LIES AND OVERCHARGES AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!
I took my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee to Matthews Auto Repair in Carmel about six months ago because it was stalling while running and also having starting issues. When I first took the Jeep in and left it with them for over two weeks, after which they said they could not find the problem and that I could come pick it up as long as I paid the $150 fee for the "diagnostic". I have NO idea what "diagnostic" they ran because there was no check engine light and never had been so short of trying to drive it around to recreate the issues, they could not have really done anything. I paid them the $150 with the promise that when I brought the Jeep back I would not have to pay the "diagnostic" charge again and it would be credited to my future repair. I drove the Jeep for a few weeks and it would not start again. I had it towed to Matthews Auto Repair in Carmel to have them diagnose the problem again. After they had the Jeep for about 2 weeks, they called me very excited to tell me that, "we have FOUND the problem". They let me know that it was actually the, "Ignition Switch" which they would replace for the total of: $424.31. Oddly, there was ZERO mention of the credit of the previous "diagnostic" charge that I already paid. At this point it had been months and I was not going to quibble over $150 so I told them to fix the "Ignition Switch". They told me it would be at least 5 days to get the part so I could expect it to be at least 6-7 days before it was ready.
THE NEXT DAY they called me and said the Jeep was ready to be picked up. They said they had gotten the part and it was ready to go. I went to pick it up and it started just fine. I drove it for TWO DAYS, not "several", not, "weeks", TWO DAYS, and it would not start again. When I called Matthews Auto Repair they told me, "the next guess we have is that it is the starter". First of all, I didn't agree to pay for a "guess" initially nor did I have any intention of paying for a, "guess" now. They also quoted me over $450 to replace the starter. I had already gotten 3 quotes from other shops for the starter that were all less than $350, one of which was $300. I asked why it was so much compared to other shops and considering I had just spent over $400 to fix what they thought it was, what could they do. They told me that the $450 price quote was already, "half labor"???? If that is their, "half labor" rate, I am TERRIFIED to see what it would cost to replace an $80 starter on a 20 year old vehicle at the regular rate.
Needless to say, I NEVER took the Jeep Matthews Auto Repair because I had lost all confidence in their ability to diagnose and fix a problem correctly. I was never willing to throw money at guesses but that is now what they are claiming I said. I disputed the charges with the bank because their, "Ignition Switch" resolution did not work. It also troubles me that it took them only a DAY to get a part that they told me it would take 5 days to get??? Did they REALLY even replace the Ignition Switch? I have my doubts. They also told my bank that I brought the Jeep back and they diagnosed that it was the starter and that I refused the service. That is not the case. They told me their, "next guess was the starter". I will not pay for guesses. I have ZERO confidence in Matthews Auto Repair in Carmel and I would advise anyone to AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. They have now lied to my bank, lied to me, lied about diagnosing my Jeep, and tried to over charge me for a starter I may not even need compared to other reputable shops by over $100 with their, "half labor". All for $424.31 for a fix I'm not sure they even did. I will now make it my mission to let EVERYONE I know about the lies, OVERCHARGES, and incompetence at Matthew's Auto Repair in Carmel. I am posting this review EVERYWHERE I can find and I will continue to fight with my bank unless Matthews Auto Repair Carmel does the right thing and refunds my $424.31 as they should have done when their, "repair" stopped working after 2 days!!! read more