We brought our vehicle in for a control arm repair and alignment and agreed on a total price…read more During the process, there was a serious lack of communication and professionalism.
At one point, our vehicle was taken off-site without our knowledge or permission and was in the owner's possession for approximately four hours. (Since 3:22pm) During that time, it was driven to another town and made multiple stops, including his second business (a spa), his home, and other locations. We were never informed that our vehicle would be leaving the shop at all. We understand short test drives are normal, but extended off-site use like this without communication is not appropriate. Using a customer's vehicle in this way also raises liability concerns and is not something we were comfortable with.
We only became aware of this because we were receiving alerts from the vehicle's tracking. After attempting to call and getting no answer, we became concerned and drove out to locate the car ourselves.(7pm)
When we arrived, we found the owner at his other business (a spa), where he had clearly been for some time, while our vehicle remained there off-site. We had to confront him there in person.
During that conversation, we were told the alignment was not finished and still needed to be "fine-tuned," and that he planned to take the vehicle to his home later that night to work on it in his "nicer garage" and have it ready by morning. None of this had been communicated beforehand.
We then had him return the vehicle to his shop in Elwood and followed him back. Once we arrived, he stated the vehicle was "driving good" and finished, directly contradicting what we had just been told minutes earlier.(8pm)
Morning
We asked for documentation or a printout of the alignment (standard practice), but none was provided.
After picking up the vehicle, it was clear something was not right. The steering wheel was off-center (tilted to the right while driving straight), and when centered, the car pulled to the left. There was also noticeable vibration, and the lane assist system struggled to keep the vehicle centered something that did not occur prior to the repair.
When we raised concerns, we were told that getting the vehicle aligned elsewhere would be a waste of money and that this is how he aligns vehicles. This was not accurate for a newer vehicle like ours.
We took the vehicle to another shop for inspection. They confirmed the alignment was off and had to readjust the components that were worked on, as well as perform a proper 4-wheel alignment to correct the issue.
We also noticed fresh oil residue on the front of the vehicle and on the plastic after pickup, despite no work being requested involving the engine. This was never mentioned to us and very concerning.
It was also concerning that the vehicle was driven a significant distance while the alignment was known to be incomplete, which can cause additional wear and safety issues.
Modern vehicles, especially newer models like ours, require a precise 4-wheel alignment using proper equipment. These systems are tied to steering sensors and driver-assist features and cannot be accurately "fine-tuned" by feel alone.
If the proper equipment was not available, that should have been communicated. We would have had no issue taking the vehicle elsewhere or having it sent to a proper alignment shop.
We were willing to pay for the repair itself and ultimately reached a reduced agreement, but the lack of communication, inconsistent explanations, and incomplete alignment left us without confidence in the work.
We dropped the vehicle off on March 16 and did not recover it until March 20. Had it inspected by an alignment shop on March 21.
This was a very disappointing experience. We had hoped to support a local small business and continue bringing our vehicles here, but unfortunately this situation did not build that level of trust.
I would strongly recommend clear communication, proper documentation, and using appropriate equipment especially when working on newer vehicles.
