Complaint Review: A-1 Tire & Auto

On September 16 , 2014, I took my car to A-1 Tire & Auto in Crystal Lake because the car was overheating, leaking oil, heat wasn't working, thermostat was reading hot, trouble starting, etc. They inspected the car & quoted me $2,000+ to repair it properly. This was a very costly repair for a 10-year old car with 150,000+ miles. I was concerned because it had been so overheated that the engine block was possibly cracked. The Owner (Bret) & his mechanic, Phil, assured me that this was not the case. They said "other than the current issue, it's in good mechanical condition and after our repair you should likely get another 100,000 miles out of it." With this being said, I went ahead & authorized the repairs. One week later, the car started doing the exact same thing...leaking oil, overheating, no heat, thermostat hot, etc. The car completely died out, leaving me stranded with no way to get home or to work. I brought the car back in & was told that it isn't the same issue as before and it's an issue further down the line. It was explained that as you "normalize" pressure to the car it puts pressure on the engine & now a head gasket is blown. Never once was this explained when I brought the car in the first time. If this was explained in full detail...that it was basically a gamble to get the car fixed because there might be unknown damage that crops up later, I would have seriously considered not repairing the car and looked for another option.

Now (Sept. 29, 2014), I am are being told that it will be another $850 to repair and that still  doesn't guarantee that the problem will be fixed. The Owner (Bret) said he would do the "new" repair at cost for parts & labor. This is ridiculous!! I trusted him to be honest with me & he wasn't. He should be covering the repair at no charge. Instead, he's giving me cost on his Labor - he owns the shop! In addition, his said he could do the original repair for $1,800 cash, so he wouldn't have to report it on his taxes - FRAUD!! In order to save a couple hundred dollars, I agreed to this. Now his story has changed & instead of saying "it's in great mechanical condition - he is saying "well it's a car with 157,000 miles on it and things do happen." He is now claiming that he was never told the first time the car was brought in that it was overheating while driving it - this is a blatant lie! I told him and so did my brother-in-law when he was setting-up the appointment to bring it in. He's saying if he were told this the first time he wouldn't have recommended the repair. I would have no reason to not give him full details on what was wrong with the car. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to fix it properly & I would be wasting money. He's is taking absolutely zero responsibility! He needs to stand behind his work! Now I've lost almost $2,000 and have no car!! I need him to refund me my money! Me & my brother-in-law have tried talking to him several times & he refuses to make the situation right.

I couldn't afford the repairs, so I pick-up my car & brought it to a car dealership where they gave me $300 as a trade because the car is now basically useless. Since the car wasn't fixed properly, I had no choice but to go out & buy another car. I have 2 jobs & need a vehicle. I took it to a car dealership and got $300 for the car in the current condition it was in. Since I no longer have the car, repairing it properly isn't an option. Therefore, I'm seeking a full refund for the $1,875 I spent on the repair. I paid $1,800 in cash and $75 on my credit card. I had to borrow money to buy a new car.