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Pep Boys

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Katrina of Ellenwood, GA January 5, 2010

On December 18, 2008 my timing belt jumped on my car. My car was towed the Pep Boys in Conyers, GA. Pep Boys ran a diagnostic and stated that the timing belt was not installed on properly and therefore jumped. With the timing belt jumping it caused some of my engine valves to also bend. Service manager, Roger, agreed that they would remove the cylinder head so we could take it back to the machine shop that had previously done work on the valves. The head was returned back to Pep Boys and they placed the head back on the car and replaced the water pump, timing belt, head gasket, etc.

Friday, January 16, 2009 they informed me that I could come and pick the car up. When I got there Joey stated that the car was not actually ready because the technician had put too much coolant in the car and it was running hot. He indicated they were in the process of trying to get the air out of the line. After waiting about an hour, they told me the car was ready but if it continued to run hot to make sure that I bring it back. I thought this was odd, but went on ahead and paid the charges for the repairs.

After only going an exit up the highway, the temperature gauge started going past the halfway mark. I immediately turned around and went back to Pep Boys. The mechanic had already left so I had to leave my car. They kept the car overnight, and the next day Roger informed us that the radiator could be the cause of it running hot. He said that they would not charge me labor for putting it on. We told him that was highly unlikely since that radiator was only four months old and the car was not running hot before.

We then asked Roger if the mechanic had bled the line; they had not. After they bled the line, Roger informed me everything was fine and that I could come and pick the car up. After driving the car for less than a week the temperature gauge went past the half way mark again. A call was placed to Roger the next day and he informed us again that the radiator was probably the cause.

On Saturday, February 14, 2009, I dropped the car off to have the radiator replaced as he recommended. After changing the radiator, they discovered that was not the problem at all. They then went on to replace the water pump and the thermostat and informed us that the car was still getting hot. We then asked if they torque the gasket down correctly, and presume they went on ahead and did this because on Sunday February 22, 2009 they told us the car was ready. After having the car returned the second time, I was a little leery in wondering if the car was going to run hot again.

The car was fine for a few days until Thursday, February 26, 2009. I was at the light and the gauge went past the halfway mark again. I pulled into a parking lot and let the car cool down. I tried to add water, which it did not need since the fluids were full. A call was placed to Roger again and he told us to bring the car in. The car was subsequently placed in the shop a third time on Saturday, February 28, 2009. On Monday, March 2, 2009, Roger informed us that the problem was in the head, and that it needed to go to their machine shop. We asked why because the valves did not have anything to do with the car running hot.

On Tuesday, March 3, 2009, I called Roger myself and asked how could my cylinder head be losing pressure now. I then told Roger that my car had never run hot before Pep Boys got their hands on it. He replied by stating that that it was. I asked how could a car run hot and I not know it. I told him the car had never emitted steam or smoke indicating overheating. He stated that it was smoking from the tail pipe. I told him this had never happened. I always check my mirrors so I would have noticed this. I then told him again I did not have this problem before I brought it to Pep Boys.

I then asked if the timing belt jumps, what would be the need to have to do gasket work on the car at all. He then rudely stated that the problem was the head. I told him again that did not have anything to do with the car getting hot. He stated we could come and get the cylinder head and have the machine shop look at, but once they break it down this time that he is done with it. Roger stated on March 3, 2009 that once the head came back to them this time and they put everything back together; if the car runs hot again then they will not look at it again. I found this to be totally unacceptable.

On Thursday, March 5, 2009, I picked the cylinder head up from Pep Boys. On Friday, March 6, 2009, the head was dropped off at the machine shop to check the engine valves to make sure they were seated properly and also to check for leaks. The machinist contacted us a few hours later and stated that there was nothing wrong with the cylinder head. He stated that all valves were seated properly and that none of the cylinders were losing pressure. We then called Pep Boys to inform Roger of this information. We picked the head up and dropped it off at Pep Boys that night.

On Saturday, March 7, 2009, we received a call from Roger who then informed us that maybe it was the parts they were using in the car. He stated that Pep Boys carried generic parts and that he would be ordering the parts from the dealer this time. On Saturday, March 14, 2009, Roger called around 3:00 p.m. and stated that they had put the car back together but wanted to keep the car till around 8:00 p.m. to make sure that the car was not running hot. On Sunday, March 15, 2009, I went to pick the car and on my way home the car ran HOT AGAIN! I am so disappointed.

Based on all the information Pep Boys was telling me, they replaced the radiator, which was never the problem. They replaced the water pump, which was never the problem. They replaced the thermostat, which was never the problem. They then said it was the cylinder head, which was never the problem. They then blamed it on their generic parts and ordered dealer parts, but the car was still running hot.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 a call was placed to several Pep Boys so that we could locate the Area Manager name and number. We talk to the Marietta location again and the service manager Scott Hendricks stated he would be willing to take a look at the car. The car was towed out to that location on Wednesday March 18.

Thursday, March 19, 2009 Scott called and said that his mechanic did notice that the gauge was going past the half way mark. I told him that's what it would always do. I told him I never would let it get to the point of smoking out. He asked if the car had ever smoke out before it was initially repaired. I told him there has never been any smoke coming from anywhere. He stated they believed it was the temperature sensor and they would order one. He stated the part would be in tomorrow and he will give us a call back. I cannot understand why the other Pep Boys did not checked for this. Clearly they did not run a diagnostic on the car as they claimed they were doing all the times it was brought in.

Saturday, March 21, 2009 Scott called and said that the part had come in and we could pick up the car. He also stated that the car was not misfiring as the Pep Boys in Conyers had claimed so many times. I picked the car up on Sunday, March 22, 2009 and the car has been doing fine. I have not run into any problems.

For two months I dealt with incompetence with the Conyers Pep Boys. Over and over we told the Service Manager Roger that the car had never smoked but he insisted that it was. That was never the case. He even insisted the problem was the cylinder head, which the Marietta Pep Boys said the car was not misfiring as we had been told for almost two months. It makes me think that the Conyers store was just trying to get more money out of me or they really had no clue what they were doing.

It caused me stress and money for two months. It was unacceptable. If they had listened to my complaints about the car and really took us for our word that the car was not doing this before it was brought in and that it had never smoked out they could have resolved this from day one. Instead it took two months for the issue to be resolved by a different store.

However, that does not take care of the money that was spent on rental cars and work that was performed inadequately. Even the Area Manager Charles F. said it was not their policy to refund money I spent on rental car. Please do not take your car to the Pep Boys in Conyers, GA located on Northlake Dr.

robert of ludlow, MA January 1, 2010

newyears eve;830pm I bought some very expensive spark plugs for my corvette.I am a 50 year old male;and alot of my friends have auto shoppes and accounts with you.after installing those e3 plugs and changing the oil,I took same car for a ride and it stalled at the first stop sign,and again at the first red light,,drove about 6 miles and turned back,it was as if I dumped my v8 for a 6cyclinder just from changeing the plugs,now I called doug at the parts counter and he said take them out and bring them in for a refund and those plugs also fit about 10 other cars,the girl marie was rude and it was uncalled for,told me your not getting a refund,all I would get is another set of these plugs that did not work,how would she feel if pepboys put them in her car,and she stalled her car whereever she went,thank you for your time and cooperation in this matter,Ive been going to your stores since 1983 in tempe az.your man in parts was very helpfull and told me to stick with the acdelco plugs car came with,but he could not get them for me but genden auto parts ordered them for my car. Ill be waing for your response

Alejandra of ontario, CA December 17, 2009

Took my car to pep boys due to a check engine light coming on. they checked it, gave me the code and i asked a few questions about what the code meant and left. My main concern was whether it was something that needs to be fixed immediately or if I can wait a while to fix. The mechanic said that it was not going to cause any major issues to my car anytime soon and so I left satisfied. A few days later my car started to act strange. It was hesitant to run, stalled and then wouldn't turn on without the gas pedal being pushed. I looked under the hood to see if i could find something and I did. There was a Snap on ratchet inside the hood of my car left behind by the mechanic. I called pep boys to let them know and the mechanic said that it was my check engine light that was causing the car trouble not the hatchet tool. I called to see if they would check my car to see if the hatchet may have caused any problems but they didn't even offer to take a look. I was not please with their reaction to their mistake, which could of damaged my vehicle and perhaps complete destroy any part. I still do not know if the hatchet caused any problems because i have not driven it since.

Margarita of Los ANgeles , CA December 4, 2009

I took both of my cars to get serviced by pep boys I needed a brake check on one car because my brake light kept coming on, on the other I needed a transmission fluid change and an oil change, After pep boys ran some tests they stated that my car # 1 needed a diagnostic test because they checked my brakes and nothing was wrong and that I had a sensitive brake light, they BROKE my lug nut in this car and CHARGED me to replace it 45, they also stated that I needed a cabin filter and charged me another 45 dollars for that, the second car got an oil change and transmission fluid with a qualified 9.99 mail in rebate at time of the purchase.... the next day I drove my car and the brake light came back on the first car and then it started to stall.. the second car oil check light was still on and was not reset at oil change (makes me wonder if they really did what they charged me for)

So I called the store and was told by the parts and service manager that I need to bring back my CARS for they can take ANOTHER look at them because they did not do their job correctly the first time... I was super mad by this time because it is such and inconvenience for me to GO BACK to pep boys for something they did NOT do correctly the first time.... I called the customer service help line and they told me also to take back the CARS to get serviced I told them that I had a busy schedule and that it was an inconvenience for me to go back because they did not do their job in the first place..!!! By the way the customer service person said that there is nothing they can do and hung the phone up on me!!!...three weeks later I received a letter from the rebate department in which they stated someone else had claimed my rebate already!!! I am so DONE dealing with PEP BOYS!!!

Saquib of Smyrna, GA November 28, 2009

I had very old serpentine belts in my car that needed replacement and I was warned at the time of past oil changes in writing that they are cracked and need replacement. Even though they were squeaking on regular basis due laziness and my work schedule I had not replaced them and was concerned about then failing.

One day I started my car and the Check battery light came on and while driving my lights got dimmer until I had lost all battery power and my car was not operational, due to lack of technical knowledge I was unable to relate loss of battery power to the failure of a belt and assumed it was the Battery or the Alternator. I had my car towed to Pep Boys and informed them that I seems to be having problem with my battery or Alternator, after checking my car they informed that that I need both. They also made several other maintenance recommendations and along with changing the belts and they were cracked. I informed them that I was aware of the belts being cracked and meant to do that but if that is not what's the cause of the issue I would rather fixed what's needed to get back on the road and leave the belts for later.

After 2 hours wait they informed me that I need to change the Alternator belt and they shows me what it looked like it was broken multiple small rings. They also informed that they did not have this in stock and had it ordered, they charged me for the cost of the belt about 30 dollars and I later checked it sells for around 11 dollars and Auto Zone and other auto part stores.

Until then I did not realize the relationship between the belts and my Alternator and Battery. It became evident to me that the case was most likely the Alternator belt and not the Battery and the Alternator. It cost me over 500 dollars. I discussed the situation with the Service Manager Scot H. He informed me that he would not give me any refund and according to their diagnostics Alternator and Battery were defective. Total cost over 500 dollars, instead of under 100 dollars due to replacement of unnecessary parts..

Timothy of Venice, FL November 24, 2009

I have a step-son in Orlando who is in college. One day he went out to his car and the car doesn't start. So, we had the car towed to Pep Boys.

The diagnostic conclusion was that the vehicle needed a new distributor, new distribtor cap, a crank case sensor and roter cap. Pep Boys said my bill would be around 1025.46. As a result, I was charged 103.00 for a false diagnostic.

I called my mechanic in Sarasota and had the vehicle towed to his shop, Tim's Auto. He did a diagnostic test, replaced the crank case sensor; and, I was good to go for around 300.00

Leonard of Gretna, LA November 11, 2009

On 2/27/2009, my daughter took her 2001 Toyota Sequoia to The Pep boys store at in Gretna La to have the rack and pinion replaced at a cost of 772.56 in parts and labor. Upon completion of the repairs, she noticed that the horn did not work and the engine check light was on. She was told that she would have to take her car to the Toyota dealer to have it fixed.

The Toyota dealer found two serious problems. The steering sensor and the spiral cable sub-assembly were damaged. Toyota says that the damage was caused by the steering wheel being spun while disconnected from the rack and pinion (I have repair receipts stating this as being the problem). These two items cost 750.21 in parts and 488.99 in labor to replace.

Now. The way it looks to me is that Pep boys took on a job that they were incapable of doing. The mechanic doing the work was obviously not experienced enough. The management also did not want to deal with the problem letting my daughter drive off without a working horn and check engine light on. I know that the Pep Boy's shops have the latest test equipment that will tell them why the check engine light is on. Why didn't they pursue it? I also feel that my daughter, being a female was taken advantage of. She did not know the importance of driving a car in this condition was and could be dangerous. I cannot believe that a reputable company such as Pep Boys would let a car leave their facility in an unsafe condition and knowing about it!

I have been in contact with the Pep boys store manger leaving him copies of the Toyota repair receipts. He says that he has submitted the info and is waiting for a response. I have returned to the store several times but continue to get the same answer. My question is: did he actually submit the information?

Lisa of Cranberry Twp., PA November 2, 2009

I brought my Honda Accord to the Cranberry Township, PA PepBoys to have my battery replaced. At that time, I requested an oil change. After 2 hours, my car was ready. I drove my car home (about 2 miles), I noticed a burning smell, simply thinking they spilled oil on the engine. While driving my car to work the next morning the engine light came on and the car stalled and would not restart. Requiring my car be towed. The tow truck driver lifted the hood and PepBoys neglected to replace my oil cap. The oil dipstick was dry with no trace of oil.

David of Woodland Hills, CA October 29, 2009

Brought my car in this PEP Boys location for front brakes @ approx. 3:30 P.M. The original quote was 165.48. After checking, they told me that I needed new rotors also which now increased the price to 395.00. The time quoted was 1.5 hours which turned into 3.5 hours. The mechanic, Leon, really did not know what to do and keep asking someone else. In the process, the ABS sensor was damaged. Aldo, the Ass't. Service Mgr. told me that he would order a new one and that it would take 1.5 hrs. to install, if not longer.

Since I was so upset and the afternoon was gone, my evening plans as well, were destroyed, the Ass't store manager gave me a 10% discount off my bill. When trying to check out, there was one person, Brian, staring silently at a woman saying nothing for 20 minutes. I waited 15 minutes just ot get my keys and pay the bill. By that time there were 3 other people in line waiting. This was a waste of my time by having an incompetent person not having the ability to take care of people.

The initial person, Josue, once getting the initial paperwork done, and after considerabe time passed, avoided me and did nothing toresolve the issue. Needless to say, the Service Manager and the Store Manager were no where to be found. The bottom line is that I still work and with an accumulated time of 5 hours building up, it has cost me several hundred dollars of lost time and money. The bottom line is that this store needs to either be closed or new personnel.

Jessica of Los Angeles, CA October 13, 2009

I brought my vehicle in for diagnostics due to a hesitation in the vehicle. Rcvd a phone call explaining the problem the car had and the price, I ok'd for them to work on the car picked up the car the next day and paid for the services and it had the same problem the next day. I brought it back to them a few days later and they said they'd run diagnostics on it again, I recvd a call later that evening from the manager-George that they had found 2 new problems in the vehicle and that they had corrected them. I picked up the car and was told they had no paperwork to give me in regards to the repairs they had just done because I hadn't paid anything this time and the manager was not in. I called and spoke to George and he said they did not write anything out but he would write something up for me-the car is still having the same problem.

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