A wolf in sheep's clothing…read more
As the saying goes, "The devil is in the details."
I was traveling through Clarksville, TN, from out of state when I was referred to Honest-1 Auto Care by a fellow church member. I brought my vehicle in because of a leaking power steering hose.
They replaced the leaking hose and told me a mandatory power steering flush was required because the system had been opened. I agreed, even though I had already had the power steering system flushed about a month earlier. The total cost was approximately $700.
The very next day, I discovered that the power steering reservoir was empty.
Honest-1 Auto Care acknowledged that the problem was caused by their work. During the original repair, they had moved another pressurized power steering line--the line supplying the brake Hydro-boost system--too close to the pulley assembly. The pulley subsequently sliced the hose.
I brought the vehicle back the following day. They had it repaired within about an hour. However, instead of replacing the damaged hose, they cut out the damaged section, installed fittings, and used hose clamps to splice the line back together. I was told this was a proper repair. It wasn't according to General Motors.
The following day, the power steering reservoir was empty again.
At that point, I specifically requested that they replace the line they had damaged and repair the problem properly once and for all. The next day, I was told they could not find any leaks and suggested that the empty reservoir was most likely because they had not flushed the system. They then wanted to leave the temporary splice in place, refill the power steering reservoir, and send me on my way.
That was not acceptable.
I was already traveling out of state and had a long drive of approximately 4,000 miles ahead of me. The power steering system also operates the brake Hydro-boost system on my diesel vehicle. I was not willing to gamble on a temporary repair that had already failed, especially when I was far from home.
Because of this situation, I had to cancel reservations and make new arrangements, costing me additional time and disrupting my trip.
Ultimately, I paid $144 for a new replacement line. They installed it at no additional labor charge. They also did not perform another power steering flush. Instead, they bled the system to remove the air--despite previously insisting that a flush was mandatory whenever the system was opened.
I appreciated the fact that they acknowledged their original mistake and ultimately installed the replacement line. However, the overall experience left me feeling that I had paid for a service that may not have been necessary, and that the repair could and should have been done correctly the first time.
What concerns me most is that I was an out-of-state customer, traveling on a schedule, with limited options and thousands of miles between me and home. I can't say what their intentions were, but the way this situation was handled left me feeling that my circumstances were taken advantage of.
My advice to anyone using this shop: ask questions, get a clear explanation of what is actually required, and carefully inspect any repair--especially if you're traveling and don't have the luxury of returning home to your regular mechanic.
A repair shop earns trust not just by patching up a mistake, but by taking responsibility and making sure the customer leaves with a safe, properly completed repair the first time.
