Wheel came off after alignment/strut and wheel bearing replacement
 

I just had some work done on my 2001 PT Cruiser Limited. I took it to a garage for assessment of what it needed after my A/C compressor blew up and I needed A/C and power steering fixed. They told me I needed a new wheel and wheel bearings on front right, replace front strut assemblies and also to replace rear shocks, sway bar links and lateral arm. So I had them do all this work, totaling $4000. When I picked it up at 6pm on a Friday, the steering wheel was no longer centered, it was rotated about 45 degrees counterclockwise. I mentioned this to the garage and they said I needed to get an alignment and that would be straightened out. They said they did not have time to take the car for an alignment, gave me $100 off and told me to take it myself.

As soon as I got the car I noticed that it would make a clunking sound when I hit a bump or when turning and wanted to take it back but decided I would get the alignment done first and see if that made any difference. I had to work all day Mon-Wed so today (Thurs) I took it to Meineke and paid $90 for the alignment. There they told me that my control arm with ball joint and front suspension were a little loose and I should probably have it taken care of soon (they quoted me $900 for them to do it) but also said it was nothing to worry about and should not be a problem but that was the cause of the noise in the front.

I left for home and almost made it when my wheel came off, came right off the ball joint. The bolt holding it on was gone. I had been driving on the highway all day, thank god this happened when I was going slowly around a corner after a red light so barely moving. I called Meineke and sent them pictures. They said the other guy would have had to have that off to do the work that had been done. When I had it towed back to the garage that did the work the owner first blamed Meineke, saying it might have been from something they did while doing alignment. He also said they never had taken it off that ball joint to do the work they did.

In addition, the A/C does not blow cold


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.chr...647e7452da.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.chr...ca922e10b5.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.chr...ae2791f830.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.chr...6cbbcde839.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.chr...f0a88191f6.jpg
This is going to cost me a bunch more money, including having to rent a car to get back and forth from work for the next few days. Any advice, ideas, questions? Are either of these guys being honest with me? Help! Thank you anyone in advance if you have any helpful words!

Did you do the work or a shop? looks like lower ball joint busted so replace the control arm assembly.

Did you read the post? The first sentence is literally "I just had some work done on my 2001 PT Cruiser Limited. I took it to a garage..."

NO I did not read the whole post. The short version is all i needed. SO why are you wasting time posting online about this issue if you paid someone to do this work and this other item failed? They did not reinstall it correctly or its just a defective ball joint. simply take it back to them.

There were two shops working on the car. Each one blames the other. Get a report from the second shop IN WRITING. as to what they did and what they didn't do and why they are not responsible for the failure. Take the report to the first shop and tell them they need to fix the car as originally contracted for, including the A/C. If the second shop won't give you a report then go to plan B.

Sue both shops in small claims court. Let them each tell the judge why the other guy is at fault. They will make your case for you. The judge will very quickly decide that the first shop screwed up and should pay, and that the second shop should have found out the bad work and should also pay because they had the chance to prvent the accident could have gotten you killed and failed so they should pay, too.

Sounds like the first shop is not competent and you are probably not going to want them working on the car at all at this point. Take the money and run.

Serious question here: Why would you agree to spend all that money to fix a car that is not worth as much as you spent to fix it? The car is 20 years old and probably not worth half that. If you get your money back, use it to buy another car.

Yeah you obviously did not read any of the post. Why are you wasting time to be rude and less than helpful? You are a super mod? Wow. Thanks buddy

Yeah man not here to kiss your ass my bad. Just read the whole thing still nothing changed why did you not talk to the shops online forums are mainly for DIY and some weird **** with cars. Yours is oblivious. As Decotter said you need to be talking to lawyers and such not people on online web forums..

OK thanks A-Hole, I am not a mechanic, thought it would be helpful to get some feedback from some who might know more than me. Did not know that involved being trolled by a mod. Sorry if my request for advice triggered you.

yesssss im so triggered OMG i cant stand it when people ask me questions...... Common sense is lost in this world. You dont need to be a mechanic to know that someone just worked on my car , house , neck , you go back to them for issues that you have especially in the same area you just had stuff done. Do you go online first when an atm machine eats your card or does not give you money? Nope you call the bank to get stuff resolved. When you buy something at walmart and its broken inside do you go online? nope you call up walmart or go back to the same store to have it resolved. Web forums like this are good for 3 things. 1 Answering questions about car repairs that you may or may not know how to do looking for info on how to do it. 2 Looking for suggestions about a car repair that others cant figure out and the people they have hired cant figure it out. 3rd Vent your anger with the car manufacture of your choice about something you dont like.
Now if the people that did all this work are not willing to fix what they broke or attempt any repairs or if they suggested to have the lower control arm replaced and you declined it then yeah this would be a place to get some info about whats the next course. Your case take it back to whom you paid all that money to get it corrected.

FYI not an ass hole I just dont sugar coat stuff . Cars dont have feelings

The alignment shop should have noticed that bolt missing considering they told you they were loose (maybe that was why it was loose). But to do an alignment they would not have taken that bolt out. So they both are at fault. Good luck with them.