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Mercedes Benz of Temecula

40910 Temecula Center Dr.

Temecula, CA 92591

951-216-7800

 

Attention

General Manager

 

This is a complaint for lousy and fraudulent service performed on my Sprinter Van 2015 by your advisor Sam Lafoca. I accuse Sam Lafoca of tempering with my van to fabricate high-priced repair tickets to compensate for his loss of income due to Covid-19. Also, Lafoca didn't follow fair business practices by not providing me on numerous occasions with written estimates before starting repair work; then, he charged me more than he did on previous invoices. He even set me up to fix his mistakes in earlier appointments for the same service.

 

Until Covid-16 in the spring of 2020, my van ran perfectly, and no repairs were necessary. Since the spring of 2020, when Covid-19 started, Sam Lafoca fabricated numerous malfunctions to fabricate repairs..

 

When still under extended warranty, in the spring of 2021, he recommended doing significant repairs for close to $4,000. It was no light on the dashboard indicating any malfunction.

 

Shortly after this, DEF started leaking. He said he would locate and fix the leak but never did, and my van stopped working. I had to tow it to your shop for a 3-day service and close to 4,000 costs plus towing costs and three days of being out of work. He knew about the factory recall for the exhaust system and tried to score double jeopardy. Later, he tried a few times to push me to make a factory recall repair.

 

Shortly after this, Freon started leaking, and again, he promised to fix it and never did. I drove without AC for 15,000 in winter and spring, and now I have to reload Freon to keep AC working. When I asked him to refill Freon when changing the oil on 04.26.2021, he said he didn't have time to do it, which is not valid; he had enough time. Driving in California without AC is not a big deal for his customers.

 

Suddenly from nowhere, a noise started in the front engine compartment that lasted for a few months. When I did an oil change on 04.26.2021, I told Lafoca I would file a complaint, and the noise disappeared miraculously. It was his preparation for a significant engine high-priced repair ticket.

 

Lafoca didn't estimate the oil change on 04.26.2021 before starting the repair. Then he tried to charge me for an oil  change of $320, and after I reminded him that I had paid about $180, he did me a big favor and ripped me off for $70 instead of $140.

 

After changing the fluid in the power train and transmission on 06.02.2021, he changed the code, my van couldn't pass the smog check, and the clock was showing the wrong time. Also, it was losing power, and on 06.16.2021, I hardly got to your facility, driving 20 miles an hour; the motor shut down numerous times on the way. The service invoice showed a $300 charge for the wrong code, which Lafoca reset two weeks back when changing fluids in the transmission and power train. And again, he didn't give me a written estimate before starting repair work. At the same service, he charged me $200 for replacing a light bulb at the chassis light (previously $17) and $200 for driving a few miles to diagnose tire noise, which I didn't ask him to do then. Ridiculously, he diagnosed tire noise but forgot to mention differential noise; why? I drove with the original fluids in the powertrain for about 140,000 miles until 06.16.2021 because he never told me it was necessary to change the fluid in these components. What an advisor. Again, no estimate before starting repairs.

 

I came again to your service on 06.21.2021 to fix the problem with the code, Lafoca took my van in, and after I sat for 2 hours of sitting in the lobby, he came up to inform me he would not fix his mistake because my van stunk and is dirty inside. The same van, stink, and dirt for six years never bothered him when he made 4k worth of repairs. So, I left and had to find somebody else to fix his lousy job.

 

My van was not dirty and stinking for six years when he was making tons of money, and it was cloudy and stinky when he had to fix his crappy job without charging me for it. My van is working and carries some solvents, like paint thinner and lacquer thinner. How can your mechanics work with oils, gasoline, and diesel fuel when paint thinner and lacquer thinner bothers them? Kind of weird.

 

I will wait two weeks for you to investigate my case and inform me about your findings and the decision on how you address my complaint. Then, I file complaints with the Bureau of Automotive Repairs, Mercedes Benz of America, Mercedes Benz in Germany, Better Business Bureau, a police report to investigate fraud and tempering with my van, and elderly abuse.

 

Check invoices for 2020 and 2021 until now; you will see what your advisor Lafoca did to my van and me. I haven't experienced this lousy, unprofessional, and fraudulent auto repair service, especially not from such a brand as Mercedes Benz.

 

In addition, I will put on the Internet a website https://mbtemeculafraud.com. I already purchased a domain name to start my case on my website and a thread with your company name on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. I will target Riverside and San Diego Counties. Also, the press will be involved in my case to warn other people of your company's fraudulent practices and lousy service. I wouldn't be surprised if Lafoca and maybe other advisors do the same to other customers of yours.

 

Since Lafoca started tempering with my van, I have been under stress, with constant headaches, heartaches, stomachaches, and lack of sleep. Now, hearing this grinding and rotating noise at the back of my truck, I'm driving every day under the fear that the differential might break it down anytime. I continuously have headaches, heartache, stomachache, and lack of sleep.

 

 

Mercedes Sprinter vans are good quality vans. If you examine the repair records of all Sprinters in the USA, I guarantee you will not find any with the history of my van's breakdowns and repairs within one year. It is just a record of tempering and some incompetence of this very unscrupulous advisor Sam Lafoca.

 

TO SUMMARIZE LAFOCA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE COVID-19 STARTED IN 2020:

 

1.    He recommended a repair for about $4,000 for something it didn't exist, with no light showing any malfunction.

2.    When he knew about the factory recall and double jeopardy, he was tempering with DEF to fabricate a significant restoration for about $4,000.

3.    He was tempering with AC to fabricate a significant repair.

4.    He was fabricating a noise in the engine compartment to get another significant repair on the engine.

5.    He did not recommend changing fluids twice for transmission, and the differential resulted in noise and severe damage. Differential makes a loud, grinding noise, and the information slips from one gear to another occasionally, indicating a problem with the transmission.

6.    He did not provide a written estimate before starting repair work on at least three occasions.

7.    Charging for oil change $320.00, then $250.00 instead of $180.00.

8.    They charge $200.00 for replacing a bulb in the chassis light instead of $18.00.

9.    They are charging $300.00 for resetting a wrong code he set on a previous visit.

10. He charged me  $200.00 for a driving test. I asked not to do it.

11. He set the wrong code, so my van couldn't pass smog.

12.  

13. He set the wrong code, so my van lost power, and I drove to your service at 30 miles an hour with chocking and dying van., while my van.

14. He reset the code to the wrong setting again, so my van was choking, the clock didn't show the correct time, and both front doors did not lock while driving.

15. He did not provide written estimates on at least three occasions.

16. He refused to service the van because of the smell, paint, and paint thinner. It happened when I said to complain about his service

17. Never checked breaks fluid for one year after break job and on warranty, soft breaks and down to the floor.

18. I have to repair the transmission and differential now.

19. Since I fired MB Temecula, I have had no problems with my Sprinter.

 

English is not my native language, but I will get help to write this professionally before sending out my complaints. I'm furious and determined to follow up with my complaints until I get complete satisfaction and your advisor Sam Lafoca and your business will be brought to justice and public attention. If your business reputation is hurt, you can thank Sam Lafoca for this.

 

Respectfully,

MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT FROM 2021

Servicing your car can be a very stressful and costly if you deal with an dishonest and unscrupulous Mercedes Benz of Temecula, who took an advantage of a 79- years old men by tempering with Sprinter and fabricating repairs for about $10,000 in the span of one year only, 2020.

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