Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/05/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  On June 8, my vehicle shut itself off on the side of the road due to an apparent radiator puncture and leaking coolant. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic. First quote I was given at 7AM Monday morning was $750 for the radiator. I authorized that charge. At 3PM I was told the ** Compressor was also bad, another $850. The next day, at 3PM, I was informed that the vehicle was not drivable because the head gasket was busted and that with 263k miles on the vehicle, they recommended a new engine. I felt misinformed that I was now $1600 in the hole and that the vehicle would now cost $5800 to repair and I still owed the $1600. I felt no choice but to get insurance involved and to have them cover the repair. Otherwise, I would not have authorized ANY repairs and would have used the insurance toward a new car. The repair took a total of almost three weeks even though the new engine was delivered to their shop within 1 week (the second Monday). The day before I got the car back they added another $500 due to some issue with the axle now. This company took advantage of a stranded motorist in a different state than where I resided.When I paid and got my car back, the windshield was now cracked (it was not that way when the tow dropped the car off, I was with it when it did), the close out panels were not put back in the trunk, the car horn was disconnected making it less safe for me to drive, and the inverter coolant (for the hybrid system) was not even filled to the "LOW" ***** Then when I messaged the mechanic about receiving paperwork for the used engine (which has 117k miles on it, supposedly), they claim they cannot provide that information. Which will lessen my resale value and chance to get something out of this vehicle in the end.I am grateful I have my vehicle back and that I got home after driving it 11 hours. I am not grateful with Taylor Automotive's business and customer service nor with their nickel and diming tactics for a stranded motorist.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/07/2024

  Complaint submitted to BBB on 7/5/24
  ID ********
  Disputed Amount $6300
  Desired Settlement -Refund
  Responses to complaint are inserted in his complaint below:
  "On June 8, my vehicle shut itself off on the side of the road due to an apparent radiator puncture and leaking coolant. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic. First quote I was given at 7AM Monday morning was $750 for the radiator. I authorized that charge. At 3PM I was told the ** Compressor was also bad, another $850. The next day, at 3PM, I was informed that the vehicle was not drivable because the head gasket was busted and that with 263k miles on the vehicle, they recommended a new engine. I felt misinformed that I was now $1600 in the hole and that the vehicle would now cost $5800 to repair and I still owed the $1600. The sequence of events from our point of view is listed earlier in our response.
  I felt no choice but to get insurance involved and to have them cover the repair. Otherwise, I would not have authorized ANY repairs and would have used the insurance toward a new car.  This is false as referenced in the sequence of events above. Customer had authorized work as detailed above prior to involving the insurance company.
  The repair took a total of almost three weeks even though the new engine was delivered to their shop within 1 week (the second Monday). The day before I got the car back they added another $500 due to some issue with the axle now. This company took advantage of a stranded motorist in a different state than where I resided. When I paid and got my car back, the windshield was now cracked (it was not that way when the tow dropped the car off, I was with it when it did), the close out panels were not put back in the trunk, We have no knowledge of this issue.
  the car horn was disconnected making it less safe for me to drive, We have no knowledge of this issue. and the inverter coolant (for the hybrid system) was not even filled to the "LOW" mark. When it comes to maintenance, it's important to remember that your car has two separate coolant systems: one for the engine and one for the inverter.  This is a separate system and was not the system we were repairing.
  Then when I messaged the mechanic about receiving paperwork for the used engine (which has 117k miles on it, supposedly), they claim they cannot provide that information. We are willing to contact the salvage yard to see if they will provide proof of mileage on the engine. Which will lessen my resale value and chance to get something out of this vehicle in the end. I am grateful I have my vehicle back and that I got home after driving it 11 hours. I am not grateful with Taylor Automotive's business and customer service nor with their nickel and diming tactics for a stranded motorist" We strongly disagree with this statement, we were in constant communication with you every step of the process and not once did you decline any work.
  To try to better address your concerns, we have provided an explanation of the events from our perspective.
  Monday, 6/10-Car was dropped off sometime over the weekend and was at the shop when we arrived Monday morning with a message stating the car needed a radiator. At the point, an estimate was prepared to replace the radiator as requested.  At 7:28 am this estimate was shared with the customer via SMS.  At 7:39 the customer reviewed the estimate and at 7:40provided authorization for the replacement of the radiator.
  2.     Monday, 6/10-Later that same afternoon we began work on the installation of the new radiator and noticed that the ** condenser had been punctured as well.  When this was discovered, an additional estimate to add the condenser to the job was created and shared with the customer at 3:12 PMprovided authorization to replace the condenser at 3:13 PM. 
  3.     Monday, 6/10-After replacing the radiator and condenser and topping off the antifreeze, we started the vehicle and realized the engine had additional problems.  Possibly due to overheating from being driven too far without coolant/antifreeze.  This is when we were able to determine that the customer needed more work and possibly an engine replacement. At this point, we informed the customer that he would need to decide if he wanted to replace the engine or the head gasket job.  I recommended not doing head gasket due to the mileage on the car.
  4.     The customer decided to contact his insurance company, *************************************** then got involved and eventually he told them the complete story and due to the cost to repair, they totaled the car.  At which point he decided to purchase car and go through with the repairs. 
  5.     Monday, 6/17-A Progressive representative came looked at the car, took pictures, and created an estimate to replace the engine. She shared that the customer originally said that he didnt drive the car very far but after further discussion, he admitted to her that he drove the car until the engine stopped. The customer never shared this information with our shop. If he had, we would have explained to him upfront that he would probably need an engine.  This information didnt become available to us until the insurance company was involved.
  6.     Monday, 6/17-The insurance company provided authorization for us to perform an engine compression test to check the quality of the engine and it failed the test on all cylinders with very low compression.  We prepared an estimate on the 17th to replace the engine for the customer.  The customer approved the work before the insurance company decided what to do. Based on this approval the engine was ordered.
  7.     Wednesday, 6/19- The Progressive representative arrived at the shop on 6/19 to correct labor prices on the insurance estimate that had been listed incorrectly.   Once she corrected labor amounts and times, it became apparent that the car was a total loss.  The insurance representative contacted the customer and explained the options.  At this point, he could have taken the insurance offer, which would have paid the shop for work performed with him receiving the remaining balance.  The other option was to keep the car as a total loss and they would pay for the car.  The customer decided that he would purchase the car from the insurance as a total loss and continue with the repair of replacing the engine.  The engine was delivered on 6/19 since he had previously approved the work.  
  8.     The customer asked how long the job would take.   We estimated the repair would be complete by mid next week.  This would have put us around Wednesday, 6/26.  
  9.     Tuesday, 6/25-We thought we were going to be finished on Tuesday but had to wait on the right front axle to come in which had to be replaced it due to excessive rust.
  10.  Wednesday, 6/26- We completed the job late Wednesday around 5:00 PM but wanted to keep it overnight in order to drive it to put some miles on the engine and to make sure everything was in good working order.
  11.  As far as the windshield, I dont know how it happened, the windshield was damaged when we got to the shop on Monday.
  12.  My invoice from the salvage yard does not show the mileage.  If it had been shown, I would have sent it to him.
  In closing, it is important to note that the customer was paid by Progressive for his loss, and the customer approved all repairs before the work was performed. He could have declined any of the work at any time but did not. The customer has his repaired car, and it runs better than it did before.  The request for a full refund is unfounded from our standpoint, as all work was fully approved before being performed.  We strive to do the very best job for all customers.  We dont take advantage of anyone regardless of their circumstances. The fact that the customer was stranded as he describes it only intensified our urgency to get his repairs completed asap.  
  Sincerely,
  ***********************, Owner
  Taylor Automotive
  ************
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 21944467
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I felt no choice but to get insurance involved and to have them cover the repair. Otherwise, I would not have authorized ANY repairs and would have used the insurance toward a new car.  This is false as referenced in the sequence of events above.Customer had authorized work as detailed above prior to involving the insurance company.
  RESPONSE: This is not true. I was okay with spending $750 on the repair and even the $850 for the ** compressor that I was informed of after the fact. I deemed it unnecessary to get the insurance company involved when evaluating the deductible vs. potential increase in rates in the future. When I was later told (after those two repairs)that the car was not drivable, I then elected to get insurance involved due to the much higher cost.
  
  When I paid and got my car back, the windshield was now cracked (it was not that way when the tow dropped the car off, I was with it when it did), the close out panels were not put back in the trunk, We have no knowledge of this issue.
  RESPONSE: I did inform the shop of the cracked windshield and they claim the tow did it. I was in the tow and dropped the vehicle off at the shop. We were not going at high speeds and there was no noticeable crack when I left the vehicle in the lot. I did not inform the shop of the panel issue as I was already over an hour away from their shop and it wasnt worth the hassle. Especially since the shop had already blamed the windshield crack on the tow truck.
  
  the car horn was disconnected making it less safe for me to drive, We have no knowledge of this issue.
  RESPONSE: This I also did not realize until I was several hours away from the shop and tried to inform another driver drifting into my lane that I was present.
  
  When it comes to maintenance, it's important to remember that your car has two separate coolant systems: one for the engine and one for the inverter.  This is a separate system and was not the system we were repairing.
  RESPONSE: The coolant should not have been low for the inverter if not due to something involved with the repairs being done. If the shop noticed it was low, why would they not fill it while under the hood? If the shop wasn't doing tasks with the hybrid system, why were the cover panels for the batteries removed and not put back in the trunk?
  
  We strongly disagree with this statement, we were in constant communication with you every step of the process and not once did you decline any work.
  RESPONSE: Given the information I had at the time, as described above, I approved the work.However, not informing a customer of all things that are wrong and continuing to add to the bill as things progress is not good business practice. As I mentioned, I would not have approved any of the work had I known the total cost would be $6300.
  
  Monday, 6/10-Car was dropped off sometime over the weekend and was at the shop when we arrived Monday morning with a message stating the car needed a radiator.
  RESPONSE: Yes, I am not a mechanic. I could clearly see that there was a rod sticking out of the radiator and coolant leaking on the ground. Based on my observation, that is all I could deduce was wrong with it. It is up to the mechanic to fully evaluate the repairs necessary and to inform the customer of the total cost up front. Not inform them of $750, then $850, then a new engine. As I stated earlier, I was okay with the $750, then I was okay with the $850. I was not happy that both were not discussed at 7:28AM but I approved it anyway. What is not okay is then going from $1600 to needing a new engine.
  
  5.     Monday,6/17-A Progressive representative came looked at the car, took pictures, and created an estimate to replace the engine. She shared that the customer originally said that he didnt drive the car very far but after further discussion, he admitted to her that he drove the car until the engine stopped.
  RESPONSE: This statement is misleading. What I told the agent was that I had a check engine light come on and, because I was in an unfamiliar area, decided to begin looking for an exit to pull over to see what was going on. I do not recall the exact amount of time from when the light came on to when the vehicle shut itself off but it was less than 5 minutes. I did not travel far in that time period. I couldnt have if I even wanted to.
  
  The customer approved the work before the insurance company decided what to do. Based on this approval the engine was ordered.
  RESPONSE: This is not true.I spoke with the agent regarding the engine requirement and got a verbal quote from her. I was given no indication from her to not authorize anything and was under the impression that I was free to make my own decision. Since I was already $1600 in the hole, the decision made sense given the information I had.
  
  7.     Wednesday, 6/19-The Progressive representative arrived at the shop on 6/19 to correct labor prices on the insurance estimate that had been listed incorrectly.   Once she corrected labor amounts and times, it became apparent that the car was a total loss.  The insurance representative contacted the customer and explained the options.  At this point, he could have taken the insurance offer, which would have paid the shop for work performed with him receiving the remaining balance.  The other option was to keep the car as a total loss and they would pay for the car.
  RESPONSE: This is not accurate. The options I was given was to turn the car over to progressive and the $1600 of repairs would come out of that or have them continue and replace the engine. Given what little I was getting from insurance, I didnt have a choice but to repair the car, especially since I already owed the $1600.
  
  In closing, it is important to note that the customer was paid by Progressive for his loss, and the customer approved all repairs before the work was performed. He could have declined any of the work at any time but did not.
  RESPONSE: Because the customer was ill informed by the mechanic.
  
  The customer has his repaired car, and it runs better than it did before.
  RESPONSE: This is disingenuous.Better then when I dropped it off, sure, it wasnt running at all. But lets not forget the list of other things that remained wrong with it when I picked it up.
  
  The request for a full refund is unfounded from our standpoint, as all work was fully approved before being performed.
  RESPONSE: The submittal on the BBB website doesnt have many options to select from for remedies. I would think that a partial refund is warranted.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/09/2024

  Complaint: 21944467
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I felt no choice but to get insurance involved and to have them cover the repair. Otherwise, I would not have authorized ANY repairs and would have used the insurance toward a new car.  This is false as referenced in the sequence of events above. Customer had authorized work as detailed above prior to involving the insurance company.
  RESPONSE: This is not true. I was okay with spending $750 on the repair and even the $850 for the ** compressor that I was informed of after the fact. I deemed it unnecessary to get the insurance company involved when evaluating the deductible vs. potential increase in rates in the future. When I was later told (after those two repairs) that the car was not drivable, I then elected to get insurance involved due to the much higher cost.
  Response: We understand that are not satisfied with the decision to replace the engine. However, it is important to note that you had the option at any time to decline additional repairs and explore other options, such as purchasing another vehicle. The decision to proceed with the repairs was made with your full approval, and no one forced you to authorize the work.

  
  As the repairs were completed as per your consent and agreement, we are unable to issue a refund. We regret any inconvenience this situation *** have caused.
  
  When I paid and got my car back, the windshield was now cracked (it was not that way when the tow dropped the car off, I was with it when it did), the close out panels were not put back in the trunk, We have no knowledge of this issue.
  RESPONSE: I did inform the shop of the cracked windshield and they claim the tow did it. I was in the tow and dropped the vehicle off at the shop. We were not going at high speeds and there was no noticeable crack when I left the vehicle in the lot. I did not inform the shop of the panel issue as I was already over an hour away from their shop and it wasnt worth the hassle.Especially since the shop had already blamed the windshield crack on the tow truck.
  Response:  I dont know how the windshield broke.  I said it was that way when we arrived on Monday.  I said it could have been the towing company or anyone from the time it was dropped off until Monday morning.
  
  the car horn was disconnected making it less safe for me to drive, We have no knowledge of this issue.
  RESPONSE: This I also did not realize until I was several hours away from the shop and tried to inform another driver drifting into my lane that I was present.
  Response: I am sorry if we did not connect the horn. If we made this error, I apologize. This does not warrant a refund.
  
  When it comes to maintenance, it's important to remember that your car has two separate coolant systems: one for the engine and one for the inverter.  This is a separate system and was not the system we were repairing.
  RESPONSE: The coolant should not have been low for the inverter if not due to something involved with the repairs being done. If the shop noticed it was low,why would they not fill it while under the hood? If the shop wasn't doing tasks with the hybrid system, why were the cover panels for the batteries removed and not put back in the trunk?W

  
  Response: It is possible we left a cover off in the trunk by the Hybrid batteryagain not worth a refund. The inverter coolant was never checked while it was here, we did not notice it was low. 
  
  We strongly disagree with this statement, we were in constant communication with you every step of the process and not once did you decline any work.
  RESPONSE: Given the information I had at the time, as described above, I approved the work. However, not informing a customer of all things that are wrong and continuing to add to the bill as things progress is not good business practice. As I mentioned, I would not have approved any of the work had I known the total cost would be $6300.
  
  
  Response:  Some things can only be found after other repairs are done first.  I am sorry, but it is not possible to anticipate every possible issue that *** arise.
  
  Monday, 6/10-Car was dropped off sometime over the weekend and was at the shop when we arrived Monday morning with a message stating the car needed a radiator.
  RESPONSE: Yes, I am not a mechanic. I could clearly see that there was a rod sticking out of the radiator and coolant leaking on the ground. Based on my observation, that is all I could deduce was wrong with it. It is up to the mechanic to fully evaluate the repairs necessary and to inform the customer of the total cost up front. Not inform them of $750, then $850, then a new engine.As I stated earlier, I was okay with the $750, then I was okay with the $850. I was not happy that both were not discussed at 7:28AM but I approved it anyway.What is not okay is then going from $1600 to needing a new engine.
  
  5.     Monday, 6/17-A Progressive representative came looked at the car, took pictures, and created an estimate to replace the engine. She shared that the customer originally said that he didnt drive the car very far but after further discussion, he admitted to her that he drove the car until the engine stopped.
  RESPONSE: This statement is misleading. What I told the agent was that I had a check engine light come on and, because I was in an unfamiliar area, decided to begin looking for an exit to pull over to see what was going on. I do not recall the exact amount of time from when the light came on to when the vehicle shut itself off but it was less than 5 minutes. I did not travel far in that time period. I couldnt have if I even wanted to.
  
  The customer approved the work before the insurance company decided what to do. Based on this approval the engine was ordered.
  RESPONSE: This is not true. I spoke with the agent regarding the engine requirement and got a verbal quote from her. I was given no indication from her to not authorize anything and was under the impression that I was free to make my own decision. Since I was already $1600 in the hole, the decision made sense given the information I had.
  Response: We understand that the Progressive representative mentioned waiting for a decision on whether the car would be totaled.  However, the decision to proceed with replacing the engine was made with your approval, and the work was completed as agreed. We empathize with your situation and regret that you are not satisfied with the outcome. However, as the services were rendered with your consent, we are unable to issue a refund at this time. 
  
  7.     Wednesday, 6/19- The Progressive representative arrived at the shop on 6/19 to correct labor prices on the insurance estimate that had been listed incorrectly.   Once she corrected labor amounts and times, it became apparent that the car was a total loss.  The insurance representative contacted the customer and explained the options.  At this point, he could have taken the insurance offer, which would have paid the shop for work performed with him receiving the remaining balance.  The other option was to keep the car as a total loss and they would pay for the car.
  RESPONSE: This is not accurate. The options I was given was to turn the car over to progressive and the $1600 of repairs would come out of that or have them continue and replace the engine. Given what little I was getting from insurance, I didnt have a choice but to repair the car, especially since I already owed the $1600.
  Response:  You could have walked away with the balance from the insurance company, but you chose to get the engine installed. 
  
  In closing, it is important to note that the customer was paid by Progressive for his loss, and the customer approved all repairs before the work was performed. He could have declined any of the work at any time but did not.
  RESPONSE: Because the customer was ill informed by the mechanic.
  
  The customer has his repaired car, and it runs better than it did before.
  RESPONSE: This is disingenuous. Better then when I dropped it off, sure, it wasnt running at all. But lets not forget the list of other things that remained wrong with it when I picked it up.
  Response:  After carefully reviewing the situation, we note that the work was completed in accordance with the agreed-upon specifications and received your approval. Based on our policy, refunds are not warranted for approved and completed work.
  The request for a full refund is unfounded from our standpoint, as all work was fully approved before being performed.
  RESPONSE: The submittal on the BBB website doesnt have many options to select from for remedies. I would think that a partial refund is warranted.
  Response:  After reviewing your request for a partial refund, we must respectfully disagree that a refund is warranted  The work performed, including the installation of the used engine, new condenser, radiator, and axle, was completed as per the agreed-upon terms and specifications.