A Terrible Business

Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO owned and run by Byron Moore has a terrible service. Please read about my experience with Byron and MABBCO.

On 7-19-06 we picked up a 4.6 liter ford motor that had been rebuilt by Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO at a cost of 2,603.42. When the motor was first started it ran badly and was diagnosed with a timing problem that was corrected by a ford dealership before the car was driven over 50 miles. Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO does not set the timing on the 4.6 liter motor so this was not there fault. After the timing was corrected, the motor ran GREAT but had what I call a rattling noise.

After the first 500 miles we changed the oil to see if maybe removing the break-in oil and having fresh oil would fix the rattle. The rattle was still there but went away when the motor warmed up. After about another 1000 miles the motor started leaking oil through the air filter.

We contacted Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO and were told to bring it to them. The car was in Huntsville where my son attends college and MABBCO is in Tyler, Texas about 155 miles apart. After MABBCO listened to the motor, we were told to have the motor removed and bring only the motor back to MABBCO as they would NOT work on the motor while it was in the car.

To have the motor removed cost us 500.00. The motor had problems with 2 pistons. One more damaged than the other. Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO determinded the damage was caused by the motor running while the timing was wrong. Even though the motor ran GREAT for almost 2000 miles after the timing was corrected. So MABBCO fix the motor again and charged us 696.69 invoice dated 12-22-06.

We then had the motor reinstalled by ford and the timing set at a cost of 700.00. After this was done, the motor had the SAME rattling noise as before. We contacted Byron Moore at Nigginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO and informed him about the noise still being present. After MABBCO listened to the motor, we were told by Byron Moore with MABBCO they believed the lifters were bad and they would furnish the parts along with 150.00 of labor cost for ford to install new lifters.

Ford did NOT think the lifters were the problem and we informed Byron at MABBCO. Byron/MABBCO insisted it was the lifters so ford installed the new lifters. This cost us an additional 400.00 over the 150.00 paid by Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO.

THE RATTLING NOISE WAS STILL THERE!!!!

My son is driving a rental car during this time a we a running out of money!

We advise Byron Moore/MABBCO about the rattling noise still being there. Byron/MABBCO then says he now believes there is a fuel or ignition problem with the motor even though ford has ruled out everything but a piston or rod problem and the motor runs GREAT just has a rattling noise until it warms up.

Because we do not have anymore more money to spend on this repair, the car just sits at ford. I ask Byron/MABBCO for help. He says it's not a problem with their work. I ask ford for help and they say it's a problem with the work done by MABBCO. So the car keeps sitting. Until we could afford to have ford trouble shoot the problem. After ford finds the problem to be the cylinders were bored out too big and the pistons were too small causing the rattling noise, Bryon/MABBCO is informed. Byron/MABBCO doesn't believe ford's findings and wants to check for themselves.

But before Byron/MABBCO will check the motor, they refuse to accept a hand-written FAX and want a more offical letter from ford stating ford's findings. All this time we are without the car. After ford sends Byron/MABBCO the letter, Byron/MABBCO wants to pick up the motor not simple go to ford and check to see if ford's findings are correct. They could check this at ford with very little trouble. But Byron/MABBCO insist on picking up the motor. Meanwhile, we have a third party verify ford's measurements and findings.

Before Byron/MABBCO will pick up the motor they want us to fill out a warranty claim form. This makes us believe Bryon/MABBCO will verify the measurements then FINALLY fix the motor. Instead Byron/MABBCO tells my son he believes the motor wasn't firing on all 8 pistons because one piston had no carbon on it. Well, the motor had only been run a few minutes (under 30 minutes) and one of the pistons had been cleaned off by ford's mechanic. So there wouldn't be any carbon on it and Byron/MABBCO was informed of this.

I spoke with Byron at Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO and asked him if he had "miced" the blocked which means measure. Byron told me they don't "mic" anything but they had measured the block and forund it within specs. He also told me they sent the pistons off to be analyzed because he/MABBCO believed a fuel problem was causing the rattling. I asked Byron to send me MABBCO's measurements via email and he agreed to do so before the end of the day.

It seemed to me Byron/MABBCO was doing everything they could to cover their behind and not honor their warranty. So I called Byron with MABBCO and informed him I would be having the blocked picked up. He became very defensive and asked why I was doing this? I told him since he found the block was within specs but others find it out of specs I could not trust his company. Byron denied telling me he said the block was within specs. We argued a little and he hung up on me.

The next day I called Byron at MABBCO to tell him I had not received the measurements from him. He informed me Higginbotham Engine Service/MABBCO had stopped proccessing my warranty claim and would not be sending me any information on his findings. I told him I would leave the block with him if I receive their measurements by the end of the day. He told me he would not be threatened and he would complete my warranty claim then send me a report if I left the block with him. I told him I could no longer trust him and we argued a little and he hung up on me. I had the blocked picked up that afternoon. Today is May 02, 2007 and I haven't heard from Byron Moore or anyone at Higginbotham Engine Services/MABBCO.

To date May 02, 2007 we have paid over 11,000.00 in actual repairs and related expenses on this repair. This repair shouldn't have cost more than 3900.00. And the car still isn't fixed!!

Please DO NOT USE HIGGINBOTHAM ENGINES SERVICE or MABBCO if Byron more has ANY Affiliation with them. Also pass this information on to everyone!!!