Sarek Autowerke Inc.

Working with Sarek has been a great experienceThey were extremely helpful, honest, and flexibleThey advised me on everything I needed in order to achieve my ambitious objectives with my ** and executed flawlesslyThey did a GREAT job on my carI cannot praise them enoughI was due to PCS out of state in a few weeks and wanted to build the suspension of my *** ** so that I could hit the track as soon as I got the car in ***They took the time to advise me on the best parts and other things to consider so that I wouldn't be spending even more in the futureThey got everything done on the car in time and even worked with the shipping company to ship the car out to me on the west coastWith such a tight timeline, they really helped me out by being so flexible and working with me as much as possibleI highly recommend them to anyone who understands the importance of a high quality auto shopThere are cheaper shops out there, but you will not find a more competent, friendly, and professional group of guys

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
***
This has been rejected because there is no offer from the company to fix the problemThe problem was not the fixing of everything that cracked due to the car being left outside and freezing the issue is the car was fixed with a cracked headI specifically asked them not to fix the car if the engine was crackedThey said it wasn't cracked. days after I get it back the low coolant light went back onI did call your office and *** said it could be air bubbles in the line to give it a couple daysAgain the low coolant light goes on and I have to bring it back. it went back in your shop for another repairand then the very next day after that the engine blew and you want me to bring back to you for a 3rd time to get screwed and to pay you more moneyAlso the 2nd time that it was brought in I was told that it would be fixed without cost because it was caused due to the prior job and when I pick my car up there is a bill that was trumped up above and beyond the "covered Repairs"But I will offer to cover the items that were purchased but not the labor?

Customer reached out to Revdex.com and confirmed she had been contacted by the business directly and the issues were being taken care of.

The customer had vehicle towed in to our shop because he stated that the vehicle had a coolant leak. He never told us that the vehicle's cooling system had been filled with water (not antifreeze coolant) for quite some time. The vehicle...

was towed in on January 7th 2014. On that morning and during the day the temperatures were at a record low of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (well below freezing point of water, but not below the freezing point of antifreeze) all day long, not just the night of the 8th. We had at lease three full days where the temperatures did not go above freezing. 
We called the customer on the 8th as soon as we noticed the frozen cooling system. We asked the customer if he has been filling his cooling system or topping it off on his own. Only then did he admit that he has been filling his cooling system with water, not antifreeze coolant. I then explained the consequences of doing this and letting the cooling system freeze. He acknowledged the possible damage that can happen in this circumstance and approved letting us defrost the cooling system and leak test the system. 
We then let him know what items had failed due to the expanding nature of freezing water that were obvious and stated that once these leaks were fixed, we will then test the system .The customer approved and we repaired multiple consequential leaks. The thawing process will not cause any cracking of the engine block. The freezing process will cause damage this since water expands when frozen. We simply stated that there is a chance that engine block or head damage, including other damage to cooling system components,  could have occurred due to freezing of the water (not antifreeze coolant) that was put in the cooling system.  We did not tell the customer that his engine block is cracked. It did not show signs of damage and I believe is still is not damaged.   The customer had to pay for the damaged hoses and other cooling system components because we did not fill his cooling system with water which caused the damage. Leaving the car outside did not cause the damage. The customer had been admittedly filling his cooling system with water which is not approved by the manufacturer.
We were trying to help the customer through a bad situation as best as possible. We tried to help and explained every step of the process to the customer.
The customer states that when he got the car back it was not running right. Give it a day or 2 to circulate fluids etc. We are not sure what this means. We never told him to give it a day or 2. We are not sure what "not running right " means. If a customer calls with a concern after pick up, we always suggest and give the opportunity to bring the vehicle in. We do not want a customer to leave confused or upset. 
"The next day the engine blew up" This statement confuses me. I believe that this did not happen (no proof). The statement that [redacted] stated that the engine was cracked is also confusing  (no proof). If I was in the customer's situation, and I was told that my engine is cracked and blew up, I would bring the vehicle back to whom I believed caused the failure and confront the shop.  He has never brought the vehicle back. We were never given an opportunity to resolve this situation and the confirm the claims of engine damage. He then claims that he had to get a new car. Now I can not even verify that the car is damaged
I understand that the customer is frustrated with this situation. We strive to provide the best service to our customers and pride ourselves in the work we do. Our focus is on customer service and satisfaction. I was hoping to resolve this issue with the customer before it would get to this point. I was never given a chance to speak with or re-visit any of the repairs or situations that transpired with the customer. The way I found out that he wanted his money back was when I received an email that he was issuing a charge back of his 2nd credit card payment. I immediately tried to contact the customer to listen to his concerns. He answered the call, I stated my name , then he hung up on me. I have tried to reach out to him multiple times and he does not answer or respond. He has never come in to complain or ask for his money back. He is now contesting his credit card charges to try to get money back. This situation is now in arbitration since he has 2 charges that total the amount he wants refunded to him (but has never asked for). This is very unfortunate and frustrating. Hopefully the customer can give me an opportunity to discuss his concerns with him directly.

I own a [redacted] and I had taken my car to the Sarek Autowerke at the Glen Allen location. The problem I had with my car was that it would cut off whenever I made a turn and I could not find out what was the problem. I had taken my car to several places that supposed to fix BMW to included the [redacted] on [redacted]. I took my car to Sarek Autowerke talk to [redacted] and [redacted] who advise me to leave the car for 2 days to find out what the problem was which turn out to be the upper & lower hoses both had a hole. My point is that they found what the problem was fixed it and had my car back to me. The charge for the repair was very fair and I continue to do business with them.

I own a [redacted] and I had taken my car to the Sarek Autowerke at the Glen Allen location. The problem I had with my car was that it would cut off whenever I made a turn and I could not find out what was the problem. I had taken my car to several places that supposed to fix BMW to included the [redacted] on [redacted]. I took my car to Sarek Autowerke talk to [redacted] and [redacted] who advise me to leave the car for 2 days to find out what the problem was which turn out to be the upper & lower hoses both had a hole. My point is that they found what the problem was fixed it and had my car back to me. The charge for the repair was very fair and I continue to do business with them.

Working with Sarek has been a great experience. They were extremely helpful, honest, and flexible. They advised me on everything I needed in order to achieve my ambitious objectives with my ** and executed flawlessly. They did a GREAT job on my car. I cannot praise them enough.
I was due to PCS out of state in a few weeks and wanted to build the suspension of my [redacted] so that I could hit the track as soon as I got the car in [redacted]. They took the time to advise me on the best parts and other things to consider so that I wouldn't be spending even more in the future. They got everything done on the car in time and even worked with the shipping company to ship the car out to me on the west coast. With such a tight timeline, they really helped me out by being so flexible and working with me as much as possible.
I highly recommend them to anyone who understands the importance of a high quality auto shop. There are cheaper shops out there, but you will not find a more competent, friendly, and professional group of guys.

Review: I received poor service from Sarek Autowerke on Thursday,7/ 9/15. On Tuesday 6/30/15, I dropped my [redacted] off for repair when the suspension system went out. Because my state inspection was due for the month of July. I also, asked Sarek Autowerke to complete a state inspection. Although I was told I would be contacted by the end of the day with an estimate I didn't speak with Sarek Autowerke until I reached out to them 2 days later on a Thursday. I was told that it would cost 4300.00 to fix my suspension and complete the repairs needed to pass the VA state inspection. While agreeing to the outlandish price for brake pads, rotors a ,hazard flasher, a door handle, sway bars, ball joints and a battery bolt. I didn't get the service I expected. I was told my truck would be ready by the end of the day on Tues but I didn't receive a call to come pick up my vehicle until 5pm on Thurs 7/9/15 . I arrived at Sarek, paid my bill and was offered nothing by way of apology for the additional days my vehicle was kept. I asked the representative to go over my bill with me, during this time the owner Brad, irritated with my questions started turning the lights out. I drove home not noticing the pulling in my steering until the next day Fri, 7/10/15. I called Sarek the following Mon 7/13/15, spoke with the owner who then agreed I bring the vehicle back. Apparently my vehicle wasn't aligned. They then aligned my vehicle. I picked my vehicle up for the second time. After the second time picking up I noticed my vehicle drove almost as bad as it did the first time I dropped it off. Sarek agreed that I bring it back for the third time. I went on a test ride with a mechanic that agreed my vehicle was driving at about 85%. I am most annoyed that I spent 4300.00 and my vehicle is driving like a four wheeler, worst than it's ever driven. After explaining this to the owner he gave me a list of additional repairs I needed to have done totaling 2400.00.Desired Settlement: I want Sarek to take responsibility for whatever they did to my vehicle that now has it driving like a dune buggy. I believe that there are unfair and deceptive practices being conducted at this business. I was charged and paid in full for a service that was not completed to my satisfaction. I should at least be able to comfortably drive my vehicle safely to and from work. Im swaying & swerving all over the road with my two kids and now out of money. I was treated unfairly and deserve some sort of compensation for the money I paid. I want my truck driving smoothly with no additional charges. I drove smoothly on the second pick up with the exception of the vehicle being out of line. Why would it now drive worse than it did prior to receiving any repair and why would they attempt to get more money out of me when if I didn't get my 4300.00 of service? I was charged 1900.00 in labor. This business is closed on Fri, if your service isn't completed on Thurs consumers are charged shop fees.

Consumer

Response:

Customer reached out to Revdex.com and confirmed she had been contacted by the business directly and the issues were being taken care of.

I own a 2004 BMW 325i and I had taken my car to the Sarek Autowerke at the Glen Allen location. The problem I had with my car was that it would cut off whenever I made a turn and I could not find out what was the problem. I had taken my car to several places that supposed to fix BMW to included the [redacted] on [redacted]. I took my car to Sarek Autowerke talk to [redacted] and [redacted] who advise me to leave the car for 2 days to find out what the problem was which turn out to be the upper & lower hoses both had a hole. My point is that they found what the problem was fixed it and had my car back to me. The charge for the repair was very fair and I continue to do business with them.

Review: Jan 7 2014 when I started my car the low coolant light went on. I had car towed from my home to Sarek Autowerke where they left the car outside until Jan 8 2014 on a night where it was 7% outside temp. On the 8th I got a call from them and they said the entire engine block was frozen. They said when it thaws out it could crack the engine block. I told them if it does then don't do any work on the car. 2 days later they said it did not crack but all the hoses that were frozen which I had to pay for even though they let it freeze. I approved it. When the car was returned to me the engine was not running right so I called them and they said give it a day or 2 to circulate the fluids. 2 days later the low coolant light went back on. again called them and they said there could be air bubbles in the lines?? went out of town for a week on business when I got back home there was coolant all over my garage. took it in they said 1 of the hoses they put on failed they would fix, got it back and the next day the engine blew up. [redacted] said the engine was cracked from the frozen block and it could not be fixed without a new engine. I told them not to fix the hoses if the engine block was cracked and they did it anyway at a cost of 2700.00 and I had to buy a new car.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund of services that were done

Business

Response:

The customer had vehicle towed in to our shop because he stated that the vehicle had a coolant leak. He never told us that the vehicle's cooling system had been filled with water (not antifreeze coolant) for quite some time. The vehicle was towed in on January 7th 2014. On that morning and during the day the temperatures were at a record low of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (well below freezing point of water, but not below the freezing point of antifreeze) all day long, not just the night of the 8th. We had at lease three full days where the temperatures did not go above freezing.

We called the customer on the 8th as soon as we noticed the frozen cooling system. We asked the customer if he has been filling his cooling system or topping it off on his own. Only then did he admit that he has been filling his cooling system with water, not antifreeze coolant. I then explained the consequences of doing this and letting the cooling system freeze. He acknowledged the possible damage that can happen in this circumstance and approved letting us defrost the cooling system and leak test the system.

We then let him know what items had failed due to the expanding nature of freezing water that were obvious and stated that once these leaks were fixed, we will then test the system .The customer approved and we repaired multiple consequential leaks. The thawing process will not cause any cracking of the engine block. The freezing process will cause damage this since water expands when frozen. We simply stated that there is a chance that engine block or head damage, including other damage to cooling system components, could have occurred due to freezing of the water (not antifreeze coolant) that was put in the cooling system. We did not tell the customer that his engine block is cracked. It did not show signs of damage and I believe is still is not damaged. The customer had to pay for the damaged hoses and other cooling system components because we did not fill his cooling system with water which caused the damage. Leaving the car outside did not cause the damage. The customer had been admittedly filling his cooling system with water which is not approved by the manufacturer.

We were trying to help the customer through a bad situation as best as possible. We tried to help and explained every step of the process to the customer.

The customer states that when he got the car back it was not running right. Give it a day or 2 to circulate fluids etc. We are not sure what this means. We never told him to give it a day or 2. We are not sure what "not running right " means. If a customer calls with a concern after pick up, we always suggest and give the opportunity to bring the vehicle in. We do not want a customer to leave confused or upset.

"The next day the engine blew up" This statement confuses me. I believe that this did not happen (no proof). The statement that [redacted] stated that the engine was cracked is also confusing (no proof). If I was in the customer's situation, and I was told that my engine is cracked and blew up, I would bring the vehicle back to whom I believed caused the failure and confront the shop. He has never brought the vehicle back. We were never given an opportunity to resolve this situation and the confirm the claims of engine damage. He then claims that he had to get a new car. Now I can not even verify that the car is damaged

I understand that the customer is frustrated with this situation. We strive to provide the best service to our customers and pride ourselves in the work we do. Our focus is on customer service and satisfaction. I was hoping to resolve this issue with the customer before it would get to this point. I was never given a chance to speak with or re-visit any of the repairs or situations that transpired with the customer. The way I found out that he wanted his money back was when I received an email that he was issuing a charge back of his 2nd credit card payment. I immediately tried to contact the customer to listen to his concerns. He answered the call, I stated my name , then he hung up on me. I have tried to reach out to him multiple times and he does not answer or respond. He has never come in to complain or ask for his money back. He is now contesting his credit card charges to try to get money back. This situation is now in arbitration since he has 2 charges that total the amount he wants refunded to him (but has never asked for). This is very unfortunate and frustrating. Hopefully the customer can give me an opportunity to discuss his concerns with him directly.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

This has been rejected because there is no offer from the company to fix the problem. The problem was not the fixing of everything that cracked due to the car being left outside and freezing the issue is the car was fixed with a cracked head. I specifically asked them not to fix the car if the engine was cracked. They said it wasn't cracked. 2 days after I get it back the low coolant light went back on. I did call your office and [redacted] said it could be air bubbles in the line to give it a couple days. Again the low coolant light goes on and I have to bring it back. it went back in your shop for another repair. and then the very next day after that the engine blew and you want me to bring back to you for a 3rd time to get screwed and to pay you more money. Also the 2nd time that it was brought in I was told that it would be fixed without cost because it was caused due to the prior job and when I pick my car up there is a 675.00 bill that was trumped up above and beyond the "covered Repairs". But I will offer to cover the items that were purchased but not the labor?