Japanese Service Center II

Review: The business had my car for two days to replace my catalytic converter. When I got my car back the visor, back seat and arm rests were replaced.

I brought my car into this shop to get my car repaired to replace my passenger side catalytic converter because my lights were turning on and signaling that it was my catalytic converter that was the problem. I bought my car brand new so the engine and the inside of my car still looks pretty new. I am the only driver of my car since I purchased it and so even my engine looks pristine because I only drive it on surface streets and on the freeway. This business had my car for two full days. Initially, they said they couldn't get the part and then asked me to keep it overnight so that they can soak the bolts before they can replace my catalytic converter. I don't really know what this means but I trusted them since their customers ranked them 5 stars. This business has an open parking lot but since they were soaking the bolts on my car, I thought my car would be inside the enclosed garage of their business. The replacement of my catalytic converter for parts and labor cost me $1,469.65. When I got my car back, the first thing I noticed was the visor on the driver's side was broken and it wasn't like that when I left my car at the shop. The visor would not flip up and make the noise that I have heard since 2007 when I purchased this car new and in addition, it wouldn't stay pressed against the windshield when I have it down. This never happened before. When I compared the length of the driver's visor with the passenger side visor (which was still the original visor when I purchased the car), the passenger visor was ½ inch longer. When I complained about the broken driver's side visor to the owner ([redacted]) of the business, he replaced it and ordered a new part but couldn't believe that I would accuse them of switching it with an old used one. When he measured the new replacement against the new one, the new one was ½ inch longer. He pretty much told me in so many words that he could no longer continue to service my car because of the issue of trust. He said that every time I bring in my car for service from here on out, he will need to have to make document everything and would be more paperwork for him. So he told me that although he appreciates my business, he thinks that we would not be able to have a trusting business to customer relationship. I actually agree with him. This conversation occurred on May 8, 2013. Today (5/17/13), I just noticed that the back seat to my car has been completely replaced. The original back seat to my car did not have the center seat with an "across the shoulder" belt. When I bought this car new, the center back seat was equipped with only a lap belt. In addition, the back seat did not have buttons on it and now it does. Now I am also noticing that the steering wheel to my car is loose and not as tight as it was before. I don't really know what else this business tampered with with the inside compartment of my car or my engine. Both arm rests look stained and worn and not as I rembered them to be. The arm rest on the passenger side is also loose and not as secure and tight as before. I plan to have an independent auto business service to check the original parts of my car as I had purchased it. I keep a log of all the maintenance work on my car as well as the receipts. The only parts I've changed on my car since I purchased it new in 2007, are the alternator (December 2012), the battery (December 2012), the passenger side catalytic converter (April 2013) and 4 tires (March 2011). The resolution that I would like to achieve in filing this complaint are as follows:

* Remove all old items in my car and replace them with the original parts that was in my car when I dropped it off on 4/17/13.

* Replace all items based on the independent check of my car engine and interior.

Desired Settlement: The resolution that I would like to achieve in filing this complaint are as follows:

* Remove all old items in my car and replace them with the original parts that was in my car when I dropped it off on 4/17/13.

* Replace all items based on the independent check of my car engine and interior.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

This is to respond to the complaint filed against Japanese Service Center II located at [redacted] California, which is owned and operated by me. I have provided Japanese auto repair and maintenance services at the same location for 24 years. I have never had any complaints in regards to the services I provided or my business operations. The allegations that Japanese Service Center II replaced visor, backseat and arm rests and loosened steering wheel and stained and loosened armrest in her 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser are entirely false and baseless. The following is the chronology of what took place.

April 17-18, 2013

Complaintant brought her 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser to my shop on April 17, 2013 to have the passenger [redacted] catalytic converter replaced due to check engine light problem. We had to order parts and soak manifold bolts overnight before the repair could be done. As our company's long-standing policy, her vehicle remained inside the building of our locked shop overnight. She picked up the vehicle on April 18, 2013 with no complaints. When her vehicle was in the shop, the mechanic who serviced the vehicle and I did not notice anything unusual about the interior of the vehicle.

May 6, 2013

On May 6, 2013, 18 days after complaintant picked up her car from the shop, she came back complaining that the driver-side visor was damaged. Upon inspection of the visor, I confirmed that the visor was not working properly. Complaintant insinulated that the visor was not her original visor and we had replaced it with a broken visor. I immediately denied that we replaced the visor or did anything with it. Complaintant then stated that it was not her original visor because the visor was ½ inch shorter than the passenger-side visor. I again pointed out to her that the visor was the original visor. Complaintant still insisted we had replaced it with a damaged visor. At that point, as a gesture of good faith, I told Ms. [redacted] that I would order a new visor just to show her that the new visor would look exactly like the one she had in the vehicle.

May 8, 2013

On May 8, 2013, I informed complaintant that the visor I ordered was here and she could come by to have it installed. Complaintant and I compared both visors and she still insisted that the new visor was ½ inch longer, which was not true. With her permission, I proceeded to install the new visor at my expense. After I installed it, she continued to accuse us of having replaced the original visor when the vehicle was in the shop the first time. I again pointed out to her that the two visors were identical and denied her repeated allegation that we replaced the original visor back in April. At that point, I became very concerned that she would make additional, unfounded allegations against me or the shop, so I made a thorough visual inspection of the interior of her vehicle and found everything to be intact and nothing appeared unusual. I also told her that I had appreciated her business but would no longer service her vehicle because of the lack of trust in our business relationship.

May 17, 2013

On May 17, 2013, complaintant accused me and the shop of replacing the backseat, loosening the car steering wheel, replacing the armrests/ staining and wearing out both arm rests and loosening the passenger side arm rest. These accusations are not only untrue, but also absurd. If they were true, given the extensive alterations allegedly made to the interior of the vehicle, how come it took her a month to notice them after she picked up her vehicle from the shop on April 18?

By way of this letter, Japanese Service Center II and I adamantly deny any and all allegations complaintant has made against us. We request that Revdex.com make a finding to support our position. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX or at [redacted]@yahoo.com. Thank you very much for your consideration.

6/3/2013

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

Japanese Center II responses are not to my satisfaction. I do agree that they replaced my driver's side visor. When I dropped my car off at this shop for maintenance the visor was working properly when I got it back, it wasn't. I showed him that there was a difference between the new visor and the old one but he denied it. Their characterization of my accusation sounds as if I did most of the talking. But in reality he put most of the words in my mouth. I was mainly silent and observing him as he was replacing my visor and summarily dismissing me as his customer. After this incident, I never went to back to this auto shop to discuss any other issues that I later discovered about my car.

I knew that I had to take other means to resolve my remaining issues since this auto shop dismissed me as their customer. He mentioned the issue of trust. I trusted this shop wholeheartedly with my car and left it under their care for two whole days. And when I tried to retrieve my car at the end of the first day, they insisted they needed it for another day to soak the bolts overnight. In addition, they had not yet received the catalytic converter. It was very odd that they didn't have the part ordered ahead of time since I booked the appointment one week ahead.

The reason why it took so long for me to address the visor issue is due to the fact that I was balancing three jobs during the moths of April and May and could not take time off from work both during the week and on the weekends. Now that I am only balancing two jobs, I am able to focus on this task at hand.

This auto shop gutted out the whole inside of my car and so nothing seemed out of place because everything matched. So after the visor was replaced I started to look around my car more closely and discovered what I reported on May 17th. And that reporting was not yet complete because I noticed yesterday after further inspection that they replaced my front lights and the fenders as well. This is absolutely unbelievable to me!

I have reported this auto shop to the Bureau of Automotive Repair as well. In addition, I am having an independent check of all parts of my car including the engine because I really don't know what else this shop has tampered with. The VIN number will reveal all.

I am requesting that you hold this case open until all evidence is revealed. I am a very honest consumer and would never take advantage of any business or anyone by making false allegations that I cannot support. This auto shop may have gotten away in the past for doing this type of illegal activity to customers that do not know enough about their California consumer rights and legal rights. But for the protection of my property and other honest consumers such as myself, I will use every legal means available to me to uncover their illegal activities and get a fair and equitable resolution.

Business' Final Response

The continuing accusations are getting more ludicrous as time goes by. It is absolutely unbelievable that it took her 50 days to notice that my "auto shop gutted out the whole inside of her car and that we also replaced the front lights and the fenders. These accusations are outrageous, defamatory and entirely false. We will not dignify these accusations by providing further responses.