Kwik Kar
reviews and complaints

I went to get an AC Diagnostic check on 8-11-10. I was charged $99.34. On 8-12-10, I was back because I had no air. I called Kwik Kar, and the mechanic said well we didn't charge you for the air we put in already. I asked him what does a Diagnostic Check provide. The mechanic admitted he didn't check for any leaks. (Remember, I got a Diagnostic check.) He said, "I will put the vehicle on the machine and the problem will be detected". I left with air. On 8-13-10, I was back with no air, the so called mechanic said, I am not sure what is wrong, but we will fix it. It was 100 degrees outside so I said, well I need an oil change too. After the oil change, the mechanic said, "well"you have two large leaks in the PS pump and the EV Evaporator", and gave me an estimate of $477.83.
The Oil change was $36.11, but the receipt says Washer fluid and brake fluid were added. I checked when I got home and they both were empty.

What kind of company is this!

My car air conditioner was not working. I took it to Kwik kar
at this address. They told me that it was the evaporator and
suggested some one very close to them that could replace it.
It was replaced at a cost of over $1200.00. It did not fix the
problem. It turned out to be a leaky valve that was losing
refrigerant, which should have been found and fixed on my
first visit. This was very incompetant work and I suspect more
was going on between the two shops. I felt others should know
about this.

I have been coming to this place for years. I recently had a routine oil change and then they damaged my car. I won't get into any details but let's just say there is now thousands of $$$ (5, 600) in repairs needed to my car as a result of their negligence. Furthermore, I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone. They MAY have decent customer service skills (or so they claim); but their technicians are 2nd rate at best. Not only did they damage my car--they will not take responsibility. When you see this place and think about getting a repair or oil change...just keep on driving. Stay very far away

Be very, very careful, and trust no one. I took my vehicle in to this shop, and left directions for specific services. When I returned the manager had approved doing additional and unapproved services. He "swore" he called my cell phone for approval, and left a message. Needless to say, I never received a phone call or message on my cell (which was with me all day) Then, 2 months later when my transmission went out, my mechanic informed me the fluid level was filled to twice the normal level. Want to guess as to whether they drained by transmission before replacing the fluid? I dislike being taken advantage of, a bit less than I like being lied to. This place, and the charlatan that runs it, is a plague. Avoid it like one.

I'm a new resident to Texas just moved here from Ga. So I had to get the car saftey and emissions test done so I could register my car in Texas. I took it to Kwik Kar. I was seated for while in the waiting room. When another couple came in for the same test and came and went. Naturally at that point I was wondering why my test was taking so long. I and the person with me looked through the glass and saw the guy messing around with my car door. He came in sometime later and said the car passed and took payment for the test. He then drove the car around to the front. I tried to open my car door only to find the door handle loose and not able to open the door. We told the guy who did the test and he was rather unresponsive. So we left and called the manager and were told the general manager would called us to address the issue. He did the next day and said they were not going to cover the cost of the damages their employee caused. I now have to have someone enter to

the car from the passenger side and reach over to open my door from the inside or I have to enter from the passenger side and crawl over. I feel this company should cover the cost to fix my door handle. Nice how a saftey test can manage to make your car less safe! Some welcome to Texas!

I'm a new resident to Texas just moved here from Ga. So I had to get the car saftey and emissions test done so I could register my car in Texas. I took it to Kwik Kar. I was seated for while in the waiting room. When another couple came in for the same test and came and went. Naturally at that point I was wonderinmg why my test was taking so long. I and the person with me looked through the glass and saw the guy messing around with my car door. He came in sometime later and said the car passed and took payment for the test. He then drove the car around to the front. I tried to open my car door only to find the door handle loose and not able to open the door. We told the guy who did the test and he was rather unresponsive. So we left and called the manager and were told the general manager would called us to address the issue. He did the next day and said they were not going to cover the cost of the damages their employee caused. I now have to have someone enter the car from the passenger side and reach over to open my door from the inside or I have to enter from the passenger side and crawl over. I feel this company should cover the cost to fix my door handle. Nice how a saftey test can manage to make your car less safe! Some welcome to Texas!

I took my car in for a oil change. First they tried to install t he wrong oil filter, then argued when I called them on it. Made me wait 45 minutes while the right one was delivered. Didnt check any other fluid levels and didn't lube it. When I called them on it they tried to convince me I was mistaken until another employee admitted he forgot. VERY DISHONEST and DISREPUTABLE LOCATION. B e very careful . If I hadn't been attentive to what they were trying to pull they would have got away with it.TELL EVERYONE TO AVOID THIS LOCATION.

I took in my car to get one of the front light bulb replaced, and on that same evening after they had replaced it, the low beams on both lights would not work. I took it back for them to fix it a week later, and they could not seem to find the problem. They suggested that I go to an electrial shop to get it looked at.

Why should I incur a debt of $200 or more when I just needed them to replace a burnt bulb? The owner was arrogant when I spoke to him on the phone, and suggested I take my care elsewhere. After telling him that I was not happy with his response and that I was going to report this to Kwik Kar, he decided to give me back my money " IF I HAD A RECEIPT".

I just feel that this is not fair, and who knows how many more people are being treated in this manner.

Something should be done for me, so I dont have to be dish out a ton of money, for replacing a burnt out light bulb. I really hope that you respond to me, and challenge the owner. His name is Lee Spann, his telepone number is [protected]. I have been a customer at that location for 3 years, and dont ever intend to go back.

Peter

I would like to share my recent experiences for my auto repairs at Kwik Kar Lube & Tune #114 at 12380 Barker Cypress Rd at 290 in Cypress, TX . The owner is Albert Lee and his family. His current Better Business Bureau rating is currently unsatisfactory. My current BBB complaint ID# is 6952149. I have also filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney Generals Office based on the following points listed below.

http://houston.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=148&bbb=0915&firm=130030177

The Consumer Protection Act includes sections that deal with auto repairs. I have submitted my complaint to the Texas Attorney Generals office against Albert Lee and his company Kwik Kar Lube & Tune #114 based on the following points. Under this law, it is illegal to:
1) Knowingly make a false or misleading statement about the need for parts, replacement or repair service.
2) State that work has been done or parts were replaced when that is not true.
3) Represent that goods are original or new, when in fact they are second-hand or refurbished.

Here are the facts and my painful story. Please do not let this outfit scam other people.

We have been taking our Suburban to this auto repair shop since 2003 mostly for oil changes and minor repairs. On 5/15/2008 we had a loud noise in the rear of the Suburban so my wife took the car to Kwik Kar Lube & Tune and they stated that the rear end differential needed to be rebuilt - cost ~$2, 500. Kwik Kar stated that there were no other issues (including the drive shaft/automatic transmission/u-joints, etc.) We discussed the issue in detail and I gave them permission to rebuild only the rear end differential based on our discussion. On 5/16/2008 I received a call from the Kwik Kar Lube & Tune stating that they did not really check the transmission and that both the transmission AND the read end differential had to be rebuilt - cost ~$5, 200 (Kwik Kar Invoice# 1589438). I was able to negotiate down to $4, 679 however I had a suspicion that these guys were not doing the right thing. We needed the Suburban and we needed to get it fixed so I agreed to have them repair both the transmission and differential - Big Mistake.

The final straw came on 9/2/2008, my wife was taking my daughter to school and she heard a loud popping sound coming from the rear of the Suburban. My wife called me and asked me what to do and I said to call Kwik Kar Lube & Tune #114 at 12380 Barker Cypress Rd at 290 – dumb idea. Kwik Kar came out and towed the Suburban. On 9/3/2008 I received a call from the owner Albert Lee and he stated that the drive shaft assembly, pinion bearing bearing and u-joint assembly was bad and needed replacing. His initial quote was between $700 and $1, 400 (depending on what repairs I agreed to). I asked him several times if the problem had anything to do with the repairs that were completed back in May 2008 and he stated no that these were new problems and his warranty did not cover this new problem. From this point I was extremely suspicious since I just spent almost $5, 000 on a new rear end and transmission and three and a half months later the drive shaft assembly, pinion bearing and u-joint assembly was bad and needed replacing. I met Albert at his store on Friday, September 6 at about 3:15 PM. The only item that I authorized him to complete was to generate a repair quote (quote only – no work) that included what needed to be repaired along with a written sentence on the quote that said that these repairs were not a part of the warranty work that was completed in May 2008. I also requested his initials on the quote. I went back up to the store at ~6:15 PM Friday evening (about three hours later) and he showed me a repair quote for $584. He wanted me to ok the quote and for Kwik Kar I asked him to print the quote and sign the repair quote. Albert was really squirming, would not look me into my eyes and would not generate a quote. After 30 minutes of discussion he changed his story and stated that he fixed all the work including drive shaft assembly, pinion bearing, u-joint assembly and differential gasket & assembly (Kwik Kar Invoice# 1910734) and that all he wanted was a happy customer - total garbage. On 9/4/08 unfortunately we forgot to retrieve our remote garage door opener from the loaner car and we had to go back to see Albert at Kwik Kar. While my wife and I were waiting Albert stated that he had done yet another repair on our Suburban in which he replaced our parking shoes (Kwik Kar Invoice# 1910800) – again no approval or authorization from my wife or I.

I did have the Service Manager for Goodyear who is ASE Certified inspect the Suburban on Monday, September 8, 2008.

Additional points include:

- Based on the inspection of the Goodyear Services Manager who is ASE Certified he stated the following: 1) Drive shaft is not one week old – it still has body undercoating sprayed on the drive shaft (original equipment) 2) U-joints have no grease fittings – all replacement u-joints will have grease fittings unless they are from the dealership. Goodyear stated that they would never use dealer parts since the cost would be 3X’s the cost 3) Pinion bolt threads are rusty – if these were new parts then they would not be rusty 4) Rear housing is “wet” at rear but dry at the pinion nut. If these items were replaced you would see wetness at the pinion nut.

- I told Albert Lee/Kwik Kar that I did not agree or give him authorization to complete this work and that the only item that I agreed to was him generating and signing a quote – we agreed NO WORK WAS TO BE COMPLETED! Why did he do the work when I did not authorize him to do the work? Albert provided no good answer.

- I asked him to show me all the old parts that he removed from the Suburban and he stated that he had already submitted them for a credit. He did not have any of the old parts available since they have been submitted for credit (after only 3 hours). I confirmed with the Goodyear Services Manager and he stated that they do not receive any core credit for any parts that were described above and usually it is the next day at the earliest before they pick-up the old parts. At the Goodyear auto shop they pick-up his entire core parts once every week.

- On a Friday afternoon at 3:15 PM how did he order the parts/have parts delivered/installed the parts/credit the parts in three hour span? The Goodyear Service Manager stated that it would take five or six hours at a minimum to do the work described above.

- I asked Albert Lee/Kwik Kar to show me all the new parts that were replaced on the Suburban. I went down to the bay with one of his mechanics and he showed me all the parts that he said he replaced. I worked in an auto shop while I was in high school so I am not ignorant in seeing a new part vs. an old/existing part on a car. He showed me the parts and you could readily tell that the parts were not new. Based on the Goodyear Services Manager careful inspection he states that the parts that Kwik Kar stated were not recently replaced. I also have several pictures to show that the work was not completed.

My recent experiences with Albert Lee at Kwik Kar Lube & Tune # 114 12380 Barker Cypress Rd has been fraudulent and predatory practices. Albert Lee views each and every customer as one hundred(s) dollar bills and forces his customers to pay an exorbitant amount of money for unwanted or unnecessary auto repairs. This guy should be shut down as soon as possible so more people are not taken for their time and money.

I lost my wheel lock so instead of going thru the hassle of ordering one i figured it was easier taking my car to this kwik kar and for them to remove it. I ask the manager (or owner?) i it is possible, he ask the mechanic and says yes, gets my keys and takes my car in the shop. The mechanic works on it and in 10 minutes its done. I go inside and they charge me 80 dollars! yes 8 0! they charged me with one hour of labor! and they give me all the BS that the airtols he bought are expensive and bla bla bla. I explain how i am supposed to pay for labor alone, regardless of what they use to remove it. I talked to the owner and explained how they never told me a price before they worked on the car, he said they never say the price of the job, what a shop.

After some complaining they were rood and did not understand anything i was saying. They just opened the place like 5 days before i went and the service is that bad, man they are going out of business this is just ridiculous, they have no concept of treating the customer well.

Do not go there! there are many shops closer around which i have gone to all of them and service is 10000 times better!

Horrible horrible place!

I took my car in to have my oil changed in November 2007. During the course of driving I noticed my oil was leaking, so I took it to a Ford dealership to see if I had an oil leak. After inspection, the Ford dealership informed me there were holes in the oil filter and it looked as if the person that changed my oil last cranked the filer with a wrench to tighten it. I contact the owner of Crystal Car Wash & Kwik Kar Lube - Ben Park on a few different occasions, informed him of the situation and asked to be reimbursed for the inspection of my vehicle at Ford $97.00 + tax + oil change $30. and my car rental $40. I proposed we settle for $150 flat. Ben conducted his own investigation and informed me today that the problem could of not been from when I had my oil changed at his facility.