Any retaliation against a bad business?

Last week my 95 Honda Accord wouldnt start so we had it towed to a reputable (or so we thought) garage. So — they tell us the timing belt has slipped and quoted us $1300 to fix it. Then ASKED TO BUY IT FROM US when my husband was hesitant to give them the go ahead to do repairs. Fast forward after husband calls various garages to get ballpark quotes. We take it to a Honda Dealership and after giving it a thorough diagnostics/look over, they call my husband confused and say “What did they tell u was wrong? The timing belt is fine on this car. It just needs a new battery.”
So after 2 tows, a car rental for the wk, and diagnostics, we are out almost $500 for a bad battery. I know we wont get our money back, but is there anything we can do to make this garage regret having been so dishonest and unprofessional? Dh has called twice and they wont let him speak with the owner, he just gets the service mgr who says “I’m really sorry”.

Do we have any options?

Last week my 95 Honda Accord wouldnt start so we had it towed to a reputable (or so we thought) garage. So — they tell us the timing belt has slipped and quoted us $1300 to fix it. Then ASKED TO BUY IT FROM US when my husband was hesitant to give them the go ahead to do repairs. Fast forward after husband calls various garages to get ballpark quotes. We take it to a Honda Dealership and after giving it a thorough diagnostics/look over, they call my husband confused and say “What did they tell u was wrong? The timing belt is fine on this car. It just needs a new battery.”
So after 2 tows, a car rental for the wk, and diagnostics, we are out almost $500 for a bad battery. I know we wont get our money back, but is there anything we can do to make this garage regret having been so dishonest and unprofessional? Dh has called twice and they wont let him speak with the owner, he just gets the service mgr who says “I’m really sorry”.
$500 may not be much to some of you, but what if we had gone ahead and paid the $1300 in repairs?? Sorry, that’s a lot of $$ to us and I think it’s wrong to do business that way.

Buying Car with Odometer problem?

I’m looking at this ’95 honda accord from a dealer, went w/ my uncle who’s more experienced in buying a car than me. We did the usual body check, popped the hood and checked the engine, incl. timing belt, oil checks, and no leaks. We did a test drive, city and highway, which was smooth. it’s got pretty high mileage, about 230k km, mostly hiway kms. but was assured that it was regularly serviced at the dealership. I’m inclined to buying it, as it looks and drives like mint cond. Told them to let me sleep on it and i got home.

I got home, pulled a CarFax on it. Truth be told it was regularly serviced @ Dealership. But, was flagged with Inconsistent Odometer Reading, could be rollback or clerical error. Jan 7/04 185,510km, Jan 16/04 it was 196k km, but Nov 15/04 it was 185400 km. Sold @ auction 3 times may & jun ’05, feb ’06. mar ’06 odometer was 204k km. mar ’07 it was reported 120k km.

Two Odometer Inconsistencies, screw up or not? & sold 3 times in auction, what do you guys think?
oh yeah, i forgot, i also went to AutoCheck, but AutoCheck doesn’t see any problems to it, unlike w/ CarFax. Also, according to AutoCheck, it’s only been to Auction twice. lol now i’m confused who to believe >.<

Please, I need mechanic help with my 98 VW Passat?

So we bought a 98 Passat a few weeks ago (march 14th is the actual purchase date) When my husband brought it home from the dealership (we bought it out cash) he didnt notice anything wrong with the car. Not until he took the car to get an oil change is that he noticed that the car was leaking coolant. So we took it to VW to get an Diagnosis on what was wrong with the car. So they told us that it had a hoe that was leaking coolant. So to repair that hose it would be around $220 for the part and the labor.
Since the evaluated the whole car, on thei evaluation sheet they marked that the 1. Shock absorbers/suspension/struts, 2. Steering gear box/linkage and boots/ball joints/dust covers, 3. engine oil/fluid leak, 4. drive shaft boots/constant velocity boots/u joints/transmission linkage (if equipped) where all in the red meaning they all need immediate attention. This was all under the “under vehicle” of the inspection report they did on the car.

Ok then on the comments/estimates they added:

Upper links $1027.13
Camshaft Adj Leaking $457
R/Outer CV Boot Torn $250
Reccomend T-Belt $590

I am a lil skeptical and I find it hard to believe that a car with only 104k miles would need all of this. It is a 5-speed manual so I dont know if that makes a difference at all. Part of me just wants to say I told you so and nag him on making the quick purchase and not getting a civic or an accord (i have a lot of faith in honda) but what ever its too late now. I also want to make sure that the dealership servicing is not trying to rip us off. My husband found some receipts in the glove compartment and found that a new timing belt had been put in in the summer of 06′ so we could get that off the list. But that still leaves us with a total of $1734.13 in reoairs which is almost half of what we bought the car for grrrrrr…..

My husband has a mechanic friend who can do the work for him but my husband says he would rather have vw do the work that way he has warranty if anything were to happen with those specific parts.

So what I am wondering is is all this stuff necessary or are they just trying to scam us. I would hate to think so, but you never know.
teh car was purchased as is from a small dealership. the car was always serviced at vw since theprevious owner had a lifetime of free oilchanges with the car. I am wondering if she too the car in to vw and they gave her the list of things that needed to be done so they decided it would be better to sell the car.

Honda Accord 1996, new water pump/timing belt/oil change, smoke coming out from under the car and heats up?

I just had my water pump/timing belt replaced and oil change. When the pump failed, white smoke was coming out, which I figured out to be coolant from the smell. Now there is smoke coming out from under the engine, which I believe to smell like oil. Also, the temperature gauge goes up to the halfway point when I am at a stoplight or idling. The highest I have ever seen it is at 1/3.

I had my car serviced by the dealership and I asked them. The man said its burning oil residue from the oil change and that it will burn away in a few days. Is this true? I have had my car worked on and oil changed for the past year at this dealership and have never had any smoke or other problems. What else could be going on? Worse case scenarios. Thanks everyone.

Weird Startup Problem with a ’90 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme?

I own a ’90s Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Every morning I can start it up just fine, yet if I were to park it, go into the store for a few minutes and then come out to start it again, it simply wont start. After work, when its been sitting there for a few hours, it starts up just fine. Yet for some mysterious reason, I can never stop it and start it in a recent amount of time. When it doesn’t start, it sounds and acts like a car would when the battery is dying.

I took it to my mechanic, he couldn’t figure it out, even after putting in a new fuel gage. The other boys at Napa and O’Reillys auto care cant figure it out either. I have taken it to many different places and yet am having no resolution. I have even seen this problem for others with the same car, same year and model. I am literally now leaving my car running when I go to the stores, leaving it running for upto 20 minutes at a time. I seriously dont know each day whether or not my car will be stolen, its an awfully uneasy feeling to constantly walk out of the store and wonder whether or not my car will still be there.

Can anybody help? Thank you! : )

19 can’t find a job! Why aren’t there any jobs for teens?

Why aren’t any jobs for teens? For 2 years since I was 17 I have been applying everywhere from McDonald’s, Target, Walmart, Burger King, Wendy’s, Scotts Lawn Care, Advance Auto Parts, Napa, and literally over 300 other places in my town and the next town and yet I still can’t find a job! When I go into McDonald’s all I see are Adults in there 30s and 40s working there, same with Burger King, Walmart, Target, etc. I can’t even get an interview! None of my friends have jobs either all of us are trying to go to College but we can’t afford it! Since there are no jobs!
What should I do? Why are some many adults working minimum wage?

NASCAR Nation: What was your 1st Job ever?

I’m starting tomorrow June 16th at NAPA Auto Parts.
Work from 8am – 2pm

How much did you get paid?

Working under the colors of Michael Waltrip Racing!

Take Care

my wifes employer “edits” her overtime,what can i do?

my wife works for napa auto parts in columbus,ohio.she puts in maybe 46 hours every week,but her store manager always “edits” her time down to 40,she has complained to the higher ups, but no one seems to care.who can i call at the state of ohio?????? i geuss they do this to all hourly employees at the direction of the district manager fred mcwhartor.isnt this illegal????????

How do you replace the lower ball joint on a 1999 F150?

One i don’t care if its dangerous or not. I need this thing done by Sunday cause i start college on Monday.

We have the old one out. We are replacing both lowers driver and passenger. We have the driver side one in but we can’t get the stud into the wheel assembly. The stud on the ball joint is towards the ground and not up towards the wheel well. We tried to raise the control arm up high enough to slide the wheel assembly hole into it, but when we get close the CV joint for the 4×4 gets in the way.

My dad and i have thought about taking that CV join out to give us more room but that may not work and its a hassle just to do it. Also, we CAN’T afford to have it taken in and have a mechanic do it. And we rather do it ourselves, but we have asked for help from NAPA, Advanced Auto and O’Reily’s and none of them have had it done before or done it before on any vehicle.

I’ve asked this once before but that was no help so I’m asking again for help. Its not difficult for someone to do, but its difficult if you’ve never done it before. Long as you can get it in right nothing can go wrong. The freakin truck has 217,000, and the engine hasn’t been rebuilt neither has the transmission. And it needs to last me at least 2 more years or atleast til i can find my own vehicle.

Just need help/advice on what to do. Taking it into a mechanic is not an option. We do have family members that could help but they are out of state right now on road construction.

AZ Emissions testing?

I live in the metro phoenix area. My car/truck is 25 years old. I want to get a “historic vehicle” plate. Do I still need to pass an emissions test with this license plate?

95 ford ranger failing pressure test for AZ emissions?

Hi, I have a 95 ford ranger that is failing the pressure test on emissions. I replaced the gas tank vent and it looks like the evap canister and line to the manifold was replaced. (i was selling it but I got it back due to it not passing emissions) without taking it in for service what should I check/replace next?

Can a hot engine affect emissions testing?

I ride an 01 r6 and I went to get it emissions tested. I live in AZ and it was an unusually hot day. While waiting in line at the testing facility I noticed the bike running hot. I barely failed emissions and was wondering if the hot engine could be to blame.

Jeep cherokee fails az emissions test but only at idle.?

My 92 Cherokee 4.0 passes all emissions test except for the idle portion. New plugs wires and distributer were installed last week and it runs great just idles like crap.

emissions test in AZ?

Has anyone out there moved from CA to AZ and had to do an emissions test on their vehicle? If so, would you say that the AZ test is more severe than CA or more leniant?

Am trying to find a service center for my Premier Digital camera because the picture is not very clear?

My Premier Digital Camera model DC4311 and 4.0 mega pixels.

I would like to know the service center for Premier Digital Camera in Saudi Arabia?

Premier Model DC2380

how do the staples center premier seats work at a concert?

i got some premier seats for a jonas brothers concert at the staples center and i read somewhere about all the ammenities that they have for example in seat service, private entrances, ect. and i was wondering if those are still valid at a concert?

Has anyone ever sat in the Premier level in Staples Center for NBA games?

I’m contemplating buying some Lakers tickets on eBay and I see that the premier level seats all have in-seat food and beverage service. Has anyone been in these seats for a Lakers or Clippers game? I just want to know about the in-seat service food, what kind do they serve, how expensive is it, etc?

Staples Center website isn’t exactly detailed about it

Staples center premier seating for concerts?

I have tickets for an upcoming concert and they are for the “premier” seats. Do these seats offer any special services, etc? I was told they do but I am not sure what? Thanks for any input!
How do I go about knowing where to park and enter?

Is there a product to increase gas mileage performance on Cad Catera 2000?

What are some products that I can install that will increase my gas mileage but doesn’t decrease my horespower

I drive a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. Standard

Do you believe is it possible to increase gas mileage 20% with a fuel enhancer ?

I have used this product with four tank refills. I have tracked my mileage prior to and after using the product. I will not name the product that is unimportant. I believe that a major company would have this product if it worked for all as it has for me. What is a reasonable explanation of my success.

Gas mileage increase?

What are some ways that I can increase my gas mileage? Do any of the devices/products out there actually increase your mileage?

how can increase gas mileage of car using a product that doesn’t damages the engine or other parts of the car?

i own a nissan maxima ’96. i need an oil change.anybody know where i can get a cheap oil change?

I DONT WANNA PAY MORE THAN $20.00. I LIVE IN CULVER CITY , CA. I’M ALSO CLOSE TO LOS ANGELES CA. I JUST AM LOOKING FOR A CHEAP OIL CHANGE. I USUALLY PAY $32.00. I CANT REALLY AFFORD IT. PLEASE HELP ME A.S.A.P.

Where in Los Angeles should I service my BMW?

The dealers are extremely expensive. Last oil change was $230. I want to go to a good foreign-cars shop somewhere in Hollywood if possible… with reasonable prices.

driving from virginia to los angeles?

hi

am moving from east coast (virginia ) to los angeles, CA, west coast. i have a 2000 chevy impala with 85k miles in it. vehicle is in smooth drivable condition.

is it recommend to drive this car from virginia to los angeles. if yes, what are the prechecks i need to do before starting this long drive,to avoid any problems during the trip.

few things that i thought abt is:

get AAA 24/7 road assistance
tyre pressure check
oil change

anything else?

Driving from Milwaukee, WI to Los Angeles, CA – Tips, recommendations?

I am considering (solo) driving from Milwaukee to Los Angeles early next month. This will be my first cross-country road trip and can use some tips, advices, and general notes. I have taken road trips requiring up to 4 hours of driving.

Milwaukee to LA is about 2200 miles. I am thinking about 4 to 5 days for this trip … with 6 to 7 hours of driving (day time only) per day. I plan to stay in “acceptable” motels/hotels, but am not making any reservations ahead of time (not knowing where I will stop each night for rest).

Regarding preparing the car for the trip: any tips? 2200 miles is not a lot of miles for car — it is less than one oil change cycle. Will there be any more wear and tear on tires just because one is driving continuously?

I realzie I’ll drive through some tornado states (MO, OK, TX, ..) … any reason to worry about? any tips or cautions?

Thanks so much for your help.

Should I continue to use synthetic motor oil?

This is part 2 of my 1st post. So people got mix feelings for synthetic motor oil but I have a 2001 Toyota Sequoia with barely 40000 miles. My question are:
1) Should I continue to use synthetic motor oil recommended by the dealer? (Mobil 1 synthetic oil)
2) or should I or can I change back to the regular motor oil to save money?
3) any obvious benefits for my car to use synthetic oil? better mileage, good for the engine.. etc.
I live in Los Angeles, so better part of the year is not that hot anyway and my work is onlyaverage 8 miles a day or less.

will a set of brake calipers (front) from a 98 yamaha R1 fit a 2000 R1?

WAS GOING TO BUY CALIPERS ONLINE YET I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 98 CALIPERS FOR SALE WILL FIT ON MY 2000 MODEL?

How much should i sale my truck for?

I have a 1979 Chevy C10 Pick up it has the original 15′ rally sport wheels, a brand new windsheild, spare tranny, tow package, brand new front brakes including calipers,roaters and everything else, a campershell, the back end brakes are 2 years old, theres the usual rust spots, and the bodies sinking on the left side a little bit, it has a v8 engine, its a great work truck, i was thinking 1200 or 1000

North Carolina safety regulations concerning private used car sales.?

My friend bought a car in a private sale. The seller replaced a brake caliper for her but did not let her know that the rotor for that brake was so thin and worn that it was chipping away near the vent fins. My husband discovered this after the sale was made and purely by chance. Had she driven on this rotor for any length of time it would have worn down, locked up, and being driver side front it would have thrown her directly into traffic. Are there any laws regarding this type of negligence on the part of a seller or would be seller?

Do you think this is a car scam?

heres an email response i got from a guy off craigslist for a car:

The car is still available and the price for 2005 Ford Mustang GT Coupe is $3,800. It currently has 31,800 miles, runs great, no mechanical problems at all. There are no rips, tears, stains or marks of any kind in or on the car, has never been involved in an accident. The car has red leather interior and red brake calipers. It is a great 2005 Roush Mustang GT with a roush body kit and 20″ black chrome rims. It also has an aftermarket grill, a couple hundred dollars worth of underglow and the shaker 1000 sound system. The underglow has many different options including several different colors, and paterns of movement. The clear title is available and it will be shipped with the car. You will receive the title, registration and bill of sale.
I recently was promoted and had to move to the UK. I’m in London and the car is located in Columbia, SC. It’s already prepared for shipping and the shipping taxes are included in this price.
To secure this sale, we will use ebay to finalize our deal because it protects both buyer and seller and they keep the money until you get the car. You have 7 days to inspect the car and I receive the money after you make sure everything is ok and decide to keep it. If you don’t like the car and want to return it, I will arrange to ship it back and you will be 100% refunded by ebay. I’m sure you will love the car and don’t want to return it but it’s good to know that you have this option available.
If you have the funds available and want to buy it, I need your name and address to register the sale and receive the payment details from ebay.

Many thanks, Robert

PS. The VIN# is 1ZVHT82H7552*****, if you want to run a carfax report

I also noticed he listed the car again for over $26,000. I’m pretty sure this is a scam, but damn, it’s a nice car. I thought there might be a chance it’s legit if I carefully buy it through ebay motors.
THANKS I THOUGHT IT WAS A SCAM, BUT JUST WANTED SOME CONFIRMATION!
i googled the vin and it came up with a lot of for sale things in nc but when i clicked them it said they were sold already.
YOU DO REALIZE I WOULD HAVE HIM POST IT ON EBAY MOTORS AND I WOULD BUY IT THROUGH EBAY?

It’s amazing how people don’t understand this simple concept.

Lubricant on wheel nuts?

I recently had the wheels off my 1 ton Ford to fix a leaky brake caliper, and to bleed the system. I sprayed the studs with WD40 when I put the wheels back on, and torqued them down to spec. A week and a half later, I happened upon a sale on tires and decided to get the tires on the truck replaced. When I went to pick it up, the tire shop told me that they had to spend 15 minutes on each wheel cleaning the WD40 off the studs. The tire shop manager told me that lubes like WD40 cause the nuts to become overtorqued, and that the best thing to do is just to clean up the threads with a wire brush, and at the most, use dry graphite.

Has anybody ever heard this one? I have used WD40 for years, and I have never had a problem with getting the lug nuts off, or damaging studs or wheels from overtorqueing them.

Would you visit a site like this?

Nowadays there are a countless number of sites dedicated to car tuning and enhancements. With the direction that our economy is going and the way gas prices have been; I was wondering…Would you visit a site that is devoted to strictly to car enhancements that improve MPG and includes tips and tricks to saving gas?

Moving out at 18. Tips? suggestions? Previous experience? anything will help.?

I turn 18 in 5 months and I plan to move out. I have a job and saving up money for a car and insurance. I want to become completely independent from my mom. My dad isnt in the picture I havent seen him for many years. My mom is driving my up the wall and being insanly controlling and manipulating. I want to move out now but legally and financially cant. When I turn 18 i SHOULD be able to financilly. I have a job now and my plan is to save as much $ as possible, move in with friends to a cheap apartment, buy a motorcycle (cheaper and more mpg) and insurance and pay for my own cell phone and own everything. Any tips on how I should do this? Advice?u

How do I save just one part of a home video from a DVD to an mpg file?

I received a DVD with a video on it, divided in chapters. I would like to save just one chapter of the whole DVD in a mpg file I could keep on my laptop or to share with others through e-mail. I have the Sonic application, on my laptop, and I can also burn DVD’s on it. But I am so lost. Can anyone help or give any tips? I’m definitely not a pro. Thanks.

How can I save RM files to my Hard Drive without having to stream them?

I have lots of very interesting Math & Physics videos from the MIT Free Video Lecture content website (OpenCourseWare) and I would be really happy to record this video content to my hard drive to another non-streaming format, for lets say, AVI, MPG, MOV or WMV.

Can you give me any websites tellinbg me how to do that, any softwares that might help? This would be really helpful. Those Math and Physics video lecture are really cool, and I just cant stream them all the time, since I only have Dial-up connectiong right now.

Any tips would be really appreciated.

Thank you

Poor miles per gallon with my 2004 Toyota Corolla automatic transmission! What can be the causes? Thanks.?

My 2004 Toyota Corolla automatic transmission with a 120 000 mileage is giving only 23 mpg. I follow all the tips that a driver can do to save gas but it didn’t work. I even asked a mechanic but he couldn’t answer. Can someone please tell me what may be the causes and what can be done? Thanks a lot.

I am looking for printable auto body repair estimate forms for my body repair business?

How much does it cost to get a car estimate at an auto body repair shop?

Do auto body shops usually charge for estimates of damages?
And how long do they usually take?

Thanks!

Can anyone give me an estimate for auto repair?

ok this is what the mech said he has to do: replace the tensioner and put the serpentine belt back on replace a missing boltmy power steering and tighten a bolt on my altenator. He quoted me almost 400.00 is that right? I think he is rippin me a new one!

Why are auto repairs estimates different when asked for persoanl pay vs. insurance pay?

I always seem to get asked “if this will be personal pay or insurance pay”? I asked what’s the difference? they never seem to have an answer for me. What’s up?

Thank you

Does anyone know of a website that has free online quotes for auto repair?

I am just looking to get an estimate for cost of repair to my car and rather then call around I thought it might be easier, if possible, to first see what price range I am looking at would be.

So, If anyone knows of a website that has online quotes that are free and easy and instant, please let me know.Even if the quotes are just estimates it would allow me to know what kind of cost I am going to face when replacing a clutch and shocks and brakes.

I am hoping that there is a website out there where I can select first what kind of car I have and year, for a better match on estimate of repair, and then input what I need replaced to find out what the estimate/quote would be.

Anyone?

Can you get your car’s carborater adjusted to improve gas mileage? How to do it?

I have a VW Golf, and I could compromise some power for better gas mileage. A guy I know said he’d adjusted something on his buick and upped the fuel economy a lot.
I can’t find him, so maybe you know.
Thank You

i was wondering if adding rubbing alcohol to your gas tank will improve gas mileage or clean the engine?

Does reducing your freeway speed (e.g. to 55 mph) improve gas mileage?

I’ve heard (especially with recent gas prices) that reducing your freeway/highway speed from 65 to 55 improves mileage by something like 10%. But I always seem to get more miles out of my tank when I make extended trips traveling an average of 80 mph.

Also I don’t drive 65 mph on the freeway if I can help it. Does the same argument apply for reducing speeds from 75mph to 65mph, or 85mph to 75mph?

Does premium gasoline improve gas mileage?

I have an ’05 Dodge Dakota with terrible gas mileage; I use regular unleaded because it’s cheaper. I was wondering if premium unleaded improves your mpg?

Which common household product can improve your car’s gas mileage?