Complaint / Review
Surfside / Surf Side Japanese Auto & Service
Riped off, poor business, lazy, overpriced

I took my Acura to Surfside Auto with the assumption that they work on Japanese products only, and should be better than a "normal" shop.

I had a starter hanging up, and they suggested I replace it. They told me It would be expensive ($750) because there were not any aftermarket starters made yet for this model. (a 1997 car in 2004?) However, they told me that with the high price came a lifetime warranty on the part. So, if it failed again... The part (not labor) would be covered. Small consolation, but I agreed.

They told me it would be done in a day or two... Which turned into 4 or 5 because of a number of excuses. But hey... I wanted it done right... So OK.

Fast forward 4 years. Guess what. The starter fails. I have a downed car, but at least I have a lifetime warranty on the starter... So I feel a little better about it.

I call Surfside and they act bothered by my call, but they will "check into it". They take my name and promise to look it up and call me. A week goes by... I call again. They tell me the records are in storage. They are too busy to look through the storage now. Another week goes by... I call again. Now they tell me "I don't think starters ever have a lifetime warranty". (they still haven't looked up my records). I tell them the story of what was promised me. I then offer to bring the receipt (which I had kept) by their office. They agreed. I dropped it off with a mechanic the next morning (manager wasn't there). I call a couple days later (it's been a month now) and the manager "Tosh" tells me they looked it up and it's the standard 12 month warranty... He tells me again... He's never heard of a lifetime warranty on a starter... So they can't help me. He is lying to me. I don't believe for one minute that he looked up the record. I'm screwed at this point... Do I go to small claims court over a $400 part?

So, I go to my local mechanic, have the starter replaced ($550). He get's the starter at O'Reilly's... And guess what... It has a lifetime warranty! Imagine that.

Yeah... They ripped me off. But mostly because they were lazy, kept poor records, and don't care about ongoing customer service.

Consumers have choices in Tulsa. I suggest you use someone else. It can't be any worse than Surfside.

If you are going to pay the high labor rate... You should get something for it.