[Marcs66and06]

Alright- Well went to the dyno- the carb blew up. well okay so replaced that. Next run the water pump broke sending the fan into the radiator- I would have to admit it looked like a fountain display.

So in the research of measuring stock rad dimensions and checking to see if the electric fan will fit. I remove the old fan and looked at the water pump. wth? The pressed on part that the bolts thread through has actually backed off! The guys at the shop gathered around and said they have never seen that happen before!

So with the part off to autozone I went- I bought it here-has a lifetime warranty this is replaceable. Talked to the gentlemen behind the counter- oh yeah its warranteed and did it do any damage he asked. Oh did it. Went into my radiator damaged the electric fan etc etc. He said that when I bring the water pump in they will have a warranty person come in look at it-determine if it was operator error. I told him there was no way since its running off an electric moroso water pump drive (2000 rpm max) designed for the car-which again I purchased through AZ.

He told me when they send it to the manufacturer and if its determined that it was a faulty part that they would compensate me for damage to other parts. Alright.

Finally some light at the end of the tunnel-now whether or not any of that materializes thats another story.

 

[willzee]

ouch...good luck with that lol

 

[DaveSanborn]

Autozone will normally pay for damage caused by a defective part.... my wife used to be a store manager and has told me of this happening on many occasions. She wasn't thrilled about it because it ate into her profit/qtrly bonus, but they'll pay. Be persistant.

Dave

 

[180 Out]

What about the cost of the frustrated dyno session?

 

[Marcs66and06]

Dave will they also pay for the labor to install the new parts? I mean the part caused it? I am upgrading my radiator to an aluminum one so they may just comp me for a stock one?

 

[DaveSanborn]

will they also pay for the labor to install the new parts? I mean the part caused it? I am upgrading my radiator to an aluminum one so they may just comp me for a stock one?

I just talked to the wife (ex-AutoZone Store Manager for 5 years) to run all of this by her...

This is what she said.... Yes. Autozone should pay for any damages incurred due to a faulty part, including any associated labor charges.

What about the cost of the frustrated dyno session?

For this.... You'll need to get a statement from the Dyno shop explaining the circumstances behind the failure... this should only reinforce your claim. Ensure that their statement is clear that you were still charged for the Dyno run and have them include that charge on the statement.

To get a "payout" from the store, you should submit a professional claim detailing all of the circumstances...

Something to the effect of.... "Installed faulty water pump part number XXX, faulty part broke due to mechanical failure/faulty craftsmanship and caused the following damage... submitted is a repair estimate from Joe's Garage to fix the damages".

Include everything associated with the repair... any towing bills, the cost of new anti-freeze, etc., etc.

AutoZone will NOT buy you a new Aluminum radiator to replace your old original/stock one, but they will authorize the cost of either repairing or replacing yours with an equivalant one.

My wife tells me that one of her flunkies once sold a guy the wrong starter... it bolted on, but wiped out his flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, bellhousing... the shop repair bill was over $1500... Autozone paid it.

It's normally a cash payout made by the local store that will have to be approved by the District Manager.

Things to remember....

Professional claim.... don't ask for a new engine or try to pull a fast one... their DM will not be stupid. Keep a copy of the claim for your records. Have the store manager sign/acknowledge receipt of your claim on a provided enclosure.

Be persistant... if you walk in with your claim and the store manager laughs at you, don't laugh back. Demand that he process your claim. Remember that this "payout" will be effecting his/her qtrly bonus and he's not going to welcome you with open arms...

Lastly, be patient. Your claim will take a couple weeks to get processed. It's a common enough occurance that there are procedures to be followed. If it's a $10 claim, the manager can reimburse on the spot. I'm guessing that your claim will be substantially more. It will have to be "processed". As with any other large company, sometimes the wheels of progress turn slowly. Call every couple of days to keep the pressure on your claims resolution.

Good luck and let us know how it all works out!
Dave

 

[hotrodder68]

Ouch sorry to hear all the trouble. I was hopeing to hear your numbers too...I hope it all works out for you!

 

[Marcs66and06]

The only problem is- I leave in 3 weeks for a new home- before I go to basic trainning. Im just looking for some kind of compensation for it- I am just really suprised that something like that would happen. I will go to the shop tomorrow and have a claim filled out- because thats expensive at $70 an hour to remove water pump- etc etc etc and radiator. I will take a pay out comparable to the stock rad and I HAVE NO PROBLEM covering the difference myself. Thats not a problem. Yeah that radiator is toast! Its not the worst i have seen but its not repairable.

 

[marcel54]

Hope all goes OK for you before you ship the car to us.

 

[c6fastback]

Most vendors pay labor rate of about $35-40 per hour on labor claims . Usually the parts are sent to the vendor for evaluation/testing and then the vendor determines an amount to be paid based on labor rates and replacement parts .

 

[Marcs66and06]

Went to Autozone today-As hard as I am trying not to be mean its a tuff task to do with seeing your car destroyed by a part. Could have been worse but so far so good. They said I have to bring in the h20 pump and then they will send it off and like c6fastback said they screw you on the labor rates. He said have the shop send over a cost sheet for parts and whatknot. It seemed that they didnt even have a care in the world that its not THEIR specific problem its the vendors?

According to DaveSanborn arent they responsible? It doesnt matter its getting fixed whether or not I get compensated it will just help pay the bills faster. Thanks guys!

 

[DaveSanborn]

According to DaveSanborn arent they responsible?

Local Autozone will settle your claim and apparently, since it's a defective warranteed part from one of their suppliers, they'll be reimbursed later from the supplier/vendor.

Dave

 

[napaguy]

Labor claims?? We dont need no stinkin' labor claims.

 

[Marcs66and06]

Okay if thats the case- i'll take a personal check made out to me if you want to cover it napaguy? lol

 

[68RCodeConv]

I guess the moral of this story is don't use a generic rebuilt water pump on a high performance engine.

A good aluminum pump is less than $100. I bought a Weiand myself.