Ridgefield Automotive Svc

To whom it may concern:
This letter is in response to [redacted] complaint of state inspection Issues
regarding her [redacted] and Ridgefield Auto Service.
[redacted] filed a complaint with the Virginia...

State Police that we had erroneously
failed her vehicle for inspection. Our assigned State Trooper determined that the hrakes we had
failed her for did actually pass, but were very close (l/8" from failing) and that hrakes would be
needed within 30 to 60 days.
The exhaust leak was determined by the State Trooper as not passing inspection. The
price to repair an exhaust leak in the flex pipe on that particular vehicle costs $670.00 for the
pipe and parts, $35.50 in sales tax and $165.00 in labor.
In that Ridgefield Auto has never had a violation with the State Police regarding
inspection procedures in all the years that we have been in business, [redacted] was not
intentionally and erroneously rejected because she is a young female as she claims. In fact, the
technicians and state inspectors have no idea who a vehicle belongs to as they are simply
provided with a last name and the vehicle information.
In the future, we recommend that [redacted] seek a repair facility that better meets
her needs for her vehicle inspections and repairs.
Sincerely,

Review: I dropped my car off for state inspection on Friday 10/03/14. I received a call from the woman who works the front desk informing me that my car had failed inspection. She informed me that my car had failed for an exhaust leak (she quoted approximately $850 to repair), brakes (informed me that they could not guarantee brake work unless I had the brake pads and roters replaced; I asked if she was sure because I had replaced the brakes about a year ago and they should be fine - she said she just knew that the mechanic said that the front brakes failed inspection and she quoted $300 to replace brake pads & roters), and a light above my license plate needed to be replaced (she quoted $15 to replace). I asked her to have the mechanic put a rejection sticker on the car so that I could have my uncle replace the brakes again since he had replaced the brake pads and roters 09/2013 and that they are under warranty through the manufacturer. Upon talking to my uncle (who used to be a state inspector at a previous job) he suggested that I have another shop re-inspect the car because he said that it's not likely that new brakes and roters should not have gone bad in 12 months. I took my car to another state inspection shop and they informed me that 1) the brakes do pass inspection that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them and 2) that I was grossly over-quoted for the exhaust repair. The second shop informed me that they could do the exhaust repair, replace the light bulb above my rear license plate and including the $16 inspection fee it would cost me a grand total of $80. I'm absolutely appalled. I feel as though Ridgefield Auto intentionally and erroneously failed my car for inspection in order to get unneccessary work out of me because I'm a young female with little knowledge of cars.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern:

This letter is in response to [redacted] complaint of state inspection Issues

regarding her [redacted] and Ridgefield Auto Service.

[redacted] filed a complaint with the Virginia State Police that we had erroneously

failed her vehicle for inspection. Our assigned State Trooper determined that the hrakes we had

failed her for did actually pass, but were very close (l/8" from failing) and that hrakes would be

needed within 30 to 60 days.

The exhaust leak was determined by the State Trooper as not passing inspection. The

price to repair an exhaust leak in the flex pipe on that particular vehicle costs $670.00 for the

pipe and parts, $35.50 in sales tax and $165.00 in labor.

In that Ridgefield Auto has never had a violation with the State Police regarding

inspection procedures in all the years that we have been in business, [redacted] was not

intentionally and erroneously rejected because she is a young female as she claims. In fact, the

technicians and state inspectors have no idea who a vehicle belongs to as they are simply

provided with a last name and the vehicle information.

In the future, we recommend that [redacted] seek a repair facility that better meets

her needs for her vehicle inspections and repairs.

Sincerely,