Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  1.Date of Service: June 2, 2024 2. Paid: Total: $2,834.04, Paid for parts that weren't needed: $1,809.43 3. Auto Care Plus claims the they're members of BBB, it's on their letterhead 5. They couldn't fix my car 6.They charged me for parts and labor that wasn't needed 7. They advertise they're a BBB member and they might not be a BBB member I took my ******** which was losing power and couldn't drive it so I took it to the closest foreign car repair and that was Auto Care Plus, ***************. First it took them about a week to look at the problem and they said it was a coil, so they replaced it. Then I called and they said it is for sure the main computer (ECU) and it was about a $1,300.00 part. About 1 month has gone by with so many excuses. I discussed this with the mechanic and the regional manager, which was extremely rude to me. I asked the mechanic is this the part that will fix my car and he said YES. I didn't have much trust in them at this point so I had my ******** towed to the **********, ** ******** dealership and they fixed it in 1 week approximately and my car didn't need the **** $1,333.00 part and it just needed 5 coils and not the aftermarket coil which Auto Care Plus charged me for 2 coils (after market part) $476.10. Also, when I was trying to get answers from Auto Care Plus, they told me that they couldn't wait to get my car out of their garage!! I lost a lot of money and time to get my car fixed by Auto Care Plus didn't know how to fix it and they charged me for all the labor not knowing what was wrong, they just replaced parts because they think that was the solution and it wasn't, it was on my dime not theirs. I want to people to know that this business is not reputable and by right Auto Care Plus should reimburse me for some of the labor and the two parts that I mentioned above, because that wouldn't have resolved the problem with my car. I also wrote to the owner and he never wrote me back. It was terrible experience.

  Business response

  08/05/2024

  I have spoken with the customer and we have come to an agreement that we will pay her requested amount. A check will be sent within the next couple of days.

  Customer response

  08/05/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Customer response

  08/05/2024

  Auto Care Plus called me today and admitted to their fault for not fixing my car and they have fired their manager which was the cause for most of the issues in my complaint. They said they would pay me the amount of $1,809.00 to resolve the issue with my car.

  I won't receive the check for about two more weeks, so I'm keeping track of that and I will update you when and if I do receive the check as a refund for my car.

  Thank you for all your help.

  *********************************

  **********

• Initial Complaint

  10/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 10/9/23 I contacted Auto Care plus to have a state inspection performed. Auto Care Plus LLC made a decision to fail the car for "Rear brake rotor surface rusted or delaminating". They then informed me they needed to replace the brakes. I disclosed to them that the car had not been driven in quite some time, as it was my daughters car and she did not yet have her license. It was only used to practice driving, and had been sitting for over a month prior to it being brought to the shop, and the rust on the brake rotors was exclusively a result of it sitting (all rotors do this). The state inspection law governing this is Saf-C 3212 BRAKES (14) Any brake drum or disc: a. Shows evidence of mechanical damage other than wear; b. Has contaminants including, but not limited to, rust, pitting, delamination, oil, grease, or any other substance on the friction surface that would affect proper brake operation; The last line of the above "...affect proper brake operation" is where i dispute this. There is no evidence that the surface rust affected proper operation of the brakes. This is surface rust common with a vehicle sitting. I agreed to have the replace the rear brakes, as they had backed me into a corner of it needing to be done for a valid inspection sticker. Only after i learned the work was done was i informed the charge for the replacement brakes was $571.97, including a charge for brake cleaning chemicals (??) and "hardware" (??) and $230 for the rotors themselves. Rear brake rotors are commonly available for 40-50 dollars each. In conclusion, this shop backed me into a corner of a false inspection failure, then proceeded to drastically over charge for the work, and not perform the job correctly. When replacing the brakes on this vehicle, part of the service includes replacement of the brake pad sensors, which was not done. This is a completely unfair business practice. Attached is invoice and image of rotor that was replaced

  Business response

  12/12/2023

  Please change the email on file to service@autocareplus.com so that these types of emails get responded to in a timely fashion. We responded to this customer a couple of times already. I will respond here as well once I reacquaint myself with the details.

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  There are two sides to every story and two side to every brake rotor. The brake rotor on the inside of the vehicle were severely rusted and the brake pads were making about 15% contact to the rotor surface and were hanging up in the caliper saddles. The technician's picture is attached. We stand by the same response we already gave the customer....per NH law this vehicle failed state inspection.

  Customer response

  12/14/2023

  
  Complaint: *******1
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because:  

  You did not reach out to me independently, so i am unsure why you make that statement. 

  The law governing brake surface condition is left to interpretation, and your technician failed to account for the fact that the vehicle had sat for about 1 month, and surface oxidization was therefore present.  The brakes were in full operational condition, with pad sensors that alert to low pad life remaining if an issue is present with pad depth (This indicator light was not on, and the vehicles BCM readout will support this statement) 

  Additionally, and of poor business practice, I was not afforded the option to choose to repair the brakes PRIOR to the inspection fail, nor was i advised of the cost prior to repairs being complete. Making matters worse, the brake repair was incomplete, as this vehicle requires pad wear sensor replacement when pads are replaced, and this work was not done as part of a brake pad and rotor replacement.  

  It is abundantly evident that your shop chose to fail the car for an interpretive reason, perform work (improperly) without advising me of the cost, thus requiring i pay the shop to take possession of my daughters car back. 

  
  ***** ******

  Business response

  12/15/2023

  We responded to you on the same platform that you stated your initial complaint which was a 1 star google review. It was you that never reached out directly to the shop to discuss the situation.  
  
  The law governing brake surface condition is not left to interpretation. As shown in the screenshot below which is from the State of NH "Section Saf-C 3212.02 - Brakes"  it clearly states "The brakes do not have adequate stopping power" as a reason for failure. It is obvious from the photo I have included (which you conveniently did not include in your complaint), that there is insufficient brake pad contact to the rotor as evidenced by the large amount of rust and rot on the rotor. If the brake pad is not making proper contact with the rotor the stopping power is diminished.  This is, in fact, cause to fail state inspection. Brake pad depth was never in question but due to the condition of the rotors, the brake pads would also require replacement to confirm adequate stopping power as the brake pads wore to the condition of the rotor and would not sit flush to the new rotor.  The brake pad sensor warning is hardly the only determining factor in deciding whether a vehicle's braking system is safe, it only tells you when the brake pad is worn. (and just as an FYI, it only tells you on the pad the sensor is installed on, not all of the pads on the vehicle so this way to determine if brakes are safe or not is completely unreliable) We have had the discussion about rotted brake rotors with many members of the NH State Police Troop G over our 40 years of performing state inspections in the State of New Hampshire  (the department that regulates state inspectors) and the rotor condition pictured is adequate evidence of poor stopping power, again reference (Section (a) (1)) of the rules attached.   
  
  Furthermore you stated that your daughter was using this vehicle to take her driving test the following Monday. The inspectors who perform the license testing make note of the vehicle and many times will perform a walk around inspection to verify it is legal and safe. Had this been done and they saw we passed a car with rotted brake rotors just days earlier, there would be consequences for us and they may not have given her the road test exam. 
  
  In the State of New Hampshire a state inspection is pass or fail. Once you hand over the keys, registration and sign the work order, the inspection process has begun. There is no "pre inspection" inspection to see if it's going to fail.  We perform the complete state inspection per the State of New Hampshire guidelines. If the vehicle fails state inspection, it fails. The inspection at that point has been performed and the choice of repairing the car (if needed) is up to you at that point. 
  
  You are by no means bound to have us repair the vehicle and you were more than welcome to take the vehicle and have repairs performed elsewhere. At no point did we tell you that you HAD to repair the vehicle with us in order to get your vehicle back. You were however informed it would not pass state inspection until the repairs were completed. 
  
  Your option to remove the vehicle from our shop and have repaired elsewhere or have us perform the necessary repairs was completely up to you. We have many people that do their own repairs or have someone do them for them and bring the vehicle back to have us verify the repairs and complete the inspection process. 
  
  You agreed to the replacement of the pads and rotors and declined the vehicle level sensor and the repair of the torn cv boots as per your conversation with Paul on 10-19-23 at 12:43pm and we do have a recorded phone call to back this up.  
  
  We performed a proper repair and yes we did not replace the brake sensor as it was not compromised and was able to be reinstalled in the new brake pad to help save you some money on the repair.

  Customer response

  12/19/2023

  
  Complaint: 20759621
  
  I appreciate your detailed response regarding this BBB complaint and the brake repair issue. However, I would like to clarify a few points.
  
  Firstly, I acknowledge the importance of New Hampshire's "Section Saf-C 3212.02 - Brakes" regulations. While I understand your assessment of the brake rotor condition, my disagreement stems from the fact that your assessment overly relied on the visual state of the rotors, without considering the actual performance of the brakes. As I stressed in my discussions with the techs, the surface corrosion was a result of the vehicle sitting idle. You cite Section Saf-C 3212.02, A1 for failure, however, it is evident that the inspection failure was a result of Saf-C 3212.02 A, 14b. , copy and pasted below:

  ((14) Any brake drum or disc:
  a. Shows evidence of mechanical damage other than wear;
  b. Has contaminants including, but not limited to, rust, pitting, delamination, oil, grease, or any other substance on the friction surface that would affect proper brake operation);
  
  This requires a visual and interpretative inspection. I stress this is not a quantitative measure, and is therefore left to the interpretation of the individual.  This is where I strongly disagree, and believe your shop chose to perform a "Fail and Sale". 
  
  Additionally, and of significant concern,  I was not informed about the cost of the repairs prior to their commencement. As a customer, I expect to be fully informed about potential costs and to consent to them before any work is done. This is a crucial aspect of customer service and transparency. In your recorded call, you will note a lack of this being communicated. 
  
  In light of these concerns, I urge you to reconsider your approach to customer service and communication. Ensuring that customers are fully informed and involved in decisions about their vehicle repairs will greatly enhance their experience and trust in your services.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  10/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On September 29th I dropped off my 2017 Ford F-350 at Auto Care Plus in North Conway NH to have new tires installed. I was t**d the installation would take up to four hours as they had a new tire machine that they were learning how to use. 3 1/2 hours later I arrived to pick up my vehicle. Upon paying $159 and receiving my vehicle, I noticed tire-lubricant smeared on my wheels and what I thought was black rubber around the edge of the rim. After getting home and getting a closer at the wheels, it was evident that the chrome plating and clear coat had been gouged around the edge of all four wheels. I called Auto Care Plus and explained the situation. They asked me to come back. When I arrived the foreman and the sales associate came out to look. They agreed that they were damaged and were not in that condition when the vehicle was brought in. I was t**d that they would be in contact. I received a call the next day asking me to come in the f**lowing Tuesday so the general manager could take a look. I returned on October 4th to meet the general manager, Jeff R*** He looked at the wheels and agreed that they were damaged. He took me to the garage, showed me the tire installation machine and my **d tires. There were pieces of chrome visible both on my **d tires and the floor around the machine. Jeff went on to tell me that the wheels must have been damaged before I came in as his machine wouldn’t do this. He also claimed that this was a known problem with Ford wheels. Neither of those excuses are true. The wheels were immaculate prior to coming to that shop. No rust, no plating issues, no scratches. This is not normal wear and tear. These were damaged either by negligence or inexperience. Jeff R** told us he would look into this and call at the end of the week. No call was ever received. I called him on October 11th. His position was that he would not be able help me.

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  After reviewing the facts. There are numerous complaints and known issues with this specific truck model and its plastic chrome wheels flaking off around the bead seal. This is nothing Auto Care Plus damaged. Please see the following links:

  https://www.f150forum.com/f118/my-chrome-flaking-off-my-wheels-442938/

  https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1690540-lariat-chrome-wheels-are-flaking.html

  https://www.complaintsboard.com/ford-motor-company-pvd-wheels-chrome-peeling-off-of-the-rims-c1077747

  Numerous more complaints can be found on the web.

  Please take up your complaint with Ford Motor Company.

  Best regards,

  Karen

   

*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. ↩