Complaint Review: Auto Culture - Phoenix Arizona

I brought my 1997 Yukon GT into Auto Culture about a year ago and after speaking to Chris and hearing his sales pitch about how they at Auto Culture only believe in putting quality parts that they can stand behind and warranty i chose to put my truck in the hands of Chris and his staff at Auto Culture.

Im not going to go into extensive dcetail of all the work i was having done at Auto Culture because the list if quite extensive however; to keep it short i was having them install a six inch lift to fit 35 in tires and 22 by 14in rims. Prior to bringing the truck in i was trying to cordinate with Chris about bringing in the truck but i was also having another shop install new ball joints, at this point Chris asked that i allow Auto Culture to do the work since they were going to have to take my truck apart anyways. So we begin negiotiating prices as well as Chris informing me that since the truck will be broken down that it be best that they point out all the parts that should also be replaced since this infact is a 97 Yukon and the abuse these parts will take form it being lifted and with such big rims and tires. So we agreed on pricing work and that he would inform me of any price changing do to parts being replaced. SO after the work was done, payed for, and keys in my hand i took my Yukon to get aligned only to hear that it cant be aligned due to IMPROPERLY installed ball joints.

I then took my truck back to Auto Culture and he replaced the ball joints with another pair plus took care of a few other concerns i had. So after having Auto Culture repair their mistakes i took my Yukon to get aligned and then home. A few months shy of a year and four thousand miles later i see that my tires have taken an unusual beating. I must sat that this is my weekend vehickle and like some would say, a "Pavement Princess" never taken off roading, but mearely enjoyed on the occasional weekend, hence only four thousand miles in just short of a year. I take my Yukon to get aligned yet once again to find out that it cant be aligned because the ball joints are no good!

I call Chris at Auto Culture to talk about the warranty and he asked that i bring the Yukon in and that it should still be under warranty being that it has been less than a year. After bringing in my yukon to Auto Culture Chirs has the ball joints inspected by his staff, and tells me i have two choices: 1st the ball joints are warrantied however he will have to charge me $195 for labor, or i can have the work done elsewhere but i will still need to bring the used ball joints in order to have them replaced. Two days later i bring in the ball joints that i had a trusted mechanic shop remove allow me to add that this now coming up to my third set of ball joints and i believe that after allowing Auto Culture two previous times to install the ball joints any reasonable person wouldn't give them a third try.

Now that im with Chris from Auto Culture he takes me to the business that he bought the ball joints from. As he begins talking with the clerk about returing the ball joints under warranty the clerk informs Chris that the specific part number for the ball joints he gave them from my invoice only has a 90 days warranty and that they were a cheap brand. Chris then tells the clerk that he thought he bought a premium brand the clerk says "No" and that the ones he bought were cheap ones, and the warranty is no longer valid at which point i then asked the clerk if they would suggest having these specific ball joints put on a Yukon with a six inch lift with 35 in tires and 22 by 14 in rims, "No way" was his answer. Chris then tells me that he will come out of pocket and buy the best ball joints on the market for me and that he had thought he infact did put a premium brand on my Yukon. I then asked him about the labor i now owed another shop beause of Auto Cultures inability to satisfy me with replacing ball joints on my Yukon. Chris then tells me he would only pay for the ball joints, so i allowed him to pay for the new best on the market ball joints and then we head back to Auto Culture.

Once at Auto Culture Chris and i again have a discussion about the ball joints, the labor i now owe another shop, and even new tires that i must buy besause Chris and his staff at Auto Culture not once but twice ineffectively replaced ball joints to support a lifted Yukon that they lifted as well as out the 35 in tires and 22 by 14 in rims on. Chris final answer was had i allowed Auto Culture to do the labor and after finding out that they at Auto Culture mistakingly ordered and installed cheap quality ball joints he would have waved the labor cost, but since i took my Yukon to another shop he will not pay another shop for something Auto Culture coukd have done.. Even though it may have taken them three times to get it right.