Firestone Nightmare

[r3dh3ad84]

It all starts with a brake job that I had done there about a week ago. It was an easy maintenence job where the pads were low on the front and the rears just needed to be checked. I usually don't take my vehicles anywhere just for reasons of not trusting anyone, but this time I was working a lot and didn't have time to do it myself. I picked up my vehicle two hours later and drove off-with no more squeek, braking power was good- I was a happy man for $150.

A week after the brake job my fiance and I were out looking at homes to purchase in the area and I went to merge onto the freeway and something just didn't feel right. The steering wheel started shaking real bad and it kept getting worse and worse... I immediately backed off the gas and at that moment it sounded like a shotgun blast underneath my front right wheel- I fought the steering wheel anf the car over to the side of the road and stopped on the on ramp. To make a long story short- the guy that did my brakes overitghtened my lugs and all of the studs on the hub were sheered off and no longer existent- and my rotor was sitting on the inside of my rim. I had a flat bed come and agonzingly drag my truck up the ramp on the rotor to Firestone.

Firestone fought me tooth and nail to fix it there and after long argument I demanded it be taken to a Toyota Dealer at their expense to have everything checked out, 4 new hubs and studs replaced because if numbnut overtightened one he probably did them all, one new rim- along with all of my rims getting professionally stripped of the clear coat and all of them powdercoated black to make them all uniform- all at their expense.

Thank god we ended up ok and not in a serious accident. I will keep you posted with pictures of the final product and where this story goes from here:bash:

 

[Thai]

Wow...sorry to hear...good luck.

 

[Rover+Runner]

That sucks. I would have the dealership do an alignment too while they're at it (and maybe even the check the TPMS system) - the impact might have thrown something off. Glad no one was hurt and good luck on the house hunt!

 

[nated05]

Holy crap, that sucks. I bought my tires from a local Firestone dealer and have been happy with them. I know I watched them when they rotated my tires, they used the pneumatic wrench to get the lugs close then finished each of them off by hand with a torque wrench.

How a tech could screw that up is beyond me.

 

[DaBoostCreep]

I've sued Firestone once, then after went to a different location and they screwed up also.

First time they aligned my AWD subaru using FWD alignment specs....ruined a brand new set of tires. They used the wrong alignment specs....wrong year, model, and everything. They swore they were right all the way to court...where they offered a settlement which I took.

Later I took the same vehicle to another Firestone about 5 miles away....alignment again....tech didnt tighten camber bolt...came loose to the point the strut was clanking around against the hub.

Our dialog.....

Manager: "we'll get it on a lift and tighten the bolt."

Me: "are you kidding me? The strut is banging around on the hub, the alignment is completely gone....you need to realign it you idiot!"

Manager "we have cars ahead of you, we'll try to get it done before the end of the day."

Me: "no, you'll have my car on the rack, realigned, and out of this shop before you work on anything else"

Basically after demanding loud enough that every customer knew what was going on he did it. I really hope they go bankrupt from this crap service!!!

 

[4boer]

Yep, no more Firestone for me either. Had been using them for a couple of cars for 5+ years. A/c problem last year on a 15 year old car. They tell me the compressor might be bad, but first the computer won't talk to the compressor. To fix the computer problem will be $600 and THEN we can look at the compressor, which might cost several hundred also. Naturally I balk and the guy then mentions how his brother likes cars like mine and might be will to buy it from me. I smell a rat and take it home. Unhook and rehook battery and all is fine! Found an independent guy and all is well. So far.

 

[riverider]

While in the service years ago I worked part time at a Firestone store. From what I saw there I never ever trusted Firestone stores. and even today I still keep reading about problems caused by Firestone stores.

Problem is today we can't trust anyone with our Autos and Trucks, not even our Dealers. It's just all about the money they all want as much of our money for as little they have to do. And many times they cause greater problems for us.:bash:

 

[Kmvreter]

It all starts with a brake job that I had done there about a week ago... To make a long story short- the guy that did my brakes overitghtened my lugs and all of the studs on the hub were sheered off and no longer existent...
I will keep you posted with pictures of the final product and where this story goes from here:bash:

Sorry to hear this. Glad it's getting fixed right.

Not doubting the end result but are you sure they over tightened the nuts? Sounds more like an under torque situation that then causes the wheel to run loose and shear the studs. Bet that the kid doing the work forgot to give that wheel a proper final torque set.

 

[r3dh3ad84]

Update on the situation.. the Asst. Mgr called and set up a proposition for me. They said it may have been the fact that I had wheel spacers on my vehicle and that had caused stress on the studs along with numbnut over or undertorqueing the lugnuts. So, his proposition was to split the cost of a completely new set of wheels for me. At first I thought this was a shitty way to get money out of me- but after I heard the pricing, looked over his option of wheels- I think I am winning here. After all is said and done- I will be paying 275 for a set of these:

http://superbuytires.com/KMC/XD 796 Revolver/

Not too bad of a deal eh?:awais:

 

[RickC]

Not familiar with that wheel company. Where are they made? I always steer clear of the China made crap. These look good though.

But on another note, I had problems with a Centerline wheel about 10 years and will never ever buy Centerline again so maybe it's not just the China companies that product poor quality.

 

[riverider]

Now I read "wheel spacers" All bets are off. This changes everything. Your lucky they are offering anything to you.

 

[Annoyed]

Problem is most of these places hire kids just out of school (if they actually graduated school, that is), and pay them crap.
If you offer peanuts for pay, you get monkeys.

30 years ago, when I was fresh out of school, I myself briefly worked at a place such as this. I quit after 2 months & 3 stores because I couldn't stand the environment. High pressure sales tactics (the only way a tech could make decent $ was by selling unneeded crap), pressure to blow it out the door as fast as possible, etc. And this was just the practices management fostered.

Let's not even discuss the less than legal substances consumed by most of the techs during breaks, etc.

 

[Vizwar]

Update on the situation.. the Asst. Mgr called and set up a proposition for me. They said it may have been the fact that I had wheel spacers on my vehicle and that had caused stress on the studs along with numbnut over or undertorqueing the lugnuts. So, his proposition was to split the cost of a completely new set of wheels for me. At first I thought this was a shitty way to get money out of me- but after I heard the pricing, looked over his option of wheels- I think I am winning here. After all is said and done- I will be paying 275 for a set of these:

http://superbuytires.com/KMC/XD 796 Revolver/

Not too bad of a deal eh?:awais:

So he knows his store is at fault and by offering you this his books will still show a sale if even at such a low price.

At first I thought you were being bribed and sold but since you had spacers on the manager has a very good argument if he wanted to deny you everything. Grab and go!

 

[r3dh3ad84]

I agree with everyone, the wheel spacers weren't my idea and if I had the money to help it I would have taken them off and purchased new wheels long ago. When I bought the 4runner it had the wheels- I added the lift and juts wrapped bigger tires on them. But as XD said- this is a good deal, and I'm happy they're working with me at all. But also at the same time- I have put over 12,000 miles on that vehicle with those spacers on there and never had a bit of trouble, so they are at fault just as much as I am for their tech messing up as I am running the spacers.

 

[Vizwar]

I agree with everyone, the wheel spacers weren't my idea and if I had the money to help it I would have taken them off and purchased new wheels long ago. When I bought the 4runner it had the wheels- I added the lift and juts wrapped bigger tires on them. But as XD said- this is a good deal, and I'm happy they're working with me at all. But also at the same time- I have put over 12,000 miles on that vehicle with those spacers on there and never had a bit of trouble, so they are at fault just as much as I am for their tech messing up as I am running the spacers.

You're not at fault for running the spacers it just gives them an out because it's non-OEM equipment which creates doubt as to what really caused the failure.