"Our problems are with the Getty Service Center, at 381 North Avenue, New Rochelle, for which Nasren Sons Inc. is responsible (hereinafter "the Center"). The Center is the closest service station to where we live, which made it convenient for us to go there . On three occasions, which were in January 2012, May and June, we went to the Center for relatively minor work to be done to our car, a Subaru Forester, 2001 model, which we bought new in 2001 and have continuously owned and driven since then. On the first two occasions, the managers of the Center found problems that went well beyond the reasons for which we had brought our car to them and that we had no reason whatsoever to expect . Moreover on the last two occasions they made statements, representations and claims that appeared to be in bad faith or even fraudulent.
(1) On the first occasion, in January 2012, our problem was only a flat tire. They replaced it, but also insisted that we needed new front and rear struts. We said that we knew a mechanic we trusted, had been working for us a long time and was no more than three miles away who could do the job. They insisted, however, that it would be dangerous to drive the car that far and thus browbeat us into letting them replace the struts.
(2) The purpose of our second visit to the Center, in May 2012, was just to have an oil change done. They did it for $25, which we paid cash. While they were doing it, they pointed out to us that the check engine indicator was on. But we strongly insisted that we did not want this to be fixed at the time since the check engine light on the dash board had, about once every week, been alternating between on and off for quite some time and we had been told that this should not cause us to worry. We added that we needed to go home to attend to an urgent matter. Although insisting that the behavior of the check engine light was bad because it impaired fuel efficiency and would make the car fail the annual inspection, for which reason a computer diagnosis was required. They finally agreed with us not to do anything about the matter and, having finished the oil change, gave our car back to us about 20 minutes after our arrival at the Center. At that point, upon Mrs. Lavalle turning on the engine in order for us to leave, the car started to shudder very violently. Since it seemed most imprudent to drive the car in that condition, we were forced to leave it at the Center for the repairs they considered necessary to correct the situation. Since, when we came to the Center for the oil change, the car was working perfectly well, we cannot but suspect that the people at the Center underhandedly took advantage of our absence to tamper with the car to make it shudder. After they had finished the repairs they considered necessary , the car no longer shuddered and we were able to drive away on it normally . But we had been set back by $1,626.63, i.e. the cost of the work they did to eliminate the shuddering. This , according to their invoice, involved work on the canister, the canister valve, purging the valve, and work on the water pump and the timing belt, even though it was only for an oil change that we had gone to the Center. Since it appears to be too much of a coincidence that the car started to shudder immediately after the oil change, it bears repeating that, as anybody else would, we suspect that the shuddering was the result of the Center’s deliberately and fraudulently tampering with the car.
(3) Less than a month later, (June 14, 2012) sometime after we had picked up the car, on the engine being turned on the car made tremendous noise and when it was in motion, at a very low speed, it again made loud noises and shook, particularly when turning. When without delay we took the car back to the Center, they said oil was leaking from below, so the car's belly had to be dismantled to see what was wrong. When we came back the next day, they said the transmission was broken. Thereupon they proposed three alternatives, namely (1) to get us a brand new transmission, for $5,000, plus labor, (2) to get us a used transmission with 60,000 miles on it for $3,200, plus labor, or (3) to get us a used transmission with 100,000 miles on it for $2,500, plus labor. We opted for the first alternative, since we doubted that a used transmission would be trustworthy. Shortly thereafter they told us that the new transmission, which they had said would come from Pennsylvania, was already on its way. They added that they did not know whether the old, broken, transmission had any value and that they were under a legal obligation to return it to the provider of the new transmission in Pennsylvania. This appeared strange to us, since the old transmission, whether it had any value or not, was our property. Moreover they did not provide us with proper evidence that the transmission they installed, supposedly sent from Pennsylvania, was new. They showed us neither the broken transmission nor the new one. Thus, when, after the alleged installation of the new transmission, we came to have a look at the car the following day, we found it on the ground and they did not want to show us its belly. They stated that our old transmission had already been sent to Pennsylvania!! After its return to us, the car, although allegedly fitted with a new transmission, occasionally makes some noise when in motion or even when the engine is turned on. Moreover, even though the Center had assured us that the check engine indicator would not come on again, it has done so. It lasted only for one month. They have offered to have a look at the car. But we do not trust them, so we have not shown it to them. Attached please find the three bills relating to the above-described jobs that the Center has done for us. All in all since January of this year, we have paid $8,236.51 to the Center, for work that may have been unnecessary or has not been done."