Neighborhood Wrench (NW) told me I needed an engine and assured me that my 21 year old car was "In pristine condition" and worth having it done, so I ended up agreeing to it. When I picked up my car, Doug gave me a invoice with extra parts that I paid for that were NEVER discussed with me and were working fine.
Doug called me sometime later to see how my car was running. I thought that was odd, but I thought Doug was a nice guy too and I told myself he was just being nice and I assured him that my car was running ok. A few days later, my engine light came on and it started running horribly. I thought I had developed another problem with my car and I did not suspect NW had anything to do with it at that time. Some time after that, Doug called me again. The first time he called me I told him my car was running ok, so I thought it was really odd he was calling me again.
I did not answer his call.
I then discovered my car was misfiring on the #6 cylinder because they installed two #1 ignition wires on my engine, one on the #6 cap and plug that was also badly cracked. I had also put brand new plugs in my car right before I took my car to NW, and I also discovered that the plugs in my engine were burnt and rusted. They were not my new plugs.
Have you ever had your car repair shop call you once after you picked up your car? How about twice?
Is it possible that Doug was calling me because he was expecting my car to malfunction so he could have me bring my car back to him to “fix?"
Doug said this is ridiculous. Is it?
Doug wrote on my invoice that all new parts were put in the replacement engine, and he told me that all old parts in the replacement engine were removed before installation. They were not. Doug also told me that I needed a new radiator because it was full of rust. I looked in it after I found the cracked wire and rusted plugs, and it was full of rust.
Doug told me that not transferring my plugs was “AN” honest mistake and that my car was running perfectly when it left their shop and I was “misinformed” if I thought that putting "wires" (one wire, not two, and badly cracked) in the wrong order would cause my car to malfunction after driving it for some time. It did!
“AN” honest mistake is one mistake, not five:
1 They did not transfer my new plugs into my replacement engine.
2 They did not take the old parts out of the replacement engine and left the old plugs in it.
3 They installed an incorrect wire in the wrong firing order.
4 The wire was badly cracked.
5 They replaced my radiator because it was full of rust and it was still full of rust.
Doug’s explanation in his own words for installing parts he never discussed with me:
"Your upset that we replaced parts without talking to you, this was all part of doing the job properly so we can stand behind it." "your plan was to keep the car running as long as possible... as such it was the obvious thing to do."
The OBVIOUS thing to do was to talk to me first!
It is my car, my money, my decision, not yours!
Doug replaced my clutch and tried to make me feel that spending $648.55 for clutch parts that has nothing to do with how the engine ran and was working fine, was a deal because he “only” charged me for parts. ONLY??
I had no idea if he did or didn't charge me labor as he did not list labor charges per parts installed on my invoice. After the Attorney Generals Office contacted Doug, he produced the breakdown of labor for my parts, and just as I suspected, he did charge me labor for clutch parts!
NW charged me for a clutch, water pump, cap and rotor, gaskets, seals, manifold, thermostat, and I paid $1,031.75 for a fuel injector and bracket, all without discussing any of these with me.
I think he saw me as an easy mark because I am a woman in my 60's, and he knew he was highly recommended to me and I trusted him.
Doug wrote on my invoice that my replacement engine with “88k” miles was documented, but when I requested that documentation, I was told Rick must have done it as Doug didn't know anything about it or have it, but he could give me the receipt from the junk yard.
When I called and asked him for the junk yard receipt, he told me he had “just cleaned house” inferring that he threw it away, and then ignored my other attempts to get it. He did send me the receipt after I sent him a certified letter, and the receipt does not indicate the mileage. Why? I would think that would be important information to add to the receipt.
I was hoping that the new engine would increase my cars resale value, but without documentation, there is no proof that my engine has 88k miles on it, and it could have the same amount or more mileage on it than my original engine, and did he put this engine in my car? Where is the documentation?
Doug is the owner and he was the one who gave me the bill. I am assuming he prepared it and or read it before giving it to me, and if they don't actually have any documentation, why was it written on my invoice? Does this constitute Fraudulent Business Practices?
When I told Doug I would talk to Rick, I was told that I couldn’t because he doesn't work there anymore. Aren't they related? Can't he just ask him?
Doug did reimburse me for my spark plugs and nothing else, but I now don’t believe I even needed an engine in the first place. Doug made a lot of money off of me, $5999.47 to be exact.
See my photos of my radiator, my spark plugs, and the cracked wire that they installed on my engine on Yelp.
