RON BUSHEY AUTO REPAIR

My 200 6 Volvo broke down and had to be towed around 5:30 pm Wednesday.  Triple A sent Ron Bushey Auto Repair to tow it and he said they would try to get it on the lift to diagnose it that night.  I was surprised they would look at it so soon, so I agreed to tow it to his garage instead of my regular Volvo mechanic. 

I rented a car Thursday morning because I didn't know what was wrong or how long it would take to fix my car.  I didn't hear from Bushey's and called him around noon for an update.  He hadn't even looked at it and said to call back around 3pm.  When I called back he said that it was my fuel filter - that it was really dirty, hadn't been changed in years!  Said he put dry gas in it and test drove it, problem solved, runs great.  Charged me $140 for the fuel filter and labor (the tow was paid by Triple A)!  I thought that was a bit steep, but was glad it was a relatively quick fix and didn't complain.  

I returned the rental car and arrived around 6pm Thursday evening to pick up my car.  When I started it in his parking lot, I noticed it sputtered a bit similar to what it was doing before, although it didn't stall. I thought maybe the dry gas needed to circulate more, so I drove it home without saying anything.  Big Mistake!  I went to leave for a meeting about an hour later and the car wouldn't start - did the exact same thing it did the night before.

I called Bushey's Friday morning and explained the situation.  He said that the car ran fine when they test drove it, so it must be a "new problem."  I told him that no, it was the same problem that he did not fix and that I would appreciate it if he gave me a complimentary tow to his garage to look at it again - giving him the benefit of the doubt and a chance to make it right.  He told me that I would have to call Triple A to have it towed so he could get paid again. I told him that I would be taking it to Volvo.

Triple A couldn't tow my car to my Volvo dealer until late Friday afternoon, so I was without a car all weekend.  Volvo opened on Monday (a holiday for most us) and had it on their lift by noon.  They called me at 3pm to tell me it was fixed and ready to go.  The problem was a loose radiator hose which has a safety mechanism to shut the car off if it becomes detached.  They charged me$116 for parts and labor - cheaper than Bushey - and the car runs great.

I understand that mechanics have to diagnose a problem and that it is sometimes hard to figure out.  However, when it is clear that they were incorrect in their diagnosis, they should do something to make it right by the customer.  Ron Bushey Auto Repair not only didn't fix my car - they clearly misdiagnosed the problem - but they wouldn't even provide a tow or help me out to get my car running for the weekend.  I will NEVER bring my car there again and have learned my lesson.  The only reason they are getting a overall 'D' instead of an 'F' rating is because their tow service was timely and courteous.