Complaint Review: Dan's Mobil - Rancho Cucamonga California

How did you not notice the glaringly glowing yellow check engine light?

It's annoying during the day, and blinding at night. People in the next lane can see it.

I agree with the owner of the shop. You are simply upset because the car failed. This is the reason I stopped doing inspections years ago. People get mad at the shop doing the inspection, and failing the car for something the vehicle owner clearly knows about...like a blinding check engine light.

As owner of Dan's Mobil, I would like to respond to this report. First of all, thank you for noticing how nice of a guy Tim is. Tim is a very valuable member of my team. He is always very positive, hard working and is most definately a people person.  This is why I hired him and have him take care of as many customers as possible.

As you mentioned, I don't smile much. This is something I am working on and why Tim does most of the customer interaction. You mentioned that you spoke only with Tim, but that you found me rude and demanding and mean. I can be demanding of my employees, as most employers are and have a right to be. I am usually brief and to the point, and some consider this rude. I am working on this as well. I do not consider myself to be mean. Tim is certanily light years ahead of me in these areas and I hope to improve my demanor.

A "RIP-OFF" is when you do not recieve something that you have paid for. It also can mean being charged more for something than you were told. This is not what happened to you. You were told how much the Smog Test would cost, and that the fee was payable even if the car failed the test. This is done with every customer before the work was started. You were also provided with an estimate that you signed. So you knew before we started that the total for your car would be $50.00 if it passed and $41.75 if it did not. You were not decieved or ripped off in any way. You asked for, authorized, and got a Smog Check. You are unhappy with the results of the test, and are now complaning about it. 

As for testing a vehicle with the check engine light on, there are several reasons this is done. We are a "Gold Shield" station. Currently less than 10% off all Smog Check stations qualify for this status. It is only given to the highest quality repair stations. As such, we are required to test vehicles in the manner in which they come into us. We can get in trouble with the State and lose our Gold Shield status if we do not. This puts us in a difficult situation between doing what the state wants, and what the consumer might prefer. Also, the check engine light might not be the only problem the car has. A complete test is necessary to determin all of the parts of the Smog Check  test the car might fail. This way, a proper diagnosis can be done.  

Another reason it is best to complete the test is that many cars that fail a test are eligible for financial assistance from the state to repair the car. This assistance is given out only when a car completes and fails a Smog Test. We help many of our customers with this process and repair many cars under this program. 

As for my price, we are very clear as to what we charge. As in any business, there is always someone willing to work for less.  When purchasing auto service, even a Smog Check, the lowest bidder may not be the best business to rely on for quality repairs.

We do offer a free retest when repairs are completed at our shop. 

We are a full service repair facility. Smog Checks are only a small part of our business. Our main goal is to establish a long term relationship with our customers and maintain their cars. This is why we do a courtesy check of fluids, belts, hoses, tires, etc., while we are doing a Smog Check. Most customers appreciate our informing them of their vehicles maintence needs. Preventitive maintence is important to avoiding breakdowns and costly repairs.  Again, I believe our prices are fair, and am aware that there is always someone willing to quote less.

As regards your hood lifts, this is a saftey concern for anyone working under the hood. If you need a stick to hold up the hood, this can easily be knocked away and then the hood comes crashing down on the head of whomever is working under it. Even checking oil can be dangerous. I know of several injuries for this very reason.

In closing, I would also mention that my shop is AAA approved. AAA and Gold Shield repair facilities are held to the highest standards of repair quality and customer satisfaction. I am sorry that you car failed the Smog Test, but you were most certanily not "RIPPED OFF." You got what you paid for, a Smog Test.