If you value your time, money, or sanity -- stay far, far away from Central Texas Auto Care!
I was a loyal customer of CTAC for more than a decade. I trusted this shop and even left them a 5-star Yelp review back in 2018. But after spending over $2,300, CTAC never managed to resolve the simple problem of getting a "check engine" light to stay off, but instead installed a defective catalytic converter, charged me for additional parts and labor (which likely wasn't necessary, in hindsight), misled me for weeks, treated me terribly, and ultimately walked away from honoring their own warranty.
When I first brought my Jeep to CTAC in April, I simply asked for a diagnostic and an emissions waiver. Instead, Dannie convinced me they could fully fix the issue for about $1,300 -- which quickly escalated in price. After the first repair, the check engine light came back on within hours. I was then charged for two more rounds of repairs ($147.84 and $424.01), each time with the promise that this would finally fix the problem. It didn't -- after the third repair, the light came back on before I even got home.
I immediately had the Jeep independently diagnosed by a different mechanic and to my surprise it was confirmed that the real problem was a faulty catalytic converter, installed as new by CTAC!
I gave CTAC every opportunity to correct this, and over the following month, I dropped my Jeep off several times -- only to pick it back up a day or two later with nothing done. I was given contradictory excuses -- first it was "shipping delays," then "the tariff situation" (I was told to "Google it"), and later, vague claims of "manufacturer and supplier issues." Once I popped in to ask for an update, Tiffany looked surprised and said: "Oh, you still want to have that fixed?" -- I doubt she meant to actually verbalize that statement, but it made it evident that they were hoping to stall me out until I gave up.
Finally, Tiffany called to inform me that the replacement converter had shipped and would arrive by Friday, June 13th. I dropped the Jeep off again the following Monday -- only to get a call Tuesday afternoon saying it wasn't there or being shipped after all, that in fact, it may never arrive, and that CTAC would only be willing refund the cost of the part -- refusing to cover the labor I'd have to pay another shop, and voiding their own 36-month/36,000-mile warranty on all the work they had done.
When I refused, explaining that I had already spoken to several other shops (none of whom had any trouble sourcing a cat converter ), and in addition, they all agreed I was being fed bullshit from CTAC concerning obtaining a replacement for the bad one they installed. Well, upon hearing the word "bullshit", Tiffany became outlandishly enraged, screaming incoherently into the phone before hanging up. When I came in person later that day, Dannie comes out and rudely threw my keys on the counter and stated that CTAC was no longer willing to work on my Jeep. When I attempted to inquire as to why they were refusing to honor their warranty, Dannie orders me to leave before he disappeared into the back office.
All of this because I said "bullshit", really? No, of course not. Dannie and Tiffany were just looking for any excuse they could grab to be done with me. After all, I don't believe they ever truly intended to replace that rotten catalytic converter.
But whatever the case, that was it. After paying $2,324.57 for so-called "repairs" (including installation of a defective part), and weeks of lies and excuses, CTAC ultimately refused to honor their warranty and told me to take my Jeep elsewhere.
6/25 - Reply to Owner's Response:
CTAC refunded $820.55 (parts and labor for the cat) only after I demanded it and threatened legal action. This was not a voluntary offer -- it was the bare minimum owed to me after paying $2,324.57 for work that never fixed the original problem. The defective catalytic converter is still installed in my Jeep -- so to say I "retained the part" is misleading. I didn't keep a part in a box -- it's still on the vehicle, still failing inspection, and still needs to be replaced at my own expense.
Moreover, I was extremely patient and professional throughout this process -- until CTAC strung me along with a variety of contradictory excuses for over a month, then lied by telling me the part had shipped and would arrive on a certain date (which it didn't). At that point -- as I said in my review above -- I used the word "bullshit" to describe what other mechanics told me concerning this entire situation. Hardly abusive behavior, given the circumstances, but it was the catalyst Tiffany and Dannie chose to justify severing any further business with me, who up until now had been a very happy, long-time, loyal customer.
The facts are simple: After spending over $2,300, CTAC left me with a Jeep that still fails inspection, and refused to honor their own warranty until I forced the issue. read more
