Complaint Review: All Tune & Lube - Land O' Lakes

All Tune and Lube is under new Management. Just received great service from them. Here is a copy of my review I just posted for them:

Last week I had All Tune and Lube (Land O Lakes FL) replace my alternator in my 2004 CLK320. The owner Bob was very helpful and understanding. The free local pickup service was great, especially because I'm a one car owner. Most of the parts are under warranty, which is why this is a great place to get service from. The parts + labor are half of dealer prices as well. He personally works with you, which is the reason why I'm writing this review. No matter what the situation you may be in, I'm sure he can help you. Thank you Bob for all your help! Best car service I've ever had.

-James Doyle
CLK320 owner

Now that I've had a couple days to calm down I'm feeling better about All Tune & Lube. It is very possible my wishes were not relayed from the clerk back to the people doing the work. They may have thought, as the owner suggested, that I just wanted the tire repaired. They said they did not patch it because the hole was too close to the sidewall. I've since talked to another tire shop and they agreed that a hole in that area could not be patched.

If the tire was not patchable my plan was just to drive it with the leak. It was very slow and only required air a few times a week. Since the air is free I thought that would be a better solution than a plug. I have since read that leaving a leak is also bad since it can allow water to get in to the tire and rust the wire leading to tire failure. So maybe them plugging it was not all bad. I have to admit it is nice not having to check the air pressure every morning.

While they did not do what I asked, they did not charge me for it either. They could have been more apologetic for their mistake instead of belittling my desire for the tire not to be plugged. I'm willing to accept that they made a mistake and were not trying to rip me off. Hopefully the tire will hold up for another 6 to 8 months and by then it will be time to replace it anyway.

This situation did leave a bad taste in my mouth, but I have used All Tune & Lube in the past for other minor repairs and this is the first time I have had a problem.


BTW - someone mentioned that patching is done to increase profits. Maybe, but I find it somewhat hard to believe. The price difference between patch & plug was $5. Considering the extra time & labor involved in patching a tire I doubt there is much difference in profit between the 2 methods.

There is a problem with a shop not doing the work that was requested and charging the customer for something they didnt want. Also the problem with pluging radial tires is that once somthing punctures the tire, there is posibility that it has a broken cord. the more cords that break the tire becomes unstable and can cause the tire blow out prematurely, i have seen this happen.

don't get me wrong i have pluged my share of tires i even keep a plug kit in my car in case of an emergancy, but if i have to plug my tire rest asured that tire is gonna be replaced shortly after

Radial tires have been readily available for over 60 years. Michelin invented them, and they grew is popularity during the 1960's.

Bias Ply, and Bias Belted tires were used in greater numbers due to cost. All of the car makers switched to radial tires during the early 1970's, so Dave would have been plugging them for 30 yrs, as he said.

There are issues related to plugging, but the ONLY reason a tire shop wants to patch the tire instead, is again cost. They can charge you 2-6 times as much to patch, over a plug. Money is money.

While you did not get what you requested, you have not been harmed.

Tires have been plugged for decades, but it is my understanding that plugging causes a unique risk with radial tires. Since radials have only been around since the early 80's, we must disregard the majority of those decades. I have found that very few tire shops will plug a tire anymore. I assume that is for good reason.

More importantly, my problem was not so much with the plug, but that the shop went against my clear instructions. I did not say "fix this tire", I said "PATCH" the tire and told them to call me if for any reason the tire could not be patched. The work order said PATCH in big letters and circled. My problem is the shop did unauthorized work. I did not want the tire plugged and I made it very clear when I dropped the car off. They plugged it anyway.

Sounds like you are just aching for something to complain about! Tires have been plugged for decades now. I've plugged many tires in 30 years, and NEVER had any problems. Yes, most tire resellers prefer to put a patch on the inside, but it doesn't make it wrong to put a plug in the tire either.

They didn't destroy your tire.

I took my car in to have a VERY slow tire leak PATCHED. I made it very clear to the clerk that I only wanted the tire patched and they should call me for anything else. When I went to pick up my car the tire had been plugged. Every tire manufacturer & tire industry guideline that I know of says that a tire should never be plugged. ATL plugged my tire anyway against my clear instructions.

When I complained the owner? told me this was all new to him. Apparently they are used to doing whatever work they want. Following the customers wishes is a new concept. He did not charge me for the repair/destruction to my tire, but would not give me a receipt either. I guess he does not want a paper trail. It would have been easy enough for him to print a new receipt showing no charge for the work.