KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just lift up the hood of Yolanda Dale’s 2007 Charger and you’ll understand why she’s so upset. There’s a hole in her car where an engine should be. She paid a mechanic $2,300 to replace her old engine, but now that old engine is gone, along with the money and the mechanic.
Dale’s car has been out of commission since March 7. That’s the date she paid mechanic Tracie Hanks $2,300 to fix it. He promised he’d have it working again in two weeks. That was three months ago.
Hanks towed her car to a mechanic’s bay at Quality Auto Sales on 63rd Street near Rockhill Road in Kansas City.
“I was coming down there maybe twice a week,” said Dale, hoping each week her car would be ready, but she never saw anyone working on it.
Dale said she asked the owner what the hold-up was and each time he had a different excuse, including that the mechanic was at a funeral, sick or waiting on a part.
Then one day her car was missing from the car lot. She found it on Kansas City’s Northeast side with the engine missing. She had it towed home.
She said the mechanic will no longer return her calls or her money.
FOX 4 Problem Solver Linda Wagar paid a visit to the car lot where an employee told us the car lot had nothing to do with problems Mrs. Dale is experiencing. The employee said it was the mechanic who was to blame and the mechanic no longer works at the car lot.
Unable to reach mechanic Tracie Hanks, FOX 4 Problem Solvers called in the good guys at Brogden GMC in Olathe to solve this problem. The next day, Steve from Marvin’s Tow in Olathe was at Dale’s home ready to give her poor car a free ride to Brodgden.
An emotional Mrs. Dale watched as the folks at Brogden GMC got ready to give her a car a make over.
“Well obviously it’s missing a motor and a lot of other parts. The AC compressor is missing,” said Rick Manning, Brogden’s service manager. “Our friends at Countyline Auto Parts will help us and we will get her all wrapped.”
Solving a Problem and, after three stressful months, putting a smile on Yolanda Dale’s face.