D J's Four by Four & Automotive

EWARE! Don’t take the risk. Once you hand over the cash, it’s all over.

I'll give DJ and his shop zero stars but it won't let me. I interviewed three shops in the Madison County area to "bulletproof" my 2004 F250 pickup. I chose DJ because he talked a good game. "I cut my teeth on these types of overhauls," he said. “My business was made from working on the 6.0 diesel”. Great, I need the work done right because I'm hauling a loaded trailer with my precious family 3,xxx miles in the next two months and we need reliability.

I didn't blink an eye when it took a month for the repair and I didn't call to bother him over it. I did, however, take the truck back to him two times before we left town because I had identified questionable work that he either failed to fix or didn't do correctly. I'm not a mechanic, but I'm mechanical and notice things that someone else may not. Ground straps were not reattached, wire harness not clipped on firewall, loose wire to the starter…. Come to find out later that he wrapped the air hose to my bag system across the top of the new exhaust system. The hose melted and my bags deflated and wouldn’t reinflate during my travels pulling a 13,000 trailer. That's rough on my truck and trailer.

$11,740.03 and 235 miles later I'm broke down on an exit ramp. Towed to a parking lot by a pickup with a strap. Immediately called DJ and asked for some assistance. He asked me if I was low on fuel (I wasn’t) and that’s all he had.

Since DJ was no help and we were stranded, the truck was towed to a local shop. Another $1,967 plus $100 tow and we were back on the road three days later. It was disturbing that the new shop had to replace parts installed by DJ. When DJ was advised that multiple things had failed and was provided pictures, his only reply was “that’s crazy”. Yes, I have this conversation on text and all he wants to do is belittle the shop that fixed my truck correctly and saved my vacation.

We finally got back on the road and I can tell you that I NOW KNOW how this truck is supposed to run, sound and tow.

I’ve tried to work with this guy, but he just yells at me.

I’M THE CUSTOMER and I gave you almost $12,000 to get it right! And, I expected you to uphold your warranty. Now I have no warranty because I'd NEVER return to your shop. I wouldn't trust that you wouldn't drop a few bolts here and there to put my truck totally out of commission. I believe you are capable.

Just take a look at the business owner's comments to other customers who have complained about his service via web reviews. He clearly doesn't take responsibility for his work and would rather make it sound like HE is the victim and calling his customers liars publicly. Who does that? There is a name for that type of personality.

I had it towed to hyundai in O'Fallon where they stated that 2 wires were switched, it was negligence of dj. that added an extra $225 on the 800 dollar bill I was given by dj, that I paid, when confronting him about the extra charge he stated "i still replaced the engine cheaper than they could". I have been experiencing clutch problems since. when I took the car back and had him test drive it and he broke the linkage for the transmission, I was left stranded with wife and child, dj did nothing to fix it and said it was already broke. the tow bill and repair at hyundai was 625. when repaired the technician at hyundai said that I have an internal clutch problem. its a brand new clutch. the cost of the clutch and repair is etimated to be 1175. bringing the total at 2025 dollars of damage and extra fee's he has caused my family. I do not trust him to work on my car again and feel he is liable for parts and labor to fix his mistakes.