Complaint Review: Thunderbolt Engines LLC - Houston Texas

The choice to use Thunderbolt for a rebuilt engine was one of the most monumental, gigantic mistakes of my life.  Firstly, heed the warnings – do your research, NOT relying on the BBB for information on this company, as they are in bed with TBolt (I know this as I had a case).  Look on www.ripoffreport.com for consumer reports on TB, I.C.T. Engines – unlike the BBB, the complaints do NOT get wiped away or swept under a rug.

Initially, I contacted TB (Thunderbolt Engines, LLC) to rebuild the engine in an 1989 Chevy Silverado.  I was quoted $2189 for the rebuild, and told a free tow to TB could be scheduled so they could inspect the Chevy.  If we decided to have the work, an $800 deposit would be needed, and a 15-day turnaround time was promised for the rebuild.  Great sounding!  I scheduled them to come get the vehicle, and they were there in record time to swipe my Chevy.

After not hearing anything for several days, I called TB's "sales person", Joe Cain, whom I had dealt with through the entire process mainly.  He stated they were backed up, and inspection of the Chevy hadn't been done – I waited patiently, and at 15 days, called again.  Joe said they were getting to it, it was "coming up on the list".  At 20 days, finally, I called THEM (nope, they never called even with one update), and Joe gave me another quote.  Over $5,000 to rebuild the ORIGINAL engine.  Granted it was already taken apart.  I was not happy with this new quote of over double the original quote.  So I asked to have the vehicle returned.

This is where things went quickly downhill.  Joe told me they have a "no return tow" policy, that we owed them $575 for the "inspection of the engine" and that the $800 deposit would "cover the (free?) tow."  I was absolutely floored, and angry.  None of this had been disclosed to me.

Joe Cain said nothing is free unless we decided to have the work done by TB.  My husband and I tried to negotiate a price for the rebuild with Joe Cain, as his quote was so far from the original.  Then Joe tells me he will go "inspect the truck" himself.  Calls back and says, "the original is not rebuildable, but you can have a TB rebuilt for $2189, plus additional parts needed" and the NEW total for their rebuilt engine and these additional parts is now $4317.

Confused about the original engine, I asked Joe what the problem was, as he had already had the engine inspected and given me the $5000 + price to rebuild it.  He gave my husband and I three different stories over the course of 3 telephone conversations, and said ultimately the engine was "ceased" which was complete bullshit because we turned it by hand before it left our home.  I said, well which PART is ceased… he could never give a straight answer, but said, well if you want to get the TB rebuilt we will return the original to you and you can see.  I was very frustrated, did not want to get anything done there, but was already in this for $1375?  So we said okay, just put the TB rebuild, and both my husband and I told Joe Cain on THREE different occasions to ensure the original was put in the truck and returned to us.

The TB tow guy got the truck on 7/2/13.  On 8/9/13, it was done and we went to get our truck.  Upon arriving, we see there is NO original engine with the truck, and the service manager tells us, hang on, comes back and states "the scrap guy came and took it for SCRAP on 7/22 (that would be the same day Joe Cain said the engine would be returned so we "could see it was ceased" and the day I agreed to the TB rebuilt engine).  I was utterly shocked and disgusted, telling them, no I want my engine back.  Walked in the office and approached JOE CAIN and said we agreed you would return the original engine – and Joe Cain acts as if he just doesn't recall the numerous conversations, with both my husband and I, and HIS own suggestion of returning the original, then has the nerve to say, well did you get that in writing?  I think I could have clawed his face off at this point, but I digress.  We left TB and I called later to speak with the general manager or owner.

 This is where I knew we were screwed.  The staff at TB will NOT give out the name of the CEO, president, owner – no one.  Obviously they are instructed to keep such kings and queens' names hidden, and this would be at the request of said people, why? Because they aren't PROUD of their company, nor have any HONOR – they are scoundrels who instruct their staff to do shady, underhanded, lying behaviors.  I dug and dug and found the President, Mr. Harry Skip Hartley, II, and found all his addresses, phone numbers and email ([email protected] for those who need it), and promptly wrote Mr. Hartley, thinking, he should know what his staff there is doing!  He'll be flabbergasted!  Nope, Mr. Hartley from the get go, after telling my summary of events, was a smug, arrogant, self-serving d****e bag, whose main intent is to "cover our asses" down at Thunderbolt, I.C.T. 

So my next step – the Better Business Bureau – they're all about consumer rights!  Right?  Wrong.  Found that the entire system there and elsewhere is corrupt, and when I had the case with TB opened through them, got shut out and snubbed by the BBB, to the point they even lied, saying I "didn't accept" TB's offer of resolution, which I did NOT reject, just wanted clarification, THEN the BBB shut my case before the 10 day response time on Day 7, saying because I hadn't responded within 10 days, it would be shut for good – then it was completely wiped away!  On Day 7.  Because the BBB, as CBS reported on 20/20 in their investigation, is a corrupt bunch of criminals, taking money for their A ratings and doing like they did to me, because Skip Hartley II and d****e bags like him pay them to do me and you like that.

Never did get the original engine back – it is theft through and through.  The original engine got around 20 MPG, TB's rebuilt?  About 14 MPG.  They tacked things on the bill that were not needed, things that were new on the truck before, and double billed for other items.  It was ridiculous, and BBB did NOTHING to resolve any of it.

Beware I.C.T. Engines, Thunderbolt Engines, LLC, and Harry Skip Hartley, II of Houston, Texas at any cost.  Do your research, make a wise choice and go somewhere where they give a d**n about you and your vehicle, where the owner is the guy hands on – not some huge place with mechanical "salespeople" who take charge of your "case".  I should have went with the guy from Craigslist, who advertised he'd come to my place and do it there.  d**n it.

That's one expensive ordeal I had with Thunderbolt.  Live and learn.