Complete Auto Repair

"In response to this complaint regarding a 2003 Super Duty truck with a 6.0 V8 Diesel engine, the initial authorization was not for $1000, it was for $98 for a computer checkout because the customer was not sure what was causing the vehicle to behave incorrectly. The customer believed it was in the transmission, but we found no transmission errors. We found multiple engine related issues in the checkout. The customer’s initial concern was due to a fuel delivery issue that we found during this checkout, along with a burst degas bottle that was leaking coolant. The customer was then given the exact cost to replace the injection control solenoid and bottle. These repairs were required before we could safely drive the vehicle without the potential to cause further damage. After completing these authorized repairs, we test drove the vehicle and discovered that the broken degas bottle was due to a blown head gasket that was pushing combustion gasses into the cooling system. At that point, the customer was informed that removing the heads would be required to determine the extent of the internal damage since there is no way to see what damage had been done due to the engine overheating, at least until someone creates a CAT scan machine for these big diesel engines. The labor charge for removing and reinstalling these diesel heads would run $2,790 and that this was labor only, machine work and parts would be extra. After the heads were removed we magnafluxed them and found dry cracks between the injectors and valves. The customer authorized head work, including pressure testing, then vat, clean and disassemble, then surface and re-install both heads. Due to the fact that these engines are prone to this type of failure, the customer opted to replace both the oil cooler and egr cooler, as well as electing to replace the stock head bolts with upgraded ARP head studs in order to prevent future failures. It is common practice to have machine work and special order parts prepaid. The 2003-2007 6.0 power stroke engine commonly has this type of failure; this is one reason that Ford discontinued using these very expensive engines. The customer was informed of everything we found inside the engine during every step of this repair, as well as the cost of the parts and labor associated with repairing the internal engine damage. The additional, non-essential work was done with the customer’s permission in order to save any future labor charges due to the high failure rate of these components. Some components, such as glow-plugs and oil lines that were worn and recommended for replacement due to not having any additional labor charge for them, were declined by the customer. No work was ever done without being authorized by the customer first; we do not just put parts on people’s cars and spend their money without discussing the repairs and options. Occasionally, in the 23 years we have been in business in Lubbock, customers will elect not to continue repairs and will tow a car or truck out and sell it off or scrap it. This customer elected not to take the truck out and trade it in with these problems still present, and asked us to complete the repair. The only problem the customer appears to have is with the cost of repairing a $50,000+ vehicle. We have no control over the cost of these parts, or the amount of labor required to take these complicated engines apart."

"In response to this complaint, the original repair order is under another family member's name, not the name of the reviewer. This is a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban with 223,877 miles. The initial work order shows that diagnostics were authorized prior to replacing the starter. The starter was found to be oil soaked and had failed. Within an hour of the vehicle being dropped off, The Customer was given an exact cost of replacing the starter, and at this time, we discussed the additional cost of repairing the oil leaks that appeared to cause the failure. He declined these repairs as well as repairing a leak found in the water pump, but authorized the starter repair. At this point, we replaced the starter, and delivered the vehicle at the exact price that was quoted. At Complete Auto repair, our goal is to deliver excellent service at competitive prices. We believe this may be a case of miss-communication between two other parties, but we were not informed of any problems prior to this regarding the quality of the work performed. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with Our Customer to correct his issues."

"In response to this complaint, the original repair order is under the name of another family member, not the name of the reviewer. Looking at the completed invoice, multiple repairs were recommended to the neglected cooling system on this 1999 Oldsmobile, and were declined. We show that the intake was leaking coolant, but the customer did not want repairs due to lack of funds. At his request, rather than repairing the heater core, he had us install a bypass to save money. The vehicle needed all hoses and some seals, but they were not replaced as the customer had already indicated that he did not want to spend any more money on repairs. Our goal at Complete Auto Repair is to meet all customer needs, however, we are not able to exceed a customer’s expectations after recommended repairs have been declined. We are sorry that the vehicle had an additional coolant system failure, but this situation may have been avoided if the additional needed repairs had been completed rather than declined by the customer."