Becker Wagonmaster, Inc.

Review: February 28, 2013 my front two tires on my 2010 Subaru Legacy were bald on the inside to the point where the threads were showing, so Becker Subaru replaced them and "performed" an alignment as requested. The rear tires were rotated to the front and the new ones were put on in the rear. Not even three months later, May 17, 2013, I had to replace the front tires due to the same issue being bald on the inside of the tire. Again, the threads were showing. Becker Subaru said it was because all 4 tires should have been replaced at the same time, even though the original ones weren't showing any wear while they were on the rear of the car less than three months prior. But, I replaced the front ones yet again, and the tires were rotated (so the ones bought three months prior were now on the front). I went to my mechanic November 19, 2013, for a simple oil change, and he pulls me into the garage while my car is up on the lift and shows me the inside of the two front tires where I can clearly see the threads. He said my alignment was off, and I explained to him the story of getting one done 8 months prior, even showed him the receipt. He informed me that if an alignment was in fact done, the tires wouldnt have been worn the exact same way three months later, AND 5 months again after that, to the point where each time the threads were showing. What my mechanic thinks Becker Subaru probably did was just set the tow, or balanced the tires and charged me for an alignment. If everything was done correctly the first time, I wouldnt have had to purchase an additional 4 tires and a second alignment within 8 months.Desired Settlement: Reimbursement for the alignment Becker Subaru provided on 2/28/2013 for $89.95, second set of 2 tires purchased 5/17/2013 for $262.35, and the third set of 2 tires purchased 11/19/2013 for $222.50. A total of $574.80

Review: I took my car to Becker Subaru (aka Becker Wagonmaster) to have a headgasket repair completed on my 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback SUS. I was told on the phone that the repair would be completed in 1 day guaranteed. The repair took 3 days. Also the price ~$2300, did not include various services that I was told would be completed.

After I got the car back, I had to replace the coolant because it was not flushed as the service advisor told me it would be. The grounding wire was not tightened down properly causing intermitent electrical issues with the car, nearly causing 3 accidents.

The final straw was the engine started leaking engine oil from one of the seals that they installed during the repair. When I initially called I was told that it was not under warranty and I would have to pay for the repair. I contacted my mechanic ([redacted] from [redacted]) to have the repairs performed. I contacted Becker to request money for the repair since their work was not completed correctly. Had the work been performed correctly the first time, I would not have needed to have my car go in for additional repairs.

While [redacted] was working on the car, they found that Becker had installed one of the cam shafts out of time causing the engine to run harder. The major problem came in when they were taking off the Valve cover on the car. The bolts were broke off during the repair from Becker. Instead of extracting the bolt and replacing them correctly, the mechanic glued the bolt back in. This caused the valve cover to improperly seal and cause the cam seals to fail which required additional repairs. This also caused a risk of fire as the engine oil was leaking to the exhaust manifold and causing it to smoke.

[redacted] talked to the shop manager at Becker and was told that they were not going to do anything about it.Desired Settlement: My bill from [redacted] should be paid in full by Becker as it was a result of their neglegence. Had Becker performed the repair properly the first time, the additional repair would not have been needed.

Given that I have already paid the bill, the money should be refunded to me via check or cash. I will not accept Becker store credit or complimentary services as I will not take my car to them to be worked on, nor will I take ANY car there for service or inspection.

Business

Response:

Dear Philip,

In response to the complaint filed by [redacted], ID# [redacted], we'd like to offer our own account of the events of January 2013, which differ somewhat from **. [redacted]'s recorded statement. After consulting with the Service Advisor and Master technician involved with the repair, we've come across some inconsistencies:

• The Advisor and technician are well aware that a repair of this complexity, on this particular engine size, takes at least 3 days. The customer was clearly informed of this.

• We remove the positive battery routinely when we perform this repair and then reconnect it when finished. No ground wire was disturbed.

• We were not given the opportunity to inspect an oil leak and we have no history of having to repair one.

• If a camshaft was installed out of time, an obvious drivability concern would be apparent and the Check Engine light would be on. Neither was brought to our attention by the technician or the customer.

• Bolts for the valve cover cannot be glued. They, most likely, had some residue on them from the gasket sealer used. This is normal.

• The time lapse of nearly 8 months from the original repair until the complaint was registered raises the question: Why wasn't this brought to our attention a lot sooner?

It is never our intention to enter in to a dispute with any customer and we are certainly not insensitive to the customer's frustration. However, we do not feel that we are culpable in this matter.

Sincerely

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I did contact Becker regarding the electrical malfunctions and was told it would cost ~$300 to repair.