They let me drive away in a dangerously overheating BMW
I went to the location on 8170 Parkway Dr La Mesa, CA 91942. On May 5, I hit a plastic object on the freeway that caused significant damage to my BMW. My insurance company paid Classic Collision in La Mesa $17,272 to replace the bumper, radiator, AC condenser, and related components.
On May 29, I picked up the vehicle after 24 days in the shop. The air conditioning was not working. A Classic Collision employee, Pablo Sardin, came out and confirmed that the AC was not functioning. While we were inspecting the vehicle, I also noticed that the windshield was cracked. The windshield was not cracked when the vehicle left my home. Classic Collision denied responsibility.
Because the shop was closing for the weekend, I drove the vehicle home. Pablo emailed me stating that manager Hector Rodriguez would contact me, but I never received a call. One email stated that I should take the vehicle to BMW for repair. A later email stated that Classic Collision would repair the AC but again denied responsibility for the windshield.
On June 4, I took the vehicle to my own mechanic. He confirmed that the AC was not working and that the cooling system was not functioning properly, causing the engine to overheat. He contacted Classic Collision, which acknowledged the problem and stated they would have the vehicle repaired at a BMW dealership at their expense.
Despite emailing multiple people at Classic Collision and sending text messages, I received no response. My mechanic was later told that Classic Collision would tow the vehicle back to their shop. As of the evening of June 5, the vehicle was still sitting at my mechanic's shop and no one from Classic Collision had contacted me directly.
This has been the worst automotive repair experience I have had in 68 years. What concerns me most is that a vehicle was released to me after more than three weeks in the shop with major repair work incomplete, including a non-functioning air conditioning system and cooling system problems. The lack of communication has been equally disappointing.
Classic Collision acquired this location from Carrillo's Auto Body several years ago. My experience with the current operation has been extremely frustrating.
After more than three weeks in the shop and over $17,000 in insurance-paid repairs, my vehicle was returned to me with a non-functioning air conditioning system and cooling system problems that should have been discovered before delivery. The communication throughout the process was poor, and despite repeated promises that management would contact me, no one did.
Based on my experience, I would not trust this shop to repair my vehicle again, and I would not recommend it to others, particularly owners of BMWs or other luxury vehicles. If a repair facility returns a vehicle with major systems still not functioning properly, it raises serious concerns about both the quality of the repairs and the final inspection process.
As of June 5, no one from Classic Collision had contacted me directly about a vehicle they knew had not been properly repaired when it was released to me. I am now once again renting a car so I can get to work and medical appointments while this situation remains unresolved.
