Midas

To whom it may concern / manager in charge of customer relation and complaints,
The business I would like to file a complaint against is Midas Auto Repair at ***.
Dates of the experience started from May 25 Saturday when I dropped off my 2001 VW Jetta (dark blue, NYS plate) to the absolute deadline I was promised for completion so I could pick up on my way from my Quebec trip back to New York May 31 Friday (then extended to June 1st Saturday the last day the shop opened for the week before my return).
First I would like to state that this complaint is not pointing at any individuals at the business. Individuals I met or spoke with all sounded friendly.
This complaint is specifically regarding the overall service experience received that were failed to be delivered, unsatisfied and extremely frustrating.

05/25/2019 Saturday, I was travelling with family from New York City to Quebec on. My car broken down in central Vermont and due to the long weekend holiday, I had to call a AAA (Bulldog Towing from Brattleboro VT, Mr. tow truck to tow the truck all the way to Burlington VT to access late-opening rental car service in the airport to continue my trip. Midas South Burlington is an AAA approved facility and was located nearby the airport; therefore AAA tow truck dropped my car at this location. I was able to speak with two gentlemen in the shop; they quickly checked my car and informed me that it was related to radiator. I left the car with them informing them to work on the repair as soon as they re-opened the following Tuesday May 28th. I also informed that I would need to return to New York City the following weekend; therefore I would like the repair to be completed by May 31st Friday. I was promised they would call me as soon as they confirm the radiator issue on 28th Tuesday and give me a call before start the work.
5/28/2019 Tuesday (after long holiday weekend), I received no phone calls from Midas at all. I called them at 3pm to ask for my car’s update. I was told that they will call me back. Half hour later, I was called back spoken with ***, and I was informed it was a simple fix of radiator, “something we do all the time, not difficult at all”. I double confirmed again informing my travel plan of returning that weekend and asking if “the car would be repaired and ready for me by Friday May 31st, to drive back to New York City long distance “. Also asked Midas to test drive before my arrival to pick up the car. The answer I received from *** was “absolutely, no problem”, the shop would test drive for at least 30-40 minutes to make sure it is ready for me by Friday. I asked the shop to call me the next day to give me an update.
5/29/2019 I received no call from the shop till noon on Wednesday, so I called the shop again just to make sure they were working on my car’s repair so I could pick up on my way back to New York (as I would return my rental car to Burlington airport, that was the plan). I was informed the radiator was not repairable as mentioned the day before, it would need to be replaced completely along with thermostat and the total including parts and labor would be $1077 total. I questioned I was informed that it would be a simple fix the day before, then I was told that different technician checked and concluded it could not be repaired. With the expectation to drive the car back to New York on time, I authorized the replacement and asked them to go ahead to replace immediately, and I, again, informed I needed the car to be ready for me to drive back to New York safely by Friday May 31st. I was told not to worry as it would be taken cared of with finished replacement and test drive by then. I asked Midas to call me next day to give me an update of the progress.
5/30/2019 Thursday, I received no call from Midas. So I called them again at 1pm, and I was told that the parts they ordered arrived “today instead of Friday, one day early” so they were working on my car. I asked again, I would need the car to be ready by Friday as I needed to return to New York that weekend. I was told that it would be done and ready for me: “absolutely, it will be ready”. I asked *** to call me on Friday to let me know when the car is done with all repairing. He said he will.
5/31/2019 Friday, I received no call from Midas, so I called again at 3pm. Spoke with ***, and he informed me at that time that they discovered the water tank was leaking so they needed to repair the water tank too and the total would be another $750 more including the parts and labor. I questioned why this issue was not discovered earlier and I was told that they just found out this issue after they replaced the radiator. As car repair expert I would like to trust, red flag was already raised at that time wondering why it was not discovered earlier. But since I had a travel plan, I asked specifically whether the additional repair could be done by tomorrow 6/1 Saturday, as they were closed for Sunday, and I needed the car when I return to Burlington on Saturday. I was told that “absolutely, it will be ready on Saturday”. I asked Midas to call me on Saturday as soon as the car was done and ready to drive. I was told “they will”.
6/1/2019 Saturday, I received no calls from Midas again. I called Midas right after noon, and *** was not there working, so I spoke with a lady customer service and after I waited on the phone for over 10 minutes, she came back and told me that the car would not be ready that day. I mentioned to her that I was promised it would be ready today as I needed to drive back to New York that weekend and I was promised every day that it would be ready the very next day and the absolute deadline was that Friday the day before (but then Saturday with additional issue). She had my number and asked *** to call me back after 40 minutes. *** apparently was on vacation and he was not aware the shop did not work on my car at all on Saturday, and after he spoke with the manager on duty and owner Peter, it was concluded that they could not deliver the car as promised on that day and they would need several hours more to work on it after the weekend. I told *** it was definitely a failure on the promise I received and I needed to travel back to New York that weekend with no delays (I injured myself in Montreal and needed to return to New York with no delay for medical treatment). I informed Midas that I just could not wait anymore and they don’t have more time to fix my car any more, I would need them to stop the repair. I was called back after half hour, *** said he discussed with the manager and the owner and they would have two options for me: 1. Take their loaner car to drive back to New York and come back after a week to pick up my car after they have more time to work on it. 2. They will stop the repair and will take a loss on their side for the partial repair they had done. I clearly told me I could not delay my trip back and I would not be able to spend more time and money drive back to Burlington VT which requires 700+ miles plus 12 hours + driving, not mentioning the cost for gas, tolls and hotel I need to spend in addition to the entire repair that went from original simple to $1077 to $1800 plus. I told them I would stop the repair.
6/2/2019 Sunday morning, I stopped by Midas to retrieve my personal items in the car and discovered there was a letter asking me to sign off the car to them. I declined since the title belongs to my father and I left note for Midas informing them I will ask ASPCA Charity donation tow truck to come to pick up the car the following week.
6/3/2019 Monday morning, I called ASPCA to tow the car. ASPCA contacted Midas and called me back saying Midas won’t release the car till I pay the fees. I was feeling deceived at that time, the agreement was Midas will take the loss on the partial repair they did already. There was never anything mentioned for my family to sign over the car to Midas so they could try to re-sell it to recover their expense. I called Midas and spoke with ***, he told me he will ask manager or owner to call me back. I received no phone call back that day.
6/4/2019 Tuesday morning, I called Midas at 9am again and was told they will call me back. 10am, I received a call from its general manager Edward H. Spoke with him, and he informed me that *** was the employee and promise was not done by last Saturday for my car’s repair was possible. I was also informed that they would have to take my car or put a lien on it, and they won’t release the car to ASPCA charity till I pay the bill of $1077, he could give me a discount of $77. I have till next Monday to decide to give them the car or pay the $1000, or $35 a day “storage fee” will occur. I kindly asked them to drop off the car for me to Brooklyn and I would pay for the promised repair fees, but I was told they can’t do it.
The entire experience was extremely frustrating and awful. I never expected promise could be done and let down day after day, and no compromise what so ever from a big and reputable business like Midas. Leaving individual driver with no mechanic repair knowledge completely stranded and helpless.
All my family wants to do, after losing the family car miles and miles away from home, is to donate our car now in Vermont, to our charity ASPCA car donation, without incurring any more cost/expense/lien from this frustrating experience in Vermont. Please help. Ask the business to release the car that they failed to finish repairing as promised.

the Store Manager; stated that he couldn't replace the rubber bulb on the steering rod underneath the engine of my Ford Ranger. When you viewed underneath the engine and squeezed the passenger side rubber ball on the tie-rods; the fluids came out quickly.

Instead my job repair at Midas in Amarillo on ***. was $806.80 to my surprise!

Midas gave me a replacement of this part when my part had only 4,624 miles on the Rack & Pinion Assembly? Please READ ON!

Why was my Rack & Pinion Steering removed and replaced on this invoice when my mileage for this replacement was 93,579? Christian Brothers replaced my Rack & Pinion Assembly july 27, 2017 on Invoice #*** for $605.10. My mileage at this time was 88,955.
My question is: Why did I need my Rack & Pinion Assembly replaced since this part ONLY HAD 4,624 miles on the unit? You are encouraged to call Christian Brothers @ *** for verification of my claim.

My son is a mechanic and mentioned to have the rubber bulb replaced. This didn't happen!

I'm appalled at the "Work Ethics" of this location - Midas - ***.

Regards

+++ SERVICES HERE NEARLY KILLED MY 75 YEAR OLD MOTHER +++ I WOULD LIKE TO URGE EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS WITH THIS PLACE OR ANY OTHER TO VISIT THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GEENERALS WEB SITE AND FILE A COMPLAINT THAT CAN BE INVESTIGATED BY THE
It's free, it's painless and they have the authority to keep these businesses within state legal compliance or to shut them down if necessary.

My 75 year old mother took her van in for a vehicle inspection and to have the fuel filter replaced. While there, they recommended she also have the transmission fluid and coolant fluid flushed.She spent 4-1\2 hours waiting while they worked on the vehicle the entire time. She came home telling me that hammered and struggled with it for the entire 4+ hour wait. The *** told her that "they had a devil of a time getting that fuel filter to come off and that's what took so long. ". She left with an apology for the long wait and a clean vehicle inspection for the state of Texas and high praise for a vehicle in such good condition.

Just days later she drove the vehicle out of town to *** and just before she arrived two men in a pickup flagged her down to let her know that fuel was spewing from underneath her vehicle.

This vehicle should have never left Midas in this shape!
Certainly not with a 75 year old woman on her way out of town alone! It is an absolute wonder that her van didn't catch on fire with fuel leaking and her driving through alone through drought ridden, desolate ranchland with NOAA Fire alerts blaring throughout the entire trip!

She is now stranded alone, two hours from home, in a town where she knows no one, with a vehicle serviced and inspected by Midas in ***. I suspect from online research and what she told me coming home from that appointment that either a faulty fuel filter was installed, or something was damaged in the struggle to remove the old one. I did find a link tonight of multiple recalled fuel filters with numbers for this van.

She needs to get home safe and Midas needs to stand by their service. You are very lucky this did not result in a fatal catastrophe.

××××× Day 2: The Next Morning ××××

Last night I emailed Midas corporate, also the social@ email address that appears continually throughout this chain of reviews. My mother wad able to get the *** of this location on the phone this morning and he located a mechanic in the town she was stranded in to look at the van. She said he wad conciliatory but he wad also belligerent and defensive of his mechanics and contradicted her experience. The mechanic from the automotive shop that Midas sent to help her confirmed that her near fatal disaster was the fault of the mechanics who installed her fuel filter and failed to connect the hoses properly which caused the fuel to leak. He noted that it was lucky for her that it wad leaking to the side of the vehicle as opposed to a more vulnerable ignition source.

While I am grateful they responded and found her competent professional help to fix their mistake, I am furious that they sent her out of this shop in a situation that could have killed her. This is so inexcusable it cannot be defined.

I would urge everyone who had had an experience like this with this place or any other to visit the Texas Attorney General web site and file a complaint that can be investigated by the state. It's free, it's painless and they have the authority to keep these businesses within state legal compliance or to shut them down if necessary.

Day 3: The shop *** had promised to reimburse my mother for her gas. She took in her receipts and also requested that reimburse the additional nights motel charge (a cheap Motel 6) because she had too spend a night to get it serviced. When she arrived in person to collect the reimbursement they had offered, she was told she would have to contact the *** He told her that he would only reimburse her if she would agree not to turn them into the Attorney General or any other governing agency.