wheel works nightmare
08-15-09 | 07:14 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Illusionist.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 39
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From: Northern California
wheel works nightmare
was at wheel works today to get an alignment done. after an hour, i'm curious why it's not done yet. they tell me the tie rod ends are broken. blame it on wear and tear
i'm pretty sure the mechanic snapped the tie rod ends. nothing i can really do except wait for them to get replacements. my question is they moved it off the lift without my knowing. walk outside, see a guy trying to drive it and another guy straightening the wheel. as they're trying to move it i see my front end lift. driver keeps gassing i hear a clunk.
im not too happy about eating the cost of the tie rod ends but i cant really do anything. is there any danger of them moving it around without the tie rod ends? worried about that clunk.
i'm pretty sure the mechanic snapped the tie rod ends. nothing i can really do except wait for them to get replacements. my question is they moved it off the lift without my knowing. walk outside, see a guy trying to drive it and another guy straightening the wheel. as they're trying to move it i see my front end lift. driver keeps gassing i hear a clunk.
im not too happy about eating the cost of the tie rod ends but i cant really do anything. is there any danger of them moving it around without the tie rod ends? worried about that clunk.
08-15-09 | 07:21 PM
#2
Well which side is broken, the inner or outer tie rods?
Assuming everything is still together but broken, i dont think much damage can be done from moving it around although i could be wrong. The inner tie rods go to the steering rack. Inner rods go to the outer rods which go to the steering knuckle arm.
If its broken and not connected, i dont see how they can steer.
Assuming everything is still together but broken, i dont think much damage can be done from moving it around although i could be wrong. The inner tie rods go to the steering rack. Inner rods go to the outer rods which go to the steering knuckle arm.
If its broken and not connected, i dont see how they can steer.
08-15-09 | 09:43 PM
#3
That bit about driving the car without tie rods is scary. They could really damage the front suspension. Front control arms and stuff are NOT cheap.
I would definitely not let them off the hook until they show you things are fixed and nothing else is broken.
I would definitely not let them off the hook until they show you things are fixed and nothing else is broken.
08-16-09 | 03:30 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Illusionist.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 39
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From: Northern California
08-16-09 | 05:20 AM
#6
Where has my $ gone?
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,654
Likes: 7
From: Bay Area, Cal/Phoenix, AZ
Wow this is crazy, my friend(Bay area) just went to a wheel works to get new tires on his BMW and they fucked up bad, 2 werent balanced, 1 was at 60psi, 1 at 23psi, one leaking bad....and they blamed him for it all...
08-16-09 | 02:55 PM
#7
Wait, if they were broken, how the hell did you drive the car there? Cause you for sure couldnt drive the car with a broken tie rod. So...They obviously broke it. What is there to discuss? Make them buy you brand new oem replacements.
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08-16-09 | 05:14 PM
#8
It would take a large impact to break a tie rod end. They are clearly at fault...
08-17-09 | 03:04 PM
#10
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 731
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From: Dallas TX
Did they show you the broken parts? I bet they hit the outer tierod end(s) on part of their lift when they drove it onto the lift. You should inspect the underside of your car for more damage caused by these jerks. You should also be talking to their manager about them fixing your car at their cost.
08-17-09 | 03:16 PM
#11
08-17-09 | 03:51 PM
#12
I'm the guy with the M3 that MakoRacing talked about. Go ahead name names, this **** is unacceptable. My drama started at the Concord store.
Got 4 new tires, when I got the car back the pressures were way uneven with one tire on the front over 60psi (my gauge only goes to 60psi) another was at 20 (which I discovered had a major leak). No cable stem caps. Vibration starting at 45mph. and none of the index marks on the tires were used to align them on the wheels.
I brought the car back, the service advisor nerviously laughed as I told him my concerns. He blew off my request to move the tires on the rims, but agreed to rebalance them. When I get the car back I'm told that 3 out of the 4 wheels were out of balance but that this is normal for sport tires. I'm also told that the leak is cause by my wheels rusting (they are aluminium) so tar sealant was used.
After all that I still feel vibration on the freeway at 65. So I wrote an email to corporate. I got a call the next day from the manager of the Antioch store. He was apologetic and wanted to make things right so here I wait in their waiting room to see if they can get it right the third time.
Got 4 new tires, when I got the car back the pressures were way uneven with one tire on the front over 60psi (my gauge only goes to 60psi) another was at 20 (which I discovered had a major leak). No cable stem caps. Vibration starting at 45mph. and none of the index marks on the tires were used to align them on the wheels.
I brought the car back, the service advisor nerviously laughed as I told him my concerns. He blew off my request to move the tires on the rims, but agreed to rebalance them. When I get the car back I'm told that 3 out of the 4 wheels were out of balance but that this is normal for sport tires. I'm also told that the leak is cause by my wheels rusting (they are aluminium) so tar sealant was used.
After all that I still feel vibration on the freeway at 65. So I wrote an email to corporate. I got a call the next day from the manager of the Antioch store. He was apologetic and wanted to make things right so here I wait in their waiting room to see if they can get it right the third time.
08-17-09 | 05:09 PM
#13
Thread Starter
Illusionist.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
This is the fremont albrae store. I should have known. A bunch of kids but I figured it was an alignment--what could they really do? Guess I know now
I took a quick look on saturday. Regarding the lift, I'm not sure what it could have caught on. I didn't see any other damage (before they started driving it with tie rods detached). I plan on taking pictures today when I go back. I'm pretty sure they just overtorqued it but I'll check again.
I've got two things going for me
1. I took it to Mr. Mazda on Friday to install a boost controller and do an oil change. He's willing to go on the record to state the car was fine. Also, how else could I have driven it to wheel works? I think it's clear they caused the damage
2. My best friend is a district attorney. I really don't have the time nor do I think it cost efficient to issue a civil suit. They have the time and the funds to outlast me. Threat of criminal prosecution for auto fraud, however, might make them more amenable to owning up to things. I also plan to write corporate. Thanks for the tip
Will let you guys know how this goes
I took a quick look on saturday. Regarding the lift, I'm not sure what it could have caught on. I didn't see any other damage (before they started driving it with tie rods detached). I plan on taking pictures today when I go back. I'm pretty sure they just overtorqued it but I'll check again.
I've got two things going for me
1. I took it to Mr. Mazda on Friday to install a boost controller and do an oil change. He's willing to go on the record to state the car was fine. Also, how else could I have driven it to wheel works? I think it's clear they caused the damage
2. My best friend is a district attorney. I really don't have the time nor do I think it cost efficient to issue a civil suit. They have the time and the funds to outlast me. Threat of criminal prosecution for auto fraud, however, might make them more amenable to owning up to things. I also plan to write corporate. Thanks for the tip
Will let you guys know how this goes
I'm the guy with the M3 that MakoRacing talked about. Go ahead name names, this **** is unacceptable. My drama started at the Concord store.
Got 4 new tires, when I got the car back the pressures were way uneven with one tire on the front over 60psi (my gauge only goes to 60psi) another was at 20 (which I discovered had a major leak). No cable stem caps. Vibration starting at 45mph. and none of the index marks on the tires were used to align them on the wheels.
I brought the car back, the service advisor nerviously laughed as I told him my concerns. He blew off my request to move the tires on the rims, but agreed to rebalance them. When I get the car back I'm told that 3 out of the 4 wheels were out of balance but that this is normal for sport tires. I'm also told that the leak is cause by my wheels rusting (they are aluminium) so tar sealant was used.
After all that I still feel vibration on the freeway at 65. So I wrote an email to corporate. I got a call the next day from the manager of the Antioch store. He was apologetic and wanted to make things right so here I wait in their waiting room to see if they can get it right the third time.
Got 4 new tires, when I got the car back the pressures were way uneven with one tire on the front over 60psi (my gauge only goes to 60psi) another was at 20 (which I discovered had a major leak). No cable stem caps. Vibration starting at 45mph. and none of the index marks on the tires were used to align them on the wheels.
I brought the car back, the service advisor nerviously laughed as I told him my concerns. He blew off my request to move the tires on the rims, but agreed to rebalance them. When I get the car back I'm told that 3 out of the 4 wheels were out of balance but that this is normal for sport tires. I'm also told that the leak is cause by my wheels rusting (they are aluminium) so tar sealant was used.
After all that I still feel vibration on the freeway at 65. So I wrote an email to corporate. I got a call the next day from the manager of the Antioch store. He was apologetic and wanted to make things right so here I wait in their waiting room to see if they can get it right the third time.
08-17-09 | 10:35 PM
#14
I used to take my cars to a Goodyear down the street. They rotated the tires on my MDX and didn't see a bubble on the inside of one tire. I saw it when I got home. I let that slide. Next time I took it up for brakes. They forgot to tighten down a front caliper. Took it back, they fixed it and I've never been back.
I take all of the cars to Performance Alignment now. They let me stand right there the whole time. They are the best in the Cincinnati area.
We don't have Wheel Works here. Sounds like a Jiffy Lube.
I take all of the cars to Performance Alignment now. They let me stand right there the whole time. They are the best in the Cincinnati area.
We don't have Wheel Works here. Sounds like a Jiffy Lube.
08-17-09 | 11:48 PM
#15
Thread Starter
Illusionist.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
So the good news is I don't see any other damage. The tie rod rests above the anti roll bar and I didn't see any scratching on those. Mr Mazda is also pretty confident short of ******* up my wheel well, there isn't too much they could have done to my control arms driving it out.
I also narrowed down the source of the failure. Luckily, the old tie rod end was still in the trash can when I got there today. The end near the screw is completely severed but there's no sign of corrosion. I took it to Mr Mazda and Mike told me they probably tightened it instead of loosened it. So I've got the part and the testimony of Mr. Mazda who had a road test for my boost controller the day before I took it to Wheel works. Mike thinks it's going to be an open-shut case.
Gave the kid at the counter a chance to fess up. Didn't take it. Tomorrow, I'm going to call corporate. If they're equally uncooperative, I'm going to call the Burea of Automotive Repair and file a small claims case. Mike told me 95% of the time, shops lose and CA is really on the side of the consumer. I can eat $800 but I don't want to let these guys get away with it. Somebody needs to shut these ******* down.
I also narrowed down the source of the failure. Luckily, the old tie rod end was still in the trash can when I got there today. The end near the screw is completely severed but there's no sign of corrosion. I took it to Mr Mazda and Mike told me they probably tightened it instead of loosened it. So I've got the part and the testimony of Mr. Mazda who had a road test for my boost controller the day before I took it to Wheel works. Mike thinks it's going to be an open-shut case.
Gave the kid at the counter a chance to fess up. Didn't take it. Tomorrow, I'm going to call corporate. If they're equally uncooperative, I'm going to call the Burea of Automotive Repair and file a small claims case. Mike told me 95% of the time, shops lose and CA is really on the side of the consumer. I can eat $800 but I don't want to let these guys get away with it. Somebody needs to shut these ******* down.
