ComplaintsforBob & Harry's Garage Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’m an owner of a semi truck. Bob and Harry’s were called for a job. They sent out a mechanic for a “no oil pressure” issue. The problem was an oil sending unit went bad. My truck would run and then the failsafe would shut it off because it wasn’t getting oil. The mechanic bob and Harry’s sent said he felt like it was an electrical issue instead of a mechanical issue. So he bypassed my fail safe so the motor could keep running, which caused it to lock up due to lack of oil. Come to find out he did not go through all the proper procedures to diagnose the problem. If he did, it would have shown him that the truck was not getting oil. They had my truck for months, tryin to put a bandaid on a problem they created. They would not call me. The owner would not contact me or answer my calls until I came to Towe the truck. They claimed I owed them money. I had a deep conversation with the owner in which he admitted he thinks his mechanic lied and damaged my truck, but doesn’t want to be responsible. He says he will give me a discount of $12,000 to fix my truck, but the original fix would have been less than $1500. He threatens that if he files a claim with his insurance, that they won’t believe me or fix my truck. I had the truck diagnosed by another company called Neil’s and they said that the original problem was the oil sending unit and it could have been prevented. They also left my truck with pieces of the motor taken off and stuffed inside my truck.

  Business response

  11/05/2024

  I am writing in response to a complaint filed by ***** ********. This response is complicated and if you need to contact me for clarifications or to answer any questions please don’t hesitate. I would like to start by saying that there are several statements made by *** ******** that are not true. 
  
  
  I will give a description of the events as told to me by the technician that was involved in the road call in question & the service management of our garage. We were called by our customer **** ********* to check a no oil pressure situation on a **** ************ with a ** ** engine. It is important to note that **** ********* called us out as **** ********* is the financially responsible party. It is unclear to us the relationship between ***** ******** and **** ********* and we have not had contact with *** ******** other than speaking with him while we were on the road call and again when he arrived at our garage without notice to have the unit towed. 
  
  
  When the call came in our technician made sure to take a laptop diagnostic computer with him to properly diagnose the issue. When he arrived on location he connected the diagnostic tool to the data link port on the truck. Our technician stated that it was very odd, but there was no information at all on the oil pressure system. It was not that the oil pressure reading was zero PSI, there was no reading for oil pressure at all. The tech stated that he ran the engine for a minute or maybe two then shut it off. At this point *** ******** and the technician discussed some options on what they could do. The technician stated the unit should be towed to the shop for further diagnosis. *** ******** was not in agreement. The engine was started another time and the technician noted that it began to run very poorly so the unit was shut off. Our technician did state that *** ******** wanted to drive the truck to the shop, but our tech advised against that and recommended the unit be towed. When the unit arrived via tow truck to the shop and we began to check it the engine would not turn over. We tried to turn the engine manually, but the engine was seized. When we removed the oil pan there was evidence of engine bearing material in the oil pan. I, the business owner,  was not physically at the shop during any of these events, but was told about them by my shop manager. I spoke to the tech who was dispatched to the road call location the next day, and he assured me that he ran the engine for a very short amount of time within that one minute to two minute window. He also stated that he did not disable the engine shut down system for low oil pressure and it was then that he told me that there was no oil pressure reading to look at on the computer. **** ********* did contact us and stated that *** ******** thought that we were responsible for the failed engine. We told **** ********* we would need some time to further diagnose the extent of the engine damage and to arrive at a conclusion about how this failure could have happened.  I then began looking into this engine and trying to verify as much information as I could. I discovered that there was a bulletin from the national highway transportation safety administration regarding a faulty oil suction manifold on these engines, and that there was also a recall for the same issue from ******* ******. I cannot be positive that this engine is covered by the bulletin or the recall but I believe it is. **** ********* stated that they had purchased the truck new and that *** ******** had recently purchased the truck from them. *** ******** states that the oil pressure issue was due to a sending unit and that is absolutely not true. The problem was found to be the oil suction manifold that was not allowing the oil pump to transfer any oil to the critical engine components. We also discovered that prior to us being called out to check the oil pressure issue *** ******** removed the oil pan from the engine and removed the faulty oil suction manifold and replaced the O-rings on that manifold and then reinstalled the manifold and the oil pan. In discussions with *** ********, I learned that he had been having this issue for some time and he said that he had started the engine more than 20 times with no pressure. He stated that he did not run the engine very long because a shut down system would cause the engine to shut off. *** ******** claims that Bob and Harry’s technician bypassed the oil pressure shut down system, but our technician maintains that he did not. The technician also maintains that every decision that was made as to starting and running the engine was agreed to by *** ******** at the time. 
  
  
  It is the opinion of Bob & Harry's Garage that the engine was already damaged when we were called to check the oil pressure. We do agree that the engine had a catastrophic failure while we were there, but that failure was imminent. After speaking with our contact at **** *********, we agreed to replace the engine with a used like-kind-quality engine at a very discounted price that would equal about $8000 less than if the repair was done under normal circumstances. This offer was extended based on our relationship to the customer. 
  
  
  A couple of months ago, *** ******** came to the shop unannounced and attempted to have his truck towed from the premises. When the tow truck came to the shop, we spoke to the tow truck driver and told him that there was the possibility that there was money owed For the repairs and  diagnosis that was done. The tow truck driver refused to tow *** ******** truck and left. Later the same day **** ********* contacted us and stated that if there was any money owed for this road call and diagnosis they would pay the invoice. It was then that we allowed *** ******** to have the truck towed off of our lot. When *** ******** returned for the truck to be towed we spoke to him about the cause of the failure and again offered him another discount on the necessary repair. He told us he would contact us with his decision about the repair. 
  
  
  We never heard from *** ********. We do have documentation from the repair facility that *** ******** had the truck towed to after ours and their diagnosis is not a sending unit like ***** ******** states in the complaint submitted to you. We feel like our offer to repair the truck was more than generous. I did tell *** ******** that we could contact our insurance company, but given all of the information the insurance company would likely decline any responsibility to cover the repair. It it the opinion of Bob & Harry's Garage that *** ******** truck was not very well maintained, and *** ******** has admitted to other maintenance issues that he would make temporary repairs for to keep the unit running. 
  
  
  If needed I can also provide copies of the diagnosis of the other repair shop and the bulletin from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and the recall notice from ******* ******. Bob & Harry’s Garage has been repairing trucks in the greater Cincinnati area for more than 80 years. We pride ourselves on quality workmanship and we have an outstanding record and reputation in this area. We always try to be fair to our customers and as a result, we have very few disputes that are not resolved to everyone's satisfaction. I want to also state that the offer to repair *** ********** truck still stands. I hope this is a satisfactory response to the complaint.
  
  
  
  
  Timothy K*****
  Bob & Harry’s Garage

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