Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  December 30, 2023 I called Art's Service Station saying my front brakes were making some noise and they needed to be replaced. When I arrived **** asked me why I think I need new brakes. I said I am hearing a noise in the front when my car is almost at a complete stop. He brings me to the waiting area which doesn't provide a view of the working area. **** comes into the waiting area, says that the front brakes are fine but the rear brakes need to be replaced. I was surprised by that because there didn't seem to be an issue with the rear brakes. He said I needed new rear brake pads and rotors and that the calipers looked ok but they won't know for sure if calipers are needed until they start doing the work. He gave me an estimate of $485.00 for the pads and rotors and $700.00 if the calipers need to be replaced as well. I gave the go ahead to do the work. Another gentleman came into the waiting area to say that I was allset, the calipers were good, and it was $415.85. He informed me that the right ball joint was going to need to be replaced. I mentioned to him that I initially went there because I thought my front brakes were going bad, he also said the fronts were fine, less than half way used. No issues with them at all.He rings me up and I head home. December 31st I take the car for a ride and the car starts vibrating and feels like it's being pulled back. The rear brakes were so hot! I call the shop on January 2nd to bring it back and Art took the car on the highway came back to the shop to have me go for a ride with him, he had the car going about ************************************************************************************************ that I need the front brakes done and new rear calipers! Said he was going to cut me a deal on the labor costs, wouldn't charge me for new rear rotors and pads but I had to pay for new calipers and brake hoses to the tune of another $490.00! Then proceeded to tell me front brakes needed to be replaced, rotors were warped!

  Customer response

  01/12/2024

  Today I just brought my car to another mechanic who replaced the front brake pads and rotors and confirmed that all 4 ball joints were perfectly fine. Art's Service Station tried telling me that my front right ball joint was going to need to be replaced. Not according to my second opinion. 

  I fully believe that Art's Service Station scammed me out of $490.00 and now I really want a refund. They should have made sure the calipers were in working condition before allowing me to take it home and drive around in an unsafe vechile. Art mistakenly admitted that the gentleman working on my brakes did not test drive the car after installing the new brakes and rotors in the rear and said he would have caught if the calipers were going bad by doing the test drive. Also, I feel that *** himself sabotaged the rear calipers by purposely making the back calipers seize. They were only at the point of periodically sticking when they got hot, but after he did a test drive, the second time I brought the car back, they were completely locked up!  Lastly,  if the front brakes were good, like they claimed the first trip there, then Art also ruined the integrity of the front brakes by driving with seized rear calipers making the front rotors warp. I was scammed out of $490.00 that I would like refunded back to me.

  Customer response

  01/29/2024

  I have not heard from this business regarding my complaint. 

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  BBB got a email from the Business responding to the complaint.
  
  

  Good morning this is Danyy the new owner of art service station LLC just responding back to the complaint we always diagnostic cars before we fix anything and we always tell the customer know whats going on with there  car and we did tell her she needs a rear brakes  and rotors and we never realize  the caliper seized  till after she drove it, so when she came back we changed it We were honest, we told  her you may need the caliper after we do the  brakes because its a comment issue on all cars and again, its kinda hard to tell if the caliper will be seized till you drive it and I think we did the right thing and we never charge her over and we told her the truth before we put the brakes on and we did check the car for her and we told her what she needs 

  And about we seated her in the office with no viewed what I believe. Its everyone does the same thing its a liability insurance purposes no one allowed to get in the garage. Im sorry its out of my control. 

  Thank you 

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21093784
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

  I do not accept the response from the business owner because I believe that I was taken advantage of.

  The final gentleman that I dealt with on Saturday December 30, 2023 told me that my front right ball joint needed to be replaced (when it didn't) and I was originally quoted $700.00 for rear pads, rotors, and calipers (if the calipers were needed). It ended up only being $415.57 because the calipers were fine!

  When I brought the car back to deal with Art, because he had worked on my other vehicle before so I felt I could trust him, he admitted that no one took the car for a test drive after replacing the rear brakes on Saturday and said you would have found an issue with the calipers then! But noone double checked their work and I got left paying double!

  Art isn't free and clear though. When I brought the car to him on January 2nd, I told him the rear calipers were sticking and making my car vibrate. Art totally gaslighted me just so he could make it seem like the issue with my car didn't have anything to do with the work performed on the 30th. Well, I certainly didn't do anything to the brakes, you guys were the last ones to touch it. So, of course you should be responsible. Especially for not making sure your customers are safe driving their vehicles around after you've done a brake job. When I came back on the 2nd, the calipers were only sticking, they were NOT stuck (seized) until after Art did his little "test drive". I'm pretty sure failing calipers are most certainly going to seize up if you drive it 50+ and then continue to slam the brakes on really hard! I know he did this because he had me in the car so he could proceed to show me how the car was vibrating. I can guarantee that he damaged the calipers and also damaged my front rotors making me have to get those replaced as well. Not sure what Art was trying to prove to me by doing this, I told HIM the rear calipers were making my car vibrate when I called to see if I could bring it back and have him check it out. I already knew what the issue was. My car was fine before I brought it to Art's Service Station. 

  Another thing, Art charged me $490.00 to redo the rear pads, rotors, calipers, and for good measure the rear brake hoses. Not even sure why the hoses needed to be replaced when they weren't an issue just 2 days ago. I paid a total of $905.57 and was originally quoted $700.00 if the calipers needed to be replaced. 

  None of this sits right with me and I feel like your shop and all involved did me wrong, 100%.

  I am also attaching the receipt from the other garage that took care of the front brakes after all this. Front brakes that did NOT need to be replaced, according to YOUR staff. That is until Art's Service Station got a hold of my car. 

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