Larrys Lakeside Auto Repair

Made appointment and was told to just bring the vehicle in early that morning. I dropped off vehicle the night before and left keys with them. Stopped by the day the work was supposed to be done around lunch was told that they had not done anything to it yet, still sitting in parking lot. Stopped by at closing time and my vehicle was on the lift and was told that they could not find the vacuum line that comes out of the fire wall from the climate control module and the vehicle would not be done that day. Walked around to garage door and a young kid was just starting on the u-joints and made 3 trips to a toolbox across the shop to get the correct size socket to loosen the bolts on the u-joints when the service writer comes up to me and explains that the shop had a bad day and he is without his mechanic because he was on vacation. He also explained that he would have to run all new vacuum lines because the vacuum harness was completely gone from my vehicle and that the vacuum line from the climate control module was not even coming through the firewall. He also explained that it would be tomorrow before my vehicle would be ready.

I stopped by the next day to check on my vehicle and was told that it was done. I said I would pick it up at closing that same day. When I arrived to get my vehicle I waited while a bill was figured and then paid it in full. I went out to find my vehicle on my own as no one told my where it was parked in the lot of junk cars surrounding the garage. I unlocked the door and tried to put the key into the ignition. I had a new ignition put in the vehicle about a year earlier so I had a separate key for the doors as I had for the ignition. I remembered this when I tried to put the key from the door into the ignition and it would not turn. I had the correct key with me so I put it in the ignition and noticed that it went in extremely hard and then it would ignition would not  turn. I removed the key and notice the key was covered and dripping in oil. I went back into the shop and immediately notified them of the problem and told them about the separate key I had for the ignition because it had been changed. The service writer walked with me out to my vehicle explaining that "They had a hell of a time getting the key to work". He shoved the correct key in the ignition and started the vehicle.

I drove home and parked the car and when I tried to remove the key it would not come out of the ignition without considerable force. The next day I drove the vehicle and noticed that the gauge cluster was not working and the check gauges light was on and the abs light was on. The volt gauge was reading max the fuel gauge was not registering the oil pressure gauge was not registering and the temperature gauge was not working as well as the tachometer and the speedometer. I parked the vehicle and called the garage to notify them of the problems. I explained to the service writer what was happening and that it started right after I left his shop with it. I also stated that maybe the mechanic bumped something or did not plug something back in completely when the dash was removed for the vacuum leak. He told me without hesitation that the dashboard was never removed or my bill would have been a lot higher. I told him that I was told the vacuum line was missing that went to the climate control and that the dash had to be removed in order to replace the line. He told me that the mechanic ended up finding the missing vacuum line and he just plugged it back in. This was of course not the original explanation that was told to me on the vacuum line issue. I also told him that I wanted the ignition replace because it was not working like it should as well. He said "I suppose you want me to pay for replacing that". I said yes because it was not like that when the vehicle was dropped off. He said it was my fault because I left the wrong key and they used the door key and just wiggled it a little and it started. I asked  why the ignition was filled with oil if it was so easy to use the wrong key to start the vehicle. He told me that they did not a problem with it until it was already in the shop and that is when they put oil in the ignition and was able to use the wrong key again to start it. A pattern of lies had began to show and I explained that I was a mechanic for years and if any of my customers had left a key that did not work in the vehicle I would have simply called the customer to let them know instead of breaking the ignition. He told me that I was to blame for leaving them the wrong key.

Instead of repeatedly telling this man that he was a complete idiot I calmly and sternly explained that I would take care of the repairs myself. He will be receiving my bill shortly for the new ignition. I also noticed that the vacuum problem was not repaired correctly as well. The blower for the climate control works as it should at idle but under load it reverts back to blowing only through the defrost vents. $200 bill from the garage. 1 hour labor for vacuum problem and 1 hour labor for u-joints at $85 per hour labor rate + parts.

Simply stated I would not trust them, take a vehicle to them for repair or plan your schedule around what they tell you they can accomplish. If the service writer ever reads this review then I will clue you in on something. EVERY repair made can never be called a repair until the repair is verified! Let me say that again..........EVERY repair made can never be called a repair until the repair is VERIFIED! You will soon understand this from the bill you will receive for my broken ignition as well as the refund amount for the vacuum issue that was charged for but not resolved. I will also be checking the u-joint R&R because of the incompetence you showed. I will also be letting you know if you are responsible for the instrument cluster problem once I VERIFY the problem with it.