Goodyear Service Center - Damaged Wheel, etc.
04-23-2011, 08:42 PM
#1
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 3,114
Goodyear Service Center - Damaged Wheel, etc.
I know a lot of you dread taking your car into any service center for repairs. Here's yet another reason to find a reputable service center - if there is such a thing.
I've been delaying an alignment for quite a while. It's been a few months since I installed the lowering springs. I know I should have done this much sooner, but I hate having anyone touch the car for reasons I'm about to explain.
I've been using a local Goodyear service center for my other vehicles the last couple of years without any problems, so I decided to take the mustang there today. In addition to the alignment, I asked them to patch the RIGHT REAR tire. I removed a nail from it a couple months ago and plugged it myself until it could be properly patched. I capitalized RIGHT REAR for a reason...
When I brought the car in I spoke directly to the STORE MANAGER. I told him I would like a wheel alignment and to please patch the RIGHT REAR tire. I explained that I had plugged the tire myself. I assumed he was listening intently as he was writing up the paper work. You know what the word ASSUMED means. "Making an *** out of YOU and ME".
They took my car into the garage and starting working. About 45 minutes later the SERVICE MANAGER comes out and asks for me. He directs me to follow him into the garage. At this point I thought he was going to point out something in the suspension of the car, but unfortunately not. Instead he brings me over to my wheel where he shows my two small gouges. He said the technician had an accident where the machine malfunctioned and hit the wheel. He said they would repair the wheel but it would take two days. Of course I'm not a happy camper at this point, so all I can say is, "I was debating whether I should bring my car to Goodyear for this exact reason". I'm now pissed off and leave the garage, going back to the waiting room until they finish.
Once the car was done the service manager once again apologized and said it was a mistake. I simply said that's not acceptable. Tires are their business and if they can't get that right, then something's wrong. This seemed to really irritate him and he walked away. I received my paper work and paid ~$100.00, then went out to further inspect the car and go home. When I walked up to the car I noticed they had repaired the LEFT REAR tire and not the RIGHT REAR. WTF! Now I'm really not happy. I go back into the service center and told the STORE MANAGER. He didn't have a good answer for this, but said they found a nail in the left rear tire. He then told me to stay and they would repair the correct tire. I said no way since they already gouged my wheel and I proceeded to leave with some tire squealing included. :-)
About 45 minutes later they called my cell phone and apologized once more. They removed all the charges from my debit card and told me they would call on Monday to arrange the wheel repair. I declined the repair and will figure that out myself. I really don't want them touching it again. The two gouges are really small and are barely noticable after I buffed them out a bit.
So now the question is, "Where do you find a service center that won't ruin your car?" I imagine you need to rely on references.
I've been delaying an alignment for quite a while. It's been a few months since I installed the lowering springs. I know I should have done this much sooner, but I hate having anyone touch the car for reasons I'm about to explain.
I've been using a local Goodyear service center for my other vehicles the last couple of years without any problems, so I decided to take the mustang there today. In addition to the alignment, I asked them to patch the RIGHT REAR tire. I removed a nail from it a couple months ago and plugged it myself until it could be properly patched. I capitalized RIGHT REAR for a reason...
When I brought the car in I spoke directly to the STORE MANAGER. I told him I would like a wheel alignment and to please patch the RIGHT REAR tire. I explained that I had plugged the tire myself. I assumed he was listening intently as he was writing up the paper work. You know what the word ASSUMED means. "Making an *** out of YOU and ME".
They took my car into the garage and starting working. About 45 minutes later the SERVICE MANAGER comes out and asks for me. He directs me to follow him into the garage. At this point I thought he was going to point out something in the suspension of the car, but unfortunately not. Instead he brings me over to my wheel where he shows my two small gouges. He said the technician had an accident where the machine malfunctioned and hit the wheel. He said they would repair the wheel but it would take two days. Of course I'm not a happy camper at this point, so all I can say is, "I was debating whether I should bring my car to Goodyear for this exact reason". I'm now pissed off and leave the garage, going back to the waiting room until they finish.
Once the car was done the service manager once again apologized and said it was a mistake. I simply said that's not acceptable. Tires are their business and if they can't get that right, then something's wrong. This seemed to really irritate him and he walked away. I received my paper work and paid ~$100.00, then went out to further inspect the car and go home. When I walked up to the car I noticed they had repaired the LEFT REAR tire and not the RIGHT REAR. WTF! Now I'm really not happy. I go back into the service center and told the STORE MANAGER. He didn't have a good answer for this, but said they found a nail in the left rear tire. He then told me to stay and they would repair the correct tire. I said no way since they already gouged my wheel and I proceeded to leave with some tire squealing included. :-)
About 45 minutes later they called my cell phone and apologized once more. They removed all the charges from my debit card and told me they would call on Monday to arrange the wheel repair. I declined the repair and will figure that out myself. I really don't want them touching it again. The two gouges are really small and are barely noticable after I buffed them out a bit.
So now the question is, "Where do you find a service center that won't ruin your car?" I imagine you need to rely on references.
04-23-2011, 10:16 PM
#2
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Florida
Posts: 66
Talk to your friends and relatives. In my opinion you don't go to any tire service center for anything - regardless of the brand name. You find a mechanic that truly works on cars and then ask him where he gets his tires, alignments etc. Have I been to a tire service center - sure emergencies happen. Your mechanic owns his 3-5 stall garage as a free standing building usually off the beaten path of main arteries. Find him and find peace and happiness.
04-23-2011, 10:26 PM
#3
Retired Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 9,235
Sorry this happened, but not much else could be done.
Obviously, some confusion on which tire, as the right rear depends from which side you are looking, but some clarification should have been made by repair shoppe, to be sure. Not making an excuse for anyone, but do you actually think they intentionally attempted repair of the wrong tire?
As for the wheel damage, they should offer a replacement and that is fair. To use this issue as an excuse to say there may not be a "reputable one" is just a weak arguement. **** happens and unfortunately, it happened to you here.
Jazzer
Obviously, some confusion on which tire, as the right rear depends from which side you are looking, but some clarification should have been made by repair shoppe, to be sure. Not making an excuse for anyone, but do you actually think they intentionally attempted repair of the wrong tire?
As for the wheel damage, they should offer a replacement and that is fair. To use this issue as an excuse to say there may not be a "reputable one" is just a weak arguement. **** happens and unfortunately, it happened to you here.
Jazzer
04-24-2011, 07:34 AM
#4
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 3,114
Sorry this happened, but not much else could be done.
Obviously, some confusion on which tire, as the right rear depends from which side you are looking, but some clarification should have been made by repair shoppe, to be sure. Not making an excuse for anyone, but do you actually think they intentionally attempted repair of the wrong tire?
As for the wheel damage, they should offer a replacement and that is fair. To use this issue as an excuse to say there may not be a "reputable one" is just a weak arguement. **** happens and unfortunately, it happened to you here.
Jazzer
Obviously, some confusion on which tire, as the right rear depends from which side you are looking, but some clarification should have been made by repair shoppe, to be sure. Not making an excuse for anyone, but do you actually think they intentionally attempted repair of the wrong tire?
As for the wheel damage, they should offer a replacement and that is fair. To use this issue as an excuse to say there may not be a "reputable one" is just a weak arguement. **** happens and unfortunately, it happened to you here.
Jazzer
04-24-2011, 07:35 AM
#5
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 3,114
Talk to your friends and relatives. In my opinion you don't go to any tire service center for anything - regardless of the brand name. You find a mechanic that truly works on cars and then ask him where he gets his tires, alignments etc. Have I been to a tire service center - sure emergencies happen. Your mechanic owns his 3-5 stall garage as a free standing building usually off the beaten path of main arteries. Find him and find peace and happiness.
04-24-2011, 08:57 AM
#6
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: WI
Posts: 1,898
I had a similar issue that turned out good in the end... I have used the same local tire shop for years and never had a problem. Long story short is they ended up damaging 8 wheels when I was swapping out my CS69s for '10 GT500 wheels last fall. It took about a week, but they made everything right by ordering a new set of replacement GT500 wheels and attempted to fix my CS69s (which was not possible). I already had a buyer lined up for the CS69s who agreed to still by them at about 1/2 of our original agreement and the tire shop covered the difference with cash.
This was simply a screw up with the tire mounting machine in which a new tip had an imperfection that caused all the scratches. But in the end, they went out of their way to make it right and me happy (that is why shops have insurance which covered everything), delivered all the wheels/tires to my house and refunded the original mounting cost. As I told them... they have a customer for life! I went back shortly there after and got a great deal on tires for my DD.
Morale of the story... inadvertant damage can happen at even good shops, but in the end it is how they handle making it right.
This was simply a screw up with the tire mounting machine in which a new tip had an imperfection that caused all the scratches. But in the end, they went out of their way to make it right and me happy (that is why shops have insurance which covered everything), delivered all the wheels/tires to my house and refunded the original mounting cost. As I told them... they have a customer for life! I went back shortly there after and got a great deal on tires for my DD.
Morale of the story... inadvertant damage can happen at even good shops, but in the end it is how they handle making it right.
Last edited by Doogie65; 05-02-2011 at 08:44 AM.
05-01-2011, 08:15 PM
#7
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: AL
Posts: 55
Hate to year that happened to ya. I've had similar frustrations with some of the usual service centers. They lost a few of my lug nut caps and refused to admit that they lost them. I checked tire pressure before taking my car in so I know the caps where all there, but they didn't want to deal with it and blew it off. Just gotta find the right place I guess, now I've got a few friends who are mechanics so I can usually get them to do any of the work I can't do in a driveway so that helps a lot
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