At approximately 8:00am on 6/1/07 I took my car to Ken Towery Autocare on 2587 Nicholasville Road in Lexington Kentucky due to air bubbles in the brake system. I asked that they bleed the brake system and install new fluid. This is an elective vehicle maintenance procedure and all components were in working order. Prior to this incident, on 5/28/07 the vehicle was inspected by a non involved certified technician with a checklist that listed all braking components in working and safe condition.
At approximately 10am on 6/1/07 while the vehicle was being serviced by Technician: Corey, of Ken Towery I personally observed the technician stand three feet from my vehicle and run towards a wrench that had been place on my right brake caliper. He made heavy contact with the wrench which sheered the inside bleeder bolt off of the caliper rendering it broken.
At that time he walked to the left side of the car and worked on that brake caliper where I inspected and identified a large crack surrounding that inside bleeder valve. It should be noted that these were both the inside bleeder valves that have never been worked on by outside personnel as the standard protocol is to use the outside or outboard bleeder valve.
When I observed the damage done to both calipers I walked inside to the service counter and advised the manager: Steve Donovan of the damage. He spoke with his technician and returned stating, These things happen when dealing with seized bolts. At that time I walked away and contacted the Master Mechanic at Auto Motion in Louisville, KY, Bryan Rose for expert opinion. His deposition is enclosed. I was informed that due to the nature of aluminum calipers or any materials for that matter, it is standard protocol to heat the surface until the bolt can easily be broken free or else damage may occur.
I advised Steve Donovan of this conversation and he stated it is standard protocol for them to force the bolts free and he would not accept responsibility. He did not attempt to heat the caliper to work the bolt loose. He offered for me to pay in full for replacement parts and labor.
I declined and advised him that this is unacceptable that a working $2395 brake system should be brought to him for a routine elective maintenance (fluid change and bleed) and be rendered useless by their technician. He then required that I pay him for labor already performed in the amount of $52.08 for labor and cost of brake fluid. I paid due to the fact I believed I was forced to until court but I advised the manager I would be seeking legal remedy and I wrote on the receipt at the signature line Under legal dispute. He stated, Youre not going to get far with that. I advised him to put the wheels back on the car and it would be flatbedded by this writer to Audi of Lexington for inspection and repair. I have enclosed an affidavit from the findings of their master mechanic.
While waiting for the flatbed I observed brake fluid spewing in large amounts from the crack in the brake caliper as did the driver of the Tow Truck from CTS towing. His affidavit is enclosed. The amount of fluid flowing from the caliper was to the extent that all of the brake fluid was completely drained from the automobile within 10 minutes onto the bed of the tow truck.
It is my contention that not only was the vehicle inspected to be in perfect working order three days prior to this service but it would be impossible for this crack and these damages to have been there without the personnel of Ken Towery knowing about it due to the fact that the vehicle would have either have been completely empty of brake fluid or the fluid would have been spewing from it when it arrived and it was not. The caliper was in perfect working condition and the fluid was completely full and holding fluid (something it could not due after they cracked the caliper).
It is my contention that the service technician of Ken Towery negligently damaged an expensive brake system that was in proper working order leaving this writer stranded without an automobile. This writer then paid to Audi of Lexington the amount of $2056 to have working OEM replacement parts put on the vehicle so it can be safely driven with operable brakes. It should be noted that the brake system that was damaged and was on the vehicle was the AP Racing brake system model# AP2900 and sold the sole authorized distributor in the US named Brake Pros (for the amount of $2395. Enclosed is the price sheet and spec sheet for the damaged system in question.
The total for the kit to be shipped (using the least expensive UPS ground of the four options they offer) to the city of incident is $50.89) for a grand total of $2445.89 in parts that would be replacements for damaged items. Labor to have these parts installed would be $190 quoted from Audi of Lexington for a total for parts and labor to install damaged parts of $2635.89.
I also request a refund of the labor charged and performed by Ken Towery Autocare on 6/1/07 in the amount of $52.08 due to the fact the labor performed was labor to damage the brake components and the parts part of the charge was brake fluid that had leaked completely from the caliper within 30 minutes of their damage to the caliper. The total amount of labor, parts, and repairs to replace the damaged components is therefore $4553.97.
NOTE, the following was written on my sales receipt from Ken Towery:
"bleeder screws on front calipers broke in attempt to repair vehicle — advised customer. Customer feels we did not perform proper technique to perform task."
0 comments