Mechanic makes good on overheating fix

COMPLAINT: Dan Diewald, Chicago

"I hired McCormick Auto in Skokie [Ill.] to fix my overheating car. I had never been there before, but wanted to try them because two other companies recommended them. The mechanic let me know I needed to replace the gasket and a few other things. I allowed him to do the work, but the day after I picked it up, it overheated again. I brought it back, and the mechanic told me I needed to repair my engine. It was going to cost another $1,000 or more."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I would like a $1,090 refund, for the repairs McCormick did and the towing."

COMPANY RESPONSE: Jeff Friedman, manager/owner, McCormick Auto

"This member is driving a 2004 Montana van with over 194,000 miles on it. When his vehicle was brought in for an overheating condition, he had no coolant in his cooling system. We refilled the coolant and found a large leak from the intake manifold gaskets. We replaced the gaskets, checked for other leaks and returned the vehicle to him.

"When he brought it back, we found that he had sustained damage to his cylinder head gaskets. It was impossible for us to know that his head gaskets were damaged until we repaired his coolant leaks first. I offered to apply the money he spent on the first repair toward the head gasket repair. In fact, he would have no extra money out of pocket. I've tried to resolve this complaint long before he even filed it."

STATUS: Resolved