ComplaintsforSequim Auto Clinic

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my car to Sequim auto repair to have the heater core replaced. This job required the dashboard to be removed and replaced at a cost of $800. When I got the car back the panel heat did not work. Also, the radio button was pushed in so I couldnt turn on the radio. I called the same day to report the issues and the owner told me that the panel heat problem was because the switch had gone bad. I though it was quite a coincidence that it picked this exact time to go bad. I took it in the next day. The mechanic tried stuffing paper in the back of the radio k*** When that didnt work they ordered a radio. The mechanic then told me, without checking, that the problem was the switch and it was only available through E bay or a wrecking yard and you couldn't guarantee they would be any good. I asked him if he could test the switch and he said yes. I brought the car back and was told by the mechanic they had hooked up another switch and all the systems work properly. After I got home I received a call from the owner saying I had insulted the mechanic and nobody in the shop wanted to work on my car. and the switch was not available through his the two suppliers, **** and Autorock . A quick ****** search proved that the part was available at both and also thru the **** dealership in ************ and 6 other websites. Did I feel insulted that that they were not being truthful, you bet!I called and told the owner about the parts availability and was told they would not work on my car. I asked him to install the switch and he refused. I think something is wrong behind the dash. The only way to prove me wrong is to install a new switch. My dilemma is, if I take it to another shop and it doesn't fix the problem, Sequim auto repair is off the hook and can say 'you did something wrong'. Then I have to pay $800+ to someone else to fix the problem. All I want is my car fixed and back to the condition it was when I brought it in to be repaired. Is that too much to ask?

  Business response

  04/07/2022

  See attached document.

  Customer response

  04/29/2022

  I would like to respond to Sequim Autos answer to my complaint. Ill retract my statement that they lied to me about the availabilty of the part. They just didnt know how to look it up. I started with a simple ****** search of 98 Expedition heater switch. On the first page there is an entry for a blower switch from ORiellys (screenshot included). I opened the page and there was the heater switch. I took the part number YH **** and entered it on ******* From there it was easy to compile a list of 36 websites that sell the switch including **** and Rockauto (screenshots of both websites included). These are the two suppliers that **** said on our first phone call were his two main sources for 
  parts. But in his written response he came up with three more suppliers 
  he claimed did not have the part. I called ***************** at A-1 AUTO PARTS and found they could get it from their supplier. I called RACE STREET AUTO PARTS and talked to *****. He also said he could get it from his supplier. ***** then said he doesnt stock the part because it Very,very rarely goes bad.  Then I called *********************. After being told the part was obsolete, I gave them the **** part number, #YH ****, off their parent company's website FORDPARTS.COM, and they found that they actually had one in stock. And these people work for ****!
  Im including the list of 40 places you can buy the part from, that I hand delivered to **************** at his business, which includes his five suppliers.  At that time I informed **************** that ******** **** had the part in stock. He looked at me with a confused look and said, I gave you their phone number! He obviously wasnt listening. He then took the paper and tossed it under the counter without even looking at it. Also, I never bought the needed part and asked to have it installed. 
  I simply informed **************** on the phone that it was available from **** and Rockauto. He was silent as I explained the path on the Rockauto website that would lead him to the part. He seemed to listen, then 10 seconds later said, Its not available on Rockauto!. I couldnt believe what I was hearing.
  It is my contention that the switch is not the problem and they are lying about testing the system with another switch. Just the fact that they said they tested it is an admission that other problems can arise not related to the switch when you remove and replace the dash. I have talked to many mechanics about this issue and they all say the same two things. First, They should have tested the system before they gave you back the car, as things can go wrong when removing and replacing the dash and second, If the switch they used to test the system fixed the problem, why didnt they just leave that switch in and return the car in working order. These are statements from knowledgeable people with no dog in the fight, so to speak.
  So here is the answer to my problem. Ill bring my car into Sequim auto repair and **** can simply put in the test switch they used and show me, in person, that it is the problem. Let me see with my own eyes that a new switch will fix the problem. Or, replace the switch with a new one from one of his five suppliers and fix the problem. Either way, I believe the burden of proof is on the repair shop because THEY diagnosed the problem. THEY claim that the switch is the problem. THEY claim that their test switch fixed the problem without me being present to observe the results. And THEY claim that the switch is not available from their suppliers, even though that has now been proven to be false.
  I did not insult the mechanic. They never even told me what I was supposed to have said to insult him. I did notice a change in his attitude when I requested they test the switch. The first line on the card my wife sent simply said, we are really sorry for hurting your feelings and offending you by complaining about our car after you worked on it.. At the bottom of Sequim auto repairs website it says, Customer satisfaction is our goal. If you like our service, tell someone. If not, tell us. All we were doing was following their own advice.
  In regards to the radio problem, I specifically said the shaft was pushed in so you could not turn the radio on. Their response turned that into a loose k*** I offered for them to fix the radio but they were adamant that they didnt work on radios. As I also said in my complaint, when the mechanic couldnt stuff enough paper into the hole of the k*** and make the radio work they ordered a replacement without even talking to me. They obviously knew a loose k*** was not the problem. I would like this problem resolved, so I'll just say, Sequim auto repair, The ball is in your court.
  

  
  

*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. ↩