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:01/11/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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 am writing to file a complaint regarding an unresolved issue with **, following damage to my vehicle during their service.Details of the Incident:On October 1, 2024, I brought my Lexus GX470 to ** for a routine oil change. While the vehicle was at their shop, I received a call from *******, a representative at **, informing me that my radiator needed replacement. I authorized the radiator replacement and expected the car to be returned in proper working condition.However, when I picked up my vehicle, I discovered that the air conditioning (A/C) was no longer functioning and was blowing only hot air. This issue was not present when I dropped off the vehicle, which had been regularly serviced at the dealership and maintained meticulously.Follow-Up Actions:I contacted ******* at ** to address the issue, assuming there may have been an error during the radiator replacement. Upon inspection, ******* claimed that the A/C condenser had been damaged by a rock and would require replacement at an additional cost. This explanation seemed implausible, as the vehicle had only been driven a short distance in traffic after leaving the shop.Seeking a second opinion, I took the vehicle to the Lexus dealership, where they determined that the condenser had been damaged from the inside, likely during the radiator replacement process. I have attached photographic evidence provided by the dealership to substantiate this claim.Resolution Sought:Replacing the damaged condenser cost me significantly more than the combined cost of the radiator replacement and oil change at **. Despite providing evidence and attempting to dispute the charges with my credit card company, ** has been dismissive of my concerns and has not accepted responsibility for the damage.I am requesting that ** compensate me for the cost of replacing the condenser, as their negligence during the radiator replacement caused this issue.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2025

  On Tuesday, October 1, Mr. ******** came to our shop for an oil change. During that time we noticed that his radiator was leaking and we called him to let him know and that it would need to be replaced. He consented and we replaced the radiator. The bill came to $914.45. On Monday, October 7, a week after the first appointment, customer called and told our shop that his air conditioning was not working. We told him to come in so we could take a look. We found a hole in his condenser and we determined that a rock or object flew up from the road and hit his condenser.  If we had damaged his condenser, we would have replaced it when we had his car there a week earlier.
  

  Our shop gave Mr. ******** a quote of $624.29 for us to replace his condenser. He refused and went to the dealer. The service writer at the dealer told him that it was likely that our shop damaged his condenser and they charged him $1298.71 to replace it.

  Mr. Mr. ******** does not have enough evidence to prove that our shop is responsible for the hole in his condenser. Theres a very good chance that the hole had been there before we serviced his car for the oil change and radiator.

  He filed a charge back on his **** for the work we performed, which was the oil change and the radiator for the $914.45. As a result, he was not successful, and the amount was reversed. It seems he was trying to get his service and radiator free of charge. And I believe he wants us to pay for his condenser as well. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/13/2025

   
  Complaint: 22798158
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I appreciate your attention to my complaint regarding the damage caused to my vehicle during service at **. I would like to provide additional context and clarify inaccuracies in T3s response.
  
  
  Timeline and Vehicle Use:
  
  
  I brought my vehicle to ** on October 1, 2024, and picked it up on October 2.
  The car was not driven until October 4, when I noticed the A/C blowing hot air.
  ** was closed on October 3, 5, and 6, so I returned the car as soon as possible on October 7. During this time, the car had only been driven 45 miles, primarily in traffic.
  Inspection and Findings by Lexus Dealership:
  
  
  When I took my car to ******** Lexus for inspection, their team confirmed that the damage to the condenser was not caused by a stone or road debris. Instead, the damage was located at the back of the condenser, near the radiator, an area inaccessible to external impact.
  Lexus explicitly stated that the damage was consistent with mishandling during the radiator replacement.
  Negligence in Identifying Existing Damage (If Any):
  
  
  T3s claim that the damage to the condenser might have pre-existed raises another concern. If this were the case, it would have been their responsibility to identify and inform me of such damage during the radiator replacement. Failing to notice or address this suggests a lack of due diligence.
  Pattern of Similar Complaints:
  
  
  Upon reviewing T3s customer feedback, I found multiple reviews indicating similar issues with mishandling of vehicles and subsequent denial of responsibility. I have attached screenshots of these reviews for reference.
  Resolution Sought:
  
  
  I am not seeking a refund for the oil change or radiator repair, as I recognize that service was rendered. However, I am requesting compensation for the $1,298.71 I had to pay ******** Lexus to replace the condenser, which was damaged due to T3s negligence.
  Given the evidence from ******** Lexus and the timeline of events, I firmly believe ** is responsible for the damage to my vehicles condenser. I trust the BBB will help mediate a fair resolution to this matter.
  
  
  Thank you for your time and assistance.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/20/2025

  ** Atlanta Auto Repair
  Rebuttal to Complaint 22789158
  To:  Mr. ***** ********
  Re:  Condenser to 2004 Lexus GX 470
  
  SUMMARY:
  Mr. ******** brought his car to ** Atlanta Auto Repair for an oil change on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. While we were servicing the vehicle, we noticed that the radiator had a leak and needed to be replaced.  We contacted Mr. ******** and told him about the leak in the radiator.  He consented to the radiator replacement.  The invoice came to $914.45. 
  On Monday, October 7, 2024, Mr. ******** contacted us to let us know that his A/C was not working.  We told him to bring the car in so we could diagnose the problem.  Upon inspection, there was a hole in the condenser likely due to a stone or road debris. We are familiar with this type of damage which led us to this conclusion.  We contacted Mr. ******** to let him know of our findings.  We asked him if he would like us to replace the condenser and provided him with a quote of $624.29.  He declined the repair and said that he would wait.
  When his son came to the shop to retrieve the vehicle, his son asked why we did not see the damage to the condenser when we replaced the radiator on October 1st.  We indicated to him that we are unable to see damage to a condenser unless we are told there is a problem with it  (the condenser has to be removed in order to find a leak).
  On October 12, 2024, we received a chargeback on ***************** for the service performed on October 1, 2024:  an oil change and radiator replacement.  The reason on the documentation was Services Not Received.  I responded to the chargeback with a rebuttal that the services were rendered, and ** Atlanta was rightfully owed payment for those services. The chargeback was reversed, and a decision was made in ** Atlantas favor.
  Soon after the chargeback decision, I received a ****** Review from Mr. ******** (attached).  In his review he alleged that we damaged his condenser, and he made false and defamatory statements about ** Atlanta. I believe this review has severely damaged my companys reputation and caused significant harm.  This recent complaint on BBB further confirms his extreme efforts to damage my businesss reputation.
  Soon after the ****** Review, Mr. ******** sent an email to ** Atlanta through ** Atlantas website threatening to file a lawsuit and legal fees against ** Atlanta if we did not reimburse him for his condenser in the amount of $1298.71.  I replied asking for documentation and any photos concerning the condenser which he forwarded.  The information he provided does nothing to substantiate his claim.
  
  REBUTTAL TO *** HUSSEINIS LATEST BBB REPLY TO ** ATLANTAS REPLY TO INITIAL COMPLAINT:
  FIRST PARAGRAPH:  Mr. ******** claims the car was not driven until October 4th when he noticed that the A/C was blowing hot air.  Its apparent that more than one family member in the household drives the vehicle so we really dont know how much the vehicle had been driven.
  SECOND PARAGRAPH:  Mr.********* statement that [the ******** Lexus] team confirmed that the damage to the condenser was not caused by a stone or road debris is inflated,and what the  ******** Lexus invoice actually states is that the condenser was possibly damaged when the radiator was installed.  However, our competitor (******** Lexus) would like nothing better than to see us go out of business as our prices are fifty to sixty percent lower than theirs; e.g., their condenser replacement cost is $1298.71 and  ** Atlantas condenser replacement cost is $624.29, with the same factory part.
  THIRD PARAGRAPH:  *********** says that ** Atlanta claims the condenser might have pre-existed and it would have been [** Atlantas] responsibility to identify and inform [***********] of such damage during the radiator replacement.  As I mentioned in my summary above, we cannot see damage to a condenser unless we are told there is a problem with it as the condenser has to be removed in order to inspect it.  His claim that we did not address this issue when we replaced the radiator is invalid.
  FOURTH PARAGRAPH:  In response, ** Atlanta does receive ****** Reviews from customers that may be unhappy with us like all businesses receive. Mr. ******** is using those unsubstantiated reviews to substantiate his complaint.  In addition, none of those customers filed a complaint with ********************. And we have never received a review that contains false and defamatory statements as Mr. ******************* PARAGRAPH:  *********** claims that he is not seeking a refund for his oil change or radiator repair as he recognizes that service was rendered.  The only reason he is not seeking a refund for the oil change and the radiator is because he already tried getting a refund through his credit card company for that and he didnt succeed.
  In conclusion, the fact is there are any number of possibilities as to what could have damaged Mr. ********* 20-year-old-vehicles condenser, and if we had damaged the part, we would have replaced it at no cost to Mr. **************** therefore reject Mr. ********* unsubstantiated claims and his demand for $1298.71. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/23/2025

   
  Complaint: 22798158
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I am 100% certain that my A/C system was fully operational and had no issues until I brought my car in. ** mentions that they dont look for damage unless they are told about it, however they had no problem finding a problem with my radiator when telling me to replace it. His claim that the damage to the condenser would not have been seen is also untrue. He would have gotten a clear view of the condenser when replacing the radiator, and as shown in the picture of the damage the radiator was not even removed when the licensed Lexus technician was able to spot the damages to it. My car may be 20 years old, but has been meticulously maintained at the dealership minus the 3 times I brought it to you and has seen less then ten thousand miles a year. The problem does not lie with my vehicle but your inability to take accountability when you make a mistake. You told us a rock hit the condenser when we brought it to you, which would mean that there would be damages visible through the grille of the car, yet theres unexplainable damage to the inside of the condenser that no one had touched other then ** Auto. 
  
  ***** ********