Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Madison Automotive's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Madison Automotive

  440 Union Ave Memphis, TN 38103-3295

• 

  Madison Automotive

  2457 Covington Pike Memphis, TN 38128-6935

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:09/08/2022

  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 initially filed a complaint against this business because they were in violation of TN Code *********, "Duty to inform consumer of rights," however, once I paid and got my vehicle home, I continues to find several minor issues to the vehicle, as well as evidence of illegal activity:1. The engine bay prop hook had been broken off (this allows access to the engine).2. There was no audio from my stereo (I spent 3 hours trying to find the problem - one of the speaker wires had been bolted under the engine plate when it was reattached. The wire was severed and the exposed metal was causing the stereo to short.) 3. The vehicle had been driven 150+ miles during its time at the shop.4. The license plate had been modified with electrical tape, so that a "J" was turned into a "U" and the issuing county had been covered up (this is illegal).5. There was a dent in the rear as well as several scratches on the bumper.6. The tail light was not working (turns out while they did install the new taillight I provided, they left the old bulb in - that bulb was broken, so I replaced it myself).7. The spare tire mount had been bent in such a way that it will not properly hold the spare tire and will need to be replaced.8. There seems to be an additional electrical error with the dash lights (they will only illuminate when the brakes are applied - I have not fully investigated this yet, but felt that I should mention it in light of all the other issues).ALL of the above has been documented with photos and/or video and a police report has been filed regarding the modification of the license plate and dents/scratches on rear of vehicle.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/22/2022

  Im sorry ******************** is upset with her vehicle. As far as the radio not working we were unaware and would not be able to help her if we were not informed. No matter how good a technician is mistakes can be made but before we say it was an absolute mistake we need to really look at the pictures and know why this happened. If you look at the pictures and if you were able to see how the aftermarket speaker system was installed you could understand how it happened accidentally. Whomever installed the speakers did a very poor and incorrect installation of them. The wires were not run correctly and securely, they were just randomly ran under the carpet installed of running them through floor channels securely, properly, and out of ***** way. Regardless if they were installed incorrectly we would have no problem addressing the issue if we were told about it. As far as the mileage we did not drive the vehicle 150 miles. **** no reason to and actually do not feel comfortable driving it very long due to it being a foreign right hand drive vehicle and also due to the other known issues the vehicle has. Its also odd that it is stated we drove it 150miles when the speedometer and odometer are in kilometers not miles. We would also have no reason to put tape on her license plate. Could have easily happened in her possession since the vehicle sits outside all the time. Could have easily been her kids as we see marker drawings all in the inside of the vehicle on the seats and panels of the vehicle. Im sure if the are drawing on it they could also have put tape on the plate. The dent was there on arrival and probably happened when the tail light was broken from backing into whatever. With the tail light not working we just installed a part she supplied. We have know idea if it works or not since we did not supply the part and we also did not charge to install it and installed it quickly while she waited on arrival for her to pick up vehicle. The spare tire holder has been damaged since we have been working on the vehicle for her. We have put the spare in the holder multiple times and have difficulties every time. If you look at the picture you can see the scrape marks and rust from multiple times of something hitting it or it dragging the ground over and over again. If it was recent there would be no rust and there wouldnt be so may scrape and ***** marks on it. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/28/2022

   
  
  Complaint: 17935332
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This is nothing but excuse after excuse.  I will take the time to address each thing again and point out the utter ridiculousness of these replies, but the bottom line, this many issues? Take your vehicle elsewhere.

  
  1. Statement from Madison Automotive: "As far as the radio not working we were unaware and would not be able to help her if we were not informed."
  

  Consumer Response: I did let them know of a few of issues ONE DAY after picking up the vehicle (namely the broken engine prop hook, the rear dent, and the taped license plate). The response I received from them was, "We are no longer willing to hep you with your vehicle, so you should find a new service."  Based on this response, I did not let them know about the radio.  I decided to list the issue in this complaint, because it is one of many and is representative of their overall neglect of vehicles in their possession.
  

  2. Statement from Madison Automotive: "As far as the mileage we did not drive the vehicle 150 miles... Its also odd that it is stated we drove it 150miles when the speedometer and odometer are in kilometers not miles."
  

  Consumer Response: The pictures provided CLEARLY indicate that the vehicle was driven 263 Kilometers while in their possession. I converted the KILOMETERS to miles, since that is what most consumers are familiar with... it's simple math and an easy conversion for anyone with a computer, phone, or calculator. 263 k = 163 miles.
  

  3. Statement from Madison Automotive: "We would also have no reason to put tape on her license plate. Could have easily happened in her possession since the vehicle sits outside all the time. Could have easily been her kids as we see marker drawings all in the inside of the vehicle on the seats and panels of the vehicle. Im sure if the are drawing on it they could also have put tape on the plate."
  

  Consumer Response: Of course they should have had NO REASON to put tape on my license plate, but they sure did - as is clearly illustrated in the photos. To insinuate my children did this is just disgusting. They are very young, and honestly, probably lack the dexterity needed to execute turning a "J" into a "U" with electrical tape.  Let's just think about this: They would have had to A. Find black electrical tape, B. Cut it to the exact width AND length, **************** outside unsupervised, and ************ my plate.  Honestly, what make more sense - that very young children did this, or that grown men decided to go joy riding and took some precautions...? Note the milage above, or are my children some how responsible for that as well?  As a side note, how the h*** do you know if the vehicle is outside "all the time" or not...? 
  

  4. Statement from Madison Automotive: "The dent was there on arrival and probably happened when the tail light was broken from backing into whatever."
  

  Consumer Response: This is just not true... Unfortunately, I failed to take photos of my vehicle BEFORE I took it to this shop, sure which I had...
  

  5. Statement from Madison Automotive": With the tail light not working we just installed a part she supplied. We have know idea if it works or not..."
  

  Consumer Response: They were fully aware of the taillight situation previous to bringing the vehicle in.  *********************, shop owner, recommended that I purchase the part myself since it would need to be shipped from oversees and even sent me the link to do so!  As far as them not knowing if it worked, that just speaks, again, to their incompetence.
  

  6. Statement from Madison Automotive: "The spare tire holder has been damaged since we have been working on the vehicle for her. We have put the spare in the holder multiple times and have difficulties every time..."
  

  Consumer Response: Yes, the spare tire holder had some rust, but I have never had a problem securing a tire in the holder until my vehicle spent time with Madison Automotive. I'm sure they had an abundance of difficulty this past time, since they bent it beyond usability.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2022

  I guess we are at a grid lock. We are an extremely reputable high end shop with a huge following and great reviews. We work on vehicles that are 20 times the value of ********************** vehicle and would not do any of the things she is accusing us of to jeopardize our reputation. We went way way out of our way to perform the repairs to her rare and difficult vehicle to work on. I have already answered each complaint in my previous response and do not see the need of repeating each response the same again. I am sorry she is upset but an unable to help any further. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/30/2022

  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.

  This complaint is for Madison Automotive, **** ********* ****, Memphis, TN.
  I was charged $6300 after receiving a quote for $5000 for repairs on my van.
  I spoke with the owner of the company many times and while I was informed that there were delays in securing parts, I was NEVER told about the significant up-charge until I arrived to pick up the vehicle. I paid for the service, because I wanted my van back and could see know other way of doing that - they were just going to hold it hostage. I feel that this significant difference in quote and actually price is, at the very least, a gross negligence on the part of the business, and that, according to my understanding of the law, is most likely illegal.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/31/2022

  Unfortunately Mrs.*******g is not telling all key notes of the situation. First we need to talk about the vehicle. This is a 33yr old vehicle that was never produced in America and imported after the vehicle was 25yr old. Parts are not available in America, Data, diagrams, and labor operations are not available like your average vehicle. Very few shops across the country are capable or even willing to work on these. We diagnosed the 1990 Toyota Hiace and gave Mrs.*******g an estimate on the repairs. Again it was an estimate meaning we estimated and not an exact figure on how much it would cost to do the repairs. Once the vehicle was disassembled we found we needed a few unforeseen parts and one inparticular took us 3 months to get. Not only did it take us 3 months to get it took weeks to find with many man hours of searching for them. We found it in Argentina and it was a costly part. Without this part the vehicle was completely unoperational and we were unable to reassemble without this part.  Mrs.*******g was informed of this process. We are here to help our customers through their problems with their cars. This was Mrs *******gs problem and we did very well helping her through her problem. I'm very sorry Mrs.*******g is unhappy but we did every thing we could to go above and beyond to get her Toyota Hiace back on the road. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/31/2022

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Despite the company's claim that I am not "telling all key notes of the situation," the fact remains that I was told $5000 for the repairs to my vehicle and ultimately the total was $6313.47 - an increase of OVER 26%. Because I was never contacted regarding any substantial changes to my estimate, Madison Automotive is in clear violation of Tennessee Code 66-19-104, "Duty to inform consumer of rights," which states that a Customer, "may not be charged an amount over twenty-five percent (25%) in excess of the written estimate without the consumer's consent or good faith attempt to acquire the consent."

  Again, I knew that this repair would be costly - $5000 is VERY costly.  I had multiple discussions with ***** (the owner) about this (in fact, my ORIGINAL estimate was $4000) and repeatedly conveyed to him that I was unwilling as well as financially unable to afford ANY repairs over $5000.

  Despite my vehicle being old as well as an import, Madison Automotive still decided to provide a quote AND to take on handling the repairs.  I was informed about the need to source ONE additional part and that this would add significant time to my repairs - I WAS NOT told, nor did I consent to an increase in my estimate.  That said, according to the final bill, the ONLY line item for the ONLY additional part (that was NOT included in my original quote) was $450 - this still leaves a discrepancy of $863.47. The bill includes NO further information to explain that discrepancy. 

  Finally, I picked up (and paid for) my vehicle on Tuesday, Aug 30th.  I was told in July that they were ordering a part from Europe, on Aug. 23 I was told the part arrived, on Aug. 25th I was told the vehicle was ready except for the tire, and on Aug 29th I was informed that the vehicle was ready for pick up - DURING NONE of these conversations was I informed of a price increase of over 26%.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2022

  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 had my car worked on to fix the air conditioning, after the air condiitoning was repaired my car was not put back together correctly. There are gaps along the console of my car all across the dashboard and also my air is not working on certain levels or while using anything assoicatied with the dashboard such as the speakerphone portion and a compartment in the console that opens and closes. I have told the company my issues. They had me take my car to get an esitmate and said they would pay for it since they do not fix that area. I got the estimate and it was over $2000 . They only offered my $300 which is highly unaceptable when I was told they would cover it. MY car was in perfect shape besides the air needing to be fixed and now my car is damaged and half works. They also did not provide a rental car during the time and refuse to provide one while damages are repaired as well that pushed me to rental a vehilce while they repaired the air.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2022

  Mr ***** is correct, we did repair the a/c on his vehicle and we did have issues with the dash. The dash has to be completely removed to do the repairs. Do to the age a few of the plastic trim pieces had some figment issues. Not uncommon with a vehicle of this age. We did our best to find the few plastic pieces that do not fit correctly with no luck. New parts are discontinued and had no luck with used. The used parts were in worse shape than what were on the vehicle. We offered a partial refund with no response from Mr.*****. As far as the a/c not working we have no knowledge. The repair has a warranty but we would need to see the vehicle to see if it is a warranty issue. There are many working parts to the a/c system. The warranty is only for the parts that we replaced. Would be glad to diagnose the a/c issue and repair under warranty if it is a warranty issue. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/31/2022

   
  Complaint: 17699450
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I was told you would reimburse me $300 when my car was damaged by your facility . I have taken my car to several shops and been giving a range from $2400-$2900 dollars to repair whats wrong.thats also with me paying them to give an estimate . ***** says they still make the parts oem and they would need to be ordered from them or online . 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 08/31/2022

  Im sorry that you reject so I guess that means we are at a grid lock. The parts are not available, we are a GM service facility and have already completed the research. Best we can do is offer $500. So I guess the supposed A/C not working is no longer an issue? The $500 will be a standing offer. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/15/2022

   
  Complaint: 17699450
  
  This is to reopen a claim that closed due to response not being recieved. Previous complaint ID ********. I was offered $500 for a repair that from multiple places that would cost well over $2700. We could come to a conclusion if the cost for the repair be refunded. I spent more than the cost getting a rental car due to them taking longer than expected to repair the air conditioning. Is there any way to get another settlement at least half. My car looks like its falling apart and its really and insurance issue due to the gapping spaces between the dashboard and radio. As far as the air issue ***** said that is a setting on the car that was reset when the car was broke down and they reverted it back to what is was on. I also had to pay two fees for both places to look over my car to see if they could repair it both being $75 and $100 respectfully. I hope there is some kind of resolution since the problem migrated from a repair from your shop.