My daughter's car wouldn't start. I had it towed to pep boys. My daughter called and was told that her car was ready. Within fifteen minutes of getting the car the car died again. We called pep boys and they sent a tow truck to pick the car up. Of course it was now too late for someone to look at it. The next day my daughter called and was told it was the engine and it was no good. Mind you I have now spent close to $400 for a set of new tires and a battery. Pep boys basically is saying its our fault. I have called customer service and have not gotten a response from anyone. Help. I can't afford to give anyone $400 for fifteen minutes of service from a car.

I find myself in a very helpless position. I got my first oil change at 4416 miles on my 2007 Hyundai Elantra. A little over 5 weeks later my dash lights came on and before I could pull over the car stopped running. I called the dealership where I bought my car and had the car towed. I expected that the problem would be a warranty issue. Within a couple of hours the dealer call and asked where did you get your oil changed. I asked why? They told me that there was no oil plug in the car and all the oil drained out and the engine had seized. The dealer advised me that this was not a Warranty claim since the oil change was performed by Pep Boys. At this point I notified the Service Manager at the Plantation Pep Boys where I had my oil changed. He was very nice and said he would submit a claim to Pep Boys Corporate. At the time I had access to another car so I didn't request a rental while I was waiting for a response from Pep Boys. Over 2 weeks went by and no decision had been made and I was informed that Pep Boys Corporate was sending a second inspector to look at my car. In the mean time my daughter was involved in an accident and the car I was using to get to work was totaled. I notified the Pep Boys Service Manager and he authorized me to get a rental car while we waited for a decision from Pep Boys. Over 3 weeks had passed and I finally got a letter from Pep Boys in the regular mail. They declined my claim based on the following items:

1. I had initially stated there was no oil in my driveway. Upon closer inspection I did find a very small and very light oil stain. My driveway is black and I expected to see a large puddle of oil. My driveway is also on a hill so it would not leak very much sitting on incline. Also it had been raining quite hard and often in the weeks prior to my engine failure. I informed Pep Boys that my original statement was incorrect and asked them on 2 occasions to come and look at my driveway both before and after my initial statement. They declined and made no mention of my amended statement in their declination letter.
2. They said they found no evidence of negligence on the part of Pep Boys or its employees. The Hyundai Service advisor and the mechanic both said that based on the physical oil running from the oil pan to the rear of the car was consistent with a oil plug that was not tight enough.
3. Pep Boys also confirmed in their letter that there was no evidence of any physical damage that might have knocked the oil plug out of the car and the dealer also confirmed this finding.
4. Pep Boys solution to how this occurred was that a vandal may have crawled under my car and loosen the drain plug or took my plug completely out of my car therefore causing the engine failure. I didn't have 4 or 5 quarts of oil on my driveway and no oil plug laying on the driveway so I guess the vandal cleaned it all up and took the plug with him. That makes sense right?
5. They also stated that my car has an oil sensor light that comes on when the oil gets low. As I understand that system only works when the oil gets to a certain point. So if the oil plug fell out before the level got to that point then the light would not come on. Therefore I would not have had any warning there was a problem. The first indication I had of a problem is when all the dash lights came on and the engine stopped running.
6. Finally they said it is my responsibility to prove that the drain plug was left loose by Pep Boys. If I can not show proof that Pep Boys left the drain plug loose they would continue to deny this claim.

After I received the Pep Boys declination letter I sent them a online complaint asking them to reconsider their position. One of the reasons why I asked them to reconsider their decision is their warranty states they stand behind any repair performed by Pep Boys for 90 day or 4, 000 miles. My claim was made after 39 days and 1484 miles. I received no response so I contacted the Service Manager at the Plantation Pep Boys store. He called the Corporate Office and informed us that they had made their decision and my only recourse would be to "sue them". Since then I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of which Pep Boys is a member. I did receive a response that my complaint had been received by the BBB and they were going to forward the complaint to the BBB in DC. I assume that is where the Pep Boys Corporate office is located. I never received any additional response from the DC Better Business Bureau or from Pep Boys concerning my complaint.

I now understand why Pep Boys advised me to "sue them" if I wanted to resolve this claim. There is no one a single consumer can go to to get help. I tried several lawyers but the claim is not big enough for them to be interested. The local Better Business Bureau hands seemed to be tied because this is a out of state company.

At this point our claim is for $7036.04. This includes $6325.58 for the Elantra's new engine (parts, labor and tax), $602.46 for a rental car (Which Pep Boys Management Authorized) and $108.00 in lost wages. We're not looking to make a killing. I'm only asking for Pep Boys to make this right. A mechanic made a mistake. It happens, but I shouldn't have to beg to get Pep Boys to fix this.

Although I think we have a strong case I can't find anyone to take it on. Fighting a huge corporation with unlimited resources is scary at best. The only alternative I can see is to find some one as big as Pep Boys like the media who can call their bluff. I have seen may reports on Ripoff Report.com and Better Business Bureau complaints against Pep Boys but none of this seems to compel Pep Boys to do the right thing. Can't anyone get companies like Pep Boys to be responsible and do the right thing without taking them to court?

Although this may not seem like a lot of money to a large company which I'm sure has insurance to cover mistakes like this. But to a small middle income family who put their trust in Pep Boys to do a simple oil this has been financially devastating experience. There is a lot more to this story then just the situation my family has had to endure.

Took my van in for sparkplugs and check engine light and was given estimate of $200.00. All day they kept calling trying to sell me brakes, (just done by me) fuel filter, (done by me 2 months ago) new plug wires which I agreed to.

Upon going to pay I was advised there was $24.99 shop charge (what is this) and an extra $99.00 for installing ths sparkplug wires. ( avery easy job on my vehicle) which brought the bill to %376.00.

After much protesting they agreed to give me a 10% discount (big deal).

Beware that they think all customers are unaware of their vehicles and they will rip ou off big time. I will never deal with Pep Boys again and am also filing a complaint with the BBB on them.

Pep Boys installed an engine in my 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass and I have a 3 yrs warranty on the engine and was told I can go to any Pep Boys if I have any problems within the 3 yrs. My engine light has been on now for months and I have went to several Pep Boys and they continue to tell me I have to take my car back to the Pep Boys that installed my engine. I have called and emailed Pep Boys Corporate Office and no one will return my calls or respond to my email. It cost me $2800.00 for my engine and labor. Pep Boys is a rip off and they really treat women bad and I just want some one to help me in this matter, because I need to get my car fixed correctly because I will have to get a SMOG soon and it will not pass due to the enging and oil light on. I have taken it to other mechanis who said don't allow Pep Boys to put my car on another diagnostic machine because I have an engine problem and not an electrical problem because they also keep charging me $100 to continue putting it on the diagnostic and the problem isn't getting fixed.

Three years ago I had my alternator replaced by Pep Boys. For a little more money I got the "lifetime" replacement deal which covers the part but not labor.

About a year after i had the work done I needed a new alternator. I took it to Pep Boys and it was replaced for $120 labor.

A couple months ago I started to hear a very loud rattling sound from under the hood. I determined it was the alternator and when I had time took it back to Pep Boys for replacement.

It turned out it was indeed the alternator which cost me another $120 in labor to have replaced.

So far I have paid over $300 in labor for this lifetime warrantee.

Not my idea of a good deal.