Big Mechanic

Terrible service and poorly run business. I own a number of vehicles and over the years have used many mechanics, some very good others at least acceptable and competent. I am doing business and live part time in the Tampa area so when my vehicle’s engine died I was referred to this shop. While I understand that this is a shop where vehicles are repaired (supposedly) and a certain amount of dirt and grime can be expected, this place is a dump… and that’s probably an insult to dumps. Not only are junk and dirt laying all around the waiting room and garage, but when I got my vehicle back, the tan leather interior was so caked in dirt and grease as was the carpet that it cost over $ 150 at a detail shop to get it back to its previous condition, plus I found a greasy part of my Engine under the back seat that they had forgotten to put back in, but I digress. The engine needed to be replaced, their first suggestion was a used engine with nearly 70,000 miles for about $ 2300 with a six month warranty. I spent 30 minutes online and found a completely remanufactured engine for $ 2200 with zero miles and a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty and had it shipped to them.
Once the engine got there, other than the estimate for installation, I never heard from them again. I called repeatedly, even while traveling, to hear from a new manager or counterman that the owner, Steve, needed to speak to me. I left messages on his voicemail, called their corporate office (apparently «Big Mechanic» is basically a bunch of low-​grade shops in the area tied together under this marketing name) spoke to a woman there twice who said she would have Steve call me right back as well as having to call the location where my vehicle was no less than Six times, still nothing. Now I had just spent over $ 2k buying and shipping a motor to these people and could not get any feedback on whether the work had started, if there were any issues, a date of completion, etc… When I called the «manager» at the location, not the same person I had dealt with originally, all he could say was «I don’t know anything about this, this was before me…» so for all I knew that had not even started on my vehicle after over three weeks since the motor arrived. I was out of the country for two weeks so could not just drive over and see for myself. When I returned, I called immediately and was told, «oh, your vehicle is finished, come pick it up».
As mentioned earlier, the vehicle was trashed and there was a two foot long metal cover of some sort with bolts in it sitting under my back seat. When I carried it back into the shop and asked it about, the manger just shook his head and said, «…these guys», and told me I would have to come back in to get it installed, «…but you’ll be fine to drive it now». Plus after having the engine completely replace, there was a check engine light on and the AC was not blowing as cold as before so obviously they do not conduct a proper test drive after completing their work. They could not figure out the problem right then so I had to bring it back. So I bring back, go out of town again, come back, start the vehicle and «Check Engine» light is still on after they assured me they fixed it and test drove it, etc…
Needless to say I am not going to let them touch my vehicle again, I will bring it elsewhere to determine why I still have a check engine light. Oh, and after asking what the owner’s answer was to all the issues, my trashed interior, parts left uninstalled and repeated trips back to their shop, the «manager» said, «well I told him but he didn’t say anything». No compensation for my additional expenses, no explanation for the lack of communication and not even an apology for their shoddy work and unprofessionalism. Big Mechanic, Big Joke. Stay Away.

the shop has had my car for at least five weeks so far and misdiagnosed a transmission problem from a computer problem that cost me over $ 1000 so far. They also drop my car off the lift onto the rails on the side of my Ford Expedition and didn’t inform me about the damage until I found the damage. There has been no compensation of a rental car or any financial compensation if they’ve had my car. I am still waiting on my car to be returned from the transmission shop Wednesday finally diagnosed it after it being towed from the Big Mechanic shop then I have to go and get my body damage repaired that they caused.