In Nov. 2008 Firestone blew up my motor in a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. They took full responsibility and said I could take my car anywhere else I wanted to have my motor replaced and they would pay for the whole thing.
I thought the best place would be the place where I bought the vehicle from, Dennis Hyundai. I thought who would know these cars better then the guys that work on them daily. I couldn't have been more wrong on both thoughts.
They put a motor from a similar model Santa Fe.
When I got my car back weeks later it made a squealing noise. The service manager told me that noise was common, it was the motor settling together. It would be gone in a week. I asked him to run the motor in his shop for a week and call me when it's gone. He said they didn't have the space to keep it and run it properly, running it on the street would be what it needs. I believed him. He was lying.
A week later the noise was every bit as loud as it was a week before. I took it back to them, they looked at it. This time I was told some belts were old and worn and needed replaced, at my cost. I was mad that their service manager and his goons couldn't diagnose or recognize worn belts WHEN THE MOTOR WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED BY THEM the weeks they had my car in their hands. I was mad that their service manager had lied or was so bafflingly incompetent that he misdiagnosed worn belts as ""common noises engines make after being replaced"".
They replaced the belts, tried to sell me what I great deal it was I only had to pay 170 dollars labor since warranty covered the belts. These guys suck.
Got my car back, after all that - it misfired when running idle. Stop lights, stop signs, parking...anytime the car was idle it misfired. I took it back, and had to call them repeatedly as they refused to call me, and the service manager was totally avoiding me at this time. Most likely he was embarrassed at lying or misdiagnosing the previous issues. But this time, a service rep finally talked to me on the phone after I refused voice mail and became a pain to the others in the shop, and he tells me I've got the wrong spark plugs on the motor. Then he begins to lecture me about Hyundai motors and their special spark plugs and blah blah blah. I interrupt as politely as possible, and tell him I'm the customer who's motor you guys just replaced. It's your motor. Your spark plugs, your problem. He paused for about 10 full seconds and asked if I could be put on hold. Sure, have at it sparky. He comes back and states he's been told they would fix it at no cost to me.
Morons. He meant, no FURTHER cost to me, with time and frustration and me having to use family member's cars while they screwed mine up.
Well now it leaks oil and I have no confidence in it at all. I tried to get help from Hyundai corporate but the most they would do is to let me bring the car back to their retarded mechanics and their criminal service center and ""repair whatever they caused"". My response: No chance in Hell are your morons getting their hands on my motor inside your monkey babysitting center masquerading as a repair shop.
They couldn't understand that EVERYTHING that was wrong with that motor was their fault. And no way would I let the people who had misdiagnosed/lied about belts and didn't know the proper spark plugs to put on their own motor have a 3rd shot at my car.
If you are in a crash or your engine dies right in front of Dennis Hyundai on Morse Rd, have the tow truck driver tow it far far away. To any other shop at all. Avoid these jack asses at all costs.
I will even help pay your tow charge. Your car will thank us both.
Pros: the factory makes good cars
Cons: this service center doensn't know anything about them
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