ROSS TOLD ME I NEED A NEW MOTOR IN MY 2002 HONDA CIVIC BUT I AM ABSOLUTELY 100% CONVINCED THAT MY CAR WAS NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT.
I stopped by City Auto Works a few weeks back and talked to Ross. I explained to him that I had been to three other area mechanics trying to determine an overheating issue in my 2002 Honda Civic. The three previous mechanics had replaced various parts (two thermostats, two water pumps, a cooling sensor, and fan switch) and each of them told me three different things as to what was wrong with my car (nothing, radiator, head gasket).
Ross explained that they were Honda specialists and that based on my explanation that it sounds like the head gasket (the car will not get hot if I drive the car around town, but as soon as I get it out on the highways at speeds over 70, the car will overheat when I get off of the highway, or come to a stop) . Since I didn't have the money for a repair like that I told him I would be back
On Wednesday, July 20 I stopped back in to talk with Ross and asked if he could look at my car Thursday or Friday. He said to bring it in Thursday morning. I had also explained to him that I had a chemical head gasket test on my car that was "inconclusive" and that I wanted to have a pressure test done to determine if it truly is the head gasket. I also told him that since I had last stopped by several weeks ago, the car had not overheated at all. He said he would run some tests and let me know a couple options. I was feeling pretty confident that this issue would be resolved by the end of the day.
Well, when 5:30 rolled around I decided to go up to the shop and find out what the situation was. I found it very strange that no one had called me, but willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. When I got there, three of the guys who work in the shop were all standing outside. I told them I drove the Honda Civic and that I had not been contacted regarding the status. Not one of them knew what I was talking about and asked what I brought it in for. They went inside and called Ross, who was on his way back to the shop. Then, all three of them walked over to my car (that was suspiciously parked in the exact same place) with a bottle of coolant and popped the hood. At this point I was under the impression that they had not gotten to my vehicle that day, which really would not have been a big deal since I have another car. When Ross pulled up, he failed to apologize for not calling me and told me that since the coolant was low and there was no leak that it must be exiting through the tailpipe and instead of recommending replacing the head gasket that I should PUT A WHOLE NEW MOTOR IN. Dumbfounded, I asked him why no one had called me about my vehicle and his response was that he has been off of the premises for the last 4 hours helping another person (terrible excuse). I asked him why none of the guys knew the situation with my car and he told me because he looked at it. Honestly, he is the cleanest mechanic I have ever seen. All the other guys were hot, dirty and greasy like they had been working hard. Ross didn't seem to look like he had touched a car. When I asked him about the head gasket test he said that there really is no definitive test to determine if I had a blown head gasket, but did not say whether he conducted the test I specifically requested. My frustration was building at this point. When I asked him if he drove my car, his response was that he drove it around town and it did not get hot, after I SPECIFICALLY told him that the car can drive around town all day long but it needed to get up to high speeds to overheat. I told him that none of this was making sense and that I didn't understand how my car had not acted up for weeks and now he is telling me to put a new motor in my car. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO YELL AT ME, 'LOOK, DO YOU WANT MY HELP OR NOT! IF YOU WOULD BE QUIET FOR A SECOND I WOULD EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT'S GOING ON." I calmly told him that he and I could go inside and I would give him the $82 I owed him for looking at my car and the guys could go ahead and close the hood because I was going to take my car someplace else. HE THEN SCREAMED, 'YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY. GET OUT OF HERE AND DON'T COME BACK'. Then he stormed inside. One of the guys came over to me and apologized for his behavior and the others looked truly embarrassed. Then when I got in my car I noticed that there was no paper floor mat and the radio was blasting on the same channel as when I dropped it off. In my many experiences, the mechanic ALWAYS turns the radio off. I am truly convinced that this guy told me I need a new engine based on the information I had already provided him and that somehow my car slipped through the cracks and never got looked at.
THIS GUY WAS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE! BEWARE! read more
