Dearborn Total Automotive ripoff! Dishonest, incompetent, negligent auto repair. Dearborn Heights Michigan

My car blew a timing belt on April 25, 2003. I had these people tow my car in for repair because in the past they had done some work for me. They said the cam seals were leaking oil and the water pump was also leaking a little coolant. The cost would be much less since they were already fixing the timing belt. They also replaced my valve cover gaskets which were leaking oil.

A week and $800 later the car was ready. Immediately I noticed oil on the ground where my car was parked along with some coolant. All in an area not leaking before and all in the same are the repairs were made. I was going through about 1-2 qts of oil a week. I took it back and they told me to pick it up three days later.

When I arrived I had to pay another $450 to replace the radiator, which was no where near the leaking coolant, and a oil pan gasket. I walked out to the parking lot to get my car and there it sat dripping oil plain as day. They took it back in and two weeks later they were done.

First they replaced the crank seals and then had to replace the oil pump. Again, another $350 for this repair. Pretty odd since it never leaked oil or coolant before they started but had to replace the water pump, thermostat, radiator, crank seals, cam seals, oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets and then finally the oil pump. All this when the only actual part broken was the timing belt. When I drove off in my "new" car, white smoke billowed out the tail pipe and the car continued to smoke all the way home. Upon turning the car off, boom, the radiator exploded coolant everywhere.

I took it right back the next day and was told it would be fixed right away. I went on a five day vacation and when I came back, guess what??? The guy, Mike Livernois, whom I had been dealing with all these times was suddenly on vacation and would be back "in a few weeks". Now to the current problem, they determined that now, suddenly, the head gaskets were blown and the heads or cylinders were cracked.

The new repairs could not be estimated until they took the heads off which would be $800 just to do the inspection. I complained feaverishly and was told Mike would call me and work something out since they obviously missed something. More like broke something! I was told he would call me because was going to be checking in from his vacation that night.

Three days later and no phone call and guess what, I drove by the repair shop and he was standing outside. Some vacation! He was too busy to call me, I guess. I decided enough was enough and filed a complaint with the State of Michigan. Two months later they determined there was no way to prove they did it even though they admitted to the inspector that the car did not smoke when I brought it in. I went to pick my car up because I wanted nothing to do with it. It was found parked on the city side street with the doors unlocked and battery completely dead. Watch out for these ripoff artists, they work on your car and break more while they fix it.

Jon
Taylor, Michigan
U.S.A.