I have for several years been using the Firestone store located at 7806 Northcross Dr, Austin, TX for my tire care and alignment needs.  I purchased a "lifetime alignment warranty" approximately two years ago.  I have my alignment checked every six months, give or take.

In hte past I have also used Firestone for mechanic services, including hose replacement and state inspection.

My three most recent visits to this store left a bad taste in my mouth and they have lost my business permanently.

In approximately January of this year I took my vehicle in to have a fluid leak diagnosed. The problem was a broken hose.  I gave the "customer service" person the go-ahead to repair the problem.  Six hours later, and after several repeat phone calls, repeat trips to and from the parts place, and several incorrect parts, the hose was repaired and I was on my way.  The whole Keystone Kops routine with finding the part was ludicrous and unprofessional.

But I persisted in expecting Firestone to provide me with quality car care (that *is* the motto, right?).

Not so.

In May of this year I took my vehicle in for an alignment check and a state inspection.  Two days later when I was several hundred miles away I discovered that my gas cap was missing.  I phoned the store and advised them of the problem, and indicated that I expected Firestone to replace my gas cap - it was, after all, where it was supposed to be during the state inspection or my vehicle would have failed inspection.  After much argument on the part of the "customer service" person I was told they would "try to find a gas cap" and to bring the truck in.

Choosing instead to cut my losses I went to a national auto parts chain and bought a locking gas cap.

Strike two.

Yesterday, 9/24, I took my vehicle to the same Firestone store for an alignment check, rotation and balance.  I was told to expect to spend 30-45 minutes waiting.  Two hours later my vehicle finally rolled out of the garage.  While it was in the garage the "tech" apparently found nails in my tires - a fact of which I was not apprised but instead learned when another customer asked for a time estimate for the work on his car; the "customer service" technician told that customer the tire tech "had to fix two flats on that Explorer (mine!)" and would then be finished and able to work on the other customer's vehicle.

Further, after I left with my theoretically aligned vehicle and went about my daily rounds I discovered that not only is the vehicle NOT aligned, the alignment is in fact WORSE than it was when I took it in yesterday.

This morning I presented my vehicle at the shop at 0830 and advised the "customer service" person that the alignment is worse, that I have no time to wait on the thing as I have an appointment at 10am and that I would appreciate it if they'd get it on the rack ASAP to fix the problem.  I was told the *only* thing they could do for me is to put me in the queue.

This is unacceptable and has permanently lost Firestone a customer.  After waiting two hours I expected my vehicle to be perfectly aligned and it is not.  At the very least my vehicle should have been moved to the front of the queue.

So goodbye, Firestone.  I figure I've gotten my money out of the "lifetime alignment" and I'll be going elsewhere from now on.  Every time y'all touch my vehicle it comes out worse for the experience and I'm finished with you.

This is particularly sad, because I've been a stalwart Firestone tires customer despite all the problems with exploding tires on Ford Explorers (and I had those tires OEM on my vehicle when I bought it new).  I've had two new sets of Firestones on the vehicle but I'll be shopping Goodyear for the next set.