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Maybe I'm daffy, but....

BoneIdle

Jedi Trainee
Offline
So, when I first got the GT, the muffler had rotted through where it connects to the rear pipe. I drove to a location of a nationally known muffler/tires/brakes shop and told them that I needed a muffler. It didn't have to be specifically for an MG as long as it fit and did what mufflers should do.

70.00 (USD) later, I drove out of their lot and began noticing occasional scraping when I'd drive into a steeply angled driveway or over a high speed bump. I assumed that I was just hitting a few bad spots, although I'd expressed my concern to the manager of the muffler shop about the diameter of the muffler when they had installed it.

I didn't have a lot of driving time before we moved from Florida to Iowa. When we arrived here I began noticing much more scraping from the muffler ( railroad tracks, driveways, etc. ).

I looked under the car and noticed that the resonator and the mid/rear pipe was about 2.5" from the ground. Apparently the dragging of the muffler had dislodged the entire exhaust system.

Without thinking "Warranty", I took the car to a local mechanic to see if they could cut out the resonator and put a smaller diameter muffler on the car. When they put the car on the lift, they pointed out that A) the muffler was definitely too large in diameter and too long and B) that the original installer had bent the rear pipe at about a 45 degree angle to enable it to fit into the muffler.

I told them to replace it, but due to scheduling problems, they haven't had the time to .

Then it dawned on me that this was the result of the nationally known chain's work. So.....

I called their customer service line and explained the situation figuring they'd just say to bring it in to one of their local shops and they'd fix it.

No. I was basically given the choice of filing a complaint against the shop which had done the installation. It sounded a little harsh, but I went ahead and gave them the information. They told me that they'd be in touch within 3 business days.

Yesterday afternoon the manager of the installing shop called. Here's where I get confused and more than a little irritated:

He told me "You knew that it was a universal muffler when we installed it" and that "You told us to install it even though it was the wrong size". I told him that the resonator is virtually dragging the ground and that I'm possibly looking at having to replace the exhaust system from the head pipe back because of the muffler .There was no "I'm sorry this happened" or "Let us make it right".Pretty much it's my fault I guess. After all, according to their way of thinking, I'm the muffler expert and they were only the hands for my brains.



Apparently, in the muffler business, it's considered ethical to slap whatever you have in stock on the customer's car and hope that they never call back complaining.

And I know that there are analogs to this sort of thing in other facets of life. I just can't think of a good one right now ( Maybe this would be close: you lived in NJ and told the attendant you didn't care which grade of gasoline he pumped into your tank and he pumped in diesel because it was handy ).

I will never use these people again.
 
I'm leery of anything that claims a "universal fit". I usually interpret that as "it fits nothing".

Sorry about your experience.
 
Bought a lifetime battery from Pennys a long time ago. Boy were they **** when I wanted the second new one 15 years later. And guess what, if I still had the battery I would insist on a new one everytime it went bad.
 
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And their "life-time" warrantees leave me cool too... the muffler place was as surprized as I was that I'd kept the paperwork 9 years....

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My snowbeater is/was a 92 Honda Accord. I had the exhaust replaced from the cat back about 6years ago at t the dealer. The receipt was stamped as "lifetime warranty". I took it back to the dealer about a month ago and they replaced the whole thing again, no grumbling, no questions asked. No labor, tax, nada.
 
Years ago, I went to one of those chain places for a Midget muffler. After driving about 20 miles, the whole system from the exhaust manifold back fell out of the car.
 
Several years ago I bought an 87 VW Jetta GLI. For those unfamiliar, this was a jetta with the HI PO engine from the GTI, 4 wheel discs sport seats and so on. OK beater. I was surprised at the lack of performance, but figured that, well it is heavier than a GTI.... One fine day the rear muffler(Prior to my ownership replaced by a national chain) fell off, and presto! There was the missing 20 BHP. The cheap ..eh, stuff.. that they used was so restrictive that it actually slowed the car down. I replaced the exhaust with factory parts, and enjoyed what that car had to give for years, until I gave it to my kid.
 
Crapy service is becoming the norm instead of the exception. I went to a local service station (yes, we still have 1) and noticed the air hose was gone from the front. I was told it was too much trouble to put air in the tires of full service customers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Then it's no longer "full service". The bad thing about some "chain" muffler shops is that they are independantly owned and operated... what the boss says, goes. But if the boss/owner don't give a rat's hiney, then yer in the muck. I'd file the complaint again with the head office... eventually (with enough complaints from other customers) he'll lose the franchise, and have to pay fines to the fanchiser... better yet (and in addition to the above).. at this point I'd report the whole chain to the BBB, and specifically that shop.
 
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