I thought I would do a little write-up to express my experience with service at European AutoHaus of Spokane. I will just state the facts and let you decide for yourselves if you would like to deal with them - although I will express some of the ideas passing through my mind as the events unfolded.

I had a problem with my font diff in my 01 TT on my way to Spokane for the Porsche Parade this summer. It broke about 40 miles short of my destination leaving a puddle of fluid and a clanking right front axle for the last few miles.

Once in Spokane, I contacted Porsche enthusiasts from the are who directed me to European AutoHaus as a reputable place to go for service. I arrived on Saturday and contacted them first thing Monday morning. I described to them my experience leading to the destruction of the diff and they told me to bring it in and they would fix it up.

When I brought it in, I told the owner the diff was toast, please take it out. (Inner thought - It should take a couple of hours - three on the outside - to pull the stuff out - so, maybe $300 for the work.)

European AutoHaus called Tuesday and told me they had good news - there was nothing wrong with the diff - it was just the axle that was broken. I asked, if that was the case, where did all the fluid come from? They said they didn't know but the diff was full and everything was OK. They said they could have a new axle there tomorrow. (Inner thought - these guys are pros - they can tell if there is a crack in the case or not)

Wednesday they get the axle, install it and call me to say: "oops, there really is a crack - your diff is toast". They said they could seal it up with sealant and I would be fine for the 300+ mile return trip. They sent this picture as proof of where the crack was and that sealant would be fine:



(Inner thought - There is no way I would trust sealant to keep my diff together for a 6-hour drive.)

I told them I would prefer to take the diff out and after some reluctance they agreed to make it happen. The next day they called to tell me I could come and get the car.

When I went to pick up the car, they presented me with an invoice for $1,792.75. $656 was for the front axle that was now removed and in a nice box for me to take home. I asked why they were charging me for parts that I don't need and they said they had to put it in for the crack to be exposed. (Inner thought - I told you to take out the diff - You said it was OK - why am I paying for your mistake) They explained that they could not return the part because it had been installed - even thought it still looked absolutely new. The owner called the supplier and passed the phone to me. (Inner thought - WTF - you have the relationship with this guy not me!) Anyway, the supplier tells me on the phone he can't take it back. At this point, the only way I'm getting my keys back is to pay the full amount.

I drove home 2wd with no issues and excellent gas mileage.

Since then, I removed the diff and found where the crack really was - not where they had indicated and really not very hard to see:



(Inner thought - What if I had tried to drive home on their "sealed" repair?)

I sent them the picture of the actual crack and they did not respond.

The Canadian dollar conversion of the work was over $2,500.

So, would you want them to work on your car? (Flame away if you think I'm being petty!)

 

Seems like the people who "helped" you may have been both hearing and visually impaired. Buying unneeded non returnable parts should be their problem not yours. I would dispute this with the shop owner, would also contact the credit card company and file a dispute. GL

 

You are not wrong ! So many bogus mechanics out there. They think that because you drive a Porsche that they have exclusive rights to your wallet. I have gotten to the point that I question everything and trust no one. It sucks to feel this way but this writeup is a prime example and you are not alone. All it takes is a little effort to inspect thoroughly and not just throw parts at it. I would guess that you are not a certified Porsche Mechanic and you found the problem that these guys could not. You were very smart not taking their advise on the quick fix. Can you image if you could make your living this way. Right...wrong it don't matter, I'll still get paid... I wish.
This is why I find this forum so valuable. I think of it as I am bringing my car to a massive team of doctors.
Hats off to the DIY's. Keep posting your invaluable experiences and knowledge. This is the way we all learn about our cars and not be dependent on some of these 1/2 *** mechanics. (Some.. not all)

 

I did dispute it with the show owner (Greg) at the time. He wasn't going to give me my car back unless I paid. Contacting VISA might be a problem because he did do a repair - I think with VISA it's all or nothing.

 

That's it exactly - You can see from the picture that they didn't even take the 10 minutes to remove it. The crack isn't visible from the bottom. I'm really not sure why they thought it should be.

 

I think the shop has to assume you are going to fix it the right way. The axle was broken, so they ordered a new axle. Fair enough. It's unfortunate that it played out the way that it did but I wouldn't pursue this any further.

 

I didn't ask them to fix it - I asked them to take the diff out so I could get home. Fixing the axle was like changing the motor mounts when your engine is blown - you might do it anyway, but the problem is the motor and, unless you're going to address that, you shouldn't be replacing the motor mounts.

 

OP, sorry to hear this. The shop should have eaten that cost, they f*cked up, not you, that is on them.

Do they have a BBB up there you can complain about? good to post these things and let others know!

thank you for that

 

the BBB? That's a joke of an organization.

 

I would be pretty heated, but I'm guessing there is no recourse other than taking him to small claims and leaving a negative review.

 

I would dispute with your credit card company

 

The BBB is a joke but you can report them to your states BAR (bureau of automotive repair) for deceptive practices

 

BBB... That is a joke. Does absolutely nothing. The only other recourse you may have is if the state you had the work done has a " written estimate law ". I know in the state of Florida all work above $100 has to be approved by the person having such work done in a written estimate.
A long shot, but may give you grounds for credit card dispute.

 

This.

They didn't even fix the crack "to get you home" correctly.