Thread: Auto Center - Ill never go to any Canadian tire again

i had worked at ct as a lube oil changer guy one season the stuff i use
to see bothered me small things that added up to expensive things
later on on customers cars, on a oil change we... are group of guys
our job change oil and top up fluids and check tire pressures
and check air filter and so on some guys were dumb enough
i seen to put the wrong power steering fluid
in resevoire or wrong coloure antifreeze in the radiater i would try
telling the dumb ass but they would laugh it off like they didnt care
its stuff like that that would bother me that would cost the owner
money sometime down the road on repairs so i quite. i ask you why would
you bring your car to crappy tire i worked there before and i would never go
back for anything or repaire on my own car

Alright this is the relationship I had with Canadian Tire,
First I never go to Canadian tire I go to the local shop down the road ( Better Service, Cheaper, and Better work).

Anyhow one I notice I've got a coolant leak, now I know that the water pump was semi old so I verified it was leaking. ( I drive a 2000 4wd LT Blazer which I maintain myself with the occasional swing by the local garage.) It was Friday, the local shop was closed (till Monday) already ( at 5pm), But I was driving out to Thunderbay on Sunday. The only thing I could think of was swing by Canadian tire and pick up a knew water pump and install it myself. Thats all fine and dandy, until I start it up and the brand spankin new water pump is leaking out the back plate.

I didn't have the time to un-install it and install a new one, with no choice the next morning with a appointment bright and early I get it fixed, and the broken one refunded. Also they did a pressure check and the rad apparently needed to be replaced, It too was pretty old and I could believe it needed to be fixed, so with a large chunk out of my wallet I left.

This all happened about a month and a half ago. Today I drove to work and, it overheats, pop the hood and engine coolant is everywhere, dripping out the side of the rad. I Go back its under warranty blah blah blah it gets fixed.
So tonight I went with my buddies and whatnot. I get to my girlfriends place and I knew something was wrong, (10 minuet drive) I pop the hood, and guess what. The rad shroud is busted in about 4 spots, a huge chunks is missing from the top and its only got one bolt holding it on. The fan clutch is totally F**ked, all the rotors are snapped off and loosely stuck in various places. Oh yeah and there is engine coolant everywhere. Not only did they not fix the problem they made it worse.

Canadian Tire out of three tries:

1) Put on winter tires. Unfortunately, they weren't balanced. Got to Sudbury from Toronto and had to get them to repair their mistake. Fortunately they didn't attempt to charge me.

2) Benefit of the doubt. Year 2 putting on winter tires. Doing regular maintenance at a real mechanic, it was discovered that they put two of the tires on with the rotation backwards.

At this point I took my stored tires and vowed never again to let anyone at Canadian Tire touch my car ever, ever, again.

3) Belt went on the highway and I pulled into the first place I could, which was unfortunately Canadian Tire. Stranded in Barrie, I had to wait overnight and the entire next day (missing thanksgiving dinner) while they ordered the wrong belt 3 (THREE) times.

Customer service basically said they did everything right.

Canadian Tire = Incompetence. I have never seen such crap when it comes to automotive service. If you are thinking about taking your car to Canadian Tire, just don't. It's only going to be wrong, slow and ultimately a headache.

Congratulations to Canadian Tire on going 0/3. Morons.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

He knows what he's doing does he? He knows how to break things by the sound of it. You don't have an understanding about things of this nature, that's why you pay someone to fix your vehicle. A bleeder screw can still seize up even if it has been opened up recently. Oxidation on the metal treads will cause it to seized up. That is why heat from an acetylene torch is required to expand the metal and free it up. I just did wheel cylinders on a 1982 Ford van today and guess what, I didn't brake the bleeder screws on a 27 year old vehicle. This other guy sounds like he takes impeccable care of your car... so much so that you took it to another shop. I'll ask you a third time because third times a charm as they say. If the brake fluid was of acceptable quality, what was the moister reading of the brake fluid? It sounds like it was done if the fluid was fine. There is no reason why this guy had to break your bleeder screw. He's shifting the blame and you don't have the intellectual capacity to realize it. Neons are shit, which explains why someone like yourself drives one. A cheap car to go with a cheap person. You're a fucking loser who has to pay to get your car serviced. Shut your mouth and when you have gone through an apprenticeship and have a red seal trade under your belt then you can complain about things.

sounds to me you don't know what your talking about... heat doesn't expand metal it shrinks it noob... grow up and go get your job a Canadian tire, sounds like you belong there

Originally Posted by Unregistered

sounds to me you don't know what your talking about... heat doesn't expand metal it shrinks it noob... grow up and go get your job a Canadian tire, sounds like you belong there

Well, it's been a few years since engineering school, and I'm not a metallurgist, but I'm pretty sure that metals have a positive coefficient of thermal expansion (i.e., they expand when heated). Most materials do (ice being one of the exceptions).

Oh, wait: 10 seconds of Googling found this site that lists the number of micro-inches of expansion for per degree F: "Thermal Expansion Metals"

Now, that doesn't mean that the original poster is correct about anything else.

Plus, no way am I letting those so-called "mechanics" who work at CT garages anywhere near my car. Not after what they did to me and so many other people.

I took my old car in to them to get new brakes put in the rear of the car they charged me over 300 dollars. When i picked up the car it was making a grinding sound from the back end. I took the car back to them they tried telling me it was just a rock. The second time i took it back they told me that it was my emergency brake making the sound and they refused to do anything about it. i talked to the store manager she was completely useless. The sound started to get even worse in the car i took it back a third time and i brought a friend with me hoping having a guy with me might help. The mechanic at the store wouldnt let me go into the bay with them when they took my car in they took my friend they then proceeded to take my emergency brake pad off my car with a hammer and a screw driver. When they came out of the bay I asked what in the hell they were doing why they thought it was okay to steal parts off my car without my consent? They had nothing to say. I called the head office and fought with them for months they wouldnt do anything at all. They said they had done nothing wrong! What a joke I will never take my car back to another Canadian Tire store. This was in Humboldt Saskastchewan!!

i would rather drive the hour and a half to saskatoon or worse case get the car towed there then set foot in that store ever again!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I took my old car in to them to get new brakes put in the rear of the car they charged me over 300 dollars. When i picked up the car it was making a grinding sound from the back end. I took the car back to them they tried telling me it was just a rock. The second time i took it back they told me that it was my emergency brake making the sound and they refused to do anything about it. i talked to the store manager she was completely useless. The sound started to get even worse in the car i took it back a third time and i brought a friend with me hoping having a guy with me might help. The mechanic at the store wouldnt let me go into the bay with them when they took my car in they took my friend they then proceeded to take my emergency brake pad off my car with a hammer and a screw driver. When they came out of the bay I asked what in the hell they were doing why they thought it was okay to steal parts off my car without my consent? They had nothing to say. I called the head office and fought with them for months they wouldnt do anything at all. They said they had done nothing wrong! What a joke I will never take my car back to another Canadian Tire store. This was in Humboldt Saskastchewan!!

Did you ever find out what was causing the grinding? Who fixed it? How long ago was this?

Actually, i work at canadian tire in Quebec (can't tell you guys which ones) and there's a non-written policy that every auto center needs to have only TWO certified mechanic per centre.
In most cases, they have 2-3 certified ones and ALL the others are students ( that don't need NO license or diplomas in relevant work) or failed mechanics that can't finish their courses paid at 10,50$ an hour. We just switch the pictures and licenses files of former mechanics who don't work for us anymore for inspection.
If it's not an engine or tranny swap, you can bet you got serviced by a dweeb but charged full price!
I hate crappy tire but i've got bills to pay so ...

Originally Posted by justvisiting

Actually, i work at canadian tire in Quebec (can't tell you guys which ones) and there's a non-written policy that every auto center needs to have only TWO certified mechanic per centre.
In most cases, they have 2-3 certified ones and ALL the others are students ( that don't need NO license or diplomas in relevant work) or failed mechanics that can't finish their courses paid at 10,50$ an hour. We just switch the pictures and licenses files of former mechanics who don't work for us anymore for inspection.
If it's not an engine or tranny swap, you can bet you got serviced by a dweeb but charged full price!
I hate crappy tire but i've got bills to pay so ...

Then you should quit and work elsewhere. I loathe people that bite the hand that feeds them. And of course, there is the general misunderstanding of business, such as what place charges less for an oil change because a certified mechanic didn't do it? Time to go back to school, rookie.