I normally try to give businesses the benefit of the doubt, but my experience with TM3 Automotive…read morewas incredibly frustrating from start to finish.
I dropped off my Ford F-150 on April 27th. On April 28th, I was told the timing chain needed repair and was quoted around $3,700. On April 29th, I approved the repair and paid a $1,900 deposit plus a $125 diagnostic fee.
On May 4th, they texted me saying they had received the part and would begin repairs. Then on May 7th, after disassembling the engine, they told me they found metal shavings and recommended replacing the motor entirely for an additional $1,100 using a used engine.
After thinking it over, I called on May 12th and told them we did not want to continue with the repair. I asked them to reassemble the truck so we could pick it up and only pay the diagnostic fee. They refunded the deposit and agreed.
What happened next is what really upset me.
I heard nothing until May 18th, when they texted saying they had to "make space" to get my truck back in the shop and that after disassembly the engine would not run and they would need to tow it back to my house. This was shocking because I DROVE the truck there. Yes, it had a knocking noise, but it was still running and drivable. Had I known disassembly could leave the truck unable to drive, I would have made a very different decision from the beginning.
After expressing my frustration, I was told they could put it back together and make it run again, but they "wouldn't feel comfortable" with us driving it because the engine could blow. I told them to reassemble it anyway and we would take the risk ourselves.
I was told it would be ready Friday. Friday came and went with no communication. After I reached out again, they finally said it was ready.
Then, after picking up the truck, we discovered both running boards had been damaged while the vehicle was in their possession. These running boards were purchased in February and were in perfect condition before the truck was dropped off.
When I contacted the owner, instead of trying to help, he became argumentative and accused me of "nitpicking." I asked if they could review their cameras since the truck had been sitting outside their shop. First I was told they had no cameras. However, the owner's wife had previously told me the vehicle was safe because they DID have cameras outside. After more back and forth, he suddenly said he would "check the cameras."
Eventually he agreed to reimburse the running boards if I provided proof of purchase. Since they were bought on Facebook Marketplace, I provided proof of the bank transaction. He then said that wasn't good enough because it wasn't a receipt. After explaining again that Facebook Marketplace purchases don't come with store receipts, I never received another response and my number was blocked.
Between the poor communication, changing stories, damaged parts, and being blocked instead of helped, this was an extremely disappointing experience. After reading all the other bad reviews now I see they have the same repetitive issue, People bringing their vehicles in one way and then coming out way worse than when it went in...... Undrivable! And then the way they handled the running boards issue... Just straight liars! I hope you enjoyed the $200 my son spent on those running boards, apparently you guys needed it more than my 21 year old who worked really hard to save and get those.
