I'd like to share my recent experience at Tom's Family Auto, which began on the morning of Monday,…read moreOctober 13, 2025.
That morning, I called the shop to ask if they could assemble a set of struts and replace a CV shaft on my truck. I was told it was no problem, and they began working on the struts. About an hour later, I received a call that they were "finished" and ready for pickup.
However, when I arrived, I was told only one strut was complete, and the rest of the crew was out to lunch. The person behind the desk told me to go ahead and take the one strut and begin the work myself, so I did. Upon returning to my truck, I noticed the assembled strut was visibly crooked. I brought it back for correction and picked up the second strut.
I assumed everything was resolved at that point, but after installing the struts, I discovered that the driver-side strut was seized and would not compress. It was now late, so I had the truck towed back to the shop for repair and to address the frozen strut.
The following day, I called to check on the status of the repair. I was told the strut could be realigned, but I was met with a very poor attitude from the staff and was told I "shouldn't watch YouTube videos to work on my truck." For the record, I had been following manufacturer Technical Service Bulletins and Bilstein's official instructions, I'm also an FAA licensed aircraft mechanic.
The next day I was informed the truck was "ready and aligned." Since I was at work, my mother went to pick it up and I paid the bill in full.
That evening, when I inspected the truck, I discovered that the front sway bar was missing entirely -- it had not been reinstalled and was still in the bed of the truck, along with the mounting hardware. It had been left lying next to where the strut was they fixed. Despite this obvious omission, the shop had released the truck to my mother, claiming the work was complete and the truck had been aligned.
To be clear: They gave us back a vehicle, declared it aligned and finished, despite it missing a 4-foot-long piece of suspension that was clearly provided and noted.
There was even a written note in the cab and verbal instructions given on the phone regarding the sway bar and its hardware. These were apparently ignored.
I returned the truck that night and left the keys in the drop box. The next morning, I called to ask what happened, and was told that the mechanic who started the job went home, and the person behind the desk -- who I'm not even sure is a certified mechanic -- had "finished" the job.
I was later told the sway bar would be reinstalled, but that no new alignment was needed. I have serious doubts about this, given the work that had been done and undone at that point. Not surprisingly, they failed to install my skid plate as well, which was still laying in the bed of my truck with it's hardware when I arrived home from work.
At no point was I offered any compensation for the extra day without my truck, the inconvenience of having it towed, or the serious issue of the vehicle being released in an unsafe condition. I was still charged $800.
This experience showed a lack of communication, poor workmanship, disregard for safety, and unprofessional behavior from start to finish. I cannot recommend Tom's Family Auto based on this experience. My family and friends will no longer be using this establishment after being loyal customers for over 20 years.
