So how does one formally complain about an ASE Certified shop?

To say I'm livid, is putting it mildly. I wish I'd realized how easy it was to look at the CV joint/boots. Stupid me.

Back in June, I had an ASE Blue Seal certified shop replace my CV boots and axles, because they told me they were "slinging grease". Cost me very close to $1,000 for the service.

Today, I replaced my tires. The mechanic (Sams Club) told me that not only were my CV boots slinging grease, it looked like one had never been installed correctly in the first place. My regular mechanic is quite close, so I took the truck to his place, he showed me where the boots were and truly, very messed up (one boot's not even fully attached. There's a pile of grease sitting below the other one). Not sure there's any grease left in the joints, seems to be pounds of it everywhere else.

I'm pissed. Truck is in to the shop tomorrow anyway to get the heater fixed (again), he'll take a closer look at that time and tell me what needs to be done (He'll see if he can use an aftermarket clamp to fix the boot that's off), so I can call the shop that did the shoddy work and complain - and know exactly what needs to be done so they can't try to shaft me.

Lesson learned. The supposed ASE shop is very convenient to work, but if I have to get $1,000 of work redone because they screwed up (hopefully they'll make it right), it's not worth the convenience. I'll stick with my small, decent, inconvenient mechanic.

jmc

Reply to
jmc
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Suddenly, without warning, jmc exclaimed (3/14/2011 5:57 PM):

Pictures (tires are cranked to right):

Right (what a mess!):

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Left (yea, it's blurry but that's a pile of grease below the boot):

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Reply to
jmc

WTF? It costs $1000 for half-shafts for that vehicle? Hell, my Hummer H1 is cheaper than that...

I'd suggest you start at the ASE web site, maybe they have a complaints page?

Reply to
PeterD

Small clames court might work.

Reply to
NotMe

Suddenly, without warning, NotMe exclaimed (3/15/2011 1:31 PM):

That's an idea. If the ASE shop denies responsibility & I have to get my regular mechanic to fix 'em, might be worth looking into.

jmc

Reply to
jmc

Jodi, I'd take the truck back and give the guy a chance to make it right. Everybody screws up at times and the good ones will fix it and the bad ones will give you a load of bs. If you get the bs treatment, then I'd go to the better business bureau. The BBB carries some weight with local small business and my help you out with just one letter.

You're welcome for the advise and that will be one dozen cc cookies...

Denny

Reply to
Denny

Jodi, I just looked at the pics. Appears to me they didn't get the clamps tight enough and they slipped off.

That will be one more dozen cc cookies.

Hope I don't have to look at the pics again......

Denny

Reply to
Denny

Jodi, I just looked at the pics. Appears to me they didn't get the clamps tight enough and they slipped off.

That will be one more dozen cc cookies.

Hope I don't have to look at the pics again......

Denny

Yup! I agree with ol' fuzzy tail... just a dozen cookies will do... not the three dozen like the last time... and you know the choklit chip ones that I like best.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Simmons

Your cookies are in the mail. Really... what, you don't believe me? humph.

And, yes, that's my plan. Fortunately, my shop says the axles don't have to be replaced, but that one clamp is utterly missing - no sign of it - and as the pic shows the other one's kind of there but useless.

I called the ASE shop, kept it short and simple "you did this work and the clamps have already come off" essentially, and will bring it by tomorrow. We'll see what they say then.

Yes, if they don't make it right, the BBB is also a good idea. Small claims court won't be worth the effort, my shop says it'd only be a couple hundred to fix.

I don't usually get up in arms about things, but I've never been happy with this shop's work - I'm pretty sure they were the last to touch my brakes before they seized, and my AC has had a funny smell since they "fixed" that. A coworker went there twice and his stories mirrored mine. So much for ASE Blue Seal, I guess. Don't they ever check with the shop's customers?

Oh, and as a complete non-sequiter: Mike S., remember that blower motor resistor you sent me all those years ago? They tried to install it today, first it didn't work, then it started to smoke! Oh, not your fault, it probably fried in the truck in Australia. I just thought it was funny - carried that thing all over the world, saving it for this moment, then it nearly literally goes up in smoke :)

So they put in a new one. Which is great because I was getting tired of heat only at hurricane levels.

So we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'll be civil and polite and hopefully they'll make it right.

jmc

Reply to
jmc

I put yours in the mail at the same time I did Denny's :)

Reply to
jmc

Suddenly, without warning, jmc exclaimed (3/14/2011 5:57 PM):

Ok, so I decided not to complain, but not to go back there either.

Dropped the truck off today, although they initially said they'd have to replace the whole axle, when I made it clear I would not pay for any repairs on something that they screwed up (I didn't put it that way, I do know some diplomacy!), suddenly all they needed to do was the same thing my other shop would have done - re-set the boots, regrease, and install aftermarket clamps. One manager sort of implied he's seen this sort of thing before. If so, why'd they use the inferior clamps in the first place?

Apparently the axle was out of warranty - over 12,000 miles. I haven't verified that yet.

Later, another manager made an added excuse: the clearance between the ball joints and the part that secures the clamp is much smaller than a "normal" vehicle, and so it's likely the part of the clamp that stuck out got damaged by the ball joint. What do the experts think of that?

I'm not going back there. They weren't very gracious about the whole thing. The manager was decidedly unhappy when he stated there'd be no charge, but I asked for that in writing (at the advice of my other shop). He essentially refused to, and then when I asked when picking up the truck if there was no charge, he asked "geeze, did you really get burned somewhere or something?".

Not fond of their attitude. Won't be going back. But they did do as I ask, and fix it no cost, so, case closed. One other thing I noticed: My small time, tucked away little shop is always up to their necks in cars. This shop, on a main road within walking distance of quite a few large office buildings, which means great convenience for customers, has an almost empty lot. Does the "look for the restaurant with the most customers" philosophy apply here?

I'm going to keep a really close eye on those boots for a while!

jmc

Reply to
jmc

Jodi... As far as the clamp clearance issue. Yes, the clearance is tight but if the clamp was installed properly there would be no problem. I'm guessing they didn't get the clamp tight enough. And not to be siding with them but sometimes those clamps are a bitch to get tight. Just nature of the beast. I wish there was room to put a old style worm clamp on. It'd be much easier to do but there just isn't enough room for them. Plus the old style clamps could throw the balance off too.

Full parking lots can tell you two things...... They are very good and have lots of customers or they've screwed up a bunch of cars and have had to push them out of the bays. You'll just have to try them and decide which one they are... But chances are they are good.

Now where's my friggen cookies!?!?!?!?

Denny

Reply to
Denny

Especially if they didn't use the proper clamp tool to tighten it!

Don't worry, you'll get your CC cookies just a short time after I get mine. Honest. Really.

Reply to
PeterD

You do have a pair of the offset nose clamp pliers don't you? The ones I have make those clamps easy. Think they were off a Matco truck...

I'd still rather deal with them then the damn crimped ends on oil/heat/PS/Fuel lines...

Could also mean they are S L O W at getting work done. But if you go in and they have full bays and the guys are actually working on vehicles then I would ask a few folks about them. Word of mouth can make/break a place REALLY fast.

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Reply to
Steve W.

Steve. There's never been a Matco in this area. Snap-on, Mac, Sears, Harbor Freight and the tools the home improvement and parts store sell. You got a number on the tool and I'll see what I can find.. Thanks.

And a small die grinder makes quick work of those crimped ends. Get a really good bit and split the crimp longwise. Then peel the sucker off. As long as you can get to it, it'll only take you a couple of minutes.

Jodi.. The UPS truck came and went today and still no package. You got a tracking number??? Did you insure them??

Denny

Reply to
Denny

I'll look and see what it has and see if Mac or Snap-on have something like it.

Snap-on will be in tomorrow anyway.

Yeah I use a custom pair of cutting pliers normally. One end grabs the tube end of the crimp and the blade slides down the line to split the crimp.

Reply to
Steve W.

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