- Report: #187787
Complaint Review: Advanced Auto Repair - Denton Texas
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Advanced Auto Repair
612 Fort Worth Drive Denton, 76205 Texas, U.S.A.
Phone:
940-392 1691
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Advanced Auto Repair Ripoff Shotty repair job & not sticking by their warranty Denton Texas
I noticed my car was overheating while in idle(long lights, stop & go traffic, long lines at the drive through)..but running fine and not overheating, if I'm traveling steadily or on the highway. I noticed this a few times so I did what you're supposed to do when you're car overheats and blasted the heater. I planned on taking it into the shop as soon as I possibly could. Mar 7th,2006 my car overheated again in the Brookshires parking lot(and i had actually planned on taking into the shop the next day, BEFORE this happened), steam was coming from the hood, so we popped the hood and there was what appeared to be radiator fluid sprayed all over the engine.
I let the car sit and cool off, turned on the heater and drove the car home(it was too late to take it into a shop) The next day, March 8th, my boyfriend put water in the radiator, while I looked up places in the phone book to take it, . I CHOSE Advanced Auto Repair BECAUSE they advertise a warranty on their work.. 12,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. I drove my car up there and my boyfriend followed me. When the guy was typing in my information, I mentioned that I noticed it overheating a few times before while it was in idle, and that the day before I took the car in, something burst and theres radiator fluid all over the engine, and asked them to check my fans, because I had this problem one other time w/ one of the fans. I finished up w/ my info and left the car.
The next day, March 9th, they call me and tell me its basically a whole new cooling system..radiator, radiator hose, thermostat, water pump,and also a timing belt (which i already knew about so thats fine). They estimated the cost at $1,389.09!!!!!! I tell them I'm gonna have to call them back because I dont have that kind of money. I called my mom and tell her whats going on w/ the car.. she sais she can help w/ part of it, and she'll ask my uncle for the rest.. so basically my mom & my uncle end up paying for these "repairs".
I get it out of the shop March 10th, seems fine until March 11th..same freakin problem!! It overheats while I'm at a light. I blasted the heater. Since then, I have been driving it around like normal, and just blasting the heater when i see the gauge start to rise, ONLY because I have not had time to call them or take it back, or if I have had time, its been after their hours of operation.
A few days ago, on April 17th, I take my car to a different place for an entirely diff. problem..to get my AC recharged. They did a check and said that it was actually over-charged and there was too much pressure behind something blah blah whatever, and that my "cool-in fan motor" is not working. They didn't even know about my car overheating. So, I explain to the guy that my car is overheating when its in idle, and asked if that could have anything to do w/ that. He said yes because there is not enough air blowing on the radiator when I'm sitting in idle, thats what the fan is for.
So, today, April 20th, I called Advanced Auto Repair, I spoke to a manager, and explained whats going on...that my car is still overheating and that I just have NOT had time to call or anything, and that another place said its a fan. He looks up my information, and tells me that I'll have to bring it in so they can look at it (of course). I cant bring it in until my boyfriends truck is out of the shop because one of us needs a car so we can get around. So I tell him "Ok, well I can't bring it in until my boyfriends truck is out of the shop so one of us has a vehicle" and then ask him "but whenever I bring it in, whatevers going on w/ it, y'all are fixing that free, right? Because theres a warranty." He tries to tell me no because its a new problem. I explained to him "no its not a new problem....its the same problem, and your warranty covers your work".. he sais "yes but you can't call us a month later for a fan and get it for free" and i said "well, isnt the fan what would've caused it to begin with? the radiator busting and all that stuff? because if i'm not getting enough air on it, its gonna heat up when i'm in idle which is what i brought it y'all for.. because it was overheating, and still is" "he said, yea but its been a month, i can understand if it happened the next day" Thats when I told him "listen..thats what I'm telling you. It DID overheat the very next day" He asks why I didnt call him sooner. I said "Thats what I just told you! That its been overheating since I got it back from yall, and that I just havent had time to call or bring it in! I'm busy! I've been driving it around w/ the heater on" Then he tried to tell me that the fan was working when it left there.Long story short, I ended up hanging up on the guy because I was pretty ticked off. I called back a second time & asked to speak to the same guy but he was on another line.. he's supposed to call me back tomorrow (April 21st)
My point is, OK..i took it in for overheating while in idle.. OK ..thats the fan. They get paid 1,389.09 to do all this crap for my cooling system. The fans are connected to the d**n radiator, so when they replace the radiator, don't they have to do something w/ the fans? unplug them? check them? etc..if the fan wasn't working when it went in, how could it be working when it came out, if they never even checked it to see if thats what the original problem. Nowhere on my receipt does it say that they did ANYTHING w/ the fan, and the should've ATLEAST checked it, ESPECIALLY since I asked them to, which I shouldnt even have to ask them to... I may not know a lot about cars but I know enough. The fans are part of my cooling system, so if an auto mechanic is fixing something with the cooling system, they're supposed to search for all possible causes for the overheating, which would include my fans. Also, how could it have worked when I picked up the car, if it overheated the next day and I'm still having the same problem??!!!! The warranty sais 12,000 miles or one year...its been neither. The fact that I didnt call them and let them know until a month later should be irrelevant. They got paid to fix my car from overheating while in idle, and its STILL overheating while in idle. Sure.. my radiator and all that stuff is fine now because they replaced it, but my fan being out is what caused them to have to replace all that stuff in the first place. They never even checked it. Legally, don't they owe me?
Melissa
Denton, Texas
U.S.A.
I let the car sit and cool off, turned on the heater and drove the car home(it was too late to take it into a shop) The next day, March 8th, my boyfriend put water in the radiator, while I looked up places in the phone book to take it, . I CHOSE Advanced Auto Repair BECAUSE they advertise a warranty on their work.. 12,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. I drove my car up there and my boyfriend followed me. When the guy was typing in my information, I mentioned that I noticed it overheating a few times before while it was in idle, and that the day before I took the car in, something burst and theres radiator fluid all over the engine, and asked them to check my fans, because I had this problem one other time w/ one of the fans. I finished up w/ my info and left the car.
The next day, March 9th, they call me and tell me its basically a whole new cooling system..radiator, radiator hose, thermostat, water pump,and also a timing belt (which i already knew about so thats fine). They estimated the cost at $1,389.09!!!!!! I tell them I'm gonna have to call them back because I dont have that kind of money. I called my mom and tell her whats going on w/ the car.. she sais she can help w/ part of it, and she'll ask my uncle for the rest.. so basically my mom & my uncle end up paying for these "repairs".
I get it out of the shop March 10th, seems fine until March 11th..same freakin problem!! It overheats while I'm at a light. I blasted the heater. Since then, I have been driving it around like normal, and just blasting the heater when i see the gauge start to rise, ONLY because I have not had time to call them or take it back, or if I have had time, its been after their hours of operation.
A few days ago, on April 17th, I take my car to a different place for an entirely diff. problem..to get my AC recharged. They did a check and said that it was actually over-charged and there was too much pressure behind something blah blah whatever, and that my "cool-in fan motor" is not working. They didn't even know about my car overheating. So, I explain to the guy that my car is overheating when its in idle, and asked if that could have anything to do w/ that. He said yes because there is not enough air blowing on the radiator when I'm sitting in idle, thats what the fan is for.
So, today, April 20th, I called Advanced Auto Repair, I spoke to a manager, and explained whats going on...that my car is still overheating and that I just have NOT had time to call or anything, and that another place said its a fan. He looks up my information, and tells me that I'll have to bring it in so they can look at it (of course). I cant bring it in until my boyfriends truck is out of the shop because one of us needs a car so we can get around. So I tell him "Ok, well I can't bring it in until my boyfriends truck is out of the shop so one of us has a vehicle" and then ask him "but whenever I bring it in, whatevers going on w/ it, y'all are fixing that free, right? Because theres a warranty." He tries to tell me no because its a new problem. I explained to him "no its not a new problem....its the same problem, and your warranty covers your work".. he sais "yes but you can't call us a month later for a fan and get it for free" and i said "well, isnt the fan what would've caused it to begin with? the radiator busting and all that stuff? because if i'm not getting enough air on it, its gonna heat up when i'm in idle which is what i brought it y'all for.. because it was overheating, and still is" "he said, yea but its been a month, i can understand if it happened the next day" Thats when I told him "listen..thats what I'm telling you. It DID overheat the very next day" He asks why I didnt call him sooner. I said "Thats what I just told you! That its been overheating since I got it back from yall, and that I just havent had time to call or bring it in! I'm busy! I've been driving it around w/ the heater on" Then he tried to tell me that the fan was working when it left there.Long story short, I ended up hanging up on the guy because I was pretty ticked off. I called back a second time & asked to speak to the same guy but he was on another line.. he's supposed to call me back tomorrow (April 21st)
My point is, OK..i took it in for overheating while in idle.. OK ..thats the fan. They get paid 1,389.09 to do all this crap for my cooling system. The fans are connected to the d**n radiator, so when they replace the radiator, don't they have to do something w/ the fans? unplug them? check them? etc..if the fan wasn't working when it went in, how could it be working when it came out, if they never even checked it to see if thats what the original problem. Nowhere on my receipt does it say that they did ANYTHING w/ the fan, and the should've ATLEAST checked it, ESPECIALLY since I asked them to, which I shouldnt even have to ask them to... I may not know a lot about cars but I know enough. The fans are part of my cooling system, so if an auto mechanic is fixing something with the cooling system, they're supposed to search for all possible causes for the overheating, which would include my fans. Also, how could it have worked when I picked up the car, if it overheated the next day and I'm still having the same problem??!!!! The warranty sais 12,000 miles or one year...its been neither. The fact that I didnt call them and let them know until a month later should be irrelevant. They got paid to fix my car from overheating while in idle, and its STILL overheating while in idle. Sure.. my radiator and all that stuff is fine now because they replaced it, but my fan being out is what caused them to have to replace all that stuff in the first place. They never even checked it. Legally, don't they owe me?
Melissa
Denton, Texas
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Melissa
Denton,Texas,
U.S.A.
Tommy did offer to help
#2Author of original report
Wed, April 26, 2006
OK... Lets get one thing clear. I came on here to update this and let everyone know that Tommy did offer to help. He did call me and offer to put me into a rental car, which I agreed to. Tommy, you were very nice and polite and I'm sorry I never brought my car in, but at this point I still believe that there are people that work for you who are untrustworthy. As far as the mechanics, I made a mistake. Maybe they did what they were supposed to do, but the person rebuttling from Florida has a point about letting the car run long enough to see if it overheats again. Anyways, in reading your comments above, I was "foul mouthed" because your management was rude to me and not even trying to understand where I was coming from. I do want to let you know that I never personally attacked anyone. I was talking about the service. I was not ONCE rude to you, BECAUSE you were very nice to me. I started off nice to your management too. I'm a very reasonable and a very NICE person, but if I feel like I'm getting ripped off and your people arent listening to me, yes I'm gonna get offended, just like anyone else would, and I also do not appreciate one of your managers..I'll just say "S" acting like he's never been ticked off and he's never cursed. I NEVER told the guy who took down my info., that my car had been overheating for 2 weeks, what I said was that I had noticed it a few times WITHIN 2 weeks, at long lights, stop and go traffic, drive-thru's, things like that, and I also mentioned to him that I had to replace a fan before on this car. If he failed to make note of that, thats not my problem. ALSO, in your comments above.. you said that you offered to get the car in and see if a sensor, relay, low coolant or fans werent working. You never said anything about sensors, relays, or low coolant..just the fans, but whatever...you say.. "she strongly disagreed".. No I didnt. I agreed. I just never brought it in, because, like I said, I still believe there are people that work for you that are untrustworthy, I should have called you though, so I'm sorry about that. This is the only place I posted, and this was BEFORE I spoke to you personally. I never mentioned any names of your management. I never went to BBB.org, but I can still do all that and I can still mention names. I prefer to just let it be and forget about all this and just take my car in somewhere else, but if you're gonna come on here and make my character look bad, that can change. I'm almost NEVER a problem customer, I'm usually very nice and understanding about things. I admitted fault in not bringing the car back in sooner, and I admitted that I should've called right after it overheated again the very next day, after it was "fixed". I never tried to put all the blame on your company. Theres already complaints on BBB.org about Advanced Auto Repair. I only wish I had thought to check there BEFORE I brought my car in, in the first place. Thanks. < Melissa >
Robert
Jacksonville,Florida,
U.S.A.
I have a question for you Tommy
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, April 21, 2006
What your mech did was fine. But one problem I see, and you passed over it, is why didn't your mechanic run the car long enough to make sure the fans come on when hot? Checking them with the A/C on is one thing. The coolant sensor/switch is another, and apparently was not turning them on as required. I am not making a judgement call, but this is basic stuff here. Any car that overheats, the fans should be ch4ecked after all other repairs to make sure they come on. I understand you cannot do this with the system not holding water. But, once the system is repaired and full, what happened? I think your mech needs to make this right for her. Step up.
Tommy
Denton,Texas,
U.S.A.
Overheating
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, April 21, 2006
I needed to respond to this to make sure that everyone is clear on what happened from the point the customer brought the car in for the check out, to the time the car was picked up. The customer came in and gave us a description of their problem "Has been overheating for about two weeks, yesterday was steaming, and customer was seeing water on the ground, system was empty, customer added water". The check out procedure, that is performed on every overheating complaint was printed on her repair order before we even typed in her description. This check out procedure includes.. (and the results) PRESSURE TEST FOR LEAKS, (PASS /FAIL). FAILED PERFORM CHEMICAL BLOCK TEST(PASS/FAIL) PASSED RADIATOR CAP HOLDS (___13___PSI.) FAN(CLUTCH/ELECTRIC) COMES ON AT(___F)NO COOLANT T-STAT OPENS AT (_____F)NO COOLANT RADIATOR (INLET____F)(OUTLET ____F)NO COOLANT COOLANT STRIP TEST (PASS / FAIL)NO COOLANT TEMP SENSOR/S CALIBRATION (PASS/FAIL) TEMP GAUGE/LIGHT OPERATION (PASS/FAIL) COOLING FAN RELAY (PASS/FAIL) PASSED BATTERY & CONNECTIONS (PASS/FAIL) PASSED WATER PUMP FLOW & BEARINGS (PASS/FAIL) FAILED HEATER CORE TEMP @ 1500 RPM (____F) HOSES,CLAMPS,BELT CONDITION(PASS/FAIL) FAILED FREEZE PLUG CONDITION (PASS/FAIL) TROUBLE CODES FOR COOLING SYSTEM_____ CHECK AIR DAMS AND SHROUD (PASS/FAIL) PASSED DEXCOOL/GREEN/OTHER__GREEN_ Technician comments: the radiator upper tank is busted, radiator hoses are crunching when squeezed and the clamps are original, valves are making noise and the belts are cracking and the water pump is leaking coolant. Passed chemical block test 2X's. These are the comments made by the technician on the initial check out. After the repairs were completed the technician's notes are as follows. Pressure tested to 14 PSI. for 30 minutes, no leaks detected. A/C system is quick cycling, and dragging the engine down. recmd A/C check. We would have advised her of repairs needed if any more would have been needed at that time, but we don't try to sell parts that are working fine, without a reasonable explanation or approval. I will call her my self and try to talk to her to get her back on the road, but the recent conversations to my management have been very foul mouthed, I hope to speak friendly with her soon. When she stated there was no notes on the cooling fans working, she was correct. On the initial check out, there was no coolant to heat up the sensor. We had to test the cooling fans with the relay (see check out procedure above)and turning the a/c on. (which turns the fans on). They did work. We did offer to get the car in the shop to find out if a sensor, relay, low coolant, or if the fans were not working. she did strongly disagree. how can i warranty something if she can not bring it back in. she informed my management that she did not have time to bring it in, or even call, but the car did have time to go to another shop. I would and still will place her in a rental car until we find out what is going on. If i can help her I WILL. Tommy
Robert
Jacksonville,Florida,
U.S.A.
I'll keep this short for you
#5Consumer Comment
Fri, April 21, 2006
No, they do not owe you any money. They did work that you agreed to. It doesn't matter that you don't know anything about cars. It only matters that they have your signature authorizing work. They misdiagnosed your problem, either knowingly or unknowingly. The timing belt was basic maintenance, and you knew that. I knew it was the fans not working within the first sentence. This is a VERY common problem. You still have a warranty that covers the work they DID do. While they DID take your money for seemingly unneeded work, what they did was still a good idea. The radiator MAY have been marginal. The water pump MAY have been showing signs of leakage. Hoses and belts should be replaced every four years. About the best you will be able to do is contact the owner of the shop and talk to him/her about your bill. You MAY get some satisfaction that way. If not, word of mouth is the most effective advertising, good and bad. Good luck.
