Stamford Auto Repair

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: The statements about the car being unsafe to test drive are totally untrue and exaggeratedThat is a lie that he told me he had to replace the tirods in order to test drive it on the Hwy because ultimately they never did before or after the jobI had to demand it being accompanied by me after noticing that a few weeks later(because the car is not driven much) that the vibration/noise remainedSo after and during the road test the technician had pointed out that the noise most likely is due to the stuck caliper against the rotorOkWhy wasn’t that replaced first? Again because they never test drove the car on the Hwy to experience what I was talking aboutNot because of the tire rods but because it’s time-consuming and inconvenient for them to do itThey probably drove it up and down street which is under construction hit a few bumps and felt play in the steering and assumed it was the cause Yes the tie rods showed signs of wear and yes the tires also but these are performance related issues not what I initially brought the car in for! If I need to replace parts eventually down the road that’s my problemWhen a customer brings their car into a shop they expect the highest level of expertise in knowing exactly what is the exact problem and what’s needed in order to fix that problemThat is not the service I receivedI Took my car home with the same problems that I brought it in with and that is unacceptable in my opinion! Sincerely, [redacted]

Customer stated that months prior was advised by the dealer that he needed inner & outer tie rods to be replaced ( of which the customer declined repairs at that time)Upon arriving to our shop, customer requested to test drive vehicle on the highway, stating that the car would swing left and right constantlyDuring the test drive it was found that it was unsafe to drive at 30mphUpon inspection, it found that the inner and outer tie rods were about to fall apart- so we recommended to replace the tie rods in order to safely test drive vehicle on the highwayThis was explained to the customer who agreed to replace the tie rods and go from there After the tie rods had been replaced , a technician road tested the vehicle once again and noticed the car had a minor vibration going over 60mph-70mph and humming noiseIt was advised to the customer that the slight vibration could be caused by worn tires , or wheel bearingA multi-point inspection was also performed on the vehicle, of which numerous problems were found; tires were completely worn down to minimal 2/1-mm left(bold), right rear caliper seized- of which was recommended to replace rear calipers and complete rear brakesIt was also advised that the vibration could be from rotors being warped which the vibration could be transferring due to a seized calipers, and the customer declined additional repairs at that timeTold customer that the engine drive belt was cracked, of which a replacement was also declined by customerInformed the customer that we could not pin point the vibration due to the numerous problems presented at the time Customer now comes back weeks later, to complain about the noise/ vibrationCustomer requested to drive with a technician in order to show them the issueUpon test driving, customer advised technician to drive over speed limit (mph) to make issue visibleTechnician explained to the customer that the vibration could be due to the worn out tires --which is common on every car with worn out tires It was advised once again to the customer that the previous recommendations needed to be fixed in order to eliminate concerns, again the customer declined repairs and left the shop arguing about the situationAn hour later, the customer proceeded to leave a bad review While it seems like an easy and common sense issue, it's hard for some people to understandAs you may be able to see, our repair shop is based on customer referral and good reputation/recommendationsWe prioritize our customer satisfaction and safety, which are both highly important to usWe take the necessary steps to make this all possible in a reasonable, professional, and respectful mannerAny further concerns or questions can be made to us at ###-###-#### Sincerely, Management

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:I see you read like you diagnose and repair cars(Again) I said you never test drove the car on the HIGHWAY like I suggestedYou chose the easy way out by taking advantage of a customer having an older car Stop dancing around the facts with your safety semanticsAnd your darn right about not meeting my expectations, and a apology is a step in the right direction but I want what I asked forI brought my car in to have something fixed and it wasn’tNow I have to go somewhere else to have it fixed because the first thing you fixed was an opinionated repairAnd I’m still afraid to drive the car with my family! You have an unhappy customer on your hands Live up to your customer service satisfaction and let’s handle this already ! Sincerely, [redacted]

Customer stated we never road tested the vehicle, but then is saying that -yes, "maybe" we drove down the street? The customer also knew about all his issues but decided to never address the issues until the vehicle became unsafe to driveReason, why the customer told us that he was afraid to drive the vehicle. When the car was being evaluated during the road test, my technician noted immediately while taking it out of the driveway that it was unsafe to drive and would be unwise to take onto the highway for safety purposesWe informed the customer the same day about all his car issues, specifically the brakes and tires- but the customer declined additional repairs at the moment.We cannot stress enough our customers safety, and it is our priority to keep our customers vehicles as safe as possibleWe take our time road testing vehicles on regular streets and highways in order to confirm the issue and ensure the safety of our customers. We are a small shop, but we are professional and transparent in what we doWe are sincerely sorry we couldn't meet your expectations. As for you, and the safety of others- we don't recommend driving your vehicle knowing that your car needs brakes and tires- as these are essential to the maintenance of the vehicle itself. We wish you the best of luck trying to find your vibration/noise issue without replacing the essentials. Happy holidays to everyone, and stay safe always. Sincerely, Management

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
The statements about the car being unsafe to test drive are totally untrue and exaggerated. That is a lie that he told me he had to replace the tirods in order to test drive it on the Hwy because ultimately they never did before or after the job. I had to demand it being accompanied by me after noticing that a few weeks later(because the car is not driven much) that the vibration/noise remained. So after and during the road test the technician had pointed out that the noise most likely is due to the stuck caliper against the rotor. Ok. Why wasn’t that replaced first? Again because they never test drove the car on the Hwy to experience what I was talking about. Not because of the tire rods but because it’s time-consuming and inconvenient for them to do it. They probably drove it up and down street which is under construction hit a few bumps and felt play in the steering and assumed it was the cause.  Yes the tie rods showed signs of wear and yes the tires also but these are performance related issues not what I initially brought the car in for! If I need to replace parts eventually down the road that’s my problem. When a customer brings their car into a shop they expect the highest level of expertise in knowing exactly what is the exact problem and what’s needed in order to fix that problem. That is not the service I received. I  Took my car home with the same problems that I brought it in with and that is unacceptable in my opinion! 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I see you read like you diagnose and repair cars. (Again) I said you never test drove the car on the HIGHWAY like I suggested. You chose the easy way out by taking advantage of a customer having an older car.  Stop dancing around the facts with your safety semantics. And your darn right about not meeting my expectations, and a apology is a step in the right direction but I want what I asked for. I brought my car in to have something fixed and it wasn’t. Now I have to go somewhere else to have it fixed because the first thing you fixed was an opinionated repair. And I’m still afraid to drive the car with my family! You have an unhappy customer on your hands.  Live up to your customer service satisfaction and let’s handle this already ! 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Customer stated that 6 months prior was advised by the dealer that he needed inner & outer tie rods to be replaced ( of which the customer declined repairs at that time). Upon arriving to our shop, customer requested to test drive vehicle on the highway, stating that the car would swing left and...

right constantly. During the test drive it was found that it was unsafe to drive at 30mph. Upon inspection, it found that the inner and outer tie rods were about to fall apart- so we recommended to replace the tie rods in order to safely test drive vehicle on the highway. This was explained to the customer who agreed to replace the tie rods and go from there.          After the tie rods had been replaced , a technician road tested the vehicle once again and noticed the car had a minor vibration going over 60mph-70mph and humming noise. It was advised to the customer that the slight vibration could be caused by worn tires , or wheel bearing. A multi-point inspection was also performed on the vehicle, of which numerous problems were found; tires were completely worn down to minimal 2/32 1-2 mm left(bold), right rear caliper seized- of which was recommended to replace rear calipers and complete rear brakes. It was also advised that the vibration could be from rotors being warped which the vibration could be transferring due to a seized calipers, and the customer declined additional repairs at that time. Told customer that the engine drive belt was cracked, of which a replacement was also declined by customer. Informed the customer that we could not pin point the vibration due to the numerous problems presented at the time.           Customer now comes back 3 weeks later, to complain about the noise/ vibration. Customer requested to drive with a technician in order to show them the issue. Upon test driving, customer advised technician to drive over speed limit (80 mph) to make issue visible. Technician explained to the customer that the vibration could be due to the worn out tires --which is common on every car with worn out tires.  It was advised once again to the customer that the previous recommendations needed to be fixed in order to eliminate concerns, again the customer declined repairs and left the shop arguing about the situation. An hour later, the customer proceeded to leave a bad review .           While it seems like an easy and common sense issue, it's hard for some people to understand. As you may be able to see, our repair shop is based on customer referral and good reputation/recommendations. We prioritize our customer satisfaction and safety, which are both highly important to us. We take the necessary steps to make this all possible in a reasonable, professional, and respectful manner. Any further concerns or questions can be made to us at ###-###-####.                                                                           Sincerely, Management.