Bob's Automotive

While Mr. Freeman is correct that we didn't "fix anything", what he neglected to state was, "THAT WAS HIS CHOICE" He brought his 2002 VW Beetle in because it was running rough, Mr Freeman had already attempted repais on his own and had installed a new ignition coil and other parts. Because his efforts failed he decided to bring it to us and let us find out what the issues were , then he could repair it himself. Our Certified Diagnostic Technician spent approximately 1.5 hours to determine the exact issues surrounding Mr Freeman's concerns. Mr Freeman was charged for 1.0 hours of Diagnostic time $119.65 + tax & fees. The reason for spending so much time on Mr Freeman's vehicle is simple. When we are dealing with a high mileage vehicle with an engine that is rough running, the need to determine the condition of the internal engine condition can save the customer a lot of money. We determined early the vehicle needed a complete tune-up. How ever due to the vehicle's high mileage it was imperative that we perform a cylinder compression and a cylinder Leak Down test, because putting tune-up parts in an engine with a burnt, leaking valve, piston or other damage is simply a waste of money! Mr Freeman obviously expects us to pay a tecnician a good living wage to find out what was ailing his vehicle, tell him exactly what it needed and not charge for our time and knowledge, this is simply unfair and not reasonable! Then lie about the entire episode, which makes him feel justified, but he knows better and the truth is the truth, say what you will, but facts still do not change! Good bye Mr Freeman we invite you to go elswhere from now on, your presence is not wanted in this establishment.

I have appologized to Mr. S. In the 25 years we have been in business, I cannot remember another instance of this happening. The young man who performed this work is no longer employed by us. His firing was not over this matter alone but an overall lack of attention to detail. We are sorry to see Mr. S go away unhappy, because this was an isolated incident. We are not perfect, we strive to be, but we are human. We take this review very seriously and this review prompted a shop meeting concerning attention to even the smallest detais. Our Tecnicians are not paid on commission, so they are not rushed, so there is NO EXCUSE for this ever happening. That message, I have yet again, made perfectly clear! Again we do appologize.

The alternator on Mr Dunnings vehicle failed on a Friday evening. He called to my home and asked for assistance, it was too late in the evening to get his parts, so I asked him to have his vehicle towed to the our shop, even though we are closed on Saturday. He also asked if I could change his thermostat and make a few other minor repairs. I told him I would come in at 8:00 AM and repair it. I showed up and the vehicle wasn't there, I had some paperwork to take care after a couple of hours the tow truck showed up. Mr Dunning called and asked me to just do the alternator. I confirmed the alternator was faulty and I drove to Vancouver to get a replacement, I installed the part, during the work I found Mr Dunnings vehicle had several other issues besides the thermostat among them was a failing water pump. I advised Mr Dunning of the things I found and advised him to pay close attention to his guages durring the rest of his trip as his vehicle is in need of immediate repairs and it could overheat at anytime. I billed Mr Dunning at our regular rate, not an overtime rate! His alternator was charging when it left here and before he left I explained our 3 year, 36,000 Mile Nationwide Warranty and Nationwide Free Roadside Assistance Plan. This review is the first I have heard about any issues. I can assure you that if someone did incorrect work for me I would be on the phone calling and getting an explanation! This did not happen, nor has our National Warranty called to ask what happend so it has not been turned int to them! Having performed the work myself and have over 50 years experience, an incorrect installment of an alternator is almost impossible, and still have the system work and I am not suprised theat Mr Dunning has to buy new parts for his vehicle as it was in poor condition and in need of repairs in several different areas.

Mrs. Martin called us on the moring of 7 June and asked if we could get their car in for an Washington State Emissions Waiver. She stated her husband had already worked on the car, but there were several codes that didn't mean anything and they didn't want to fix it because it would cost too much. As I was asking her some questions, that she didn't know the answer for, she handed the phone to her husband. He said he was owned a truck repair business in Ridgefield and he worked on the car, scanned it with a "code reader", repaired it to the point it was running good and he just wanted as waiver. I told him to bring it in, we were busy, but we would fit him in on that day. The wife dropped the car off and that afternoon we brought it in and started going through the prescribed Washington State Procedures for Emissions Repair. "Code Readers" only provide basic Federally Regulated Emissions information, where as we use a computerized scanner that costs $15,000. We found Mr. Martin's vehicle has 7 codes stored in the system and 3 were for basic engine operation, which is necessary for the electronics to operate efficiently. They are Metered fuel, Metered air and Metered spark. without these three system operating as desigend any electronic emissions sensor information will be unreliable. Mr. Martin's Chrysler had unmetered air getting into his engine. After performing a Non-Toxic Pressured Smoke test of his intake system we found the Intake Manifold and the EGR Valve to be leaking. I called Mr. Martin and explained this to him and gave him an estimate for the Intake Manifold repair, the EGR was new he had just installed it, the brand was one I would NEVER USE cheap Chinese knockoff! Mr. Martin responded very firm and insistant that he only wanted a waiver. So I had our Tech continue his testing and finish the job. We spent nearly 1.5 hours on Mr. Martin's car, we followed the Washington State Law to the letter (they set the minimum charge at $150.00, not us) We gave Mr. Martin his money's worth and then some. He was billed $176, sales tax and fees are not a waiverable expense! He got a full explanation of what was wrong and why certain steps needed to be done in order to prevent replacing parts that function, but are currently, just getting incorrect info. Mr. Martin came flying into our lot on his "Harley" right before closing, to get his vehicle. He came in trying to act like a "tough biker"  Through his money on our desk, said "Is this what I need" as I was getting his change, asked for the keys, gave them to his wife told her to go on, looked at me and said "This is all I get for my money? What did you do" I started to explain we did exactly what he asked for and what we found out, he called me a F--N thief and stormed out. Got on his Harley pulled into the street, off to the side where gravel is still laying from the winter and proceeded to spin his tire throwing gravel on the front of one of our customer's cars chipping the windshield. I am 66 years old and I have been in business here since I got out of the service 24 years ago! If I was "all about money" as Mr. Martin said, I would have ripped people off for enough by now to retire, but no I'm still working every day and I enjoy what I do. I and our Technician's are "Trained Professionals" the attend 10 hours of training every quarter to stay current in this industry. We have the best and latest equipment on the market, because we want our customer's vehicles to be serviced and repaired correctly. So to anyone that reads this, IF ALL YOU WANT US TO DO IS PROVIDE YOU WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A WASHINGTON STATE EMISSIONS WAIVER, PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! DON'T COME HERE BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS MAKING YOU! Now if you want our services, we are happy, ready and willing to help you. I believe the other 600+ good reviews on here will attest to that and show what we are all about!
For God, Country and All Veterans
Bob Ford

Mrs Keasy, I realize you are upset because we gave your car a physical and found the issues you are having a a little more expensive than spark plugs, I would think that if we followedf your initial request and performed a tune up and yet you still had the same problem that wiuld be our fault too! The fact is we drove you 8 miles to your house, diagnosed your car, gave you a complete report on the issues required to fix your car. We saved you the cost of repairs you wanted done , that didn't need to be done, we used the same license #, address that was in our files from your last visit, July 2011 and the year of your car comes from our system. We put your VIN # in our system and your vehicle information is brought up. Most likely yopur vehicle was built in June, July or August of 98. However thisis the third time in 5 years you have visited our business, the first time we performed repair the second and this time you simply wanted to know what the vehicle needed so you cou buy your own parts and have a neighbor install them. Exactly as you told me on the phone! So I am asking you to not bother us again! We try to keep our diagnostic charges down to "Costs" only. But your complaint is only about my clerical skills not our tecnial abilities. OK! The License # is your old number, not one I made up, your address is your old address, I din't know it changed, you never told me it changed and the vehicle year came from your VIN#. Now I fully understand what you want from us, so let's agree to "divorce" you find another shop that will operate as you desire and we will continue our operations. Thank You Have a great life!

During the period including late january through the first week  to ten days in February every one of our employees took sick time due to a flu that was being passed through the shop. We are sorry for your less than ideal experience. I even apologized to you at the time for not being at 100%. Your experience certainly is not the norm for this place of business. I do think though that part of the issue was, you were a little upset that you replaced many parts attempting to fix your car, diagnosing the problem by getting "Free Code Reading" at Autozone. Then when you brought it in for repair you found it was a fairly simple repair that you totally overlooked. You felt slighted and had to complain about something!

Mr Clark's Ford Pick-up has 280,000 miles, he did his own work installing SOME new suspension parts. All Mr. Clark wanted us to do was align the front weels, which we did and the wheels are straight & true. His steering wheel will not stay centered because of looseness in other steering parts he did not replace that are worn, primarily the steering gear box. We were not hired to diagnose the steering & suspension, just to align the front wheels which we did, obviously correctly as Mr Clark is not compaining of steering pull or drift, as he did before we aligned the wheels. Mr Clark's invoice reflected everyting he authorized. The Alignment, 2 Eccentric Caster / Camber Bushings, a small labor charge to replace the bushings and tax, $307. It is not our fault that Mr. Clark's mechanical & suspension diagnostic capabilities are not very good. Have you ever watched a Professional do a job and you think, "Hell I can do that", then you try it and find out it is much harder and there is much more to it than you expected. It is so sad that people think repairing a vehicle is so simple! So we get a bad review for not doing something we weren't asked to do or paid to do. I also find it sad that Mr. Clark spoke to our Asst.Manager and when our Asst. Manager advised him of the steering gear and sysem looseness he told our Asst. Manager, " Yeah, I know, it's a Ford thing" and he hasn't called us to complain or ask us to do anything to correct the issue, mosty because he knows IT IS NOT OUR FAULT!

We are sorry, it was right at 5pm when the job was finished and Lefty told me that he wasn't in a big hurry. Sad to see you go. I wish you well.

We were quite able to re-repair this lady's vehicle! She left a little information out of her complaint, that being, she had another shop replace the vehicle engine cylinder head some months ago and their repair job failed miserably (burnt valve). We were told to wait for the repair shop to call us and they never did. She stated she didn't have the money for us to repair it again! This is a prime example of having unqualified people perform major repairs on a vehicle and of course it's our fault that she is in her predicament! We tried to help her, but you can only help those who desire to help themslves first. Vehicles are very complicated and getting more so everyday. This is why our ASE Certified and Factory Trained Technicians go to a minimum of 10 hours of training every quarter. When we replace a cylinder head it leaves with a Warranty for 3 years/36,000 miles Nationwide for parts and labor, not like the shop that did this faulty repair!

This customer brought his vehicle to us after he purchased it with a complaint of an automatic transmission "Hard Shifting" issue, a battery charge issue and a general inspection. First we diagnosed the transmission "Hard Shift" issue and found no fluid pressure or shift issues. Automatic Transmission diagnostic testing takes approximately 45 minutes to and hour. Finding the "Hard Shift" issue to be an engine misfire issue, we finished the overall inspection, removing the wheels to check brakes, testing and checking the steering & suspension. We foundthe right rear wheel bearing begining to fail, all ball joints loose, the steering stabilizer worn out along with the engine in desperate need of a complete tune-up. We also found during this time the vehicle had a parasitic eletrical drain that was discharging the battery when not in operation (this repair was approved and alone took approximately 2 hours to tack down the electrical short causing the issue). With chasing the customer "False Transmission Diagnosis" and completing the inspection we had approximately 2.5 hours work and time into the job before we stated any repairs. We developed a couple of different estimates, based on condition, safety and value. We called Mr. D. and explained his options and the associated costs. We answered his questions and complied with his wishes. Mr. D. chose the repair we completed and approved the estimate, which the final bill was less than the estimate. We used only Original Equipment Quality or better parts, as we always do! This entire process and approved job took approximately 6 hours over 2 days. I would suggest Mr. D. in the futrure find a shop that does not hire dedicated and trained Automotive Technicians that concern themselves with the customes safety and best intrests in mind. There are plenty of shops that will do inferior work for less and use cheap "Knock Off" parts. It is sad that we constantly go over and above for our customers and have for 24 years, yet some feel a burning desire to complain, even after they have approved what you are doing! Just a sad sign of the times.

We are apreciative of the kinds words and vote of confidence. I am however startled as the reasons you maked us down. I feel like you gave a substandard score because we told you the truth and it wasn't good news. The worst part of my duties is telling a customer their vehicle repairs will be very costly and sometimes i have tell them the vehicle is not worth the cost. But to mark us down because our your bad luck is a little unfair, don't you think. I believe this is the first time I have and my business has been penalized for honesty. Please remember that when you decide to replace the vehicle our offer of looking it over, at no cost, before you purchase is still availoable.

I find Mr Henley's review a little unjust, for several reasons.
* Our everyday Lube, Oil & Filter Service is $36.17 total. That is comparable to all of our competition, except for advertised specials.

*Mr Henley's last words to me as he left our office was " what time do you close?" I told him 5 PM, he said "I'll pick it up before you close" I would have called him, but he stated when he would be in so I didn't. I'm not sure what he expects. 

* As for descibing us as "Not Friendly" Again how could I Honestly respond, we have been here at this location for 21 years and I have never had someone tell me I'm not friendly! Just the opposite!

* But Mr Henley's final statement tells me all I need to know! Quote "there is no such thing as a good mechanic" I suppose thre are nothing but good cooks, bakers, doctors, lawyers and customers, only mechanics are bad! I will encourage Mr. Henley to use our competition's services because we have good honest customers that respect our efforts and we can use our time to better take care of their needs! We really don't want someone coming here that thinks we "no good" Good luck in the future Mr Henley you will need it with that attitude!

On 4/15/14 Mr McCoy brought his vehicle to us with a complaint of failing the Washington State emissions test. He asked about our charges and we explained our charges and the Washington State procedures for obtaining a waiver for not completing the necessary repairs allowing him to renew his license registration. We completed the initial diagnostics and found 5 different emission trouble codes.As required we troubleshot all 5 codes, this required the betterpart of 2.5 hoursof time. After all diagnostics were completed, we contacted Mr. McCoy and explained his options. I personally explained that repairing his thermostat was the most important of the issues with his vehicle. I gave Mr. McCoy a compled cost down to the penny, he agreed and gave us the ok to complete that repair. Even after we explained everything to Mr.McCoy before we started any work and gave him a completed cost, which he agreed to, Mr.McCoy thought we should have not charged for the initial diagnostics as well as the repair. Mr. McCoy's vehicle requires a unique thermostat that comes fitted into an aluminum housing and they are considerably more costly thatn most, not to mention the thermostat requise nearly 2 hours labor to change. The condition of Mr mCcoy's vehicle leads me to believe that very little if any maintenance is ever done, so I doubt that other than a "Quickie" oil cjange he has never done any work to this vehicle. We were aware of Mr McCoy's desire to not spend as dime more than required to get his license and gave him the best repair for the vehicle's perfomance and longevity as well as keeping the expense down as best we could. If Mr. McCoy thought we were charging him too much, he should have left after I initially explained our charges and procedures during his initial visit nor should he have approved the repairs we performed. I am sure there are other shops that would have done things very differently so Mr.McCoy could have obtained a "Waiver". but we respect the law, the environment and the customer's rights. You shouldn't complain about something you gave your approval to on 3 seperate intervals during the repair process. I will suggest Mr. McCoy find another repair shop because we will not sacrifice our quality or our integrity for a couple of dollars. We perform correct repairs and we follow the law, even if we don't agree with it! We perform NO REPAIRS unless the customer APPROVES the estimate FIRST. If we are not acceptable, I am sorry. We strive to keep our costs down to a minimum, but quality, highly educated technicians, appropriate testing equipment, not to mention All the other expenses. We do the best we can, if it's not good enough, we are sorry we couln't meet your expectations. Please remember we are in Downtown Ridgefield, 20 miles from a decent parts store, we are not in a high traffic area with 100's of thousands of customers passing our shop everyday and a parts store next door.

We appolgize to Mr Hazen and all of our customers for this let down. While it truely only affected one customer all our customers expcet us to perform to our best always, this time we didn't. We offer no excuses, the Technician who initially worked on Mr. Hazen's vehicle was removed from our employment as his stated experience far exceeded his true ability. We will not employee Technician's who cannot perform to their pre-employment stated experience levels and the level of quality expected of us all here at Bob's Automotive Inc.. We are sorry for Mr. Hazen's issues with our service and we will definately make it up to him as we did fail to deliver the level I personally expect from this business.

 We are sorry for Mr Austad's issue. I initially looked at his vehicle late in the afternoon and the part he needed to complete repairs was no available due to the age of the vehicle. the next morning, I tried to explain this to Mr Austad, but I was having difficulty speaqking because I had just fallen off a ladder 10 minutes earlier and  I was waiting fore my wife to come take me to the emergency room. Our new Assistant Manager had only been on the job for 1 day, so needless to say a series of misfortunate events occurred. We will contact Mr Austad, provide a better explanation of the events and make things right with him as soon as I can return to work, probably after the first of the year. Again we are sorry for the miscommunicatons, we will do better.