Sterling Automotive ripoff, fraud, threaten, endangered Sandy Utah

To Whom It May Concern:

The following is a history of the events it took to get my brakes fixed on my 1998 Dodge Caravan:

1. On 6/30/04 my front brakes suddenly developed a loud grinding noise. It sounded like a rock had gotten into the brakes and was rubbing against the metal when brakes were applied.

2. On 6/30/04 I took the car to Sterling Automotive at 8584 S. 700 E., Sandy, UT 84079 for repair. Their phone number is 801-568-0199. I was told the repair would take one hour and would cost $118.00. I asked the manager to check for rocks in the shoes and if that was not the problem to go ahead with the repair. I waited for the car. The job took over double the time promised and the manager did not even explain. The total bill after adding tax was $125.78.

3. The loud grinding sound was fixed, but there was still a rubbing sound from the front brakes when applied. I wondered if maybe something was not quite right so I called Sterling in the morning of 7/6/04 to see when I could bring it back in for a check. The manager took offense at my questioning his work, but said to bring it back in. I said I would. Later that same day the manager called me and left a message on my answering service. The message stated that it would cost an additional $30.00 for the check-up and that I would need to bring cash. That seemed like a rather strange request.

4. In the afternoon of 7/6/04 I took the car back to Sterling Automotive. After several hours I received a call saying there was nothing wrong with the work he had done and that I had to expect noises from an old car with over 130,000 miles. He suggested that my transmission was going bad.

5. When I arrived to pick up the car I found it in his shop with a chain across the door. That made me angry as his demeanor had been very non customer friendly from the beginning. When I walked in he again repeated that there was nothing wrong with his work and that I had to pay him the $30.00 in cash before he would bring my car outside. I questioned that as he was accusing me of trying to drive away my car without paying. I requested he bring the car outside and then I would pay the fee. He refused and the argument escalated. I sat in his lobby and called the police. When I did that he told me to leave his office or he would throw me out bodily. I refused and he came from behind the counter and threatened to physically throw me out. In the interest of avoiding physical battle I left. I then called the Sandy police.

6. The police arrived about 15 minutes later and took my story. They then talked to the Sterling manager. It was agreed they would come with me to the Sterling office, I would pay the $30, and they would make sure my car was delivered to me. That was done.

7. On 7/29/04 after returning to my home in Westminster, CO I was still concerned about the noise in the front brakes and even if they were safe. I took the car to Northglenn Dodge at 759 W 104th Avenue, Northglenn, CO 80234 to have it checked. They found the front caliper boots torn and the front rotors are at minimum specks. They also found the rear brakes needed repair. I declined that day to have the front brakes fixed as I had just had that done that, but went ahead with the rear repair too see if maybe that would solve the noise problem.

8. The rubbing brake noise continued so on 8/12/04 I took the car back to Northglenn Dodge. One of their mechanics did a test drive with me and confirmed the noise I was complaining about was indeed in the front brakes. After considerable negotiation they agreed to re-repair the front brakes using factory parts, which Sterling had not used. That repair was a complete job which meant they replaced the entire front caliper and the rotors. The cost just for this front brake job would be $404.02 and was done at a reduction from normal cost because I was a good customer.

9. After the repair the mechanic from Northglenn Dodge and I took a test drive again. The noise was gone and the brakes were now much smoother when applied. I then asked the service manager to write a letter describing what had happened. He did.

10. On August 22 we moved into our new home in Salt Lake City. We had been trying to sell our Denver home for over a year and it finally sold. It took us several months to get settled in.

11. On 12/15/04 I took this history, the receipts from Sterling Automotive, the receipts from Northglenn Dodge, the letter from Northglenn Dodge, and the bank statements showing the cleared check and the cash for the brake check to the manager of Sterling Automotive. I requested a refund of the $125.78 + $30.00 = $155.78. This request is based on the fact that the work done by Sterling Automotive was clearly not done properly and had in fact put me in danger on the highway. The actual work done on the front brakes was defective and incomplete, and I had not been notified that my rear brakes were also in need of repair. The parts that were replaced were of a second grade quality according to Northglenn Dodge. My biggest concern, however, even above the defective work was the way in which this manager treated me and also treats his other customers. He had lied to me, confiscated my car, threatened me, and I had to call the police to settle the matter. While I was waiting for the police to talk to the manager of Sterling I talked with the neighbor businesses. I had several people tell me that in the last few months the police had been called several times to settle similar disputes with Sterling.

12. I am hopeful that when this material is submitted to Sterling I will be refunded the $155.78. If it is I will drop the matter. If it is not I intend to take further action.

Sincerely,
Denny

CC: Sandy Court System

PS: Since I wrote this report and delivered it to Sterling Automotive on December 15, 2004 I have had no response. Also I have since found two other rip off reports against Sterling Automotive with similar complaints.

Denny
Sandy, Utah
U.S.A.