Blind 'Too

I found this forum because the shop I've taken my truck to is mentioned here. I don't want to mention the shop just yet, but wanted to see what your thoughts were first and see if you'd be as bothered as I am.

I've been to this particular shop about 4 times. The first time was to find a problem that my 93 pickup has, but they weren't able to find it and they didn't charge me - which I thought was incredible. The people (and owner) are very nice people, so it's difficult to say anything bad about them. But...I also asked them to change the oil that visit, which they did, and the next day I had an oil leak in my driveway. I crawled under my truck and the drain plug could be turned by hand. I got a wrench and tightened it and no more leaks. This bugs me because I drive over 125 miles a day and who knows if or when this thing could have fallen out while I'm driving at 70 mph on the freeway. I told the owner, and he apologized and thanked me for telling him.

The next time I came in, I asked for a front end alignment. My previous alignment was over 15k miles ago, and it was needed. They did the alignment, and after I left with my truck I noticed that it pulled pretty hard to the right, and the steering wheel was cocked quite a bit. I was wondering if they had bothered to test drive it because it was very obvious. I scheduled to bring it back a few dyas later on a Saturday, and I was told it was out of specs, and corrected. How could it be out of specs when it was just aligned? Again, the owner apologized and told me it should be okay.

I took my truck in to check out a noise, and it turned out to be the timing chain guide (22RE). I had a timing kit and they said they would install it, and I paid a hefty price for it…still have the sticker shock. They told me that I needed a distributor cap and rotor. I found that odd, because when I brought it in for the first visit they had been working around the plug wires, changed plugs, etc., to find a difficult start problem. I would have thought cap and rotor would be one place they looked, but apparently not. When I did get my truck home I popped the hood and noticed a couple bolts missing, a clip that held vacuum lines was gone, and the two battery terminal covers were gone (they had disconnected the battery).

Then the one that hit me hard: driving home from work the other day my truck developed a problem. When I hit my brakes, the truck pulled hard to the right, I heard a loud "clunk" and the right front dipped violently. Even during light breaking the right front dipped and when I let off the brakes it raised back up. It was like driving through a pot hole. I pulled off the road and checked things out and found nothing obvious. I continued on since it was a Friday at 4:45 and I was still about 40 miles from home…and it drove okay as long as my foot was off the brake. When I got home, I removed the front wheel and inspected the suspension and found that one of the bolts attaching the control arm shaft was backed out and the shims were gone. It appeared that they didn’t tighten the bolt down enough and it worked it's way loose.

This bothered me a lot…I've had the truck for over 4 years and have had it lowered and then raised and then lifted and have never had any problems with parts falling off the suspension even when I did a little off roading. But this time I have only been on the road, mostly freeway, and the suspension starts falling apart a month after the alignment.

Not a happy camper…I won't go back to them, but find it very disappointing that I've left a message to call me and so far not one call. How bothered would you be?

shiftless89

sounds like very shoddy work.. they forgot to tighten the bolts! good thing the control arm didn't come off! Post the name here so we can avoid it like the plague!. Making something right one time for an error by them, ok . 3 times is 3 strikes they are out!

One More Time

Wow. It seems to me that you have given them plenty of chances. I would be very upset at your current situation. Considering the amount of driving you do, they have placed your life in danger.

If the shop is mentioned here, I think you did the right thing by also posting it here. Not only to make others aware, but also to give that shop (if they post here) a chance to explain and maybe fix the issues.

bamachem

you need to list the name of the shop. if they are active on this board, then they need to explain why they think this is acceptable and what they plan to do to ensure that these things don't continue to happen.

rowdy4runnin

yes do post the name. shiftless is right. one or two mistakes is Ok but three is just a horrible mechanic or he is trying to sabotage the truck because he is jealous. (lol just kidding) but yeah id be really pissed off

lee

id be very pissed off... but id bring it back to them to fix for free, then give them no more business.

89macrunner

i contact thebetter buisness bureau and file a complaint to the company..even before that thretan that to them and maybe they will do it right and just let you go..

ive had to do this before because of a computer part problem..this is defintly more major and invovles someones safety

JimmyK

Are you kidding? I would be livid, I dont know about the rest of you fellas, but taking a few hours off of work, finding a ride etc is very time consuming and a pain. To be forced to do it 3 or 4 times in a short period of time is just nutz, let alone the fact that you could have SERIOUSLY hurt yourself and other motorists.

Blind 'Too

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yeah, I wasn't very happy at all and it is very inconvenient for me to take my truck to them. I live about 15 miles form them (where they don't do shuttle service) and work an hour from them. So having to take it back for this alignment means either more vacation time off work and wandering around the area for a couple hours til theiy're done...or take a chance that they are going to work Saturday.

Either way...I just don't think I want to give them the opportunity to screw up again. I've asked that they either pay for my alignment elsewhere, or refund the money I spent on the alignment at their shop.

Sorry if this offends anyone...but it was Inland Trucks in Murrieta, Ca. Like I mentioned...Dalon seems like a great guy, but this is not my idea of a reliable dealership alternative.

Fortunately, for me, I had some old alignment shims in a box and put them in place until I can get to another shop. Otherwise...I'd be off work again getting their repairs repaired.

Thanks,
-Michael

rimpainter.com

Do you have documentation regarding each of these problems? For example, each time you brought it in to be re-fixed, did they put an accurate description on the invoice? Or are we talking about one of those "just pull it around and we'll fix you up" deals?

If you have documentation, you have more than enough ammo to take this to the BBB and if things are not made right (money refunded, etc) then you have every right to go to a TV station that does investigative consumer reporting. They would eat this up.

Keep us posted. I would be pretty pissed about the things you have mentioned thus far.

Blind 'Too

For the loose drain plug, it was just a phone call, but the owner is well aware of it. For the alignment: it was invoiced originally and then the re-check was invoiced as well, so I do have that documentation.

When I found the problem Friday night, I called my neighbor over to "witness" it as he was there when I got home. Then I took a couple pictures and emailed them to the shop owner. I haven't been able to check my email until I get home from work today, but still...you'd think he would call. I do realize that it's been about four weeks since the alignment...but my truck has only been on the road and it's only been in their shop since then.

I honestly don't think there's foul play here or bad intentions...just shoddy work and since I wasn't in an accident or anything I guess that's why I'm not getting in their face about it. I don't like living under the confines of "what if...", but these situations do tend to make me visit there a little. I guess I'm going to have to call them since they don't feel it's important enough to call me back.

Thanks for the input...
-Michael

rimpainter.com

You should send him the link to this thread. That would really make things interesting...

Blind 'Too

Welp...I, once again, gave them the benefit of the doubt thinking they didn't call because they had possibly replied to the detailed email I sent them outlined my disappointment with the work they've done. So when I got home I checked and they didn't bother to reply. You'd think that they would be concerned that they're leaving bolts loose and losing parts. I guess not.

I know there are probably a few here that have been satisfied with Inland Trucks...but this is beyond personal opinion. They flat out screwed up... and didn't even bother to respond to me about it.

What a joke, there's no excuse for it since I wasn't given the liberty to take my sweet time to pay them for the work...or ignore them altogether when they showed me the invoice!

toyguy1986

Not at all, but I would not have gone back to them after the first time!

Blind 'Too

LOL...you contradicted yourself! If it wouldn't bother you at all, then why wouldn't you go back?

Well, the "first time" was a loose drain plug and I was able to correct it before any major incident. Had there been a major incident (like the plug coming out while driving down the freeway) then I definitely wouldn't have gone back. Once it was pointed out to them, I would think they'd be more conscious about tightening bolts. Who knew it would escalate from there?

Unfortunatley, I'm new in the area and thought I had found a shop that would take care of me and knew Toyotas. Lesson learned, I guess.

payyourtoll

exactly, after they botched the oil change, go elsewhere, "mistake" or not.

Blind 'Too

yeah, yeah, I know...but if I ran every time someone disappointed me I'd be forever looking for a new shop to fix my vehicles! You can't rely on anyone these days.

toyguy1986

I was talking about not getting a phone call.

toyguy1986

Well you know the old saying if all else fails fix it your self.

Blind 'Too

Yeah...I try to do as much as I can when I can find the time. Unfortunately I don't have the equipment to do front end alignments, so I'm stuck with going to a shop for certain things. The old "tape meaure and two 2x4's" worked okay for my Triumph 25 years ago...but it doesn't cut it for today's vehicles! lol