Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/01/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted *****, who is the owner of Cole Competition Engines, at ************************************************************ to rebuild a **** engine 302 model in 2021. I did not receive the engine back from him until 2022 due to Covid pandemic of which he fell really ill from. At that time I was working on a *************************************************************** This engine sat on an engine stand covered up until September 2023, but once the engine was started we heard a ticking noise. I contacted ***** to inquire why it may have been ticking and he suggested it may be an exhaust leak of which I did change, but the issue still remained. I suggested to remove the engine and take back to him, but he gave me push back that he had no room at the time. Therefore I took it to *************************** in ********* that has been in business for over 75 years. They informed me that the engine was assembled incorrectly, meaning the crank shaft bearing was installed in the wrong place on the engine block. I went to ***** shop with my receipt from *************************** and shared with him why the engine failed. I asked for half of my money back at $3,000.00, but he did not agree to that, therefore it led me to file this complaint to take legal action if unresolved. I have documentation of the failed parts going forward.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/13/2023

  ***************************** contacted me around May of 2021 and asked if I would build him an engine for his **** Mustang. He was referred to me by a friend of his that I also built an engine for. I told ****** no problem I will build an engine for you. He ended up bringing the whole car to my shop because he stated he had no one to pull the engine out of his car. So I agreed to do it for a fee that is on his bill. Once I took the engine apart I gave him options on how to build the engine. He stated he wanted a stock engine because all he wanted to do was cruise. I said no problem I will build you whatever is in your budget. He brought me a check on 6/15/21 for the deposit that he post dated. I was able to deposit the check 10 days later. The engine was assembled in December of 2021. I contacted ****** on 1/11/22 to square up on money for his engine. However he did not contact me again until 1/17/22 and I informed him I was sick with *****. He said ok. ****** came to my shop the next week and payed the balance of his bill. At witch time he wrote me another post dated check. I was not happy about that but at the time I did not have the energy to argue. I took his check and agreed to let him store his engine at my shop for a couple of months free of charge. I believe ****** picked up his engine around April of 2022. I have not seen that engine since. My warranties start from the day you pay off your bill. And they are 1 year or ****** miles whatever comes first. I talked to Tyrones mechanic on the phone in the beginning of September working on his **** Mustang. He asked me what to do with the engine once he starts it up. I told him it has a flat tappet camshaft and he would have to do a break in procedure. He said ok. I got a phone call from ****** a few minutes later asking why I did not put a roller camshaft in the motor. I reminded him that I did offer that option but he did not want to pay for one. I also told him there is always a chance for failure on flat tappet cams and there is no warranty if they do fail. The manufacturers of them do not warranty them either. He asked me if I could put in a roller camshaft before they start the engine. I said no problem however the parts where not available and he did not want to wait. So they started the motor and on 9/18/23 he sent me a text telling me the engine sounds great. A week later he said the engine is making a ticking noise. I tried to help him and his mechanic figure it out. They thought it sounded like an exhaust noise so I told them about a different set of gaskets to try. His mechanic contacted me on 10/12/23 and said the noise was still there and getting worse. I helped him diagnose the problem over the phone and determined the camshaft had a failure. ****** called me an hour later upset over the problem. I reminded him that that could happen. Unfortunately it did happen to his engine. That is of no fault of my shop. After we talked for a few minutes I told him to bring me the engine and we can put a roller cam in it and I would try and help him the best I could on labor costs. He said ok and told me could bring it the next day. I told him I was having a new driveway being put in at my shop and he would have to wait a few days for it to be done. He said ok and told me he needs it fixed as soon as possible because he has a plane ticket back to ***** at the end of the month in October. I said I will do what I can as this is not under warranty. I did not here from ****** for two weeks when he showed up at my shop without the engine. He informed me that he took the engine to Waynes engine rebuilding and they told him that I built his engine wrong and that I put the engines thrust bearing in the wrong place. I told him that was physically impossible to do because the engine block is machined for it and can only go in one place. I told him to show me proof of this and he could not. I asked him what he wants from me at this time. He stated he wants me to pay his bill at Waynes engines. I told him I do not give money back to customers on here say and no proof of anything wrong and that he took the engine somewhere else. At that time he told me he was a pimp and a shot caller and he knows people that can make things happen. I told him to leave my property and dont ever come back again. ****** said he would take me to court and thats how I will see his evidence of my wrong doing. I said good luck then. He left my shop. I called Waynes engine after that . I talked to ***** the front counter guy and told him what ****** said and asked ***** if they said that to ******. He said no they did not and they did not rebuild his engine and he had another mechanic there with him saying those things. ****** said they did some machine work and sold him him a roller cam camshaft and some other parts. I have also seen on my shops ****** page where ****** has told another story about something wrong with his engine and no proof of it. 

  I offered to help ****** as I would with any of my customers I also did other machine work for him in between all of this and gave him tons of free advice anytime he called **** also helped him get a transmission rebuilt for his Mustang at a friends shop and he complained about the price of that to.His engine was done 2 years ago and out of my shop for a year and a half and out of warranty for a year. However after being threatened by ************** will do nothing for him. 

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/19/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:  During this process of building my engine in 2021, ******************* agreed to allow me to post date a check and stated he had no problem with it.  He indicated he would complete the engine process in 3-6 months which was during the height of the Covid pandemic period and ******************* ill with the Covid virus so severe that he was hospitalized.  I believe during this time he told me he needed to hire someone else because he was unable to assemble or turn a wrench in his own shop.  During this process, I contacted him on many occasions to inquire when my engine was going to be done.  The person he hired during this time I believe assembled my engine incorrect which was the crank shaft baring.  Based on the expertise of the new engine builder, the crank shaft was dropped and needed to be repolished.  In the process of braking the engine in with my mechanic, we called ***** on a couple of occasions to see if he could do it, but I was told he was too busy.  Once the engine was broken in properly, I met my mechanic and I heard a ticking noise.  Therefore, I contacted ***** who recommend I change the manifold gasket which was done but did not solve the issue.  Myself and my mechanic contacted ***** again, sent over video of the ticking engine and told he was to busy and I could not bring to his shop because he was having concrete work done.  In addition, my mechanic was on the phone with ***** going back and forth with pictures of the roller rockers being loose and not tightened properly and again ***** had no concern about the failed product/engine that he gave me.   At this point, I had no confidence or trust in him to look at my engine due to his non-shalant response to repair my engine.  In response to him stating I threatened him, that is totally false.  As once I requested half of my money back and he replied no, I told him that I would seek legal actions.  This is the ***************** forward with a complaint and if this is unsuccessful with receiving half of my money back I will take legal court action based of video evidence, documentation of the new engine builder and physical parts I have of the crank shaft baring and cam baring.  I have recommended one other person to ***** for an engine rebuild, and they can back me in the long drawn out process and excuses of why the job is not completed in a timely manner.