9/3/10, while on vacation, I dropped my vehicle off to have the engine diagnosed due to the engine light being on and the truck running very rough, after having transmission work done at a different nationwide company the week prior 8/24/10. Per the service representative, the diagnosis determined my engine cylinder eight failed and the engine needed replacing. The three options offered were a new engine $7200, a remanufactured engine $5300 or a used engine $2900. After being assured that the used engine would not be a piece of junk and would be road worthy, I chose the used engine especially because I was out of town with limited funds. I requested to keep my original engine to have it evaluated later to prove my engine problems were something the transmission company had caused. I was told there would be an additional charge of $500 for keeping it. I disputed their core charge since I was getting a used engine and it was reduced to $200. When picking up my truck on 9/10/10, I asked to speak with the manager because I still disagreed with the core charge. I explained I had called around to junkyards in the area and found it was not the local practice to require an exchange or core charge on auto parts since they were not into rebuilding used parts therefore that charge was removed. During the 400 plus miles home to Virginia, the engine ran smoother but not as smooth as my original had prior to the transmission work being done. After getting back to my state of Virginia, 9/15/10 I called Addy's advising them that the replacement engine was not running well and was told to take the truck to my local dodge dealer for evaluation. The earliest appointment I could get was 9/20/10. The local dealer's diagnosis results 9/20/10 determined all eight cylinders were failing. After Addy's and I got the results, I was given two options; 1- bring the vehicle back for a different used engine installation at Addy's cost or 2- Addy's would ship another used engine to my local dodge dealer to be installed at my cost. I told Jerry, the service manager, neither option was acceptable to me. That I did not want another used engine and traveling that long of a distance on a bad engine did not seem prudent. I asked Jerry, at that time, if it would be okay for me to purchase a remanufactured engine myself and have them put it in instead of another used engine. He told me yes, that would be fine. I purchased a remanufactured engine from Barnette's Machine Shop. When the remanufactured engine was ready, 10/6/10, I went to Barnette's myself to pickup the engine. Via a forklift, the remanufactured engine was loaded onto and strapped down onto the back of my camper covered pickup truck; as was my original engine. Without incident, from there I traveled on to South Carolina arriving at Addy's around 2 P.M. And left my vehicle with the two secured engines still on the back. On 10/8/10 Steven from Addy's called saying there was a problem with the new engine. That it had ran 3 minutes and started knocking. That he had spoken with Barnette's and made arrangements to send it back for evaluation on 10/11/10. I then had to extend my SC stay until 10/11/10. On 10/14/10 Tim of Barnette's advised me that the engine had unexplained valve damage on top of the head that could have only been done by some foreign object hitting it which was not there when it left their shop. Barnette's repaired the damage and sent it back to Addy's. When Addy's received the engine on 10/19/10, Steven called to say the engine was back but they needed a credit card number prior to installing it since they had put it in once already and would not assume responsibility for a third install. I gave them my number since they would not begin the work without it. On 10/21/10 my brother-in-law and I traveled to SC to retrieve my vehicle. I asked about a refund for the failed used replacement engine and was told Addy's had gotten a different used engine and it was on the back of my vehicle. I told them I had received authorization from Jerry to purchase a remanufactured engine instead of a getting another used one. I told them to get the second used engine off my vehicle and to give me my money back. The service manager told Steven both engines would have to go back to the junk yard.in between the remanufactured engine's repair and the completion of the work, I contacted Coy and Karen's, the used engine's seller, regarding refunding the engine's cost. Karen said their company would refund to Addy's the cost since that's who they dealt with but not to me. While standing at the service window, looking into the service area, my brother-in-law and I watched as the second used engine was being removed via a hoist and approximately six men. As the engine was pulled from my truck, it began swinging in a pendulum manner as well as head over foot with the men scampering out of the way to avoid injury from the uncontrolled engine. Luckily, the engine did not disengage from the hoist but it was clear these six men were not accustomed to handling an engine via a hoist. After what I witnessed, I am convinced the damage of the remanufactured engine was cause by Addy's. Once back in Virginia, I dropped my original engine off at Barnette's to recover the core charge and requested a diagnosis of my engine on 10/26/10. On 11/17/10 Tim of Barnette's emailed me to advise me that my engine had been disassembled, they found cracked cylinder heads which would cause engine overheating; remedied with a head job not total engine replacement. My engine was misdiagnosed. I was not refunded the $1100 for the defective engine and I was charged $1426.02 for installing an engine a third time due to them damaging it. I am also out $335.82 for car rental expenses to get home after the remanufactured engine was sent back to Virginia, $65.50 for one night's hotel cost, and small claim's court fees $80.00 totaling totaling $3007.34. I contacted the Better Business Bureau; to no avail. I filed civil case number 2010CV261094944 which resulted with an order to strike and for more definite statement April. The order requested striking all my statements to the BBB, emails and pictures from Barnette's, my receipts, invoices and bank statements using the hearsay rule. Since then I have not done anything further since I know not what to do.
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