In the fall of 2001 we brought our truck in to have the water pump replaced. It was done. We drove the truck a few weeks when we noticed the temperature gauge was a little higher than normal.
We brought the truck back to the repair shop. A thermostat was installed, we were called and told the truck was repaired and ready to be picked up.
I got in the truck and proceded to drive home. About a half mile from home the truck started running rough. At first I thought maybe it was just my imagination. Afterall, we were told the truck was fixed and ready to go.
I then realized it was not my imagination. The truck begin losing power. I could not go back to the repair shop, it was to far and I had no cell phone. So I coasted it home.
Upon arriving home, my husband came outside and lifted the hood.
He discovered the radiator cap was not on, steam was coming out of the truck and the oil was sizziling.
We called the repair shop and demanded that they send a tow truck at their expense. They complied.
It was towed back to the shop. Once there, with two mechanics under the hood, it was acknowledged that the cap had not been secured on, the radiatior had not been properly flushed, leaving air in the engine and the intake manifold had been cracked by the mechanic while replacing the thermostat.
This led all the water in the radiatior to drain out, severly overheating the engine.
I personally spoke with the mechanic stating "you better hope you did not mess the engine up", his reply "it won't hurt the engine".
The repair shop agreed to replace the intake manifold, at their expense, as they should. They kept the truck a week.
I was then called by the repair shop and told they were sending an employee to pick me up so I could take my truck home. It was fixed and running fine.
I arrived at the repair shop, only to be met with an apologize that he had been mistaken and the truck was not ready.
I was then told it needed a fan clutch.
I agreed and once again left the truck.
They kept it for another week. This left me out of work for 2 weeks.
I am self employed. No work, No pay.
Three months later while pulling onto my street, the truck started running rough. I pulled into my driveway, that was in Janurary and it was the last time it was drove.
I called another repair shop that was referred to me. They towed my truck to their shop and after a few days called to tell me the crank and main bearings were shot.
The mechanic said he could put in a crank kit but from his experience he felt that their was severe damage to the engine.
We explained the previous situation to him and asked if the overheating could have caused the problem and he said it was possible.
We contacted the first repair shop requesting that they fix the damage. They refused. After several phone calls and a meeting, they stated they wouldn't even consider fixing it unless we had the engine tore down.
Back to the second shop, the fee would be $500.00 to tear the engine down. They requested that we call the first shop and ask exactly what it was they wanted to look at. We did. They wanted to look at the crank and oil pan.
My husband and I decided we were not comfortable with putting out that kind of money, when the owner could on his own decide he didn't want to pay or decide he wasnt responsibile.
Plus we felt strongly that the damage was caused by the mechanics mistakes and we should not have to put out money to have the engine tore down.
More phone calls and another meeting. We explained we held the repair shop responsibile, the truck ran fine until their shop did work on it. We only wanted to be treated fairly and for the owner to take responibilty for a person he employed, who by the way is no longer employed there.
The owner said he would think it over and call us.
Another week went by, no call, so we again called him. He explained he had turned things over to his assistant who was getting an estimate on the repair work. The owner to this day has never bothered to listen to the truck run. His assistant would call us in a day.
Another week goes by, no call, we call him. The assistant has pulled up an estimate for $1000.00 off the computer for a crank kit including labor. He'll give the information to the owner and ask the owner to call us.
Another week, no call, we call. The owner states he will pay a portion of the $1000.00 and wants us to pay a portion. He doesnt tell us what our portion is. That was our last conversation.
We feel we should not have to pay anything. We purchased the truck from a well known person of the community who everyone knows took excellent care of this truck and is knowledgable in car repairs. When we purchased the truck (which we are still paying on), my husband saw that tune up's were done, the oil and filters were changed.
We had just purchased the truck in April of the mishap with the repair shop was done in October and the engine stopped running in January.
My truck has been sitting at the second repair shop since Jan. 30th, the owner has been a gentleman in letting it stay there why we try to sort this all out.
I recently had the insurance on it cancelled and turned the tags in.
I am sickened that my husband and I who while do not make a lot of money, work very hard for what we have. People make two major investments in their liftime, a home and a vehicle.
We put our trust and truck into the hands of this shop, they made mistakes and they should be gentleman enough to do the right thing.
Thank you
Laura
Elizabeth city, North Carolina
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