ComplaintsforBill's Radiator, Muffler, Hitch & Trailer

• Initial Complaint

  09/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had taken my car there for a radiator and a pipe to get welded up under the car I had left my car there overnight like suggested by the shop when I went to go pick up the vehicle I pulled off and I reached the first corner my car started hesitating and went into limp mode all lights came on within the car I immediately took the car back to the garage and they told me that they didn't know what was wrong with the vehicle I explain to them my car never acted like that until you guys repaired it! Then after taking my vehicle to another shop they told me someone leaned on the EMC module and broke off a clip this most likely happened during the repair of the radiator I took paperwork back to Bill's muffler and radiator shop and they told me that they were not going to reimburse my money I'm out of a total of $2500 because of this and they fail to take ownership that they messed up my car not to mention I'm a business owner and it totally messed up and inconvenience me and what I had going on within my own business! Never again!

  Business response

  11/29/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/10/20) */ MY NAME IS GARY ******* AND I AM THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THIS FACILITY.BEFORE WE STARTED REPAIRING THE CUSTOMER'S VEHICLE, I ADVISED THE CUSTOMER THAT IT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY WRECKED IN THE FRONT, WHICK SHE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE HAD NO PREVIOUS HISTORY WITH THIS CAR. IT SEEMED TO RUN OK AND WE PULLED IT INTO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. AFTER REPAIRS, WE TEST DROVE THE VEEHICLE TO ENSURE THAT NO PROBLEMS WERE STILL PRESENT. SHE PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO OUR SHOP BECAUSE IT WAS NOT RUNNING WELL. CUSTOMER TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT WE MUST HAVE BROKEN SOME ELECTRONIC PART AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CUSTOMER CAME BACK TO OUR FACILITY AND WANTED US TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. WE TOLD HER THAT THE PART DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO PERFORM HER REPAIR. AND SHE DID NOT BELEIVE US. SO, WE LOOKED UP THE RECCOMENDED LABOR RECCOMENDATIONS AND PROCEDURES ON THE REMOVAL OF THE RADIATOR AND SHOWED HER THE INSTRUCTION PER INDUSTRY STANDARDS OFFICIAL LABOR GUIDE. NO WHERE DOES IT INDICATE THAT HER EFFECTED PART HAD TO BE REMOVED. PLUS, THE FACT THAT HER CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN IN A PRIOR WRECK. I FEEL SORRY FOR THE CUSTOMER, BUT IN MY OPINION, WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBILE. Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/10/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Gary ******* is telling half the story!!! When I dropped my car of they said it was rust underneath... but where the part was broken off there was zero amount of rust in fact it's a plastic part that I will provide pictures for. For the removal for the radiator there's videos on some people have to remove The part that was broken and some people do not although if they did not remove it it was a very tight squeeze which it is very well possible one of their mechanics lean on it and snapped the plastic tab that locks the EMC in place! When I drop my vehicle off to them my car was running fine I just had to keep putting fluid into the radiator it never cut off on me it never hesitated it was just the radiator that needed to be repaired when I pick my vehicle up it would not make it to the corner ! There is no doubt they messed my car up and now they're trying to cover it up with lies

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My car had catalytic converter service on 6/24/22. The cost of the repair was $459.34. Afterwards, my car was loud, and the bottom panel trembled. I called Gary, the manager, when I arrived home and told him about my car's driving conditions. He stated he didn't know what to tell me, all they did was some wielding work, but I could bring it back the next day. Gary stated that something was done incorrectly upon wielding the new catalytic converter and apologize for the statement made on the phone. He pointed out a different noise my car was now making. He said it was my muffler and the repair cost was $140. I took my car back on 7/6/22, the actual cost was $131.60, $80 of which was for the part. After the muffler repair my car made a lot of noise and did not drive smoothly. The next day, the mechanic, Miguel, laughed and said it supposed to sound like that. He said I would need to get a muffler from the dealership for quiet sound and offered to put my old muffler back on, saying, there was nothing wrong with my original muffler. My old muffler was put back on and my car is still making noises and my engine light is still on. I took my car to O'Reilly's for a reading on 7/13/22 and on 7/15/22, to another muffler shop, both indicated bad catalytic converter. The mechanic at this muffler shop said a small catalytic converter was put on my car. He advised I go back to the shop and request a heavy metal catalytic converter for my car. I did, on July 16, 2022, on the 5th visit. I inquired about compensation for the multiple trips made for a catalytic converter repair. Gary laughed and stated that I would need to talk to the owner, he is only the manager. I inquired about being reimbursed for the muffler part. He told me I would need to speak with Juan, who was out, and he didn't know when he would return. I use my car for supplement income, and I couldn't work after my initial visit to Bill's radiator shop on June 24, 2022, until the final visit on July 15, 2022.

  Business response

  10/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/27) */ GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS **** *******, COMPANY MANAGER FOR **** ******* AND BILL'S RADIATOR AND MUFFLER. I HAVE BEEN ON LOCATION FOR 34 YEARS. I HATE THAT THIS DISAGREEMENT WITH THIS CUSTOMER HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO THIS LEVEL. WE HAVE NO PREVIOUS HISTORY WITH THIS VEHICLE. IT CAME IN WITH A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WAS SCANNED BY A COMPUTER INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. CUSTOMER WAS TOLD AND SHE GAVE US PERMISSION TO INSTALL A NEW ONE, WHICH WE DID. CUSTOMER WAS NOT PLEASE AS THE VEHICLE SOUNDED DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE. SO WE RE-EVALUATED THE ENTIRE EXHAUAST TO FIND IT HAD A RATTLE IN THE PIPE/OR MUFFLER. WITH A REPORT THAT O'REILYS AND ANOTHER MUFFLER SHOP SAID THAT THE CONVERTER WE HAD PUT ON CAR WAS UNDERSIZED, WE INSTALLED ANOTHER LARGER CONVERTER AT NO CHARGE TO HER. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CURE HER NOISE DISCREPTANCY WE INSTALLED A NEW MUFFLER AND RESONATOR. BUT TO NO AVAIL. SO WE UPGRADED HER CONVERTER AT NO CHARGE COSTING US $140.00, CHANGED OUT HER NEW MUFFLER FOR HER ORIGINAL AT NO CHARGE, AND ADDED A QUIETNING RESONATOR TO HER CAR, AGAIN AT NO CHARGE. AGAIN, WE HAVE NO HISTORY WITH THIS CAR. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE BEFORE WE EVER WORKED ON IT. WE FOUGHT DILIGENTLY TO IDENTIFY THIS SOUND DIFFERENCE. MOSTLY WHAT THE CUSTOMER SAID IS CORRECT. BUT SHE OVERLOOKED THE ENORMOUS TIME AND MONEY AND PATIENCE WE INVESTED IN HER VEHICLE. MY SMILING AND LAUGHING PERSONALITY WAS CONFUSED WITH LACK OF SINCERITY FOR HER ISSUES. I AM DEVOTED TO ALL OUR CLIENTS. ALSO, THE LOCATION OF OUR OWNER AND HIS RETURN TO SERVICE IS NEVER A SECRET. I ALWAYS KNOW THE ANSWER, AND I HAVE NO MOTIVATION TO LIE. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/07/27) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) My car was driven into the garage each time it was serviced by the mechanic that would complete the service. The difference in sound was obvious from the first time it was driven into the garage and each time it was serviced by the mechanics. The mechanics that worked on my car even stated they didn't know why the sound was loud or changed. I had to visit the shop on five different occassions for one thing that was guaranteed to be fixed upon first visit. This is the reason I'm requesting a partial refund for the catalytic converter service. Also, my original muffler was put back on, my car, by the mechanic Miguel after he offered, due to the replacement caused loud sound. He told me that my muffler was not bad. Therefore I should not be responsible to pay for a part that was returned. I'm requesting refund for the muffler part not the labor, eventhough both were unnecessary.**** talked about having great customer service and mechanical service on my first visit, but I have not received either. I feel taken advantaged of for my lack of knowledge of auto mechanics. In addition, my engine light came back on after each time my car was serviced by the shop for the same issue, bad catalytic converter. Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/08/10) */ AS INDICATED ON HER FIRST VISIT, INVOICE NUMBER XXXXX, DATED 6/24/22, THE VEHICLE WAS HERE FOR A CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT. WE PERFORMED THE SERVICE AS THE SNAP-ON SCANNER INDICATED. THE CUSTOMER SAID THAT THE VEHICLE SOUNDED DIFFERENT. WE TOLD HER THAT THE CODES PO513 AND CODE PO523 WERE PRESENT AND SHE NEEDED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SHOP WHO SPECIALIZED IN THIS TYPE OF REPAIR. SHE ULTIMATELY BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK COMPLAINING OF DIFFERENT NOISE. WE FOUND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THAT WE JUST REPLACED WAS DAMAGED BY OVERHEATING. THE ACT OF OVERHEATING THE CONVERTER IS EVIDENT BY MASSIVE DIS-COLORING OF THE METAL. WE REPLACED THE CONVERTER WITH A MORE HEAVY DUTY CONVERTER AT NO CHARGE TO CUSTOMER. THEN WE REPLACED THE MUFFLER. ACCORDING TO CUSTOMER, THE SOUND WAS NO DIFFERENT. SO, WE CHANGED OUT THE MUFFLER AND RESONATOR ON THE VEHICLE AT NO CHARGE. SINCE THE SOUND WAS THE SAME, WE RE-INSTALLED THE CUSTOMER'S ORIGINAL MUFFLER. IF THE CUSTOMER IS IN POSSESSION OF AN INVOICE INDICATING THAT WE CHARGED HER FOR A MUFFLER THEN WE WILL GLADLY REFUND HER FOR THIS PART. Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2022/08/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I was not told to go to another shop for anything. I visited Bill's Radiator, Muffler, Hitch & Trailer 5 times before the code regarding catalytic converter disappeared. On my 2nd visit I was told something was wrong with my muffler and to bring it back for repair, which was replaced on 3rd visit. Engine light displayed catalytic converter repair code for each visit (1st, 2nd, and 3rd at this point). I returned the fourth time, engine light still indicating catalytic converter repair, due to loud sound of car after muffler repair. My original muffler was put back on and I was told, by the mechanic that completed the service that day, nothing was wrong with my muffler. I attached a picture of both invoices (catalytic converter and muffler repair upon my initial complaint. The 1st visit for the catalytic converter repair on 6/24/22 invoice # is XXXXX. The invoice for the muffler part and labor on 7/6/22 is #XXXXX indicating the cost of $80 for the part, that I've stated in previous statements of this complaint. I'm also not satisfied with the 5 visits I had to make for the catalytic converter repair. However, I will accept the refund for the muffler part of $80.

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