All Tune And Lube 8 payed repairs ALL fraudulent, unneccessary, rippoffs Murrieta California
First car overheats, they say replace water pump, timing belt, thermostat. then radiatior blows, they replace that. then a radiator hose blows, they replace that. then the car won't start (and has oil in the air filter) and they say to do a cleaning and tune up (and replaced my $7 platinum spark plugs that didn't need to be replaced). car still doesn't start. then they tell me that i need to replace my water pump thermostate etc...i said, you guys already did all that. they even say the timing is off and ask me who did my timing! i said it was them (this was about 13 months later from the first repair btw).
they think for a few minutes, then tell me i have a leaking head gasket and recommend repairing it. the say they put in a block sealer for me...they didn't. block sealer requires a procedure to work...they just poured it in my radiator and left it at that AND changed my timing to cause the piston to hit the top of the engine AND cut the wires to my radiator fan temperature switch.
THEN they underquote me on an engine swap and before i approve it they swap the engine out (so i couldn't ask them to save the parts). then they jack up the price, they pull the engine out of a scrap yard (which was not what they said they would do) AND they didn't transfer my parts. now i have an engine that is a year NEWER than my car (which means it will BARELY, if even, pass smog), AND i've already had to replace parts on the engine that they swapped over since they didn't use my old parts.
they dented my car door, broke the hood release chain, broke the air conditioner, over charged the air conditioner compressor with freon, i now get 7 miles a gallon LESS than when my car had a leaking head gasket. I had another mechanic look at my previous engine...the engine was broken so bad that the exhaust bubbles that were coming up through the radiator were about 1/2 to the full size of the radiator hole! (i did not fully understand the significance of this at the time).
they replaced my "axel assy"'s (told me i had to) when just a CV boot needed to be replaced. they also did my front breaks and recommended my rear brakes saying they had 10% left...over a year and 25,000 miles later my rear brakes actually had 30% left according to another shop.
i've looked back on my repairs...every single part replacement they did was either recommended by an inconclusive inspection, or was caused by them not noticing...their bad timing probably blew the head gasket, radiator, etc.
oh, btw, after over 3 months of going back to them, i was getting cussed out by the manager, Brent Clark (tall bald white dude) because i was getting mad that i didn't have a working air conditioner and was sweating my *&* off while driving about 90 miles a day for those three months.
its been 6 months, they still haven't fixed everything and refuse to. my car is now completely for *&*&. i have a geo metro, i used to get 51 miles a gallon in it (consider that with current gas prices), then it went down to 37mpg with the really bad leaking head gasket. now i consistently get 31, no matter what i do.
nik
Murrieta, California
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Jacksonville,Florida,
U.S.A.
I'll take this one by one
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, October 25, 2006
"First car overheats, they say replace water pump, timing belt, thermostat. then radiatior blows, they replace that. then a radiator hose blows, they replace that. then the car won't start (and has oil in the air filter) and they say to do a cleaning and tune up (and replaced my $7 platinum spark plugs that didn't need to be replaced). car still doesn't start. then they tell me that i need to replace my water pump thermostate etc...i said, you guys already did all that. they even say the timing is off and ask me who did my timing! i said it was them (this was about 13 months later from the first repair btw)."
This all happened over a 13 month period. Things happen, and to have multiple issues in a 13 month period is normal. Keep in mind, your car is old. Geo hasn't made a Metro since 1997.
They replaced the plugs because they were oil fouled. A fouled plug will not spark. Oil in the air cleaner indicates massive amounts of blow-by.
As for the water pump replacement, after they already did it, and the timing issue, I cannot say. Is it valve or ignition timing. They are different. Both are dependent on the cam timing being correct.
"they think for a few minutes, then tell me i have a leaking head gasket and recommend repairing it. the say they put in a block sealer for me...they didn't. block sealer requires a procedure to work...they just poured it in my radiator and left it at that AND changed my timing to cause the piston to hit the top of the engine AND cut the wires to my radiator fan temperature switch."
The head gasket may have been an issue, and again, your car is old, and has overheated...both prime causes of gasket failure. They probably used a stop-leak, not an actual block sealer. Neither will fix a head gasket.
The piston hitting the valves would indicate they changed your cam timing, or the belt had an issue. Coolant, oil, etc on a belt will cause it to jump a tooth. This will cause the piston/valve contact you mention.
I have no idea why anyone would intentionally cut wires. That's a good way to get in trouble with your States' Consumer Affairs Division.
"THEN they underquote me...of this at the time)."
Hard to follow, but THIS might be the issue you will be able to use with your State Consumer Affairs Division.
"they replaced my "axel assy"'s (told me i had to) when just a CV boot needed to be replaced. they also did my front breaks and recommended my rear brakes saying they had 10% left...over a year and 25,000 miles later my rear brakes actually had 30% left according to another shop."
Nobody replaces the boots. It takes more labor to do this, and actually costs the customer more, than just swapping a rebuilt axle. As for the brakes, I cannot say. I am always amazed how a mechanic can say what percentage is left on something, when the rest of the shoe, or pad is not there. Some aftermarket shoes/pads are thinner/thicker than OEM. I am doubtful of either brake recommendation.
"i've looked back on my repairs...no matter what i do."
THIS is your real problem. After spending WAAAAAAAAY too much fixing a throw-away car, you keep going back to them. I cannot fathom why you are doing this to yourself.
STOP THE MADNESS! Find a shop that you can trust. Use a friend or family recommendation. Ask the part stores who they favor. Just keep in mind, your car is old, and was meant as a throw-away, no resale value, not even when brand spankin' new.