Jaws Automotive do have mechanics with reasonable knowledge of how to repair cars, but unfortunately the knowledge tends to be used in a manner that benefits them the most. If not, then they are hampered by an attitude from the manager of "How much money can we save iin doing certain repairs and services", and "how much money can we squeeze out of the customer".
I had an engine re-condition recommended to me by these people. Right call since I was regularly needing to top up the engine oil and radiator fluid on a weekly basis, and the engine is over 400,000km. Fair enough. But when it came to doing the work, cost cutting meassures were employed and opportunities were set up in the hope of gouging out more money from the customer at a later date when the work should have been done the first time during the engine re-condition.
An engine re-condition must always involve a replacement of:
* The radiator.
* The water pump.
* Radiator hoses.
* The thermostat.
* Relevant belts involved in the cooling system.
* New coolant and engine oil.
Jaws Automotive had a different view. There idea is to re-use the 5-year old radiator by sending it to RadNat in Phillip and requesting a clean out of any blockages. However, after twice discovering an overheating problem (and again by these guys when testing the engine) and eventually stabilised when Jaws Automotive replaced thermostat a second time for one at 72°C, I requested a test of the cooling system through NatRad when Jaws Automotive did not want to do it even when I asked them to do it. Result: NatRad found the pressure in the radiator could not be held. Radiator had a leak in the neck near the cap. Jaws Automotive eventually had to replace the radiator.
Another independent car mechanic then checked the work and found the radiator hose was not connected properly. He also found a major oil leak at the back of the engine.
Engine was sent next door to Heads Services Phillip. There, the guys only replace those seals they can see an oil leak. Everything else is left as is. But with continuing areas of oil leaks appearing, I am on to my fourth engine strip session with these guys (just replace all the seals for goodness sake!). And Jaws Automotive who do the work of taking out the engine is getting annoyed. Er, well, how about doing the job first time and properly? Don't cut corners and go on the cheap to maximise profit. I have paid the $3,900 and more for the engine re-condition work. If you are going to save money, ask the customer first what they want as the money has been paid.
Anyway, a new noise in the engine was introduced by Jaws Automotive during the work. Jaws Automotive can't identify the source of the noise. But next door they are confident the engine is good. Noise must have been introduced in another component near the engine. Faulty new water pump? It looks new. But the guys next door failed to re-check the water pump. Whereas Jaws Automotive failed to make the effort to check other moving components near the engine to see if the bearings and flywheels are okay. Question: Has someone in the workshop replaced a part without my authorisation and not related to the original repair work?
I have had numerous additional unexpected new problems appearing for basic work done (e.g., swapping the cluster gauge somehow caused a break in a wire or connection leading to the SRS light staying on all the time -- how can those guys achieve this?; the power windows stop working until I tell them this is not how they were; the steering wheel turned to an extreme when the car is parked and made to lock on removing the key, and myself and a guy in the customer counter at Jaws Automotive have to spend 15 minutes jiggling the key and turning the wheel until it finally gets unlocked, I've lost the panel underneath the steering wheel to cover the fuses and wires and noticed this when cleaning the inside of the car and the only place I last been to for repairs and service was Jaws Automotive, but those guys claim it was like that all the time. BS!).
Now the director of Jaws Automotive is annoyed at the extra engine stripping work to fix oil leaks and solve the engine noise. Not my fault. How about doing the work properly first time? The latter problem he claims does not exist (not so for the guy next door and two other car mechanics who had a listen). The director claimed he has an identical car and sounds the same as my car.
Now I am considering the idea that perhaps my car is being used by their car mechanics as a source for spare and hard-to-find parts in exchange for defective and near end-of-life parts from this other car and I discover the unexpected new problems later.
NOTE: Jaws Automotive is also able to register my car with the SRS light on. Illegal in this part of the world, but nothing stops these people from doing things they shouldn't.
Nice guys really! read more
