ComplaintsforKevin's Auto Repair

• Initial Complaint

  03/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  28 FEB Paid Kevins Auto Repair $125 for a full vehicle inspection. Upon driving out of the parking lot, I immediately had trouble braking. The pedal was soft and nearly reached the floor after two pumps. If I had gone any further than the parking lot, I would have likely caused an accident due to my brake failure. After returning to the auto repair shop, it was discovered that the right rear drum brake was leaking brake fluid and the brake reservoir was empty. When questioned, the mechanic staff lied about removing the tire where the fluid was leaking and argued when asked to fill my brake reservoir. I requested the shop video of the repair and found that the tire was in fact removed by the repair shop; however, they were unable to remove the drum. The post inspection report did NOT identify a leaking brake drum, nor their inability to remove the drum to conduct the brake inspection. The owner of Kevins auto called the following day and admitted to damaging the wheel cylinder and offered to repair the mistake (I have voicemail evidence). Due to the fact that brake fluid contacted the brake shoes, his mechanic recommended replacing the brake shoes due to delamination concerns. Additionally, the mechanic recommended replacing the both sides and said it was common practice. After consulting multiple mechanics, all of them recommended replacing both the left and right side. ****************************************************************************************** speaking with ***** on 15 March, he indicated that he was only willing to repair the wheel cylinder and would consider replacing ONLY the right brake shoes. I attempted to explain that his mistake warranted the replacement of the right brake shoes and in turn, would then require the replacement of the left brake shoes. In all of my interactions with ***** and his staff, I have been lied to on multiple occasions and strong-armed. I fully suspect to have issues on my next visit and request the help of BBB.

  

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  The customer never talked to the mechanic that looked at the vehicle. He talked to another mechanic that was under the impression the other tire had not been removed. No one in the shop lied to the customer nor did they argue with the customer. He asked us to fill the reservoir, and we filled the reservoir without complaint even though we told him it would just leak right back out. When we inspected the brakes, there were no brake leaks. The drum was hanging up on the shoes on the right rear while trying to remove the drum. The vehicle was then pulled out and parked since the vehicle had already been test driven prior to pulling up on the lift. We told the customer that we would review the footage, and if it was our mechanic that damaged the brakes, we would take care of the problem completely. We told him that we would take care of it the next day and would not recommend driving the vehicle. The customer refused to leave the vehicle, and tried to drive it away against recommendations and with knowing how bad the brake leak was. If the leak is due to age and wear and tear, then yes, it is best to replace both sides. However, if it is due to a mistake that causes damage, and the other side is in good shape, then it is ok to repair one side. The customer was never lied to. The customer would not listen to anything we would say. The customer even called and lied to the owner, stating we just let him leave without warning. Which is completely untrue. The customer knew of the brake leak. The customer knew we recommended not driving it. The customer knew we could ********************** the following day. The customer chose to have us fill the brake fluid reservoir and drive it on the road knowing he had bad brakes. If the customer had left the vehicle like we recommended, the vehicle would have already been repaired at no expense to the customer. The customer has made the situation worse by ignoring our recommendations, lying to the owner, and prolonging the problem. 

  Customer response

  03/21/2023

  Complaint: 19602055
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  There is no concise explanation of how the business plans to resolve the complaint. 

  Additionally, the business is misrepresenting the situation and attempting to deflect the blame on the customer. I suspect my entire conversation with the mechanic was caught on camera; I recommend reviewing the video. Also, ask yourself, as the customer, what could I possibly gain from this complaint? And what did this business lose?

  Most importantly, ask that the business answer this question: Did the customer drive out of the parking lot with an empty brake reservoir immediately following the vehicle inspection, with no knowledge of a leak? 

  
  Kevins Loss - The whole purpose of my visit was to determine if my truck was mechanically sound and if it made sense to spend the money to replace the engine. In fact, prior to driving away from the shop with my empty brake reservoir, I asked ***** to provide me with a quote on an engine replacement (a $5-7K job). 

  
  As for what I have to gain- a wheel cylinder costs $25 per side (RockAuto). The brake shoes have less than 10k mi on them (practically brand new) and they have a lifetime warranty at AutoZone - (maybe $60).  The brake fluid was relatively new, even though it failed by 3%.  Its a 20 minute process to bleed the brakes. So $150-200? I paid $125 for the inspection and left with an empty brake reservoir- likely warrants a refund.
  
  Although I did not speak with the mechanic that conducted the inspection, I did speak with their most senior mechanic, *****. He assured me that the tire was not removed and that it was standard practice to only remove one wheel when doing brake inspections. When asked which wheel was removed, he obviously stated that it was the opposite wheel from the one leaking. He did not recommend I leave the vehicle, he said I could leave the vehicle and that it would cost roughly $500 to replace the brakes; in fact, they still had not admitted blame for the damage at this point. It wasnt until the following morning when the owner watched the video and confirmed that the wheel was in fact removed and admitted that there was a good chance it was damaged during the inspection.

  
  So the reason I did not leave the vehicle was not because your staff so graciously offered to fix the issue, it was because I was quoted $500 for the repair, in addition to the fact that I was leaving for a military TDY trip the next morning and had no way to retrieve the vehicle for three weeks. Due to the significant damaged caused by the shop, I was forced to tow the vehicle back to my residence (See the picture). I did not drive it on the road knowing he had bad brakes.

  
  It is quite disappointing that I am being represented as an out of control customer that didn't listen. I was actually a very intent listener. I had a 15-20-minute conversation with your lead mechanic on the results of the inspection prior to departing the office. I was also very calm when I returned after discovering my empty brake reservoir. Again, I recommend you reference your video to see all of my very calm responses to the mechanics lies and attempt to strong-arm me. 
  
  I understand that mistakes happen, were all human. I am most upset with the businesss response following the discovery of the damage.
  I pray that this was a one-off event and this behavior is not systemic; however, it should probably be further investigated. And I am thankful my wife didnt pick up the vehicle after the inspection, as theres a good chance she wouldnt have noticed the brake issue until it was too late.
  
  
  Attachments:
  -Picture of vehicle being towed from shop following inspection
  -Vehicle maintenance log 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  
  

  

  Business response

  03/22/2023

  Again, we told the customer we would take care of it if it was our mechanic that damaged it. This was before we reviewed the video to confirm if the mechanic had the tire off or not. So, from the get-go, the customer knew that if our mechanic damaged it, that we would repair it for free. The customer chose to leave the lot even though he knew up front that we would fix it for free if it was confirmed that our mechanic damaged it. How is that strong arming? The customer was even informed that we have ************************ vehicles for free even when it was not our shop's fault just to keep the customer happy. The customer was told multiple times that we would repair if for free pending the review of the footage. The customer has prolonged the situation. He chose to go to the BBB even though we told him it would be free. The customer has turned a simple mistake by our mechanic into a large, ****** complicated ordeal, and it is completely unnecessary. We do everything we can for our customers; frequently and consistently going above and beyond. Unfortunately, this customer is no longer considered one of our customers, and is not welcome back after how they have handled this situation. This unfortunate situation could have been completely avoided if the customer had just listened to what we told him from the very beginning. We offer a refund of the initial $125 and another $110 to cover the price for parts that the customer listed in his response. We also insist on the customer finding another shop to work on his vehicle. 

  Customer response

  03/24/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩