Melissa writes:

I have a rental car from Enterprise in Manhattan. I rented the car on Sunday, August 17, in order to visit my parents in Rochester, NY and to have a necessary medical procedure performed there. After driving to Rochester, I noticed that the tire on the car had become dangerously low. I contacted my local branch on August 18 to see what could be done. I was told that I would have to go to a garage myself, wait for them to fix the tire and pay for it at my own expense. I did not have time for this, nor did I think the cost was my responsibility. I asked if I could simply receive a new car. Apparently, because Rochester and Manhattan are in two different "zones" they cannot switch the car without the Manhattan manager's approval. I called the Manhattan branch, where I was again told that I needed to fix the tire at my own time and expense. The evening of August 19, I called the Customer Service number and spoke to a representative, Drew. He said that because the Manhattan branch was closed, I could not switch out the car at that time.

Three days after arriving in Rochester, I was still in possession of a faulty car. Since I am only in the area about 5 days out of the year, my schedule was jam-packed, and I did not have time to go to a mechanic. Also, one of the reasons for not owning a car is that I did not want to have to deal with car repairs. This morning, August 20, I underwent a medical procedure requiring anesthesia. Because of the medication I was given, I am not permitted to drive for 24 hours. After arriving home (I was driven by my mom in her vehicle), I decided to call Enterprise again to try to get the problem resolved. I spoke to Barb, who connected me with roadside assistance. A representative from AAA was sent out at approximately 2pm. He inspected the tire and determined that it was unrepairable and replaced it with the spare. However, the spare is only a temporary "donut" and so cannot be driven 400 miles at highway speeds to Manhattan.

I again called Enterprise customer service at 2:45pm on August 20. I explained the situation, and was connected to what I believe was the Manhattan office, though I was never told. However, as I was trying to explain that I could not drive to another branch because of the anesthesia, the representative became confused and hung up on me. I called customer service again, and was again disconnected. On the third try of the hour, I was finally connected to a very helpful individual, whose name I believe was David. I explained the situation for what felt like the millionth time, and he tried to work out a solution. I was told to go to a branch 12 miles from my parents' house and I would receive a new car. However, after explaining again that I could not legally drive until Thursday, I requested that Enterprise "pick me up" as they advertise on TV. He said that the distance was too long, to which I replied that there was a closer branch. I was told that my mother, who was not authorized to drive the car, could drive to the closest branch without an issue, and they would give me a new car. However, after arriving at the Brockport branch I was told that I could not get a new car and that I would have to go to a service station and have the car repaired. I explained that I did not have time for that, and that another branch with an available car should bring that vehicle to my location. This request was refused. The only other option I was given was to drive to the other, larger location tomorrow and hope they give me another car.

I do not own a car, in large part because I do not want to deal with the hassles of owning a car. I rented a car so that I could drive between Manhattan and Rochester and also so that I would not need to borrow my parents' car while in Rochester, since I have a busy schedule and they work. I have already spent three days calling different representatives and waiting for a mechanic to change the tire. Unfortunately, since the problem was not resolved sooner, an Enterprise representative would need to deliver a new car to me because of my medical situation today. However, this is not merely an issue of poor customer service, it is also an issue of safety. The mechanic determined that the car was unsafe to drive back to Manhattan. It is possible that the problem could be resolved by getting a new tire, however, I do not believe it is the customer's responsibility to take time out of their vacation to repair a car that was faulty to begin with. I am shocked that such a large company has such a dysfunctional rental car system, especially a rental company that prides itself on customer service and "picking up" the customer.

I am extremely dissatisfied with the level of service that I have received. I am struggling to understand why it is so difficult for a rental car company to swap out a customer's broken rental car. Unless this matter is resolved to my satisfaction before I return to Manhattan, I do not intend to rent from Enterprise in the future.

Your time and safety shouldn't fall prey to Enterprise's bureaucratic incompetence. Try using Enterprise's email format to reach higher-ups who can order their subordinates to respect common sense and replace the busted rental.

(AP Photo/James A. Finley)

RepairPal [Official Site]

I am Writing from Austin, TX. My car goes into the repair shop for a blowout; comes out with over $2500 worth of physical damage that happened at:
 
Caliber Collision Center
12322 Highway 620
Austin, Tx 78750
 
Back story:
 
I work 3 jobs, Tech Support for a Networking Company, in the National Guard for 4 years, and also as a Circuit City Firedog Car Installer. So I should know about cars, if I didn't I would be causing damage to vehicles, and I would be negligent for damage. It took me 1 deployment just to buy my car, and 1 repair company to help destroy it.
 
I had a blowout on 23 March 2008 on Easter. I had my car towed to be repaired; this is what happened at the repair shop
 
I forcefully received my vehicle on 11 April 2008, and after a close inspection, I saw that the Body shop had hit my car.
 
On 11 April 2008 I received a call from the repair facility. Bill King stated that they had lifted up the vehicle and had noted "very serious suspension damage" and that "there is absolutely no way this vehicle is drivable." So later that evening after I got off work at 7pm I go to their repair facility to find that their shop gate is wide open, and my vehicle is unlocked. Under Duty of care I know that if anything happens to my vehicle that they are held liable. I mean who would leave a 33k car unlocked and open.
 
I was able to take photos of the vehicles underbody to send to my insurance company and leave that night, knowing that there indeed is not any damage, and that they are forcing me to pay out of pocket for all this. Friday morning rolls around, I talk to the great Bill King my adjuster, and I mean scammer. He once again tells me all the extensive damage to the suspension and that there is absolutely no way that this vehicle will roll. I calmly state that in the state of Texas, I have the right to take my vehicle to any repair shop of my choice. 5 minutes later the Center Manager Jason Fohn approaches me, I once again state I want my vehicle now. He drives the vehicle up. I say "Wow its amazing, the vehicle is drivable." And I am off to NTB for my free alignment. 3 hours later at NTB the employee and I both walk the underbody and see that there is minor superficial damage, no damage that would affect operation of the vehicle.
 
Later that Day I wash the vehicle, which is when I see that Caliber Collision had hit the Vehicle from behind. I call up USAA and they say that is another Comprehensive Claim. Great 2 Comprehensive claims in a month, now my premiums will be as much as my mortgage. I call Caliber Collision and tell them that they struck my vehicle causing $2500 worth of damage. They Deny Deny Deny, until they see the damage from the before and after photos of the vehicle. But they deny the $1200 worth of damage to my Car Audio. The vandals had successfully punched a hole in 1 Sub and the other one was removed; now neither are working.
 
Center Manager Jason Fohn's Analogy Response: "We can't cover you car audio, that's like a restaurant being held liable for a break in their parking lot." Are you serious? Did you fail English? Anyone can see through this argument, Analogies are supposed to relate to one another. Why would a restaurant have possession of my car and leave it unlocked? If a Restaurant had possession of my vehicle, left it unlocked, and it was broken into, they would have to cover it, it's called negligence.
 
Now I am forced to pay my deductible x2, use my insurance, and pay higher premiums, all over someone else's stupidity.

I've been an avid reader of Consumerist for quite some time. Reading the good/bad experiences other readers had and the shortcomings of some companies is an eye opener. Unfortunately, my recent experience at a nearby Sears Automotive Department is worth mentioning. I've noticed my car would pull to the left while driving on a straight road. My initial thought was to get the wheels aligned. I decided to have it done at Sears.

I walked in on Saturday January 19th and explained the problem I was experiencing with my car. The gentleman at the front desk agreed that an alignment should be done. He took my information, as well as the cars information and verified with the mechanic because he said some BMW's (I drive a '95 525i) are more difficult to align then others. I drove my car into the garage and parked it from the third space from the far left. It was 10:30AM and I was told it would take approximately an hour to complete.

I ended up walking around the store looking at BBQ sets (by the way they are on sale!), tools, clothes, etc... and by 11:25AM I walked back to the automotive section. There's a small waiting area with several windows allowing the customers to see their cars and mechanics. I noticed my car was parked in the same place where I originally parked. Thinking it was done I asked the gentleman at the front desk about my car. He said they were still working on it and would call my cell phone when they were ready.

I again walked aimlessly through the store and 15 minutes later I received a call from the automotive department. They stated I needed a new part costing $487 with labor. I asked if they did the alignment (my original request) and was told they did. I declined to have the part replaced and walked back to pay. The work order was filled out by the mechanic and gave them my credit card to pay. I then requested for a print out of my alignment. I was curious to know where and how far my alignment was off.

The front desk gentleman walked back to get the print out, but walked back out with the manager. I was told they did not do the alignment and voided my invoice. They canceled the charge and apologized for the mix up. If I had not requested the print out they would have charged me for a service they did not do and I would still be frustrated with my car. What I learned? I'm never going back to Sears and always ask for documentation detailing the service they performed and if possible the old/broken part.

Regards,
Jarome

Call your smartest friends and ask if they can recommend someone and then check with the BBB to see whether the shop has any complaints on file.

Do you have any tips for finding a good mechanic?

Dollar/Thrifty Group has an "unwritten/kinda-written" mandate that each mechanic who is employed by a store must earn at least $5.25 per car in warranty claims per month. This means that even if a car isn't in need of any repairs, the company is forcing the mechanic to "find" something wrong with it. Each of the other rental car companies apparently have similar requirements. Basically they have a corporate mandate to stick it to the big three...

More, inside...

I have been around the automotive repair industry for many years and there are a few things that are pretty much a given when you take your car into a dealer for work. The mechanic will always repair your warranty related issue, but more times than not, he will "find" some other problem that was covered under warranty. Sometimes the problem is legitimate, other times it's not. Warranty "finds" are then billed back to the manufacturer for reimbursement. The problem arises though, when many times, the warranty repair is claimed, a part is ordered, but the work never happened. The mechanic gets to charge more billable hours and earn more pay. This is pretty much standard operating procedure in the industry. It really doesn't hurt the consumer directly, but I'm sure that through a trickle down effect from the factory, they feel the financial pinch somewhere down the line.

Now each of the mechanics is working on commission, and any decision concerning a warranty "find" is generally left to the discretion and conscience of the mechanic. Some play by the book, others push the limits, and yet others blatantly cross the line. But it's always a personal decision by each mechanic. There is (as far as I have heard) no overriding directive from upper management to "find" warranty issues. When asked about that by mechanics who are in the know, the response has been "Wouldn't that be illegal?"

Now on the other side of things we come to the Dollar/Thrifty Group. Like many rental car companies such as Hertz (Ford), DTG has special dealer like relationships with manufacturers (Daimler/Chrysler) where they are classified as dealerships and the staff at their individual stores is approved to perform work on their fleet of cars. This gives them the privilege of being able to claim warranty repairs directly back to the manufacturer rather than taking the car to a standard classic authorized dealer. Depending on the staffing level of each store they choose what level of repair can be performed in-house and what must be sent away to a dealer. Some just do minor repairs, others do full engine rebuilds. Recently, DTG has seen the warranty work as a profit center, and has sent "unwritten/written" mandates that each store must pull in a certain dollar amount per car in warranty repairs. The numbers we had heard were about $5.00+ per car. Some stores have small fleets, others have large fleets of 1500+ cars. What this has done is force the employee's to "find" problems with the cars. If the cars don't have problems, the employees are still required to "find" something to make their quota or risk being written up in reviews with the possibility of losing their job for under performing. This corporate policy forces employees to lie and borders on or goes way beyond fraud.

The mandate isn't actually written into any job descriptions, but it does show up in emails passed back and forth from high up to down below, and in performance reviews that are documented.

The thing that sticks in my craw, is when management is asked if they want the mechanic to "make stuff up" they say absolutely not, but by forcing a quota for earnings from warranty work on vehicles that may or may not have problems is essentially forcing them to "make stuff up".

I would imagine that this tactic is use by other corporate entities around the work to boost profits, but I would like to think they they could be a little smarter about how they went about it.

Like the man says, somewhere down the line this alleged practice might trickle down to the consumers, like in the form of higher car prices. — BEN POPKEN

Whistleblower's Anonymous is a program where employees can report to The Consumerist questionable practices within their industry. All reports will remain strictly confidential. Send yours to tips@consumerist.com.

What bugs dealers and consumer advocates is that the tangle of state laws makes it possible to move a vehicle across state lines and apply for a "clean" title that makes no mention of its checkered past. The fact that some states don't even require salvage titles stretches the loophole even wider.

Driving through loopholes [LA Times]
(Photo: fatal Cleopatra)

Mr.Williams has filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, Chevrolet, and now he's taking it to the internet. We think he probably needs to hire a lawyer, but he's reluctant to do so. In a case like this, a lawyer can be very helpful, and the cost of the lawyer can be paid by the party at fault. You'll get a better settlement with a lawyer than without one. God knows their lawyer won't want this to go to trial. What do you guys think? Lawyer? Or should Mr. Williams try to go it alone? Any lawyers out there want to help him?—MEGHANN MARCO

San Rafael Chevrolet wrecked my new vette and won't replace it or pay for lost value. [Corvette Forum]

UPDATE: Guy Gets Replacement Vette
CORRECTION: Legal fees can not be recovered in California. (Thanks, bluegus32!)

Jiffy Lube is now running an ad asking customers to give them a second chance.

In response to the hidden-camera reports Jiffy Lube fired eighteen people involved in the cheating, including a district manager and several store managers.

Jiffy Lube announced it will be starting a nationwide mystery shopper campaign to root out criminals working in their auto shops.

However, several customers wrote to the president of Jiffy Lube and asked for refunds. They say they haven't heard a thing back.

"It just shows that they don't really care about the customers," says an aggrieved customer in the video. — BEN POPKEN

Previously: Jiffy Lube Scam Revealed (Again)

This is from an email a business reseller sent around, advertising an auto repair facility for sale. It describes the current employees and their compensation.

Auto Tech @42% commission employed 6 years
Auto/Smog Tech 38% commission employed 18 months
Auto Tech @40% commission employed 12 months
Auto Tech @35% employed 12 months
Auto/Smog Tech @35% commission employed 2 months

Forty-two percent comish? We're in the wrong biz.

Are there any auto repair places that pay their mechanics on a flat rate? That's where we would take our car, if we had one.

(Thanks to Brian!)

The first comes from J.N. who found that her simple oil change by Jiffy Lube resulted in a busted, dented, leaky oil pan. Jiffy Lube says the car was fine when she left; J.N. didn't hit anything with her car since. She thinks they busted it, but we'll suggest another possibility: that problem was pre-existing, but Jiffy Lube never bothered to actually change or check your oil. It ain't like they don't got the history of charging for work they didn't do.

The second email comes from Joshua K. Jiffy Lube not only attempted to hard sell him on numerous extraneous "repairs" (like a slightly off-white air filter with a twig stuck in it) but then proceeded to bust his CD player.

Both emails after the jump:

A few days ago, my "Check Engine" light came on. I realized I was way overdue for an oil change, so I hopped over to the local Jiffy Lube (which I've used several times in the last year and a half or so) while running errands. I had them change the oil and was told that I would need to see a dealer/mechanic about the sensor thing.

Today, I took it into a shop that gets great word of mouth. They told me that my throttle sensor was failing (which makes sense; starting and idling/trying to roll slowly in traffic have been really odd lately), but they also asked me something strange.

"Have you hit anything lately? Rolled over a curb, hit a median?"

Um, no. Why?

Apparently my oil pan is bent and the tube used to change oil doesn't seal anymore. I've got a leak. The combined cost to fix (includes another oil change, too) is just over $400. I called Jiffy Lube and of course they say my car was fine when I left them.

I know for a fact that I haven't hit anything lately. You remember stuff like that. Sure, I've been parking on the street lately... but I doubt vandals could have done this sort of damage.

Ultimately... because it's nothing I can prove, and because I'm just a clueless chick with a car, I get to clean up the mess.

Needless to say, Jiffy Lube has definitely lost a regular customer.

From Josua K.

My wife's car was in need of an inspection and an oil change. Normally, I would have taken the car to the local Saturn Dealership that has always provided excellent service. However, my wife had a coupon for the local Jiffy Lube on oil changes. I normally wouldn't go there but as our financial situation is very tight right now, a $7.00 discount would make things a little easier.

It was a mistake from the beginning. Right from the beginning, they tried to tell me the car's odometer was wrong, indicating it had to have been at least 100,000 miles higher than it was. The first sales pitch came with offering higher grade oil. I always get the mid-grade oil for the car and accepted this "pitch". But things got worse. They tried to next sell me replacement wipers, wipers that work perfectly and were replaced within the last year. I declined the offer and tried to send a clear message I wasn't looking for anything extra.

After getting through the sales pitches, I went and waited for an hour in the waiting room trying not to listen to CNN News. A mechanic comes in with the car's air filter. The air filter had a dry leave and a twig in it and was a very light grey. I expected as much as the filter was replaced only four months before. They try to sell me on a replacement air filter. I tell them again, I'm not interested. Another fifteen minutes pass and I get the car back.

Now, my previous experience is that anytime you take a car in for service, they always shut it off anyway. So in advance, I turned off the car radio. After I finally have regained control of the vehicle, I leave. Instead of turning the CD player back on, I decide instead to listen to the radio. It was only that evening that my wife discovers that the CD player is refusing to read any CDs.

It was working a minute prior to the inspection/oil change and the next time it is used, the CD player is dead, refusing to read any CDs. We are going to be taking the car in Thursday to the Saturn Dealership to get the car fixed but it is likely going to cost us money we don't have. What I would really like to know, is what recourse do I have regarding the CD player?

None, we'd guess. You can't prove it... and, without taking Jiffy Lube's history into account, it could well be a coincidence. Our readers might beg to differ, though.

In response to the undercover report, Jiffy Lube fired mechanics, installed video cameras in their repair shops so you can watch the work and shut down for a few days for retraining.

"Lesson one: Do what you say at the rate you said you would."

"Jiffy Lube Reacts To Hidden Camera Report" [NBC4] (Thanks to Ben!)

I'm driving down the street in Los Angeles when I hear a large cracking sound and a scraping noise...

Read the story after the jump. What should Karmen have done at this mechanic's shop instead of paying five times what she thought the job should have cost?

For starters, junk that lame boyfriend whose idea of helping is to explain to the mechanic, "how irrational women can be."

No points in his corner, either, for signing the overpriced estimate in the first place. What's a man good for if not playing swords with other men? Not saying that you can't, Karmen, it's just funny to watch...

"Dear Ben,

I'm driving down the street in Los Angeles when I hear a large cracking sound and a scraping noise. I pull over and low and behold, my bumper has fallen off. After a kind man stopped and helped me load the bumper into the front seat of my car, and I headed off to dinner (the valet driver was a bit surprised to find the bumper in the front seat....but I digress). A few weeks later, my boyfriend drove around to a couple mechanic shops in my area to price the job. He received a $300 estimate from a shop and, not knowing anything about car repairs, it sounded like a reasonable price to me. My boyfriend signed the estimate, authorizing the repairs to be done in the amount of $300.

When I dropped my car off the next morning, I asked the mechanic when he expected my car to be done, and told him that I would appreciate it if he could fix it as quickly as possible since I needed to get to work. He said it would be finished in an hour and sure enough, when I returned an hour later, my bumper was reattached and someone was kindly washing the outside of my car. Wonderful service I thought. But here's the kicker. I saw the mechanic's rates, $40/hr, which was posted on a large sign. Lets do the math: $40 (one hour of labor) + $20 (parts consisting of a few wires) = $60.

When I asked the mechanic why I should pay $300 when he only spent one hour on the job, he told me that when I signed the estimate, I agreed to pay that amount. Bullshit. When you sign an estimate, you authorize work up to that amount. The custom is that if the work is going to cost in excess of the estimate, the mechanic should call you to get authorization for the additional work or risk having you dispute the bill. I explained this to the mechanic but he continued to insist that I agreed to pay $300 when I signed the estimate. He then told me that he had two mechanics working on the car and that it was a rush job. I pointed out to him that two mechanics at $40/hr plus parts would total $100. He then had the audacity to say that no mechanic would have agreed to take the job for this amount of money because it wasn't worth their time. Mind you, this was a small rinky dink place and there were no other customers the entire time I was there. There were, however, several guys sitting around cooling their heals. I pointed out to him that it's not like my small job kept them from taking other jobs more lucrative jobs (although frankly, if $40/hr is their rate, I'm not sure how another job could be more lucrative unless they make money off selling large parts or something).

I get my boyfriend on the phone and start screaming into the phone telling him the situation (he was the one that signed the estimate after all). I'm hoping that the irate female tactic will do the trick. My boyfriend talks to the mechanic, and from what I can tell, my boyfriend explains to the mechanic about how irrational women can be, tells him not to worry about it, and then tell me to pay the $300!! God that pissed me off (he is now an ex-boyfriend I might add....but I digress again). Anyway, just wanting to leave and get to work, shamefully, I paid the fricking bill. Not one of my finer consumer moments. I did tell the mechanic that his books better be clean because I may report him to the IRS for tax evasion (he only accepted cash which I thought was suspicious). The fear in his eyes was at least some payback.

Love your blog.

Karmen"

The bill has opponents, like David Pardre of Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE): "Consumers will lose money, they will lose convenience, they will lose their freedom of choice in where to take their cars for repair; and they will lose the most important thing, which is the feeling of ownership."

Proprietary systems are a pain, but we would tend to trust a manufacturer to repair our car than an auto mechanic. Let's face it: fair pricing and good service in the auto repair industry isn't anything we need to preserve, because it doesn't fucking exist. Might as well put leprechauns on the Endangered Species list.

Congress Considers "Right to Repair" Bill [Consumer Affairs]

On March 28th, we posted a story about a senior citizen who felt she was getting ripped off for car inspections in Humble, Texas.

Today, a Texas government worker came across the story and offers up some very salient tips and courses of action for Margaret, as well as links to the Texas Transportation Code.

We were duly impressed...

Mandy writes:

"I ran across your story about the Humble, TX mechanic debacle and I would like to add a little information. Humble is in a non-attainment county, which means that they are subject to emissions testing fees in addition to the $12.50 inspection fee. For a listing of Texas non-attainment counties and a station locater go to [here].

For the requirements of the steering portion of the inspection go to [here].

In addition, she needs to go to a mechanic and have them put in writing that the power steering system is not leaking, and have more than one do it too. It is just as illegal to report a false inspection as it is to drive around in a car that would not pass an inspection. Every DPS office has inspection personnel that monitor the stations that do
inspections and distribute the inspection stickers. By law, they must investigate complaints on inspection stations. ...[As] Chapter 548 of the Texas Transportation Code [says]...

In addition, when you have an inspection and fail, the station DOES NOT charge you for the inspection. They give you a fail slip and put a big black X on the back of your current sticker. (That's for the regular safety inspection, I'm not sure if they refund the emissions fee.)"

Thank you, Compliance Assistance Specialist for the TCEQ Small Business and Local Government Assistance Office of Texas!

We're not talking one of those fun ones with ponies and streamers, either.

The basic gist is that she got widely varying inspection estimates from three different auto shops.

Anyone know a good, honest mechanic in Humble, Texas?

She writes:

"Took my car to "My Mechanic" 7432 1960 east, Humble Tx for an inspection, he failed it because he said the power steering pump was leaking, gave me an estimate $310.00 plus tax, took it for a second opinion to A&J Automotive also on 1960 east, they said there was no leak; So I took it to Kwik Kar lube and Tune, also on 1960 east, they did an inspection and the car passed with flying colors they said there was nothing wrong with the power steering pump; Went back to "My Mechanic" and confronted him, he accused the second opinion of wiping off the pump to make it look good, I told him he should refund my 39.50 he charged me, he refused.

My next call was to the Texas Dept of Public Safety, I am currently waiting for them to call me back. To date I have spent $79.00 to have my vehicle inspected; This is outrageous, I am a Senior citizen on a fixed income.

-Margaret Lloyd"

Let me first say I am a fan of your site - I find the postings both informative and interesting.

Your call for anecdotes inspired me to write about a bad experience I had with Redi-Lube - an oil change company based out of Worcester, MA.

In August 2005 I brought my car to them for an oil change. Several weeks later, I broke down on the side of the highway. When inspected by my mechanic I was informed the engine was dry - completely void of oil. I confronted Redi-Lube and they conceded it had been an employee error in replacing the oil filter. They offered to replace my engine with a used engine, however they would not allow me to use my own mechanic. I was fairly happy with the results... Redi-Lube even fixed an exhuast problem I was having with the vehicle free of charge as a "show of good faith." The owner also gave me a 6 month/6000 mile warranty on the work. I was told that I would receive the warranty in the mail. I never did.

Then a few weeks later the check engine light came on in my vehicle. I brought the vehicle back to Redi-Lube. No one contacted me for a week. I finally called and was told that my catalytic converter was the cause of the check engine light, but that was not covered under warranty. When I talked to my mechanic, he told me that the specific part of the catalytic converter malfunctioning was attached to the replacement engine Redi-Lube had put in, but this would be difficult to prove. At this point I wrote a letter to the owner of Redi-Lube and explained the situation.

The owner insisted that he had taken off the catalytic converter from my old engine and put it on the replacement engine, although he failed to mention it to me at the time. He was nasty on the phone, saying he was hurt by my letter because he had tried to be fair throughout this process. In the end he offered to pay for the parts necessary to fix the problem, but I would have to pay for labor. Considering this was an $800 job and I would only have to pay for $200 I agreed. Now, 7 months later and well beyond the mileage covered by warranty, I find out that the wiring done when they replaced the engine is wrong causing two fans to come on when the engine starts, which drains power from the engine. My mechanic said it could cost up to $400 to find the wiring problem and fix it. Now I wonder if I should take Redi-Lube to small claims court for reimbursement.

Any thoughts? Thanks for the time to rant.