Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/26/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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.

  Hi my name is ***** and I'd like to ask for help on a matter that happened on August 21,2022 on a Sunday . I took my 2004 Honda S2000 for simple oil change at a lube shop called sams lube express in Palmdale ca , the problem is that they left my cars drain plug loose and after driving about 11 to 13 miles down the 14 freeway my cabin began to smell of oil , it was then that I pulled over on the nearest exit . On the way out my engine threw white smoke and my engine lost all oil . I went over the following Monday to complain , only to have an employee of Omar's throw money at me and now they blame me for my vehicles damage . Honda said I need a new or rebuilt engine. The owner has offered me a 4k check to get me out of way or a shop to fix my car for 3k dollars . My concern is that Honda has told me the engine damage can be more severe, and that a quick and cheap fix can only get me so far, when my engine was fine before the oil service. I tried to reason with the shop's owner for a week and have not reached any agreement. Now I have decided that my only option is the legal matter, I was advised to call the shops insurance company but the owner Omar has refused to provide me with any information. Instead he has demanded that I hand him over information of my vehicles history, I have refused to do so as I know my rights. So I have provided him with two shops of my trust to handle my cars malfunction and he has decided it's not what he wants. I have called many shops and none have agreed to make a 3k dollar repair for it sounds to fishy being the type of engine my vehicle has . They have estimated me a 8 to even 13k dollars in repairs . So being it's pricey I have tried to reason with the shops owner to getting a similar mileage engine to replace mine but such offer has also been rejected. Now I know that my only fault is ever going to his shop for a simple oil change. And I find it unfair to pay anything to fix my once good car, I believe I was mistreated and insulted.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2022/09/24) */ September 17th, 2022 Regarding: Customer Complaint ************ Good Afternoon, The incident that occurred between ************ and his Honda S2000; has several inconsistencies that were given by him at the time of the incident that doesn't support his claim against our facility in Palmdale, CA. He claims that there was a loud "POP" that led to him smelling oil, while at a traffic light. He then states that he pulled into a parking lot and had his family assist him to jack up the car and discovered the drain plug for the engine to be completely missing. During the duration of time that passed with the vehicle on the jack stand, ************ states that he was able to easily install a brand new drain plug, while never experiencing any complications with the plug or threads, at any time throughout the reinstall. This scenario is very problematic considering if a drain plug "simply falls out" there would be significant "oil blowback" on the vehicle, which is clearly not shown according to the pictures attached to this file. At the time of the inspection of the vehicle between ************ and myself, there was very little oil on the underneath of the vehicle. Additionally, there was no evidence of any damage to the drain plug or threads. ************ visited our establishment the following day and threatened my employees, while accusing them of the damage to the engine and, additional damage, to his catalytic converter. The issue with his catalytic converter had been notated during a discussion our team had with him on his prior visit and he had acknowledged that he was aware of the issue. Furthermore, our company has cameras that clearly show his vehicle entering our store and the audible noise from the catalytic converter can be heard in the camera footage. However, when I spoke to him, he denied this conversation and said that he had been unaware of this issue in the past with his vehicle. I had recommended to ************ said that he needed to take his vehicle to a certified Honda dealer and have them determine the cause of failure. Once we can receive their determination then that allows our company to facilitate a third-party determination, as well. I assured ************ that our company would fully stand behind our work and if it were discovered that the engine failure had been determined to be caused by our employee neglect, then the full amount of the repair would be covered. After paying for an inspection by a certified Honda Dealership, it was determined that cylinder 3 had low compression, from an "undetermined cause". The dealership later added that the cause of the malfunction had been internal, but couldn't connect the failure with the recent oil change to ************'s vehicle. The dealership also diagnosed the "noise" from his catalytic converter as a piece of the converter breaking and "rattling" inside, which had nothing to do with his initial oil change. I told ************ I would not be liable for any of the damage, due to the entirety of the discovered evidence. Yet, he continues to lie about the incident and slander my company's good reputation within this community. He then called me and stated that his attorney told him to contact me for my business insurance. I have been instructed to cease all communication with him, until further notice. Now due to recent events, I will no longer assist with attempting to meet this customer's satisfaction and will let this customer pursue other options. We offer our greatest apologies to the customer for the inconvenience of the issue with his vehicle and wish we could get him to realize this issue had nothing to do with our facility. Sincerely, ************* Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/09/30) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I stand by my complain and I know that my car was fine before visiting ********* shop . I also have prove that I made trips on my vehicle before and after visiting the shop , such as receipts and at no time have I threatened any of his employees or himself. I also like to add that his employee which name I don't have but do remember his facial attributes, that man threw money at me , yet I remained calm under the situation. I also have prove that***** offered me a 4k dollar check to fix the problem, on which I would have accepted but was told the damage to my engine could be greater . I also have pictures with time and date of the incident for my defense. If you would like to see them please let me know, and I greatly appreciated your time and help.