Subject: Carolina Auto Repair Bad Business Practice
I would like to report bad business practice with the Business called Carolina Auto Repair located on Hwy 176 in Spartanburg County address 8880 Asheville Highway. I took my car by this establishment in July 2014 and was offered a one year warranty that they failed to honor after 4 month.
I took my BMW to Jim the owner of Carolina Auto repair because my car had overheated. After leaving my car with Jim for over a week he informed me that I needed a new head gasket replaced and timing chain replaced. I was given a cost to have the work done which included a one year warranty. I felt comfortable with Carolina Auto repair doing the work since Jim was Certified BMW Mechanic. After a couple weeks, I went back to pick up my BMW. I drove it for 2 days and the service engine light came on which never came on before I took it to Jim. I called Jim and told him i was going to bring it back because I do not know whats wrong with it and wanted him to check it. I took the car back and left it for a couple days. I got a call from Jim it was a O2 sensor and it was bad. With me being a first time BMW owner, I was unsure what that meant. I told Jim to go ahead and fix it. When that repair job was done and he reset the service engine light, the service engine light came on again the next day. I called Jim about it and he said to bring it back. I took my car it back for the 3rd time. I received a call a couple days later that it was the other O2 sensor this time. I figured that Jim knew what he was doing and I agreed to have it replaced. After having all this work done, I picked up my BMW and drove it for a week this time before I had another issue. The light came on again. I called Jim and he told me to bring it in and he would check it. I took my car back and after a week, Jim said I needed new Air Mass meter replaced. I had him do this repair for the Air Mass. Three days later I went to pick it up and it would not start this time. Jim told me I needed a new battery but he would put me in a used one for $60.00. I agreed to to have him replace the battery. I drove the car off his lot and the light came on again. I told Jim he has not fixed the problem and I was bring it back to him once again. Jim said bring it by and he would run a diagnostic test. I took the car back once again.
Jim kept the car for a couple days and called to tell me it was the Intake Runner valve and I needed a new one. At this point I was getting frustrated and figured this was the last time I was going to have him fix my car because every time I took it to him he found another problem. With me being a first time owner of a BMW, I started to feel like I as being taken advantage of. This time, I got a call from Jim asking if my car had been wrecked when I dropped my car off. I was taken by the question and immediately said “NO... What to you mean wrecked?” Jim said he was going to go out to the lot and see if he can tell what might have happened. This time I did not wait for him to call me back and went straight there. When I got to the shop, I saw Jim out there looking at the my car. I was taken back on how bad the front passenger side quarter panel was wrecked.
Jim told me he did not have a camera but he did not know how it could have happened.
I told Jim that it happened in his parking lot and he was responsible on repairing the damage and painting the damaged quarter panel. I agreed to pay to have the hood painted while he was having to paint part of the car and clear coat the headlights.
I picked the car up a few days later and drove the car home. I stopped by on my way in to work that the check engine light was still on. Jim said he was very busy and short handed and to drop it off one day and he would check it again. I came back by 4 days later and Jim was in and the mechanic said to bring in by when Jim was in. I drove the car another week and while taking my child to school. I noticed the cars temperature gage was going up and I immediately pulled over and called my father to come by where I had pulled over. (about one mile away from the my residence). My father came by and the car had cooled down and I released the pressure and added some water to make it home. I called Jim the next day and told him it was over heating. Jim said bring it by the next day.
The following day, I had my father follow me while I drove it up to Carolina Auto which is approximately one mile from my home.It did not overheat on way there but I explained to Jim what had happened the day before. I call Jim the next day and he said he was very short handed and he would call me once he had a chance to check it out. Two weeks went by and I finally got a call from Jim. During Jim’s phone conversation he said he put in a thermostat and the car was still overheating. Jim said he thought it was the head gasket. This was the same job he was supposedly did in June where I paid him 2526.58 in cash. I told Jim that if that was the problem then it should be under warranty as he stated when he did it the first time. Jim said he felt like it was not totally at fault and it would be better for him to replace the motor and I pay some of the cost. It told Jim I did feel like I should have to pay him anything because it was still under warranty. I stopped by Carolina Auto Repair and spoke to Jim. He said well he was not totally at fault because I drove it several days without it over heating. I told Jim that I have consistently been bringing it by because of the check engine light and that was possibly the warning sign that something was wrong and he failed to diagnose the problem.
Jim said that it was not under warranty now because I drove it a month without over heating. I asked Jim whats the point of the warranty if he worked on the head gasket and thats what he thinks the problem is. Why is the warranty now null and voided because I went a few days of driving it. Jim made up some reason that the cap on the radiator was not on tight and that voided the warranty. I honest believe Jim mad this up or one of his mechanics left he cap off while they where checking out the problem and want to blame me for so he can avoid having to pay for labor and parts. I did ask Jim where are all the mechanics because I do not see one mechanic that has worked on my BWM and there was three different guys that have work on it. Even one of his mechanic told me that the first guy ( a black guy that I do not know the name of) that replaced the head gasket was not there and his did not know what he was doing and this mechanic I spoke to had to correct many of the past mechanic mistakes.
Later this day, I had a company come a tow my car off his lot because he refused to do any work on the car unless I bought a motor from him. I think the this is a very bad business practice and will be reporting it to the Better Business Bureau, ripoff.com and New Channel 7 in hopes to get my money back for the repairs I paid for or Carolina Auto to honor the warranty I was promised when they fixed my car. I think if his business is investigated throughly there is a possibility that other bad business practices will be uncovered.
Carolina Auto Repair Reviews
Subject: Carolina Auto Repair Bad Business Practice
I would like to report bad business practice with the Business called Carolina Auto Repair located on Hwy 176 in Spartanburg County address 8880 Asheville Highway. I took my car by this establishment in July 2014 and was offered a one year warranty that they failed to honor after 4 month.
I took my BMW to Jim the owner of Carolina Auto repair because my car had overheated. After leaving my car with Jim for over a week he informed me that I needed a new head gasket replaced and timing chain replaced. I was given a cost to have the work done which included a one year warranty. I felt comfortable with Carolina Auto repair doing the work since Jim was Certified BMW Mechanic. After a couple weeks, I went back to pick up my BMW. I drove it for 2 days and the service engine light came on which never came on before I took it to Jim. I called Jim and told him i was going to bring it back because I do not know whats wrong with it and wanted him to check it. I took the car back and left it for a couple days. I got a call from Jim it was a O2 sensor and it was bad. With me being a first time BMW owner, I was unsure what that meant. I told Jim to go ahead and fix it. When that repair job was done and he reset the service engine light, the service engine light came on again the next day. I called Jim about it and he said to bring it back. I took my car it back for the 3rd time. I received a call a couple days later that it was the other O2 sensor this time. I figured that Jim knew what he was doing and I agreed to have it replaced. After having all this work done, I picked up my BMW and drove it for a week this time before I had another issue. The light came on again. I called Jim and he told me to bring it in and he would check it. I took my car back and after a week, Jim said I needed new Air Mass meter replaced. I had him do this repair for the Air Mass. Three days later I went to pick it up and it would not start this time. Jim told me I needed a new battery but he would put me in a used one for $60.00. I agreed to to have him replace the battery. I drove the car off his lot and the light came on again. I told Jim he has not fixed the problem and I was bring it back to him once again. Jim said bring it by and he would run a diagnostic test. I took the car back once again.
Jim kept the car for a couple days and called to tell me it was the Intake Runner valve and I needed a new one. At this point I was getting frustrated and figured this was the last time I was going to have him fix my car because every time I took it to him he found another problem. With me being a first time owner of a BMW, I started to feel like I as being taken advantage of. This time, I got a call from Jim asking if my car had been wrecked when I dropped my car off. I was taken by the question and immediately said “NO... What to you mean wrecked?” Jim said he was going to go out to the lot and see if he can tell what might have happened. This time I did not wait for him to call me back and went straight there. When I got to the shop, I saw Jim out there looking at the my car. I was taken back on how bad the front passenger side quarter panel was wrecked.
Jim told me he did not have a camera but he did not know how it could have happened.
I told Jim that it happened in his parking lot and he was responsible on repairing the damage and painting the damaged quarter panel. I agreed to pay to have the hood painted while he was having to paint part of the car and clear coat the headlights.
I picked the car up a few days later and drove the car home. I stopped by on my way in to work that the check engine light was still on. Jim said he was very busy and short handed and to drop it off one day and he would check it again. I came back by 4 days later and Jim was in and the mechanic said to bring in by when Jim was in. I drove the car another week and while taking my child to school. I noticed the cars temperature gage was going up and I immediately pulled over and called my father to come by where I had pulled over. (about one mile away from the my residence). My father came by and the car had cooled down and I released the pressure and added some water to make it home. I called Jim the next day and told him it was over heating. Jim said bring it by the next day.
The following day, I had my father follow me while I drove it up to Carolina Auto which is approximately one mile from my home.It did not overheat on way there but I explained to Jim what had happened the day before. I call Jim the next day and he said he was very short handed and he would call me once he had a chance to check it out. Two weeks went by and I finally got a call from Jim. During Jim’s phone conversation he said he put in a thermostat and the car was still overheating. Jim said he thought it was the head gasket. This was the same job he was supposedly did in June where I paid him 2526.58 in cash. I told Jim that if that was the problem then it should be under warranty as he stated when he did it the first time. Jim said he felt like it was not totally at fault and it would be better for him to replace the motor and I pay some of the cost. It told Jim I did feel like I should have to pay him anything because it was still under warranty. I stopped by Carolina Auto Repair and spoke to Jim. He said well he was not totally at fault because I drove it several days without it over heating. I told Jim that I have consistently been bringing it by because of the check engine light and that was possibly the warning sign that something was wrong and he failed to diagnose the problem.
Jim said that it was not under warranty now because I drove it a month without over heating. I asked Jim whats the point of the warranty if he worked on the head gasket and thats what he thinks the problem is. Why is the warranty now null and voided because I went a few days of driving it. Jim made up some reason that the cap on the radiator was not on tight and that voided the warranty. I honest believe Jim mad this up or one of his mechanics left he cap off while they where checking out the problem and want to blame me for so he can avoid having to pay for labor and parts. I did ask Jim where are all the mechanics because I do not see one mechanic that has worked on my BWM and there was three different guys that have work on it. Even one of his mechanic told me that the first guy ( a black guy that I do not know the name of) that replaced the head gasket was not there and his did not know what he was doing and this mechanic I spoke to had to correct many of the past mechanic mistakes.
Later this day, I had a company come a tow my car off his lot because he refused to do any work on the car unless I bought a motor from him. I think the this is a very bad business practice and will be reporting it to the Better Business Bureau, ripoff.com and New Channel 7 in hopes to get my money back for the repairs I paid for or Carolina Auto to honor the warranty I was promised when they fixed my car. I think if his business is investigated throughly there is a possibility that other bad business practices will be uncovered.