warrantyWe warranty all of our repairs for months and 24,miles whichever comes lastthat means if it takes years to drive 24,miles you get a five year warranty, or if you drive 50,miles in two years you get a 50,mile warrantyWe are the best in the area, and at times that means we are not the cheapestCustomers come to us because they want things fixed right the first time and have the peace of mind that we stand behind all of our workWe provide more value in town per dollar than anyone else

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/07/17) */ Contact Name and Title: [redacted] - Owner Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Contact Email: [redacted] @cbauto.net The customer brought his vehicle to Christian Brothers Automotive - Arnold (CBA) on Wednesday June at 8:30am, there was no appointment and it was a very busy day The description was: No check engine light, drive at 65MPH not shifting wellTransmission flush completed at another shopThe vehicle acts up more on a full tank of gas, chugging, not accelerating well - Up hills poor (sometimes)Let it warm up and it is better, cold start it runs worse We took the vehicle and promised every effort would be made to return the Hyundai Accent as quickly as possibleWe would want to research the problem, and duplicate it if at all possibleWhile driving CBA found that intermittently the first, fourth and overdrive gears not working, and PC code PTCM no -communication code The problem was expensive, $1,The Transmission Control Module (TCM a computer) was no longer communicating with the Primary Control Module, and had to be replaced before any other repairs could be completed or determinedThe dealer was the only source, and their lead time was three days June 24, late in the day, the customer was advised of the price and timeline, he wanted to think about his optionsFriday, June late in the day, the customer decided to proceed with the repair, and was advised that the computer should be in on Wednesday, July 1, and that it would be installed and then flashed to work with the main computer Mid-day July the part arrived and the installation went into progressIt required the part installation and a computer flash to be completed when doneThe flash proved cumbersome, we engaged our technical support team, was completed on July The vehicle test drove wellThe customer picked up the vehicle July 10, the customer called, the vehicle experienced another problemThe check engine light had come on with a POutput Speed Sensor problemCBA diagnosed the problem and ordered apart from our supplier, which came in, as promise to the customer on July Unfortunately, that aftermarket part was incorrect, and again we were forced to order a dealer part, with a two day lead timeIt arrived on July 14, and was installed The customer picked up the vehicle; CBA suggested driving to ensure the part worked properly and solved his problemAdditionally, CBA encouraged the customer to pay off the first repair before being concerned with this unrelated problem July 17, by e-mail we received this notice of an unsatisfied customer CBA does not believe any other solution should be offered for this situationWe did the best possible, working with the information at hand, on a vehicle with limited parts availability and offered every flexibility in payment

I returned to the CB Automotive shop where I had some repair work done to my truck There was a very loud squeaking noise that I hadn't noticed before the repair I fully expected to be told of some other part that had failed [usual response from the dealership] To my surprise the problem was diagnosed as a faulty repair part and the replacement parts and labor were free Imagine that, a warranty that is actually a warranty Another reason not to the dealership service department

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:Bolts to be removed if intake manifold was taken offA couple are bracket bolts that also would have to be removed if intake were to be removed but were not touchedI agree with most of what they say OTHER than the fact my intake manifold WAS NOT REMOVEDThis I am 100% certain ofI might not be a schooled mechanic but I am mechanical enough to know what has not been doneI have more photos to show difference between bolts wrenched and not wrenched Sincerely, [redacted]

Thanks for sending the pictures; those with torque bolts show that there has been movement below the bolt at the rubber sealAgain, these heads do not show wear when they are properly removed. Some bracket pictures indicate clean areas, even though the bolts show minor shine. Others are hard to tell where they are locatedThat said, these locations are hard to determine, and every vehicle is different, they would have to be reviewed in context of the location. Lastly, my Service Manager watched the Technician at one point during the reinstallation.I am sorry the bolt froze and had to be extracted, and that the extraction was a longer job. However, you were given a half rate for the work completed. I try to work with customers in these circumstances, but I cannot repair problems that we did not create for free. The aluminum and steel fused together over time; in this case years and 140,XXX milesWhen the problem arose you were contacted immediately, and offer the review the situationYou had thoroughly reviewed the optional problem, but no interest in seeing the bolt until after the repair was completed.When you came by to discuss the problem, the Service Manager reviewed the location and situation with youAt that time you agreed that the Intake would have to have been removed to repair the broken boltI have the part on the shelf and show the broken bolt and its location

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to *** ** *** and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I would like a full refund for the charges I payed for the new radiator and parts and labor as Christian Brothers is the one who cracked my radiatorChristian Brothers Automotive wrote in defense on Revdex.com that the reason I came into their store was because my vehicle was overheatingTheir comment is below this paragraphThis is not true one bitI came in because my vehicle had a radiator leakNot overheating *** *** even acknowledged that the heat gauge was at halfway which is normalThey also stated that after squeezing the top hose, the radiator splitI witnessed *** *** squeeze the top hose, then take the garden hose and spray the whole inside under the hoodHe sprayed for about seconds mainly directly on the top of the radiatorThis is when the radiator exploded and got all over *** told his owner that the reason he sprayed the car was because he didn’t want the leaking and saying radiator fluid to stain my carBUT AT THE TIME OF HIM SPRAYING MY CAR, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING, NOR SPRAYING ANYWHERESo his defense made absolutely no sense!!! Also, Christian Brothers claimed that I, the customer told him that my vehicle had a history of overheatingThis is absolutely not true as wellI’ve had this vehicle for approximately years, and not once has it overheated until *** replaced the hose*** even admit to spraying my vehicle to me, to my father, and to another employee working with him the day it happenedHe admit it all of the way up to me contacting the rude service manager to confront the situationOriginally they told me that spraying cold water on the radiator did not cause the radiator to splitNow they're denying ever spraying the radiator with waterVery inconsistent in Christian Brothers stories!! Very disappointed given who you guys represent to be versus who you actually are.
Regards,
Gerard Champlin

I had a serious issue with the service given to my vehicleI have a Honda Pilot and I went to this shop to service my vehicle for an oil change and transmission oil changeAfter several hours I receive a phone call from Christian Brothers Automotive telling me that during their courtesy inspection they found a broken axle boot and there were some air conditioning gas line rusted that needed replacement and if I agree to repair these other problems found they can order the parts needed for repairI had to tell them that we will look at these other issues another day to just do the oil changes to the vehicleA few hours later I received another call telling me that the work was doneI proceeded to go pick up my vehicle and when I turned the vehicle on and left the premises I noticed that my air conditioned was not workingI went back right away and reported what was happening to my vehicle and the owner said that his mechanic did not touch any air conditioning lines and this probably happened because the lines were old and rustedIf I wanted to repair these issue he will have to order the air conditioning lines to Honda for them to be replacedI told him to order the lines and let me know the estimate of the repairSo I went to *** and they examined the vehicle and told me that there's no need to change the air conditioning linesIt was an "O" ring that was stripped and needed replacementThe cost of the service cannot compare to changing air conditioning linesDon't let these people do courtesy inspection on your vehicleThey service is poorBy the way I'm still waiting for them to call me back with an estimate for the lines and repair*** already fixed the problem

[redacted] called us on the 12th of May and said that her vehicle was broken down. She also said that she thought the issue was with the alternator. We sent a tow truck to pick up the vehicle, and we performed a starting system diagnostic on the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the vehicle...

breaking down. We determined that the alternator had in fact failed. We informed the customer of what we determined to be the issue and the total costs of the repair. After receiving approval we proceeded with the repair and the customer came and picked up the vehicle. The process was standard and all pricing and margins have been verified by myself personally.I have personally tried to reach out to [redacted] by phone and by e-mail and have received no response from her. I did speak with a gentleman who said that he was her significant other. The conversation was not very productive due to the gentleman's attitude and liberal use of expletives directed towards myself; however, I believe I can address the majority of his claims. 1. It is company policy that we perform a diagnostic on any vehicle that is towed in. We do not stand behind the diagnosis of a customer. This is similar to the way that you cannot call and demand a prescription from a doctor. You visit the doctor and then he will tell you what is wrong and what medicine you need to take. We follow the same logic here. We also, charge a stand alone fee for diagnostics, and customers are made aware of this up front.2. I have to pay a tow truck to go and pick up any vehicle. Our vendor offers this service to me at an extreme discount. These savings are then passed down to our customers. All of our tows are about half price to what they would have payed if they lined up a tow truck themselves. Customers are also required to pay for the tow. This is a direct cost that I pay for up front and then the customer reimburses me for the service.3. It is company policy that we obtain approval from the customer before we make any repairs to the vehicle. The customer at the time is informed of what the issue is, what is needed to fix the issue, and what the total cost will be. I have absolute confidence that the customer was made aware of the cost associated with repairing he vehicle.4. Our parts are bought through reputable vendors that match our warranty. I am sure it is possible to find parts for cheaper at some places. However, we only put premium parts on the vehicle that we know will work.5. We are the premium auto repair facility in the area. We have the absolute best technology that you will only find in dealerships. We have A.S.E. master certified technicians performing all of our repairs. We only put the best parts on our customers vehicles. We also provide the industry's best warranty. We warranty all of our repairs for 24 months and 24,000 miles whichever comes last. that means if it takes 5 years to drive 24,000 miles you get a five year warranty, or if you drive 50,000 miles in two years you get a 50,000 mile warranty. We are the best in the area, and at times that means we are not the cheapest. Customers come to us because they want things fixed right the first time and have the peace of mind that we stand behind all of our work. We provide more value in town per dollar than anyone else.

This 145,000 mile 2003 Ford Ranger developed a leak at the seam on the thermostat housing.  When the initial problem was identified and verbally described to the customer over the phone. He then came to the shop to review the situation. The customer, technician and I spent 20+ minutes at...

the vehicle viewing the leak and what was required to resolve the problem.  He clearly stated he did not want to be ripped off during that conversation.  This is similar to the disposition he took on two previous repairs. We understand that he has a skeptical nature. Christian Brothers Automotive is a good place for this type of customer, we are willing to show you anything and explain everything in detail. The repair was authorized by the customer and initiated, using Ford described procedures.Unfortunately, during the removal of the thermostat housing one bolt broke. This does happen on older vehicles from time to time, we take care to minimize the occurrences, but it does happen. This was a steel bolt in an aluminum housing.  These metals can fuse together, especially when subject to fluids.  The broken bolt location could only be accessed by removing the intake manifold. We have saved the thermostat housing with the broken bolt, so that the location can be seen.  The customer was contacted before the broken bolt repair was initiated and advised of the situation. He stated he was skeptical, he was asked to come by and see problem or take the vehicle elsewhere; stating we understood his concern. The reply was colorfully stated, but can be summarized as just fix-it.Regarding visual evidence of the intake being removed. Rather than normal bolts this intake is secured with torx bolts. Using the proper tool and size, these bolts typically show no signs of wear when removed.  Unfortunately, we saved the housing, but the intake gaskets (o'rings) were discarded. The regular price of this job would have been $408, and the customer was charged $203.  The price reduction was not requested, but proactively offered.  I think we have done everything possible to show the customer the problem, resolution, we kep[t in touch throughout the process and acted upon his approval and direction.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:Bolts to be removed if intake manifold was taken off. A couple are bracket bolts that also would have to be removed if intake were to be removed but were not touched. I agree with most of what they say OTHER than the fact my intake manifold WAS NOT REMOVED. This I am 100% certain of. I might not be a schooled mechanic but I am mechanical enough to know what has not been done. I have more photos to show difference between bolts wrenched and not wrenched. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Staff was professional and courteous. I was informed through every step in the process.

Mr. [redacted] came into the shop complaining of a vibration in the front end of the vehicle.  Our Technician rode with him and he confirmed what the customer was hearing and feeling.  Following that we brought the truck in and put it on a lift and used a stethoscope to pinpoint the noise and...

confirmed it was coming from the front differential.  The customer was shown the results and at that time we recommended removing the front access cover to visually inspect the internal gears.  At that point we discovered that there was water mixed in to the fluid giving it a milky white appearance.  Mr. [redacted] was shown this and at that time, we recommended doing a thorough flush of the differential to see if having good fluid in the unit would improve the symptoms.
Mr. [redacted] agreed to the flush while saying there was no way there was water in the gear oil despite the fact that we all saw it.   Following that we recommended that the fluids in the transmission and rear differential be flushed as a preventative as the vehicle had obviously been exposed to water.  We then recommended that Mr. [redacted] drive the vehicle for a week or so to see if the new fluid improved the noise having had the opportunity to work itself into all of the internal parts.  No guarantee that this would fix the problem was given and it was suggested that we could be looking at damage in the front differential that could include replacement to correct.  
Mr. [redacted] returned to the shop to complain that the flush to the transmission and rear differential was done as a shotgun attempt to fix the problem.  He spoke to me directly to this issue.  Having no knowledge at the time of all that had transpired before, I offered to refund his money for the Transmission and rear differential services performed as a gesture of good faith.  He agreed that this would be fair and we refunded the money.  
Following this I spoke with my staff and my conclusion now is that I was mislead by his statements as to why these services were performed.  I let it go at that point.  On Monday, 9/12/16 Mr. [redacted] stopped into our office to demand to speak with me but I was out of the office at the time so he spokie with the Service Manager who went over the entire process again with him.  He stated another shop had diagnosed his issue as failing actuators in the 4-wheel drive unit.  These would not present the same symptoms as were stated earlier and confirmed with the technician as they rode in the truck together. Mr [redacted] demanded a refund for the front differential despite the fact we all saw the water intrusion and he authorized the work.  The Service manager stated that we would not be refunding anything else per our team discussion following his previous visit to demand a refund on the other flushes he authorized.  At this point he stated that he would go the the Revdex.com and complain.
Following this incident, I have reviewed the entire process and I  stand behind our process and our findings that this customer was treated fairly and was entirely in control of the entire process.  All work was performed by and ASE Certified LI Master Tech with years of experience and we consider this issue closed.

The Customer came to our shop on July 2, 2015 without an appointment near the end of the day with an overheating vehicle. My Senior Technician who is an acquaintance of the Customer took a look at the vehicle and determined that a small hose was leaking and that significant coolant had leaked out...

causing the overheat condition. Joe took it upon himself to replace the hose and refill the coolant at no charge to get him on his way. Not far from the shop the engine was again overheating. The Customer returned with the vehicle and again the senior tech looked at the vehicle. He took a water hose with nozzle as a precaution, and reached over the radiator to check if the thermostat was open or closed by squeezing the top hose. It was solid indicating that the thermostat was not open presenting a high pressure situation. Immediately following, the radiator split sending water and steam out, hitting the technician and burning his arm and subsequently spraying coolant all over the car. The technician then sprayed down the car and himself to prevent chemical damage to the surrounding area. This is the only time water was sprayed on the car. In further discussions with the Customer, he revealed that the car has had a history of overheating and at one point stop leak was put in the car following an overheating event where coolant had been lost. The system was never flushed or repaired following that It was the determination of the technician that the introduction of stop leak into the system caused undue restrictions in the system resulting in reduced effectiveness of the cooling system. Furthermore, repeated overheating admitted by the customer resulted in a deterioration of the associated hoses. It was recommended at that time the radiator, thermostat, and thermostat housing gasket be replaced. The Service Manager also repeatedly advised the Customer that the stop leak could have other negative consequences as it plugs holes in things. The Customer was given a quote and the work was agreed to and performed. The Customer was also given a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty. The vehicle was paid for and picked up on July 11, 2015, mileage out was 187,813. On July 24, 2015, The Customer had his vehicle towed in to us complaining of an overheating condition and coolant leaking out. The vehicle was brought in and a pressure test on the cooling system was performed after adding a gallon of coolant to the system. The test revealed that 2 small hoses were dry-rotted and leaking under the intake system. It was recommended that these 2 hoses + 2 more that are deteriorated but not leaking be replaced to ensure a good repair. It was at this point that The Customer asserted his take on the situation and initiated subsequent actions on social media in addition to being verbally abusive with us. Unfortunately, our subsequent attempts resolve this matter only served to aggravate the situation so the vehicle was towed to The Customer’s residence at our expense in addition to the tow bill that brought the vehicle to us in the first place.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/17) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted] - Owner
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@cbauto.net
The customer brought his vehicle to Christian Brothers Automotive - Arnold (CBA) on Wednesday June 24 at 8:30am, there was no...

appointment and it was a very busy day.
The description was: No check engine light, drive at 65MPH not shifting well. Transmission flush completed at another shop. The vehicle acts up more on a full tank of gas, chugging, not accelerating well - Up hills poor (sometimes). Let it warm up and it is better, cold start it runs worse.
We took the vehicle and promised every effort would be made to return the 1999 Hyundai Accent as quickly as possible. We would want to research the problem, and duplicate it if at all possible. While driving CBA found that intermittently the first, fourth and overdrive gears not working, and PC code P0700 TCM no -communication code.
The problem was expensive, $1,368.41. The Transmission Control Module (TCM a computer) was no longer communicating with the Primary Control Module, and had to be replaced before any other repairs could be completed or determined. The dealer was the only source, and their lead time was three days.
June 24, late in the day, the customer was advised of the price and timeline, he wanted to think about his options. Friday, June 26 late in the day, the customer decided to proceed with the repair, and was advised that the computer should be in on Wednesday, July 1, and that it would be installed and then flashed to work with the main computer.
Mid-day July 1 the part arrived and the installation went into progress. It required the part installation and a computer flash to be completed when done. The flash proved cumbersome, we engaged our technical support team, was completed on July 2. The vehicle test drove well. The customer picked up the vehicle.
July 10, the customer called, the vehicle experienced another problem. The check engine light had come on with a P0722 Output Speed Sensor problem. CBA diagnosed the problem and ordered apart from our supplier, which came in, as promise to the customer on July 11. Unfortunately, that aftermarket part was incorrect, and again we were forced to order a dealer part, with a two day lead time. It arrived on July 14, and was installed.
The customer picked up the vehicle; CBA suggested driving to ensure the part worked properly and solved his problem. Additionally, CBA encouraged the customer to pay off the first repair before being concerned with this unrelated problem.
July 17, by e-mail we received this notice of an unsatisfied customer.
CBA does not believe any other solution should be offered for this situation. We did the best possible, working with the information at hand, on a vehicle with limited parts availability and offered every flexibility in payment.

I went to Christian Brothers. I needed my heater worked on I got a estimate what needed to be done on the car. The estimate was 2,8804.66. There were other things my car needed done to run better on the road. The people were very nice, respectful and Professional, but I called back and spoke to someone that I was sorry, but I don't have that kind of money. I am a single grandmother trying to raise granddaughters, and a daughter in college. I just bought a home through the bank. There is no-way I can repair my car. Christian Brothers be bless.

Mary

Revdex.com:
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,
[redacted]

I returned to the CB Automotive shop where I had some repair work done to my truck. There was a very loud squeaking noise that I hadn't noticed before the repair. I fully expected to be told of some other part that had failed [usual response from the dealership]. To my surprise the problem was diagnosed as a faulty repair part and the replacement parts and labor were free. Imagine that, a warranty that is actually a warranty.

Another reason not to the dealership service department.

This customer [redacted] has already been contacted by me the owner of Christian Brothers Automotive - College Station.   This issue has already been resolved and he was supposed to remove all social media posts, apparently he forgot this one.  But for the record he does not have a...

valid complaint.  The work was warranted as promised with absolutely no charge to the customer.  This customer expects the warranty to start all over again, which it never does anywhere you go.  As the owner I have extended the warranty out of the kindness of my heart for the full warranty again.  So now Mr. [redacted] needs to keep his word and remove this complaint ASAP or I might just change my mind.