Complaint Review: Kwik Kar - JOHN HUFFMAN - Dallas Texas

Let me preface this with the notion that finding a good mechanic is somewhat similar to finding a suitable physycian or attorney. However, let's get down to the nuts & bolts of this matter. Standard preventive maint. on a functional differential, and in the case of this particular vehicle, would include a front transfer case due to the 4w-drive. This simply refers to this vehicle having two differentials rather than one, which is normally the case in the garden variety 2w-drive variety (one for the rear two wheels, and another for the front two wheels). 'Functional', refers to the device being in good working conditon and is working properly, at the time of the PM being performed. This would also take into consideration that this vehicle has not been used 'OFF ROAD', which then brings a whole other set of maint. issues related to water entering the system (bad), and what's known in the 'Biz' as severe service, ie: taxi's or law enforcement, etc. You get the idea, I trust. So, off road and severe service notwithstanding, with this system having no leaks and otherwise in proper working condition, PM should consist of removing the oil filler plug, checking for proper fluid levels, and filling with the appropriate gear oil (synthetic or standard), to the level of the filler plug. replace filler plug, and done. This is the only 'PM' on this device. Any other service or maint. is beyond the realm of 'Preventive' and is getting deeper into the nature of mechanical service. Now you're into an area that normal lube changing, perhaps is not best suited to deal with, in my humble opinion.

I jsut happened upon this report and I read that Bradley mentioned a few posts up that... "A side note: I notice in the picture 'Kwik Kar' is advertising 'Amsoil- the 7,500 mile oil change'... Interesting...on Amsoil's website they are claiming there oil is good for 25,000 miles..." Amsoil has different grades of motor oil and they all have different drain interval ratings. The XL grade Amsoil oil is supposed to be changed every 7,500 miles or 6 months - whichever comes first (assuming your car's engine is mechanically sound and performs under normal conditions). The ASL grade Amsoil oil is supposed to be changed every 25,000 miles or 12 months - whichever comes first (assuming your car's engine is mechanically sound and performs under normal conditions). Therefore, the company mentioned in this report most likely uses the XL (7,500 mile) grade of amsoil oil in his car lube business. They are not lying, they just use the XL 7,500 mile grade of amsoil for their business. This is probably because while many cars and trucks can use the ASL/25,000 mile grade, many also can't. Many more cars and trucks can use the XL/7,500 grade, though. The XL is more of a "all purpose" amsoil oil, if I may put it that way. Of course, they also probably use the XL because it keep them in business. They may lose business if they were to sell oil changes with 1-yr drain intervals. ::wink, wink:: Just wanted to clarify this. Claiming that the business might be crooked because they are claiming a 7500 mile oil change interval for amsoil is not fair because they are probably using the XL 7500 mile drain interval grade of amsoil - therefore their claim is totally true. I'm not an amsoil dealer myself but I AM a long-time satisfied, religious customer of amsoil.

I just want to state that I myself have to take my vehicle to mechanical shops or oil change places time and again. That is what these places are for - oil changes, tune ups, repairs, maintenance, etc. How dare you people criticise Phillip for going to "Kwik Kar" for his "whatever needs" were at the time. He, as a consumer, has the right to take his vehicle where he wants, especially to places that advertise the work that he had done. Some of these places really lay it on customers about needing this and needing that, and you should really have this done......well, sometimes you can't help but trust the shop telling you this & that your safety is at risk. Although I'm sure everyone has been ripped off by someone or someplace, sometime in their life!!!! And it's very hard to trust a lot of these shops! They've all done some rip offs almost everywhere. Brad if you were ripped off by a certain place and reported it here, would you appreciate someone coming on here and putting you down for where you took it? that is no one's beeswax but your own! I'm sure there's plenty of people, including probably yourself, who've taken their vehicle to an expensive, top-notch-named outfit, and was ripped off as well. It doesn't matter! Everyone's been ripped off before by God knows who all! It's not important the name of the place. If they advertise good work at a fair price, then it's up to the individual. Yes some of those places do hire ex-cons or whatever. But not all ex-cons are bad people now are they? What if your mom was an ex-con, but you knew she was NOT guilty of her crime, but still did the time? This is an example of how judging people can be very negative. Leave it to God to judge. Are you people saying Ex felons don't deserve a second chance in life? Would you rather see them working a job or robbing and burglarizing & dealing drugs to survive? Note the pronoun "ex". There's a reason for that. I say how dare you judge a book by it's cover. Even ex-felons deserve to eat & pay rent, and try to make a living somewhere. Or will they always have a label to try to live down? They already have to prove themselves to everyone just to get by. It's people like the one that said "all they do is hire ex-felons", that keep the people who've been to jail from getting a second chance and changing their life! Everybody's gotta work somewhere! This man Phillip has that RIGHT, as a consumer to go where he pleases! Forget the name....that's up to him where he takes his car or jeep. And Jeeps aren't junk. Maybe to some people, but not to everyone. maybe this guy loves his Jeep. You should respect the fact that this man is doing exactly what he was supposed to do. Take his car to have it worked on somewhere, pay them, and expect to not have complications from the work. But since he did, he's taking them to court! How dare you people criticise him and tell him he got what he deserves! That's exactly what this website is for! People who've been ripped off by businesses!!!!!!! Who are you to tell anyone where to take their car; or for that matter, that they should learn some mechanics at home and do it themselves! Maybe the guy doesn't want to do it himself! That's his perogative!!! Leave people alone who are placing comments about a crooked business. That's what Rip Off Report is FOR! How dare you condemn him. Matter of fact, there's probably been some "Kwik Kar" outfits that have done a lot of people right, so how can you judge a place by it's name? what if someone judged you harshly because your name is "BRAD" or whatever. Man, get a grip and let people do their reporting on these rip off places. He has the God-Given Right to take his vehicle anywhere he wants and to expect and deserve a good job done in exchange for money paid!. He shouldn't have to "do it himself" if he wishes not to...... Man everyone has their opionions in this world, don't they? Too bad certain types of people just don't know how to keep 'em to theirselves. Keep up the good work you people who report these bad places! And thank God for Ed M. who has this website so these crooks get exposed!

After having worked on Jeeps for many years I have determined that the "J" in Jeep stands for junk. You get what you pay for, and deserve.

After having worked on Jeeps for many years I have determined that the "J" in Jeep stands for junk. You get what you pay for, and deserve.

After having worked on Jeeps for many years I have determined that the "J" in Jeep stands for junk. You get what you pay for, and deserve.

After having worked on Jeeps for many years I have determined that the "J" in Jeep stands for junk. You get what you pay for, and deserve.

After researching kwik kar locations in my area, I came upon this website. Phillip, you are not to blame here. I have heard many things related to auto service when it comes to jeeps, but this is the best one yet. I own a jeep wrangler myself, and I do perform some routine maintenance at my home. But if the work was related to your 4X4 system, it can very well be somewhat technical. Speaking of the front diff alone, you will need: 1.) Gear Puller 2.) 1.5 Socket for Pinion Nut 3.) RTV High Temp Silicon Gasket Maker. 4.) Hammer & Flat head screwdriver Is the oil leaking around the cover plate or from the pinion seal? If it's the cover plate. it has no gasket, it's just sealed with RTV sealent (a kind of instant gasket) so you could take it off (you'll lose all the oil) and reseal it. If the pinion seal is leaking It's not a huge job but has to be done right in order to keep the pinion preload correct. Any specialist should be able to do your cat, but I would steer clear of fast fit centres (kwik kar) and use a dealer or Jeep specialist. But ultimately, the Brad guy is right... you should never trust your jeep to any place called "kwik-kar". These fast fit centers employ individuals who really have no business working for anyone. Most of them are felons, and they will take your hard-earned money on any chance thay get. I have owned my jeep (CJ7 model) for about ten years. I love working on it, and keeping it up and running. But it takes some work. As far as "kwik-kar" is concerned, and this john huffmen guy, you should take it to small claims court. If you really have actual dealer mechanics that will show up in court to go against these losers, you should do it. I will be sure to call the inept mechanics at this kwik-kar place, and let them know how I feel. Just take it as a learning experience, and never do business with these type of low-brow individuals again. I will tell you that I am new to Texas, and I will never use this kwik-kar place for anything, including a simple oil change. It sounds like these guys need to go back to the "community college" that they came from. I hope that you will learn from this experience, and realize, like the Brad guy said... what are you thinking, doing business with a place called "kwik-kar" anyway. Good luck, and take care of your jeep. Who is john huffmen anyway?

Okay Phillip first off lets just say that that wasnt the original title of my rebuttal. The original title was simply "Suggestions" but somehow it was changed to "nobody to blame but yourself"- probably extracted from some of my text... So anyways go back and reread my rebuttal with that in mind. Now with that clear lets look at some things... You went to "Kwik Kar" (doesnt that name hint at the kindof service your gonna get?) with little time before you had to depart on your destination. Okay so maybe not your fault there after reading your response, but definitely not "theirs". I never said anything about an OIL filter, I stated AIR filter (which is part of routine maintenance) and an oil CHANGE (also part of routine maintenance)... I just wanted to know what all you got for your 250 bux, (I would assume you got a "tune-up" -ie spark plugs- changed also for this price). You should have also got your grease fittings lubed. All of this is what is really ROUTINE MAINTENANCE and I dont see how the tools or the knowledge to these BASIC things can cost ya 2000 bux... You stated you own a Jeep Wrangler. Now Im no expert on Jeep Wranglers but I think I would be correct to assume that this really is on the opposite end of the spectrum of "technical" vehicles. As a matter of fact I would guess -like I suggested earlier that if you learned some basic mechanic skills you could do just about all the maintenance on this vehicle yourself. (I mean this is based on a combat vehicle after all). The one system that might be a little complex (compared to other cars) is the 4 wheel drive system and it sounds like this is where they got ya. But as far as I know there is no "routine maintenance" here unless you are already having problems or are low on fluid. But Im no expert on jeeps so I cant help you here. But I can say that Ive owned and still own several vehicles (including my first car), most of which I would say are more technical than a jeep and cant ever remember spending more than 300-400 bux at one time on any of them, (and that time was because yep I waited WAY TOO LONG to check my brakes and one side basically fell apart. So it sounds like they planned on ripping you a new one on your jeep and they pretty much did... But I am still gonna place a little blame on ya: If all of your jeeps components are really that technical, should you really be trusting it to someplace called "Kwik Kar"??? I mean c'mon A side note: I notice in the picture "Kwik Kar" is advertising "Amsoil- the 7,500 mile oil change"... Interesting...on Amsoil's website they are claiming there oil is good for 25,000 miles...

Okay Phillip first off lets just say that that wasnt the original title of my rebuttal. The original title was simply "Suggestions" but somehow it was changed to "nobody to blame but yourself"- probably extracted from some of my text... So anyways go back and reread my rebuttal with that in mind. Now with that clear lets look at some things... You went to "Kwik Kar" (doesnt that name hint at the kindof service your gonna get?) with little time before you had to depart on your destination. Okay so maybe not your fault there after reading your response, but definitely not "theirs". I never said anything about an OIL filter, I stated AIR filter (which is part of routine maintenance) and an oil CHANGE (also part of routine maintenance)... I just wanted to know what all you got for your 250 bux, (I would assume you got a "tune-up" -ie spark plugs- changed also for this price). You should have also got your grease fittings lubed. All of this is what is really ROUTINE MAINTENANCE and I dont see how the tools or the knowledge to these BASIC things can cost ya 2000 bux... You stated you own a Jeep Wrangler. Now Im no expert on Jeep Wranglers but I think I would be correct to assume that this really is on the opposite end of the spectrum of "technical" vehicles. As a matter of fact I would guess -like I suggested earlier that if you learned some basic mechanic skills you could do just about all the maintenance on this vehicle yourself. (I mean this is based on a combat vehicle after all). The one system that might be a little complex (compared to other cars) is the 4 wheel drive system and it sounds like this is where they got ya. But as far as I know there is no "routine maintenance" here unless you are already having problems or are low on fluid. But Im no expert on jeeps so I cant help you here. But I can say that Ive owned and still own several vehicles (including my first car), most of which I would say are more technical than a jeep and cant ever remember spending more than 300-400 bux at one time on any of them, (and that time was because yep I waited WAY TOO LONG to check my brakes and one side basically fell apart. So it sounds like they planned on ripping you a new one on your jeep and they pretty much did... But I am still gonna place a little blame on ya: If all of your jeeps components are really that technical, should you really be trusting it to someplace called "Kwik Kar"??? I mean c'mon A side note: I notice in the picture "Kwik Kar" is advertising "Amsoil- the 7,500 mile oil change"... Interesting...on Amsoil's website they are claiming there oil is good for 25,000 miles...

Okay Phillip first off lets just say that that wasnt the original title of my rebuttal. The original title was simply "Suggestions" but somehow it was changed to "nobody to blame but yourself"- probably extracted from some of my text... So anyways go back and reread my rebuttal with that in mind. Now with that clear lets look at some things... You went to "Kwik Kar" (doesnt that name hint at the kindof service your gonna get?) with little time before you had to depart on your destination. Okay so maybe not your fault there after reading your response, but definitely not "theirs". I never said anything about an OIL filter, I stated AIR filter (which is part of routine maintenance) and an oil CHANGE (also part of routine maintenance)... I just wanted to know what all you got for your 250 bux, (I would assume you got a "tune-up" -ie spark plugs- changed also for this price). You should have also got your grease fittings lubed. All of this is what is really ROUTINE MAINTENANCE and I dont see how the tools or the knowledge to these BASIC things can cost ya 2000 bux... You stated you own a Jeep Wrangler. Now Im no expert on Jeep Wranglers but I think I would be correct to assume that this really is on the opposite end of the spectrum of "technical" vehicles. As a matter of fact I would guess -like I suggested earlier that if you learned some basic mechanic skills you could do just about all the maintenance on this vehicle yourself. (I mean this is based on a combat vehicle after all). The one system that might be a little complex (compared to other cars) is the 4 wheel drive system and it sounds like this is where they got ya. But as far as I know there is no "routine maintenance" here unless you are already having problems or are low on fluid. But Im no expert on jeeps so I cant help you here. But I can say that Ive owned and still own several vehicles (including my first car), most of which I would say are more technical than a jeep and cant ever remember spending more than 300-400 bux at one time on any of them, (and that time was because yep I waited WAY TOO LONG to check my brakes and one side basically fell apart. So it sounds like they planned on ripping you a new one on your jeep and they pretty much did... But I am still gonna place a little blame on ya: If all of your jeeps components are really that technical, should you really be trusting it to someplace called "Kwik Kar"??? I mean c'mon A side note: I notice in the picture "Kwik Kar" is advertising "Amsoil- the 7,500 mile oil change"... Interesting...on Amsoil's website they are claiming there oil is good for 25,000 miles...

Okay Phillip first off lets just say that that wasnt the original title of my rebuttal. The original title was simply "Suggestions" but somehow it was changed to "nobody to blame but yourself"- probably extracted from some of my text... So anyways go back and reread my rebuttal with that in mind. Now with that clear lets look at some things... You went to "Kwik Kar" (doesnt that name hint at the kindof service your gonna get?) with little time before you had to depart on your destination. Okay so maybe not your fault there after reading your response, but definitely not "theirs". I never said anything about an OIL filter, I stated AIR filter (which is part of routine maintenance) and an oil CHANGE (also part of routine maintenance)... I just wanted to know what all you got for your 250 bux, (I would assume you got a "tune-up" -ie spark plugs- changed also for this price). You should have also got your grease fittings lubed. All of this is what is really ROUTINE MAINTENANCE and I dont see how the tools or the knowledge to these BASIC things can cost ya 2000 bux... You stated you own a Jeep Wrangler. Now Im no expert on Jeep Wranglers but I think I would be correct to assume that this really is on the opposite end of the spectrum of "technical" vehicles. As a matter of fact I would guess -like I suggested earlier that if you learned some basic mechanic skills you could do just about all the maintenance on this vehicle yourself. (I mean this is based on a combat vehicle after all). The one system that might be a little complex (compared to other cars) is the 4 wheel drive system and it sounds like this is where they got ya. But as far as I know there is no "routine maintenance" here unless you are already having problems or are low on fluid. But Im no expert on jeeps so I cant help you here. But I can say that Ive owned and still own several vehicles (including my first car), most of which I would say are more technical than a jeep and cant ever remember spending more than 300-400 bux at one time on any of them, (and that time was because yep I waited WAY TOO LONG to check my brakes and one side basically fell apart. So it sounds like they planned on ripping you a new one on your jeep and they pretty much did... But I am still gonna place a little blame on ya: If all of your jeeps components are really that technical, should you really be trusting it to someplace called "Kwik Kar"??? I mean c'mon A side note: I notice in the picture "Kwik Kar" is advertising "Amsoil- the 7,500 mile oil change"... Interesting...on Amsoil's website they are claiming there oil is good for 25,000 miles...

Wow Bradley, what a poignant response. I mean, with logic like that, it is strange that you are not President of the U.S., or the CEO of a large corporation. Nobody to blame but myself, huh? Let me explain a couple of things for you (as basic as I can make them for someone of your intellect): 1. I was expecting to carpool to my destination before finding out that my ride was injured, of all things, in an auto accident three days prior. 2. The "routine maintenance" that Kwik Kar performed on my vehicle was very technical in nature. The tools, accessories, and training required to perform such tasks would cost over $2000. 3. Did you pay attention when you were reading my Rip-Off Report? You asked about what they did for my vehicle for $250. There is no mention of an oil change or, for that matter, an oil filter. Again, the tasks were very technical in nature, but please read on! I was "ripped off" by Kwik Kar. I have been to three different mechanics since the incident took place. All were able to find metal shavings on the inside of the front differential, coinciding with my claim that the damage was caused by Kwik Kar. A law suit is now in the works, with three certified Chrysler Automobile technicians willing to testify to the fact that Kwik Kar goofed on this one. But with logic like yours, maybe I should tell my lawyer that the damage caused was her fault! Maybe I should go and beat-up my girlfriend, and tell her that she has no one to blame but herself ; she didn't have my dinner ready when I got home. Or maybe I should call the wives of soldiers who have died in Iraq, and tell them that they have no one to blame but themselves ; they volunteered to go there right? My jeep was broken into last week, and vandalized signifigantly. Should I blame myself for that, Bradley? I mean, it must have been my fault! The point I am trying to make, is that this problem with my Jeep is not my fault. The blame lies in the uncapable hands of the mechanics at Kwik Kar. I had no control over the negligence that took place, and I will recover my losses in a court of law. I only seek to exploit those who RIP-OFF consumers, and think they can get away with it. Tell you what Bradley... I'm gonna go enroll in some automobile service classes at my local community college. In the spirit of reciprocity, I will expect you to go back to grade school and relearn simple logic and reasoning. Unfortunately, common sense can not be taught. So its all my fault? I have no one to blame but myself? Come on Brad, GET REAL! This is a public forum provided for consumers who have been wronged by individuals and businesses. I am exercising my right to free speech, and also my God given right to file a RIP-OFF REPORT. Thank you to all of the guys at the RIP-OFF REPORT website for allowing such a forum to exist, and thanks to Brad for filing a rebuttal. But I have been ripped-off, and I will not stand for being told it is all my fault. I truly have no one to blame but Kwik Kar. Thank You.

Im not commenting on who is at fault here, but will give you some suggestions for the future... Next time you have an important trip coming up try to schedule your "routine maintenance" at least a couple weeks in advance. That way you have a little time to find out just what all they screwed up before you head out. The best solution is to figure out how to do your routine maintenance yourself, then you have nobody to blame but yourself when you mess up. Im curious what all they "say" they did to your vehicle for the $250. Not that $250 is all that high by today's standards (and depending on what was done) but just like to know if you got more than an air filter and a oil change for it.