Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers

We did work on Mrs***’s vehicle on the date in her letterThe car was brought in for a “check engine” light that had come on and gone back offWe found an issue with the camshaft position sensor and the wiring for the sensorWe also made her aware that the tires had steel cords exposed and
some ride control units that needed some attentionWe did not charge the customer any fees to inspect the vehicle for the check engine or any other items on the carShe said she wanted to repair the items on her vehicleMrs*** said she had a budget to perform the needed repairs on her car so we worked with her to meet her budgetThe repairs were performed as the customer authorized and resolved the issues that she had with the check engine lightOn 4/30/about a week later the car was towed into our shopMrs*** said the car stalled and would not restartWe offered to look at the issue at no charge to tell her what the failure was on the engineWe found that the timing belt had broken and as a result that the valve train was damagedWe DID NOT tell her we could not repair the car, however the internal issue would be an extensive and labor intensive repairWe informed her in our opinion it was not advised to make that type of repair with an engine with 150,miles on it. The best recommendation would be to replace the engineShe declined any repairs and had her car towed out Mrs*** called the corporate office and spoke with *** ***, the Store Supervisor over that location, upset about the timing belt failureShe was under the impression that the timing belt should have been found during the diagnostic for the prior check engine lightIt was explained that the timing belt was not connected to the onboard computer and was not even visible without taking multiple items off the motor to inspect the condition of the belt (which is not part of the diagnostic systems analysis process)She said that she understood and we offered a “special” price in case she wanted to replace the engine and she declinedWe did not charge to inspect the timing belt nor did we offer any finding of the condition of the timing beltFor that reason, we cannot issue any kind of refund for the failure of the timing belt or the damage that was caused from the timing belt

As you can see from the attached, Mr*** brought his Ford F-into our shop to have a screw removed from his right rear tireThis repair was under warranty and didn’t cost him anythingAlso, you can see that he had us check the emergency brake because it was not wor*** prior to his visit
at DobbsWe did so per his request and found that the brake cables were stretchedAt the time of his visit on 10/12/16, his vehicle had 252,miles on itA stretched par*** brake cable is not uncommon to find on a vehicle with this amount of miles on itWe did nothing to compromise the integrity of the brake cableThere isn’t even any reason we would have touched the emergency brakeMr*** specifically asked us to inspect itFor these reasons we will not perform the repairs for free

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/02/11) */
For the complaint on 11/21/15: When the customer brought the vehicle back for us to check the oil change, we fixed it and did not hear back from the customer that there was an issueSo, the issue was fixed to the best of our knowledgeWe do
apologize for the inconvenience
For the complaint on 12/31/15: We do apologize for not communicating with the customer about the late arrival of the tiresThis was during the flood and our trucks could not run their routes to deliver tires each dayThe customer did end up purchasing tires from us that day and had them installedWe also ran a diagnostic for the check-engine light and discovered faulty code P(which autozone does not have the ability to do, so this was a regular diagnostic we run)This code indicated that the right rear drum and bearing needed to be replaced, so we did so with the customers approvalIt sounds like the service he received was not up to his expectations, but the services that were completed were necessary and completed correctly
We will not be issuing any type of refund for either of the complaints for the above reasonsWe do apologize for the level of service he received and understand and accept that he will not be back for future service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/10/26) */
Mr*** contends we damaged wheels on his Lexus automobile while installing new tiresWe deny that damage caused to his wheels was a result of our tire machineWe are enclosing pictures of his wheels which show very little damage which we
contend was caused by scraping or hitting a curbOur tire changers have plastic shields on all parts that could come in contact with wheelsWe have not received any complaints of this nature from this store that we know of
For the above reasons we are denying this claim

We reject this responseIf the customer would like to contact us directly, he can call ***

We'd be happy to talk with you to learn more about what happened and try to make things rightPlease call our corporate office at ***

We were very sorry to hear about the situation this customer experiencedThe customer came in on 8/25/for a routine oil changeThat was the only service we performed to her vehicle that dayAs she noted, the insurance company evaluated the vehicle and determined that we were not at fault for
the engine failingThe reason for this is because they found a hole in the front side of the lower block and that the CYC #connecting rod cap was missingThese are internal parts that only fail due to neglect or high mileageWe cannot confirm the customer's claim that she regularly maintained her vehicle because 8/25/was the very first time we performed any type of service on the vehicle (at which point it had 115,miles on it)Nothing we did during the oil change could have possible impacted the failure of the engine that occurredIf we were in any way responsible for the engine failure, we would have been happy to make things right

Contact Name and Title: *** *** Consumer Rel
Contact Phone: ***
Mr*** told our associates that the window had been operating erratically for a couple of weeksWe always lower the window to prevent locking the keys in the carAll we did was an oil change we died nothing to
cause a problem with the windowI offered to split the cost of replacing the window motor as a customer satisfaction issueHe agreed to this until our associate called himThe motor was worn out it would get hot and stop running when it cooled off it would workFor the above reasons our original offer still stands but we will not pay to have a dealer repair the window motor

Sorry to hear of the issue with the tireDobbs road hazard covers to repair the tire, if repairable, at no charge for the life of the tire (covering nails, piece of glass, etc.)What the hazard does not cover is a tire that has been curbed, irregular wear, improper alignment, improper inflation,
etcRepairable punctures or tires "run on flat" (condition brought on by running a tire with very low or no air pressure, are not coveredThat being said, The store seemed to try and help by discounting the replacement tire from $down to 158.24, plus taxesI hope this helps explain the warrantyAny other questions, please contact us again or the store directlyThank-you

The business response from 12/28/16 is untrue no one has contacted me. I was told initially that I would be contacted  by a representative from their insurance company but nothing has come from that initial statement. I called Dobbs...

yesterday and they told me the insurance company should have called me on Tuesday 12/27. I received no such call.

We'd be happy to talk with this customer to better understand what happened and try to make things right. Please contact the corporate office at [redacted].

I want to have Dobbs repair the damage they caused to my car AND tell others about their scam. this was at the Dobbs on Jeffco Blvd in Arnold; Missouri

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/08/06) */
On 7/9/2015 Mr. [redacted] came to our Collinsville location with an over heating issue. He stated that all the coolant had "dumped" of his Honda civic and it overheated while driving. He also stated that he readded coolant and within one mile it...

overheated again.
Our service technician evaluated the car for the coolant leak and found the radiator had failed and was losing all the coolant from a large leak. His Honda at that point had 315,892 miles and we called Mr. [redacted] to explain the findings on the coolant leak. It is always a concern with a motor that has been overheated multiple times of possible internal damages. The only option was to replace the failed radiator and other related items and re-test the car for any other additional issues. This was explained to the owner and the repairs had been authorized and performed.
When the repairs where completed and the car could be test driven to validate the repairs the car was no longer losing coolant and no longer overheating at that point. The service manager called the owner and explained the car was driven more than once and re-tested and we did not see any other repairs at that point needed.
On 7/27/2015 the Mr. [redacted] more than two weeks later and had driven the car for more than 1000 miles the car developed another coolant leak. We again inspected the Honda, at no charge to the customer, and found the radiator was building an abnormal amount of pressure and had ruptured as a result. We replaced the radiator at no charge and evaluated the car for the abnormal pressure build up in the cooling system.
We found that the cylinder head was alloying exhaust pressure from the internal combustion process to go into the coolant system. The only cause for this condition was a failed cylinder head or cylinder head gasket failure. This failure could have been as a result of wear and tear of 315,000 miles or more likely from the prior overheating condition.
When we found this "new" issue we thought the only proper repair would be to replace the engine with a new one. It would not be recommended to replace a cylinder head and or gasket on an engine with 315,000 miles. We did not cause this issue or was it present after the initial repair was complete. We however did offer some credit on the initial repairs as a "good will" to Mr. [redacted]. He declined the additional repairs.
The failure was either a result of any repairs we had done.

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I did not advise that the window had been operating erratically for several weeks. I told the employee that while the window functioned slowly, it never failed to raise or lower properly. I also advised that I had never smelled smoke from the motor until after they manually forced it to raise. I did not agree to split the cost of a repair. The gentleman offered to repair the window and split the cost with me. Shortly thereafter, I received a voicemail message quoting $466.51 (labor included) for the repair; my portion being $233.26. I never returned the call or contacted Dobbs after receiving that message. I should not be expected to contribute any amount to repair something that was broken or altered by their employee while my car was in their possession.
The bottom line is that the window functioned when I arrived, and it did not function when they returned my vehicle; less than two hours later. The technician stated that he had to assist the window when trying to raise it. I understand that they lower the window to avoid locking the keys in the car. However, if their employee experienced difficulty raising the window after choosing to lower it, I should have been alerted immediately that there was an issue. I was in the Dobbs waiting area, and should have been informed that there was an issue or malfunction with the window before any attempts were made to rectify the problem.
Considering the circumstances, I do not feel comfortable having Dobbs do any additional work on my vehicle. As a result of their actions, my window no longer operates properly. Due to the nature of the repair, I think it's best to have a certified dealer do the work.
Once I receive a satisfactory resolution to this problem, I will contact my credit card company and have the funds released for the oil change. If Dobbs continues to refuse to cover the cost of the repair, I will continue to seek a resolution.
Thank you.

The customer came in with an aftermarket alarm system and told us that he wanted us to replace the body control module (BCM). We told him that without doing a diagnostic to determine the underlying issue, we don't recommend replacing the BCM and that we WILL NOT guarantee the repair. The customer...

said to go ahead and replace the BCM and signed a copy of the work order where we clearly stated that this was a customer requested repair and we will not guarantee it. We told him it would probably not fix his problem, but he insisted we do the repair anyway. We will not be issuing anymore of a refund to this customer for these reasons.

We can see how the customer would misunderstand the charges. I've included the invoice from 4/25/16 as well as the invoice from 7/15/16 for reference. As you can see, on 4/25/16 we told the customer that the pump pulley broke and damaged the crankshaft pulley and that the pulley should be replaced,...

however, the customer declined the repairs on 4/25/16. Then, on 7/25/16 you will see that the serpentine belt we replaced on 4/25/16 was completed under the warranty and we did not charge the customer for parts or labor (highlighted in green). The labor charges he's referring to are in blue. It can be confusing because we charged him labor to remove and replace the serpentine belt tensioner which is different than the serpentine belt. It is not the same part. We also charged him labor to remove and replace the crankshaft damper and the P/S pulley , none of which have ever been replaced so they wouldn't be under any type of warranty with us. Further, we gave the customer a $100 discount because we do understand that these repairs are not cheap and we were trying to help him out. We should have done a better reviewing this invoice with the customer to avoid this misunderstanding. For these reasons, we will not offer any type of refund for the work completed on either 4/25/16 or 7/15/16.

We're happy to talk with the customer about this more. Please call the corporate office at [redacted].

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/23) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Consumer Rel
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
We have apologized to Ms [redacted] and refunded the amount she paid for the Spring special which was $40.83.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
BMW service mechanics advised me that the wrong filter was used and installed incorrectly. This is the reason for the damages to my car. I had recently replaced new hoses and belts and have records to support this. The mileage is irrelevant. I've had no leaks since I've had the correct filter installed on my car. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Consumer Rel
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Ms [redacted] brought her car to us for an oil change and a tire rotation and balance. When we unscrewed the oil drain plug the drain plug came out with the threads came out on the drain plug indication the drain plug was...

over tightened by the person who did the last oil change. The oil; sticker indicated Valvoline. She was in a hurry and needed her vehicle the next day for work. We offered to put a rubber drain plug in her pan but said it was a temporary fis.. Due to the location of the drain hole we could not retap the threads from the outside the angle was wrong we told her that the pan had to be removed and the threads retaped from the inside. She agreed to this procedure. She could have before we took the pan off called Valvoline to check on their liability for the repair.She did not call them.We do not know Valvoline's policy about repairs or towing. We told Ms [redacted] everything about all repairs and their costs before we did the work. We charged her our normal labor rate using the Mitchel labor guide. Valvoline can say any thing the want after the repair was made. Valvoline should reimburse Ms. [redacted] the amount she paid us to do the work. We did nothing wrong and should not be penalized for it.Her claim is denied.