On January 22 I drove my vehicle to Midas to have the oil changed and to have my split fire spark plugs removed and replaced with pulse plugs. Pulse plugs are highly engineered devices that look like spark plugs but fire with a high intensity pulse versus a spark like a regular spark plug. They are expensive, at $26.00 each. As I waited in the customer waiting area, Ted, the general manager, walked in and told me that the technician had broken off a spark plug while trying to remove it. He told me that he was going to have to charge me an extra hour's labor to remove it. I then replied, "So you're telling me that I'm being charged for your technician's mistake?". Ted then tells me that the plugs are corroded into the engine block and that why it broke, which is not true at all. Ted came back in shortly after to tell me that the technician had broken off a couple other spark plugs, but he would not charge me for the additional time to take them out. When the technician was done working on my car, Ted walked into the office and said to me, "You might want to get a new set of spark plug wires, the car is running kind of ruff". He then offered to sell me a set for $75.00, which I refused because I knew that the spark plug wires on my car where high quality and nothing was wrong with them when I drove my car into Midas' parking lot.
As I drove out of the parking lot, I immediately realize something is very wrong with my engine. I immediately called Ted and told him something is wrong with my car engine. I told him that either a pulse plug was missing, or something wasn't connected. Ted told me to bring the car back. I told Ted that I would have to come back the next day because I had literally been there all day and had to go home and let my dog out. Ted told me to come back in the morning. When I got home, I opened the hood and immediately spotted a pulled apart spark plug wire that was neatly tuck away under small tubing. I immediately called Ted and told him, and I also stated that there's no way the technician didn't know that spark plug wire was broken. I had gone to Auto Zone on the way home and purchased a new set of spark plug wires, receipt attached. Ted offered to put them on for free.
The following morning, 23 January I took my car back to Midas. I spoke with Ted in the office and again said to him that there's no way that the technician didn't know he had broken the spark plug wire. I then said to Ted, "So, do I need to go behind this technician to check whether or not he correctly installed the pulse plugs?". Ted, who is the General Manager by the way, told me, "No, that won't be necessary, I'll install the new wires and check the plugs myself, which he didn't, I saw other technicians do it. After the technicians were done, Ted drove the car over to the customer area, came in, and told me my car was finished. As soon as I left the parking lot, I realized that there is still something really wrong with my car engine. This time, all the red flags are going up.
I drove directly to another auto repair shop gave the technician explicit instructions to check the pulse plugs to see if they are installed correctly. After walking home, I got a phone call from the technician telling me that there are only seven pulse plugs installed, and one regular $3.00 spark plug. Keep in mind that the pulse plugs are $26.00 each, and the car requires eight of them. He also tells me that my engine is overheating badly and I should not drive it or the engine could be ruined. I immediately call Ted and tell him that my car engine is really screwed up and he said for me to bring the car back. I told him that I would not be bringing my car back to Midas because they could not be trusted. I then informed him about the missing pulse plug. Ted, the general manager, actually said to me that the technician probably just forgot to install it. Keep in mind that so far, this makes two big errors on the Midas technician's part. Ted proceeds to tell me that he wants me to bring the car back because he would like a second chance to fix the car. At this point I tell Ted that I won't be bring my car back to Midas because they have no integrity and can't be trusted. Ted then attempts to tell me that my car engine is old and already had some problems. Although my car is a 1989 Firebird Formula, this car has been almost completely restored and ran better than most new cars with its recently rebuilt $5000. Oo engine. At this point the conversation went down-hill.
I told Ted that I was going to have my car towed to Downtown Auto Shop, and have Mark Garcia, the owner and person who built the engine, to diagnose exactly what Midas did to my car and let me know, and I informed Ted I would let him know the diagnosis. The whole time, Ted is telling me what they're not going to pay for. Keep in mind that there was nothing wrong with my car when I went to Midas. Mark Garcia from Downtown Auto Shop, called a few days later to inform me that other than the missing pulse plug, there was also a pulse plug installed that was cracked, rendering it useless. He also informed me that a sensor, which sits next to a spark plug and controls the car's cooling fan, is broken in half and is the cause for the engine overheating. I called American Express and stopped the payment to Midas for $308.14.
I called Ted to inform him of what Mark found. Ted again asked me to bring the car back. I told Ted, that was not going to happen. I told him that I would instruct Mark to repair the damage and I would send him the bill, which came to $423.48. I also came out of pocket to replace two pulse plugs, which had to be special ordered on the internet for $76.75. The first repair shop that I went to after leaving Midas, American Car Care Center, whom originally told me about the missing pulse plug, and the overheating charged me $236.53 for telling me what Ted should have told me, since he said he would check the technician's work. Originally, I sent Ted a bill for $500.23. I inadvertently left out the bill from American Car Care Center, and the cost of buying new spark plug wires. Ted finally agreed to pay the bill sent to him for $500.23. I waited for one week to follow up on payment and Ted told me that the check had been mailed out two days earlier. I waited another week, no check, no word or follow-up from Midas. No follow up and lack of concern has been Midas' M.O. Since all of this started.
I called Ted and he informed me that the check didn't get sent because I had stopped the American Express payment for $308.14. I said to him that I would not be paying for his technician screwing up my car. I was without my car for a week while all of this was going on. I was flat out told that they would not be footing the bill for any rental vehicle. What I want from Midas is the recovery of every penny I had to pay to return my car to the state it was in before Midas's technician got a hold of it, which totals $767.06, this includes the bill from the first repair shop that found the missing plug and the cost of me purchasing new spark plug wires. I also should not have been charged an extra hours worth of labor because of the technician's incompetence. I also would like to recover that charge as well, but don't know what their hourly rate is. Midas corporate office also has been aware of the situation since it started and all I've gotten from them is silence. Now Ted is telling me that they have a new manager and that I need to take my issue up with the corporate office. I called a number that Ted gave me and spoke to Michelle, who works in the office at the Midas where Ted is located. She informed me that she would like to work with me and I sent her the remaining two bills that I originally left out. She said she would get back to me. I haven't heard a word from Midas in five business days and counting.
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