Pep Boys RIP OFF>>POOR SERVICE....INCOMPLETE WORK Wilmington, Delaware

Well today I had my beloved car towed from Pep Boys and scrapped.  After 30 years of using them, I will never use Pep Boys again!

It's not a requirement to replace the water pump when replacing a timing belt, but it's certainly an industry-wide recommendation.  If it takes 2.7 hrs labor to replace the timing belt, and only an additional .5 hrs labor to add in the water pump, it only makes sense to recommend the water pump. If youre in there near the camshaft seals, I would recommend replacing those too.  Any belts that need to be removed to get to the timing belt, I would recommend that, too (only if they are not in good condition).  Any gaskets required to be removed to get to a certain job...recommend replacing those, too.

Prior to committing to any costly repair or service, I would shop around...get a second and third opinion. In doing so, you might hear different recommendations thrown into the pot.  If one shop recommends replacing something the last shop didn't tell you about, ask them why.  Ask them which products they would use.  Do a little bit of online research.

You don't have a valid complaint, when it comes to them not replacing your water pump.  It would have been an extra parts and labor cost to you to do so.  However, I'm really taken aback by the fact that they didn't recommend it.  

A lot can happen to a vehicle in a month, let alone a year's time frame. 

I was on a bridge, half way across the Mississippi when it went into the gauge showed it moving into the red zone.  By the time I pulled over at the very top of the bridge and turned the car off, the gauge was still moving into the red but would not start again.  I had no advanced noticed, no notice at all and still think that since the industry standard is to replace the water pump when replacing the timing belt that Pep Boys was negligent and incompetent!

They are dumb for not doing the recommended maintenance when changing your timing belt. What we call in the trade leaving money on the counter. By the way many cars including my fathers Toyota recommend pump replacement with timing belt.

2nd you have missed the limited warranty rules on your repair order. They warranty the work DONE for a set period, not the work not done.

Finally water pumps fail, fact of life, they very rarely fail without warning and never directly cause a Connecting rod to fail, you are supposed to notice when the red light on the dash comes on and shut the car off.