I am giving both EZ Tire locations in Vacaville and Fairfield 1 star only because they eventually tried to correct their mistakes. Unfortunately, the lack of communication, accountability, and professionalism throughout this experience left me deeply disappointed.
On June 4, around 5:45 PM, I blew out my right rear tire on my 2013 Acura RDX. I found EZ Tire in Vacaville was open until 7 PM and they were able to help me right away. Initially, I planned to buy four tires but changed my mind and purchased only one tire. They installed it and I left.
The next morning, my mechanic advised me that because my vehicle is AWD, I should get four matching tires to avoid potential drivetrain damage. I returned to EZ Tire in Vacaville, and they were able to provide four matching used tires. During that visit, one of the employees also told me I needed rear brakes.
After leaving, I realized they had not returned my wheel lock key. I drove back to retrieve it. When they handed it back to me, I tested it on one of my wheel locks and discovered it had been stripped. What upset me most was that nobody informed me about the damage. Had my wife been driving the vehicle, she would have left without knowing the wheel lock key had been damaged.
To their credit, the employees admitted the mistake, apologized, and offered to purchase a replacement wheel lock kit. I then asked to speak with the owner.
The owner was at the Fairfield location, which happened to be near my mechanic's shop. Before meeting him, I asked my mechanic to inspect my rear brakes, but he couldn't because he needed the wheel lock key to remove the wheels.
I walked to the Fairfield location and spoke with their employees. They instructed me to bring the vehicle over so they could test the wheel lock. When I arrived, an employee named Umer tested one of the wheel locks and discovered something much more concerning: one of the wheel lock nuts came off with almost no resistance. We then found that after the work performed in Vacaville, wheel lock nuts on two different wheels had been left loose.
At that moment, I realized I had already driven between locations and on public roads with loose wheel hardware on my vehicle. Whether someone believes the risk was high or low, I was extremely alarmed because wheel security and wheel installation are fundamental safety issues.
I was so shocked that I began recording myself with my phone to document what had happened. Umer asked if I was filming him. I explained that I was filming myself and expressing my concerns about what I believed was an unsafe situation.
Instead of acknowledging my concerns, he argued with me and told me I was "acting like a 5-year-old child" and needed to calm down. Regardless of his intentions, those comments were dismissive and unprofessional. At a moment when I was upset and looking for reassurance, I felt belittled rather than respected.
To his credit, Umer immediately went to Napa Auto Parts, purchased a new wheel lock kit and replacement lug nuts, and provided them to me at no cost. I appreciate that effort.
However, this experience wasn't just about a stripped wheel lock key. It was about repeated failures to communicate important information, discovering damaged equipment only after I caught it myself, finding loose wheel hardware after service was completed, and then being spoken to disrespectfully when I expressed legitimate safety concerns.
I appreciate the attempts to make things right, but customer service is about more than replacing parts. It's also about honesty, communication, safety, and treating people with respect.
I cannot recommend either EZ Tire location based on my experience. read more