My serpentine belt was covered up to 24,000 miles or 24 months by ProVantage Auto Repair Network when it broke after just 809 miles. I was instructed by the network to contact Automotive Resources. After I brought my car in, Automotive Resources advisor explained to me that I don’t have to contact the warranty network, he is going to file the claim but a serpentine belt is a wear-item, and that since the alternator did not cause the serpentine belt to fail, I probably will not be eligible for coverage. He never contacted the warranty network so I filed the claim. Automotive Resources quoted me $909.47 for this repair. This sounded extremely expensive to me, especially if the warranty was not going to cover the initial replacement of the serpentine belt. So I contacted a few mechanics and a friend who is an attorney and a car enthusiast. All these people agreed with me that none of this is sounding appropriate. The next morning I contacted the warranty network and explained to them that I don’t want to use Automotive Resources, and was informed that I can use any repair shop that accepts credit cards. So I went to Automotive Resources with a friend of mine to get my car out. The advisor repeated again that he didn’t file the claim with the warranty network due to the fact that the alternator had not caused the failure of the serpentine belt. Who is he to determine what the warranty network covers, and what does the alternator have to do this? The general manager repeated also that the warranty company wouldn’t cover the serpentine belt because it was not the alternator that had caused the failure. Friend of mine, who was with me can testify hearing this as well as he was standing right next to me. I paid the diagnostics fee of $134.52, tax included, and had my car towed to another shop in town. The total for the repair came out to be $656.45 which is $253.02 less than what Automotive Resources quoted AND the warranty network approved the claim for the initial repair 100% the following day.
Thank you for the feedback Mona. I understand that your experience with our shop was not what you had hoped for, and in hindsight we could have handled it differently. After diagnosing your problem, it is our opinion that the belt failure is not related to any sort of defect in the belt or the alternator that was replaced with it at the original shop where the work was done, nor was it due to improper installation. As I reflect on this further, I can see an argument that because they didn't notice the failing idler pulley bearing your case could be considered a problem that would constitute a warranty claim since they installed the belt with the new alternator and sent you on your way. I'm very sorry for the negative experience, and I completely understand your decision to take your car elsewhere. I would like to point out to prospective and existing customers that this 1 star review is not indicative of the service we provide day in and day out, and the problem stems from poor service done at another shop. All we did was diagnose the cause of the current belt failure and explained our reluctance to make an attempt to process any warranty claim for the subpar work completed elsewhere. In retrospect, I would have approached your warranty situation differently despite our opinions. As a member of the Autozone ProVantage network, I think we could have done a better job to advocate for the inconvenience you experienced that landed you in our shop. Please accept my apologies, and know that my team has learned from this unique situation and we'll definitely be prepared to handle things differently should we ever have another one like it.
- Automotive Resources