In July I had my 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan towed to Thunderbolt Motors aka I.C.T. Engines located at 6847 Harrisburg Boulevard, Houston, TX 77011 for having a blown head gasket. I was quoted that with a trade-in of my old motor, it would be $1200 for a rebuilt motor. I made a down payment of $800 on July 22. Within a week, I received a quote that it would be $3498.03 and I was requested to pay another $800 to begin repairs on July 30. I felt deeply mislead by the quote I originally received over the phone for $1200 compared to the $3498.03 I was quoted two weeks after I had the vehicle towed
to them. Nevertheless, I didnt have much of a choice and paid the remaining balance of $1898.03 on August 8. I was given a 2 year warranty on parts and 90 days on labor.
Within five months on January 12, the engine had ceased up and was towed back to Thunderbolt Motors for repairs on February 13. After several phone calls, tears, heated conversations, complaints filed to the BBB, I was still requested to pay $1200 for labor and they would replace the motor again. I provided documentation of having had the oil changed as they requested but the engine ceased because there was an oil leak that went undetected. When they found out that synthetic oil had been used in the van, they used that against me by saying a new motor should never have synthetic oil put into it but Ive had several certified mechanics tell me this is not true and would not play a factor in the oil being leaked out. On February 13, I made a down payment of $800 to begin repairs. Before picking up my van and paying the remaining balance, the mechanic at their shop said I needed a new alternator because theres
an awful lot of noise coming from the motor and I asked if motor was running and drivable and he said it was so I said I would take it elsewhere to have a 2nd opinion about the alternator. I paid the remaining $400 in cash and brought the vehicle home March. After having the van looked at by Meineke, the vans motor was in working order and the alternator was in working order. I called Thunderbolt
Motors to request the owners name & address or the contact information for their attorney and was refused that information. I called several days later and Thunderbolt took my name and number and said their attorney would call me but I never received that call.
When I called back in April and requested the attorneys information again, I was told they didnt have time to deal with me and hung up in my face. Since March I have made several necessary repairs to my van to keep it running as well as regular maintenance. On October 14, I noticed that my van was
running extremely rough and the engine was getting hot when sitting so I took it immediately to my local mechanic to have it diagnosed. His diagnosis is a blown head gasket. With this new information, I drove my van home and parked it. I called Thunderbolt Motors and spoke to Mike, who answered the phone, and
requested a copy of my invoices for both times I took the vehicle in to have the motor worked on. At first, I was told they only can go back 2 years and it would be $35 fee to have their CPA locate the original invoices. I agreed to this fee but when he spoke to the book keeper, Mike informed me that they only
hold records for 1 year.in other words, neither he nor anyone else would be able to give me a copy of my original receipt for repairs and warranty for either motor replacement since it had already been over 1 year since date of service. He took my name and number and offered to have the book keeper give me
a call if they could locate any records they might have. When I didnt hear back from them, I called back and another gentleman took my name and phone number again. My sister thought she would give her luck a try and emailed Thunderbolt requesting the name and address of the owner but the email response
back was asking for her name, the date the vehicle was worked on, and the kind of vehicle worked on. The responder wouldnt give the contact information. The reason I need to know the owner of I.C.T. Engines is so I can file a small claims suit against the company. I would like to have my money refunded back to
me so that I can take my van to another mechanic to have the repairs done.
I do not trust Thunderbolt Motors or their staff to handle my vehicle with the proper repairs or care. I fear that since they are not willing to locate my original warranty and receipt or the one for the repairs done in February theyre not going to honor my warranty at all. Did the warranty expire in August or does it expire in March two years since the 2nd motor was put in? I dont know and frankly, Im afraid to ask them because of our history. I am a divorced mother trying to raise my 3 girls the best I can
on a very limited income. If I could afford to buy a newer vehicle I would but unfortunately, in todays economy, Im not able to. I have owned my van since November and its been to Alaska and back without fail. I never had so many issues with my motor before taking it to Thunderbolt. I want justice for
myself and those that have made complaints against I.C.T. Engines the past. I know that Im not the only customer theyve taken advantage of and I can bet Im not the only female. This company shouldnt be allowed to do this and certainly not to women that are just trying to make ends meet.
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