Westside Auto Pros
About us
Westside Auto Pros was started in 1997 by Ron Haugen and Paul Kennedy. Accurate repairs, pride in workmanship, and friendly customer care quickly grew this two bay facility to the 14 bay repair center it is today. AAA presented us the Top Shop Award in 2002 as well as every year since. This award comes as a result of 98% of our customers rating us “Excellent”. Out of all of the auto repair shops and dealerships in Iowa, there are currently only two AAA Top Shops in Iowa, Westside Auto Pros and Automotive Service Solutions in Waterloo. Named “Best Place for Auto Repair” in 2010, 2011, 2012 , 2013 ,2014 , & 2015 by the Des Moines Business Record, our dedication to excellence in customer care continues with our smiling, caring staff. In 2009, AAA asked us to become their exclusive Mobile Battery Service provider for the greater Des Moines metro area. This has grown to a fleet of five mobile service battery vans and its own dedicated staff providing 24 hour a day – 7 day a week service to over 5,000 people a year. With local owner Ron Haugen on site, Westside Auto Pros continues to set the standard for customer satisfaction in the Des Moines area. “I would like to thank each and every member of the Westside Auto Pros staff, you people are the best!” Additional phone number - (515) 309-1252.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Auto - Service & Repair.
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
---|---|---|
64% | ||
10% | ||
7% | ||
14% | ||
5% |
always stressful. I know for I immediately
experience anxiety and dollars leaving my bank account every time something
goes wrong with my car.
Recently my Aura MDX started running rough going down the
highway and after I checked all of the obvious problems myself I decided that I
needed some real professional help so I went to West Side Auto Pro?s
in West Des Moines because they seemed to be the ultimate repair shop in mid
Iowa second only to the impossibly expensive dealerships.
After diagnosing my problem they called and reassured me
that they could get my car running perfectly again but it would require a cost
of $3,500. After I caught my breath I reasoned
that these were the professionals who thoroughly diagnosed my problem and had the
expertise and confidence that they know what to do and if they could fix my car
for that price I would still be ahead financially and not have to scrap my
vehicle.
Unfortunately after they completed the repairs they called
me to explain that my car still didn?t run correctly but for $400 more dollars
they could take it apart again and let me know how much more money it would
require for them to really fix my problem.
Normally it would be about $950 to do this but they were giving me a
discount for spending the initial $3,500.
I only make this review to let you know that as good as this
shop is there are still some real nightmares here and you are always taking
your chances with auto repair. I admit
that I was the idiot that spent $3.500 and drove off with a car that smoked and
burned oil like crazy but I couldn?t stand the thought of spending nearly
$1,500 more and not having any guarantee that I would have a car that ran at
all.
"Hi [Member Name Removed] I apologize your vehicle left not fully repaired. It is my goal to repair every vehicle to a safe and reliable condition, driven away by a satisfied customer……….every time. We obviously failed to provide you with this. In fixing the leaking oil that damaged your coils, the timing belt that was mis-aligned, the bolts that were falling out of your water pump, and other items, it simply was not possible to detect underlying issues. One thing I do know, we have a good reputation for taking care of our customers if a problem should arise. I really wish you had simply picked up the phone and called me. I would have worked something out. Now your car is still not fixed, you are still not satisfied, and we have a bad review. Not the result either one of us wanted. Ron Haugen, owner."
I asked them to check out a noise coming from the drive train. The car is FWD. I told them I suspected it was either the transmission or a wheel bearing, but that I couldn't isolate the source of the noise.
The car was high mileage, so I told them I was concerned about investing too much in it.
They evaluated the car and recommended that I have them fix a transmission seal, replace the clutch, fix a coolant leak, and replace the timing belt. Total cost would have been more than $2000.
That was more than I wanted to spend, so I decided to take a look for myself. When I put the car up on blocks and let the front wheels turn it was immediately apparent that the noise was coming from the wheel bearing.
It was obvious that they didn't even check the wheel bearing. Since they totally misdiagnosed the problem. I asked for a refund which they refused to provide, even though they acknowledged that they should have found the wheel bearing problem.
I fixed the wheel bearing myself and the car is still going strong without any transmission, clutch, or timing belt repairs.
"Hi [Member Name Removed], I believe you may have posted this review to us in error. We do not have you name or address in our database as ever having been to our shop, nor do we have any invoice of this nature during the time period you state. Please double check your invoice for the correct shop and / or reach out to me at 515-225-9090. Ron Haugen, owner."
"Thank you for your review, trust, and loyalty !! You put a smile on my face. I am pleased we met your expectations as well as maintained the safety and reliability of your car. Ron."
Ignition system service
strut mount & bearing replacement
engine coolant service
battery is due for replacement
brake fluid replacement
air filter is due for service
interior cabin filter needs to be replaced
4x4 gear oil service
When I questioned them about the possibility of being overcharged for the oil change, they claimed I wasn't overcharged. Angie's List stated that if I mentioned I found Westside Auto on Angie's list that I would receive a $20 discount. Not so sure I found that discount. I saw it listed on the bill, but I'm not sure I received the discount.
Yes, really. The shop manager (Joe) took my car out on multiple joyrides (according to a nearby business owner) while the owner (Ron) was on vacation.
One of the joyrides came to an unexpected end, resulting in $30,000 in damage when Joe failed to keep control of the car after doing doughnuts just one block away from the shop (we still have photos of the tire marks from the culdesac right down the road and an audio interview with a local business owner who witnessed everything happen).
Originally, I had decided to take my car to Westside because I've known Ron for several years and had always respected the way he ran his business. That is until this almost unbelievable story unfolded. I was excited to have sold my car and wanted to have it in tip-top shape when delivering it to the new owner. I decided to take it to Westside Auto Pros to have them do two things: (1) Change the oil and (2) look at a small electrical issue that was keeping the car from starting from time to time.
The good news is they fixed it.
The bad news is after they fixed it, they felt it was necessary to take the car for a drive (remember, the car just wouldn't start... it wasn't a problem related to driving the car).
The incident happened on a Friday (or maybe it was Saturday, I'm not sure because it was never mentioned to me...). I received a call the following Monday when Ron was back in town. The only good news in this story is that they were insured.
The bad part about insurance is they aren't always the easiest to work with on settling claims. Ron and his team quickly bowed out of the situation and said "the insurance company will take care of everything". I then spent the next 6 months dealing with the insurance company to get the car repaired (it had to be shipped to Virginia because that was the only qualified place to actually look over the car and determine what work needed to be done) and then try to collect money for the negative impact in value of the car after the accident (about $20,000).
I won't go into the details on the insurance negotiation -- but let's just say it likely involved 80 hours of my time and Ron and his staff were quick to wash their hands of the situation.
A few interesting points of the experience:
1) Nobody ever admitted fault to what actually happened. Even though there was evidence of what had happened.
2) I've spoken with several people who once worked at the shop and other acquaintances of people who currently work there. Nobody was surprised. Nobody.
3) Joe still manages the entire business. After the owner (Ron) knew about the joyride and accident. From a liability standpoint alone, I don't know how this is possible.
4) When the shop released my (basically totaled) car to the car transport company, they called me to pay for the balance of the bill for the work that was performed before they joyrode and wrecked the car. [You can't make this stuff up.]
5) Ron used having the car in the shop as a marketing opportunity on their Facebook page. Without my permission. Then, never provided any updates after the post was made.
6) I never really got the impression they were sorry because they never really admitted to what actually happened. Which is really mind blowing.
Bottom Line: There are plenty of places that this sort of thing happens. I just expected more from Ron and his staff. As a result of how this was handled (both while the car was in their care, and especially the lack of professionalism and accountability afterward), I have lost the respect I once had and I can only imagine there are several other joyrides that have happened that didn't have the same result. I'm just glad nobody was hurt.
Take your car to their shop at your own risk. It's clear they put employees first. The same people involved with the accident and my car still work and manage the shop.
"Removed mbr info, Thank you for your feedback. This incident occurred October 23, 2014, almost a year ago. I have reached out to you and spoke with you on several occasions. This was the result of an honest mistake, not negligence or malice. As we have proven, your vehicle was driven less than one mile. I have admitted fault, apologized and offered compensation. My insurance company repaired your vehicle to your satisfaction, paid you additional money, and you were able to sell it as you originally planned. You have committed much time and effort to a non-stop campaign of harassment in an attempt to slander the reputation of Westside Auto Pros, and me. I am glad you were able to receive financial closure. I am sorry you have not found emotional closure. Ron Haugen Owner, Westside Auto Pros Clive, Iowa"
"Hi (Removed members personal information), I am a little confused by your review, you scored us all "A"'s but gave us an overall of a "D" ? I wanted to review the work we did and contact you directly, but your name also does not come up in our database or computer as having ever been here ?? Please call me at 515-225-9090, Ron Haugen, Owner."
"(member name removed), my apologies that we let you down in your visit. Certainly our goal is to fix every vehicle safely and correctly on the first visit. While that is a goal it is not reality simply because no one is perfect. By reading your review it is also clear that our communication skills were less than effective. Yes, we suggested the vehicle be taken to a dealer, but only because the software upgrade it needs would be performed there free of charge under an extended warranty GM was offering, not because we were trying to dismiss you as a customer. I understand under the circumstances if you wish not to return, however I am also open to working to correct your vehicles issues as well. Feel free to contact me, Ron Haugen the owner, should you wish to. And most importantly, thank you for the review so we can use it in our training."
After calling AAA to ask if they would cover towing to another repair shop, they told me that repairs were limited to the replacement cost of my 15-year old car and said they would call Westside on my behalf. Westside promptly called me, asked for a copy of one of the estimates, and sent a person to pick up my only copy.
Westside called back and dropped the price of the repair to within $100 or so of the provided estimate and I gave the go-ahead to complete the repair. I was impressed, until I got a call that while my car was torn down there was another repair that needed to be made. They could make the second repair for about another $500 and would take another day. The total amount of the repairs would be within a few bucks of AAA's replacement cost of my car.
Another day turned into another day and another day and another "reason" for the delay. It felt like they were putting other cars cars ahead of mine.
Going into cold weather the heater did not seem to be warming the inside of my car. The car was also cutting out on acceleration. I finally looked under the hood and one of the connector hoses did not look installed properly. After talking with friends, I called the owner. He used an obvious, frustrating amount of "boilerplate" language about how much it would cost to assesses the problem and fix it if it was caused by their technicians. After some heated discussion, he agreed to fix what needed fixing. and scheduled an appointment
When I took the car in I worked with a different "service manager" who listened, asked the appropriate questions, and in a professional manner, told me what had caused the problems that should have been caught before the car was released the first time.
As a former business owner myself, I admire the marketing program that the owner has in place, and he seems like a nice guy. I understand that sometimes customer satisfaction is based on price . . . the higher the price, the more satisfied we are with how we have spent our money . . . up to a point. I also know how businesses get on "partnership" and referral lists and how customers can sometimes get prioritized by things other than "first in, first served".
The "B" for responsiveness was based on how quickly they reduced their original repair estimate to seemingly fall into line with AAA's partnership agreement and therefore keep my car from being towed to another auto repair shop; and how quickly a follow up appointment was scheduled after talking to the owner. However, for so many of the wrong reasons, I made a huge mistake by choosing Westside AutoPros, for which I'm still paying . . . literally.
"Thank you for the kind words [member name removed]. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to service your vehicle. We look forward to seeing you in the future. Ron Haugen, owner."
"Thank you for your kind words and feedback. I will share this with our staff."
"(member name removed), I apologize that we did not live up to your expectations. And after reading your review I must say that Iif I was in your shoes I would likely feel the same way. In comparing the notes in your file to your review we failed in communicating with you on our findings and attempts to correct your vehicle's issue. I take responsibility in that as I am the person who trains and holds the staff accountable. I will definately use this as a training opportunity so we may better communicate repair process to others in the future. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.