To make a long story short, I have owned a 2004 Jaguar XJ8 for 3 years now. Before I got the Jag Bug, I owned a 2008 VW Jetta. Sometime around 2014 I started taking my Jetta to Ultimate Motors. I was content with the service they provided. They charge a premium price for that service, but if they do a good job, then it's worth it. They did well with the Jetta. But, their service to the Jaguar has been less than lackluster. And more recently, for every part they fix they break two. Case in point: In September I took the XJ8 to have the radiator replaced. Ultimate Motors (UM) flagged the radiator with a slow leak 3 years ago when they replaced the transmission. In my defense, the leak required a few cups of antifreeze a month, so I put it off until I could regroup from a $3k expense of the many fixes UM made before they were ready to replace the transmission and its ultimate cost.
I was planning a cross country trip in the car, so one of the many things I wanted to have trust in was the radiator, since we'd be crossing a lot of desert and high altitude country. UM replaced the old radiator with a new one. Unfortunately, they broke the clip portion of my air baffle (a single mold part - meaning you can't replace the clip since it's part of the mold of the baffle). So, Mike, the manager, leads me on for 3 weeks saying they are trying to get the part but can't. Of course, eBay has them all over their sight as OEM and new. This problem has me distracted from the fact that my temperature gauge isn't working. The part they accepted breaking has yet to be replaced by them.
On my cross country trip on the first day out, between Kingman, AZ and Holbrook, AZ, warnings started popping up: "Restricted Performance" showed up on the warning screen, the Engine Light came on, and the non-functioning thermostat gauge shot up to the far red zone. I pulled over on I-40 in the middle of nowhere with semis flying by on an 8% grade at 7,000 feet asl. The car was not overheated. It was just reacting, come to find out 4 days later from the Jaguar dealership in Albuquerque, to the thermostat that was broken and not replaced. Now the thermostat was working when I took the car to UM. But it wasn't the day I got it back.
I called and talked to Mike on the day the Jaguar dealership in Albuquerque fixed the problem UM caused and advised him of my discontent with the predicament they placed me in by their inferior service. Mike tried to pass me off to their insurance company. I called the Insurance Company and was advised that if it wasn't a part they replaced then the insurance didn't apply.
When I returned home, I went to UM and talked to Mike. I requested that they take some responsibility for either breaking the thermostat or ignoring that it no longer worked. I accepted that I should bear the cost of the thermostat and the 4 nights in a hotel while we waited for the part to arrive and be replaced. UM should take some financial responsibility for the $450 I had to shell out for the labor. Mike said he would talk to Adam, the owner, that day, and he'd call me back. Four days later I called since I hadn't heard from Mike. Another 3 days later I get a text requesting my email address. I supply it. There I am advised that Adam has no interest in remunerating me for any losses. I believe that people who get paid to provide a service should take responsibility for their product. Adam apparently doesn't hold to a similar standard.
Now, for someone who had an understanding of "goodwill", that person might have suggested that a credit be applied for future labor done at their establishment to try and make a client whole, when there was obvious unsatisfactory service provided by his company. Then that client who owns a car that needs regular and expensive maintenance would regain trust, if the service people could stop breaking stuff, and remain a paying customer. There is a childishness that doesn't meet the standards of ethical behavior, or adult responsibility exemplified by both Adam and Mike in this instance. I can't rely on people who show no integrity and who have proven themselves untrustworthy. I'll find somewhere else to get my Jaguar serviced.
(As a side note, I have spoked to 17 acquaintances about this event. 15 of the 17 have told me that UM is reputedly the worst auto repair service in the Basin. The other two swear by them.) read more