ComplaintsforElida Road Tire Service LLC

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my Lincoln to Elida Road Tire Service for a minor brake repair. They ended up replacing parts that were not needed, stole a part from my engine and replaced it with an old one, and had extensive damage to my vehicle when it fell from the lift. When I got it back, the brakes did not work, the engine barely ran, the vehicle swayed back and forth on the road, the right front wheel bounced, the engine was idoling very high, the drivers door would not shut properly, there were dents on the body and paint, there was grease on the front seat engine compartment wheels drivers door and trunk lid and excessive amount of crushed parts under the body of the vehicle

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  MR ******* HAS A 1959 LINCOLN CAPRI THAT NEEDS LOTS OF WORK. OUR JOB WAS
  TO INSTALL TWO FRONT WHEEL CYLINDERS AND BLEED THE BRAKES. WITH THE
  PROPER TOOLS THE WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE INSTALLED EASILY. HE DID NOT TELL
  US WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REPAIR THE CAR HIMSELF HE RAN THE
  MASTER CYLINDER COMPLETELY OUT OF FLUID. THIS FILLED THE SYSTEM WITH AIR
  POCKETS AND COMPLICATED THE BLEEDING PROCESS. TO GET ALL THE AIR OUT OF
  THE SYSTEM, BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES NEEDED BLEAD.
  THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT GETTING ANY FLUID TO THE WHEEL CYLINDERS.
  AFTER ABOUT ONE AND A HALF HOURS OF DIAGNOSTICS I FOUND A REAR RUBBER
  FLEX LINE WAS PLUGGED UP. THIS HAPPENS WHEN LINES GET OLD AND THE
  INTERIOR RUBBER DETERIORATES AND MAKES A VALVE INSIDE THE LINE AND
  PREVENTS FLUID TO FLOW THROUGH THEM. AT THAT POINT, THE BLEEDING
  PROCESS STOPPED AND WE CALLED MR. ******* AND TOLD HIM TO PROPERLY
  BLEED THE SYSTEM HE WOULD HALF TO GET MORE PARTS. WE TOLD HIM THE
  BRAKES PEDAL WAS VERY SOFT AND SUGGESTED HE DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR AND
  LEAVE IT AT THE SHOP TILL HE GOT THE PARTS. HE DROVE IT ANY WAY. HE PAID THE
  BILL FOR INSTALLING THE WHEEL CYLINDERS BUT REFUSED TO PAY ANY DIAGNOSTIC
  TIME FOR FINDING THE PROBLEM WITH THE REARS.
  ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER HE BRINGS US RUBBER LINES, WHEEL CYLINDERS, AND
  SHOES FOR THE REAR. WE INSTALLED THE PARTS AND THE SYSTEM BLEAD OUT LIKE
  IT SHOULD AND A FULL BRAKE PEDAL RETURN TO THE WORKING ORDER. A FEW
  THINKS WE NOTICED WERE, THE CAR LEANED TO ONE SIDE SEVERAL INCHES. WE
  USED OUR DRIVE ON ALIGNMENT RACK TO WORK ON THE CAR AND IT IS
  COMPLETELY LEVEL SO IT WAS EASILY NOTICED. AT THIS POINT WE HAD NEVER
  DRIVEN THE CAR EXCEPT TO PULL IT INTO THE SHOP. WHEN I PULLED ONTO THE
  ROAD TO TEST THE BRAKES, I THOUGHT HOW CAN ANYONE DRIVE THIS CAR?
  IT WAS ALL OVER THE ROAD LIKE A BIG BOAT, THE SHOCKS FELT WORN OUT AND THE
  STEERING WAS VERY TOUCHY. I NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND IN THE REAR AND IT
  
  PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING. I BROUGHT IT BACK INTO THE SHOP AND
  PULLED THE REAR TIRES OFF TO CHECKED TO SEE WHAT COULD BE GRINDING IN
  THE REAR. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF THE BRAKES GRINDING. I READJUSTED THE
  REAR BRAKES TO TRY TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM PULLING WHEN STOPPING.
  THIS CAR WAS BUILT IN 1959 BUT, THE SAME TYPE OF BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN
  USED ON CARS TO THE PRESENT DAY. IT IS NOT LIKE WORKING ON SOMETHING NEW
  FOR US.
  WE TRIED SEVERAL THINGS TO PREVENT THE PULLING WHILE STOPPING. WE
  READJUSTED THE REARS SEVERAL TIMES, MOVED THE DRUMS FROM ONE SIDE TO
  THE OTHER TO ELIMINATE THE DRUMS FROM CAUSING THE PROBLEM. REBLED THE
  BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES TO MAKES SURE NO AIR WAS IN THE SYSTEM.
  WE CHARGED MR. ******* BOOK TIME TO INSTALL HIS PARTS BUT, OUR SHOP
  INVESTED OVER 4 ADDITIONAL HOURS IN HIS 59 LINCOLN TO TRY TO PREVENT THE
  PULL. HE WAS NOT CHARGED FOR THE ADDITIONAL HOURS. WE DID DISCOVER THE
  GRINDING NOISE WAS THE WHEEL BEARING ON THE LEFT REAR AXLE AND NOT THE
  BRAKE SHOES. HE TOLD ME HE WAS AWARE OF THE GRINDING NOISE. I TOLD MR.
  DETRIK THAT COULD BE THE REASON FOR THE PULL. I TOLD HIM I COULD NOT
  INVEST ANY MOR TIME INTO IT UNLESS HE AGREED TO PAY SOME DIAGNOSTIC TIME. I
  EXPLAINED TO HIM WE WERE WAY PAST A NORMAL BRAKE JOB. HE DECIDED TO TAKE
  THE CAR HOME.
  AFTER THE FACT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT ANOTHER REASON FOR THE BRAKE PULL.
  OVER FOUTY YEARS OF REPLACING BRAKES IN OUR SHOP AND AN ADDITIONAL 10
  YEARS GROWING UP IN MY DAD’S SHOP WE HAVE FOUND A FEW SETS OF DEFECTIVE
  BRAKE SHOES. WHERE THE MATERIAL WAS NOT CENTERED ON THE STEEL SHOE
  PROPERTY OR THE STOPPING MATERIAL ITSELF WAS DEFECTIVE. DEFECTIVE
  MATERIAL WOULD CAUSE A GRAP OR PULL. WE HAVE SEEN INPROPER SIZED WHEEL
  CYLINDERS CAUSING A PULL BUT, IT TAKES TIME TO FIND THESE PROBLEMS.
  ESPECIALLY WHEN NEW DEFECTIVE PARTS COULD BE INVOLVED. THE WHEEL
  CYLINDERS ARE WHAT PUSH THE BRAKE SHOES OUT TO STOP THE CAR.
  HE STATES THE CAR BRAKED FINE AND THE BRAKES WORKED PROPER TILL IT
  STARTED PULLING RIGHT AND HE DISCOVERED THE WHEEL CYLINDER ON THE
  FRONT LEAKING. THE BRAKES COULD NEVER HAVE WORKED PROPER, BECAUSE
  THERE WAS NO FLUID GOING TO THE REAR BRAKES TO ACTIVATE THE WHEEL
  CYLINDERS. ONCE WE HAD FLUID GOING TO THE REAR BRAKES TO ACTIVATE THE
  WHEEL CYLINDERS TO WORK AND “CUSTOMER PROVIDED PARTS INSTALLED” THE
  LEFT PULL STARTED. HE STATES THAT WHEN HE CHECKED THE WHEEL CYLINDER ON
  THE FRONT. THE FRONT BRAKES, SPRINGS AND OTHER PARTS WERE IN WORKING
  ORDER. BUT WHEN HE TOOK THE CAR TO ********* MOTOR SERVICE, HE HAD HIM
  REPLACE FRONT BRKES AND THE REAR BRAKES AGAIN. SEEMS LIKE DIFFERENT
  PARTS FIXED THE PROBLEM.
  
  WHEN MR ******* PICKED UP THE CAR, AS I MENTIONED I TOLD HIM THE BRAKES
  WERE NOT RIGHT AND NEED MORE DIAGNOSTICS TO GET IT RIGHT. I BELIEVE IT WAS
  DEFECTIVE PARTS HE SUPPLIED. THEY WERE INSTALLED PROPER AN ADJUSTED
  SEVERAL TIMES TO TRY TO GET THE PULL OUT OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM.
  THE CAR RAN OUT OF GAS IN MY PARKING LOT AND I PUT 4 GALLONS OF GAS IN IT TO
  GET IT RUNNING. “HE NEVER PAID ME FOR THE GAS”
  HE STATES THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH. WE HAVE SEEN ON OLDER CARS WHEN
  THEY SET A LOT LIKE HIS LINCOLN, DIRT ACCUMULATES IN THE TANK ALONG WITH
  RUST AND IT GETS SUCKED UP INTO THE CARBURETOR WHEN THEY ARE RUNNING
  OUT OF GAS. IT LIKE SUCKING THE LAST BIT OF SODA OUT OF A POP BOTTLE WITH A
  STRAW, YOU GET EVERYTHING IN THE BOTTOM. DIRT AND ALL. EVEN THOUGH THE
  LINCOLN HAS A FUEL FILTER ON IT THE DIRT CAN GET SUCKED PAST THE FILTER,
  ESPECIALLY THE GLASS BOWL TYPE ON HIS CAR.
  A YEAR GOES BY AND MR. ******* COMES INTO OUR SHOP WITH A DEMANDING
  LETTER ASKING FOR $3,268.24 FOR DAMAGES TO HIS CAR. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE
  REALLY WANTED FACE TO FACE AND HE TOLD ME IF I GIVE HIM $650. CASH HE
  WOULD BE SATISFIED. FACT!
  HE SAID WE STOLE HIS JACK, TORE HIS SEAT AND PUT DENTS IN HIS CAR, DROPPED
  IT OFF THE LIFT, ACCUSED US OF DOING SHOTTY WORK, LOOSING HIS HUB CAP AND
  THE LIST WENT ON. WE DID NOT STEEL PARTS OFF HIS CAR OR PUT DENTS IN IT OR
  TEAR HIS SEAT OR ANY OF THE MANY OTHER THINGS HE ACCUSED US OF.
  I HAVE A COMPLETE LETTER 7 PAGES LONG OF ACCUSING US OF ALL SORTS OF
  THINGS. IN HIS LETTER HE TELLS HOW HE NOT SATISFIED WITH US AND THE TWO
  SHOPS AFTER US HE TOOK THE CAR TO. IN HIS LETTER HE ADMITS THE REASON THE
  HUB CAP CAME OFF IS BECAUSE, WHEN THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED, THE WHEEL
  WEIGHTS WERE INSTALLED INPROPER PREVENTING THE HUB CAPS TO STAY ON.
  ALSO, WHEN A CAR SETS FOR MONTHS THE TIRES FLAT SPOT AND IT TAKES MILES
  OF DRIVING TO ROUND THEM OUT AGAIN. IN SOME CASES, NEVER.
  ********* MOTOR SERVICE HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR I BELIEVE OVER SIXTY
  YEARS.
  AFTER READING THE LETTER I WENT TO TALK TO MR. **** ********* ABOUT
  WHAT WAS SAID IN THE LETTER AGAINST US. HE TOLD ME FROM ONE PROFESSIONAL
  TO ANOTHER THEY MADE NO SUCH STATEMENTS AGAINST US OF DAMAGING THE 59
  LINCOLN .IT WAS ALL MADE UP BY MR *******.
  IT SEEMS THAT ALL THE PLACES HE TAKES HIS 59 LINCOLN HE IS NEVER SATISFIED
  WITH THE WORK OR THE COMPANY. THE OLD CAR IS WORN OUT AND NEEDS A
  PROPER RESTORATION.
  THE OIL LEAK WAS THE VALLY PAN BOLTS. MR. ********* TOLD ME THEY WERE
  FINGER TIGHT AND LEAKING OIL DOWN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE.
  
  MR. ******* ALL SO RECENTLY WROTE THE BBB ASKING FOR ONLY $635.11. TO
  RESOLVE.
  $635.11. THE LETTER TO ME WAS , $3,268.24, AND THE LETTER TO THE ATTORNEY
  GENERAL WAS FOR $8000.00 IN DAMAGES BUT WOULD ACCEPT $6000.00 WHICH IS IT?
  OR THE $650.00 HE ASKED FOR IN MY OFFICE.
  I BELIEVE WE OWE MR. ******* NOTHING AND HE STILL OWES ME FOR 4 GALLONS
  OF GAS AND DIAGNOSTIC TIME.
  REGRETFULLY WE GET A CUSTOMER LIKE THIS FROM TIME TO TIME. THEY BELIEVE
  THEY HAVE A GEM OF A CAR AND IT’S REALLY A LUMP OF COLE. ALSO, CLASSIC CARS
  NEED CONSTANT MAINTENANCE, ALL THE ORIGINAL PARTS ARE, “IN THIS CASE, 64
  YEARS OLD” AND COULD FAIL ANY TIME. THINGS RUST OUT AND PLUG UP. METAL
  FATIGUES AND SPRINGS SAG, THE LIST GOES ON. A PROPER RESTORATION
  REPLACES ALL OF THESE PARTS.
  I AM SORRY MR. DETRICH WAS DISSATISFIED WITH OUR WORK BUT IT SEEMS NO ONE
  CAN MAKE HIM HAPPY. WE WERE WILLING TO WORK ON HIS CAR BUT WE COULDN’T
  DO IT FOR FREE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING WITH HIS PARTS.
  ELIDA ROAD TIRE SERVICE

  Customer response

  05/03/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have read Mr. ******* response.

  I swear on the Bible and my mothers grave that the statements that I am saying is the truth.

  Mr. ******* statement is full of lies and misconceptions. He is writing it as if he was the mechanic working on my vehicle. His manager told me that he is rarely in the shop. He owns at least one other business. The work done in a mechanics shop is only as good as the mechanics performing the work. The mechanics that worked on my vehicle were just young guys who probably are going to school at UNOH. The only time that I saw Mr. ****** is when I picked my vehicle up and he tried but failed to explain the problems.

  The statement that I attached is from the mechanic who worked on it to make the repairs from the damage caused at Elida Road Tire Service.

  I will respond to Mr. ******* statement from the beginning as there is an untruth in almost every paragraph. In the first paragraph, it states that I ran the master cylinder completely out of brake fluid. This is not true. I did pull the front wheel to inspect the brakes but I did not have the right tool to get to get to the brake line fitting. That is why I took it to Elida Road Tire to let them do the work. Because I opened the wheel cylinders it allowed the brakes to be soft but I did not lose any fluid. The brakes had been fine before this so there was no air in the lines.

  In the second paragraph, He said that he suggested that I not drive my vehicle and that I refused to pay any diagnostic time. Both are utter lies. First of all, they called me and told me that my vehicle was complete. I paid for the work and when I pulled away there were still no braking ability. I came back in and Mr. ****** informed me that it needed rear brake shoes, cylinders and spring hardware and that there was no brake fluid going to the rear brakes and they were not working at all. He told me to order the parts and he would install them. The brakes had been replaced less than a thousand miles previously but he said that they were probably faulty. I ordered the parts and returned about a week and a half later. I had to wait for their drive on lift to be available because my 1959 Lincoln is a unibody and can not be lifted with a pads lift. 

  In the third paragraph, he states that they worked on my vehicle and they got a full brake pedal. They never got a full brake pedal. When the job was complete and I picked it up, it still had no brakes. It then states that the only time it had been driven was to pull it into the shop (and up onto the drive on lift). He said that when he test drove it he thought how can anyone drive this car? At this time, the damage had been done at their place of business. 

  In the forth paragraph he states that the vehicle was all over the road like a big boat. He failed to mention all of the other problems like the engine was running erratically, that the right tire was bouncing, that the engine was idoling so high that you could barely put it in gear and a number of other problems. 

  In the fifth paragraph he states that the brakes are the same as all brake systems even the brake systems used today. This shows that he does not know his business. He told me that he could not get the brakes adjusted to work properly. I asked him if he knew the correct procedure for this vehicle and he got defensive and said of course he did. Well, there is a certain procedure that the mechanic obviously did not follow. I can add the document, but I am afraid that if I leave this page now, I may lose what I have written because I don't see where to save it.

  In the sixth paragraph he admits that they can't get the brakes adjusted. The company who worked on it later had no problem getting the adjusted.

  In the seventh paragraph, he says that he told me that the noise on the rear axle could be the reason for the pulling. He is admitting that the brakes were not adjusted properly. I told them about the noise before they even started working on the vehicle and it has nothing to do with the brakes. They called me and told me that the work was done and that I could come in and pick it up. He states that I decided to take the car home. They had my car for six days for a simple brake job. I could not understand why they had it for so long. They called me of a Friday afternoon around three thirty to pick it up. I got there around four o'clock. They said that I had to wait because they were still having problems getting them adjusted. I paid for the work and was excited to get my vehicle back in good running condition. They finally brought my car around at five minutes till five o'clock. I got in it and drove out of their parking lot and found that it barely had any brakes to stop. I pulled onto the road and the front right tire was bouncing really bad, it was swaying back and forth, the engine ran terribly, and it was idling very high. I turned around immediately and returned to Elida Road Tire Service and the door was locked, the lights were out and no one answered the phone. I could not believe what was happening.

  In the eighth paragraph he is making up excuses for their lack of ability to be able to get the brakes adjusted. None of them are correct.

  The ninth paragraph continues with excuses. My vehicle did brake perfectly for years except the one time that it pulled slightly to the right that began this whole ordeal. He claims that the company who made the repairs to fix their mistakes got it working by using new parts. The fact is that when they pulled the rear brakes, the brake shoes were burned up. I had only driven my vehicle fifty miles before taking it to ********* Motor Service. I have pictures of everything to prove my claims. I had to buy new brake shoes for the back. *********s replaced them, adjusted them and they worked fine.

  In the tenth paragraph me admits that they gave me my vehicle as a completed job and it was not braking properly.

  In the eleventh paragraph, he states that the vehicle ran out of gas. I never let my vehicle get below a quarter of a tank. I would never take it to a mechanic with an empty gas tank. This is a very collectable vehicle and would never do anything like that. On the document from Elida Road Tire, it states that they put in two gallons. He can't remember his lie, but I have proof. He never asked for any reimbursement as it is probably a ploy to use it as an excuse for another mistruth. 

  In the twelfth paragraph, he talks about me claiming that the vehicle was running rough. He is trying to use the out of gas lie here to explain the problem that turned out to be so much more. He mentions the gas bowl fuel filter which is not he fuel filter. The fuel filter is a common fuel filter placed before the fuel pump. Again, he is not familiar with my vehicle. 

  In the thirteenth paragraph, he claims that I came into his shop with a demanding letter asking for $3,268.24. The fact is that I called and made an appointment to speak with Mr. ******. We sat down and spoke about the situation. I was very calm and businesslike. I explained that I had taken my vehicle to another mechanic, and they had no problem getting the brakes to work perfectly. I said that they did have problems getting the engine to run right and the extensive damage to the undercarriage and suspension. I explained to him that at that time I had accumulated $3,268.24 in damages. I asked him if he would return the money ($650.00) that he had charged me for a job that was not only not done correctly but that caused all of the damage to my vehicle as a show of good faith. He said that he would think it over and get back with me. He never got back with me, nor could I ever get ahold of him again. He was never at the office or returned my calls. 

  One thing that he omitted is that I brought my car back to him shortly after I got it back and showed him all of the damage. I showed him the crushed bushing under the vehicle, the dents in the hood and fender the greasy handprints all over the engine compartment, the hood, the trunk and the tires. The grease and tear on the front seat. There was a paper sheet that they put on the floor that was covered with grease, but they obviously didn't use one on the seat. He looked at everything but just said that it couldn't happen at his business.

  In the fourteenth paragraph, he claims that I said that they stole my jack. I did not say that they stole my jack. I said that it was not in the place where it is usually stored. I don't know if they used it when it fell off of the lift or if the jolt just knocked it out of place. As far as the hubcap goes, the first time that I drove my vehicle, I drove about thirty miles and the hubcap flew off, causing another dent in the paint in the wheel well.

  In the sixteenth paragraph, it states that **** ********* told Mr. ****** that everything that I said is made up. The statement from his mechanic that I attached to this statement proves otherwise.

  In the seventeenth paragraph, he states that I am not satisfied with the other companies. I am very satisfied with the other companies and nothing that I have said claims otherwise. 

  In the eighteenth paragraph he said that the oil leak was from the valley and the bolts were only finger tight. They did not fix the oil leak. If that were the truth, I am sure that they would have tightened them.

  In paragraph nineteen, he said that I asked for $635.11 from the BBB. You may check your records. It is past the good business practice stage at this point.

  In paragraph twenty, Mr. ****** shows confusion as to the amount for damages that they caused. When I sat down and spoke with him a year ago the accumulated damages at that time was $3,268.24. The good business practice amount was to repay the amount that I paid him but the total for damages at this time is $8,472.36. That is only the amount for labor and parts. There are actually a lot more that I have not included.

  In paragraph twenty-one he again forgot his lie about the amount of gasoline that he claims that he used.

  In paragraph twenty-two, he is trying to say that that my vehicle is not up to standards. This vehicle has been restored and the engine rebuilt by professionals with less than three thousand miles on it. It ran and looked excellent. One month prior to taking my Lincoln to Elida Road Tire Service, I won best of show at the King Car Show in Lima, Ohio. There were almost two hundred cars in that show.  

  In paragraph twenty-three, he claims that no one can make me happy. The only person who has not made me happy in this situation is Mr. ******, the owner of Elida Road Tire Service. He claims that he was not going to work for free. He was paid everything that he charged for his services. It is the lack of good workmanship and good business practices that is in question in this case. He finally claims that he couldn't do a quality job with my parts. They were not my parts. I didn't make them. I purchased brand new parts from a reliable Lincoln parts dealer. Lincoln Mercury Old Parts Store in Clearwater, Florida.

  Mr. ****** seems good at denying any responsibility for any damages, but I have proof to show otherwise. I will be happy to submit more if you feel that it is necessary.

   

  Sincerely,

  
  ***** *******

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