Complaint Review: A1 Auto Service

I brought my car to A1 Auto Service to have them install new brakes and for a front-end alignment. While the car was in their hands (from Sept 27 - Sept 30) my fuel level gage broke. The brake job and the alignment were done fine. However, when I brought the car back to them and showed them that the fuel gage was broken they took the car back and agreed to fix it (I left thinking it would be fixed free of charge). When I went back to pick it up they informed me that it would be $75.00, I explained that I thought this was a mistake but they wouldn't budge.

It is my feeling that someone broke into their lot and stole gasoline out of my car (at night). This is because I am quite confident that I left them with the car while the tank was almost full. When I saw that the gage was broken I went to fill it up and it took 13 gallons (in 15 gallon tank). I am not a mechanic, but I can't imagine how fixing brakes and an alignment could break a fuel gage. When I realized the car was almost on empty and the fuel gage was also now broken I could only guess that someone shoved a line down into the tank to siphon out gas and also broke the lever that is connected to the dashboard fuel gage (?).

Either way, the fuel gage broke while the car was in their hands and then they charged me $75.00 to fix and told me it was only half of what they should have charged me. I don't think that this is good business practice.

Michael
Chicago, Illinois
U.S.A.