Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Had my car towed to this garage on August 4th, 2023. A friend from work referred me to him. I had very few actual conversations with him because he stopped answering my calls. I even use my daughter's Phone one day. And he picked right up, but he wouldn't for me. He told me that he changed the timing chain in my car and it should be fine. I got it back in October for just a couple days before it completely died on the interstate. I somehow managed to get it safely into a parking lot. Where he told me he would come get it as soon as I put the keys under the seat. It took him days to retrieve it. He has lied to me the whole time. And even after I paid him continues to lie. I stopped worrying about it when my sister died. Because I had other things on my mind. But I had to get rides to work for months *** lost hours when I couldn't find one. He told me back in December that he would tow it wherever I would like for free. I just want the almost $1500. That I gave him when he knew if he's a real mechanic that my type of car would need a whole engine. Replaced after losing the timing chain. He also told me that he call the ****************** to file a recall on my engine... I asked him for a number. So I could look into it myself. And they told me my car did not qualify as he had said it did. He's still has my car as of now, I don't want him to fix it. I just want the money back. So I can put it in the engine and have somebody knowledgeable fix it. The last time I saw my car and took pictures of it. It was right after a storm and my Passenger's side window was completely down. I did not respond well to that, but told him to leave my car locked into knot, touch it again. I just want my car back home and my refunded. Money for a job he probably never even did.

  Customer response

  02/17/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  when car first arrived it was dignosed with a broken cam dowel pin and loose timing chain , after several holdups on her end she finally gave us go ahead , she was advised then that this repair was no garentee of longevity of engine as it had suffered damage ,,but unkown to what extent , she told us to proceed , after some trouble and delays it was ready and ran good , 2 days later she called said engine light was on ,we suggested to stop by and let us have a look , we scanned it ,it was a cat efficancy , we suggested we would like to investigate more but she could not leave it , some days later we get a call car died , we had it towed , found engine to be locked up solid , but cam and timming chains where intacked and not the cause of failure , i heard of ****** have recalls on some of these engine we made some inquires and hers was within the range but she needed to contact them to make sure , same day got a call not covered , the present failure is not due to our work ,motor just didnt survive the inital damage
  as for lack of contact we have tons of text messages back and forth we tried to answer all calls but we have been very short handed so im sorry for what seems like ur being avoide but trust me your not being avoided
  
  as for window being left down it was about an inch we made sure it got closed ,and there was no interior moistre or damage
  
  as to claim we did no work she inspected parts when she picked up car , and if we did nothing why did it run fine when picked up
  
  i offered to track down a used engine and work something out , she advised it was getting traded in and she was picking up a new car opon return from a trip ,so need to go further i told her to let me know where it was going and ill make sure it got towed since ive called 4 times to no answer as to where to take it
  as for the text message list sent there are several that are missing, there of no importance but the message have been omitted somewhat.
  
  i want the car removed from here soon I'm giving here notice as of today she has one week to do so feb 23rd or i will to address on this complaint

  Customer response

  02/24/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  He has been very unprofessional since day one not answering when my car got dropped off. I have images of my window being completely down. And there was a young gentleman working that day who I got to hand me my keys to put it up. He even came to ask if I was able to get it up because he didn't know if the car battery might have died. I have always answered his calls. I have been nothing but patient with him. I sent messages as he said I omitted some...not intentionally just that they were through different messaging apps. Please notice, I also sent a call log the only calls omitted were the ones I placed through my daughter's phone because I would try and no answer. He persuaded me to fix it... as you can read for yourself. I am not a mechanic I trusted he knew best. He said that I was supposed to call the ******* of *******, but he clearly said in his messages that would be something he would do, but I insisted on the phone number. I did go and take pictures because I was thinking about trying to figure out way to have a car without a new car payment. And that is what I told him. That is when he offered to tow it anywhere for free. You will also see that I messaged him about the engine light, went in scanned the car, it brought back a code, As he said. Which he cleared it immediately! He told me to put super unleaded gas in it and it should be fine. He mentioned figuring out a way to get me a ride to work so he could look at it...but it died on the interstate a couple days later. As I stated before, It's been many months without my car and things have been difficult. I definitely expect him to tow my car for free but feel I paid for a service I didn't receive and struggled to get rides to work as I live 30 mins away. I did contact him the other day. And he told me that he would send my car to the address specified as long as I confirmed, which I did. I messaged him on Friday morning to find out the specifics on a time as he stated it would be that day. He stated it may not be because the guy has not come in. And he wasn't sure he was going to. Have not heard back from him as of yet. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In June I brought my 2007 ****** FJ Cruiser to gearheads garage in ******* ***** he said they would start working on it middle of the week they didnt start on it for two weeks we agreed on 1,500$ for total labor he finally started working on it almost two months later he said it was put back together I had drove it to his shop for a head gasket replacement I provided a brand new head gasket kit to him he then said it could use a new timing chain I he said just price of parts he said timing chain brand new was 220$ I gave him 350$ Again now it has been two month he said it was put back together then said now he has a massive oil leak then a massive water leak then said it wouldnt start then said it did start then said the timing is 180 off and had started it and the vehicle shook and bad and they shut it off now 2.5 months in said he was going to take front apart and check timing again and has not done so has stopped responding to me about my vehicle. I have lost over 2000$ from not being able to get rides to work because he has taken so long getting it fixed had to beg and plead to keep my job I walked 32 miles to and from work twice Im stressed beyond believe I missed my friends funeral because I didnt have a vehicle I want him to finish the job and no more cost to me by October 1st

  Business response

  10/13/2022

  im aware of this now ,   we have been extremely short handed and ive been very sick , im sorry we whernt able to provide the best experience  ,  we had i thought a different plan in affect after speaking with customer but after reading this its clear he wants us to finish the job  and ill make sure thats what gets done, ill notifi  him and you through here once we figure out whats going on ( because where not sure the  problem ) and we will get it done with speed possible

• Initial Complaint

  04/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Paid a garage for service they sent the car to Gearheads and now they wont finish or give me my car!

  Business response

  06/08/2022

  the car was towed here from another shop ,she paid that other shop not us , car has been completed  and is running ,and was  done on the agreed timeline made (with the other shop) but the other shop hasnt paid us to this day , we have released the car to the customer , but still havnt been paid and are now considering a lien on the car if this cant be resolved , i feel bad for her cause she has paid  just the wrong shop and there bad behavior is the core of this problem

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩