shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

I am VERY Unhappy with the work JCAutospec has done on my car. I took it in 4/30/08, (yes last year) to replace the oil pan gasket with a new one as it was leaking awfully. The car was not running, so I had it flat-bedded up to Round Rock.

It sat for a couple weeks once in the shop, and I could not get a hold of the service writer, even after calling multiple times a day, every few days. I waited for a quote for the oil pan gasket labor, but instead, I got a call a couple more weeks later saying my car was ready to be picked up/towed off.
They told me the bill would be "$560.83" with the one way tow. Without ever even estimating me on how much it would cost, they went ahead and just did the work. My father very upset about this went to go check the car out because I was busy at school. He looked under the car to see how it looked, and there was oil dripping everywhere! He pointed it out to them, and they took the car back in, and did it all over. Week or so later the car is "done" and it gets towed back home. When I get home from school, I notice about 6 new dings, on the hood, roof, trunk, doors. Something I could live with, but still upset about.

As I started working on the car to get it running again, I noticed all of my downpipe nuts were replaced with some generic brand nuts? I put my finger on one of them, and it FELL OFF. This worried me, so I checked every nut. Same thing, not even hand tight. I then checked the turbo lines, oil lines, water lines all loose. I had them all torqued down before I even put the motor in the car, so I know something was going on there.
Another thing, once I was able to crank the motor over (a couple months after getting the car back) There was oil all over the ground yet AGAIN!! Yes it still leaks, and its not a small leak. I get under the car to see where it could be coming from, and I notice the passenger side motor mount bolt, is replaced with yet ANOTHER generic brand bolt. Not even the same size, maybe not even the same threads, but the bold was clearly stick about an inch out. I dont know if thats because they could be different threads, or if it was never tightened down, as most of their work has been done *hand tight*.
Everytime I got to park and look under the car, theres a good half a cup of oil on the ground, and I always have to keep a spare quart of oil around.

Anyways, I would NEVER do buisness with JCAutospec ever again for any kind of work. And I warn everyone about their work.

jamespond24

iTrader: (13)

I have really good success with the oil brace pan. It cost around $100

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

If I could go back and do the work myself, I would, and I would buy that oil pan brace.

Supernaut

iTrader: (83)

Did you tell them about your complaints? If they did that to my car, I would consider legal action. I mean come on! Who are these people. This isn't Nam. There are rules!

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

Yes, but its been over a year that I've noticed all these things, so the warranty is expired. I'm supposed to talk to the owner/guy who worked on my car sometime next week, hopefully work something out.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Never heard of them, and I was around the Texas rotary scene a long time.

Why didn't you bring the car to RP/rx7.com in Garland, or stay local and go to MZM? Hell, Gotham was still open back then too. Lots of good options.

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

I wish I did!
I didn't know of too many local shops at the time, and I got a few referrals about they're Rx7 work. Little did I know, the people who referred me were people who worked at the shop

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

*UPDATE*

This is the reply I got back from the shop

"Your car came in completely disassembled as a result of attempting to fix it from FIRE DAMAGE. We never touched your lines and to accuse us of other damage is false, misleading and malicious. We also even used the gasket you provided. The oil leak you are seeing is from a disassembled engine and lines that were never installed properly, of which we never touched. Again, this car had extensive FIRE DAMAGE, which is why we refused to work on it further despite your father's request."

Now how can someone not do an OIL PAN GASKET job on a car with some electrical fire damage? Not only that, but everything in the engine bay was already replaced with new parts, even a new engine and harness. To do an oil pan job, I don't think that having a broken or melted connector could make the oil pan leak? I don't see how anyone can tell this car ever had "EXTENSIVE ENGINE FIRE DAMAGE"

They also said the car came to them disassembled? It came to them complete with an extra oil pan and gasket that I supplied. The oil lines that were loose never leaked oil, because I caught that they were loosened before I ever got to crank the engine over.

Also, this is the Service manager writing to me, NOT the guy who did the work. The man that did the work is out of town. (So he says)

This is what the car looked like when it went in.



Someone tell me, why they would not be able to complete an oil pan gasket job because the throttle body elbow is not connected?

And this is the random bolt they threw in, which is the cause of the leak.



The motor mount is not even touching the motor, not even the other bolt on the same mount, which will only make the leak worse with all the engine flex. So I am not even able to drive the car in the condition its in now.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

If you paid via credit card I'd look into having a chargeback initiated.

j_tso

iTrader: (2)

This is a bit disconcerting to me, as I've been to them before and had good service. I don't go often as I do much of my own maintenance.

Which location did you go to? One of the original owners and rotary specialist, John Long, now operates the one in Georgetown, the other is in Round Rock.

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

I've done all the work on my car myself, but I didn't have the tools or equipment to do the oil pan job myself.

I went to the Round Rock location, I spoke with John, and he was in the process of opening up that new shop. He was one of the guys that did the work on my car, but I think the bad work was from another worker, because the second time they had to do the oil pan, someone else had done it I believe. I have heard good things about John as well, but I don't know about his other employees.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

That last pic of the motor mounts is pure negligence. Not really any way to argue otherwise.....seems like they gave you the car back with a worse oil leak than when you brought it to them.

Rx72Heaven

iTrader: (2)

Wow thats BS. Id be getting in their face, and not back down until you get this settled the way you want it!

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

Pretty much.

Normally I would, but the time and effort it would take is just not worth it. The most I can do is just warn others about my experience with them. The Service Manager is a jerk, and I hate arguing back and forth through immature Emails with him like its high school drama.

Dan P., if you have anything you would like to say, go ahead and say it here, rather then telling me how displeased you are with my review.

RedBaronII

iTrader: (4)

Apparently you missed OP's post #5:

"Yes, but its been over a year that I've noticed all these things, so the warranty is expired".

I think you have only 60 -90 days for a charge back.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Nope, I didn't miss it......some credit cards will give you up to 18 months for chargebacks.

RedBaronII

iTrader: (4)

Can you name those cards, I'm interested in getting one.
The popular ones I have, Amex, Visa, MC and Discover go between 60-90 days max for a charge back.
I would like to have the benefit of 18 months.

topdownbackroads

Something went very wrong here; not the usual very good work.
*I sense a lot of miscommunication, questionable results & too many people/views of what happened with the actual tech (??) who last worked on your RX. Widely different stories.
*John Long is the owner & ONLY rotary qualified tech there & never did this kind of work before.
*Dan P., all the other service writer(s) & all other techs are not rotary-specific knowledgable.
*Hence, I/we always talk directly to John ONLY before for an estimate before work & an update after work on a rotary-specific problem.
*John normally would have told you what he recomends, can, can't & won't do on a rotary; if he's busy, we wait for his response.
*Somebody on one or both sides dropped the ball, even if they refused, then worked on the car, however badly.
*Never wait again after bad work, it's unfair to an honest shop & hard to resolve for both sides as time passes. The problem tech may be gone by then & the faded history passes thru too many people after the warranty.
===========================================
*I recommend seeing John alone (he is usually patient & clear w/customers) by appointment, maybe with the tech who did the work (if not John). Send/refer him to your bill, history, RX condition photos before & after.
*Find out face to face the real story from the one ultimately responsible for the quality of work & reputation of his shop.
*Let us know. This is way, way more like Firestone or Lamb's than AutoSpecialist.
=============================================
Inspite of your experience, MZM, Protech or Mazda have always had high prices & mixed work reviews at best.
LD.

shmacklepap

iTrader: (15)

There has been a lot of miss-communication throughout the time of it going into the shop, until now. I have only been able to speak with John from when I first took the car in, and until now. I'm pretty sure that it was another tech that did the work, because before it even left the shop, there was already a new leak.

I have heard that from quite a few people, however I doubt he did the work, because I know he must be a good tech.

Yup


I was able to talk to John for quite a while when I first got the car to them. He looked at it for a while, and said they can definitely do the oil pan gasket, but probably not get it to where it could be up and running. That was fine with me

He recommended I get the Power FC because of all the bolt ons I had, and things removed. I know he was busy at the time, but I never even got a call asking if it was ok to do the work, or a quote. (I know that was not his fault)

It seemed they just wanted it done, and out of there as quick as possible I had no clue what was going on until it was time to get the car back.

That was where I messed up, after getting the car back, I noticed the small leak, but I was never able to get the car jacked up to take a look at it until recently when the leak got really bad. I never asked them to fix my car after that, just what could I do about it, I mean the car had 0 miles put on since then. And I hate getting the only response "OUT OF WARRANTY OUT OF WARRANTY" by about a month over.
===========================================
I've already started the work to do it myself, I'm gonna go ahead and redo the whole oil pan, and use Banzai's Oil pan brace, along with new polyurethane motor mounts So I can hopefully be "done" with the underside of the motor and hopefully no more leaks
I will keep updated with what happens or what I plan to do.
=============================================
I agree, thats what scared me of taking it to one of those shops. I have friends, and know lots of people at Mazda that I trust, but the prices are a little steep for me, and I know that the reason for the fire about 4 years ago was because of their work

RedBaronII

iTrader: (4)

Don't you have one of those 18 months charge back credit cards, that Rich mentioned???
I still want to know which one are those.
I have been looking since then, but to no avail.
Rich can you tell us which cards are those???

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

I've noticed that you tend to be a bit of an antagonistic pain in the behind, is there a reason for this? Did we ever meet when I lived out in Texas?

USAA is one such bank that offers this kind of protection, I used it back in 2001 when I was a Captain stationed at Fort Hood. I wouldn't expect you to know this of course. Have a great weekend Chief

RedBaronII

iTrader: (4)

Never mind.