So..
I recently bought a new car, 99 Honda CRV, and decided to do some preventative maintenance. I took car in Thursday April 2nd and asked to have my drivers side door taken off, my window put back on track (It was working, but only went down halfway and was off track)and to have them do a head to toe inspection because of a clinking noise. They said they would need it overnight, so I left it their and was told I would be called tomorrow morning and they would have an update and a quote.
They called me at 9:23 am and told me that everything was good except they can't adjust the window, they have to replace the regulator and motor mount. Also, they found the noise and that it was the sway bar links. They also claimed that the front brakes and rotors needed to be replaced. They quoted me after tax $801.97.
I thought to myself, good, now everything will be good to go, and my new car has been inspected by reputable mechanics. So now, I give em the go ahead, and they start doing their work. All I have to do now is wait for a call, and pick up my car.
I grow impatient and give them a call at 1:39 pm wondering if it's almost done ( they close at 5) said not yet, but it's up on the lift and they were working on it now.At 3:56 pm I cal them again wondering if my vehicle was ready to be picked up. Don answers the phone and apologizes by saying "We're really sorry, we're gonna need to do some more work on it. A part broke, and I don't want to tell you too much, but it's between the head and the piston, and the part is at the machine shop now, and if they can't ix it, well then we'll have to go from there."
Feeling royally fucked I asked the only question on my mind, "when will I have my car back, and what exactly did you break?"
"well, it's between the head and the piston and probably nothing, but sometimes when you do these things with too much torque, old pieces will break..."
I explain the situation to my parents (broke college student) and they convince me to have some faith, and just let them handle it. There logic was, "they already admitted to breaking it, now I'm sure they will make sure that everything is perfect when they give it back, these things have warranties".
I'm thinking, o.k, good. They're right, I'm probably just worried over nothing.
Monday April 6th (closed on weekends), finally I can get my car back.I call them at 9:28 am, they tell me that they're going to have to replace the ball joints, and that that would be another 255.22. I'm like, hold the fuck up, on Friday, you said you broke something and sent it to the machinist, now you're telling me i need even more work done on my car, and you still haven't told me what you broke in the first place. They claim nothing happened, and that I don't need the ball joints now, but will need them in the immediate future. To go ahead and wrap this story up, they ended up charging me 1,137.99 to pick up my car on Monday April 6th. I immediately notice that the noise is still there, and now the alignment is god awful. Hard turning to the left to stay straight. Can't let my hands off the wheel for a second or else I'll end up in the sidewalk. I look at my bill, Ball Joint- remove and replace, DOES NOT INCLUDE ALIGNMENT. So my car that was driving straight, is now pulling to the right, I'm out 1200.00, and my car still has the same problem. Oh, well my window works, so theirs that.
I take it back Tuesday April 14th, explain that they essentially fixed nothing, the reason I came to them, and the problem that they charged me 1200.00 for isn't fixed, and that the check engine light is now on. I bring up that they claimed to have broken something, but never admitted as to what they broke exactly, and Don say " Oh that wasn't you're car, that was a Subaru."...
Let em have it for the day, didn't expect it back until Wednesday anyway, They called me on Thursday and said they fixed it. They replaced the sway bar links with different ones. I pick it up Friday, still the same problems, and I no longer have the energy or resources to put into them fixing. Literally, on the 2nd receipt they gave me there is a note stating " car still has a clicking in back is rear sway bar brushings in back, not parts avail today, has minor noises in front, control arm brushings have a bit of wear could be causing noise or possible front struts? hard to pin down exactly, see if good enough for now, not dangerous"
I'm letting everyone i run into know, don't go to Bitterlings. read more