I brought my truck to the Manchester PEP BOYS for a brake inspection and I received my truck back the next day and found that a few items were missing from my truck. Spoke with the manager Frank who claimed he reviewed the tapes and did not see any suspicious activity in the shop. Frank claimed that the items must have been stolen when the parked my truck outside the shop. So since there was no signs of a break in with my vehicle then they did not lock my truck up!! When I informed Frank of how poor the customer service was as well at his shop , he rudely asked me " Then why did you come to Pep Boys" ....... I would like to know how such an individual like Frank became a manager treating a customer in such an awful way? Customer service as well as the district manager won't call me back either. What an awful company ! How do they stay in business.
I went in to have my gear shift replaced after it broke in my hand while driving my Ford Explorer. I paid the bill and drove home. While filing the paperwork I checked what they replaced my car with. Saw installed new battery @ $188 + $55 labor. Went to my car, popped the hood and there was the same battery I replaced two years ago. All that nasty stuff was around the cables.
Being a really pissed off California Paralegal, I grabbed a business card and rolled back to Pep Boys. After advising them of all the charges I could file against them in Superior Court, they did refund my money. Since I was under extreme duress, the paper they had me write holding them harmless from any lawsuit against them. Wouldn't even be introduced by PepBoys since I was in duress when I signed it.
When I got home I went into my Pep Boys file and looked at twenty years of maintenance from them. Total ripoff was just over $15,000.00 I am filings and asked for Punitive damages on top of the $15K, plus interest.
That was during the summer and when winter came, my heater now doesn't work. It's a rip off stupid women. Payback assholes.
We took our 2001 audi quatro a6 to pepboys for a simple oil change with free tire rotation and complimentary vehicle inspection. Using a coupon from that weeks periodicals hoping to save a few dollars...Doesn't always pay off. "you get what you pay for???"
Because we were missing one hub cap on the back left tire, we realized the tires had not been rotated and after a few days we smelled burning oil we decided to check the oil. The oil was two quarts low!! that's when we decided to take it back to pepboys to question why the service was not done correctly, or even according to the service invoice.
We questioned the service manager, mario salas, asking why the tires had not been rotated. The first thing he did was measure the tire tread of the front right tire. He said "it was pepboys policy not to rotate tires when most of the tread was on the back tires." He never measured the back tire tread). Then i asked him "don't you think it would have been proper for you Your employees) to let us know, as customers, that the tires were never rotated?" he answered "i really don't know".
Infuriated, i closed the car door before i said anything to embarass myself. Mario also stated that they would not give us the two quarts of oil that had been omitted from our oil change. I was flabergasted which lead me to pick apart the service invoice.
Under service information the tire trd depths&pressure, post rotation trd for all four tires was listed the same (5). This lead us to believe that the rotation had been done, which it wasn't. Also, it listed under 'complimentary vehicle inspection' the tire pressure for all four tires to be 32 psi and the the tire tread depth for all four tires to be (6).
I am appalled at the blatent discrepancies on their service invoice, and am equally appalled with mario's blatent bold face lying and incompetence. In the process of filing a dispute with pepboys regarding the unsatisfactory service to our vehicle and and the complete imcompetence of their service manager and his crew.,
I also intend to send a complaint to pepboys headquarters ceo, r. Odell michael as well as contact duncan hunter and turko files news station. Thank you for this opportunity. Froggie
I tried to help a friend get an oil change who suffers from slight brain damage due to a truck hitting him. Mr. Wes told me one price $ 35.00 for an oil change and then told my friend just under $70.00 dollars for the same oil change. When Mr. Wes found out my friend owned the truck he refused at first to return my own keys ( I have my friend's spare key on my key chain to help him with shopping and things like getting his truck repaired). When I said no to the $70.00 oil change Mr. Wes told me to leave the store and that I was interfearing with his sale. He told my friend he could stay and get the $70.00 oil change the same one he told me was $ 35.00. It is outrages for a person and a company to try to take advantage of any disable person and it is very sad. It was the first and LAST time either of us will go into any Pep Boys. I am not sure how Mr. Wes sleeps at night taking advantage of people like that who clearly have issues and need help. I highly suggest no one use Pep Boys for anything...thank you.
Today I decided to visit Pep Boys service center to look into getting an alignment done along with some brake work. I have only used Pep Boys one other time, which was also for an alignment, so I figured I would give you all a try on other services! NOT HAPPY AT ALL!! I ended up being overcharged by $122 (Breakdown of charges below)
First, I want to mention that the quality of work seems fine, and seems just as good as the other shops I visit. WHAT I DON'T LIKE THOUGH ARE THE BOGUS CHARGES NO ONE MENTIONED UNTIL I CHECKED OUT!!
1.) Last time I had an alignment done, I wasn't charged a "Shop Fee" but this time I was. I don't mind paying shop fees but Firestone (Who I normally go to) mentions these up front. Pep Boys didn't mention this and didn't add it to the quote UNTIL THEY CHECKED ME OUT!!
2.) They charged me and installed an air filter I did not ask for! I don't even know why in the hell they where looking at my air filter. I came in for TIRE, BRAKE, and WHEEL WORK!! I specifically told them I would change the air filter myself. They mentioned that they just charge for the part and not labor. I still said I would change it myself.
I was charged $20.00 for the installation of an air filter that I didn't ask for.. I could have purchased a similar air filter in your store for $11.99?? Charged for either a premium filter I didn't need or again lied and they added labor into the filters cost!
http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9910586/00148 (One I found on YOUR SITE, same one I found in the store for $11.99)
I mentioned all this to them when I checked out and all they could offer me was 10% off the work and parts done! BUT THIS would also void my 15% off brake work coupon.. It basically just ended up washing out and didn't really save me anything!!! The 15% off brake coupon that I had would have saved more (Coupon Sku was 0988142)
Basically, I was charged $20.00 for an air filter replacement I didn't ask for and $35 for a shop fee they failed to mention (If they mentioned it, I would have been fine paying it). Not to mention that their 10% off coupon for these troubles VOIDED my 15% off brake work coupon!!
I had $424.98 in brake work done so 15 % off would have taken that down to $361.00
So I was over charged $67 for the brake work
Total over charge was
$67 + $35 + $20 = $122
You guys scammed me out of $122.00 and there was nothing the store would do!!
I will wait for a response from you guys but depending on the outcome I will probably be filing a complaint with the local BBB on the local store and the BBB on your corporations account. I will also be posting this same email online on complaint websites and the local pep boys google reviews..
The store transaction number is 015110510345220140806
I am grateful for the stores 10% off the transaction coupon which did save a little but it Voided my brake coupon and didn't even come CLOSE to covering the amounts I was overcharged!!!
Great first time experience at Pep Boys isn't it? I don't even know if you ALL COULD EVER rebuild my trust!
Lastly I was promised $60 in rebates via debit card and I only received $30
Where do I begin. Well 1st my son's car needed his coolant system repaired and that set him back about $900.
this included water pump, part, labor and something called shop ..which means we buy the mechanics lunch and shop rags... anyway.. go one week ahead,,car is leaking coollant AGAIN. call pep boys,,they say bring it in..and gee whiz its now the Coolant reservior...which is now gonna add another $350 on top..now the part is listed on the estimate for over $100. on the web site same part same part number is $60. called them on it.. and they gave some lame escuse that prices are different in the system. ok I dont play nice so I called corporate..they told me same thing..Kicker? No where on the web page at all does it say prices are different then in shop. sooo BBB got a letter,,you guys here at Ripoff report got a letter and everyone I know will here this story..facebook..tweets..sky writing.. also it is a tad weird that the entire coolant sysytem was supposenly fied..and another part goes 1 week later?
First I had to have a front end alignment done Three times I had to return to pep Boys to have it done and finally they got it right. I had brake work done First had new pads done and had to have a new calipoer put on the left side, took it home the brakes overheated and someked terribely . and also pulled to theleft. Took it back for the second time they changed the caliper and also one for the right side to include brake lines. It stilled pulled to the left and locked up So for a third time I tooke it back and they said they test drove it and everything was fine. WRONG it locks up on the left side specially in the rain. I had to finally take to A Dodge dealer to repair it .500.55 dollars later it is now repaired.
Signed up to make an appointment for a oil change on line. They recieved all my pertinent information. Made my appointment for 10AM, since their appointment page showed all times open for Saturday June 21, 2014. then at 9:15 recieved a call, Henry this is pep boys your appointment has been canceled, we overbooked today, thanks, then he just hanged up. I had a scheduled appointment with confirmation number and tracking number. No can we reschedule. And the coupon I was to use ends today. But couldn't find the coupon on their advertisement page online, after their e-mail said after booking the appointment a coupon for 16.99 will be available, but the only one was for 24.99. They receive all your info then drop your appointment.
I took my car to be serviced at the Pep Boys located at 6511 Foothill Blvd Tujunga,
CA 91042 earlier this week to change the spark plugs and get the coolant flushed, which was recommended. I did not have any problems with my car prior to bringing it in.
Today as I was driving to work, I saw steam coming out of my hood and I immediately looked at the dashboard and saw that the temperature gauge was already in the H area, red. I exited the freeway right away and parked and opened the hood and there was coolant everywhere. I called Pep Boys and spoke with Gus (the original person who helped me, and store manager) who told me to bring the car in and suggested I call AAA. I called the roadside assistance that I had but I was only covered for $75 so I would have to pay the rest.
When the car arrived at the shop, Gus was there and told me that they would inspect the car and if it turned out to be Pep Boys fault, they would take care of everything. He ended telling me that the hose was cracked and would need to be replaced and that that wasn't the fault of Pep Boys. How could that not have been their fault if my car's cooling system was fine before all of this? Plus they told me they supposedly inspected my car, so wouldn't they have found that hose in the beginning and we would have prevented this? I got my car taken there to prevent this from happening in the beginning. He offered to fix the upper hose for free but told me that I would need to fix for the lower hose out of pocket, which I couldn't do since I lost $300 of wages from missing work that day and had to pay a tow truck an extra $70. Comes to find out that Pep Boys has their own towing company which would have only cost me $30. This was never even mentioned to me by Gus and that was another thing that upset me as well.
When me and my husband were speaking with Gus, he mentioned how it was important to change the hoses when servicing a car for 100k miles..Well then why didn't he tell us when we did go there to service our car with the 100K package service? If we had known the hose should have been changed when they flushed the cooling system, then we would have changed it.
33 days ago, we purchased a used vehicle that had been inspected and approved by Pep Boys in Bel Air. I was unfamiliar with the 30 day deadline to make a complaint to MVA about a Maryland State Inspection provider. We took the car to get checked before going on a trip yesetrday (32 days after inspection). The total bill is $2200 and our mechanic said, had we come in 2 days earlier, it would have all been covered because Pep Boys missed all of it (either intentionally as the seller is a regular customer of theirs or not).
My 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport wouldn't start. I towed the car to Pep Boys (Buford, Ga.) 5/16 that night. The next morning 5/17 when they opened I described the problem and authorized them to make the diagnosis ($89).
Pep Boys mechanic came back and said "it's the A/C compressor locking the belt causing the car not to start." They recommended replacing the A/C compressor ($800+). I authorized the repair and left the store. I asked them to call me when it's ready.
I didn't hear back from them so I called (same day) asking for an update on my vehicle. They said "the problem wasn't the belt." but........... that "they would continue working on it to find the problem."
Well............ days later still no call back. 5/20..... I visited the store. They said we still hadn't found the problem. I asked for my car to be released so I can take it to the dealer a"factory trained mechanic" to help with my "no start probem." Pep Boys said in order for them to release my car that I would have to pay $945 for the A/C compressor (which had nothing to do with the "no start probem.'). I told them I don't want their compressor. "I want my car to start (which is what I asked them for initially).
5/20..... I called Pep Boys corporate office and gave them the story. The corporate office claimed the manager of that store has 48 hrs to resolve the issue(s). 48 hrs came and went I didn't hear from anyone.
5/23.......I visited the store and I called the police b/c Pep Boys wouldn't release my car. The police came (3 deep) but they said "it's not a police issue and they can't write a report. So they left.
Essentially, I have the exact same problem I had when I brought the car into Pep Boys.......just $945 lighter in the pocket. Pep Boys started replacing parts and charging me for the replacement and not having a clue what the problem is. I was forced to pay the $945 to have my car released and towed to the dealer which is where it is now. Broke and starting all over again.
10 months ago, this store replaced the AC compressor and some other AC parts, covered under our extended warranty for our 2007 Ford Freestyle. The experience was chaotic and unpleasant. When the AC broke down again a few weeks ago, we took the car to a quality mechanic, but our warranty company said the parts were covered by Pep Boys and we MUST take the car there.
This second experience was horrific, and today we learned had a life threatening consequence (I will get to that soon). First of all, the vehicle was ready a full day before anyone called to tell us. In addition, no one ever called to tell us if the side issue of the washer fluid motor was covered, they just fixed it and tried to charge us for the repair. Long story - shorter, after some loud complaining, there was no charge.
After a few days, the radiator light came on and when I opened the hood, I found that the "mechanic" never put the cap on, and he also left the caps off the AC fill nipples.I have a photo of how they left it. This issue was not enough to bring me back to the shop to complain, but things are different now. Shortly after getting the car back, we began experiencing a phantom acceleration when the AC was on, and also a sudden pull to the right upon acceleration. These two problems steadily grew worse until we felt the car was unsafe to drive. In fact, in one instance the pull was so sudden and hard it threw the car towards another car in the lane next to us and caused that car's driver to swerve into another car, causing an accident.
Today, we took the car to the shop where Andy, our ASE certified friend works, and here is what he told us by text (full conversation, exact words):
Andy "The reason it was pulling was because they left your ball joint loose on the right side."
Me, "Holy S***!"
Andy, "I took it around the block and just about s***! They are idiots over there."
Me, "yeah."
Andy, " Diane's car will be ready in about 10 minutes. They never did an idle re-learn on it."
Jay, "does that explain the reason it would lurch and sometimes die?"
Andy, "yeah, they clearly have no idea what they are doing."
This quality of service is not acceptable and put my family and others at serious risk of loss and injury. You need to work a lot harder to just achieve "acceptable" status in both mechanic service and customer service.
I brought 2 vehicles to Pepboys on seperate days in May, 2014. Both vehicles are less than 4 years old and are in good condition. To my surprise, on both days for both cars, I was quoted over $1,000 of required work to pass PA State inspection. I asked both times is it really required or could i get by till next year, I was clearly told no. I was told for one car that it need new rotors. The other vehicle, i was told I would need new rotors, pads, and a center motor mount. Took both vehicles for a second opinion and both passed inspection. Keep in mind, from 2 seperate well known businesses in the area. I mentioned to each dealership what I was quoted and they told me that everything was fine and that it was apparent that I was being pinched. I later spoke with a Charlie after I had come to this knowledge and as he was very apologetic and customer service oriented he took the complaint via the phone. Unfortunately, he did not ask for my contact information to follow up on corrections.
I was quoted a price of 139.95 than the next day 165.95 for front new rotters, pads and labor back same price made a 11:00 appointment the next day to find out it was a lie. New front and back over 480.00 dollars.
Never in the field of automotive customer service has anyone ever been so badly treated so many times by the same bunch of 'cartoon characters' as are employed by this branch ! I will trust my vehicle to the Marx brothers or the Muppets before I give you my business again ! Some would say it is my own fault for going back time and time again, others would say I must suffer from 'Stockholm Syndrome' whatever the reason, of my last four visits to this store, probably because of its proximity to my home, not once did I ever leave with anything but frustration, contempt and high blood pressure !
Well this time you 'boys' have pushed the limits of incompetence and deception too far. I hereby give notice; 'For the duration of my natural life and any in the Hereafter' none of my Personal or Company vehicles will EVER enter your premises again. May I suggest that you restructure your business plan and pursue a line of work that does not require any kind of customer service commitment or skills, better yet, one that has no interaction or dependency with any living thing !
Needless to say, having your Customer Service Representative ""reach out"" to ""put things right"" is futile, if you have found someone within your ranks capable of reading this message to you thus far, you should by now have realized that our relationship is permanently severed, over, finished ,through, WE ARE DONE !! ......Alex G. (Ford F150 4/27/14)
Pep Boys Reviews
I brought my truck to the Manchester PEP BOYS for a brake inspection and I received my truck back the next day and found that a few items were missing from my truck. Spoke with the manager Frank who claimed he reviewed the tapes and did not see any suspicious activity in the shop. Frank claimed that the items must have been stolen when the parked my truck outside the shop. So since there was no signs of a break in with my vehicle then they did not lock my truck up!! When I informed Frank of how poor the customer service was as well at his shop , he rudely asked me " Then why did you come to Pep Boys" ....... I would like to know how such an individual like Frank became a manager treating a customer in such an awful way? Customer service as well as the district manager won't call me back either. What an awful company ! How do they stay in business.
I went in to have my gear shift replaced after it broke in my hand while driving my Ford Explorer. I paid the bill and drove home. While filing the paperwork I checked what they replaced my car with. Saw installed new battery @ $188 + $55 labor. Went to my car, popped the hood and there was the same battery I replaced two years ago. All that nasty stuff was around the cables.
Being a really pissed off California Paralegal, I grabbed a business card and rolled back to Pep Boys. After advising them of all the charges I could file against them in Superior Court, they did refund my money. Since I was under extreme duress, the paper they had me write holding them harmless from any lawsuit against them. Wouldn't even be introduced by PepBoys since I was in duress when I signed it.
When I got home I went into my Pep Boys file and looked at twenty years of maintenance from them. Total ripoff was just over $15,000.00 I am filings and asked for Punitive damages on top of the $15K, plus interest.
That was during the summer and when winter came, my heater now doesn't work. It's a rip off stupid women. Payback assholes.
We took our 2001 audi quatro a6 to pepboys for a simple oil change with free tire rotation and complimentary vehicle inspection. Using a coupon from that weeks periodicals hoping to save a few dollars...Doesn't always pay off. "you get what you pay for???"
Because we were missing one hub cap on the back left tire, we realized the tires had not been rotated and after a few days we smelled burning oil we decided to check the oil. The oil was two quarts low!! that's when we decided to take it back to pepboys to question why the service was not done correctly, or even according to the service invoice.
We questioned the service manager, mario salas, asking why the tires had not been rotated. The first thing he did was measure the tire tread of the front right tire. He said "it was pepboys policy not to rotate tires when most of the tread was on the back tires." He never measured the back tire tread). Then i asked him "don't you think it would have been proper for you Your employees) to let us know, as customers, that the tires were never rotated?" he answered "i really don't know".
Infuriated, i closed the car door before i said anything to embarass myself. Mario also stated that they would not give us the two quarts of oil that had been omitted from our oil change. I was flabergasted which lead me to pick apart the service invoice.
Under service information the tire trd depths&pressure, post rotation trd for all four tires was listed the same (5). This lead us to believe that the rotation had been done, which it wasn't. Also, it listed under 'complimentary vehicle inspection' the tire pressure for all four tires to be 32 psi and the the tire tread depth for all four tires to be (6).
I am appalled at the blatent discrepancies on their service invoice, and am equally appalled with mario's blatent bold face lying and incompetence. In the process of filing a dispute with pepboys regarding the unsatisfactory service to our vehicle and and the complete imcompetence of their service manager and his crew.,
I also intend to send a complaint to pepboys headquarters ceo, r. Odell michael as well as contact duncan hunter and turko files news station. Thank you for this opportunity. Froggie
Christine mitchell, lakeside, ca
I tried to help a friend get an oil change who suffers from slight brain damage due to a truck hitting him. Mr. Wes told me one price $ 35.00 for an oil change and then told my friend just under $70.00 dollars for the same oil change. When Mr. Wes found out my friend owned the truck he refused at first to return my own keys ( I have my friend's spare key on my key chain to help him with shopping and things like getting his truck repaired). When I said no to the $70.00 oil change Mr. Wes told me to leave the store and that I was interfearing with his sale. He told my friend he could stay and get the $70.00 oil change the same one he told me was $ 35.00. It is outrages for a person and a company to try to take advantage of any disable person and it is very sad. It was the first and LAST time either of us will go into any Pep Boys. I am not sure how Mr. Wes sleeps at night taking advantage of people like that who clearly have issues and need help. I highly suggest no one use Pep Boys for anything...thank you.
Today I decided to visit Pep Boys service center to look into getting an alignment done along with some brake work. I have only used Pep Boys one other time, which was also for an alignment, so I figured I would give you all a try on other services! NOT HAPPY AT ALL!! I ended up being overcharged by $122 (Breakdown of charges below)
First, I want to mention that the quality of work seems fine, and seems just as good as the other shops I visit. WHAT I DON'T LIKE THOUGH ARE THE BOGUS CHARGES NO ONE MENTIONED UNTIL I CHECKED OUT!!
1.) Last time I had an alignment done, I wasn't charged a "Shop Fee" but this time I was. I don't mind paying shop fees but Firestone (Who I normally go to) mentions these up front. Pep Boys didn't mention this and didn't add it to the quote UNTIL THEY CHECKED ME OUT!!
2.) They charged me and installed an air filter I did not ask for! I don't even know why in the hell they where looking at my air filter. I came in for TIRE, BRAKE, and WHEEL WORK!! I specifically told them I would change the air filter myself. They mentioned that they just charge for the part and not labor. I still said I would change it myself.
I was charged $20.00 for the installation of an air filter that I didn't ask for.. I could have purchased a similar air filter in your store for $11.99?? Charged for either a premium filter I didn't need or again lied and they added labor into the filters cost!
http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9910586/00148 (One I found on YOUR SITE, same one I found in the store for $11.99)
I mentioned all this to them when I checked out and all they could offer me was 10% off the work and parts done! BUT THIS would also void my 15% off brake work coupon.. It basically just ended up washing out and didn't really save me anything!!! The 15% off brake coupon that I had would have saved more (Coupon Sku was 0988142)
Basically, I was charged $20.00 for an air filter replacement I didn't ask for and $35 for a shop fee they failed to mention (If they mentioned it, I would have been fine paying it). Not to mention that their 10% off coupon for these troubles VOIDED my 15% off brake work coupon!!
I had $424.98 in brake work done so 15 % off would have taken that down to $361.00
So I was over charged $67 for the brake work
Total over charge was
$67 + $35 + $20 = $122
You guys scammed me out of $122.00 and there was nothing the store would do!!
I will wait for a response from you guys but depending on the outcome I will probably be filing a complaint with the local BBB on the local store and the BBB on your corporations account. I will also be posting this same email online on complaint websites and the local pep boys google reviews..
The store transaction number is 015110510345220140806
I am grateful for the stores 10% off the transaction coupon which did save a little but it Voided my brake coupon and didn't even come CLOSE to covering the amounts I was overcharged!!!
Great first time experience at Pep Boys isn't it? I don't even know if you ALL COULD EVER rebuild my trust!
Lastly I was promised $60 in rebates via debit card and I only received $30
Where do I begin. Well 1st my son's car needed his coolant system repaired and that set him back about $900.
this included water pump, part, labor and something called shop ..which means we buy the mechanics lunch and shop rags... anyway.. go one week ahead,,car is leaking coollant AGAIN. call pep boys,,they say bring it in..and gee whiz its now the Coolant reservior...which is now gonna add another $350 on top..now the part is listed on the estimate for over $100. on the web site same part same part number is $60. called them on it.. and they gave some lame escuse that prices are different in the system. ok I dont play nice so I called corporate..they told me same thing..Kicker? No where on the web page at all does it say prices are different then in shop. sooo BBB got a letter,,you guys here at Ripoff report got a letter and everyone I know will here this story..facebook..tweets..sky writing.. also it is a tad weird that the entire coolant sysytem was supposenly fied..and another part goes 1 week later?
First I had to have a front end alignment done Three times I had to return to pep Boys to have it done and finally they got it right. I had brake work done First had new pads done and had to have a new calipoer put on the left side, took it home the brakes overheated and someked terribely . and also pulled to theleft. Took it back for the second time they changed the caliper and also one for the right side to include brake lines. It stilled pulled to the left and locked up So for a third time I tooke it back and they said they test drove it and everything was fine. WRONG it locks up on the left side specially in the rain. I had to finally take to A Dodge dealer to repair it .500.55 dollars later it is now repaired.
Signed up to make an appointment for a oil change on line. They recieved all my pertinent information. Made my appointment for 10AM, since their appointment page showed all times open for Saturday June 21, 2014. then at 9:15 recieved a call, Henry this is pep boys your appointment has been canceled, we overbooked today, thanks, then he just hanged up. I had a scheduled appointment with confirmation number and tracking number. No can we reschedule. And the coupon I was to use ends today. But couldn't find the coupon on their advertisement page online, after their e-mail said after booking the appointment a coupon for 16.99 will be available, but the only one was for 24.99. They receive all your info then drop your appointment.
I took my car to be serviced at the Pep Boys located at 6511 Foothill Blvd Tujunga,
CA 91042 earlier this week to change the spark plugs and get the coolant flushed, which was recommended. I did not have any problems with my car prior to bringing it in.
Today as I was driving to work, I saw steam coming out of my hood and I immediately looked at the dashboard and saw that the temperature gauge was already in the H area, red. I exited the freeway right away and parked and opened the hood and there was coolant everywhere. I called Pep Boys and spoke with Gus (the original person who helped me, and store manager) who told me to bring the car in and suggested I call AAA. I called the roadside assistance that I had but I was only covered for $75 so I would have to pay the rest.
When the car arrived at the shop, Gus was there and told me that they would inspect the car and if it turned out to be Pep Boys fault, they would take care of everything. He ended telling me that the hose was cracked and would need to be replaced and that that wasn't the fault of Pep Boys. How could that not have been their fault if my car's cooling system was fine before all of this? Plus they told me they supposedly inspected my car, so wouldn't they have found that hose in the beginning and we would have prevented this? I got my car taken there to prevent this from happening in the beginning. He offered to fix the upper hose for free but told me that I would need to fix for the lower hose out of pocket, which I couldn't do since I lost $300 of wages from missing work that day and had to pay a tow truck an extra $70. Comes to find out that Pep Boys has their own towing company which would have only cost me $30. This was never even mentioned to me by Gus and that was another thing that upset me as well.
When me and my husband were speaking with Gus, he mentioned how it was important to change the hoses when servicing a car for 100k miles..Well then why didn't he tell us when we did go there to service our car with the 100K package service? If we had known the hose should have been changed when they flushed the cooling system, then we would have changed it.
33 days ago, we purchased a used vehicle that had been inspected and approved by Pep Boys in Bel Air. I was unfamiliar with the 30 day deadline to make a complaint to MVA about a Maryland State Inspection provider. We took the car to get checked before going on a trip yesetrday (32 days after inspection). The total bill is $2200 and our mechanic said, had we come in 2 days earlier, it would have all been covered because Pep Boys missed all of it (either intentionally as the seller is a regular customer of theirs or not).
My 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport wouldn't start. I towed the car to Pep Boys (Buford, Ga.) 5/16 that night. The next morning 5/17 when they opened I described the problem and authorized them to make the diagnosis ($89).
Pep Boys mechanic came back and said "it's the A/C compressor locking the belt causing the car not to start." They recommended replacing the A/C compressor ($800+). I authorized the repair and left the store. I asked them to call me when it's ready.
I didn't hear back from them so I called (same day) asking for an update on my vehicle. They said "the problem wasn't the belt." but........... that "they would continue working on it to find the problem."
Well............ days later still no call back. 5/20..... I visited the store. They said we still hadn't found the problem. I asked for my car to be released so I can take it to the dealer a"factory trained mechanic" to help with my "no start probem." Pep Boys said in order for them to release my car that I would have to pay $945 for the A/C compressor (which had nothing to do with the "no start probem.'). I told them I don't want their compressor. "I want my car to start (which is what I asked them for initially).
5/20..... I called Pep Boys corporate office and gave them the story. The corporate office claimed the manager of that store has 48 hrs to resolve the issue(s). 48 hrs came and went I didn't hear from anyone.
5/23.......I visited the store and I called the police b/c Pep Boys wouldn't release my car. The police came (3 deep) but they said "it's not a police issue and they can't write a report. So they left.
Essentially, I have the exact same problem I had when I brought the car into Pep Boys.......just $945 lighter in the pocket. Pep Boys started replacing parts and charging me for the replacement and not having a clue what the problem is. I was forced to pay the $945 to have my car released and towed to the dealer which is where it is now. Broke and starting all over again.
10 months ago, this store replaced the AC compressor and some other AC parts, covered under our extended warranty for our 2007 Ford Freestyle. The experience was chaotic and unpleasant. When the AC broke down again a few weeks ago, we took the car to a quality mechanic, but our warranty company said the parts were covered by Pep Boys and we MUST take the car there.
This second experience was horrific, and today we learned had a life threatening consequence (I will get to that soon). First of all, the vehicle was ready a full day before anyone called to tell us. In addition, no one ever called to tell us if the side issue of the washer fluid motor was covered, they just fixed it and tried to charge us for the repair. Long story - shorter, after some loud complaining, there was no charge.
After a few days, the radiator light came on and when I opened the hood, I found that the "mechanic" never put the cap on, and he also left the caps off the AC fill nipples.I have a photo of how they left it. This issue was not enough to bring me back to the shop to complain, but things are different now. Shortly after getting the car back, we began experiencing a phantom acceleration when the AC was on, and also a sudden pull to the right upon acceleration. These two problems steadily grew worse until we felt the car was unsafe to drive. In fact, in one instance the pull was so sudden and hard it threw the car towards another car in the lane next to us and caused that car's driver to swerve into another car, causing an accident.
Today, we took the car to the shop where Andy, our ASE certified friend works, and here is what he told us by text (full conversation, exact words):
Andy "The reason it was pulling was because they left your ball joint loose on the right side."
Me, "Holy S***!"
Andy, "I took it around the block and just about s***! They are idiots over there."
Me, "yeah."
Andy, " Diane's car will be ready in about 10 minutes. They never did an idle re-learn on it."
Jay, "does that explain the reason it would lurch and sometimes die?"
Andy, "yeah, they clearly have no idea what they are doing."
This quality of service is not acceptable and put my family and others at serious risk of loss and injury. You need to work a lot harder to just achieve "acceptable" status in both mechanic service and customer service.
I brought 2 vehicles to Pepboys on seperate days in May, 2014. Both vehicles are less than 4 years old and are in good condition. To my surprise, on both days for both cars, I was quoted over $1,000 of required work to pass PA State inspection. I asked both times is it really required or could i get by till next year, I was clearly told no. I was told for one car that it need new rotors. The other vehicle, i was told I would need new rotors, pads, and a center motor mount. Took both vehicles for a second opinion and both passed inspection. Keep in mind, from 2 seperate well known businesses in the area. I mentioned to each dealership what I was quoted and they told me that everything was fine and that it was apparent that I was being pinched. I later spoke with a Charlie after I had come to this knowledge and as he was very apologetic and customer service oriented he took the complaint via the phone. Unfortunately, he did not ask for my contact information to follow up on corrections.
I was quoted a price of 139.95 than the next day 165.95 for front new rotters, pads and labor back same price made a 11:00 appointment the next day to find out it was a lie. New front and back over 480.00 dollars.
Never in the field of automotive customer service has anyone ever been so badly treated so many times by the same bunch of 'cartoon characters' as are employed by this branch ! I will trust my vehicle to the Marx brothers or the Muppets before I give you my business again ! Some would say it is my own fault for going back time and time again, others would say I must suffer from 'Stockholm Syndrome' whatever the reason, of my last four visits to this store, probably because of its proximity to my home, not once did I ever leave with anything but frustration, contempt and high blood pressure !
Well this time you 'boys' have pushed the limits of incompetence and deception too far. I hereby give notice; 'For the duration of my natural life and any in the Hereafter' none of my Personal or Company vehicles will EVER enter your premises again. May I suggest that you restructure your business plan and pursue a line of work that does not require any kind of customer service commitment or skills, better yet, one that has no interaction or dependency with any living thing !
Needless to say, having your Customer Service Representative ""reach out"" to ""put things right"" is futile, if you have found someone within your ranks capable of reading this message to you thus far, you should by now have realized that our relationship is permanently severed, over, finished ,through, WE ARE DONE !! ......Alex G. (Ford F150 4/27/14)