To whom it may concern:
Good day,
I am in dire need of some assistance with
a 1995 Suzuki Sidekick that I took in to, "Old Colorado City Garage", to have a head gasket replaced, Emissions done, and later to have a radiator replaced after it clogged due to some kind of gasket sealer or something that was use to fix the head gasket issue by the owner of garage.
The auto initially was towed to this shop back in Feb. 28.
IT took a couple of months to get the car back. I was called by the owner of the garage that the vehicle was fixed and ready to be picked up and the total cost of the repairs would be $490.00.
The car was picked up on a Friday and the owner of the garage stated that the repairs have a six month warranty, this was also stated on the receipt that I still have.
I drove the car from the "Old Colorado City Garage", to a friends house in Widefield, CO., this is where the auto was initially towed from and my friend was letting me park the car there till it was fixed.
By the time I got to my destination in Widefield, the auto over heated and I checked and there was no water in the radiator.
That same Friday I called to inform the owner of Old Colorado City Garage, (Rusty Monsees), that the auto was not fixed, the auto was still over heating.
Rusty stated that he would come out the next day and have a look, this was on a Friday.
I met with Rusty on Saturday, Immediately he went to a heater hose in the back of the engine compartment and stated that the heater hose was busted.
It seemed kinda of funny that he already knew to look there first thing, and I was wondering why he would tell me the vehicle was ready to pick up knowing that it was still overheating and knowing that the heater hose was broke.
That next week we had it towed back to his shop. At this time it was already some time in early April.
I finally got a call in late May that the vehicle need a new or working radiator and that these repairs were complete. Rusty stated these repairs were not covered under the initial warranty and was a separate repair.
The new bill was for $340.00 to replace radiator. Rusty stated that this new repair also came with a six month warranty.
I paid the $340.00 and the vehicle was picked up approx the second week of June.
The following week I insured the vehicle and got a temp tag due to Rusty not being able to get the vehicle properly fixed to pass emissions.
That same weekend around 06-18-06 After getting a temp tag I drove the car to visit with my parents in Pueblo, Colorado they had just moved here from Tuscon, AZ, after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and terminal spinal cancer. I had been helping them move in and get settled in since the first weekend of June.
When I got to Pueblo I parked the car, I could smell that the car was hot and could hear the water gurgling as it was boiling.
The temp gage was registering in the middle of the gage.
I let the car cool down, added water and antifreeze to the radiator. The vehicle was parked from Friday till Sunday when I had to return to Colorado Springs to go to work.
I left Pueblo about 8:00pm due to the heat that day.
By the time I got to the springs the radiator had blown and the engine was making a loud clattering sound. Still temp. Gage was reading in middle of gage and when a loud pop came from the radiator I noticed the temp gage indicator moved very rapidly to the right, (Hot), then to the left. Now the gage is reading cold.
I pulled up in my apartment parking lot, the parking lot filled up with smoke that was radiating from the said vehicle.
This is when I looked under the hood to find the radiator split on top from on end to the other.
I also checked the dip stick and it did not register any oil.
Since then, I have spoke to several mechanics and they all stated..."a car never leaves their shops unless all fluids have been checked." Also in speaking with these mechanics they stated that, "it is normal procedure to have the oil changed with a head gasket issue due to the oil may have been contaminated with water and or antifreeze from the radiator and/or engine.
The mechanics stated that they would automatically change the oil in this situation.
What I feel that has happened is that the oil was drained but never refilled before the car left the shop in both case.
I also feel that now the engine is blown or has been compromised in some way due to the sever over heating and no oil being in the engine.
It is very hard for just me to get a hold of Rusty, he is monitoring his calls and if I call from my cell phone he will not answer his business or cell phone if he notices my #.
I have contacted him using other phones other than mine. Rusty just keeps giving me the run around.
I finally had to have my aunt call him in early July to see what he was going to do about this latest issue. Which I feel is the same issue I had back in Feb. compounded with this new issue of the engine being blown.
I attempted to contact Rusty several times, I let his business phone ring several times, on the third time calling his business phone he switched the phone to fax mode, which is a very loud steady tone.
I immediately called my aunt to call the same number he answered with in the first three or four rings.
My aunt explained the situation to Rusty, he stated to my aunt that his tow truck was down, and that he was backed up with work. My aunt asked Rusty that if she would pay to have the vehicle towed to his shop if he would reimburse her for the towing. We haven't been reimbursed the $67.00 it cost to have the car towed to his shop.
The vehicle has been parked outside Rusty's shop since the first week of July
I have been trying to contact Rusty since this date.
I was able to talk to Rusty by going to his shop and not by phone with in the same hour. Rusty stated that he didn't think that the engine was blown and that he would fix the problem and replace the radiator since it was still under warranty.
I went to the shop this past Thursday, (09-28-06), @ 5:00pm, the shop was closed. I noticed that my vehicle is parked in the same spot doesn't look like it has been moved, this is a dirt parking lot and not tracks are visible that the vehicle has been moved.
I also noticed two of the smaller back windows on the doors have been broken and I lifted the hood to see if the radiator had been replaced. The blown radiator is still in the vehicle and my brand new Die Hard battery is missing.
It is now Oct 18,06. I am in training for a new job. Yesterday at lunch time I got a hold of Rusty via work phone, since he would not answer when I called on my cell phone.
Rusty stated that my radiator was not leaking. I asked him, "what do you mean the radiator is not leaking. I seen the car last week and it was still parked in the same spot w/2 broken windows and my battery is missing.
Rusty stated the he has the battery and that he would replace the windows but is would take him about another month. I asked Rusty, "and what about the radiator are you going to replace that also. Rusty responded, "not now it is not my fault you drove the car while it was still overheating."
I told Rusty, "That I had no indication that the car was overheating, the temp gage was stuck in the middle and did not move until the radiator blew.in stead of arguing any more I asked rusty to have the car towed back to where he had picked it up. I gave him directions again and Rusty said that the car would be towed there in the next couple of days.
All and any advice or help would be very much appreciated.
This has been an eight month long nightmare.
Thank you for your time and efforts...
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