Nissan Repair: Infiniti FX45, bearing repair, infiniti fx45, small claims court

Question
Hello,
Infiniti FX45, 2003, purchased at $16,000

I was on route of my 7 hour drive north when I began to hear a sound coming from one of the tires. I stopped, checked out the car to the best of my knowledge and noticed nothing wrong. Within 30 minutes, I knew I shouldn't drive my car anymore. It was a Sunday so no mechanics were available. I ended up spending the night in a small town in Vermont (VT). The next day, a mechanic saw my car and said that I was lucky that the wheel hadn't broken off. The bearing was ruined and needed replacing. He would try hard to save the axel. The job cost $1,200 and naturally, I started quietly crying. But I felt desperate and had him go ahead and do the job. I paid with my Discover card.

I arrived to my destination, Montreal, Canada where I told one of my friends about the situation and he gasped at how much I was charged. Soon, the car was making noise again, and we took it to his father's garage to be looked at. This mechanic was also floored by the almost $400 labor charge and $750+ parts charge. Turns out the job was a botch and had to be redone over again. I was told that I wouldn't have made it back to the US without some problem arising again. The mechanic was able to save the bearing used my the VT mechanic, so it cost me $200 to repair. I am furious and don't know how to handle the VT mechanic. Is there anyway I could see some of the $1200 returned to me? And if so, how would I go about doing it?

Thanks,
Julie


Answer
Hi Julie -

I just get so livid when I hear these things. One of the reasons why I volunteer on this site is to help people avoid these situations.

I am so sorry this happened to you, and I am glad you finally got the car repaired properly, and at an earthly price.

As for pursuing the money lost, I am not an attorney, but I would assume that you can go to small claims court to get your money back. This guy (VT) must be stopped from doing this, and with the proper back up, I think you can get him. Before going to small claims court, ensure that you have all the paperwork, your receipt from him, and document all conversations. Telling you that you were lucky that the wheels did not fall off is a total scare tactic.

Good luck, and thank you for wanting to get this guy -

aloha
calvin