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Worst automotive experience OF ALL TIME. My car fell into a ditch one Sunday afternoon and sustained a significant amount of damage to the front bumper, radiator and one of the fog lamps. The closest auto body shop in the area was Carstar in Vestal. My wife's Uncle recommended Carstar and suggested that we tow my car there and leave them with the keys. Between our crappy insurance and Carstar (mainly due to Carstar) the whole experience took nearly a month. My wife and I were both left without cars due to the increased usage of her car which eventually also broke down during this time (high mileage). I was out of work and praying that I would still have a job when it would be time to return to the office. I'm definitely not a finicky guy and am very patient when it comes to auto repairs. I know that something like a front bumper and radiator take time, but damn near one month? The insurance claim did take a few days (CS's lackadaisical response didn't help the matter), but my car just sat at their lot for about a week before ANYTHING was done. We waited patiently during this time under the assumption that they were at least getting the paperwork squared away, thank god we called, who knows how much longer it would have sat there. So, they finally get to writing an estimate, submitting it to the insurance company and ordering parts before beginning the work. They ordered the wrong fog light which ended up prolonging the "ordeal". My wife and I would call regularly (not everyday) so that we could check on how things were going and plan accordingly (my job, her job, picking kids up, getting rides, etc). A couple of days before the car is ready I call and speak to "the guy", John I think was his name who had been overseeing the job on my car. He got snooty and turns into a telephone tough guy and goes "you want your car today, then come get it now because you're calling every day for it. You came to us and dropped off your car at our busiest time of the year. We just need to install the fog lamp and it's done". I said okay, finish the job, I'll SEE YOU later.....Car was finally ready that day, my wife and I go to pick my car up and we believe we saw "Mr. Telephone Tough Guy" John get up and walk out of his office and out to their factory floor when he saw us approaching the entrance. LOL, it's okay John, as much as I wanted to punch you in the mouth, the satisfaction I would've gotten wouldn't have been worth an assault charge. Besides, what you did may have been a good idea and you possibly diffused what might have been an ugly situation. Because I know I sure as hell wasn't going to have it if you would've tried to turn up on me face to face bud. So we pick up my car, and it looks like a job well done. Hell they even washed it on a snowy day. New bumper, new fog light, new radiator (although the coolant reservoir was nearly empty, but it's okay, like I said I'm not finnicky. So everything is fine right? Wrong...After about a week, I noticed that my heating system wasn't working right. It would blow hot air on the driver's side but cold air on the passenger side. Take it back to Carstar and have them honor their warranty? Hell to the NO, there was no way in hell that I was going to take my car back to Vestal's Bermuda Triangle. Go another month without a car? I not only have a 9 to 5 in Greene NY, but I also operate a small business that requires me to travel alot, so I genuinely need my car, it's my money maker. I put it off for when I have time to have a mechanic take a look at it. That time came yesterday...Found out that the car's trasmission was acting up. What caused it? A busted and leaking AC condensor trans cooler line. Coincidence? I think not, I think that in their haste they gave me a half ass done car and sent me on my way. Luckily, my transmission is under warranty with the dealer. NEVER again.
UPDATE: 4/20/2017 - Coolant leak, radiator needs to be replaced, seeping coolant. Radiator wasn't new, it was a recycled unit. Smells like insurance fraud. No way I take my car back to them, I'll get it fixed elsewhere