Terrible Experience with STR Automotive - Beware! My experience with STR Automotive in Mooresville has been nothing short of a nightmare. Despite their claims of being an honest, locally-owned company, my interactions with them over the past two years have been far from honest or satisfactory. I took my Ford F-150 to STR for a transmission and motor replacement, spending over $15,000. Both were supposed to come with a 2-year warranty. However, every time I had an issue, they conveniently found something else that wasn’t covered by the warranty. For example, when the check engine light came on, they initially quoted me thousands of dollars in repairs. After I complained, they backpedaled, claiming that this particular model year of Ford has a "very sensitive" check engine light. This experience alone made me seek out a different automotive shop in Mooresville, one that actually values integrity and honesty. We maintained regular oil changes through the new shop or did them ourselves. When the motor STR installed finally gave out, we towed the vehicle back to STR at our own expense. Despite informing them that the motor had blown, they demanded a complete service history. We provided records from the times we used Oil Express, but, predictably, they used the lack of documentation for our personal oil changes as an excuse to deny the warranty claim. When we requested an estimate for a new motor. After receiving the estimate on Monday, STR called on Wednesday, pressuring us to make a decision. We informed them we would not be moving forward with the repairs, and in typical STR fashion, they told us that if the vehicle wasn’t off their premises within 48 hours, they would start charging us storage fees! It didn’t end there. When we arranged for a tow truck to collect the vehicle on Thursday morning, STR refused to release it, claiming there was an outstanding bill for 3 hours of diagnostics—a completely unnecessary charge of $339 for work we never authorized. Customers, beware! While there are still honest, community-based automotive shops around, STR Automotive is not one of them. Save yourself the headache and go somewhere with real integrity.
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your experience with STR Automotive didn't meet your expectations. We’d like to clear up a few points for anyone reading: Cost of Repairs: You mentioned spending over $15,000, but your actual total was $11,887.92 for both the engine and transmission replacements on your 2001 Ford F150. We understand that it’s easy for numbers to feel bigger in hindsight, especially when dealing with major repairs. Warranty Issues: When your truck came in with a blown engine, we found the oil had turned to sludge, indicating that regular maintenance wasn’t performed. The warranty from the engine manufacturer requires proof of such maintenance, which, unfortunately, you were unable to provide (other than one from 27,000 miles ago). Despite this, we still went through the time-consuming process of filing a claim on your behalf, which was denied due to neglect. We get it—life gets busy, and oil changes can slip through the cracks, but that’s why warranties have these stipulations. Diagnostics Charges: Yes, there was a charge for the diagnostic work that the warranty required to be completed as part of the claim process, which you authorized. We needed to determine what exactly went wrong with the engine, and unfortunately, our technicians' time isn't free, even when we're working hard to help you with a denied warranty claim. Vehicle Pickup: Once our work was done, we asked that your vehicle be picked up. We’re an auto repair shop, not a long-term parking facility. The outstanding balance was for the diagnostic work you authorized—nothing more, nothing less. We understand this has been a frustrating experience for you, and we sincerely wish it had gone differently. At STR Automotive, we aim for transparency and fairness, even when the news isn’t what a customer hopes to hear. If you’d like to discuss this further, we’re here and happy to talk. Maybe we can clear up any remaining misunderstandings.
- STR Automotive