Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Axle Boy Enterprises's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Axle Boy Enterprises

  1935 E Terra Ln O Fallon, MO 63366-4416

• 

  Axle Boy Enterprises

  4150 Ehlmann Rd STE A Saint Peters, MO 63376-6415

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/01/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Another issue I had with them was that they offered me a discount for a part due to the incompetence of their sales person **** ******. ***** ****** advised that he realized that **** didn’t know what she was talking about and provided the information ignorantly. He then went further to credit me for the exhaust camshaft. When I declined Further work, he refused to give me said discount because he was “only going to cut me a break” if I was getting additional services through them. Additional services were to be done at a discounted rate with no labor hours because of how much they’d put me through. When he factored in the additional services, he added 6 hours of labor work to my ticket at $154 per hour!!! He gave me a discount just to finagle me into additional purchases, then tried to over charge me ONCE AGAIN. They had coworkers laughing in the background when i called to complain about the condition of my disassembled engine. Then hung up in my face. They are extremely unprofessional.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2024

  Responding to the complaint from ****** ********. The vehicle was brought in for a misfire code on the driver side bank of the engine. There were combustion gases in the coolant as identified via chemical testing. During this repair assembly, the passenger side valve cover was removed to ensure appropriate cam timing. When removed it was noted that the intake camshaft was destroyed. We quoted the additional parts needed. Ms. ******** was not happy with our findings and proceeded to argue how we were just trying to get all her money. We provided photographs of the failure. Ms. ******** requested we just put the vehicle back together as it was. As a professional automotive repair shop, putting together an engine with a known catastrophic failure goes against industry standards and opens our shop up to the liability of internal engine failure. Ms. ******** was adamant that we assemble the engine regardless. We will not perform internal engine repairs that are not done to professional industry standards. We offered some discounts and help to move forward with the passenger camshaft. Ms. ******** demanded to remove the vehicle. We explained the charges for work performed thus far and offered a price to remove it as it sat. Our Sales Manager ***** ****** spoke at length with Ms. ******** and explained Ms. ******** was going to spend more money to pull it out and get it finished somewhere else. Ultimately she requested we stop all work and it was going elsewhere. We received an email from Ms. ********'s "attorney" to stop all work. The vehicle was organized and placed carefully together to be reassembled by a shop of Ms. ********'s choice. I have attached a narrative with photographs of the order of events and the outcome of all testing. I have included a few transcripts of a few of the phone calls to help set the stage for what Ms. ******** was told. I have a few hours of phone call transcripts I'm happy to share if you feel it requires additional review. The transcripts included explain the scope of work, what was said regarding the failure the vehicle failure, and set the tone for the conversation. The final outcome is Ms. ******** brought a vehicle in for repair with multiple catastrophic failures. Ms. ******** could not afford or did not want to pay to resolved the issue. We will not perform work that isn't completed to professional standards. Ms. ******** made the CHOICE to remove the vehicle in it's current state. There was no surprise for her, she was told over and over the vehicle was not assembled. We will not be offering a refund or completing any additional work for Ms. ********. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/06/2024

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  **** boy is lying in advising that my car would not be assemble  please refer to the email sent by **** ****** advising IT WOULD BE PUT BACK TOGETHER and ready for pickup 29 January 2024. After advising of this information, she advised on the phone as well that it would be ready for pickup. I advised this horrible shop to put the vehicle back together and to not move forward with any additional work. The camshaft showing signs of being worn is not catastrophic at the least. They “strongly suggested” it because they were already getting several yes’ from me because I had no knowledge they were robbing me blind. I have A certified shop looking at it now advising of parts that are missing that they need to put back together ****boy’s mess. Which is costing me more money out of pocket. I am Still demanding a full refund! Please provide “said” proof that you advised me that my engine would be disassembled via calls! The pictures show how unethical you all were by placing the engine pieces all throughout my car carelessly to be spiteful after advising via email that it would be “Put back together”. No certified shop would do such a thing. Including, leaving the pieces to create additional damage by randomly placing them all throughout the vehicle where they are not secured. Like I said, I demand a full refund! 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2024

  Hello, writing once again to respond to the complaints filed by ****** ********. I have attached a transcription of the phone recordings. I have highlighted the sections where Ms. ******** was told that we could not assemble the engine unless it was fixed correctly. Assembling an engine with a known bad camshaft is against all approved technical publications and best practices. We understand that Ms. ******** has experience catastrophic failure of her engine. We can not perform an incomplete repair. The BBB website does not give an option for uploading .mp4 phone recordings, so using a transcription service is my only choice to report the proof we have regarding the conversations. I am happy to send the actual .mp4 files to whatever authority would request them. The recordings clearing show that Ms. ******** knew what was needed to properly repair the vehicle, she was unable to afford the repairs, and where she was warned multiple times that the vehicle could not be reassembled if it wasn't repaired to industry approved standards. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went there for a 900$ top and new roll bar foam and cover! First top was defective! Second one overpriced and by twice! The roll bar is for an early model 97-02! No Foam and is dangerous!! Mine is 04 Rubicon Wrangler and first production! Under 180,000 miles one owner! They will not refund or return it for what I want!! ! 3,687.53$!!! It all happened over a month and a half! They made me sign before I even could inspect the vehicle and when I totaled everything they said I signed the papers!! I’m retired on ss!! The dealer saw this and said….

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2023

  I am writing in response to the complaint filed by ***** ******. On 5/18 we installed a ****** Trektop NX. This is specifically the top that Ms. ****** requested. This top is a different design than the factory top, it doesn’t operate the same, nor is it intended to. These tops use minimal hardware and require removing all of the factory hardware. Ms. ****** wanted a less expensive top and indicated that she liked the slanted back styling. The installed price that was authorized and paid was $1319.99.
  On this same service visit, Ms. ****** indicated that her roll bar padding was faded and deteriorating. The factory has discontinued the parts as the vehicle is nearly 20 years old and there are no parts available. Jeep phases parts production out after 10 years. The aftermarket does service the roll bar padding in a black denim style that is universal and fits multiple years. This was the only service part that was available through our manufacturers. The roll bar cover has a soft felt lining and is of a different design. There were several other items that were approved by Ms. ****** and repaired on this visit. All amounts were disclosed and authorized and paid.
  Approximately one week after the installation, Ms. ****** came into the shop and issued a complaint that the soft top was not sealing properly in the rear of the vehicle. We inspected the vehicle, and the top appeared to seal like normal Trektops that have been installed. We took photographs and reached out to ****** who is the manufacturer. The customer service rep indicated that this was normal fitment for a Trektop due to the design of the soft top. Ms. ****** was adamant that we install an upgraded top.
  Our parts manager negotiated an agreement with ****** to take the Trektop back on full price trade to upgrade to a Supertop NX. The Supertop NX is the closest to factory replacement top on the market. ****** is the original top manufacturer for Jeep. They no longer manufacture the exact same top. The Supertop NX is factory top with modern upgrades and is the highest quality and rated top on the market. Ms. ****** did need to pay the difference in price, along with labor to install considering she specifically requested the Trektop NX based off price and styling.
  On June 7th, we installed the ****** Supertop NX. Ms. ****** paid the standard price for the top of $1699.99. We allowed full price return of the Trektop NX at $899.99. The price that was agreed and paid was $1220.00 after the return of the Trektop. All sales were approved and paid for by Ms. ******.
  Ms. ****** has taken the vehicle to Behlman Jeep in Troy, MO. There has been some discussion of needing to replace the windshield sales. These seals are not part of a soft top installation and are nearly 20 years old. There is no connection to our installation. We have been in communication with the Jeep dealer and offered to make a conference call with them and Ms. ****** to dispel any cross talk or interpretation. The dealer indicated that we had installed the parts properly and they were serviceable.
  In closing, we have already extended the courtesy of negotiating a different top at her request. Ms. ****** mentions that she paid around $3600 for a soft top. However, the attached invoices and payment history tells an entirely different story. We made multiple requests to go over the top and the complaints with Ms. ******, who has declined every solution we have recommended. The disruption and threats lodged by Ms. ****** have reached the point where she is no longer welcome at our facility.
  Please find attached all phone recordings, documentation, the response from Bestop, and proof of pricing regarding the soft tops. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/26/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I tried calling them and they blocked my account, the shop and the manager.  I don't want a 2002 part on my first production car.  They put on a defective top that was the $900 top.  Then they tried to bait and switch me to a $1600 top.  Somehow I walked out of their place with $3,600 in parts and labor and all I wanted was a $900 top and a $400 roll bar foam with a cover.  It's dangerous and I know they altered my roll bar.  

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2023

  We uploaded conversations and video evidence regarding our position. Ms. ****** would like to slander our name. Ms. ****** is rewriting hers reviews daily. The only option left for us was to expose the truth. There is no threat, just uploaded raw phone conversations and a narrative of events. We appreciate the opportunity given by Ms. ******, however we respectfully decline any further interaction. We are not offering any additional resolution to Ms. ******. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/27/2023

  They also as stated… took my door hardware that came stock original! Replaced it with aftermarket product that I have no clue to use!! I want my original product back!

   

  I have no warranty!! Yet! I don’t even think I can take this top down?? There is no guarantee with $3,687.53??

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2023

  She indicates that she spent $3,687.53 on the soft top, some of that was the soft top but there was seat belt put in, carpeting, roll bar padding, a shift bezel replace was done.  She had us set up a bunch of UBER rides for her that she requested.  All of these things were in the bill.  The fabric carries a limited lifetime warranty through the manufacturer and all warranties claims can be processed through cs@[email protected].  Normally we have a form for customers to sign to keep the take off parts of your vehicle.  She signed it that she did not want to keep them.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had work done on my Ram 1500 truck 2014 to include, New tires, Transmission cooler, Wheel alignment, Cold air in take. This originally took place in 10/22. I only drive this vehicle on the weekends. In April of 2023 while driving my son to soccer. the vehicle became inoperable, I had to have it towed to a mechanic shop. Only to discover that the transmission cooler that had been installed had been installed correctly. This i have in writing from Hi-Tech automotive. When i returned to Axleboy company my technician Steve confirmed that the hoses were not right for the cooler. He assured me that it had been properly fixed and there was no more leaking. I brought the truck home and left it in the driveway, and once again i could see that it was leaking. Steve asked me if he could keep the truck over the weekend to see if they could repair it . Well the follwing week (Thursday) i called as a follow up 6/8 because no one called me, only for him to now tell me after the third time back to this place that the problem is now nothing that they had created and wanted to charge me to fix it. I have never had a problem with this truck until this company started working on it. I need the truck repaired properly and to be compensated for having to have the truck towed and repaired temporarily at Hi-Tech automotive.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/22/2023

  We installed an auxiliary transmission cooler on Mr. ******’s 2014 Ram 1500 on 7/26/22. Mr. ****** returned on 5/12/23 and reported that his truck stopped moving, he had it towed to another shop, they performed a temporary repair to get the truck safely to our shop for repair. The other shop recommended a different method of attaching the auxiliary cooler hoses. Our technician inspected the vehicle and found that the attachment from one of the auxiliary cooler hoses to the factory cooler hose was installed without a lip or barbed fitting. We own this mistake and did everything in our power to make a quick repair while also upgrading the couplers to high pressure AN style fitting to reduce the chances of leakage and ensure a proper seal. The vehicle was power washed to remove the large amount of transmission fluid that was under the vehicle. Our technician drove our normal 3-mile road test loop, rechecked his work and found no further leakage. The truck was returned to Mr. ****** in good faith that the issue was solved. Mr. ****** returned the truck again on 5/23/23 indicating there was some leakage. The technician notes are as follows:
  Return Service - CUSTOMER STATES THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING AGAIN CHECK AND ADVISE
  ***MA 5/23/2023
  Looked underneath the vehicle and inspected the transmission The trans pan is dry, and I checked the last services and I didn't touch the transmission pan I checked where the trans cooler was and there was quite a bit of fluid sitting in certain spots and other components that were wet. I started with degreasing and spraying everything off with water. Test drove the truck 24 miles before inspecting the area again Still had some wetness to it but there is no dripping or trans fluid anywhere I sprayed the rest off with brake clean Test drove again, Inspected after test drive and there is no more sitting fluid Whenever the trans cooler popped a line off transmission fluid got into certain spots that hard to clean When I first looked at the vehicle there is a valley that sits right below the radiator, condenser, and trans coolers. There was transmission fluid sitting down the valley, a good amount to think it was leaking The inside of the fan shroud was wet with transmission fluid and it doesn't help that with air from driving and the clutch fan spinning as well that is just spreading everywhere At this time, there are no leaks I made sure to clean everything off and made sure everything is dry I added two pictures of the same spot where the fluid was puddled up and after the cleaning and test driving.
  
  The truck was again returned to Mr. ****** in good faith that there was no significant leakage. Mr.
  ****** returned on 6/8/23 and indicated that additional leakage was present. The original technician performed an in-depth inspection much like before. He again found some puddling of fluid on the crossmember under the radiator/condenser/cooler area.
  The technician notes are as follows:
  ***MA 6/5/2023
  I looked underneath and where the lines are for the trans cooler It is damp but no drips could be seen Cleaned everything off with A LOT of brake clean Went on a long test drive came back and certain spots were still wet, most likely just blow by in trapped areas Whenever I came back I put dye in the transmission Drove it again Had another tech inspect as well Looked around the trans lines, the trans coolers for dye, but cannot find any dye with the UV light I’m going to let it sit outside running for an hour to see if I can find anything else After my one hour of running still nothing Let it sit for about 2 hours to cool off Once I got back from lunch I started it back up at 1:30 and let it run till 3. Had a piece of cardboard underneath to see any drips but did not have anything as of right now there are no leaks at this time There are a lot of spots underneath the hood that fluid could just be trapped in whenever the trans line popped off and sprayed fluid everywhere I did a lot of cleaning, used degreaser, water, and brake clean to make sure there wasn’t any sitting trans fluid
  He was unable to determine the origin of the leak. The repair order was escalated to the lead technician.
  His notes are as follows:
  ***MM. 6/6/23 1:21pm
   sprayed off vehicle again with degreaser and water. test drove vehicle for 30 miles. inspected vehicle. aux (aftermarket) trans cooler is dry with no leaks at cooler or lines. found some transmission fluid building up at bottom of a/c condenser fins. factory trans cooler is made into a/c condenser and appears to be leaking. need to replace factory a/c condenser/trans cooler assy.
  
  Mr. ****** was presented with the facts and requested no further repair attempts. We returned his vehicle. I have attached a jpeg photograph of the leak. The red circle indicates the factory cooler that is leaking. You can see the fluid is leaking down around the bottom corner of the fins. The red arrows point to the mounting of the auxiliary cooler that we installed, you can see that it is not only dry, but also a significant distance from the leaking area. It neither contacts or touches the leaking area in any way.
  We do believe our technician was responsible for the original failure where the auxiliary cooler line came off while driving. We also believe that we corrected this failure with an above average repair that is far superior to a standard auxiliary cooler installation. The cooler that is leaking is part of the A/C condenser assembly as the factory transmission cooler is integrated into this component. This was not a component that was touched, manipulated, or modified in any way during the auxiliary cooler installation. Mr. ****** indicates there has never been a problem with the truck until we worked on it. We understand how these things can appear and with the frustrating experience it has been we think blame and responsibility can become hazy to a client. We deal in facts and clear lines of responsibility. There isn’t a clear line that the condenser leak is related to the auxiliary cooler installation. We do feel we are responsible for the tow and temporary repair at the other repair facility and are willing to compensate Mr. ****** for that portion of the repair. In the interest of an attempt to repair the relationship with Mr. ******, we are willing to perform the estimated repair that was declined at a 20% discount from what was quoted in hopes that we could offer something towards the lost time and frustration. We could certainly apply the credit for the temporary repair towards the cost of this repair. We do not feel a refund is the appropriate resolution for the installation.  
  I can be reached at ************ ** ******************** *
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** ******** ***********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/26/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I requested an estimate for repairing my vehicle, I received an estimate for over $5,000 in repairs and new tires. I was the charged $185 for the estimate which I had not been informed that there would be a cost for the estimate. I then had my vehicle inspected by another business and they informed me that I did not need any repairs other than new tires.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2023

  Mr. ****** made an appointment to consult regarding towing his Jeep behind his motorhome. During this consultation Mr. ****** asked to discuss a few other items regarding his Jeep. Our technicians went over his vehicle recommending services that we felt were the best course of action to repair his vibration as well as prepare his vehicle for the additional stresses of flat towing behind a motorhome. Mr. ****** agreed to pay the charges and stated he needed to think about making the investment. Mr. ****** then emailed back with accusations of dishonesty and stated he had his vehicle fixed of much less. Mr. ****** changed the scope of work from "check over the vehicle for flat towing and see if the vibration can be fixed" which is an obvious investment in restoring the vehicle to a state of operation that could reliably handle the rigors of dragging behind a motorhome; to "fix it as cheaply as possible" which is an entirely different scope of work. The reality of the situation is that when a client asks for a consultation to modify a vehicle for alternative usage, the requirements and specifications of the vehicle need to be much tighter.  Our general manager requested that the vehicle be brought in so we could go over recommendations and show him why we felt they needed to addressed. We indicated at that time we did not have plans to refund the charges. Mr. ****** moved his attacks on the business over to social media and the situation was brought to my attention. I reached out to Mr. ******, and laid out a plan where we could discuss what happened, go over the recommendations and explain the situation. Mr. ****** has declined my invitation. Mr. ****** indicated he did not believe we could reach a resolution. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/31/2023

  ********** ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I made an appointment for an estimate on my vehicle and A technician test drove my vehicle the raised it on a lift and looked at it for approximately 30 minutes doing nothing further then provided an estimate for $5,000 in repairs and then advised me that the estimate fee was $185. I paid the fee and took my vehicle to another repair shop who advised that the only repair needed was for new tires at a cost of $1,200. I feel I should have been informed of the estimate cost before it was performed and they added additional repairs to the estimate that is not needed. They refused to refund my charges and only offered to bring my vehicle back to review their recommendations which I refused as I am not a mechanic and I no longer have trust in this business and the business is a long distance from my home and I don’t want to waste anymore time on this company.

   

  
  
  ********** ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Got appt. With Axel Boy to determine issues with my 87 Jeep wrangler, The original issues were,I believed to be were vacuum leak or issue, and fuel issue. so I decided to let a shop that specializes in jeeps tackle the problem.. The jeep was towed to Axel Boy at the end of March. Or 1st of April, The person I dealt with at Axelboy was ***** *******, but as I understand it was not the mechanic. Said I wanted to get jeep running/ driving correctly & fix non working gauges. ( Proposal ID 5824) He said the tech would check everything out, and if any items needed repaired or replacement they would contact me. A few weeks or so later I received a call from *****, stating they had determined a problem with the wiring, recommended a new wiring harness, ( all new wiring. Complete front to back, new fuse box,new wiring for engine, dash, lights, sending unit, etc etc. Harness would include all new connectors, look professional and has a warranty. New wiring harness also would clean up engine bay of all unnecessary wiring & stuff no longer needed, and look like the factory wiring. Price was $1000+ for parts $1500 labor originally, they upped the price mid way into the job by $1500 and basically said I can take back “as is” or pay the extra $, I eventually agreed to this by ***** assuring me they ( mechanics) would replace rubber fuel lines on top of tank when the tech replaced the wiring there, But this DID NOT happen as *** told me the tech didn’t have to drop tank to do the wiring ( many weeks later) “ the fuel sending unit was on the side of the tank” which it turns out is not true., I have spent over 6K on this relying on what they have said needed fixing, ( wiring harness, rebuilt carb, new alternator, cables, fuel hose ,vacuum lines, etc.now they say lots of water in the fuel tank, is why its not running ir starting, I hauled jeep back home ( not wanting storage charges) and determined they didn’t even install a “ Painless” wiring harness, as they said, and it still has same problems as originally.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2023

  Hello, my name is ***** *******, owner of Axleboy Offroad, writing in response to Mr. ******’s BBB complaint.
  The customer stated, “He had a guy install a 1990 engine with an HEI distributor into his 1987 Jeep wrangler.” The vehicle drove from the house it was installed to the owners’ house. The owner states he installed many parts trying to get it to run or run properly. The customer stated the vehicle had been sitting for a while. He wanted to get it running and get the gauges working.
  4/28/2022:
  Upon initial diagnosis, there was no fuel in the carburetor and no ignition. The technician started pinpoint diagnostics and found the ignition system was not plugged in, the wiring harness had been damaged and poorly repaired/modified to work with the new engine. Many connectors were unplugged, missing, broken, wires pulling out of insulation, corrosion, etc. The recommendation was to replace the wiring harness so we could begin the process of looking further into things. When the connectors, wiring, etc. are unplugged, missing, or non-operational from the harness, it is impossible to determine if anything plugged into the harness is operational at all. You simply cannot check electrical items effectively when they are not supplied voltage. It was suggested to upgrade the fuel/carburetor system to a newer style aftermarket fuel injection system, the customer declined, but approved the wiring harness. The client approved the $3566.67 estimate to replace the wiring harness and continue diagnosis on fuel system and electrical items.
  4/28/22 at 2:03pm:
  The technician started installation of a Painless Wiring Harness part number 10111 direct fit wiring harness for 1987-1991 Jeep Wrangler.
  5/20/2022 through 5/23/2022:
  Continued installation of the Painless Wiring Harness occurs, totaling 16 hours spent with the initial install. The technician indicated that the aftermarket harness did not include necessary the alternator wiring, needed the original pigtails cut off and soldered on to the new harness, as well as a few custom changes to work with different year engine and ignition system. The customer authorized the additional charges to complete the installation at 8:32 am on 5/27/22 in the total amount including prior work of $4576.96.
  5/27/2022:
  The technician started the modifications needed to the wiring harness. When the harness was completed and a functional test was performed on the vehicle, it was found that the temperature sending unit and oil pressure sending unit were not operational. There was no way to test this prior to the harness installation as this was one of the areas where the original damage was located. The customer approved the sending unit replacements on 6/1 for a total of $4723.71.
  The customer also discussed that he had talked to other shops who advised him that he should not have been charged additional time to modify the harness. It was discussed that Axleboy had to make many modifications to the harness because of various modifications present on the vehicle and a mismatched engine and ignition system. Also, we discussed that there was no way to know we were going to find all the variances until we were in the middle of the install. The customer indicated he would have performed the work himself had he known it was going to cost this much. Next, the customer indicated the fuel tank supply hoses were not changed as requested. He requested the hoses be changed under the assumption that the fuel tank needed to be dropped for the wiring harness installation. In reviewing with the technician, it was discovered the hoses were not changed due to never having to drop the fuel tank.  The sending unit itself has a long pigtail harness made onto it that is accessible from the side of the tank.
  Below is a YouTube video showing how to disconnect the sending unit wiring with the tank in place. (This information can be seen starting at the 2:53 point of the video)
  ****************************
  I offer this link as evidence that a 1987-1990 carbureted Wrangler wiring harness does not require tank removal as indicated by Mr. ******.
  6/8/2022:
  The customer was contacted advising him that after the harness installation and modifications to the harness were made, the vehicle would now start and run, although it lacked power and was rough. A large vacuum leak was discovered as well as fuel leaks from the carburetor. Each of these items were impossible to diagnose before the harness installation, as the vehicle did not run and did not have fuel pressure to fill the carburetor with fuel to check for leaks. It is also noted that we had a discussion with the client to outline how the charges were being applied and why the diagnosis had to be done in the appropriate order, and that we can’t skip spots in the process. The customer approved carburetor spacer and gaskets at 2:19pm on 6/13.
  The customer continued to press that the hoses at the fuel tank needed to be replaced and we should have removed the tank. It was again explained that the tank did not have to be removed to install the wiring harness. The customer was insistent we were wrong. We placed a call to Painless Performance who corroborated our situation, that the tank did not need to be dropped. We advised we could drop the tank and replace the hoses at an additional charge which the customer declined. On 6/24 the customer came to shop and stated he wanted a compression test performed on the engine before moving forward. A compression test was performed, and the findings were reported to the client. The technician continued the low power diagnosis, and while testing the system, more carburetor leaks and issues were shown as well as vacuum lines being very brittle and breaking when you come in contact or try to disconnect for access. The technician recommended a carburetor overhaul and fuel filter replacement as well as replacing broken vacuum lines. The customer approved the repair and added a safety inspection for a total of $5628.96
  8/2/2022:
  The customer was informed that throughout July, low power diagnosis continued, the carburetor was rebuilt, filter replaced, and vacuum lines replaced. The vehicle could be driven short distances. However, battery voltage was dropping and when it gets too low, the vehicle bucks and backfires. Insufficient voltage to the coil is causing exceptionally low spark output during short road tests. The technician performed a starting and charging system test, finding the alternator is not putting enough amperage out. It was noted on the road test that the automatic transmission was shifting exceedingly early and not downshifting on acceleration. The technician performed a basic automatic transmission inspection and noted that the throttle pressure battery voltage was dropping and when it gets too low, the vehicle bucks and backfires. On 8/8/2022, the customer approved a total of $6206.77.
  Once the throttle pressure linkage and alternator were replaced, the technician started and drove the vehicle. During the road test, the carburetor began dumping fuel into the bore. The technician believed the power valve diaphragm was blown when voltage dropped prior with low coil output. He installed a new power valve, and the carburetor was still dumping fuel. The technician installed a new carburetor, and very quickly after installation, the carburetor started dumping fuel from a stuck needle and seat. The technician pulled a fuel sample and found that the fuel was contaminated, and the tank would need to be flushed or replaced. The customer declined repairs and indicated that “if we had dropped the tank like we were supposed to, we would have known this early on”. The customer never approved dropping the tank, even if he had, taking a fuel sample would not have been a standard procedure simply from dropping the tank. Until the symptoms presented themselves, there was no indication of contaminated fuel with water and debris.
  Axleboy understands the outcome was not what the customer intended. Axleboy performed sound diagnosis and followed industry accepted procedures and repairs. All vehicle diagnosis must be performed in an appropriate order, which was followed. Axleboy stands behind our diagnosis and suggested repairs. Axleboy certainly contests the accusation that the work was not completed as stated.
   All parts and labor were installed in a professional manner. We can only perform the work that Mr. ****** authorized and contracted us for. Unfortunately, 35-year-old vehicles with mismatched engines sitting for lengthy periods of time in incomplete status, with a myriad of issues stemming from neglect, used parts, incorrect parts, and incomplete installations is like peeling back layers of an onion. You don’t know what is there until you get there. We must follow the steps and repair significant issues as we find them. Mr. ****** was informed of every step, why they needed to be performed, and how much each step would cost. Mr. ****** approved each step up to the point of the contaminated fuel, except for the quoted charge to replace the tank hoses which were still working and in undamaged shape. There was not any work performed without the customer’s approval. Each step in the process delivered the expected outcome. Mr. ****** decided to stop the process and when he no longer found value in it.
  In closing, Axleboy has all supporting information saved and archived by date and time stamp that can be provided per the request of the BBB.