Gruppe-S Shop Review

[nuclearcarnie]

I thought I would take the opportunity to review a shop where I had a turbo install done on my 2006 G35 Coupe. I don’t usually go out of my way to bad mouth a company based on one experience but considering the expense ($8000.00) I felt compelled to maybe save the next guy from the same.

This past January I was working in San Luis Obispo, CA. I had been planning to get a turbo installed on my G35 but since I live in Michigan it was easier to have the work done while being in the west. I decided to take my car to Gruppe-S in Lake Forrest, CA. I had heard that they have been in the game for many years so it felt like a safe bet.I delivered the car around the 3rd week in January and told them that I would be in the state until the end of March. I was told that once they received the kit it would only be a one-week turn around. Great!

After about 4 weeks I decided that I needed to call and get an update on the progress. The car was still sitting in the parking lot and had not been touched. Turbonetics had not shipped the kit due to a piece being on back order. Ok, I can live with that. They assured me that it would be there by the end of the week and they would get right on it the following Monday. So far, this is not a Gruppe-S problem, it is a Turbonetics problem.

The following week I call and they only have a partial kit with the mysterious piece still on back order. At least the majority of the kit has arrived and they can finally get to work, I am feeling better at this point. I remind them that I am only in town until the end of March again, they assure me that it will not be a problem.

Fast forward to the week of March 17th…I only have about a week ½ left in California before I need to be at my next work location of Brownsville, Nebraska 1700 miles from CA. I call the shop and let them know that I am not pleased with how long this has taken but understand that Turbonetics has not shipped the part. They again say that the part should be on the way. I let them know that the drop dead pick-up date is the 27th of March. They let me know that they already have a dyno day set up at Technosquare for the custom ECU re-flash and that it will be ready with time to spare for that date.

Morning of March 27th. I get home from night shift and go to sleep for a few hours before making the 4 hour trip to pick up the car. I awake at 11 AM to a phone call…by the way, the first and only Gruppe-S phone call that was not initiated by me! “Brett, we have some bad news. Turbonetics has still not shipped the part. It will be another week”. I am really pissed at this point. I have been to that shop and seen that they could fabricate damn near anything they want so I ask…What is this part? Can it be fabricated?Yes, that’s no problem. It is only a section of tubing, We didn’t mention it because it might cost a couple hundred dollars to get done.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHI@#TING ME!!!! After explaining how important my deadline was on several occasions and spending $8000 do you think I give a rats *** about $200 to make sure that I get my car back?!!!! Get someone in there now and get this done!

The rest I will snap shot. They get someone to fabricate a section of tubing for me, loose the appointment for the ECU re-flash so now I have to take an early exit from my job to make time to pick up the car (cost of a lost day of work: $1500 and potential damaged relations with employer). I go to pick up the car on the 2nd of April and it is still on the hoist with an exhaust leak. They pull the car around after waiting for quite a while and it is way dirtier than when I dropped it off. There is a big scratch in the front bumper, there is grease on the driver seat and greasy hand prints on the felt interior roof.

Under the hood…Unfinished! Clearances cut for some of the tubing look as if they were done with a jack knife. There is no air cleaner! The clearance is tight with the front of the car where the turbo sits and something needs to be fabricated to accommodate an air cleaner so they thought I would be ok with just not having one! They actually said that! Gauges? What gauges? I ordered a boost gauge that was never installed or even ordered.

How does it run?It dyno’d at only something like 319 whp. That is ok because it has stock exhaust and now I have an important part of the foundation installed for what I hope to end up with. I tailored the car to Nebraska. Once I had a chance to drive it, it would pull hard until 3rd gear where it began to sputter and really wouldn’t go any faster than 80 mph. The check engine light came on also. I later found that some of the hose clamps were not tightened letting air escape. It now feels better but the engine light is still on. The car is considerably quicker than stock but not the beast I had hoped for. I drove it home from Nebraska (800 Miles) with a make-shift air cleaner and it ran good the whole way and averaged 26 mpg.

Throughout the bad experience with Gruppe-S right up till the end when I picked up the car they told me that it was not their fault. They said that I should realize that they had worked hard on the car and had to overcome some challenges of fabrication to get the kit to fit. Fine…but isn’t that what I paid you to do? Never an apology, never a phone call to talk about optional approaches to make sure the deadline was hit. No Customer focus what so ever from this company. I will not be back for the motor build next year or any other modifications.

…Oh ya, Turbonetics never did ship the tube needed. If I had not demanded that they fabricate the piece I would have left CA with a non-running car and been left to deal with it my self.

End of rant. Sorry for the length. Beware of this company for your hot rod projects.

[rn79870]

I'm sorry to hear that nuc. That really sucks. I'd have to put Turbonetics on that list too. They sold you something that wasn't completely engineered for your car - no air cleaner?

I'd write them a letter and let them know all the extra expense you had to go to and ask for some assistance in paying for that. If they refuse then I'd let them know that you like their product but you'll have a hard time recommending them.

I wish I had paid more attention to your project, I could have called Gruppe 2 times a week for you and asked for an update.

What was the outcome for the scratches and the greasy interior?

[TeflonG35]

I don't think that could have gotten much worse @_@

Can you please update when you get the car running tip top shape? Maybe when you put on a new exhaust? I love hearing hearing about boosted G's. It makes me feel all giddy. Vids and pics ^_^

[JimW]

That blows! Sorry to hear about it. Stuff like that (bad customer service, etc) is so effing frustrating. Good for you for posting it here though - I'm a big fan of consumer activism, and if I were in CA, now I'd know where NOT to go.

[tollboothwilley]

after an investment like that, I'd complain so much that they'd be refunding me something for my time loss of vehicle.

With the turbo kt most people are hitting between 350-400 whp from what i've seen...

Sorry about their waste of your time man

[Broadfield]

That really sucks man, I would expect better from Gruppe-S.

As a small business owner, customer satisfaction is all that matters.... PERIOD! Our employees and I bend over backwards for $300 jobs, let alone $8000 jobs. I am constantly canceling personal plans to finish customer cars. I've worked many 100 hour weeks and even 120 hours in a week to finish a project. You just do what it takes and all of my employees realize that this kind of job may require them to stay late or really late sometimes.

[G_whizz]

Jesus!! Not cool at all!!

Thanks for giving others the heads up about this. I would definitly rain a $hit storm on them for that kind of crap..

[nuclearcarnie]

I appreciate the sympathy...Live and learn. I actually have been off line for the last month while working in Nebraska. The car is running very well right now. I am actually quite suprised at what 320 Whp feels like in that car. 1st gear is all but useless and second gear can't be more than a couple seconds long. Lots of fun.

I am not too disappointed with 320Whp (319 actually). There is nothing else done to the car. They said that there is plenty left to be had if I add a new exhaust and plenum spacer.

I don't care much about the money spent, I just wanted it to be done right. I am more interested in leting all my G-buddies know where not to take their car. I do intend on speaking with Turbonetics, if for nothing else but to let them know about my experience with one of thier "certified" install companies.

Oh ya...The freakin' blow off valve was worth the money all by it self. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!!!!!!

[rn79870]

Pics, Pics, Pics, Pics. (please)

[Beancooker]

That really sucks man. I hope that you get everything sorted out proper. I'd also give Turbonetics hell. I wouldn't stop until something free fell from their tree.

[n1cK!]

that really sucks about your experience. i hope you could get it fixed. i posted this somewhere else as well to bring it to light. all i can say is...

[TeflonG35]

Vid of car with sound so we can hear this blow off valve