Automotive Engine Specialists Bad Repair Rip-off run-around shoddy unprofessional scam

I have an older car, a 1989 Dodge Daytona. I took the car to Automotive Engine Specialists LLC, or "AES" as they are often called. When I first dropped the car off, they told me it would be about a week, and about $1500. I called later on that week, only to find that they need a few more days. No problem at all,

I understand that business can occasionally run into things. However, they didn't bother to explain that they actually had not even touched my car yet. After almost a month, they finally told me that my car was up and ready to go. So, acquire a ride to this shop. Upon arrival, I see them scurrying around trying to put everything back together.

After sitting around for two hours waiting for them to successfully get the car to start- they told me that they were worn out and needed to start fresh tomorrow. I could live with that. 10am rolls around the next day, and I get a call, telling me that they are finished and they can't figure out whats wrong with it-- and I needed to take it to a specialist. Well, I was short on cash at this point, after dishing out $1650-- after they already got $140 out of me earlier in this fiasco. So, I decided take some time off work, and find another ride to the shop.

I arrived there at 5:45pm and found my car parked in the street-- it was apparent that they were not going to give me any slack, they wanted my car gone. So, I get out my repair manuals, and I find that they pulled a ground wire loose by the intake. I want to state that the car was an older car, and wiring was not perfect, but everything was connected and organized when I brought the car there.

So, after I get the wire connected, I get the car started and it runs ok. I didn't want to drive it much until they could look at it properly, so I ended up just taking the car a mile a way and parking it at a friends house. The next day I brought it back to them, I told them that the low oil light had flickered at one time briefly. They didn't seem very happy to see me-- and they didn't want to give me any time. Still, they "supposedly" adjusted the timing and checked everything out.

Now, two months later, I find smoke coming out of the top of the engine. I completely stop driving the car, and I ask around about what could be causing this. I got my oil changed three times since the engine was put in, and I was doing everything "AES" told me to do. So, I give them a call, and they tell me to bring it in as soon as I can. So, as soon as I find someone to drive me back, I take the car there. I ended up leaving the car there overnight, and I hid the key on their building. I don't recall if they called me, or I called them the next day, but I told them where to find the key, and they asked me if I had an appointment.

They suggested that I make one, and bring my car back then. I live almost 40 minutes away from this shop, and I really couldn't get out there. So, they finally said that they would look at it. Around 11am that day, they called me and told me to get my warranty.

They suggested that they would not cover the damage, which had turned out to be a piston that fell apart. They said it was caused by detonation-- which they also explained would be likely caused by bad gas, or the timing being off. I don't see how bad gas could be an issue, it was a rebuilt engine, and I usually get midrange gas anyway. Also, they were the ones that told me that my timing was all adjusted and ready to go. So, this was a big blow to me. It seems strange that only one piston would go-- and all the others would be perfect. It sounds like a bad part to me.

However, they didn't offer any suggestions, and they told me that I had better come get my car, otherwise it would be parked back in the road. They wouldn't even give me, a customer, a day to figure things out. So, I went back that night, and picked up my car, from the side of the road, now it is sitting at a friends house collecting dust, and I feel like I was scammed severly by this company, and they I was sent on my way.