I don't know where to begin, even while it pains me to have to share the two stories I am about to recount. To begin with, we have used Bill's Auto in the past while dealing with two long term service managers; both whom have been respectful and professional. Importantly, we understood that Bill's Auto was a premium shop, so paying premium prices when important work was required didn't bother me, until the following incidences occurred.
Incident 1: Less than one year ago, we agreed to have Bill's Auto install shocks and struts to the front end of an older van in the household. This past August, well within the one year warranty and mileage requirement period, the driver's side strut collapsed while our daughter was driving home locally without injury thank God. Bill's Auto fixed the problem via warranty. About one month after that, the passenger side strut collapsed while I was travelling home on the 101 Freeway. Each time the affected tire inverted or angled inward to the center of the vehicle. Once again, thank God, nobody was hurt even travelling at the freeway speed.
Bill's Auto stood by the warranty to fix it again, except this time we were really concerned and couldn't fathom statistically how two different "new parts" on both sides of the same vehicle failed within one month of each other. It seemed statistically eery. The service manager explained to us that he was also very surprised, but this time they were going to put the name brand Monroe parts on the vehicle instead of what I came to find out was O'Reilly's Chinese manufacturer on the other two defective parts. We seemed to be paying premium prices for sub standard parts, something I hadn't known until then. I am not a mechanic; therefore, I trust the professionals who are to do the right things when dealing with our vehicles.
We made no large beefs about this other than inquiring for assistance from the manufacturer beyond just normal warranty coverage since we believed, Bill's Auto, and O'Reilly's Auto Parts had exposed our family to great loss, and it was only by luck that nobody was injured. The service manager told my husband that if he asked O'Reilly to do anything beyond the warranty coverage notwithstanding the severity of this ongoing problem with their parts manufacturer, they would tell him to tell me to "go pound sand." Notwithstanding having felt harmed for the inconveniences that didn't abate just one time, we accepted the work completion as Bill Auto's delivered it to my family.
Incident 2: A few weeks ago, a temperature light kept appearing and reappearing on the same aforementioned van. The gage would go from hot to cold, and cold to hot. Considering what happened with Bill's Auto earlier, we were hoping, well, expecting that if we brought the vehicle to them for investigation, they would be as fair as possible with me after what was already described in incident 1. Please mind us, the Bill's Auto Team, seem like the nicest guys in the world, and over time, we had come to TRUST THEM!
What occurred next is truly mind boggling to me, and this was the final trigger for what led us to this venue in order to express ourselves.
Firstly, Bill's Auto charged us about $58 all in after a $5 coupon and less the free candy bar he offers his guests, in order to do a "diagnostic test" on the engine block.
When the service manager called us as a follow up, he stated unequivocally to my husband and me on the phone that he only had "bad news," even after we asked for other "band aid" options versus his draconian recommendation--but really a demand because he said the car was junk without following their remedy--that the van "failed" the engine block test meaning somehow fumes(CO2) got into the block and the cylinders would be no good as a result, therefore, we needed to install a new engine at 7K. He also said the water pump had been leaking asking if I had seen fluid where the car is parked, which we had never seen then nor now.
This leads me to the conclusion after leaving Bill's knowing we would purchase a new car versus putting a new engine into that twelve year old Oldsmobile. The service manager wished us well apologizing for the loss during the whole experience.
We immediately brought the car to another reputable mechanic in town whom we had come to trust as well. This mechanic does not charge to assess damages. The bottomline is that, our vehicle passed his engine block test, was not leaking any fluids relating to the water pump, and only needed a new "thermostat" to continue its useful life.
With all of this in mind, I have stopped payment for the diagnostic test on our credit card.
In addition, we made a long back and forth trek to San Francisco with the same van last week, and it drove perfectly without any incidents.
Like I said, it is with great regret that I deliver this bad news to the community about Bill's Auto Repair. read more