Carlisle Automotive

For years, we were exceptionally pleased with the service at Carlisle auto. They consistently went above and beyond for us, and their advice and expertise were incomparable.



However, about a year ago, things began to go downhill. And not slowly.



July 2011



They fixed a leak in the coolant system on one of our cars. The dashboard was put together sloppily and we had to take the car back into have the dashboard put back together correctly--including the steering column gaping open and the interior trunk button no longer working.



Sept 2011



We had a full clutch replacement done on one of the cars. Immediately after bringing it home, we noticed a horrible noise coming from the engine. Took it back to the shop only to be told it was the sound of the new clutch and it would eventually just ease away. In February 2012, we brought it for the same noise, that only started after the clutch repair, and they diagnosed a collapsed engine mount. So basically, we took the car to them in September, with all engine mounts just fine, got it back with the engine mounts collapsed, only to be lied to about the cause of the issue. The manager offered us a "discount" that when we asked around for other prices turned out to be only about $150 dollars less than other shops that hadn't caused the damage.



October 2011



One of our cars was in an accident that required an alignment and one new tire, as well as body work. The body shop recommended to us was Dulles Auto Body (which was excellent by the way), however Carlisle was responsible for the alignment. We drove the car off the lot and noticed that it pulled to the left. We called Carlisle and was told (repeatedly) that it was the new tire on one side of the car, and that as soon as we replace the other tire, the problem would disappear. We asked about it repeatedly over the next few months, only to reassured time and time again. In March, we had three new tires put on the car. Due to our growing concerns with Carlisle, we took it to a different shop to have the tires installed. They discovered that a control arm was bent leading to the alignment problem--no doubt caused by the force in the accident that destroyed that wheel well. We brought this to the attention of Carlisle, which at first has lost all documentation of the alignment (Dulles Auto Body kindly walked it over), and refused to take any responsibility for the issue.



We have tried repeatedly to come to an amicable agreement with Carlisle Auto--something that could reassure us that these mistakes won't happen again and that will fairly compensate us for the mistakes in the past. Wes, the manager, talks very kindly, but only points out that those staff people aren't there anymore, implying that since those employees have left, Carlisle has no responsibility. He apologizes without ever making any attempt to rectify the situation. We've repeatedly tried to get a hold of David, the owner, through e-mails, calls, and even a message left with his wife, but we've gotten no answer.



So if you want the work done right, and not lied to when it is done wrong, I think you should look for another mechanic. This one is more concerned with laying blame elsewhere and taking your money than actually doing a good job.