Complaint Review: Discount Engine Exchange - Mesa Arizona

 

Testimonial

 

January 07, 2015

My GMC 3500 commercial utility truck had been running poorly and had bent a lifter.

I contacted Discount Engine about purchasing a new rebuilt engine.

Due to tight funds, I was fully prepared to purchase the engine and install it myself. However; a good friend who thought she was doing me a favor, jumped in and offered to pay the labor bill, if Discount Engine could expedite the installation. I had also requested new motor mounts; and new, or the remanufacturing of, the oil cooling lines. They assured me that they could get started on it immediately and even went as far as to introduce the mechanic who would do the job. I was expecting a 7 to 10 day turn around, but was prepared for it to take as long as 15 days. I also informed them that this vehicle was indispensable to my livelihood; that I would be unable to work, and that it would be costing me income as long as it was down. They assured me that it would be done as soon as possible. They then sent a tow truck to my house that showed up at 8:30pm that evening to haul the truck to their shop…

 

I called on January 15, 2015 to inquire as to the progress of the work. At this time I was told that the manager had a heart attack!?! I borrowed a vehicle for the day and went to the shop on January 16, 2015 to find that my truck had been left in the (unsecured) front parking lot and had not been touched. I again was told that the manager was in the hospital and was having a pace maker put in. I was told this with a shrug and a devil may care attitude. I then said “But the deal had been made, the mechanic should have been able to just do the job!”  Then of a sudden, I was told that half the mechanics were out with the flu, with an “oh-well” attitude... I was not called and informed, or apologized to, nor kept abreast of the situation, I felt pretty screwed at this point. It was also during this time that I saw the “(3) on your side” news report regarding Discount Engines business practices.

 

I didn’t hear back from them until January 29, 2015; when they told me that they wanted more money for motor mounts, oil cooling lines, water pump, cap & rotor, wires, spark plugs… Although the motor mounts and the oil cooling lines had been discussed during the original purchase; they did not include them on the original work order, and now wanted more money for these items. I agreed to the water pump believing it a good idea. The cap & rotor were only 1 year old with a 2 year warranty, the wires were only 2 years old with a 5 year warranty, and the spark plugs were only 1 month old being replaced before emissions testing.

These people had my business frozen and held up for 3 weeks at this point and now holding my truck for further ransom. I borrowed a vehicle went out there and paid another 442.62 on January 30, 2015 because I had already lost 3 projects and was literally desperate to get back to work.

 

 

It wound up being February 9, 2015 before they called me to pick the vehicle up.

When they pulled it up front; I opened the hood and immediately noticed that the oil cooling lines were completely missing. The guy shows me that the book parts they ordered didn’t fit the configuration in my vehicle. And that I really didn’t need the cooling unit and could drive it without. I said that it was a commercial vehicle and the engine was expected to do heavy duty work on a consistent basis, dah. I then asked for the old lines so I could have them redone and hook the cooling unit up myself. He immediately offered to have them redone and would call me in a week or 10 days. He never did call; later I found out that they had completely removed the routing component from the engine so that even if I had gotten the hoses from him to have redone myself, I would not have been able to restore the system.

 

When I got the vehicle home, it was leaking antifreeze and still dripping oil, and I found graffiti all over the tail gate. At this point; I began inspecting the vehicle and taking pictures of the most obvious things that became a nightmare list of negligence and deliberate alteration.

 

 

 

Items found altered, missing, or damaged when truck was returned.

 

#1] Oil cooling radiator bypassed: Cooling lines left off and holes plugged…

       They kept the original lines claiming they would have them refurbished and call me

        to install them, They did not. Now; I don’t even have the old lines to get refurbished,

        and installed myself…

       Update: I found out that they completely removed and discarded the routing

       component that was on the engine…

 

#2] After leaving My commercial truck in the front “unsecured lot” for at least the first

       week, I found Graffiti sprayed on the back of the vehicle I’m lucky the bens were not

       broken into and rifled…

      Update: The truck was inadvertently video taped by “(3) on your side” news team.

 

#3a] I looked under the vehicle after getting some vibration from the drive line, and

        noticed that the NUT that secures the transmission mount to the frame was loose…

 

 #3b] When I got under the vehicle with a wrench to tighten the nut, I found that the

          Transmission mount itself was damaged and ruined…

          I have a receipt that proves that the transmission mount had been replaced, and was

          in good condition before D.E.E. had custody of the vehicle…

 

#4a] The heat shield the surrounds and protects the wires going to the starter was left

        hanging loose and not put back on…

 

#4b] The heat dissipation shields that belong on the top of the exhaust manifolds are

        missing and left off of the engine…

 

#4c] The flex hose/duct running from the manifold heat shrouds to the air intake left

        off…

 

#4d] Valve cover to throttle body breather hose left broken off and unconnected…

 

#5] The entire wiring harness; and the hydraulic brake line, brackets surrounding the

      engine left off and hanging loose…

      The wire harness left hanging 1” away from un-protected exhaust…

 

#6] Radiator was leaking when returned; Found that the over flow hose and the cab-

      heater core return hose were left unsecured…

 

#7] I have notice oil leaking from somewhere on engine…(update) at least “2” bolts

      missing at the oil pan, others loose…

 

#8] The wiring harness at the connectors; had the insulation crumbling and left

       bare… While this might not have been un-avoidable, a conscientious service worker

       might have separated the wires and dabbed a bit of silicone on the wires to keep them

       separated. Or at least tell me about it; rather than give the vehicle back, only to have

       the ignition module short, and burn out a mere 1-1/2 weeks after having it back…

 

 

 

The vehicle ran for 11/2 weeks and then died, luckily right in front of my house. The electronic module in the distributor burned out because of the wires crossing and shorting out. After that; it ran for less then for months before developing the exact same symptoms it had prior to having it replaced then completely quit. Even after spending hundreds more on replacing sensors, regulators, and just about everything peripheral that might cause it to not run properly including isolating and rewrapping the wires.

 

I had to have the vehicle towed back to my house and has been sitting since the first week of June 2015, because I no longer have funds available to invest in it.

 

1) What good are promises and assurances; if a company uses their business policies to blow off any obligations, or makes policies that bind a customer unfairly after not keeping their word?

 

2) How ethical is it to claim no responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged property; and then be deliberately negligent/irresponsible with someone’s property?

 

3) What good is a warranty; if someone deletes, damages, or completely bypasses components of a system weather installed by the manufacturer, or other qualified after market upgrades.