The Pep Boys
reviews and complaints

I had my car towed to Pep Boys on metroplitan ave in Ridgewood Queens on the recommendation of Allstae which is my towing service, after 2 days I called at 9am to see if they had fixed my car, I was told that they were so busy they had not even looked at my car-I called back at 1pm and again the manager told me the same thing, I told him that their service was ### and that I was paying for a rental car and could not leave the car in their hands much longer, I also told him that i would call Allstate and tell them what they were doing to me, he told me that they would check my car asap-5 minutes later (NO exaggeration ) He called me back to tell me that they looked at the car and they did not know what was wrong with it and they could not fix it-I had it towed out of there immediately and took it to another shop in Whitestone Queens, all the car needed was a new starter, the mechanic at Whitestone told me that I did not take a genious to figure it out.They fixed it in 2 hours and I picked up my car at 6pm that day-It was actually ready at 4pm I just could not get there at that time.
PEP BOYS Sucks they flat out lied about what they said they did-I would never recommend PEP BOYS to any one-stay away from those idiots!

We took our car in for repair on 6/30/11 telling them it was a fuel issue. They never looked at it until Saturday. They told us it was the alternator & a problem with the alarm. They recommended replacing the alternator & disconnecting the alarm. They said they did this & they gave car back to my daughter & it broke down less than a block away. Throughout this whole problem I never received a call back when promised from anybody.
Then on Sunday 7/3/11 they told us it was the map sensor & they could not have part for 5-7 days. I then told them to hold off & I came down with part to pick up car & fix myself. I had to take a day off work to do this.
When I picked up the car I went to start it & it was completely dead because as they hooked the charger up with door closed the interior light was on all night so it drained my new battery. When I drove the car the alarm was going on & off the door locks were going up & down. The alarm had never been disconnected. I was in the parking lot looking at the car on the phone with the manager Alex when he told me the car was being looked at. This was another lie. I took the alternator they put in into the auto parts store to be tested & it was bad.
We have been charged for something that never needed repair. We were lied to, tossed around from employee to manager several times without ever having a call back.
The car was never repaired by Pep Boys and I want my money back.
My name is Larry Hagman phone [protected].

On July 10, 2011, I took my car to Pep Boys on Rt. 1 in Princeton, NJ to run a engine light check and brake check (both free services). A day later I got a call from them explaining what needed to be replaced in my car. The brake pads, rotors, drums all needed to be replaced, as well as a break line that was leaking. After telling me all this, I asked how much it would cost to fix, to which he replied 'about $470'. My car is only worth $1400 for a trade in, so I was on the fence about it, but decided to go for it. Big mistake!

I came back 3 days later, where I was presented with a bill for $1300. I proceeded to argue with the employees, getting different stories from each different person I was referred to. After 2 days of arguing with the manager, he referred me to the tech that I spoke to on the phone. Yes, you heard right, the manager referred me to someone that works under him. The tech retold his story, which was exactly what I remembered|. When I asked him why he told me it would be $470, he replied, "that was just for the rear brakes, the rest of the repairs was another $730"."

So then I spoke to the assistant manager (the manager had conveniently started his vacation by now), who refused to budge even though the tech had just admitted to giving me misleading information.. I replied that I'd pay the $470 for the rear brakes and they can put all my old parts back into my car;. However, the asst;. manager then told me that (despite the transaction not having been completed) they had already thrown away my old parts, and that my only option was to pay them $1300 to get my car back'.

Additionally, and less of a concern than what's written above, instead of installing standard brake pads, they installed the most expensive pads they had, along with calipers, . Both of these things were unrequested by me and contributed to the overall price hike that they're trying to usurp me with.

Few months ago, my parents decided to drive to Chicago from Georgia to spend Christmas with me. They had to changed the tire for their Hyundai Santa Fe '06 so that they could drive in snow. Their trip started 2 in the morning but the car was shaking severely. There was any Pep Boys service center opened at that time and they also could not delay the trip. It was 9am when they reached Lafayette, Indiana where they found a service center to check the tire. They said, when the tires were changed, the mechanic didn't check the balance of the tires. My parents were so mad that the service was so poor. It was a very stupid careless mistake. Imagine the hours of driving in the dark with uncontrollably shaking car for 7 hours to keep their promise with their daughter in Chicago to spend Christmas together. I don't know the names of each parts of car, but the cap that tightly closes engine oil tank was loosened, because the car was shaken severely. Engine oil was basically emptied. One mechanic who was helping my dad said he can't believe how they drove all the way to Indiana with that condition.
We don't give away our trust easily. Few days ago, my sister's car (Toyota Camry '04) needed oil change, so she and my mom when to Pep Boys. The person who was working there seemed nice outside, but he was very annoying. He is not a mechanic but works with customers. The job was done and they came home. My sister drives to her college everyday and it is about 30 minutes drive on the highway. She started to concern about the loud engine noise when she start the car and drive, which we didn't have before. This time, my dad told us to go to Toyota dealer to have the engine check. When the check up result came, the service representative chuckled and said, whoever changed the oil didn't close it. The cap was just sitting on the alternater, and because we drove around, the oil splashed all over the engine. It took 50 dollars to close the cap and degrease the engine.
My mom and I got very angry for another careless mistake and we visited Pep Boys to get our money reimbursed. They first thing the guy said was "why didn't you bring it back to us? we could have fixed it for you" But what if they make another stupid mistake? Do I have to go back again? At that time, I was even more annoyed by that same man who was pretending to be nice but talks like a snake. If I didn't get upset enough, he probably was going to talk me through. I was upset very much that they gave my money back in the end.
Pep Boys lost my trust COMPLETELY. I asked them why they call themselves professional when they don't even finish the job and lose the customer for being annoying and snake-like-talking. I didn't feel anything sincere from that guy. Customer service is not just about making customers feel comfortable while their car is getting fixed, but also having them not to come back to fix their stupid mistakes and wast time.
I am seriously disappointed by their careless mistakes and insincere treatment to the customer. I will never go back to Pep Boys again in my life and I want to tell people to find somewhere better.

A few months ago, I took my car into Pep Boys for what I knew was an exhaust leak. I even called beforehand to ask if they did this kind of work, because a lot of the fast-service shops don't seem to want to touch it. I was told they could do the job. Took a day off work, and had the car in by 8AM. 3 hours later, had to call to find out the status, and was told the car was done. Got over to the Boys, and the advisor told me there was nothing wrong. I had seen the leak and felt exhaust coming out of it with my own hand, so I instantly knew they just didn't want to do the work. This suspicion was confirmed when the advsisor stated there was no charge for looking at the car, and no need for paperwork. I can understand them not wanting to tackle a big job, they have that right. But telling me there was nothing wrong is another story. Exhaust leaks can lead to CO poisoning and death, and fortunately, I knew that there was a potentially dangerous problem. They'd done some work for me in the past, but I won't be back.

I took my truck into the Everett Pep Boys due to a grinding sound in the front end when slowing down. The mechanic said I needed bearings in the front right wheel. They had just replaced the bearings in the front left wheel about 2 months prior. I was told they put a new race and bearings in and all was well. The bill was about $350 with a (synthetic) oil change. 2 days later I'm driving the truck 60MPH on I-5 and the front end started shaking/wobbling very badly. I come back to my workplace where we have a shop, jack the truck up and find the wheel that was worked on is loose and has about an inch of back and forth play in it. I'm told by our shop mechanic the pre-load was not done correctly. I take the truck back to Pep boys where they keep it overnight. The next day I go to pick it up and am told there wasn't that much play in the wheel and it only needed tightening "1 more click". I asked them numerous times if it was fixed now, stressed to them that I drive the mountain passes here alot. They assured me it was fixed and I could go over the mountains without worry. I drive the truck off the lot, get it up to 60MPH and the front end shakes/wobble sthe same exact way. I come back to our shop, jack it up again, and find the wheel has the same exact amount of play it had before, almost as if nothing was done to fix it. I contact the PB service manager who tells me it is the steering box that is the problem. I had absolutley no such problem until they worked on the bearings. I put our shop mechanic on the phone with the PB service manager to help figure this out. He told them it isn't the steering box as he looked at it and the steering is perfect, it's the wheel that's loose with play still. At this point, I don't want to take the truck back in even though they told me to bring it back and they would do whatever it took to make it right. I'm sitting here wondering what to do at this point. Not happy at all.

I have been a loyal customer for many years with Pep Boys from buying parts to accessories. I have always liked the cleanliness and selection therefore when my car shut down on me out on I-95 and had towed to my house. You were the first people that I called for some help. I am somewhat knowledgeable on cars and decided to pull back the timing cover thinking my timing belt had broke on a 94 Geo Metro. It has a non-interference motor so nothing with valves etc. is harmed if the timing belt breaks. Sure enough it was the belt, I called to see how much to get it fixed and to bring to you for repairs. I spoke with Ken in service and tried to explain what I am telling you now, but as soon as I said I took a whole 7 bolts out, just enough to inspect the timing belt before I brought it to you, I was shut down an told in his exact words " I wont touch it! " I said what do you mean? I was told that I started something and he won't get involved ? You have to be kidding me...with today's economy and me stranded, you mean to tell me, sorry about your luck! not going to help? So, needless to say, I have been driving my car for the last 2 days with a smile on my face after taking it to the dealer and paying $250.00 I bought the car for gas purposes and love it! I will tell you this, you and everyone else by word of mouth that I know or come in contact with, won't go or be referred to you because of the lack of customer service! I was glad to take it to the dealer, they get a bad wrap for being over priced, but I tell you what! At least they care !
Paul / Jacksonville Florida

A few years ago I took my truck there to have new tires put on. After I got it back, I noticed a few hours later that this clacking sound was coming from the wheels. I was on a very steep mountain road and I was not exceeding he speed limit, I was driving well underthe posted speed limit. The sound was geting even louder. I got back into town and a local mechanic, NOT Pep Boys looked at it...It turned out that they put the new tires on, and did NOT tighten any of the lug nuts! If I would have crashed, I would have sued them so bad that they would have never recovered from the bad publicity and I would have bled them dry! Dont go here, they also tried to sell me service that I did NOT need!

I have a statement issued today by pep boys, ceo mike odell announcing how profitable pep boys has been this year, and how much more money we (Pep boys employees) are being paid. Trouble is, it is all politics, subterfuge and propaganda (Lies for the lay folk). I am a master technician of 20 years experience. I am smarter, wiser, and faster at my job than ever before and yet I am making less money this year than ever before regardless of my competency and qualifications.

Is it the economy you may wonder? The answer is yes though indirectly. Pep boys has had issues with inventory (And still does…though it is better than before), operations streamlining, and uncontrolled spending for some time. Our last ceo jeff rachor was paid a compensation package of approximately 14.5 million us dollars for less than a year of service with us, and from the service bay perspective, his ideas were not sound to say it very politely.

Now we have mikle odell (Again) and while there has been progress made in some areas, what progress there has been has been very over-rated. Is the company back in black (Ac/dc rip-off anyone?) this year of 2009, though it has come at a grave cost to many of us (Employees). We lost a lot of money and time training for something called drive up service.

We have lost money (Locally) because of equipment that was repaired over and over again, was inoperable for more than half the year only to finally be replaced with a new piece of equipment that works at half the cost that was already spent on repairs, not to mention service tickets lost during that time. Pep boys is taking advantage of the economy to shaft their own employees and pay them less, pocketing the cash to pay off debt, and open 25 new service centers this year alone.

I work in a shop that is not busy enough to support all of the technicians that currently are employed and they just hired a new one this week we’ll have fun splitting 100 labor hours a week between us just so we don’t have to make any customer wait on anything ever that’s the plan at least it’s the pep boys way.

An example of this fraud on the part of manny moe and jack towards their flat rate employees is their packages. Flat rate as defined by pep boys is that we are compensated at an hourly rate as provisioned by the pep boys labor guide or mitchell equivalent. Two shocks as per the package pays 0.5 hrs to replace a set (2) shock absorbers no matter what the year make and model of the vehicle is, and mitchel indicates 1.4 hours for a set (2) front shocks on a chevy astro 4×4 van.

What this means is that the job is realistically going to take at least an hour, but I will only be paid for 0.5 hour. Does this sound equivalent to anyone? I have addressed this with my service manager, as well as his boss (Our dm) and his boss as well. To make this matter more complicated, other labor times have been increased beyond what mitchell reflects as an appropriate time estimate.

It was explained to me that these increased labor times are intended to offset the other labor times that we are being screwed on trouble is, that comes at the cost of now defrauding some other customers by over charging them to offset the losses for the other customers whom pep boys intentionally under charges. I say keep it simple if we really want to be the we do it all for less leader in the industry, just drop the labor rate charged to customers up front and pay us what you agreed to pay us employees instead of over complicating everything and defrauding both your own employees and customers in some fancy dance of financial doom.

As for folks at the service desk being paid more, it’s only true in busy stores where much more customer traffic is present. The new concept of trying to turn us into a quickie lube is also dismal service writers doing service and lube techs (Installers) answering phones, writing up customers and doing more intensive service work like front end work and brakes with no training or qualifications. I have to ask where the communication breakdown is occurring between the real world and our leaders in the pep boys organization this is insanity.

Feel free to ask questions or otherwise respond to this post, i’ll check back weekly and respond appropriately.

Brought my van in last week because although it was running well it hesitated a few seconds when accelerating. Other then that it was perfect but I wanted it to be corrected.

After 5 days they called and said it was ready.

When I went to pick it up it wouldn't start and upon examination I noticed that wires were cut and the starter (which was almost new) had been stolen.

When I complained I was told they were not responsible and that in the small fine print they said they weren't responsible.

Because I need the van for work I said go ahead and replace the starter and I would pay for it. But they said they didn't do work on vehicles with cut wires and I would have to have it towed to another garage to have it repaired.

I'm going to the police tomorrow to complain and also to the Better Business Bureau and finally to small claims court. This is fraud and the worst kind of thievery I've heard of. They should be shut down and fined because they are a bunch of crooks.

Be careful when you want your car fixed---AND NEVER NEVER GO TO PEP BOYS!

I was with a friend whom had a car at pep boys. while we were waiting for it to be finished i saw 2 employees come out from bays 2 and 3 and get in gray truck and go around the building an pulled up to Chucky Cheese and i walked over there cause its in the same parking lot pep boys i was in. and i saw these 2 men smoking pot. i dont want someone working on my car if they are under the influence of any drug and working on my car. please look in to this or you will loose quite a few customers!

my srs warning light came on due to a dead battery, if they would have looked at the codes, they would have known that the light comes on because of low voltage. bought a new battery at pep boys, but they didnt clear the warning light. i requsted to have them check the codes. the service person really didnt want to deal with me so he said for me to sit and wait for 2 to 3 hours just to read the code.walked out of there mad but what can i do?
went to advanced auto and within 5 minutes they read the code and no code was showing up . thanks advanced auto.next time ill buy a battery at advanced auto

I took my 06 Saab for an inspection and tire.
When I dropped the car off I was given a price and agreed. We also discussed a possible oil change. I was given a prce of 32.00$ for the oil change.
I called later and told them to go ahead withthe oil change.
When I picked up the vehicle the ol chnge price was now 78.00 not the 32.00 I was told. When I asked to speak to thr manager they tod me that there was none on and they will not give me the car back unless I pay! What was I supposed to do? Also they put the tire on the front I wanted it on the back and they were supposed to rotate all the tires and balance them they did not and I was also charged for that!
They are a huge RIP OFF! No Help! Dont do business there!

Andrew Smith Philadelphia, PA Pep Boys @ Cottman ave & Bustleton ave Philadelphia

I took my 2004 Dodge Intrepid in for a leak, to Pep boys in Evansville IN on Dec. 10th. I found out that my car had a leaking head gasket. I told them to fix it. The service guy said, "the car will be ready Dec. 13th or 14th. I called everyday after Dec. 14th. I was told things like, "I don't know let me call u back" or "We are waiting for a part". Dec. 23, I drove past there and saw my car sitting outside. I decided to drop in to see what was going on. They said I was ready. My bumper wasn't put back on correctly, the Engine light was on and the car ran like a 4 cyclinder. I wasn't called at all during the time they had the car. I left the car with them until Jan. 6th. I pick the car up and my car shacks at idle. I called them on the way home and they said, "bring it in on Jan 10th". I drove home. I didn't drive the next day and decided to take my car out. I noticed 4 big fluid spots in my garage. I didn't think anything of it, because I was taking my car in on Jan 10. I got about 15 miles from my house and transmission fluid flew up from my hood onto my windshield. All the transmission fluid drained out of my car. I had to tow the car back to Pep Boys. I was called on Jan 10th from Pep boys, that my car was ready. I was like are you sure. I have tried to pick this car up two time and the car wasn't ready. I get over to the store and the car wasn't ready. I was beyond pissed off. The head manager was the guy who called me and told me it was ready I spent two hours talking to the assistant manager. I told him, that I am needing some money back from you. I told him to take it to a dealer, because you guys don't know what you are doing. I found out that they had a cam pressure angle off. The long wait before that was a bent cam gear. Today is Jan. 19 and I am still waiting for my car. I had to email the manager above the manager of the store. I will have to wait to see what will happen next. Jan 21 will officially be 6 weeks for a head gasket repair.

If you think Pep Boys gives bad service you ought to work for them!If you are over 40 you are really considered dead meat with them. They allow their area Managers to treat employees really TRASHY. The store I worked in had a female service manager that just happened to have a questionable relatinship with the area mgr, she really treated people bad that were below her. This company needs a major H.R. overhaul! Pep Boys really don't care if you know parts or cars they want the cheapest body they can find. They expect you to do all this online training, not even good training, then they rais *** if you don't get your work done. P_ep Boys is a JUNK place to work.

I took my car in my car in to have the head gaskets replaced, there was NOTHING WRONG with my car other than that. I took my car in on 12-31-10, they told me they were too busy that day and they could look at it the following day which was fine. The next day they said that it would not be ready because they did not received the right part they ordered but assured me it would be ready the next day, so since they said my car would be ready i took my moms car back to Texas that i had been borrowing. The next day when i picked up my car i drove it not even a block and the car was smoking and the oil light was on so i immediatly drove the car back up there. Of course when i got there i was made to feel stupid at first i guess because i am a female and they thought i didnt know what i was talking about. They took the car back in the garage, but there was noone there that could fix my car because his "tech " was gone. So i was asked to leave my car there another night as i expained to him that i have no other transportation he said well if you drive it "we are not responsible" for your car. Of course i left it and was out a car and a way to work. Well then i heard two different stories on what was wrong with the car but was told it had nothing to do with what they had just done. I picked the car up again drove it to work and when i got to work the check engine light came on and my car was not running correctly needless to say it had to be towed in that night. The next day a guy named Berreta called and said he was sorry one of his guys didnt hook something up tight and assured me i would not have anymore problems. I went to pick the car up and one of his "tech" told me yeah we fixed it but it was nothing that we did to it, so keep in mind this is already several different stories that i am getting told. I drove to work the next day the exact same thing happened check engine light came on and started running bad and my car towed. I am getting treated like crap this whole time like they are just sick of me. I went to pick my car up again now remember i have to keep missing work and all i am hearing from them is well i understand but if you dont leave the car here and there is more damage your responsible. I then pick my car up the next day and was told it was low on transmission fluid and they put some in and that just fixed it made the engine light go off and everything. So as i told them when i picked it up that it was not fixed they told me it was. Well as am i driving to work the same thing happens so at this point i am about to loose my mind because i have 4 kids i do not have any extra money i am tired of being treated like i have done something wrong and i am getting told story after story after story from several people that work there that obviously have no communication with each other. I take my car to autozone and have them hook it up and it is the TPS, so i take off work once again hoping i will not get fired and i go sit there i got there at 1 and was not even acknowledge until 3 when i heard whispers all along amy carter is here. The store manager James talks to me and i explained i understand stuff happens we are all human i do not appreciate being lied to and being treated like crap and made to feel stupid. He said he would run a free diagnostics on it (it is now January 11, 2011) to see what the problem is and he would call me the next day. Of course he never called so I called him and they found that it was the TPS duh that is what i have been telling them and some other ### and it would be 692.00 to fix it no i am sorry for everything for all the lies, and how it is amazing how the exact same thing was wrong with it and transmission fluid fixed it but then when i told him what the diagnostic on it was it was the TPS. So I told him i will be in to pick my car up when i get off at 5 when i talk to him it is 2:04pm. when i get there the tech has an attitude and says your car isnt put together nobody said they talked to you so i showed him on my phone where i talked to James he said that he was about to go home but he guesses he will stay to put my car back together. I walk out to my sisters car and here he comes speeding parks my car and said i had to walk in to get the keys. So if my car was "taken apart" how did it get put back in 2 seconds. Pep boys do not take responsiblilty for any of their actions at all. they are worthless and have caused me more money because if they would have just told me the truth and fixed it i would not be without a car so long and i could have gone to work.