BEWARE!!! I walked in to schedule an appointment for service as it’s first come first serve. I explained that I have a Blue Driver diagnostic tool and have found that I have codes P0171 and P0174 codes(lean condition) and that I have a long term fuel trim of 25%(fuel is being added to the engine) at idle. Everything I had researched pointed to a vacuum leak. I told all this information to the gentleman behind the counter(who I believe is the owner). My exact words were “ hopefully it’s just a vacuum leak. “ I scheduled my 1998 Ford Club Wagon van to be dropped off at 8am. After receiving a call that they had diagnosed the problem being my exhaust manifold gaskets, I said I would be right there to discuss the diagnosis. The girl behind the counter attempted to point out the exhaust manifold gaskets as the problem. I began to ask the tech what tests he had performed. He said there were no vacuum leaks. I explained that my long term fuel trim was 25% at idle which means the computer was adding extra fuel to the engine to compensate for the lean condition. He said I was wrong. I explained it again. He then told me a negative condition would mean that my engine was receiving more fuel. At that point I knew it was time to GET MY VEHICLE OUT OF HERE!!! I was willing to listen to the supposed experienced person in the front. After explaining the whole situation he was still trying to convince me that the manifold gasket repair was the correct diagnosis. I asked him “ If I fix the gaskets, that will 100% solve my problems? ” He replied “ Nothing is 100%, but yes. You seem like a pretty knowledgeable guy. Maybe you want to fix the gaskets yourself and let us know if it fixes the issue. “ I then replied, “I can’t believe I have to ask this. Is the tech working on my vehicle even ASE certified? “ He replied “ He’s certified in SOME THINGS. “ ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! (ASE mechanics must work in the field for 2 years after passing the test to be considered certified) At that point I said “ GET MY VEHICLE DOWN NOW!! Charge me for whatever diagnosis costs you have. “ They did not charge anything for the wrong diagnosis at least but I had a feeling something else could be wrong. I checked under my hood and behold a plastic cover was just sitting there not in the correct place. Not only did they give me the incorrect repair but they actually created more work for me to fix their mistakes. After bringing my vehicle to a reputable repair shop and giving them the same information, they performed a SMOKE TEST which is the proper procedure for a suspected vacuum leak and low and behold….wait for it….IT WAS A VACUUM LEAK!!!!! Nothing has been done to my manifold gaskets and my long term trim is back down to zero. 100% effective repair. TO REVIEW: Didn’t listen to the customer Incorrect diagnosis Reinforced the wrong repairs Told customer to perform wrong repairs themselves Non certified techs (not mechanics) Incorrect reassembly Dirty fingerprints left on dog house NOT QUALITY If the owner or shop does decide to respond to this review, specifically point out where I lied or misrepresented myself. If not, admit “ EVERYTHING THIS GENTLEMAN HAS SAID IS CORRECT, WE BLEW THIS ONE, AND WE APOLOGIZE. “
We sincerely apologize for your experience. There were certainly areas where we could have provided better service and for that we regret it. We will continue focusing on improving our business and the technical capabilities of our staff. Continuous improvement is a central tenant of our shop over multiple decades because we recognize mistakes are occasionally made... yet how we remedy them speaks to our character and the reason we maintain a loyal customer base. That said, you were rude to multiple members of our team and even as we tried to alleviate the situation, you continued to berate us. It's almost like you were itching to pick a fight with someone that day. We treat all our customers with respect and your lack of decency and temper was shocking to us. We did not charge you because we recognize we should have done better and also we do not care for customers that lack decency and grace with our shop. Regardless, we wish you the best.
- Hotchkiss Auto Repair