Sun Devil Auto
Reviews and Complaints
Review
Battery
Response to JO...
Dear Jo...
You're not from Sun Devil, eh, but want to work for them? Even after reading the myriad complaints about them on this site. You can't be serious!
Now, about tire rotation, if they thought my tires were best left alone, then why did they lie about rotating them, huh? They should have been honest and straight. If you read my story, I asked the store Manager at that time, John, three times "did your mechanics rotate the tires?" and he said "YES" each time. Indeed he supposedly checked with the mechanic, came back and said "yes they rotated them." Then, when I asked to talk to the mechanic I was told "oh, he is not here at the moment." Yea right.
Next, I read the ad just fine. As evinced by the other place I took the car to, they did NOT do a flush or replacement of the fluid in question. That they did ANY of the other things they claimed is questionable because they lied about the rotation.
Further, that one should change the cabin filter ever two or three oil changes is no defense to the fact that there was no sound in the motor BEFORE they changed the filter, but there was afterward. So they caused debris to fall into the motor intake. Any GOOD mechanic, and caring place, would be SURE to clear out any debris that might have been in the motor area BEFORE installing the new filter, as well as be careful when extracting the dirty, debris-filled filter to not let any such debris fall back into the motor intake area. They did not. In fact, their efforts pushed leaves and *** into the intake area.
Finally, I was not predisposed to think negatively BEFORE I arrived to pick up the car. First, as with any first encounter, though I had heard a couple of negatives about them from a friend, I wanted to give them a try anyway...but to be safe, I marked the tires with "1,2,3,4". What is more, I did a short bike ride then came back and watched from afar MOST of the time the car was there. I could see it hoisted up but couldn't see all they did or did not do with fluids etc. In any case, upon walking up to the car parked outside afterward, I clearly saw the tires not rotated, and took it from there.
For any future readers, I strongly urge you to see at least a dozen other negative comments about this sheister joint. If the place was consistently honest and good, they likely would not have numerous complaints, and many the same types of complaints, as they clearly do. There are plenty of other places that are honest. I use the Master Brakes @ 6055 E. Southern - ask for the manager Robert Blanco. After this fraudulent incident at Sun Devil Auto, I took all my cars to Robert, and got them done right. He also fixed the Suzuki, got the debris out of the fan motor, and did all the other work that Sun Devil had NOT done.
Sun Devil Auto - CAUGHT THEM RED HANDED!
I brought my 2008 Suzuki SX4 in to Sun Devil at Mckellips and Power on 7/13/2012 despite my best friend's urgings not to (he described a terrible experience with them.). They were supposed to do a "30,000 tune up" that included: rotating tires, multipoint inspection and road test, change Transmission and rear differential fluids, oil change/filter change, change cabin filter and engine air filters, etc. Cost was 129.95. When I arrived they tried to "upcharge" me another $48 x 2 because "we only do a basic trans and diff fluid change...Suzuki recommends a full cycle change, clearing out the entire system and replacing ALL of the fluid not just the fluid in the reservoir... so that is another $48 each fluid." I passed on this. Then they said "to change the cabin filter, it's another $48, because labor is not included in the advertisement to change the cabin filter". We agree to have that $48 upcharge reduced to $28.
I left the car. What they did not know was that I had marked the rear tires with WHITEOUT, the stuff used for typing mistakes, which does not come off easily on each of the rear tires: a "1" on left rear and a "2" on right rear. I had my bike with me, and told them "I'm going for a couple of hour bike ride." when in truth I went for about 10 minutes, then headed back and took up a spot with good vantage point, literally 50 to 100 yards away, behind a tire shop beside them! I stayed there for two hours and watched.
When I saw them drive the car out to the front to park it, I waited another half hour. I walked over to the office and clearly saw that the rear tires with my marks, were still on the rear tires. Inside the office, I asked John, the Manager on duty, "John, is it all done?" He responded "Yup, all done". I asked "Did one mechanic to all the work, including the tire rotation?" John responded "Yes one guy." I said "great he can maybe answer a question about a little technical thing I was wondering. Oh, by the way, you sure the tires are rotated front to back, and back crossed to front?" John said "yes, they are ok." I said "Great, can I speak with the mechanic? I have a question about the rotation process." Now John was getting a bit nervous. I asked "Who is the mechanic?" John hesitated, then pointed to his left at a mechanic actually sitting there, a tallish blonde guy sipping coke "I think it's Bill there." John walked over to Bill...came back, and said "no, it wasn't Bill." Then I said. "Please get the mechanic who rotated my tires." John, now clearly busted and nervous, ran into the shop, came back and said "Um...he's not here right now/" I said "too bad, because I know the tires were not rotate, John!"
John did hesitate a moment (as if he has been "busted" for lying before) but said "well, come on let's get them rotated right now..." as we started making his way outside to bring my car back the service bay. I said "wait, John, don't you want to know how I know they were not rotated?" He did not say much, but watched as I pointed and commented "see the numbers "1" and "2" on the rear tires? Marked them at home before I got here...and they are still there on the rear tires!". John said, "Yea, let's get that car in and get them rotated immediately!". I said "I asked three times about the rotation, gave you three chances to comes clean and tell me the truth, but you lied each time. Why did you do that to me John?" Nervous, he did not respond but ignored me. I added "john, I'm surely not going to let you take my car back because I cannot trust you with it now. Indeed, given your fraudulent actions here, how do I know you actually did the other work I asked for?" John only said "well, what are we going to do about this?" I responded "well, I don't think I owe you a thing (in truth, I had watched them for over 2 hours, and though I could not detail precisely what they did or did not do, my only real hard proof was the tire marking trap I set for them, it is possible and highly likely that they did perhaps the oil change and maybe only one of the other fluid changes, but likely not all of them), I think you ought to let me drive away here with no payment to you whatsoever." John responded "That ain't gonna happen!" and I playfully in joking said "John, do I have to fight you for the car?" John immediately turned and said as he rushed to the office "No, I won't fight you over this...I'm calling police as you are threatening me." You see, to take the pressure off of his act of fraud, he would call the police and claim I was threatening him." He did this and as I don't have a cell phone, as he was calling, I asked to talk to the police also before he hung up and he would NOT let me!. (I know this is getting long, but bare with me...it gets better!)
After his 911 call, as I stand in the waiting area, John says "you have to leave now, do not stand here in the waiting area, you have to go outside." I did and waited for the officers.
They came and told the story to the first one, explaining to him essentially the act of fraud and how ci caught them redhanded; The officer went inside and another showed up, and I told him the same story. He waited with me. The first one came out and basically said "they are willing to give you a $28 reduction. I'd urge you to take it and later take them, if you desire, to small claims court."
I accepted the officer's urgings as he was VERY insistent and I never argue with an officer. I went in and paid about $130. In the meantime, I called up the business offices of Sun Devil Auto, spoke with Alicia, who would NOT put me through to the General Manager Chris Doster, but said "I a not allowed to do this, I'll put you thru to Customer Service. " She did this, but no one answered Customer Service.
Finally, on my drive home, I put on the A/C and immediately noticed a loud fan/motor noise that was NEVER there before! Apparently if they really did replace the Cabin filter, they did something wrong that now causes this noise.
Upshot is that now i really ought to take my Suzuki to an actual dealership to have them check what was done and what was not done, fix the Cabin Filter noise problem caused by Sun Devil Auto, and incur costs there too.
I plan to call the President and Owner of this fraudulent company. I plan to go to TV news and Newspapers if I do not get resolution quickly. I owe it to the thousands of folks who have been, and will continue to be ripped off by these sheisters to take this further the escalator till something is done about these folks. Someone really ought to go to jail and/or be fined big-time!
If anyone wants to contact me about this or their own experiences with this shop in particular (McKellips and Power) please email me. I will use such evidence in a small claims court suit or other actions against this place.
Sun Devil Auto Scottsdale Incompetence
RUDE TALK OVERHEARD
Sun Devil Auto is THE WORST Service Center!!! They are LIARS, CHEATS, and SCAM ARTISTS!!
Sun Devil Auto Rip Off Scheme on coolant flush
*** fuel pump
I-10 and Ray Rd., this place replaced a fuel pump in my truck and they did a *** job. They didn't stand behind their work.
They also at the time did not replace the fuel filter and the fuel sensor so when I picked up my truck they failed to tell me that the fuel filter should be replaced every 3 months and as for the fuel sensor it cause the fuel gauge not to work properly. I took my truck back over there and those are the answers I was given; in another words they *** over. It sucked.
Now I got stuck with another fuel pump bill. Sun Devil Auto suck don't go there, avoid them at all costs...
Tried to rip me off
sun devil auto on thunderbird tried to rip me off . just went to have a thermostat , oil change and a flush done and they messed up my water pump and said it was like that and would cost me 700$ to replace it and all the hoses.
im a mechanic myself and i was under my truck the day before i brought it in and had no leaks ! the manager chris is a *** artist and will rip you off.
then i talked to this guy scott and what a joke he is , i called sun devil corp and they did nothing about this .
Sun Devil Auto - Serious Lacking Integrity
SUN DEVIL AUTO I-10 & RAY PHX, AZ
Sun Devil Auto /Parts Mark-up
Does not honor their warranty.
Twice misdiagnoised problem with my truck
Thank You for Your Reply! We are processing your message.
Your comment is successfully posted.
You mentioned that you had no cell phone, but yet you made a phone call to the business offices. I would have to assume either they let you use their own phone to call, even after that fiasco of threatening the manager, or...you used a payphone (which rarely exist these days) and conveniently found their phone number.
Whatever the case...I think you should've let him finish the rotation and also double inspect all services that were supposedly rendered to make sure your car is in working order, and then later negotiate a deal on the price, instead of acting like a complete *** You probably could've had him clean the cabin filter for free after lying to you, but instead you spent $130 because the police "urged" you to do so, and then drove off only to find that your fan motor is making loud noises. In my opinion, you screwed yourself big time.
Actually take the time to read the advertisement. Those 30-60-90mile "tune-ups" as you call them are not complete flushes of any fluids.
It is an oil change, tire rotation, UP TO ONE GALLON OF COOLANT, and up to ONE GALLON OF TRANS FLUID. These do not include differential services, fluids are too expensive to do them all at that price. That is actually very reasonable. If cabin filters and air filters get changed every second or third oil change like they are recomended by professionals, so many leaves and debris will not get caught in them to end up in your blower motor and cause noise or allow your mass airflow sensor to get so dirty which can possibly cause drivability problems.
No I do not work for sun devil but I am a professional technician who has worked in the industry for a long time and am possibly looking for a job with this company. Oh and if your tires didnt get rotated, maybe the tech felt the best tires were already where they should have been. You went in with your mind already made up, looking for problems, and found them.
Try to have an open mind. Just saying.
The SAME thing happened to me! These guys are not just bad at what they do, but lie about things they don't do. Small claims court, period.
UPDATE to initial complaint, now August 11, is that nothing has been done. I did have to take the car to another place, recommended by a friend, and they had to do an entire coolant flush as they said it never was done by this place.
Also, the noise in the cabin filter fan was indeed caused by the idiots who "replaced" it at Sun Devil. They apparently, as they took out the old one, let a bunch of leaves and paper stuff fall into the fan motor, and never checked to clean it out. This caused the new noise when I ran the fan for anything in the car. It's a good thing I had it checked and cleaned by the other place (BrakeMasters on Southern near Walmart and about Higley - ask for the owner Robert Blanco - great and honest guy!).
Anyway had I not had it fixed, the motor may have gone bad eventually and I'd have had to pay big bucks for a new one.
As it turned out, the re-dos to the car totalled about $125, almost what the idiots at Sun Devil charged to do...well, anything?
I have yet to call the owner...I'll write back if and when I do. I assume he is as much an AH as his staff...because people do reflect those in charge.
hjelliot back again responding to the personal and defamatory comments from "JJ". This is your professional response to my catching you in a lie?
And hey, JJ, are you by any chance John, the service manager who lied to me about rotating the tires (and whatever else you did not do to the car?) All you can do is make personal (false, of course) statements about my teaching experiences? LOL, gee that really supports your position as being a great auto shop!
NOTe THIS COLLEGE TEACHER WAS FIRED DUE THE STUDENTS IN HIS CLASS WITHDRAWING FROM HIS CLASS (ILL BET HE MUST BE A FIRST CLASS TEACHER IF HE WAS FIRED AFTER ONE MONTH?) :cry
This is elliot again, the writer of the complaint about Sun Valley Auto on Power and McKellips. I forgot to mention that as I sat for two hours about 75 yards away to observe them working on the car, I NEVER saw them go to the rear differential.
I only saw them in the front of the car. This makes sense to me.
If they are going to not do something it is going to be something I really cannot check (like the fluid in the rear differential.) However I can easily check the engine and trans oils...albeit that I know what to look for. My best guess is that they did the oil change, maybe the trans fluid change, not the rear differential change, not the change to the gizmo in the center of the car that goes round and round, and they NEVER took it out for a test ride...and by the way, the fluids were not topped off (such as the window washer etc.)By skipping many of these things, they have put me and my car in potential danger, likely early high costs of failure to car functions, etc.
Simply learn to change your own fluids rear diffs aren't hard to check take the plug out and stick your finger inside... I learned a long time ago if there are certain things you want done and want done to your right doing (doesn't mean its right) then *** the white shirt and tie and do it yourself it's OK to get your hands dirty...
I do not work for Sun Devil or any shop for that matter but any and every shop is going to charge more and always try to up sale there in the business to make money car salesman do it all the time dealership is the biggest scam you lose 5 k the second you drive off the lot ...
But you bought a new car and where OK with taken that one in huh... Lol people crack me up