Car-X Tire & Auto with Express Oil

Address:	1400 NW 86th St, Clive, IA 50325, USA
Phone:	+1 515-222-3100
Site:	carx.com
Rating:	3.5
Working:	8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–5PM Closed

Location

Photos 37

Reviews 5

Anonymous User

To Whom it May Concern: I am writing in reference to service (or lack thereof) received at the Car-X location at 1400 NW 86th St in Des Moines, IA. I visited this location on August 6, 2010. I stopped there to have a leaking tire repaired as I was in town on business. It seemed efficient to get an estimate on having my AC fixed while there, as occasionally it would blow only hot air instead of cold. I was given an estimate of $865 to have the AC repaired and told I would need a new air compressor as well as four additional parts. Since it was a high amount I decided to wait and have my usual mechanic look into it when I returned home. I paid $20 for the tire repair which seemed high, but I was under the impression I was paying for a quality service. What prompted me originally to write is when my husband looked under the hood to find that the dust caps to the high and low pressure valves on my AC unit were removed and not replaced, the AC now never worked instead of occasionally not working and the cap to the valve stem on my tire was not replaced. I feel the need to report that upon taking it to my mechanic whom is trustworthy; I did not need a host of things replaced to fix my AC, only a seal and the pressure sensor which combined with labor only cost $100. The AC now always works. He informed me that all of the freon had been removed from my unit and had not been replaced, which was the reason it stopped working altogether. I then had to have my tire repaired as it was still going flat only to find it had merely been plugged, improperly at that, and I had it patched professionally (for $13.50) which I was under the impression had already been done. With all the ads and commercials that Car-X runs promoting their honesty, I am dismayed to find poor workmanship, fraud, and thievery to be more the truth at this location. Let this stand as a warning to all who read it, especially young drivers, women, and the elderly who seem to be the most common target for these types of business practices in car repair.

scott mcatee

Posted 6-12-14 I took my car to this location for a "Free A/C System Check." I clarified with them beforehand how much refrigerant would cost and they quoted me $39 a pound. Dropped off the car and received a phone call from the manager less than 15 minutes later that my car was done and blowing "Ice Cold Air," and it was only down .3 lbs of refrigerant. When I returned, the bill included a bunch of miscellaneous charges for parts labor and refrigerant and totaled $92.00. This would not have been such an issue, EXCEPT the A/C was exactly the same temperature as it was when I took it in. Obviously I took it back and this time they actually did the A/C System Check and found an expansion valve to be faulty and it would cost an additional $306.00. I complained that this should have been done prior to filling the system with refrigerant and leak detection fluid. The guy behind the counter agreed but could only take off $40 if they were to perform the repairs. This is SIMPLY a "Bait N Switch tactic and false advertising that they perform free A/C System Checks. Their interpretation of checking the system is seeing if the compressor turns on and fill with refrigerant AND NOT EVEN CHECKING THE TEMP OF THE BLOWING AIR! Other shops actually do a system evacuation and pressure testing which takes a couple hours. Please call around to other local shops who actually care about servicing your car, not just stealing your money. I welcome Kevin Jones to contact me: Im the owner of the 2006 Honda Civic that was at this location on Saturday May 31st and then back on Tuesday June 3rd.

Nathan Phillips

My interaction with this location went well until it came time to actually get some work done. I had just changed my own brake pads & rotors and they were squeaking a good amount. I wanted to have someone look at them to see what could be causing the squeak. The manager spent a good 20-30 minutes talking with me about it over 2 trips in for me, which was appreciated. Ultimately, he felt it had to be the product (pads) that was the culprit, and not an inadequate lubing of important surfaces (which I was confident it was). He looked at it for about 2 minutes and came back and said he could lube it but it wouldnt fix it, nor would they guarantee that job. He suggested trying a new set of pads. I figured I could return my just purchased ones and try some of theirs, whats the hurt in that? Well...how about $100-150 for 2 brake pads (more than double what I paid for the set I put on) + a $70 flat fee for installing a pair of pads. I understand theirs is a skilled trade, but that price is outrageous. I told them that I couldnt pay that, considering it would take them no more than 20 minutes to swap out the pads since my wheels were already off. The manager then got more than a little angry and ran over to the shop and told them to take my car out. I would have still had them lube the areas again just to make sure and they could have made at least a small sale, but due to the irrational and unprofessional actions of the management, and their pricing scheme, they have lost a customer and created a negative PR voice for the rest of my life. Way to go, Jerry & Car-X.

Justin Chow

I have been to the Car-X on Merle Hay with my 10-year old car and felt like they were not really interested in serving me, so I decided to try the guys on 86th. I liked their store and their professionalism. I went with a Groupon to get an oil change and tire rotation, and to check up on a few things for my vehicle. They were very helpful in explaining to me what needed fixing, and gave me a list of items with quoted prices. I do think that the pricing is definitely on the high side, but I can understand that some people would pay more for the quality of service. I definitely appreciate the helpfulness that the guys at Car-X have shown, but will not do most of the repair work they recommended in store because of the prices. Stuff like replacing 2 tires and a battery should not cost $380 and $167 when Wal-Mart and Sears are just around the corner. However, I would trust them with fixing my brakes, and would most likely return to them for that service if I cannot find it anywhere else. I would recommend this Car-X, with the only reservation to be aware that the service you are getting is "premium", so you might want to shop around first.

Anonymous User

I had a very bad experience recently at the Car-X location on 86th Street. I had used them before and trusted them with an emergency situation. The repairs I requested would have cost about $220 but they refused to do them and instead said I needed repairs that cost $700. They actually started much higher with additional repairs that were clearly unnecessary. My only options were to agree to the $700 worth of repairs or leave in a car that really was not safe to drive. They knew I was in a difficult situation and took advantage of it with a vengeance. The argument for the expensive repairs was based on "safety" and "liability" even though I disagreed, but they didnt seem too concerned about safety and liability when they said my only other option was to drive off without any repairs in a car that really was not safe to drive. I had a lengthy discussion with the franchise owner about this but got only platitudes and a runaround.