Pep Boys Broke It, What Would You Do?

[914lps]

I had a brand new P/S Pump fail on my when driving though the Mohave. The only place I could find to work on the car was a Pep Boys.

I paid them to replace the pump, and replace the belt. I also told them to let me know if anything eles needed attention.

Got the car back in 3 days. Drove straight home with it.

On getting home found out :

Car was blowing smoke on start up (never did this before).

P/S system now had a mix of P/S fluid and DEXIII. (they toped of with P/S fluid).

One vacum line from P/S Pump going to conector on Air Intake was pluged, and fitting was broken off Intake houseing.

The othe vacum line was conected. But hoses at the air valve were cross conected.

Air Valve was damadged and fluid ws getting sucked up the crossed conected vacum line.

I need to replace the air intake due to the broken fiting cost about $230.00 (dealer item). I made a temp. fix with some hose and JB weld.

I have flushed and refilled the P/S system with DexIII

I have disconected both vacum lines from the P/S system and need to replace the valve. About $80.00 for the part and 1 hour of time.

I had to completly clean the air intake system and throutail body, along with the mass Air Flow Sensor, to get the Power Steering fluid out of the intake system. I also used B12 Chem Tool in the gas tank and used engine vacum to chem tool the manafold.

Now the car no longer smokes at stat up. There was a good amount of P/S fluid all over the intake system.

Now I need to tell Pep Boys what I want from them. I'm not happy. What would you guys expect from Pep Boys?

[MadMax96]

Sorry for your misfortune... but what would I expect from Pepboys? Nothing except aggravation! I know you didn't have a choice, but hear too many horror stories from them!

[nc211]

Document Document Document EVERYTHING. Make a list of labor that you had to do, and how long it took. Notify Pep Boys Corporate, tell them the store location that did it, the time you were there, and the cost "proven by your receipt, or if you lost it, pull your bank records and find the posting to that store from your account". Tell them what they did, and that you feel it was so badly messed up that you feel it was almost intentional. Tell them that you INSIST on your local LEXUS DEALERSHIP to review their work and fix anything that was damaged do to their poor, and even intentional, performance. They will most likely ask to you take the car to your nearest Pep Boys shop so they can look at it. Tell them that is ok with you, however you will not allow them to perform any work on the vehicle, and you will not leave it unattended at any point.

don't know if you remember my Wal-Mart problem last July with the lower oil pan threads being stripped out or not, but Wal-Mart agreed to pay half of the DEALERSHIP bill with me "$300 a piece". I said this was fair simply because the car is 10 years old with 100k miles on it, so I seriously doubt they were fully to blame. However, the previous oil change prior to the incident was done at WalMart, and it was NOT noted on the receipt of the pending thread failure of the pan. So, for $300 I got a new lower oil pan, seal, M1 oil change "twice" and labor from the dealership. Not too bad if you ask me.

I had a brand new P/S Pump fail on my when driving though the Mohave.  The only place I could find to work on the car was a Pep Boys.

I paid them to replace the pump, and replace the belt.  I also told them to let me know if anything eles needed attention.

Got the car back in 3 days.  Drove straight home with it.

On getting home found out :

Car was blowing smoke on start up (never did this before).

P/S system now had a mix of P/S fluid and DEXIII. (they toped of with P/S fluid).

One vacum line from P/S Pump going to conector on Air Intake was pluged, and fitting was broken off Intake houseing.

The othe vacum line was conected.  But hoses at the air valve were cross conected.

Air Valve was damadged and fluid ws getting sucked up the crossed conected vacum line.

I need to replace the air intake due to the broken fiting cost about $230.00 (dealer item).  I made a temp. fix with some hose and JB weld.

I have flushed and refilled the P/S system with DexIII

I have disconected both vacum lines from the P/S system and need to replace the valve.  About $80.00 for the part and 1 hour of time.

I had to completly clean the air intake system and throutail body, along with the mass Air Flow Sensor, to get the Power Steering fluid out of the intake system.  I also used B12 Chem Tool in the gas tank and used engine vacum to chem tool the manafold.

Now the car no longer smokes at stat up.  There was a good amount of P/S fluid all over the intake system. 

Now I need to tell Pep Boys what I want from them.  I'm not happy.  What would you guys expect from Pep Boys?

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[914lps]

I forgot to tell you. My remote key was also up. The screw is missing, also the battery and the little rubber botton. Without the button remote can not be used. And you can't buy a "button.

Do not think this was done intenstionally. Just real slopy work with no pride of workmanship.

The closist Pep Boys to me is 100 miles away. Same with a Lexus dealer. As such I would be happy to let them send someone to look at the car.

I have called the manager of the store. Did not get into it with him as I knew it was a lost cuase when he told me that a lexus dealer told them to use PS fluid. The cap states DEXIII right on it! Only a dumb would think it's OK to put PS fluid in without talking to the cars owner about if it has DexII or what in it???

More likly then not I'm going to ask for the $600.00 I paid them back.

I have left two voice mails at corp. I have spent 20 min trying to talk with them. Just getting run around so fair.

This was done in Calif so I can file a complent with the auto repair folks.

[indiasfinest]

ok that remote starter thing sounds VERY intentional, correct me if im wrong, but why the heck would u need to open the key to ur remote starter to fix a pump? take out the battery and the button??? are you ****** kidding me? i would be really *BLEEP*ed..

[bartkat]

You say you had a brand new power steering pump that failed, then you went to Pep Boys. What was the resolution on the first pump, being as it was new? Who installed that? Could that be related to some of the problems with the second pump? Just curious as to problems with two consecutive pumps.

[914lps]

You say you had a brand new power steering pump that failed, then you went to Pep Boys.  What was the resolution on the first pump, being as it was new?  Who installed that?  Could that be related to some of the problems with the second pump?  Just curious as to problems with two consecutive pumps.

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First pump main baering siezed up. Still waiting on Auto Zone to get back to me. I bought it there. It was installed by my regular shop.

I had no issues after first pump was installed. Everything fine till main bearing siezed.

Secound pump is working fine. Issues are from sloppy work, or guy working on the car being an .

I am a "student" of human nature so to say. On someone taking the remote apart just to be a , is small. But a poorly paid guy at PeP Boys taking it apart, just to take it apart... Then loosing parts... Very likly. Not done to be nasty... Done becouse they are an idiot. You know like someone that would put PS fluid into a unit marked DEXIII...... And haveing orked on it and having sen the bright red fluid in the system, but still top it off with clear PS fluid.... Poor sloppy work, from a person that does not care. Like someone that would break a fitting on a customers car and not tell the customer... But just plug vacum lines and say nothing.....