Complaint Review: Columbus Diesel Supply Company - Reynoldsburg Ohio

About 10/15/2014 I, Jerry Brooks, noticed diesel fuel getting into the radiator reservoir. Bob Burns, diesel expert with Mobil Fleet, called Don at Columbus Diesel Supply Company and got a quote of between $800 and $1000.00. 10/18 I took the truck out to Columbus Diesel and explained to the problem to them and reminded that Bob Burns had spoken to Don the day before about the problem.

I waited for a week then called them. I was told their Ford mechanic was on vacation and was due back in a week. A week later I called to check on the truck and I was told they had taken it all apart and put in back together and confirmed that it needed injector cups.

At that time they quoted me a price, via telephone, of around $1000.00. I gave them the authorization to go ahead and do the work. 11/9 I called to ask about the truck. I was told it was done.  11/10 I picked up the truck. I was shocked to be given an invoice of $2321.84.

They had not called at any time to clear extra work or charges with me. They replaced a wiring harness that Bob Burns had replaced less than 2 years prior and should not have needed to be replaced. I paid the bill.

I drove the truck home and it drove fine that day. The next few days it was difficult to start in the mornings. As I was leaving work the morning of 11/15 it would not start. I called Columbus Diesel and they told me to have it towed to them. After around 40 minutes it finally started and I drove it to Columbus Diesel.  

11/20 they called me and said it was completed. I went to pick it up and upon arriving I was told by the lady in the office that they had forgotten to charge me for an air filter on the last bill so she put it on this one. They presented me a bill for $369.13 (including the air filter). I had been under the assumption that it was covered under the work they had already done and was surprised to be charged.

I drove it a couple of times and it seemed ok. I then had right shoulder surgery and was unable to get in and out of it for quite a while. Following the surgery I had the major setback of a total loss house fire. The truck was undamaged by the fire but was blocked in my driveway due to the damages to the house. I did not drive it again until July because it was blocked and my focus was on the house fire and all that needed my attention there.

In late July we were going to take it on vacation but when we tried to drive it, it had the same issues as before. It was hard to start, would shut off at times while driving, and ran rough.  After vacation on 8/17/2015 I took it back to Columbus Diesel because it was clearly the same issue and even after almost $2700.00 in charges it was still not fixed.

8/18 when I picked it up they asked me why I unplugged the EBP sensor (exhaust back pressure sensor). I had not unplugged anything or touched anything. Clearly it was not hooked up when they sent it home with me back on 11/20. * 8/18 they had it they replaced the cam sensor and IDM sensor. I was never quoted a price and again ridiculously believed this would be covered under the previous work already charged for but instead they presented me with a bill for $807.68.

We drove it several times and thought it was finally fixed. I quit driving it for awhile. Because of my house fire I was living in my fiancés small apartment complex and it was too big to park there. 10/25 when we started driving it again it of course had all the same problems.

Bob Burns ran a diagnostic scan on it and found the same code of P1298 IDM failure which was supposedly replaced by Columbus Diesel 2 months ago. I took it back in to them. 10/28 I was contacted by Columbus Diesel that it was fixed. I picked it up. They did the work under warranty this time.

I had gotten a ride from my neighbor Dan Ward to get there. I was leaving their parking lot, went less than a ½ mile and it started making a knocking sound, had no acceleration and was running rough. Same things it had been doing all along. I made it back into their parking lot and told the guy at the desk.

He came and started it up and it stalled on him. He got the mechanic, Chris, who had been doing the work on the truck. Chris got it started and preceded toward his bay. During this the truck stalled and stopped again. Chris had a hard time getting it started and it made a clanging sound, stalled and stopped as if the brakes had been locked up on it or something. Chris started it again, he revved it up while in park and then dropped it down into drive to get the truck to move. He did this several times.

After the first time he did it Dan Ward and I commented he was going to damage the transmission. Chris checked the scanner to check codes and claimed the codes were clear. He then said he believed that the torque convertor was locked up on the transmission. Another mechanic came out and said that the transmission needed repaired.

I had never had transmission problems prior to taking it to Columbus Diesel so I was not happy at all hearing this talk. Chris revved it up 2 more times and dropped it in drive from park, the rear tires chirped and the truck jumped and stalled.  His third attempt, he revved it higher while he held his foot on the brake, he dropped it down into drive and the truck started moving as if it was dragging a heavy load.  I had to leave it there again for them to continue looking it over.

10/28 after leaving the truck there Bob Burns called Columbus Diesel to find out what was going on with the truck. He advised them that I told him in a text message that Chris had numerous times revved it in park dropped it into gear. Don Hatcher, the service manager, told Bob that nothing was wrong with the truck, there were no codes and that now it was the transmission that was out. Bob told him we would be in to talk to him. 10/29.

Bob Burns and I went out together and spoke with Don Hatcher. Don said there was nothing he can do for us and that we needed to take it to a transmission shop. At this time I told him about Chris revving it and dropping it into gear and he said he didn’t believe me and that Chris wouldn’t do that. By this time I was really fed up with everything. I asked him if he was calling me a liar when I have a witness to it. My neighbor Dan Ward was right there with me the whole time.

Bob Burns proceeded to question him. He asked, “so the motor should run fine if we get the transmission fixed?” Don said yes. So Bob and I decided to take the truck off the lot. We went out and started it, it started fine, went into reverse and forward fine, drove truck around to the back side of the building and the strange knocking sound started and it started running rough and would not accelerate.

We pulled up at the back with the truck still running rough and got Don’s attention to come over to the truck. We proceeded to tell him this is what it has been doing ever since picking it up after the first time they had worked on it. Bob asked him what he was going to do about it and Don told Bob there would be another diagnostic charge and they would attempt to work on it again.

Bob was not happy with Don’s response and we took the truck home. While driving home the truck ran rough for approximately a mile and a half then cleared itself up and ran fine the rest of the way. This is what it has been doing since after the first time Columbus Diesel worked on it.  

Total cost to date $3,498.65. The only charge that was ever cleared with me prior to the work being done was around $1000.00 – 1200.00 dollars. I took it to be worked on because there was fuel in the radiator. It was actually running fine at this time. I just happened to notice while checking the oil that there was fuel in the antifreeze.

After Columbus Diesel worked on it all the other problems began; the running rough, lack of acceleration, stalling while driving down the road, including on the freeway, the clanging and other noises. I was never once rude to any of them; I just kept paying them every time they gave me a bill.

I regret taking this to Columbus Diesel. Not only are they unable and refusing to fix what they caused they are also rude and have terrible customer service. Bob told Don that he had personally referred me to Columbus Diesel and was told by Don on the phone that they could fix it for around $800.00. Bob asked what they planned to do to make it right and Don’s response was. “Well you are a mechanic, why didn’t you fix it?”  

Don’s attitude, actions, and lack of actions are the poorest examples of customer service I have ever had the bad luck to experience. Every time I went in they charged me for a diagnostic fee, even though they said if they did the work they would not charge the diagnostic fee on top of it. They charged me a $115.00 diagnostic fee four times.