Complaint Review: Hutchins Auto Repair - Redding California

Hutchins Auto Repair, 3104 Bechelli Lane, Redding, CA 96002 (530) 221-5113 Parcel Number 070 240 012 000 B.A.R. number AE221698

Owner: Chuck Hutchins 3781 HENDERSON RD near WILSHIRE DR. REDDING CA 96002 Land Use: 53 - RETAIL TRADE: DEPARTMENT/VARIETY STORE Nearest Intersection: HARTNELL AVE.



Hutchins Auto Repair

I have a 1972 Ford F-250 pickup that has an oil leak in the oil pan. It appeared the oil pan was resting on the I-Beam. So, I called a few places to see how much it would cost to have the Motor Mounts replaced. Traffic Analyst (Former Police Officer) had told me this is what appeared to be the problem.

Hutchins Auto Repair gave me a quote of $150 for parts and labor total. Due to be worked on Friday March 21, 2003, I decided to take it down on Thursday so it would be available for the mechanic Friday morning when they opened.

In dropping off the vehicle an estimate was printed up by Lou Breitegger, Service Advisor at Hutchins for $182. This was $30 more than he had estimated. My wife looked at me and I decided that $30 was not worth arguing over. I signed the estimate and we left. Friday morning at 10:20 am I received a call from Lou Breitegger asking me to call because he could not do much more about the repair until I talked to him about it.





Hutchins Business Card

I called and Lou said: Someone had welded a different assembly under the motor and the whole job had changed. At this point I brought up the issue of the original quote over the telephone versus the $30 increase when I brought the Truck in Thursday afternoon. I told him I did not appreciate being lied to. Hutchins Auto Repair had me wondering what the next catch was going to be.



Hutchins Auto Repair Lou Breitegger raising Truck up for me to see Motor mount problem

Lou said they would just put it back the way it was and I still had to pay labor. But, my wife and I saw the rubber bushing was in broken pieces on the mechanics table.

I drove down to Hutchins. I was lead through the office and into the service area (where they later told me I was not allowed to be and told me to leave). While taking some pictures and asking a few questions Lou told me, Get out of the shop you are not allowed in here! Another mechanic came toward me in a threatening posture.



Ford Pick-up undercarriage photo taken inside repair station}

I said, All I wanted to do was to fix the oil leak in the oil pan.

Chuck Hutchins, owner said We are not doing any work on your car! and Lou Breitegger said, You will have to pay the labor! Chuck said You came down here with a vehicle and misrepresented yourself and if you do not pay the Labor cost you will not get your car!

Misrepresented myself? So one guy (the owner) says they are going to do nothing and the other guy says I have to pay for all the Labor! With that my wife and I left.



Hutchins Auto Repair where I am being led to my Ford Truck

I called the analyst who had recommended the Motor Mount replacement and asked him what to do. He advised me that the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) was in place to help with these types of problems. As an AAA member I had understood Hutchins was a reputable business in auto repair work. He said the Bureau of Automotive Repair had a representative that covered the Redding area but I might need to call Sacramento to get his name.

I called the Bureau of Automotive Repair, 10240 Systems Parkway, Sacramento, CA at (916) 255-4300 and was told I would have to file a complaint first before they could investigate the problem. They said they had a field officer that came to Redding when complaints were filed in Redding.

There I am, days before someone from the state Bureau of Automotive Repair could investigate. Hutchins Auto Repair in the meantime had to be addressed.

I called back to Hutchins Auto Repair and spoke again to Lou Breitegger (sounded like he left the telephone for a moment and the conversation went into record mode).

I told Lou that I better understood his quote over the telephone versus the quote when I got to the Auto Repair shop (frankly, I did not though). He said they do not use Japanese parts like Kragen Auto provides. I buy from NAPA just like them and I will bet I am getting Japanese made parts.

Lou Breitegger said he was not a liar. I said the misunderstanding started with the discrepancy in the original quote. I apologized and he said he accepted my apology. Then I addressed the issue about getting my truck back to the condition it had come in. They had broken the rubber bushings taking them out. Are they going to act like that never happened?

I had suggested in my apology, maybe we both did not know what the motor mount replacement entailed. Then Lou went on to say that it would take a lot of researching (meaning auto mechanic time and money) to find out what exactly needed to be done to put the motor mounts in original condition. I did not want original condition, all I really wanted was the Oil Pan leak fixed.

I realized I better cut my losses and get my Truck out of there. I asked what it would be in Labor and he said $67, then left the telephone for a moment. Then he came back and said, Yeah it will be $67. I said: Okay put it back the way it was and I will come get the Truck as soon as my wife gets home. My wife and I went to pick up the Truck. Lou said that Chuck Hutchins told him, they would not accept a check from me. I had enough on me to cover the $67 in cash. It looks like they just stuck the rubber mountings back in without securing them.

Statement from the Hutchins Repair Estimate Invoice: At customer request replace both front engine mounts. Truck is not as represented to be repaired, engine has been modified and hashed in. Can not be repaired without being identified and the right parts installed. Customer declined repair after job was started. Additional note: Mounts reinstalled as the vehicle was brought in and is unsafe. As far as I can tell they reinstalled the motor mounts they broke taking out!

Hutchins Auto Repair, you will never get business from me. You have been in business for nearly 20 years in the Redding community? I thought you were dependable until my first and only experience. If you were a man of Integrity, this could have worked out for both of us. Instead this ended up being a Lose/Lose situation!

There are some serious lessons in this story.

First, know the automotive shop you are dealing with. This was my First time at Hutchins Auto Repair.

Second, get more than one opinion before you take a repair into anyone. In this situation I feel like I was Blind-sided and Hutchins Auto Repair did nothing to try to placate me.

Third, stick to the primary problem and do not allow the Auto Repair shop to deviate from it. This was an Oil Pan leak not a Cool April Nights Mega-Bucks original condition request.

Fourth, do not depend on quick assistance from any government agency.

Thank you Rip-Off Report

Gregory Consumer Advocate

Redding, California
U.S.A.