I have a 2001 Honda Civic thats been running fine since we bought it 2 years ago. We put an alarm on it then and its never given us any trouble. Last week we noticed a plastic burning smell from the engine & a few nights later after it had been driven, the car wouldn't start back up. The next morning we went back to it & it started. We went to a shop and they thought it was battery acid corrosion on the coils around the battery, they scraped it off & the car worked fine. That night after we had driven it for a while, we went to get back in & it wouldn't start again. This time we had to get it towed. This shop said it was the alarm. They disconnected it and charged us $200. We drove back home, made a stop, got back in the car & it wouldn't start again! The car was towed back to the shop now they say its a different problem and that the $200 we just payed has nothing to do with this problem. Obviously they never fixed it right in the 1st place and want more $. What are our legal rights?
2007-11-30 05:21:36 · 7 answers · asked by Lisa G 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Contact your state board for auto repair and get some advice. Be sure to document everything that has gone wrong with the car and ask around for a good mechanic that can give you a second opinion.
2007-11-30 05:29:55 · answer #1 · answered by JazzyJ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have the legal right to find an intelligent mechanic.
Intermittent problems are the most difficult to diagnose.
I am NOT defending the shop, merely playing devil's advocate for a moment.
Obviously you already talked to the shop about teh first 200.00 you paid as you mentioned that they said it was unrelated to the current issue. What are they saying the issue is now?
You can report them to whatever state agency regulates them, but in order to prove fraud, you have to prove that they charged you KNOWING that it would not cure the probvlem, difficult at best.
Find a different mechanic, someone that you are familiar with, and be prepared to be without the car for a few days. It takes time and patience to trace an intermittent electrical fault. If you insist that you have it back the same day, you will nickel and dime yourself to bankruptcy replacing parts, not to mention you will never know if it will start or not....
Aftermarket alarms are the bane of my existence sometimes. They can interfere with diagnosis, and make it difficult to trace problems (although I have never charged 200.00 to remove one).
Any other symptoms? Check engine lights? Everything working? Was the alarm completely removed? Did your alarm disable the vehicle completely when armed?
2007-11-30 08:27:52 · answer #2 · answered by Michael H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it worth paying a lawyer for $200 ?
Find a shop that employs ASE Certified techs, is a member of the BBB, and even better yet, is a member of iATN
2007-11-30 05:28:37 · answer #3 · answered by ruskinflgator 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Typical issue. Best response it to call the attorney general in your state, file a written complaint, and push it hard. The car shop will likely say you can't get your car back until you pay them.
2007-11-30 05:29:51 · answer #4 · answered by WVAttorney 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hiring a lawyer for minor legal problems can be expensive, but there are websites like LawGuru, FindLaw and other places where you can get free legal advice. I found this website useful - http://www.uelp.org/freelegal.html
2007-11-30 18:56:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you contact the company?
If yes w.no results...i would contact the better business bureau.
2007-11-30 05:29:10 · answer #6 · answered by jennifer_nh72 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Small claims court, BBB
2007-11-30 05:28:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋