Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Brought in my truck for a leak in my exhaust manifold. I said I'm very certain it's only the driver side that is leaking. They said ok we'll quote you for both sides just in case but hopefully it's only the one side. I get a call 5hrs later from them telling me how they were almost done with the passenger side and that they were going to start it up and see if the driver side needs to be done as well. Well of course the driver said is still leaking because that was reason I dropped it off! When I said I didnt know why they even touched the passenger side and that I have a hard time trusting people, they got offended and told me they wouldnt work on my truck any further. When I picked up my truck, it still sounded EXACTLY the same as I left it. I have video evidence of what my truck sounded like before and after I dropped it off. It still has a very noticeable exhaust leak sound from the driver side. When I confronted them about this they got extremely defensive and the bearded guy even got in my face several times to try and intimidate me.

  Bureau Response

  Date: 10/20/2023

  Freestate Auto Repair Inc 
  

  * ******** **
  ********** ** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  Dear Representative Freestate Auto Repair Inc:
  
  
  
  

  This is our second attempt regarding this complaint. For your reference, the complaint was submitted on 10/12/2023 and was assigned an ID of *********  

  
  

   

  
  

  BBB forwarded you a complaint filed by Christopher ******. We have not received your response in the time frame allotted. If you have responded directly to your consumer and reached a resolution, let us know so our records are current. If this was a simple oversight, please provide your response at this time. BBB understands that there are two sides to every story is interested in your perspective.

  
  
  
  In the interest of time and good customer relations, please provide BBB with written verification of your position in this matter within 7 calendar days.   
  
  
  
  We encourage you to use our ONLINE COMPLAINT system to respond to this complaint. If you received this complaint via email, the fastest and easiest way to view and respond is to the simply click on the “Respond to this Complaint”, link located on the left, when you are ready to answer. 
  
    
  
  

  If you received this complaint via Postal Mail, you may respond online using the link below or respond by mail using the address above.
  
  To access/respond to this complaint online:
  
  Go to: ****************
  Enter the following code* **************

  
  

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  Please understand that the consumer's complaint and your response may be posted on the BBB Website (BBB reserves the right to not post in accordance with BBB policy). Please do not include any information that personally identifies your customer. By submitting your response, you are representing that it is a truthful account of your experience with this consumer. BBB may edit the complaint or your response to protect privacy rights and to remove inappropriate language. 

  
  

   

  
  We look forward to your prompt attention to this matter.
  
  

  Sincerely,

  
  

  Lisa ****
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  ***********************
  
  Phone: ###-###-####

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INFORMATION
  
  
  
  Customer Information:
  
  Christopher ******
  
  *** ******* *****
  ********** ** *****
  
  Daytime Phone: ###-###-####
  E-mail: ******************************
  
  
  
  
  The details of this matter are as follows:

  
  
  

  Complaint Involves:
  Service Issues
  
  
  
  Customer’s Statement of the Problem:
  
  Brought in my truck for a leak in my exhaust manifold. I said I'm very certain it's only the driver side that is leaking. They said ok we'll quote you for both sides just in case but hopefully it's only the one side. I get a call 5hrs later from them telling me how they were almost done with the passenger side and that they were going to start it up and see if the driver side needs to be done as well. Well of course the driver said is still leaking because that was reason I dropped it off! When I said I didnt know why they even touched the passenger side and that I have a hard time trusting people, they got offended and told me they wouldnt work on my truck any further. When I picked up my truck, it still sounded EXACTLY the same as I left it. I have video evidence of what my truck sounded like before and after I dropped it off. It still has a very noticeable exhaust leak sound from the driver side. When I confronted them about this they got extremely defensive and the bearded guy even got in my face several times to try and intimidate me.

  
  

   

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Desired Settlement:
  Refund
  
  
  
   
  

  
  
  
  Additional Comments from Consumer:
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Customer arrived at Freestate for estimate of repairs to the exhaust on his Dodge truck. Customer stated that his muffler was leaking....technician looked at truck and noted that the leak was not at the muffler but was instead in the exhaust manifold. Customer encouraged to schedule an appointment to drop his truck off so we could diagnose the issue when the engine was cold  and the leak more pronounced. 

  Once truck was brought into the shop the biggest leak was noted on the passenger side, at this time ( 12:30 p.m.) I called the customer and told him we found the leak and would not know if the other side would need repair until we fixed the passenger side. The exhaust noise on the passenger side was very loud and visibly we could see two broken bolts in the manifold from heat damage warpage, indicating the need for repair. Customer agreed to repairs during this phone call at 12:30 and noted we should proceed.  Called the customer again at 4:30 to let him know that we would not finish the truck this day bc of the two broken bolts. Next day...Truck was repaired, broken parts have been saved and remain in our custody. I  called the customer this morning and told him that the repairs to the passenger side were made, upon starting the truck the exhaust noise was considerably better but there was a leak detected on the drivers side. Exhaust manifolds on this year truck are common to fail, the customer was made aware of this multiple times before and during the repairs. Customer became angry and questioned our trustworthiness. At this time we felt it was in our best interest to discontinue work to his vehicle. He was told that he could come pick up the vehicle and take it elsewhere for repairs. Once he arrived to pick up the truck he questioned our trustworthiness again, he called our mechanics names as he walked out our shop, proceeded to load his motorcycle in our parking lot while continuing to yell at my mechanics. He then left and called the shop to once again voice his accusations. Customer was encouraged again to go else where.

  This customer was given multiple opportunities to decline for us to fix the passenger side manifold, he agreed to the repairs and was well educated by us in the fact that the drivers side may need repairs too. We have the parts to show the need for repair. I have detailed documentation of every phone call that I made to him along with his responses.

  Bureau Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Christopher ******
  
  *** ******* ***** ***
  ************ *****
  
  
  
  
  
  Dear Christopher ******:
  
  
  
  This message is in regard to your complaint submitted on 10/12/2023 against Freestate Auto Repair Inc.  Your complaint was assigned ID ********* 
  

   

  
  

  BBB has received a formal response
  from Freestate Auto Repair Inc. We ask that you review the response and understand that BBB
  is here to assist both parties in reaching a fair and reasonable resolution.

  
  

  
  

  Please review their response to your complaint and advise us of your position in the matter within 5 calendar days. If we do not hear back from you, BBB will assume you are satisfied and will close your complaint as answered.

  
  

  Please be sure to indicate whether the business' response is satisfactory or not and how you would like to proceed in this matter.

  
  

  If you received this complaint via Postal Mail, you may respond online using the link below or respond by mail using the address above.
  
  To access/respond to this complaint online:
  
  Go to: ****************
  Enter the following code: **************

  
  

  Sincerely,

  
  

  Lisa ****
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  ***********************
  
  Phone: ###-###-####

  
  
  
  MESSAGE FROM BUSINESS:
  
  
  
  

  Customer arrived at Freestate for estimate of repairs to the exhaust on his Dodge truck. Customer stated that his muffler was leaking....technician looked at truck and noted that the leak was not at the muffler but was instead in the exhaust manifold. Customer encouraged to schedule an appointment to drop his truck off so we could diagnose the issue when the engine was cold  and the leak more pronounced. 

  Once truck was brought into the shop the biggest leak was noted on the passenger side, at this time ( 12:30 p.m.) I called the customer and told him we found the leak and would not know if the other side would need repair until we fixed the passenger side. The exhaust noise on the passenger side was very loud and visibly we could see two broken bolts in the manifold from heat damage warpage, indicating the need for repair. Customer agreed to repairs during this phone call at 12:30 and noted we should proceed.  Called the customer again at 4:30 to let him know that we would not finish the truck this day bc of the two broken bolts. Next day...Truck was repaired, broken parts have been saved and remain in our custody. I  called the customer this morning and told him that the repairs to the passenger side were made, upon starting the truck the exhaust noise was considerably better but there was a leak detected on the drivers side. Exhaust manifolds on this year truck are common to fail, the customer was made aware of this multiple times before and during the repairs. Customer became angry and questioned our trustworthiness. At this time we felt it was in our best interest to discontinue work to his vehicle. He was told that he could come pick up the vehicle and take it elsewhere for repairs. Once he arrived to pick up the truck he questioned our trustworthiness again, he called our mechanics names as he walked out our shop, proceeded to load his motorcycle in our parking lot while continuing to yell at my mechanics. He then left and called the shop to once again voice his accusations. Customer was encouraged again to go else where.

  This customer was given multiple opportunities to decline for us to fix the passenger side manifold, he agreed to the repairs and was well educated by us in the fact that the drivers side may need repairs too. We have the parts to show the need for repair. I have detailed documentation of every phone call that I made to him along with his responses.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  They knew the passenger side was not leaking, when I originally diagnosed the leak with their technician, it was very obvious the leak was on the drivers side. They stated they would start with the drivers side and then re-assess to see if there were any leaks. Instead, they replaced the passenger side which was not leaking at all. When I looked at the manifold they removed from truck it looked perfectly fine. Yes, they had broken bolts. That is very common to break bolts when removing a rusty manifold, that does not in any way mean that it was leaking. They broke the bolts when they took it off.
  
  In summation,  I NEVER agreed for them to start on the passenger side. I said do the driver's side and then we can see if anything else needs to be done. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Christopher ******

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  I can provide detailed documentation of the conversations had with the customer along with providing the original defective parts.   

  Bureau Response

  Date: 11/06/2023

  Freestate Auto Repair Inc 
  

  * ******** **
  ********* ** *****
  
  
  
  
  Dear Representative Freestate Auto Repair Inc:
  
  
  
  This message is regarding complaint ID ******** filed on 10/12/2023.
  
  
  
  Below are some points that BBB needs clarification on before moving forward.
  
  
  ****BBB Note:  Please provide documentation of the conversations had with the customer along with providing the original defective parts.****  
  
  
  
  Please provide written clarification within 5 business days.
  
  
  
  

  If you received this complaint via Postal Mail, you may respond online using the link below or respond by mail using the address above.
  
  To access/respond to this complaint online:
  
  Go to: ****************
  Enter the following code* **************

  
  

  
  

  Once your correspondence has been received, BBB will continue the conciliation process.
  
  
  
  Thank you for your prompt reply.
  
  

  Sincerely,

  
  

  Lisa ****
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  ***********************
  
  Phone: ###-###-####

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2023

  Attached are pictures of the warped manifold along with the rusty bolts that were broken off in the engine manifold and block. Anytime a bolt breaks in the engine block it causes a manifold to warp and then leakage of exhaust occurs. This is a factory problem common to the year and style of this truck and is well documented through dodge. The bolts were broken in the block before any work on this vehicle began. As noted in the paper work sent detailing conversations with the customer, he was told that we saw at least two broken bolts before we began to work on his truck. 

  Bureau Response

  Date: 11/07/2023

  Christopher ******
  
  *** ******* ***** ***
  ************ *****
  
  
  
  
  
  Dear Christopher ******:
  
  
  
  This message is in regard to your complaint submitted on 10/12/2023 against Freestate Auto Repair Inc.  Your complaint was assigned ID ********* 
  

   

  
  

  BBB has received a formal response
  from Freestate Auto Repair Inc. We ask that you review the response and understand that BBB
  is here to assist both parties in reaching a fair and reasonable resolution.

  
  

  
  

  Please review their response to your complaint and advise us of your position in the matter within 5 calendar days. If we do not hear back from you, BBB will assume you are satisfied and will close your complaint as answered.

  
  

  Please be sure to indicate whether the business' response is satisfactory or not and how you would like to proceed in this matter.

  
  

  If you received this complaint via Postal Mail, you may respond online using the link below or respond by mail using the address above.
  
  To access/respond to this complaint online:
  
  Go to: ****************
  Enter the following code: **************

  
  

  Sincerely,

  
  

  Lisa ****
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  ***********************
  
  Phone: ###-###-####

  
  
  
  MESSAGE FROM BUSINESS:
  
  
  
  Attached are pictures of the warped manifold along with the rusty bolts that were broken off in the engine manifold and block. Anytime a bolt breaks in the engine block it causes a manifold to warp and then leakage of exhaust occurs. This is a factory problem common to the year and style of this truck and is well documented through dodge. The bolts were broken in the block before any work on this vehicle began. As noted in the paper work sent detailing conversations with the customer, he was told that we saw at least two broken bolts before we began to work on his truck. 

  Bureau Response

  Date: 11/12/2023

  Freestate Auto Repair Inc * ******** **
  ********* ** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Re: ID * ******** * Christopher ******
  
  
  
  Dear Representative Freestate Auto Repair Inc:
  
  
  
  Thank you for your recent response to Christopher ******. We have not yet heard from the consumer and are closing this case as answered.
  
  
  
  Following our usual procedure, BBB notified the consumer of your response and requested notification of whether or not a satisfactory resolution had been reached.  Unfortunately, the consumer has not notified our office if they are satisfied. BBB has determined that your company has addressed the issues within the complaint; therefore we have closed this case in our files. This matter will appear in your BBB Business Profile as: "Answered - The Business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer did not accept the response, OR BBB has not heard back from the consumer as to their satisfaction."
  
  
  
  The text of your response may be publicly posted on BBB's website. BBB reserves the right to not post in accordance with BBB policy, and we may edit your response to protect privacy rights and to remove inappropriate language. 
  

   

  
  

  In the event the consumer contacts BBB again regarding this issue, we may reach out to you to review any new or additional information we've received from the consumer. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Lisa ****
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  ***********************
  
  Phone: ###-###-####

  Bureau Response

  Date: 11/12/2023

  Christopher ******
  
  *** ******* ***** ***
  ********* ** ***** 
   
  
  
  
  Re: ID * ********- Freestate Auto Repair Inc
  
  
  
  Dear Christopher ******,
  
  
  
  We have not received your response to confirm this complaint has been resolved. Therefore, this complaint has been closed and will appear in the company's BBB Business Profile as: “Answered- BBB has not heard back from the consumer as to their satisfaction with the business's response.” 
  
  
  
  Please know that BBB is always available to discuss your case and review additional information. Thank you for using BBB's Marketplace Services.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Lisa ****
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  ***********************
  
  Phone: ###-###-####