Our 1-Star Google Review, Red Line Land Cruisers

Somewhere in 2024 we received a 1-Star Google Review. As humans, our feelings are hurt by such reviews because we are providing a service and take a lot pride in our work and our work is our passion! But as humans under the umbrella of a company, Red Line Land Cruisers, we can not just express our opinion freely. Under the rules, laws and ethics of “customer” and “business” relations, the customer can state whatever they feel. As a business, we must only state the facts and try best to leave our “opinions” and personal feelings out of it. 

With that 2024 review, the CUSTOMER has gone back twice to add commentary to his initial 1-Star Review. It was his final two words of his 4-13-26 update that garnished our response. 

Customer’s Review:
https://share.google/cQ3PoW7Y1xmYp5ZU1

Below is those three-in-one reviews from said “CUSTOMER” and our “response” is down below his review.

His review was edited 4 months ago from the initial review in 2024: 

First off, I’d like to mention that I’m not a complainer, and this would mark the very first bad review I’ve ever written. Also, it’s important to point out that this all took place over a year ago. I originally wasn’t going to write a review, and just chalk it up to yet another loss in the the world of dishonest auto mechanics, but being as I have never been able to get the vehicle to start, and I just recently paid to have it towed to a different mechanic who also cannot coax it into starting, it’s just been eating at me.

 

I took a ‘72 Fj40 that I had recently purchased in for an estimate to get a new wiring harness made, and also just an all around inspection see what it may need. I do not remember the exact estimate, but it was around $6500, which from the little research I had done seemed a little high, but hey, these people are specialists, and I’d prefer to have it done correctly. I’m not a wealthy man, and 6.5k is a hefty chunk of change for me, so I asked if I were to have it done, would it be drivable at that point, and he said yes it would, so i gave the go ahead on the repairs. At some point during the installation of the wiring harness they determined that it’s going to need a new carburetor. This is not a stock machine and it had a Chevy large block installed with a 4 barrel Holly carb that was going to set me back another $800 for a used one. I was aware that the vehicle suffered a small engine fire before I purchased it, so this made sense to me, but again, I don’t want to put much more money into it, so I asked again, if I have the wiring harness and the carburetor replaced, is it going to be a drivable vehicle, to which they said yes. I gave them the go ahead, and a few months later they call to let me know that it is ready to be picked up. I had since run into some financial problems, so it did take me awhile before I could make it in to pick it up, But when I did I had expected to drive it out of there, because I had been told twice that it would be drivable, but after paying $7300 for it I was informed that I would need a trailer to take it home. Not only that, but the vehicle would need another 30 to 40 thousand dollars worth of work in order for it to be drivable. They then asked me if I’d like to schedule the repairs, which I of course declined. I have little doubt that they knew this from the start and just told me what I wanted to hear so that they could secure their 7k. Had I known this, I most certainly would not have invested the $7300 on top of what I had paid for it originally. I have to say that they are all very nice and likable people, and I’m sure that they are masters of their trade, but unfortunately I feel that this was a very dishonest way to conduct business.  I own my own repair business also, and have for the past 30 years, and I can assure you that if I were to conduct business like that, I would no longer be in business.

7/6/25 – I feel that a followup is in order. I finally received an estimate about six weeks ago from the mechanic that I took it to in Pueblo.  The estimate that he gave me was for a new wiring harness.  I explained to him, as I did upon dropping it off, that a new wiring harness is exactly what I just paid Redline to do. Well, that and the carburetor.  His exact words were, “They must be tripping”, and then he proceeded to explain that parts of the harness aren’t even there, other parts are burnt up, and none of the connectors are correct. So it would appear that Redline did not even do what they said they did, and what I paid $6,000.00 for.

4-13-26 –  just thought I’d add one final follow up….it has now been confirmed by 3 different mechanics that the wiring harness was definitely not replaced.  They just tapped into the original where they needed to in order to start it. So essentially,  they straight up stole 6k from me, and then had the audacity to threaten me with back pay storage if I didn’t come pay them and pick it up by a certain date. Common criminals.

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Above is the customer words per his 1-Star Google Review.

LETS START HERE: Below you will see our statement along with email correspondences with said customer.

10/24/2022 – Red Line Land Cruisers: Invoice was made in order to put the customer on our calendar for an inspection for his 1972 FJ40 with Chevy V8 Conversion. The vehicle was not drivable as a fire had started upon completion the V8 conversion installation process. The customer wanted us to diagnose the issue, fix it and make the engine run.

11/14/2022 – Red Line Land Cruisers: Vehicle was dropped off to Red Line Land Cruisers. While all the vehicles that land here are name-tagged, during shop conversations we do not always remember the name on that rig when talking about all the different rigs and jobs that are happening at any one given moment. 

But this particular rig was very well remembered from the moment it was dropped off the trailer.

Upon opening the door of the vehicle a black crow flew out of the rig! We promptly labeled this 1972 FJ40 “Bird Cage!” From there on, we did not have to remember the customer name, we knew exactly which vehicle was being discussed. Also too, the fact this rig had caught on fire only added to the heightened awareness. “DO NOT START – FIRE!” we promptly tape-labeled onto the steering wheel. We will typically place tape across the steering wheel with “DO NOT START” or “NO OIL” as vehicles are often moved around in our shop.

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Jan 20, 2023, 3:26 PM 
- Email from Red Line Land Cruisers 

Hey CUSTOMER,

Here is the quote to get a used FJ40 harness and rework it to run in your big block 40. This price includes stripping down the used harness and inspecting all the wiring and connectors, replacing anything that’s damaged. This also includes removing the old harness and cleaning up the area under the dash to install the reworked harness. If we run into other electrical issues, bad gauges, lights etc the cost will go up to repair/replace those items to make everything work with the new harness installed.

Give us a call at the shop whenever you get a chance and we can discuss it further.

Red Line Land Cruisers
1050 Ford Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80915
(719) 638-2003

 
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Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 3:20 PM – Email from
Red Line Land Cruisers 

Mr. CUSTOMER, Please give us a ring, we have completed the wiring to make it run as we discussed!

Left messages and have not heard from you!



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Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 8:09 PM
- Email from CUSTOMER

Okay, sorry.  I will call tomorrow 

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Wed, May 31, 2023, 2:38 PM 
- Email from Red Line Land Cruisers 

Dear CUSTOMER,

It’s alive and it runs!
Attached is a PDF document of your repair order #10649.

Red Line Land Cruisers
1050 Ford Street
Colorado Springs CO 80915
(719) 638-2003

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Jun 1, 2023, 9:19 AM 
- Email from CUSTOMER

Saweet!! I have to fly out of state for a memorial tomorrow,  and I won’t return until Monday, but I should be able to come fetch it next Friday if not sooner.  

Thank you.

 

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Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 1:41 PM 
- Email from Red Line Land Cruisers 

Dear CUSTOMER,

Attached is a copy of your current ticket. Our storage policy is $25/day starting 3 days after the work is complete. Work was completed on June 1st, starting storage on June 4th would be 73 days X $25/day would be $1825. We aren’t going to charge you any back storage but starting September 1st 2023 we will start charging $25/day to store your truck until the current ticket is paid and the truck is picked up.

I talked with Jusin about what it would take to make it go down the road safely and we are looking at a ball park of around 35-40K. Pretty much everything about the mechanicals on that truck needs to be redone. If you would like to pay off your current ticket and put a deposit down for parts on your next ticket we can store the truck for you free of charge while its waiting to get worked on. My next service appt is going to be March of 2024 so we can get it in line for next year if you would like to do that.

Let me know how you would like to proceed.

Thanks,
Red Line Land Cruisers

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Aug 16, 2023, 2:46 PM – Email from CUSTOMER

Okay, thank you. I appreciate your patience with me, and I’m trying. I will pick it up asap.

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