shoddy repair work

[doc]

I purchased the 96 miata as is,knew that the engine was bad owner says so up front
The guy gave me the paper work showing that the head had been removed and rebuilt and replaced at the local Firestone service center
The guy paid 1500. bucks for the work
After this they told him it would not start because the engine was shot low compression only 60 psi on each cylinder
Here is the rub
oil and filter not changed after work
water only no antifreeze in cooling system ( sort of understandable testing only )
pcv valve broke and left that way
coil pack nearly falling off
several bolts and wire harness brackets loose and off
1 plug in correctly 1 plug so tight I used a 16 " ratchett to break loose thought I was going to break it another plug took out with fingers no handle and last plug a soon as I touched it it fell out
battery showed it was tested and good yet it will not hold a charge and is corroded
has half tank gas ? was bone dry when picked up needle would not even move
My thought even with bad compression it should run maybe rough but run
this car will not even try to hit
I think the guy needs to know all of this and at least tell the service place what he thinks
What do you guys think ? would you send all of this to the pervious owner or let it go
No, I am not giving the guy anymore money or the car back if the engine proves not to be bad it was purchased as is

[sammm]

I'd let the previous owner know for sure. It's OK to mention what Firestone here as well, though odds are no one here would take their Miata to a Firestone for head work (or any other work).

[doc]

The Firestone is in Austin right near 183 and 35 on clock tower drive.
I think the reason he had the work done there is it broke down close by in the highway and they picked it up rather quickly.
I am making alist of all I find,not sure they ever ran a comp check they seemed rather rude when we picked the car up from there

[POS Racing]

Who takes a car to Firestone for Head/Motor work!!!

Also why fix the stuff if the thing is dead? Someone would have to pay to repair/replace that stuff and I guarantee you it wasn't going to be Firestone picking up the tab.

A fool and his money...... Yadda yadda yadda.....

[sxk122]

have you verified that their compression check was correct? if it is, the everything else is moot. if you have better compression numbers, i'd skip to the parts store to fix the 5 and dime problems.....

also, seeing as a firestone touched it i'd be wary of everything.......

[mk2tmr2]

Funny that this should come up. I've never been to a Firestone shop before but I managed to stop by one the other night to see if, on an off chance, they had an exhaust gasket I needed that the Autozone next door didn't. (They didn't, either.)

Some dude in front of me in line was cashing out and I heard the total being read to him....$1,200-something bucks. "Ouch!" I thought to myself, "He wasn't just picking up some tires." About that time a girl who was waiting on the bench outside came in to some bad news. The same guy behind the counter told her that the dealership sent the wrong part over so they won't be able to fix her car that day. They sent over the right transmission mount but the motor mount was wrong. She was put out, asked about the cost, was told some-hundred-dollars and she was like, "That's expensive!" The previous guy who was still writing numbers on his payment check said, "Tell me about it. I just had to get four of them."

That's when I had my WTF moment. How often do motor mounts go bad on an appliance car? (Hers was a late model RSX) Not too terribly often. What are the chances that the only 2 customers in a given Firestone repair shop both need multiple replaced motor mounts? Not very good. It sounded kinda scammy to me and I was glad they didn't have what I needed. I got the hell out of there and never looked back.

I walked out glad that I have a little bit of wrenching ability and will never have to be taken advantage of by shops like that.

[boisking]

I have worked as a tech at one "mom & pop" and at one dealership. Mom and Pop were barely afloat, because they only sold what the customers actually needed. The dealership offered "spiffs" for selling more work to a customer after the free inspection. Some guys would take extra time to find stuff that "needed" to be fixed, because they earned half their income from spiffs.

I got burned out by the crooked business practices at the dealership within 5 months and went back to school. FWIW it was a Huffines store.