Pellegrino's Saab Service

This is my response to the complaint by [redacted] First, however, I'd like to give you some background My husband, Nicholas P [redacted] , began the business in 1982, after working on Saabs for the previous five yearsHe was regarded highly as an expert on Saab maintenance and repairNic passed away in January of had been running the business end of the companyTo make it easier for my hundreds of loyal customers and my two employees, I kept the business running until June [redacted] called on May reporting an exhaust leak, parking sensor wiring chewed by mice, a wobble at mph, and a leaking power steering lineHe had purchased an aftermarket steering line& requested we install it At his May appointment a test drive demonstrated noise but the car was not holding the road well so Idid not go any faster than mphMy mechanic found that the exhaust manifold leaked at an incorrect stud installed by another shopThe wiring for the parking sensor was intact, not chewed up as he reported, but the error codes indicated that the left center sensor had an internal fault and was notcommunicating with the busThe steering line was in his trunk in a plastic bagHe also supplied the hydraulic fluid &a hardware kitThe tire pressures were in the high 40s and low 50s psi and the tread was unevenly worn, close to worn outWe adjusted the tire pressures to the recommended psi A final test drive demonstrated the car tracking better but the tires made noiseThere was no wobble at mph I gave him an estimate for the repairs and an appointment for June When I told him that I would close on June 30, he requested that we also perform our Major ServiceHe declined to replace the tires but authorized the $for replacement of exhaust manifold gasket and studs, labor to install his power steering hoses, replacement of left center parking sensor, and our Major Service I called [redacted] several times during the proceduresOnce was to tell him that the steering line he suppliedwas bent in a subtle manner and that we needed to partially remove & adjust the bends, resulting in a higher labor costI called again to inform him that the Major Service did not require any extra costs (brake pads, suspension, etc.) and would not result in estimate adjustmentThe power steering line required some adjustments by our mechanicIt is manufactured with several bendsThe part he supplied was not shaped correctly, either from bouncing around in his trunk for weeks, or because it was purchased from an aftermarket supplierHis rubber insulators in the hosing system were broken and he had not supplied replacementsMy mechanic fashioned replacements fromair box insulators, which are of a similar designThe incorrect bends in the line would have caused the replacement line to rub against the motor mount so my mechanic zip-tied the line to keep it free from the motor mountWe installed only the lines he suppliedHe was charged only for labor and two air box mounts, not for all of the lines, as he is accusing in his complaint [redacted] called me a few days after he picked up the car to complain about the serviceHe informed me that he had removed the zip ties that were preventing the line from rubbing and leakingAlso that he had removed the parking sensor to check our workThe failures he refers to now were more likely caused by his "work" than by oursHe also took issue with additives that are used in the course of the Major ServiceThese are fluids that have proven, in our years of servicing Saabs, to be beneficialNo other customer has ever complained about the extra steps we take for the benefit of their Saabs I never hung up on this manI spoke to him at length, in several telephone calls before, during and after the serviceI answered each of his questions directly, honestly and politelyIn our final telephone conversation, when he threatened to reverse his credit card payment, I did say that I would go after him legally if he did soIn summary, we did our customary high-quality work on this car with Saab O.Eparts, did not charge him for anything above what was estimated (in fact the final bill was $lower than estimated, even with the higher labor on the steering work) and the car left here in perfect working order, except for the worn-out tires that he declined to replaceHe did pay $deposit on the parking sensor, which I forgot to deduct from the final bill but it has since been returned to him in a credit card chargeback.Because I have sold this business, a negative rating by the Revdex.com will not affect the businessHowever, my husband poured his heart and soul into building it and I do not want it besmirched by a person who thinks he knows more than such "grease monkeys" as we Thank you for your attention to this Very truly yours, Rose P [redacted]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear belowI would like to respond to this message by directly refuting the points madeI feel that the best way to do this is to include the email with my responses in red.[Backstory omitted] *** *** called on May reporting an exhaust leak, parking sensor wiring chewed by mice, a wobble at mph, and a leaking power steering line[Correct] He had purchased an aftermarket steering line & requested we install it[Purchase two lines, requested one be installed] At his May appointment a test drive demonstrated noise but the car was not holding the road well so I did not go any faster than mph[Car “held the road” quite well] My mechanic found that the exhaust manifold leaked at an incorrect stud installed by another shop[I was informed it was a bad gasket with no mention of an incorrect stud until here] The wiring for the parking sensor was intact, not chewed up as he reported, but the error codes indicated that the left center sensor had an internal fault and was not communicating with the bus[Sensor wiring is still chewed up, which was and is still the reason for the constant fault code, it was not fixed] The steering line was in his trunk in a plastic bagHe also supplied the hydraulic fluid & a hardware kit[This is correct] The tire pressures were in the high 40s and low 50s psi and the tread was unevenly worn, close to worn out[Not the case at allI monitor my tire pressures at 44psi front and psi rear, within psi of the manufacturer recommended pressuresThis concerns me that the car was driven aggressively by the service tech as aggressive driving temporarily raises tire pressures] We adjusted the tire pressures to the recommended psi[Their recommendation, not the manufacturers] A final test drive demonstated the car tracking better but the tires made noiseThere was no wobble at mph[Wobble still exists and existed on drive home from repair shop] I gave him an estimate for the repairs and an appointment for June [Correct] When I told him that I would close on June 30, he requested that we also perform our Major Service[Requested 90,mile service]He declined to replace the tires but authorized the $for replacement of exhaust manifold gasket and studs, labor to install his power steering hoses [hose], replacement of left center parking sensor, and our Major Service[Agreed to standard major service, not their special brandTires are less than year old and are the best summer time on the standard marketThe rest is correct but I agreed to the parking sensor replacement with a communicated hesitation that it would actually fix the problem.] I called *** several times during the procedures[Twice, not several] Once was to tell him that the steering line he supplied was bent in a subtle manner and that we needed to partially remove & adjust the bends, resulting in a higher labor cost[Correct, but also to inform that it would take longer] I called again to inform him that the Major Service did not require any extra costs (brake pads, suspension, etc.) and would not result in estimate adjustment[Correct] The power steering line required some adjustments by our mechanicIt is manufactured with several bendsThe part he supplied was not shaped correctly, either from bouncing around in his trunk for weeks [not the case, the car was driven to the shop for an estimate, parked, then driven back], or because it was purchased from an aftermarket supplier [OEM part]His rubber insulators in the hosing system were broken and he had not supplied replacements[They were broken because, as Rose stated to me, the mechanic broke them in the removal process of a line I specifically requested not be replaced] My mechanic fashioned replacements from air box insulators, which are of a similar design[I now have these home-made parts in my car that I was charged for and required due to a mechanic removing a part poorly that I requested not be touched] The incorrect bends in the line would have caused the replacement line to rub against the motor mount so my mechanic zip-tied the line to keep it free from the motor mount[I thought the incorrect bends were fixed, as Rose noted above, now I’m very concerned for my carThe line was zip tied directly to metal, causing metal to metal rubbing] We installed only the lines he supplied[Both lines, against my specific request, breaking good parts, replacing them with home-made parts, and putting it back together completely incorrectly] He was charged only for labor and two air box mounts, not for all of the lines, as he is accusing in his complaint[Just to clarify I was incorrectly charged labor for two lines and air box mountsI requested line be changed, not the one that required home-made mounts be made forI am not and haven’t in any way claimed that I was charged for the cost of the lines (parts cost)] *** called me a few days after he picked up the car to complain about the service[True but not all inclusive, I started by calling the next day to discuss and request more info on why things had been done, specifically, against my requestsMissed calls back and forth for the next three days(Rose’s last call was on June 15th, I called every day until Rose finally answered on June 20th for the call she is noting, here] He informed me that he had removed the zip ties that were preventing the line from rubbing and leaking[These zip ties were causing rubbing and I put them back in the stock mounts which were not broken and simply not used] Also that he had removed the parking sensor to check our work[I did not do this, nor did I inform Rose that I didI did, however inform her that the error message for the broken sensor wiring was back]The failures he refers to now were more likely caused by his "work" than by ours [The only reason that I performed any work was because of the issues coming back up immediately (starting on the drive home from the shop) I’m confused as to why she would believe that I would have any reason to work on the car within a couple days of it being taken in for service unless the service wasn’t proper or complete]He also took issue with additives that are used in the course of the Major Service[Additives specifically against manufactures specifications and recommendations without my consultation] These are fluids that have proven, in our years of servicing Saabs, to be beneficial[Just because something works well on a car years ago does not mean it will be beneficial to a new car, they should have, at a minimum, consulted me on these non-standard items] No other customer has ever complained about the extra steps we take for the benefit of their Saabs[This is not proof that these fluids don’t case issuesCustomers could have not returned, not known what caused issues, or even let Rose’s company determine the root cause of problems caused by these fluids, where they could have been reported incorrectly.] I never hung up on this man[She stated that she “didn’t want to speak to [me] anymore”, and hung up] I spoke to him at length, in several telephone calls before, during and after the service[Spoke once for minutes to clarify what had been done during service and to discussSpoke once for minutes to discuss problems and possible resolutions.] I answered each of his questions directly, honestly and politely[I would completely agree] In our final telephone conversation, when he threatened to reverse his credit card payment, I did say that I would go after him legally if he did so[During the final minute call, I requested resolutions for these problemsShe offered a free oil change and that was allI requested more multiple times, including a refund, and no refund with a full warranty on the work, she declined all of the aboveI then informed her that I would be speaking with my credit card company about reversing the chargesShe then because upset, raised her voice, and threatened me with her lawyers saying that her attorney would “go after me”, as she notes aboveI told her that if she wasn’t willing to work with me to make it right then I’d be happy to speak with her attorney to make that happenShe then told me that she didn’t want to speak with me anymore and hung up.] In summary, we did our customary high-quality work on this car with Saab O.Eparts [she specifically states that OE parts were not used and home-made parts were used as well, earlier in this message], did not charge him for anything above what was estimated (in fact the final bill was $lower than estimated, even with the higher labor on the steering work) and the car left here in perfect working order [the parking sensors did not work in the driveway leaving, the rest was not investigated until I got home], except for the worn-out tires that he declined to replace He did pay $deposit on the parking sensor, which I forgot to deduct from the final bill but it has since been returned to him in a credit card chargeback[She was not willing to work with me on this and I think that this is exemplifies exactly the quality of service that I received in that I was overcharged accidently and not worked with to get the money back until I had to get my credit card company involved.] Because I have sold this business, a negative rating by the Revdex.com will not affect the businessHowever, my husband poured his heart and soul into building it and I do not want it besmirched by a person who thinks he knows more than such "grease monkeys" as we[I have never made any statement that I know more or less than “grease monkeys”, Rose, her mechanic, or anyone involved for that matterI am only noting what has happened, and what was done, including work done directly against my requests or the vehicle manufacturer’s standards without any consultation with meI feel for Rose and I’m completely happy to keep this dispute out of the public eye so that it, in no way besmirches her, or her husband’s reputation.] The car is currently still having most of the same problems (no new ones so far), the exhaust gasket is still leaking, the parking sensors are still broken, and I have pictures of all of this with time stamps to prove all of my claimsI was not provided the service that I paid for and I’m still having problems with the carMy ideal solution would have been a warranty on the work to have it fixed where I choose if problems occurred after June 30thRose was unwilling to provide this so this complaint process is now my avenue of making things right. Regards, *** ***

This is my response to the complaint by *** ***First, however, I'd like to give you some background. My husband, Nicholas P***, began the business in 1982, after working on Saabs for the previous five yearsHe was regarded highly as an expert on Saab maintenance and
repairNic passed away in January of had been running the business end of the companyTo make it easier for my hundreds of loyal customers and my two employees, I kept the business running until June 30. *** *** called on May reporting an exhaust leak, parking sensor wiring chewed by mice, a wobble at mph, and a leaking power steering lineHe had purchased an aftermarket steering line& requested we install it. At his May appointment a test drive demonstrated noise but the car was not holding the road well so Idid not go any faster than mphMy mechanic found that the exhaust manifold leaked at an incorrect stud installed by another shopThe wiring for the parking sensor was intact, not chewed up as he reported, but the error codes indicated that the left center sensor had an internal fault and was notcommunicating with the busThe steering line was in his trunk in a plastic bagHe also supplied the hydraulic fluid &a hardware kitThe tire pressures were in the high 40s and low 50s psi and the tread was unevenly worn, close to worn outWe adjusted the tire pressures to the recommended psi. A final test drive demonstrated the car tracking better but the tires made noiseThere was no wobble at mph. I gave him an estimate for the repairs and an appointment for June When I told him that I would close on June 30, he requested that we also perform our Major ServiceHe declined to replace the tires but authorized the $for replacement of exhaust manifold gasket and studs, labor to install his power steering hoses, replacement of left center parking sensor, and our Major Service. I called *** several times during the proceduresOnce was to tell him that the steering line he suppliedwas bent in a subtle manner and that we needed to partially remove & adjust the bends, resulting in a higher labor costI called again to inform him that the Major Service did not require any extra costs (brake pads, suspension, etc.) and would not result in estimate adjustmentThe power steering line required some adjustments by our mechanicIt is manufactured with several bendsThe part he supplied was not shaped correctly, either from bouncing around in his trunk for weeks, or because it was purchased from an aftermarket supplierHis rubber insulators in the hosing system were broken and he had not supplied replacementsMy mechanic fashioned replacements fromair box insulators, which are of a similar designThe incorrect bends in the line would have caused the replacement line to rub against the motor mount so my mechanic zip-tied the line to keep it free from the motor mountWe installed only the lines he suppliedHe was charged only for labor and two air box mounts, not for all of the lines, as he is accusing in his complaint. *** called me a few days after he picked up the car to complain about the serviceHe informed me that he had removed the zip ties that were preventing the line from rubbing and leakingAlso that he had removed the parking sensor to check our workThe failures he refers to now were more likely caused by his "work" than by oursHe also took issue with additives that are used in the course of the Major ServiceThese are fluids that have proven, in our years of servicing Saabs, to be beneficialNo other customer has ever complained about the extra steps we take for the benefit of their Saabs. I never hung up on this manI spoke to him at length, in several telephone calls before, during and after the serviceI answered each of his questions directly, honestly and politelyIn our final telephone conversation, when he threatened to reverse his credit card payment, I did say that I would go after him legally if he did soIn summary, we did our customary high-quality work on this car with Saab O.Eparts, did not charge him for anything above what was estimated (in fact the final bill was $lower than estimated, even with the higher labor on the steering work) and the car left here in perfect working order, except for the worn-out tires that he declined to replaceHe did pay $deposit on the parking sensor, which I forgot to deduct from the final bill but it has since been returned to him in a credit card chargeback.Because I have sold this business, a negative rating by the Revdex.com will not affect the businessHowever, my husband poured his heart and soul into building it and I do not want it besmirched by a person who thinks he knows more than such "grease monkeys" as we. Thank you for your attention to this. Very truly yours, Rose P***