University Tire & Auto Center, Inc.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [email protected].
Regards,
[redacted]

DO NOT GO HERE FOR YOUR AUTO NEEDS.....TOTAL [redacted] RIP OFF ARTISTS. Took my car in for a simple inspection and they came up with close to $900 worth of fake crap I needed to have done to my car. I then took it to my local auto shop and they did not see any of these issues and stuck a sticker right on my car. Thank god I had the sense to go get a second opinion. What a joke. If you don't mind getting [redacted] and throwing away your money then go here but otherwise go elsewhere.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and mailed a copy of the invoice they requested.  I also requested they refund my credit card or mail a check to my business address. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]
Regards,[redacted]

Revdex.com Representative,                   This is in response to case #[redacted].          Mrs. [redacted] brought her vehicle in on the morning of July 9th for the Virginia State mandated...

safety inspection. All of our state inspectors have state mandated rules and guidelines they have to follow when doing the state inspections. While they work for University Tire, their inspection license is given by the Virginia State Police and therefore they will follow the states guidelines when doing these inspections. Our technician did fail the vehicle due to the right front brake caliper being seized and for the headlight needing to be reconditioned. Our technician also noted that there was damage to the brake pad and brake rotor due to the brake caliper being seized. The total given to the customer was $820.41 total with tax of which the service and part breakdown is: State Inspection = $16.00Recondition Headlights = $89.99 This covers parts, supplies and labor.Both front brake rotors = $75.95 each = $151.90 There was damage to the right front rotor, it’s always best to replace in pairs so as not to get a brake pull.Brake pads and labor to replace them and rotors = $189.99 There was damage to the right front pads due to caliper sieze.Right front Caliper = $141.95Labor to replace caliper = $47.28Brake fluid exchange = $109.99 When replacing the caliper the lines would have to be bled but with 149,000 miles we recommended the fluid be exchanged which would get all new fluid in the system while at the same time getting all the air out.  University Tire does not cut any corners when we are dealing with the safety of our customers and the dependability of their vehicles. If we were to only do part of this repair and not the other parts to make the repair complete we would be doing the customer a disservice. If we had only replaced the caliper and the customer left our shop and hit the brakes and the vehicle pulled to the side each time they hit the brakes it would not be a good thing. It is possible that the brake caliper slide pin was what the issue was with this vehicle but that could not be determined without taking the caliper loose. Had we gotten into the job and this been the case we most certainly would have notified the customer that there was no need for the caliper but still would have recommended the brake pads and rotors due to damage from the already seized caliper. The reason the system wasn’t taken apart ahead of time is that if it was a bad piston in the caliper then it would not allow us to put it back together with old parts. This would not give the customer the choice of being able to either get a second opinion or do it themselves if they had the knowhow.   Chuck S[redacted] General Manager University Tire and Auto Center Inc.

Revdex.com,    University Tire takes customer service very serious and I apologize for the time in responding. With the holidays and vacations scheduled around the holidays it took a little longer to be able to speak with all parties involved. I have looked over all of our service...

records for this customer and have also gotten with all employees within our company involved with the visits. It is our determination that the issue could have been caused by our technician. We are fully prepared to refund the customer the amount they have requested but would require a copy of the invoice from the other shop that did the repairs to look over first. I am however saddened that the customer did not give us the chance to make anything right by them prior to filing with the Revdex.com. If the customer would have called us about an issue we would most certainly have addressed it with the highest importance.     What we need from the customer is a copy of the invoice from the other shop. Once we have that then we would need to speak with the customer as to how they would like to be refunded.[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]?

Revdex.com Representative,
 

size="3">                 This is in response to case #[redacted].
 
       Mrs. [redacted] was into our Ruckersville store on May 26th for a state mandated safety inspection where our state inspector found that one of the control arms was not able to pass the inspection. Our inspector called over another one of our inspectors to look at it with him as he did not want to say the part was bad if it wasn’t. Our inspectors, while they are employed by University Tire are given their state inspection license by the state of Virginia. They have very strict guidelines to go by when doing state inspections and have to answer to the local State Trooper that covers the Virginia State Safety Inspection Program. The inspector that did the inspection on Mrs. [redacted]’s 2007 Jeep Liberty had just a few days earlier had a conversation with the Trooper about what exactly does and does not pass as it pertains to bushings in control arms. Mrs. [redacted] was in on the 26th of May and given a quote on what the cost of the part and labor would be and then returned on the 28th to have the vehicle repaired. There was a discount given on the service of the repair at the time of check out and the part actually came in a few dollars lower than what the original estimate was. I can assure you that University Tire does not and will not say a part is bad and needing to be replaced as that would not be ethical business practices. Any time a customer might think that University Tire has made a mistake in the Virginia State Safety Inspection of their vehicle they do have the option of calling the Trooper that oversees the program and the Trooper will meet the customer and check everything out for them. If any of our state inspectors make a mistake they have very strict penalties that the state will hand down, they can even lose their inspection license. For this reason all of our inspectors go 100% by the guidelines of the State Inspection Program and when they are in doubt about something they will ask another inspector or even call the Trooper themselves. To take a control arm home and look at it without it being on the vehicle you would most of the time not be able to tell if it is bad. The control arms need to be tested with a load on them which means bolted in the vehicle and the weight of the vehicle on it. While I am sure there will always be a “cheaper” part or someone willing to do a certain job “cheaper” you do have to watch out for what you get for the dollar you spend. University Tire is only going to use good quality parts that we can stand behind as we warranty all our parts and labor for 12 months / 12,000 miles. University Tire stands behind its commitment to ensuring that we protect our customer’s investment in their vehicle as most of the time it is the 2nd largest investment they have behind the cost of their home. It is our responsibility to make sure that our customers get the longest life out of their vehicles as possible. If there is something that needs to be addressed or if there are services that could help our customers prolong the life of their investment we will most certainly advise the customer of these and let the customer make the decision whether to move forward or not.
 
Chuck S[redacted]
General Manager
University Tire and Auto Center Inc

Revdex.com:
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.
On March 25, 2014 I did come into their shop to receive an oil change for $28.38. While I was in there, I did ask for an estimate for a windshield because a rock had cracked it, four tires because of normal wearing, and to fix a motor mount and transmission pan seal for a total of $1020.50. I did not get them to replace my windshield because of the price and inconvenience of having to keep my car, so [redacted] replaced it for $185.00 at my job.  On April 26th, 2014 I brought my car into the University Tire & Auto to have the motor mount and transmission pan seal replaced and paid $373.03. I also asked them to check for noises when braking and turning at the same time, I was told that my car was okay after that even though it still made the noise. Though I was skeptical, I trusted their judgment.  
A few weeks later on May 16, 2014 I took my car to University Tire & Auto because my multifunction switch (headlamp switch) wouldn’t keep my lights on. They gave me an estimate of $316.27. I simply couldn’t afford that so I went to ** [redacted] on May 29, 2014 and got that replaced for $160.00. On June 24, 2014 I got an oil change and filter along with my state inspection at Stanardsville Auto Repair for $50.00. I take good care of my car and keep it up to date. 
On August 25, 2014 on my way home from work, my car started smoking from under the hood, my H/C gauges were on Hot, my car was overheating. I pulled over a couple of times until I made it to University Tire & Auto. I was told that they needed a day until it cooled off so they could run a diagnostics check to find the problem. The next day [redacted] called me telling me that it was my thermostat and coolant sensor. I told him that I would talk to my dad, who is a mechanic, and let him know, then I would call [redacted] back to tell him my decision. 
I called him back and told him to go ahead and fix the problems. I paid $461.36 for my thermostat to be replaced, my coolant sensor to be replaced, pressure test cooling system, Flush my system, and add fluids. [redacted] was really willing to help me with my car, talk to me through numerous phone calls, gave me a discount, and the only one who actually treated me nice like a customer should be treated, even though I never met the man in person.
On August 29, 2014 I go to the shop to pick up my car and I ask [redacted], “Is everything okay with my car?” He told me yes and I could pick it up. I take my car home and checked my car over for the changes supposed to be made. First thing I noticed is that my antifreeze cap was missing, which I said okay, I can get that from them, they probably forgot. As my boyfriend and  I started checking my fluids, we realized they were almost bone dry. We added fluid to the car so I could get back to work. I told them about that and [redacted] said, “If you refilled the fluids, we can’t tell whether they were really filled or not.” I was not going to drive my car without barely any fluids. As for the paper that has all of the recommendations listed, I was never given this. [redacted] told me that I needed an upper
motor mount verbally, but that was all to my knowledge. I have seen this paper for the first time when they attached it now. He got two boys that worked there
to duct tape my antifreeze shut until the cap came in.
That evening I noticed that it was making funny noises and it was driving really weird. My steering wheel would turn 3 times before it would turn my wheels. I [redacted] messaged a boy that works there that I went to school with in 2012 to ask him if he knew anything. He told me he would talk to the guy who worked on it and let me know.  
Saturday morning, we took my car down there and let [redacted] drive it to test the wheel, and he said everything was perfectly fine and it felt normal. When my boyfriend, his sister, and I went to Charlottesville on Sunday September 1, 2014, we heard my wheel grinding up against something. We all got out. My boyfriend and I looked underneath my car and noticed a piece of my undercarriage/shield was hanging down on the front left driver side. The piece was missing a bolt creating the back to hang down, a bolt was held the front. We also noticed my car was leaking fluid. I called them about it and took my car there the next day. They told me that they would get everything fixed and do a dye test in my oils to figure out where it was leaking from. I let them have my car. 
On September 04, 2014 I called and talked to [redacted] asking if I could pick up my car, if everything was okay, he told me yes. He told me to pick it up and bring it back  Tuesday/Wednesday. I asked about my cap again while in the store and he told me that it was not shipped in yet and he would call me when it came in.
That evening I had another mechanic look at my car with my boyfriend and I. He checked out my motor mount and said that I did need one. He also asked if we noticed that my shield was missing. I said no. All of us looked underneath the car and saw that the only piece left was the piece that was supposed to be fixed. It wasn’t even fixed. They had taken the bolt off the front and put it on the back to hold the back up and had the front wedged into the other part of the car to stay up temporarily because it fell back down when we looked. That night while standing there with the mechanic, I called and left University Tire & Auto a very detailed message asking for them to call me back leaving them a message.  No one called me back either.
On September 08, 2014 I called and talked to [redacted] who told me my cap was in and I told him I would be there to pick it up. I then called back to talk to [redacted] and asked him about my shield. I told him I was missing my whole shield except for the piece that was supposed to be fixed. I explained everything in detail. I told him it was “rigged” to stay together. He told me, “When you bring your car back in so we can check that oil leak, I’ll look at the shield and see exactly what’s going on there as well. It may be that some of that plastic may have been torn so he may have had to remove it and there was no way to reattach it. And I've seen that happen a lot of times with that (some type of-couldn't understand) plastic shields.” He just agreed with me. When I told him how I was feeling about my service, he didn’t apologize or anything. Between me calling back and forth between the days, [redacted] answered the phone to me, “Ohh Myy Godd, this is university tire and auto...” in a very rude voice. He said it as if I had been worrying them.  I felt so hurt about how I was treated.
That evening on the eighth, I took my boyfriend’s mom with me because I didn't want to go back alone after how I had been treated. [redacted] took us out to put my cap on. Which it took him forever how to open my hood. When we noticed he was having trouble attaching the cap, we realized that he had the washer fluid cap trying to attach it to the antifreeze. One of the mechanics had to tell him it was wrong, so he taped it back up.
[redacted] refused to look at me when he was talking, he only looked at my boyfriend’s mom like it was her car. He put my car on the rack to check out the shield and the dyes. He then told me I needed an oil pan gasket. [redacted], [redacted] and some mechanic’s looked at my tiny piece of shield left, and tried to see what they could do to fix it. After a few minutes, a mechanic took a zip-tie and hooked it together to where a bolt should have been. We watched him as he did it. 
I had never felt so mad in my life. This was supposed to be a great place when it felt as if I was at a rundown, rig it to fix it shop. All of my friends and family told me not to take it there because of the troubles they had, I said no they seem like nice people. I was wrong. 
I drove home that evening without my shield, without a cap, and found my oil pan gasket was causing my leak. If they had not taken my shield off and then couldn’t find a way to reattach it, it would have been there to protect my oil gasket from getting damaged. If they couldn’t fix it, they should have just told me. They told me that they would call me when they got my correct cap in, they never have called me back. I have not called them because I feel as if I am just a laugh out of their day. I’m not sure if they thought that they could trick me or get by with things because I am young and a girl, but I grew up with a mechanic as a father and know how to check over my car when getting serviced or repaired. 
Since having my car back, I had a different mechanic check my car out because it was driving funny. I got him to fix my motor mount, which fixed my wheel problem. When he fixed the mount, my steering wheel went back to normal. He told me I did need an oil pan gasket, but also needed a radiator because I had antifreeze leaking out of it. He estimated at $670.00 to fix my car for something that university tire and auto caused. 
University Tire and Auto has been unable to properly repair my undercarriage, antifreeze cap, causing damage to my radiator and oil pan gasket on my car, and I need your help to resolve the situation. When I picked up the car, the employees assured me that it was in complete working order. Thus, I paid $461.36, only to
find that the employees did not make the repairs completely leaving my flushed fluids almost empty, and the shield, antifreeze cap, radiator, oil pan gasket is
still missing or damaged. I spoke with [redacted] and [redacted], who told me who were rude to me and said, “We've done everything we could.” 
In the letter that was sent to Revdex.com, [redacted] stated, “Customer service is very important to University Tire and we feel that we have done everything in our power to make right on the cap that is missing and also in ensuring that the leaks did not come from something that we did. I am very sorry to hear that the customer does not want to come back to our shop.”
I'm certainly not happy, and I expect them to fix the car properly because I paid $461.36 for it to be fixed, and because of things not being fixed properly my car needs $640.00 worth of work because of not having a shield or antifreeze cap, causing a need or new radiator and oil pan gasket, which now my car is now non-drivable. I will not be satisfied until my car is working the way it should be.
I expect three things:
1 Prompt repair of my car's shield, antifreeze cap, radiator, oil pan gasket  at no additional cost to me
• Shield because of it being taken off without permission and not replaced
• Antifreeze cap due to losing it
• Radiator because of duct taping my antifreeze cause antifreeze to leak into my radiator to need to be replaced.
• Oil pan gasket due to not having undercarriage to protect it from getting damaged
2 A free rental car for my use while my car is in the shop
3 An apology from the workers for the rudeness of their employees
The company's lack of service and professionalism is unacceptable to me. You may reach me at [redacted] to discuss this matter further.
 
Regards,
[redacted]

We have reached out to the customer from our Corporate office and are in talks with her now.

Revdex.com:
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.
With each of my expectations noted individually, I would like to also point out that I do have on recording one of the manager’s [redacted] saying that “we may have had to remove it, but there was no way to reattach it” in the power point that I attached in the last letter. I have let others look at my car after the damage that has been done, just to get second opinions. I have let others work on my car just for service repairs such as oil changes. I did get my upper motor mount and windshield replaced from another company because they did it for me at work, therefore my car never left that area. I am very picky who I let work on my car. 
About the antifreeze cap, I will gladly come by to pick it up, but there was never a phone call showing that or a voicemail, I have phone records and voice recordings from University Tire and Auto showing that I called each day until the part came in, and when going to pick it up, it was wrong piece. I was never further contacted about this.
I had quite a few shops tell me that my radiator needed to be replaced, but it never had a problem until I brought my car into the shop to get my thermostat replaced, which still makes a bubbly noise. My car is still making the bubbly noise. When trying to replace the cap with a windshield cap, [redacted] never put duct tape back on a second time, leaving it open. With a [redacted], one can’t simply replace a part in the radiator, one has to replace the whole system. I just do not like that when I brought my car to the shop to get it fixed, it ended up coming out in worse shape. I never have had these problems until after getting serviced there.
I also had quite a few shops tell me that my oil pan gasket was broken due to not having undercarriage under my car, causing a rock or debris to hit and pop it. Just because my car has 171,000 plus miles doesn’t mean that my car is a piece of junk. I have every service record that was ever done to this car back to 2002 when the car was first bought. I do not appreciate that just because the car has been drove a lot, doesn’t mean that it was not taken care of. My car has been taken care of whenever there has been a problem and I always got my routine checkup and oil changes.
Therefore, I have taken great care of my car. I have always taken my car to get fixed whenever it needed to or when it needed something simple. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com Representative,
 

size="3">                 This is in response to case #[redacted].
 
       Mrs. [redacted] brought her vehicle in on the morning of July 9th for the Virginia State mandated safety inspection. All of our state inspectors have state mandated rules and guidelines they have to follow when doing the state inspections. While they work for University Tire, their inspection license is given by the Virginia State Police and therefore they will follow the states guidelines when doing these inspections. Our technician did fail the vehicle due to the right front brake caliper being seized and for the headlight needing to be reconditioned. Our technician also noted that there was damage to the brake pad and brake rotor due to the brake caliper being seized. The total given to the customer was $820.41 total with tax of which the service and part breakdown is:

State Inspection = $16.00
Recondition Headlights = $89.99 This covers parts, supplies and labor.
Both front brake rotors = $75.95 each = $151.90 There was damage to the right front rotor, it’s always best to replace in pairs so as not to get a brake pull.
Brake pads and labor to replace them and rotors = $189.99 There was damage to the right front pads due to caliper sieze.
Right front Caliper = $141.95
Labor to replace caliper = $47.28
Brake fluid exchange = $109.99 When replacing the caliper the lines would have to be bled but with 149,000 miles we recommended the fluid be exchanged which would get all new fluid in the system while at the same time getting all the air out.
 
University Tire does not cut any corners when we are dealing with the safety of our customers and the dependability of their vehicles. If we were to only do part of this repair and not the other parts to make the repair complete we would be doing the customer a disservice. If we had only replaced the caliper and the customer left our shop and hit the brakes and the vehicle pulled to the side each time they hit the brakes it would not be a good thing. It is possible that the brake caliper slide pin was what the issue was with this vehicle but that could not be determined without taking the caliper loose. Had we gotten into the job and this been the case we most certainly would have notified the customer that there was no need for the caliper but still would have recommended the brake pads and rotors due to damage from the already seized caliper. The reason the system wasn’t taken apart ahead of time is that if it was a bad piston in the caliper then it would not allow us to put it back together with old parts. This would not give the customer the choice of being able to either get a second opinion or do it themselves if they had the knowhow.
 
Chuck S[redacted]
General Manager
University Tire and Auto Center Inc.

Revdex.com,
Customer service and care of their
vehicle is very important to University Tire. As far as I can tell this
complaint is the first time that we have been made aware that there was any possible
problem with the vehicle service that was performed. The...

customer did come into
our [redacted] on July 15th to get 1 tire. I have
included both the original work order and also the final invoice from that
visit. It is hard to tell at this point 4 months later what has happened that
would lead to a lugnut being missing from the vehicle. With that being said, we
will need a little more information from the customer: Year, Make and Model of
vehicle. A picture of what exactly the problem is so that we can make sure that
we are both talking about the same part. Once we can get this information we
can better come to a resolution for the customer. We are extremely saddened when
any of our customers have an issue with their vehicle especially when we have
worked on them in the previous months. We eagerly await the additional
information so that we can help the customer resolve their issue.
Regards,

Revdex.com Representative,
This is in response to case #[redacted].
In response to [redacted] response:
expect three things:
1.       Prompt repair of my car’s shield, antifreeze cap, radiator, oil pan gasket at no additional cost to me
a.       Shield because of it being taken off without permission and not replaced
b.      Antifreeze cap due to losing it
c.       Radiator because of duct taping my antifreeze cause antifreeze to leak into my radiator to need to be replaced.
d.      Oil pan gasket due to not having undercarriage to protect it from getting damaged
2.       A free rental car for my use while my car is in the shop
3.       An apology from the workers for the rudeness of their employees”
As I stated in my last response, Customer Service is very important to University Tire. With that being said I would like to address each or [redacted] expectations individually.
1. The shield from under the engine – We feel confident in saying that we were not the ones to take the shield off and not put it back on. In the customers own words she has had several other people work on / look at her vehicle this year. We will order a shield for [redacted] at no cost to her even though we feel strongly that it was missing prior to coming to our shop.
2. Antifreeze Cap – As I said in my last response, we had the cap in and had called the customer to come in and get it but she has yet to do so. We still will replace this part at our cost.
3. Radiator – There is nothing that we did that would cause damage to the radiator. The cap that is missing is to the overflow tank. Antifreeze is the fluid that is in the radiator and there is an overflow tank that holds an additional amount and the level will fluctuate with the pressure of the fluid in the radiator. All that the duct tape did was prevent any debris from getting into the overflow tank. University Tire does not assume any liability as it pertains to the radiator.
4. Oil Pan Gasket – Having no shield under the car would not cause the oil pan gasket to go bad. However having 171,000 plus miles on a vehicle some parts, systems and gaskets will go bad. University Tire does not assume any liability as it pertains to the oil pan gasket.
5. Rental Car – University Tire can put the shield and the cap on fairly quick while the customer is here or we can offer the customer a ride to work or home while we put these pieces on. We will not do a rental vehicle for these items. 
6. Apology – I can assure you that I am extremely sorry that [redacted] feels she does not want to come back to our shop. If she feels in any way that she was mistreated and or someone was rude to her I personally apologize for that. 
We feel replacing the cap and shield for the customer at no charge to them is going beyond just taking care of what we should. Should the customer agree to this I would just need to know so that I can get the shield ordered. 
[redacted]
General Manager
University Tire and Auto Center Inc.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or 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.They did not address the complaints I filed. It was a general overview of how they do business basically. No offer was made.
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: I took my car to University Tire & auto for annual inspection on May 26, 2016. After a while a guy( I think his name is Scott S[redacted]) came out and asked me to follow him to look at something on my car. I did that and he showed me the Rear Upper Control Arm on my car. He said it was in need of replacement in order to pass inspection. It looked fine to me, but I am not a mechanic. I asked for and received an estimate and said I would have to discuss with my husband and get back with him. When I got home I researched the part on my computer and found a substantial difference in price from what I was quoted. The estimate quote is $375.95. I found the part online and being sold locally between $44.79- $150.00! I asked about this and Alfonso at the Customer Service desk said and I quote,"because that is what it says." Well, that is obviously not an acceptable answer. And after the so called bad part was replaced I took the old part home with me for my husband to inspect and he informed me there is nothing wrong with it. Not only was I overcharged, I was lied to. These are horrible business practices in my book. I checked their reviews on their website and found many complaints. Some similar. Seems they are known for doing this particularly at the end of the month. Please investigate them. These business practices are very wrong. Thank you.Desired Settlement: I would like my total payment ($550.29) refunded to my credit card please. They created this situation by lying to me so they could make extra money. None of the work would have been done if they were honest in the first place.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com Representative, This is in response to case #[redacted]. Mrs. [redacted] was into our Ruckersville store on May 26th for a state mandated safety inspection where our state inspector found that one of the control arms was not able to pass the inspection. Our inspector called over another one of our inspectors to look at it with him as he did not want to say the part was bad if it wasn’t. Our inspectors, while they are employed by University Tire are given their state inspection license by the state of Virginia. They have very strict guidelines to go by when doing state inspections and have to answer to the local State Trooper that covers the Virginia State Safety Inspection Program. The inspector that did the inspection on Mrs. [redacted]’s 2007 Jeep Liberty had just a few days earlier had a conversation with the Trooper about what exactly does and does not pass as it pertains to bushings in control arms. Mrs. [redacted] was in on the 26th of May and given a quote on what the cost of the part and labor would be and then returned on the 28th to have the vehicle repaired. There was a discount given on the service of the repair at the time of check out and the part actually came in a few dollars lower than what the original estimate was. I can assure you that University Tire does not and will not say a part is bad and needing to be replaced as that would not be ethical business practices. Any time a customer might think that University Tire has made a mistake in the Virginia State Safety Inspection of their vehicle they do have the option of calling the Trooper that oversees the program and the Trooper will meet the customer and check everything out for them. If any of our state inspectors make a mistake they have very strict penalties that the state will hand down, they can even lose their inspection license. For this reason all of our inspectors go 100% by the guidelines of the State Inspection Program and when they are in doubt about something they will ask another inspector or even call the Trooper themselves. To take a control arm home and look at it without it being on the vehicle you would most of the time not be able to tell if it is bad. The control arms need to be tested with a load on them which means bolted in the vehicle and the weight of the vehicle on it. While I am sure there will always be a “cheaper” part or someone willing to do a certain job “cheaper” you do have to watch out for what you get for the dollar you spend. University Tire is only going to use good quality parts that we can stand behind as we warranty all our parts and labor for 12 months / 12,000 miles. University Tire stands behind its commitment to ensuring that we protect our customer’s investment in their vehicle as most of the time it is the 2nd largest investment they have behind the cost of their home. It is our responsibility to make sure that our customers get the longest life out of their vehicles as possible. If there is something that needs to be addressed or if there are services that could help our customers prolong the life of their investment we will most certainly advise the customer of these and let the customer make the decision whether to move forward or not. Chuck S[redacted] General Manager University Tire and Auto Center Inc

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or 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.They did not address the complaints I filed. It was a general overview of how they do business basically. No offer was made.

Regards,

Review: Took my truck to the Pantops location in February 2015 and had tires installed. Went back in July 2015 and February 2016 for tire rotation and complaints of the tires being off balance. Was informed both times they needed to be rebalanced. Only one time were they actually rebalanced. Drove the truck afterwards was still having issues I then took the truck to the Orange location in April 2016 had the tech drive it. Was informed at that time by Kenneth that the tires were over weighted they had beads and weights which was not right. He had the tech break down all 4 tires vacuum out all the beads and start fresh to rebalance them. After leaving there I lost weights off the rims. I called the manager on Pantops to find out if there was any compensation that could be provided he then informed me that he needed to see the tires before he could make a decision.I took the truck up there on 5/5/16 and he said he could not rebalance them at that location (which was the original location that claim they balanced them the 3 previous times) that he took the truck to the Main St location and had them rebalanced and said he drove it and it was fine. At 45 mph speeds the whole truck still shakes even after the rebalance today.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com Representative, This is in response to case #[redacted]. Miss [redacted] did purchase 4 tires from us in February 2015. Our records indicate that the vehicle was brought back in July 8th 2015 for a tire rotation. Our records also show the vehicle coming back in February 12th 2016 for a tire balance and rotation. All of these visits were to our Pantops store. Then on April 25th 2016 we show the vehicle coming into our location in Orange to rebalance the tires again. Then on May 5th we show the vehicle coming into our Pantops location with a ride disturbance issue. All tires when they are put on brand new get balanced to the wheels they are going on to provide the best ride for that particular wheel / vehicle. Every different type of wheel will take a different amount and style weight to balance correctly even with the same set of tires. As any tire wears down in tread they will need to be rebalanced periodically in order to keep the ride as smooth as it can be with whatever type tire it is. I am attaching three pictures, one of the tire tread design, one of the actual tire and the other of the vehicle. As you can see by the tires they are a very aggressive tread design with a lot of void in between the tread blocks. This particular tire is a Wild Country MTX which is a Mud Terrain Tire and in this size it is also an 8ply tire. A Mud Terrain tire is going to ride rougher and they will also be noisier than the OE sized highway tread tire that came on the truck. Also the truck came with a 4 ply tire on it and this tire being an 8 ply tire is going to have a rougher ride on a ½ ton truck. We did have an issue with our wheel / tire balancer at the Pantops location on May 5th when Miss [redacted] brought the vehicle into us which we had our equipment person out to fix and that is why the manager of that store had to take the vehicle to our West Main Street store to rebalance the tires. After balancing them and test driving the vehicle at highway speeds our manager said there was no abnormal bounce or vibration than what would be expected with a combination of a lifted ½ ton truck with an 8 ply Mud Terrain tire on it. There is also no abnormal tire wear on the tires. Our manager did advise the customer that they have some looseness / play in the Pitman arm which is part of the steering system that they may want to address. This may be part of what the customer is feeling also. With any set of tires that University Tire sells we offer free rotation and balancing for the life of the tires. The customer was also advised to return between every 3-6 months to have the tires balanced and rotated as Mud Terrain tires should be balanced more often than others. We do not feel there has been an ongoing issue with the tires, just that there is a little more maintenance with a Mud Terrain tire than others. We have not and will not charge the customer for any additional balance or rotate as long as they own these tires. If in fact the weights came off after the balance at our location in Orange I most certainly apologize for that but feel we acted swiftly in getting the vehicle into one of our facilities and having everything looked at. Chuck S[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

One thing I left out of the email that I sent earlier.The technician that rebalanced the tires in Orange had stated to me that it looked like they had put 5 bags of beads in each tire and had inner rim weights on them as well. The tires should balance out at zero, he informed me then that one tire balanced out at 14 and one balanced out at 18. Did not say anything about the other 2.Thanks[redacted]

Review: My wife brought her car to University Tire and Auto on Main St. In Charlottesville, VA for a car inspection. The car was inspected, and it was failed on the grounds that the front passenger side brake caliper was seized, as well as a headlight lens needed reconditioning. They then told my wife that it would cost $820 to fix it. We declined this, and I proceeded to purchase the parts to fix the brake myself. After my investigation, I discovered that the brake caliper was not seized, and was still a fully working part. I applied some grease to the bottom caliper slider pin, which needed some lubrication, but did not impact the function of the caliper. The caliper was reinstalled, brakes were checked by myself and there are no problems with the brake.

The fact that we were quoted $820 to fix something that was not broken is completely outrageous and unacceptable. Even if it were broken, the parts to fix everything cost me closer to $100 and would have taken me two hours to complete the job. That equates to $360 an hour for labor, which is unheard of for this type of job. If something this expensive is being posed as an option of service, their technicians should be able to take 15 minutes to make sure that is the correct diagnosis. That did not happen.

My wife is not mechanically inclined like I am, and anyone like her who is taking their car to University Tire for service, I feel, is potentially being taken advantage of and being grossly overcharged for it.Desired Settlement: I'd be interested to hear their explanation for charging a large amount of money for a very simple service like this on a car.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com Representative, This is in response to case #[redacted]. Mrs. [redacted] brought her vehicle in on the morning of July 9th for the Virginia State mandated safety inspection. All of our state inspectors have state mandated rules and guidelines they have to follow when doing the state inspections. While they work for University Tire, their inspection license is given by the Virginia State Police and therefore they will follow the states guidelines when doing these inspections. Our technician did fail the vehicle due to the right front brake caliper being seized and for the headlight needing to be reconditioned. Our technician also noted that there was damage to the brake pad and brake rotor due to the brake caliper being seized. The total given to the customer was $820.41 total with tax of which the service and part breakdown is: State Inspection = $16.00Recondition Headlights = $89.99 This covers parts, supplies and labor.Both front brake rotors = $75.95 each = $151.90 There was damage to the right front rotor, it’s always best to replace in pairs so as not to get a brake pull.Brake pads and labor to replace them and rotors = $189.99 There was damage to the right front pads due to caliper sieze.Right front Caliper = $141.95Labor to replace caliper = $47.28Brake fluid exchange = $109.99 When replacing the caliper the lines would have to be bled but with 149,000 miles we recommended the fluid be exchanged which would get all new fluid in the system while at the same time getting all the air out. University Tire does not cut any corners when we are dealing with the safety of our customers and the dependability of their vehicles. If we were to only do part of this repair and not the other parts to make the repair complete we would be doing the customer a disservice. If we had only replaced the caliper and the customer left our shop and hit the brakes and the vehicle pulled to the side each time they hit the brakes it would not be a good thing. It is possible that the brake caliper slide pin was what the issue was with this vehicle but that could not be determined without taking the caliper loose. Had we gotten into the job and this been the case we most certainly would have notified the customer that there was no need for the caliper but still would have recommended the brake pads and rotors due to damage from the already seized caliper. The reason the system wasn’t taken apart ahead of time is that if it was a bad piston in the caliper then it would not allow us to put it back together with old parts. This would not give the customer the choice of being able to either get a second opinion or do it themselves if they had the knowhow. Chuck S[redacted] General Manager University Tire and Auto Center Inc.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].

Regards,

DO NOT GO HERE FOR YOUR AUTO NEEDS.....TOTAL [redacted] RIP OFF ARTISTS. Took my car in for a simple inspection and they came up with close to $900 worth of fake crap I needed to have done to my car. I then took it to my local auto shop and they did not see any of these issues and stuck a sticker right on my car. Thank god I had the sense to go get a second opinion. What a joke. If you don't mind getting [redacted] and throwing away your money then go here but otherwise go elsewhere.

Review: On 05 FEB 2016, at approx. 1100 hours my [redacted] overheated. I called University Tire in Ruckersville and spoke to “John” in order to arrange a service check. On 06 FEB 2016 at 1430, [redacted] called and stated, “We found there was stop leak fluid in the cooling system that clogged the thermostat. We must flush out cooling system and replace thermostat.” [redacted] stated the cost was $276 for this repair. I specifically asked [redacted] if the problem was a head gasket leak, as the previous owner reported a minor head gasket leak to me when I bought the vehicle. [redacted] stated, “We ran a series of tests to ensure the head gasket was not leaking, and it is not.” He stated that they, “kept car in the bay running in order to determine if the head gasket was leaking” and they determined, “it was not.” At 1545 hours, [redacted] called me and stated, “It is going to be more expensive.” [redacted] explained that, “The heater core on the vehicle had to be manually cleaned out. This entailed the technician manually removing the heater core to clean it.” [redacted] stated the cost would be $500 and this would completely fix the car. I authorized the repairs. On 08 FEB 2016 at 1345, I picked up the car. I asked the technician if the car would overheat. He stated, “No.” [redacted] stated there was, “A lot of stop leak fluid, but we cleaned it out and the car is fine.” I again asked [redacted] and the technician if the problem was the head gasket. They reassured me that they had run, “a series of tests” and, “the head gasket is fine." On 09 FEB, the car began to smoke. I returned the car. Mr. [redacted] approached me with [redacted] and stated that he was the manager. He said, “The problem is that there is a head gasket leak.” I recounted the previous days’ events. Mr. [redacted] called me at 1745 and stated he spoke with corporate on my behalf and that your solution was to give me back $471 in labor toward the head gasket repair. He stated that the cost to repair the head gasket, timing belt and water pump would be $1300.Desired Settlement: Since Mr. [redacted] has already contacted your office for a resolution to this issue on 08 February 2016, I wanted to do so as well in order to request an immediate and full refund in the amount of $481.32. Unfortunately, I did not receive the services for which I was charged (specifically the “tests” ruling out the head gasket, the fix to my overheating problem, and that my heater still does not work). I welcome the opportunity to speak with your office directly, as Mr. [redacted] did, in order to resolve this issue since Mr. [redacted] stated that he is not authorized to provide me a refund.

Thank you for your time and attention to my request. I am best reached by phone at [redacted]

Business

Response:

RE: #[redacted] In looking into Miss [redacted] visit to our store and speaking with all of the employees involved it became evident that what was done to the vehicle and what the vehicle needed may not have been clearly conveyed. Since customer service is very important to University Tire, the manager was instructed to refund the full purchase amount of $481.32 to Miss [redacted] and this refund was done on February 12th. I do have invoice and refund copies should the Revdex.com desire to have those copies. We have also used this as a training for the sales staff so they can see the importance of clearly outlining for a customer the needs of the vehicle and the costs associated with those needed repairs. We apologize for any and all misunderstanding and hope Miss [redacted] feels she can trust that University Tire takes customer service very seriously. [redacted]Director of Sales & Operations

Review: The rear differential was serviced 4/27/2013. The bolt holding in the lubricant was either not replaced or else improperly secured and fell out. The lubricant leaked out, and the differential had to be replaced by the dealer ([redacted]) on 6/18/2012 at a cost of $2318.99.Desired Settlement: I would like University Tire and Auto to reimburse me for the cost of replacing the rear differential.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com,

At University Tire providing great customer service is our number 1 goal! It appears that after investigating this particular customers complaint that we fell short of providing him with the level of service he deserves. We have tried to contact the customer and have left him some voicemails but have not heard back from him. We would like to make the customer whole with concerns to his out of pocket expenses and also let the customer know that we are truly sorry for the inconvenience. We would have preferred the customer to contact us prior to having the Revdex.com involved after he did have to have spend out of pocket so that we would have had a chance to make it right for him at that point. Since the first knowledge of this complaint was when we got notice from the Revdex.com about it, it did take some time to research and talk to all individuals involved and that is why there has been a time delay in getting back to everyone regarding this complaint.

University Tire & Auto Center Inc.

Review: I had been going to University for a while & trusted them til couple months ago. I got my oil changed & noticed when home, it was dry & needed filled. Lately my car been having maintenance upkeep problems, and they wrote me many estimates. I got them to replace motor mounts, transmission seals, oil changes,and many other things. This time I went to them because my car overheated and kept hearing a grinding noise, finding the cause to be the thermostat & cooler sensor, and needed a flush. They said it would be almost 500$ and held it for 4 days, I let them do it. When I got my car back, they said my car was good & nothing else was wrong, but when I got home and checked everything all of my fluids were low & not filled, steering wheel was really loose, missing a fluid cap, leaking fluids, and the noise was still there. I took my car back the next day to let them test the wheel, they said it was fine. I still think that it is loose. I realized there was plastic hanging under my car, I then took my car back to them. They said they would replace the cap for free, the plastic shield would be fixed because it was rubbing against a belt, and they would check my car out again. They put dye into my oils to see where it was leaking from & said I needed to drive it a couple of days so the dyes would set. They then said that I needed a motor mount replaced when I had some replaced couple of months ago but coincidentally it's not the same one, which would cost almost 200$ I picked up my car a couple days later finding my whole plastic shield has been removed except for the piece that was dangling and it was "fixed" by moving a bolt to another place which created it to fall from the other direction, right now my "missing cap" is replaced by duct tape that they did. I called and left them a message, but no return call. I have let others look at my car and have all told me to never go back. I now wonder how long my car has suffered by letting them "fix" things. I could have been in a major accident or worse.Desired Settlement: I never want to deal with this place again, I have never been so frustrated & outraged with a car place. I was spoken to rudely over the phone.I had to call alot to figure estimate out & he answered the phone,"Oh my God". I've already filled my fluids up because I don't trust them. I just want my motor mount fixed, my shield back on & fixed correctly, fluid leak fixed,& my cap. I don't trust leaving my car there in general, I would rather a reimbursement to get it fixed somewhere else.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com Representative,

This is in response to case #[redacted].

[redacted] first visit into one of our stores was on March 25th 2014 where she got an oil change on her vehicle. It was at this time that we noticed some

items on the vehicle that needed repair. The windshield was cracked, the Transmission pan seal was leaking, the lower motor mount needed to be replaced and all 4 tires were getting close to needing replaced so we recommended them. On April 26th the customer came in for us to replace the Transmission pan seal and to replace the lower motor mount which we did. At this time the customer asked us to check for a noise while braking and turning. On May 16th the customer came in and asked us to give her a quote on what it would cost for us to replace the headlamp switch which we did, however customer did not have us fix it. On August 25th the customer brought the vehicle to us because it was overheating. A couple days later the customer authorized us to make the repair which was a thermostat and coolant sensor and at the same time to do a coolant exchange which we did. At no time through any of these visits was there a full under shield on the car. The part of the shield that was the grinding noise was the smaller part of the shield that had apparently been hit by something on the road that pushed it up and lodged it against a belt pulley. We did pull that piece back down and secured it as best we could since there was no main cover that it usually attaches to. We did

degrease the engine and put dye in to see if we could figure out where the leaks the customer has are coming from but all at no cost to the customer. It was at this time that we noticed the top motor mount needed to be replaced and that the main leakage is coming from the oil pan gasket and the oil pressure switch. We did tell the customer that we put duct tape on the coolant reservoir bottle to keep out contaminants because we had to order the cap overnight. The customer was told we would have the cap in the next day and said she was fine with that but has never come back to get it. We do still have it sitting in the store. The manager of this store has left message for the customer but has not gotten a call back. I have attached all documentation from the very first visit through today and also a diagram of the motor mounts in question. Customer service is very important to University Tire and we feel that we have done everything in our power to make right on the cap that is missing and also in ensuring that the leaks did not come from something that we did. I am very sorry to hear that the customer does not want to come back to our shop.

General Manager

University Tire and Auto Center Inc.

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.

On March 25, 2014 I did come into their shop to receive an oil change for $28.38. While I was in there, I did ask for an estimate for a windshield because a rock had cracked it, four tires because of normal wearing, and to fix a motor mount and transmission pan seal for a total of $1020.50. I did not get them to replace my windshield because of the price and inconvenience of having to keep my car, so [redacted] replaced it for $185.00 at my job. On April 26th, 2014 I brought my car into the University Tire & Auto to have the motor mount and transmission pan seal replaced and paid $373.03. I also asked them to check for noises when braking and turning at the same time, I was told that my car was okay after that even though it still made the noise. Though I was skeptical, I trusted their judgment.

A few weeks later on May 16, 2014 I took my car to University Tire & Auto because my multifunction switch (headlamp switch) wouldn’t keep my lights on. They gave me an estimate of $316.27. I simply couldn’t afford that so I went to [redacted] on May 29, 2014 and got that replaced for $160.00. On June 24, 2014 I got an oil change and filter along with my state inspection at Stanardsville Auto Repair for $50.00. I take good care of my car and keep it up to date.

On August 25, 2014 on my way home from work, my car started smoking from under the hood, my H/C gauges were on Hot, my car was overheating. I pulled over a couple of times until I made it to University Tire & Auto. I was told that they needed a day until it cooled off so they could run a diagnostics check to find the problem. The next day [redacted] called me telling me that it was my thermostat and coolant sensor. I told him that I would talk to my dad, who is a mechanic, and let him know, then I would call [redacted] back to tell him my decision.

I called him back and told him to go ahead and fix the problems. I paid $461.36 for my thermostat to be replaced, my coolant sensor to be replaced, pressure test cooling system, Flush my system, and add fluids. [redacted] was really willing to help me with my car, talk to me through numerous phone calls, gave me a discount, and the only one who actually treated me nice like a customer should be treated, even though I never met the man in person.

On August 29, 2014 I go to the shop to pick up my car and I ask [redacted], “Is everything okay with my car?” He told me yes and I could pick it up. I take my car home and checked my car over for the changes supposed to be made. First thing I noticed is that my antifreeze cap was missing, which I said okay, I can get that from them, they probably forgot. As my boyfriend and I started checking my fluids, we realized they were almost bone dry. We added fluid to the car so I could get back to work. I told them about that and [redacted] said, “If you refilled the fluids, we can’t tell whether they were really filled or not.” I was not going to drive my car without barely any fluids. As for the paper that has all of the recommendations listed, I was never given this. [redacted] told me that I needed an upper

motor mount verbally, but that was all to my knowledge. I have seen this paper for the first time when they attached it now. He got two boys that worked there

to duct tape my antifreeze shut until the cap came in.

That evening I noticed that it was making funny noises and it was driving really weird. My steering wheel would turn 3 times before it would turn my wheels. I [redacted] messaged a boy that works there that I went to school with in 2012 to ask him if he knew anything. He told me he would talk to the guy who worked on it and let me know.

Saturday morning, we took my car down there and let [redacted] drive it to test the wheel, and he said everything was perfectly fine and it felt normal. When my boyfriend, his sister, and I went to Charlottesville on Sunday September 1, 2014, we heard my wheel grinding up against something. We all got out. My boyfriend and I looked underneath my car and noticed a piece of my undercarriage/shield was hanging down on the front left driver side. The piece was missing a bolt creating the back to hang down, a bolt was held the front. We also noticed my car was leaking fluid. I called them about it and took my car there the next day. They told me that they would get everything fixed and do a dye test in my oils to figure out where it was leaking from. I let them have my car.

On September 04, 2014 I called and talked to [redacted] asking if I could pick up my car, if everything was okay, he told me yes. He told me to pick it up and bring it back Tuesday/Wednesday. I asked about my cap again while in the store and he told me that it was not shipped in yet and he would call me when it came in.

That evening I had another mechanic look at my car with my boyfriend and I. He checked out my motor mount and said that I did need one. He also asked if we noticed that my shield was missing. I said no. All of us looked underneath the car and saw that the only piece left was the piece that was supposed to be fixed. It wasn’t even fixed. They had taken the bolt off the front and put it on the back to hold the back up and had the front wedged into the other part of the car to stay up temporarily because it fell back down when we looked. That night while standing there with the mechanic, I called and left University Tire & Auto a very detailed message asking for them to call me back leaving them a message. No one called me back either.

On September 08, 2014 I called and talked to [redacted] who told me my cap was in and I told him I would be there to pick it up. I then called back to talk to [redacted] and asked him about my shield. I told him I was missing my whole shield except for the piece that was supposed to be fixed. I explained everything in detail. I told him it was “rigged” to stay together. He told me, “When you bring your car back in so we can check that oil leak, I’ll look at the shield and see exactly what’s going on there as well. It may be that some of that plastic may have been torn so he may have had to remove it and there was no way to reattach it. And I've seen that happen a lot of times with that (some type of-couldn't understand) plastic shields.” He just agreed with me. When I told him how I was feeling about my service, he didn’t apologize or anything. Between me calling back and forth between the days, [redacted] answered the phone to me, “Ohh Myy Godd, this is university tire and auto...” in a very rude voice. He said it as if I had been worrying them. I felt so hurt about how I was treated.

That evening on the eighth, I took my boyfriend’s mom with me because I didn't want to go back alone after how I had been treated. [redacted] took us out to put my cap on. Which it took him forever how to open my hood. When we noticed he was having trouble attaching the cap, we realized that he had the washer fluid cap trying to attach it to the antifreeze. One of the mechanics had to tell him it was wrong, so he taped it back up.

[redacted] refused to look at me when he was talking, he only looked at my boyfriend’s mom like it was her car. He put my car on the rack to check out the shield and the dyes. He then told me I needed an oil pan gasket. [redacted], [redacted] and some mechanic’s looked at my tiny piece of shield left, and tried to see what they could do to fix it. After a few minutes, a mechanic took a zip-tie and hooked it together to where a bolt should have been. We watched him as he did it.

I had never felt so mad in my life. This was supposed to be a great place when it felt as if I was at a rundown, rig it to fix it shop. All of my friends and family told me not to take it there because of the troubles they had, I said no they seem like nice people. I was wrong.

I drove home that evening without my shield, without a cap, and found my oil pan gasket was causing my leak. If they had not taken my shield off and then couldn’t find a way to reattach it, it would have been there to protect my oil gasket from getting damaged. If they couldn’t fix it, they should have just told me. They told me that they would call me when they got my correct cap in, they never have called me back. I have not called them because I feel as if I am just a laugh out of their day. I’m not sure if they thought that they could trick me or get by with things because I am young and a girl, but I grew up with a mechanic as a father and know how to check over my car when getting serviced or repaired.

Since having my car back, I had a different mechanic check my car out because it was driving funny. I got him to fix my motor mount, which fixed my wheel problem. When he fixed the mount, my steering wheel went back to normal. He told me I did need an oil pan gasket, but also needed a radiator because I had antifreeze leaking out of it. He estimated at $670.00 to fix my car for something that university tire and auto caused.

University Tire and Auto has been unable to properly repair my undercarriage, antifreeze cap, causing damage to my radiator and oil pan gasket on my car, and I need your help to resolve the situation. When I picked up the car, the employees assured me that it was in complete working order. Thus, I paid $461.36, only to

find that the employees did not make the repairs completely leaving my flushed fluids almost empty, and the shield, antifreeze cap, radiator, oil pan gasket is

still missing or damaged. I spoke with [redacted] and [redacted], who told me who were rude to me and said, “We've done everything we could.”

In the letter that was sent to Revdex.com, [redacted] stated, “Customer service is very important to University Tire and we feel that we have done everything in our power to make right on the cap that is missing and also in ensuring that the leaks did not come from something that we did. I am very sorry to hear that the customer does not want to come back to our shop.”

I'm certainly not happy, and I expect them to fix the car properly because I paid $461.36 for it to be fixed, and because of things not being fixed properly my car needs $640.00 worth of work because of not having a shield or antifreeze cap, causing a need or new radiator and oil pan gasket, which now my car is now non-drivable. I will not be satisfied until my car is working the way it should be.

I expect three things:

1 Prompt repair of my car's shield, antifreeze cap, radiator, oil pan gasket at no additional cost to me

• Shield because of it being taken off without permission and not replaced

• Antifreeze cap due to losing it

• Radiator because of duct taping my antifreeze cause antifreeze to leak into my radiator to need to be replaced.

• Oil pan gasket due to not having undercarriage to protect it from getting damaged

2 A free rental car for my use while my car is in the shop

3 An apology from the workers for the rudeness of their employees

The company's lack of service and professionalism is unacceptable to me. You may reach me at [redacted] to discuss this matter further.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Revdex.com Representative,

This is in response to case #[redacted].

In response to [redacted] response:

expect three things:

1. Prompt repair of my car’s shield, antifreeze cap, radiator, oil pan gasket at no additional cost to me

a. Shield because of it being taken off without permission and not replaced

b. Antifreeze cap due to losing it

c. Radiator because of duct taping my antifreeze cause antifreeze to leak into my radiator to need to be replaced.

d. Oil pan gasket due to not having undercarriage to protect it from getting damaged

2. A free rental car for my use while my car is in the shop

3. An apology from the workers for the rudeness of their employees”

As I stated in my last response, Customer Service is very important to University Tire. With that being said I would like to address each or [redacted] expectations individually.

1. The shield from under the engine – We feel confident in saying that we were not the ones to take the shield off and not put it back on. In the customers own words she has had several other people work on / look at her vehicle this year. We will order a shield for [redacted] at no cost to her even though we feel strongly that it was missing prior to coming to our shop.

2. Antifreeze Cap – As I said in my last response, we had the cap in and had called the customer to come in and get it but she has yet to do so. We still will replace this part at our cost.

3. Radiator – There is nothing that we did that would cause damage to the radiator. The cap that is missing is to the overflow tank. Antifreeze is the fluid that is in the radiator and there is an overflow tank that holds an additional amount and the level will fluctuate with the pressure of the fluid in the radiator. All that the duct tape did was prevent any debris from getting into the overflow tank. University Tire does not assume any liability as it pertains to the radiator.

4. Oil Pan Gasket – Having no shield under the car would not cause the oil pan gasket to go bad. However having 171,000 plus miles on a vehicle some parts, systems and gaskets will go bad. University Tire does not assume any liability as it pertains to the oil pan gasket.

5. Rental Car – University Tire can put the shield and the cap on fairly quick while the customer is here or we can offer the customer a ride to work or home while we put these pieces on. We will not do a rental vehicle for these items.

6. Apology – I can assure you that I am extremely sorry that [redacted] feels she does not want to come back to our shop. If she feels in any way that she was mistreated and or someone was rude to her I personally apologize for that.

We feel replacing the cap and shield for the customer at no charge to them is going beyond just taking care of what we should. Should the customer agree to this I would just need to know so that I can get the shield ordered.

General Manager

University Tire and Auto Center Inc.

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.

With each of my expectations noted individually, I would like to also point out that I do have on recording one of the manager’s [redacted] saying that “we may have had to remove it, but there was no way to reattach it” in the power point that I attached in the last letter. I have let others look at my car after the damage that has been done, just to get second opinions. I have let others work on my car just for service repairs such as oil changes. I did get my upper motor mount and windshield replaced from another company because they did it for me at work, therefore my car never left that area. I am very picky who I let work on my car.

About the antifreeze cap, I will gladly come by to pick it up, but there was never a phone call showing that or a voicemail, I have phone records and voice recordings from University Tire and Auto showing that I called each day until the part came in, and when going to pick it up, it was wrong piece. I was never further contacted about this.

I had quite a few shops tell me that my radiator needed to be replaced, but it never had a problem until I brought my car into the shop to get my thermostat replaced, which still makes a bubbly noise. My car is still making the bubbly noise. When trying to replace the cap with a windshield cap, [redacted] never put duct tape back on a second time, leaving it open. With a [redacted], one can’t simply replace a part in the radiator, one has to replace the whole system. I just do not like that when I brought my car to the shop to get it fixed, it ended up coming out in worse shape. I never have had these problems until after getting serviced there.

I also had quite a few shops tell me that my oil pan gasket was broken due to not having undercarriage under my car, causing a rock or debris to hit and pop it. Just because my car has 171,000 plus miles doesn’t mean that my car is a piece of junk. I have every service record that was ever done to this car back to 2002 when the car was first bought. I do not appreciate that just because the car has been drove a lot, doesn’t mean that it was not taken care of. My car has been taken care of whenever there has been a problem and I always got my routine checkup and oil changes.

Therefore, I have taken great care of my car. I have always taken my car to get fixed whenever it needed to or when it needed something simple.

Regards,