R & S Automotive Service

Radiator flush and antifreeze protection was not done to standard levels. R & S Automotive Service2916 Hull RdKinston, NC 28504 I sent my car to R&S for an oil change and was told that in addition the radiator was clogged with sludge and needed a flush. Had them go ahead and do that. When the car was picked up and the bill of almost $200 paid, we went away believing it was in good shape. No mention was made that a 2nd flush would be necessary. A week later I tested the antifreeze protection level and it tested at 20 degrees above 0. Also noticed a lot a dirt and debris in the radiator water. The car was taken back and the shop owner said for another $100 he'd flush it again. He also tested the antifreeze and said it was good for 10 degrees above 0, which should get us by for a couple weeks until it gets really cold. My receipt shows that 1.5 gallons of antifreeze was put in the car--at least I was billed for 1.5 gallons which should have better protection than this. This shop owners lack of concern for another $100 being spent to do another flush and have proper coolant protection is unacceptable. Because of his unwillingness to correct this situation--it needs another flush and antifreeze to bring it up to standard protection levels, I am totally dissatisfied with this service.Desired SettlementI do trust this shop to provide satisfactory service and will be going elsewhere to have the problems corrected. Because the radiator water is still filthy and antifreeze levels are not adequate, I am requesting a refund of $157.67. (My invoice # is [redacted])Business Response We are sorry that the customer did not understand the depth of her cooling system problem. It has so much sludge built up that it would take several flushes to get it free flowing again. This would be a process of flushing and running the engine awhile to breakdown remaining sludge and then flushing again. This process is by no means taking advantage of the customer. We were just trying to perform the necessary procedures. It sounds like we did not do an adequate job of explaining the extent of the problem to this customer. We will be contacting her to apologize and offer further assistance if she so wishes.Consumer Response My car has already been serviced by someone else. With only one flush the radiator fluid was clean and clear. The mechanic showed me the plug that was removed for draining, and judging by the amount of rust and sludge on the plug it is my opinion the R&S did not perform the flush correctly, if at all. The car also now has the appropriate amount of antifreeze to protect it thru the winter. The owner of R&S never said a word about the car needing multiple flushes and he was not at all concerned that I paid for 1.5 gallons of antifreeze that was never put in the car. I do not trust R&S to provide any type of service to my car and all I want from him is a refund of $157.67.Business Response The only thing we are guilty of here is miscommunication. The service we performed was a coolant flush which does not require us to pull the plug out for draining. We have a machine that connects to the upper radiator hose and circulates a cleaning solution through the system and refills with fresh antifreeze. As I stated before, the initial amount of sludge in the system would probably need a second flush after running the engine allowing it to breakdown additional sludge deposits. We have been in business 10 years and have built our reputation on trust and honesty. We have never charged a customer for a service or products that they did not receive. We continue to stand on the fact that this customer paid for a necessary service and we will not be refunding any amount, but do apologize for the confusion it has caused.