Sun Devil Auto

March 16, 2015Revdex.com4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014###-###-####/ ###-###-#### RE: ID#:[redacted] On February 23rd 2015 Mr. [redacted] brought his vehicle in for a re-inspection of...

an oil leak, he believed it was leaking from the rear main seal of the engine. Upon inspection we found no signs of engine oil leaking but we did find that a transmission cooler line was leaking from the connection. We tightened the connection and cleaned the area. [redacted] the location manager called Mr. [redacted] letting him know of our findings. He started the conversion by asking questions, verifying the color of fluid he was seeing on the ground and find out why he felt the rear main seal was leaking. Immediately Mr. [redacted] started accusing [redacted] of not wanting to stand behind our warranty. [redacted] tried to explain to Mr. [redacted] the nature of his call was to try to get to the bottom of what type of fluid he was seeing and why he felt the rear main seal was leaking. There were no signs or oil leaking at that time, [redacted] offered to run the vehicle and to continue to check it though out the day. At that time Mr. [redacted] became unreasonable to the point [redacted] asked Mr. [redacted] to pick up his vehicle. When Mr. [redacted] arrived to pick up his vehicle his actions went from unreasonable to deplorable. He came through the door very animated and was using very offensive language. At one point he tried to come around the counter in a very aggressive manor asking [redacted] if he wanted to hit him. He also went on to physically threaten [redacted]. [redacted] held his composure and with the help of one of our employees asked Mr. [redacted] to leave, Mr. [redacted] did finally leave. Because of Mr. [redacted]’s erratic behavior and the threats made to [redacted] personally he felt the police should be notified.  Mr. [redacted] has made it impossible to resolve this matter. His behavior wasunacceptable and his actions warranted having to contact the police. I personally spoke to Mr. [redacted] a couple of days after the incident and I was offended by the fact Mr. [redacted] did not only justify his actions but was proud of the way he had handled the situation.  At Sun Devil Auto we strive to treat all of our customers fairly. The words, the threats, and behavior exhibited by Mr. [redacted] were so vulgar I cannot include them in this letter.  We feel that this mattershould be closed and no further action should be taken regarding this issue. If you have any question you can contact me at ###-###-####. Sincerely,[redacted]General Manager

To Whom This May Concern, Please be advised that our position on this matter has not changed. We have

offered to reimburse Mr. [redacted] for the alignment concern he was having, however

we do not believe that the power steering pump leak was a result of the

transmission work.  Mr. [redacted] still has a

full warranty on his transmission and as of yet have been unable to duplicate

his concerns. If Mr. [redacted] has issues with his transmission, he needs to return

to one of our repair facilities to have it examined. If no problem is

determined to be found, there is no corrective course of action.
We again, thank you for your time and attention to this matter. [redacted]Sun Devil AutoStore Supervisor

Dear Ms. [redacted]
It is unfortunate that Mr. [redacted] and Sun Devil Auto cannot reach an agreement with this matter.  However our position has not changed.  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter and if you have any questions, please feel free to call me directly.Sincerely,[redacted]Store Supervisor

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

Just needing the air pressure checked in my tires, the crew treated me with the utmost courtesy and promptness. Andre, the young man who helped me, was friendly, courteous, and efficient doing his job. I couldn't be happier with my experience. We do a good amount of work at this business, and are glad to have them here. And by the way, if Andre isn't a manager, he should be.

Thank you Anthony Gauna (store manager) at the MESA location off baseline. After left with a horrendous experience at Marzocchi Imports that left me as woman with a distrusting taste for most mechanics. Im from SoCal and here w/out my father and my go to mechanic for m. 2003 Audi A4 1.8t quattro in Socal as well. I felt I had to take matters into my own hands; after leaving Marzocchi Imports who didnt test drive my vehicle after replacing a camshaft position sensor. (Joey specifically)

After switching out my own coil, spark plug, fuel injector, and attempting to fix exposed wires. My car was still was not 100% ok, thats again until I was recommended by a maintenance guy at my apts. to give Sun Devil a call. This woman couldn't be more satisfied and now have my faith restored. Anthony took his time was very patient also spoke with my father and left my Audi running better than it was before. He gave me a fair price on diagnosing, replacing 1&2 ignition coil wires, & towed my vehicle free of charge. I will be back for all future work and recommend this place to every woman and man who has lost faith! Thank you again Anthony Gauna!!

To Whom this May Concern,               

On November 19, 2015 Ms. [redacted] brought her 2004 Chrysler Pacifica in for an

oil change and tire rotation. We performed this service and she left our

facility....

               

We received a phone call from Ms. [redacted] and she explained that her oil light

had illuminated and that she was concerned. We invited her to come back at her

earliest convenience, but stressed that we needed to examine it sooner than

later. Ms. [redacted] had her boyfriend bring the vehicle down and we immediately

brought in to the service bay to examine it. It was quickly determined that the

oil drain plug gasket was leaking. We told her boyfriend that we would replace

it immediately. Upon removal of the drain plug, the threads in the oil pan came

out with the drain plug. We immediately told her boyfriend that this was the

case and offered him a few different solutions for repair. We offered that to

re-tap the threads and install a different drain plug or to remove and replace

the oil pan. We explained that as the drain plug is tightened over and over and

the engine is heated up during normal operation, that the metal where the

threads meet can stretch and expand. Over time, this leads to the threads on

the oil pan, which are aluminum, to stretch and eventual they will break away

from the pan and come out with the drain plug. He stated that he was in a hurry

and need to get done as quickly as possible. We offered to use an oversized

drain plug to make the repair, but also informed him that this was not a

permanent repair and that they would need to return for a permanent solution.

He agreed to relay the message and left after the plug was installed and the

oil was filled back to capacity.                

Since this time we have only received this letter as communication from Ms.

[redacted] We have attempted to reach her in an effort to reach a resolution and

encouraged her to reach out to our customer service department so that we can

come to terms on a mutually beneficial solution. Ms. [redacted] has not made

any further attempts to contact us. We would encourage her to reach out so that

we might resolve this matter. If you have any further questions in regards to

this matter, we ask that you contact us directly. Thank you. SincerelyMontgomery L M[redacted]Sun Devil AutoStore

Supervisor

On May 2, 2015, Ms. [redacted] brought her 2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE to our Thomas Rd. repair facility to have her air conditioning inspected. She stated that the A/C was not blowing cold. We offered to inspect her vehicle and found that the A/C suction and discharge hose assembly was...

leaking and that there was no freon in the system. We explained to her that this had to be replaced and that we would re-inspect the system afterwards for any other leaks, but due to the size of the leak at the hose, that had to be repaired first. Ms. [redacted] agreed and we proceeded with the repairs. Upon completion of the A/C repairs, we let the vehicle run for a short period and re-inspected for any further leaks. No further leaks or problems were found and Ms. [redacted] was called to pick up her vehicle. Upon pick up, she was informed that dye had been added to her A/C system to ensure that if any smaller leaks were present that we would be able to see them. As freon is a gas, it requires the dye to intermingle with the freon to show any leaks, as there are no other tell-tale signs of an A/C leak. Ms. Hill picked up her vehicle at that time. Please note that mileage was 139465.0On May 9, 2015, Ms. [redacted] returned to our [redacted]. facility stating that her A/C had started blowing warm again. We offered to re-inspect the vehicle for her at no charge and determine what the issue mightbe. The manager reminded her that we had put dye in the system previously to ensure that if any other leaks were present, we would be able to find them. Upon inspection of the vehicle it was determined that no further leaks existed, however, the air conditioning compressor had a mechanical failure and was not allowing the clutch to engage to create pressure and create cold air. Ms. [redacted] was informed of this and she declined repairs as her budget did not allow for her to spend any more money on her vehicle at that time. Please note that mileage at that time was 139677.We do not feel that a chargeback is warranted in this matter. Ms. [redacted] vehicle was properly diagnosed and initially repaired. Unfortunately, her A/C was empty of freon and had to be repaired and charged todetermine if any other problems existed. Her vehicle was repaired when it left our facility, and the necessary repairs that were performed are still working as intended. Unfortunately, she has had a mechanical failure that is beyond our control, and was not something that could be foreseen. We appreciate your time and attention to this matter. Please contact us directly if you have any further questions. Thank you.   Sincerely,[redacted]Sun Devil AutoStore Supervisor

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.This issue has been resolved and a portion of my original request was settled on.  Thank you for you help

Regards,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

RE: ID#:[redacted]

 

On October 31, 2013 Mr.

brought a 1973 Ford Mach 1 into our location on [redacted] Road in Tempe

for

a diagnosis. He stated there was a delayed...

engagement of the transmission going into drive. After test driving

the vehicle and confirming

the complaint we inspected the vehicle.

We found an internal problem

that would require removing

the transmission for further inspection. We called Mr.

with our findings giving

him an estimate of $450 for the inspection which he authorized. After removing

the transmission we were able to determine that

a transmission overhaul was necessary to resolve the issue.

We gave Mr. [redacted] an estimate and he authorized the repair at that time.

After completing the repairs Mr. [redacted] picked up the vehicle on November 9, 2013.

 

On November 13, 2013 Mr. [redacted]

brought the vehicle in for a diagnosis with symptoms of intermittent no start and an oil

leak. We tried for several days to

duplicate the no start problem

but were unable to; however, we did find engine oil

leaking

from

the drain plug.  We replaced the drain plug

gasket and the oil at no charge to Mr. [redacted].

 We notified Mr. [redacted] of our findings

and

he picked up his vehicle on November 19, 2013.

 

On

December 17, 2013 the vehicle was brought in for what appeared to be a transmission fluid

leak.

Upon inspection we found that the tail

shaft seal was leaking

fluid out of the back of the transmission.

We replaced the seal under warranty at no charge to Mr.

[redacted].

The vehicle was completed and picked up on December

19, 2013.

 

Mr.

[redacted] brought his vehicle to our store on January 7, 2014 with a complaint

that the transmission would not go into 3rd gear.  We were initially unable to duplicate the

symptom, however upon further investigation we determined that although the

transmission was operating correctly, the linkage had a lot of play.  We found the shift indicator read that

the transmission was in 3rd gear, but was actually in 2nd gear.

 

When we originally overhauled the transmission we

informed Mr. [redacted] that the vehicle did not have the factory shifter or linkage, which is not uncommon for a vehicle of this style or age, as it is a classic hotrod.

To help Mr. [redacted] we modified the linkage so it would be less likely for Mr.

to

drive the vehicle in the incorrect gear at no charge to him.

 

On January 15, 2014 Mr. [redacted]

called our corporate office and expressed his unhappiness regarding the problems he has had with his vehicle.

I called and spoke with Mr.

[redacted]. He stated that he felt the transmission was

not functioning correctly and that his paint was scratched the last time he had it at our location. I expressed to him how important it was to us that we help him resolve this matter and if the paint was

scratched while it was in our care we would correct it. He agreed to bring the vehicle back for

inspection.

On January 17, 2014 Mr. [redacted] dropped off the vehicle.

We inspected the scratch on the inner fender area and determined that closing the hood on occasion would contact the fender, thus causing scratches.  This was due to the hood spring hinges,

which were weak and required replacement.

 As we were unable to determine if the scratches were caused by us or Mr. [redacted],

we had the scratch repaired at no charge to Mr.

[redacted]. We recommended replacing

the hood spring hinges.  We suggested he locate them

and

we would then install them at no charge.

 

After the paint was repaired we then addressed the shifting concern with the vehicle. Mr.

indicated to us he felt like the vehicle had more power prior to the transmission being

repaired. I had

four different technicians drive this vehicle; three of them

are ASE Master Technicians which puts them

at the top level of technicians in the industry. 

They have a combined 70 years of experience

between them.

They all determined that there were

no problems with the transmissions performance however;

there was a lack of performance with the engine.  The carburetor was running

too lean causing

a lack of performance at all

speeds. We notified Mr.

of

our findings and

he

picked up vehicle on January 25, 2014.

 

Approximately a week later Mr.

came in and spoke to Dave,

the location manager, stating

he

felt like nothing

had

changed even

after he had a different repair facility rebuild the carburetor.

[redacted] had [redacted], a

technician, go for a test drive with Mr.

to

experience his concern. On that test drive Mr.

was traveling down the freeway at approximately 70 mph and began to accelerate.

He stated “there is no power”.  [redacted] determined that Mr.

was not applying enough travel to the accelerator to pull on the detent cable

which caused the vehicle to shift down into the passing gear/2nd gear. Once Mr. [redacted] applied more pressure on the accelerator he was

able to get the acceleration he was expecting.

  

 

We were certain

that at that time we had taken care of all of Mr. [redacted]’s concerns and that he

was satisfied with his service.  Upon

hearing he was not completely satisfied I tried to contact Mr. [redacted] a few times but have been unsuccessful. 

 

I feel we have always acted in the best interest of Mr. [redacted].

I do understand Mr.

[redacted]’s

frustrations and it is unfortunate he

had

to bring

the vehicle back for warranty repairs.   However, Mr. [redacted]’s vehicle is an older vehicle, not all the correct factory parts are available and sometimes modifications

or

adjustments

are needed in order to obtain optimal results.

 

I feel a refund is unwarranted as I believe we

can work with Mr. [redacted] to resolve this matter.  It is my opinion that a minor adjustment to the detent cable could increase the sensitivity of the engagement into the passing gear. 

We would ask that Mr. [redacted] bring

the vehicle for the adjustment,

which we would perform at no charge to him.

 

If you have any question you can contact me at ###-###-####. Sincerely,

 

General Manager

To Whom It May Concern,   We have been in contact with Mr. [redacted] and have come to a satisfactory resolution.  We consider this matter closed.    If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [redacted]  ...

Sincerely,   Chris D[redacted] General Manager

The most expensive thing in the world is trust, it can take years to earn but only seconds to loose. I just relocated to Chandler Arizona from Bakersfield California where I had an auto repair business that I trusted, they were like family to me and they took great care of my families autos. They didn't gouge me on cost or repairs. As soon as I relocated to Chandler I needed to get my auto registered at the DMV but could not because my engine light was on. I took my car to Sun Devil Auto where I met Jeremy the manager. I explained to him that I was not looking for just another auto place business but a business that would be an extended part of my family, an auto repair business that would be there for us when we needed them.

I bought into Jeremy and not Sun Devil auto and told him so. Jeremy explained to me that he wanted my return business when needed. He was very convincing and seemed trustworthy. I stuck my neck out with him because I knew the repairs would not be cheep. I was afraid, afraid that I was going to be taken advantage of, but when it comes to trust, someone has to go first so I took the chance. Not only did they do the repairs on my vehicle but the cost was so much lower than I expected and they helped me to establish financing for the labor and parts.

Jeremy showed me some things that he was very concerned about and I agreed that they must be taken care of. Jeremy asked me to give him a chance and that I would be happy with the results, I could see that he was being honest with me. He did not go round and round with me, and no double talk, in fact he called me every step of the way and kept me informed. Even when he was off for two days his assistant manager did the same and called me every step of the way. I appreciate that very much. I could see in their eyes that they had empathy for my situation and that they were trying to work with me.

I highly recommend Sun Devil Auto at 895 E. Chandler Blvd if you need work done on your vehicle and if you get a chance to make friends with management make the effort to do so. They treated me better than family and now I have friends for life. I trust them very much and I know you can too.

To Whom This May Concern, Please be advised that our position on this matter has not changed. Mr. Slaven did not pay $1200 for his radiator in his vehicle. The cost breakdown, as clearly...

outlined on his receipt is as follows: Radiator - $337.70 Labor to install - $136.50 labor guide calls for 1.3 hours   The rest of the cost of the repair was for the removal and replacement of the IMRC motor and the addition of the radiator hoses which were recommended for mileage and maintenance.   If you have any further questions in regards to this matter, please contact us directly. Thank you.   Montgomery L M[redacted] Sun Devil Auto Store Supervisor

I have reviewed the response 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.Sun Devil Auto is ignoring the fact that the initial symptoms would not have been caused by leaking oil.  Again, I had two other mechanics review the symptoms when I described them, and both had the same reply, which was basically, "There is NO way that an oil related issue, even if on the spark plugs, would cause your dials to dance around."  The one mechanic mentioned the battery, but that was just something that stood out as having corrosion - he wasn't saying that the battery was the issue.  And since then I have shared the scenario with several other mechanics and they have basically echoed the same - the charges and work done to the vehicle were unnecessary and that any trustworthy mechanic would have been looking for a real cause that has direct connections to what drives the electrical side of the symptoms.  Even the tow truck driver that towed me from my church lot said there was no way Oil won't make the dashboard dials go crazy. They need to do the right thing this time around since it is very apparent to real mechanics that they ripped me off.

Regards,[redacted]

To Whom This May Concern,                
On March 23, 2015, Mr. [redacted] came to our Val Vista facility to have histransmission fluid checked, and to have his A/C inspected. Mr. [redacted] wasconcerned with some issues...

he was having with the condition of the transmissionfluid, and with the shift quality of the transmission. Upon inspection we foundthat the fluid was, indeed, in need of servicing and that his rear A/Cblower motor was inoperable. Mr. [redacted] approved both repairs and we proceeded.Upon completion Mr. [redacted] was called and informed that his vehicle was readyfor pick up. Mr. [redacted] came and picked up his vehicle. This was not Mr. [redacted]first time with us as we have been servicing his vehicles for a number ofyears. Please note that the mileage at that time was 178,568.                 On August 31, 2015 Mr. [redacted] brought his vehicle to our Val Vista locationbecause he felt that he was having transmission issues. He had stated that thevehicle was shifting hard, the transmission light came on, the odometer hadstopped working and he was having problems getting it to shift into reverse.Our store manager there explained to Mr. [redacted] that he was having an internaltransmission issue and that we would need to remove, disassemble and inspectthe transmission for any internal damage, but ultimately the transmission wouldneed to be rebuilt as the concern was an internal mechanical failure. Mr. [redacted]was not sure that he wanted to spend that amount of money, so the manager thererecommended that Mr. [redacted] sleep on it to make an informed decision. Mr. [redacted]called back within a few hours and authorized the teardown. After having tornthe transmission down, Mr. [redacted] was provided with an estimate of the necessaryrepairs. He agreed and the repairs were performed. We rented a vehicle for Mr.[redacted] during this time, at no charge, because he has been a good customer andwe wanted to continue to work with him and are appreciative of his business.Upon completion the vehicle was test driven and he was called to come and pickup his vehicle. Please note that the mileage at that time was 187,799.                
On September 18, 2015 Mr. [redacted] brought his vehicle back to us to have usexamine a concern that he was having. He stated that the vehicle, when on thefreeway, would “hunt” for gears. That as you accelerated above 52 miles perhour, that the vehicle would range up and down to find a gear. He also statedthat the shifting was harsh. Mr. [redacted] also asked us to check the alignment onthe vehicle, as it would pull to the left when driving. No mention of any leakswas made at that time. We agreed to inspect his vehicle for him and proceededwith the examination. We did align the vehicle as the toe settings wereslightly out, and found no problems with the transmission. The store managercalled Mr. [redacted] to report this. Mr. [redacted] immediately insinuated that inferiorwork had been performed and that we were incapable of repairing his vehicle.The store manager, again, informed him that we simply inspected the items hehad asked for and were reporting what we had found. The way that thistransmission operates, it is closely monitored by the vehicle computer and ifany faults were to arise, the transmission and engine control modules wouldpick this up and illuminate the engine light or transmission light, as it haddone previously. No Such problems existed at the time that we inspected thevehicle. We had 3 separate people, myself included; drive this vehicle to getmultiple opinions to make sure that we satisfied his request. We called Mr.[redacted] and explained that we could not find any further issues. Mr. [redacted] stated that he would be down later in the day to pick the van up and would talk about it with us then.                 
When Mr. [redacted] arrived he was very combative and stated that he was frustratedthat we had used inferior parts and that we were incapable of repairing hisvehicle. The manager explained that we use quality parts and inquired what madehim feel that those parts were less than quality, as the parts he wasdiscussing were internal and no problems could be found upon multiple testdrives. Again, Mr. [redacted] offered no explanation to his comments, merely statingthat he was “taking this to the next level”. The manager explained, again, thatwe were attempting to help him, but the fact that there were no problems to befound made it near impossible to diagnose the things he was concerned with. Again,Mr. [redacted] began to berate the manager and told him that the work wasunacceptable, and the parts we were used were inferior. At this point, Istepped in to the conversation and attempted to explain to Mr. [redacted], first howhis transmission operates, and second, what myself and others had felt. Histransmission does have a firmer shift, as it has brand new internal components,but that the transmission was operating well within the parameters specified bythe manufacturers. We, again, explained that if such problems existed that thevehicle would illuminate the check engine light, or the transmission light. Mr.[redacted] again told us that he was going to have another shop look at thetransmission because obviously we “were incapable of repairing his vehicle.” Iexplained that this was not the case, but encouraged him to seek anotheropinion and that if they, too, felt that there was an issue that we were unableto detect, we would be happy to re-examine it at no charge as we had done andthat he had a 12 month/ 12,000 mile nationwide warranty on his transmission.Mr. [redacted] picked up his vehicle and left our facility.                 
Mr. [redacted] called in to our customer Service line on September 23, 2015 toexpress his frustrations with the situation and to discuss the issues at hand.As the supervisor for this location, I called Mr. [redacted] back within a few hoursand was unable to reach him at that time. This was on September 23, 2015 at1:24 pm. I received a return phone call back from Mr. [redacted] the following day.I was unable to answer his call. I attempted to reach him again the following day at 8:33 a.m., but received no further communication back from him, outside of this communication to the Revdex.com, which was also forwarded to our Tempe location.                 
We believe we have been as accommodating as possible to Mr. [redacted] as wepossibly can be. We have checked his vehicle thoroughly to ensure that the workwe performed was up to specification, and that any issues that may arise werepresented and/ or addressed. We have been as up front with Mr. [redacted] aspossible in all matters relating to his vehicle, and even went above and beyondby aligning his vehicle at no charge. We have aligned Mr. [redacted] vehicle only2 times in the past. On July 5, 2013 at 137,964 miles, and again on July 16,2014 at 158,927. We have always attempted to help Mr. [redacted] as best as we possibly can, and have always encouraged him to take his time in making decisions about his vehicle, as his vehicle has a high number of miles.                 
Upon review of the letter provided by Mr. [redacted] these are our findings in thismatter. ·       
[redacted] examined the vehicle and provided Mr. [redacted] with a list of items that they had recommended based on a thorough inspection of his vehicle.· There is no mention of any stated problems with the transmission, or recommendation for repairs of the transmission. We believebecause this was examined and no problem was found. ·        
According to the alignment sheet provided here,and by [redacted], all alignment specifications are within their specified fields. The toe settings in the front were out by .02 degrees on theright front, and .01 degrees on the left front and the cross camber in thefront is showing off by .2 degrees. There are no true adjustments for camber onthis vehicle, and a small variance is always to be considered for rackcompensation. This is why the ranges are usually within 1-2 full degrees.Furthermore; bumps, potholes, curbs, etc. can all affect an alignment. Thesewould not be radical enough to cause a hard pull to the left, nor would this belife threatening. ·        
The power steering pump was not seen to be an issue at the time of inspection. This was also brought up at the time that itwas brought back in, after the morning of 9/13/15 that Mr. [redacted] describes. Unfortunatelyat 188,062 miles, it is possible that factory original power steering pump didindeed fail and caused a leak. There is no indication that this was caused as aresult of transmission replacement, opposite of the power steering pump anddrive accessories.  We are willing to examine histransmission for him, again, and would even recommend that another one of ourshops perform the exam.  This way we havea fresh set of eyes looking at the vehicle to ensure that we have not overlookedsomething. Again, Mr. [redacted] has a 12 month/ 12,000 mile nationwide warranty. Weare willing to reimburse him the $60.22 for the alignment, as it appears those2 areas are minutely out of alignment according to the report provided and wewish to keep Mr. [redacted] as a good customer. We will have to decline the requestof the power steering repairs. While it is frustrating that we were unable to provide this repair for him, however, the cause of the leaks at the pump are due to age and mileage, not to the transmission repairs.                 
We appreciate your time and attention to this matter. Should you have anyfurther questions we request that you contact us directly. Thank you.
 Sincerely,  

Sun Devil AutoStore Supervisor

Though there are statements in the  Sun Devil Auto response that I accept there are others that are not the case...
1.  At the initial visit to the shop the vehicle was not towed and was running fine.  As stated in my complaint the problem that I was experiencing was exactly what is indicated in the owner's manual, that is, one had to wait 8-10 minutes for the security light to stop flashing before attempting to start the engine.
 
2.  On the May 18th visit, nothing was conveyed to me about "only a light was present" and I was led to believe that replacing the electrical component (BCM) would correct the problem. 
 
3.  It was not conveyed that replacing the BCM would eliminate the BCM as the problem.  If so I would have given serious consideration before okaying its replacement especially since SDA contends they informed me that the BCM was a non returnable part as well as non refundable.  
 
4.  Finally SDA should have given me a written estimate as to what they are saying they told me before attempting to repair the vehicle.

The business did not notify me that there was an issue with the power steering pump, water pump and timing belt when they were originally in the vehicle. It was for this reason after the fact that Jeremy, the store manager, offered me a quote to repair these without labor included since he admitted they were wrong to have not notified me of all the issues that needed to be addressed especially since I paid for a diagnostic. The transmission had been replaced 5 months ago so the transmission that they previously recommended be repaired was not the same one in the vehicle when they had previously looked at. So the fact that the had previously recommended my old transmission be repaired, which I did, does not prove their point. The business did not do their due diligence to provide me with proper information after my diagnostic was performed and if they had told me that there were multiple issues to be repaired I would not have move forward with the initial repair they charged me for. If you look at the date in the picture of the estimate for the power steering pump I attached, it was not issued until 1/7 which was after I initially brought my car in for repair. The attached quote alone should be enough evidence to see that they did not tell me about the power steering pump upfront at the time of service especially since that is not in line with the attached statement by the business that states they told me when they first examined the car and provided me a quote on 1/5. Ultimately, the business did not disclose to me at time of service that the power steering pump, water pump, and timing belt needed to be repaired even though they charged me labor during the diagnostic to examine it and tell me that it was an issue therefore, whether or not they agree that their contractor damaged my transmission sensor, they did not provide me information regarding what was wrong with my vehicle and if they had that would have influenced my purchasing decision.

On December 27, 2014 Mr. [redacted] brought his 2004 Hyundai Sonata in to our [redacted] location for an engine diagnostic. He had stated that his check engine light was illuminating on and off and that at random his vehicle would shut down. We explained that we needed to start with a diagnostic and...

see where the problems were and what would be required to do to get the vehicle back in running condition. Mr. [redacted] said that this was fine, but with a caveat, that he wanted to spend as little as possible because he was selling the vehicle. We explained that we would inspect the vehicle and make recommendations as necessary to repair his vehicle. Mr. [redacted] agreed and left his vehicle for diagnosis. Upon test driving the vehicle, the technician was unable to duplicate the shutdown issue but did witness that the Check Engine Light would illuminate and then shut off. The technician plugged in with the scan tool to observe the codes in the computer and to watch the live running data. The codes in the computer were all misfire codes and the short term fuel trims were out of normal operating range. There was also a pending code, meaning that the computer had seen a failure but not enough times to set a fault code, for the mass airflow sensor. Upon further inspection the technician found that the valve cover gasket spark plug tube seals were leaking profusely into the spark plug tubes and soaking the spark plug wire. The spark plug wires were starting to arc against the block due to being oil soaked and due to the age of the spark plugs, and that the throttle body was carbon filled. The technician noted several other things wrong with the vehicle as well, unrelated to the runability of the vehicle. There were other engine oil leaks, the tires were bald enough that the steel cords were coming through, the air filter was dirty, the power steering pressure line was leaking, the rack and pinion was leaking, radiator hoses were leaking, and the ball joints had excessive play. The technician recommended first starting with the spark plugs, wires, and valve cover gaskets to eliminate the engine misfires, because with a misfire the engine cannot properly run, the computer continues to compensate for this, and with bad enough misfires the vehicle can stall and die without the proper spark being provided.  We spoke with Mr. [redacted] and explained this to him. We also forewarned him that there may be other issues once this is complete and prepared him that the mass airflow sensor may also have a problem, but we could not fully make a diagnosis on the other items until the vehicle ran properly and the computer was not forced to compensate for the multiple misfires. Mr. [redacted] agreed to have us replace his spark plugs, spark plug wires, and valve cover gasket but requested that nothing further be done as he was looking to sell the vehicle or trade it in. We agreed and the technician proceeded with the work. Upon completion the technician also cleaned the sensor wire in the mass airflow as he noticed that the sensor had debris inside of it and the sensor wire was dirty. The technician test drove the vehicle and found no further problems with the check engine light illuminating, nor was he able to duplicate the stalling issue. Mr. [redacted] was called and this information was relayed to him at this time. We also informed him that there was still a possibility of other issues, but they were not present at that time, however, if they did persist, he would need to bring the vehicle back and we would recheck further. Mr. [redacted] agreed and came to pay for and pick up his vehicle. The mileage at this time was 138894.On December 29, 2014 we found Mr. [redacted] vehicle in our parking lot and the key was dropped in our night drop box. Mr. [redacted] called us later that morning to inform us that the vehicle was stalling and had eventually died and would not restart. He stated that he had driven it home with no issues, not far from our facility, and that his wife had driven it to church and that on the way there, the vehicle was stuttering and then stalled. She was able to restart the vehicle and got it there. A friend inspected the vehicle and suspected that it might be a battery problem as there was some corrosion at the terminal. I explained to Mr. [redacted] that if the vehicle was cranking and not starting that the battery was in good shape, there had to be another problem. We agreed to examine the vehicle, again, at no charge as per our agreement and to call him with answers. When the technician went to the vehicle it started immediately with no concerns. There was an engine light illuminated and the code in the computer was for crankshaft position sensor failure. The technician checked to ensure that there was indeed a crankshaft position reference signal at the computer. There was a signal from the sensor and no problems were found. We cleared the engine light and allowed the vehicle to run and continued to check the reference from the sensor. After running for some time, the computer again set the engine light with the same code for crankshaft position sensor failure and we could watch the signal from the sensor dropping in and out. The crankshaft position sensor on this vehicle is located behind the timing cover and under the timing belt. We explained to Mr. [redacted] the procedure for replacement of the sensor and advised that if we were going to go far enough as to replace the sensor, that it would be a good idea to replace the timing belt components that are behind the cover as most of the labor to replace these items is in the removal of the covers. Mr. [redacted], again, iterated that he was attempting to get rid of the vehicle and wanted to spend as little as possible on it until such time. The manager explained that it would be possible to replace just the sensor without the timing components, however, if we opened the timing cover and found that the belt was in bad enough shape we would have to replace the belt at a minimum as we could not place an old timing belt on a vehicle if it was in bad enough repair. Mr. [redacted] stated that this still was not something he was interested in and would have to get back to us. He stated that he was considering just trading the vehicle in as it was and forgoing any further repairs. The manager explained that it was a far better investment to make the repairs on his vehicle vs completely replacing it, but that if he was set on replacing the vehicle that it would be of a greater value to sell or trade in, if it was in running condition. The manager offered to help Mr. [redacted] on the price of the repair, as he had done with this previous repair, by offering a discount, to attempt to earn his continued business. Mr. [redacted] stated that he would have to think about it and get back to us. Mr. [redacted] showed up later in the day with a tow truck stating that he had sold the vehicle and was going to forego any further repairs. We gave him the key for his vehicle and he had the car towed away from our facility. The mileage at that time was 138959. Since this time we have had no further communication outside of this letter from the Revdex.com. We attempted to help Mr. [redacted] through his vehicle repairs and ensure he had a good running vehicle, while at the same time working within his budget. It was explained to him very clearly what the steps to diagnose his vehicle were and only the failures found at the time of inspection were recommended and made. Mr. [redacted] made no attempt to contact us to resolve this at that time, and made no indication that he was unhappy with the services performed. He did express frustration at having to spend more money, but this was an unavoidable expense that had not presented itself upon the initial diagnosis. It was not until 65 miles after the initial diagnosis that the vehicle began having the issues as described by Mr. [redacted]. We made the recommendations based upon the initial diagnosis and then test drove the vehicle and found no further issues. There was no need to continue testing at this time if no further problems seemingly exist. We feel as though we have acted in Mr. [redacted] best interest in only recommending the work as necessary at the time of the diagnosis. We attempted to work within the constraints of his budget and his requests based on his intentions with the vehicle. We do not feel that a refund of his money is appropriate. We appreciate your time and attention to this matter and ask that if you have any further questions that you contact us directly. Thank you.Sincerely,[redacted]Sun Devil Auto

Mr. [redacted] brought his vehicle in stating the check engine light was on and the idle was surging. Upon inspection and diagnoses we found that the vehicles had such a bad power steering fluid leak that the fluid eat away the plastic coating on the wiring to the ECM/on board...

computer and the internal wires were touching each other. Mr. [redacted] saw this with his own eyes; we told Mr. [redacted] at that time the sooner he fixed that problem the better. When bare wires are touching each other and possibly other parts of the vehicle you run the risk of shorting out electrical parts. We informed Mr. [redacted] at that time there is a chance that the vehicles ECM/on board computer may have been damaged but until the wiring is repaired we would be unable to determine that. We gave Mr. [redacted] an estimate to fix the fluid leak and wiring harness and he authorized the repair at that time.

Once the repairs were complete we found that the ECM/on board computer was damaged from the shorted wires. We called Mr. [redacted] reminding him of the earlier conversation telling him there was a chance the ECM/on board computer could have been damaged and we gave him an estimate at that time for the addition repair, he declined the repair and picked his vehicle up.

Mr. [redacted] called our corporate office and wanted to speak to someone regarding his service he had received. I spoke to Mr. [redacted] at great length; he described the situation in great detail. He acknowledged that he was informed there was a chance he would need additional repair at the time he authorized the repairs but felt since the symptom was different that we must have improperly installed the wiring harness and caused damage to the ECM/on board computer. I told him I would review the matter and call him back. After talking to [redacted] the location store manager and the tech that performed the repairs I called and spoke with our companies head Diagnostic Tech and trainer.  I gave him the details surrounding the repair and told him that the customer felt that we had improperly installed the wiring harness.  He walked me through the process of installation as well as the associated wiring diagram.  In fact the harness was installed properly.

I called Mr. [redacted] and reviewed my findings, he asked a lot of questions and I did my best to answer all of them.  But Mr. [redacted] was still frustrated by the matter so I offered a resolution, I offered to do the repair and a greatly discounted rate, he declined my offer. Mr. [redacted] told me he has wide understanding of electrical system do to the nature of his job and even though I was able to defend our position he wanted us to repair his vehicle at no charge to him. I asked him how it was possible for him to still feel that we are responsible for the fact the vehicle needed additional repairs, he said “it doesn’t matter, I have a different symptom than I had before and that’s all I have to say to the Revdex.com or anyone else that will listen”.

At Sun Devil Auto we take great pride in treating all of our customers fairly and I believe that we have regarding this matter. Prior to authorizing the repairs Mr. [redacted] knew that there was a chance the vehicle may need addition repairs. I reviewed Mr. [redacted] complaint in great detail and have no doubt we acted in Mr. [redacted] best interest and repaired his vehicle properly. Since Mr.[redacted] has taking it upon himself to repair his vehicle it took away any reasonable chance of a resolution and we feel that no further action should be taking regarding this matter.

If you have any question you can contact me at [redacted].

Sincerely,

[redacted]

General Manager