Warantee problems from NAPA certified mechanic

[nfh1981]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin

Hello all,

I wanted to ask some advice on recent problem I've been having:

The power steering pump failed on my vehicle.
I took it into a NAPA certified auto mechanic.
They replaced the power steering pump.
They chose to install a power steering pump with out also installing a new reservoir.
A month and 500 miles later, the pump fails.
I have to take it to a different NAPA certified mechanic, in order to claim the warrantee on the parts and labor costs.
The new mechanic tells me that the pump failed because the reservoir for the pump was leaking.
The new mechanic tells me there is significant corrosion on the reservoir, and that his recommendation would have been replacing the pump and reservoir at the same time.
NAPA will not cover the costs of repairs, because it was the reservoir that failed, causing the pump to fail, rather than just the pump itself failing.

So this begs the questions:
1) Is there any liability on the part of NAPA for not replacing the reservoir in the first place, given that it was obviously faulty?
2) I can understand somewhat how this doesn't qualify under their warrantee, but isn't this negligence?

 

[Dave1952]

Why didn't you allow the first mechanic to fix this?

 

[nfh1981]

I had the work done while I was away on business with the van. Working in Milwaukee, the pump failed. The pump also power-assists the brakes, so brakes and power steering went out. Had to have it fixed down there. Got the van back to Green Bay (more than a 2-hour drive away) and it failed. Obviously can't drive on the interstate with no brakes and no steering, so had a local place in Green Bay fix it.

 

[Dave1952]

Was the work done at a NAPA auto shop or was this an independent shop using NAPA parts? If all the work (both visits) was done in NAPA shops then why wasn't the warranty honored?
And a question for those who know. What's a NAPA certified mechanic? NAPA uses ASE mechanics. Is the NAPA certification meaningful?

 

[Zigner]

Was the work done at a NAPA auto shop or was this an independent shop using NAPA parts? If all the work (both visits) was done in NAPA shops then why wasn't the warranty honored?
And a question for those who know. What's a NAPA certified mechanic? NAPA uses ASE mechanics. Is the NAPA certification meaningful?

I believe the OP means he went to a NAPA repair facility. The warranty should be honored at any NAPA repair facility nationwide. The problem is that the part was destroyed because of the failure of a part that was not repaired.

 

[Dave1952]

The NAPA warranty covers parts and workmanship. This sounds like a failure of workmanship by the first mechanic. The second NAPA mechanic observed significant corrosion in the reservoir. So the second mechanic seems to agree that there was poor workmanship by the first mechanic. This should be covered by the warranty.
So, get out your warranty and read it carefully. I think you have a small claims case.