NHTSA Complaint #10025955 — 1995 BUICK REGAL

ON JAN. 8,2003 I HAD A COMPLETE BRAKE INSPECTIO AND REPAIR DONE BY TUFFY'S AUTO SERVIVE AT 4164 N. MILWAUKEE IN CHICAGO. I NOTICES S SCRAPING SOUND COMING FROM MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL. I RETURNED TO TUFFY'S FIVE (5) TIMES, THE LAST BEING ON OR ABOUT JANUARY 20, 2003. AT THIS TIME, MR JIM JANICEK, THE DISTRICT MANAGER FOR TUFFY'S WAS PRESENT. AGAIN THEY INSPECTED MY BRAKES AND I WAS ASSURED BY MR. JANICEK THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BRAKES. AT THIS TIME, MR. JANICEK, THE DISTRICT MANAGER FOR TUFFY'S STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT I WAS WASTING HIS TIME AND NOT TO RETURN. ON MAY 29, 2003, ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK I DEVELOPED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL WITH GREATLY REDUCED BRAKING POWER. ON MAY 30, 2003 I AGAIN WAS CHARGED , THIS TIME FOR TWO (2) CALIPERS TO REPAIR BRAKES. I BELIEVE THE CALIPER FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE THE WORK DONE BY TUFFY'S TO BEGIN WITH.ON JULY 8, ON MY WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, AS MY WIFE MUST GO WEEKLY; TRAVELING AT A RATE OF 30 MPH IN MEDIUM TRAFFIC I HAD COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO AVOID A MAJOR ACCIDENT. DRIVING AT A RATE OF 10 -15 MPH I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MY CAR TO LYNCH BUICK AT 5330 W. IRVING PARK RD. IN CHICAGO. THEY INSPECTED MY BRAKES AND FOUND THERE TO BE A SUBSTANCE THAT WAS NOT BRAKE FLUID IN THE SYSTEM. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WILL BE OVER $1,000.00. TUFFY'S WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY TOOK A SAMPLE OF THE FLUID FROM THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. TUFFY'S STATED THE THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD ANTI-FREEZE IN IT. TUFFY'S AUTO SERVICE ON NORTH MILWAUKEE IN CHICAGO WAS THE ONLY ONE TO WORK ON MY BRAKES AND THE ONLY ONE UNDER THE HOOD FOR ANY REASON SINCE JANUARY 8, 2003., H DUE TO THE GREAT TRAUMA CAUSED BY TUFFY'SLYNCH BUICK WILL REPAIR MY CAR. WHEN TUFFY' BOTCHED THE FIRST JOB, I GAVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE, THAT CHANCE ALMOST COST ME AND MY WIFE OUR LIVES. I FEEL THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO ANY MORE BRAKE REPAIRS ON ANY VEHICLES. *AK