Sierra Service Center
Don't be fooled by the friendly, clean exterior, this place will try to squeeze every penny they can from you through exaggerated or outright incorrect diagnoses. People need to be warned how slimy they are. Working with them made my physically ill. I took my SUV in to a) have an oil leak diagnosed and repaired, and b) to get an oil change. The oil change was ~$90, which, having just moved from NY, was acceptable. I found out upon dropping my vehicle off, that the diagnostic would be ~$190. But whatever. I had a new Jasper engine under warranty that would help cover the costs of repair. Their diagnostic was professional enough, appearing to be thorough with pictures and a pdf. I liked that. But they were incorrect. Part of the diagnostic said that I had brakes in such dire condition that they "didn't feel safe" letting me drive away. The man on the phone was "very hesitant" for me to leave. This pressure made me very uncomfortable and I told them I would take it to Brake Masters for a second opinion and a lower estimate. But it was the oil leak diagnostic that ultimately disgusted me. They claimed that both my oil pan and my passenger side valve gaskets were faulty. (Did I mention this was a new engine?) Not only would it cost thousands of dollars to repair, but I'd have to pay for a *second oil change*. Excuse me? They changed my oil without making sure the leak was fixed? While ultimately this was a good thing because I didn't have to have unnecessary work, at the time I was livid that they would even do that. They said, "Well we can waive the second oil change but then you'll have to pay the diagnostic fee." Excuse me again? Waiving the diagnostic fee with the repair was never something I'd been offered, and this tactic only increased my discomfort. I cut my losses, told them I'd pay them for the diagnostic and the oil change, and took my vehicle elsewhere. So how did they end up being wrong about the oil leak diagnosis? For $70, Brake Masters found and tightened the bolts on the valve cover. The valve cover is above the oil pan, so a leak there would drip down and make it appear that both were leaky. They even cleaned the bottom of my engine. But no, Sierra Service Center was more than happy to tear apart the oil pan of my brand new engine to fix things that weren't broken. And charge me for a second oil change. Neither of which were necessary. Other information: I'm the daughter and sister of mechanics. My dad knew the Jasper motor was the best out there and suspected the problem was that the valve cover bolts were loose. Ultimately, my brakes had enough life in them for me to make the 20 hour drive home and replace them with him. I know how to do that now, so yay. Also, Sierra Service Center charges more per hour than the dealership I went to in NY. ~$170. Just so you know. The military rate is ~$152.
Thank you for your review. Although we pride ourselves with providing excellent customer service each and every time, we sometimes fall short. While you acknowledge multiple positive factors you experienced during your visit, you also mention two areas we could show improvement. Our records show you came in for an oil change service. During our complimentary digital vehicle inspection, after you dropped the vehicle, we discovered a substantial oil leak coming from the front and bottom of your engine. We communicated this and our other findings with you on the phone, primarily your excessively worn brakes. The oil leak did require an hour diagnosis which included power washing the entire engine and inserting UV dye in the crankcase to determine the sources(s) of the leak(s) which would take a second appointment after driving the vehicle for a few days. Yes the brakes were in need of immediate attention, especially the front. It is an industry standard and our policy to replace brake rotors when replacing brake pads. Although other shops may cut corners for safety, we do not. We did not diagnose exactly where the oil leak was, but suggested the weak points on an engine where leaks like yours are generally found. It wasn't until several hours later on a subsequent phone call, did you divulge that you had recently replaced the engine in your vehicle. With this information we discovered a new or rebuilt engine should carry a warranty and you instructed us to contact Jasper to investigate a warranty claim on your behalf, which we did. We discovered you were covered under warranty for parts and a labor rate of $50 per hour. We explained your warranty would cover a portion of the charge if there were internal components damaged or failing causing the oil leak, but a diagnosis of the leak may include a partial tear down of your engine resulting in multiple hours of labor. As anyone purchasing a new engine certainly would not expect it to be leaking any fluid, let alone the most critical fluid the engine needs work. After you made a public scene in front of our reception area including in front of other customers, we did offer to waive our diagnostic fee just to get you our of our shop, not a second oil change. The second oil change was only necessary if we needed and authorized a tear down of the engine to actually determine the cause. We simply don't just tighten screws or bolts, guessing and hoping such an action is a permanent fix. Others may do that, we don't. Although we're glad you made if back to NY safely and without incident, that is a risk we do not recommend when we discover "metal to metal" wear on vehicle's braking systems. FYI, we did apply your military discount of 10%. The net cost of your effective labor rate was $152 per hour.
- Sierra Service Center