After 7 years, my clutch broke on my Geo Tracker. I towed it to Goodyear Tire & Rubber/Gemini Automotive. The reason I took it there was because it was close to home and offered credit which my dealer didn't. They completed the work 3 days later. Within 1 month, I began having trouble with the clutch, specifically it became increasingly difficult to shift gears and I would get stuck in traffic.
I took the car back and whatever adjustments they made helped out. However, a few months later, I encountered the same problem. I took the car back. They told me the problem was a bad clutch cable. So, I replaced it. About 5 months later, again, it became increasingly difficult to shift gears. They took it back and again made "adjustments." (The mechanic told me that from time to time, adjustments are needed). About 9 months later, in the middle of traffic, the clutch went completely out!
Instead of taking it back to Goodyear whom I was now convinced was incompetent, I took it to my dealer. They informed me that not only was the clutch cable rusted (indicating Goodyear either used an old part or never replaced it), but the entire clutch kit was improperly installed which included the pressure plate.
I maxed out my credit card and coughed up over $1350. I then decided to take Goodyear to Small Claims Court. I had located the mechanic from my car dealer who did work on the car and was willing to testify to the bad job Goodyear/Gemini mechanics did on my car. However, the day of court, the guy told me I had to give him $200 up front before the case for "mileage, lost wages, and his time." (Mind you, he would have only missed about an hour of work and gets paid $30 an hour). Because his request was illegal and unethical, I told him I could not do this but I would be willing to pay for lost wages AFTER the case was settled.
Needless to say, without a witness, I lost the case. Goodyear contended that I missed the warranty deadline. However, they did not mention that 1) the clutch was never properly fixed 2) they installed a bad part in my car&which I brought to court 3) the clutch broke within a month of having it "fixed" and 4) I could have been injured on the road several times when the clutch mal-funtioned or went out while I was in the middle of the road.
I paid Goodyear/Gemini $800 for the clutch, $90 for the clutch cable, rental car fees and over $1350 from my my dealer—all over one clutch. The lesson I learned is that Goodyear/Gemini robbed me, never acknowledged the shoddy work they did and the biggest lesson I want to convey to you is that they work is not guaranteed to last 1 month or even 6 months! Please note that I called Better Business Bureau and they told me they could take no action since I had already been through Small Claims.
However, they did tell me that this Goodyear/Gemini in Decatur, Georgia on Candler Road has received other unanswered complaints. Beware!
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