Complaint Review: Bell Subaru

When I brought my 1991 Subaru into Bell Subaru in Woodbridge NJ I requested that they check the car out and give me an estimate of repair for a "check engine" light that stayed on. Having brought the car in that morning, I received a call from the customer service telling me that I would have to pay $75.00 for the initial checkup and if I wanted they could put the car on the computer for an additional $75.00 for a further "diagnostic report", which I agreed and had no problem. Later that day I received a call from the service manager stating that to repair my car it would cost about $3,000.00 and request an OK to begin work.

I informed him that most of the work he described was unnecessary (eg: new headgasket, balljoints, etc)and that I would be in to pick up the car. When I went to pick up the car I was charged $168.00.

When I requested a written receipt of all the work that was required as well as "computer report" which I felt was worth the charge I was told "you received it over the phone".

I refused to pay and yet was charged through my credit card.

Having worked through my credit card company I had $50.00 removed from my credit but still felt that they perfomed nothing for the rest of the $118.00 they charged me!!!

I would expect a written itemized report of all that work that was needed to justify that they really went under the hood and inspected the car.

I feel that these mechanics never looked under the hood and just pulled what was need for a 1991 Subaru out of some Subaru mechanic work manual!!