Speedway Salvage — Local services in Madison

Avoid this place when possible; if not, it would be your very, very, last option. Unprofessional staff who will negotiate on parts they don't even know; let alone know if they have it on the lot. They'll charge you an arm and leg for old parts as if they were new.

-------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE

Hello Mr. Owner

So I saw another one of your add in Craigslist and decided to give it another try. I called and asked to speak to the Internet sales guy. The guy put me on hold and it appears he was talking to someone. He came back asking what I was looking for. I told him the car and part and asked him to check if the car is still there. He started to give me some excuses either because he's too lazy to check, not enough staff to check for him, or what ever, BUT, the fact is that he wasn't going to check. He then suggested that I drive in to check. I told him that would be fine but I'm 35minutes away. He didn't care, of course. Fine, I'll bite again this time.

So, I took that 1 hour drive, yes one hour, including traffic, STL traffic sucks anytime of the day.

I got to your "front desk" and asked where I can find the car I saw in your ad. Another person was called to assist me and took me around the "office" looking for that car. Nothing there. He then suggested for me to walk all the way to the back where you have your cars labeled and sorted and check there. I've been there once before so I know where to go. I got there and the car I was interested in is nowhere to be found. In fact, the cars look the same from the last time I was there. I must have gone through the area three times but no car.

So, I wasted about two 2.5 hours and gas just so that I can check the car you advertised, that don't exist, where your lazy staff could have easily check for me in less than 10 minutes. I understand it's a junkyard but your business model and staff attitude doesn't have to be.

Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice, serves me right. But never again.

CUSTOMERS BE AWARE. If they can't check a car or part for you and they ask you to drive in, don't fall for it even if they say they have it. These guys are just too darn lazy to do their work, period.

There's another salvage part in St. Louis, won't say their name, but they will check the car and parts for you. I've been there several times and always had good experience. They just didn't have the part I was looking for this time, but at least, they don't false advertise.

------- UPDATE to OWNER-----

"Every reasonable person understands that when a part sells a replacement part does not grow in its place."

Are you sure? Because your staff definitely think so; it's why they asked me to drive in.

"But no worries, we replace them just as fast with the largest fresh inventory in the St. Louis area."

Yeah, sure..whatever.

"Everyone can see that the event described above never happened."

You're sounding like the current idiot potus who denies everything.

"You are a very creative storyteller though. First clue that this was fabricated: The fact that this competitor was so angry in the initial review but decided to "give it another try" says it all."

So now, I'm a competitor. Is this what you do to your competitors leaving them negative feedbacks? Pathetic excuse for a bad business practice and customer service.

It's obvious from your reply, customer service, satisfaction and retention, isn't your cup-of-tea. Wished I knew that after my fist visit; I would have not bother driving in the second time. Oh...

On May 26, 2016, I purchased a transmission from Speedway Salvage for my 2006 Nissan Maxima. The transmission was offered with a 30-day warranty. After installation, it leaked fluid profusely. My ASE certified mechanic diagnosed the problem as a failed seal behind the torque converter.

I contacted Speedway Salvage on June, just 12 days into my warranty. Rather than return the transmission, we mutually decided that it was simpler to replace the seal, and Speedway gave me a partial credit to cover the cost of labor to remove the transmission, replace the seal and reinstall the transmission.

That was done, after which the leak persisted. My ASE certified mechanic removed and replaced the seal a second time and reinstalled the transmission. The leak persisted. My mechanic removed the transmission a third time, and this time, suspecting some internal problem, removed the housing, and upon further inspection, found a piece of the housing broken off inside the transmission, and metal pieces and shavings inside the housing. Obviously, this is not as it should be.

Just to be sure, my mechanic changed the housing and seal once again and reinstalled the transmission. The leak was still present. This diagnostic process took approximately two weeks, and as you can imagine, it involved quite a bit of labor, so I am wracking up quite a bill for a simple transmission R/R.

I reported these findings, including pictures, back to Speedway Salvage on June 22, twenty-seven days into my 30-day warranty, and was told their mechanic would review the photos. I spent the next month and a half reaching out to keep the process moving, ultimately having to pester them, trying simply to get an answer as to how they were going to resolve this issue.

Their answer: “There is nothing more we can do for you. Move on or I’ll have to pursue harassment charges.”

Funny, I thought when a company put a warranty on something it meant something. It meant they would stand behind what they sell. Evidently for Speedway Salvage that just is not the case.

This entire process has been a fiasco, and ended up costing me way more than simply towing my car to the local Nissan dealer and having them install a brand new transmission. And that is without having yet found a transmission to put in my car so I can get it back on the road.

Do not buy from...

Very large selection. If you are looking for something obscure, this is the place to go! This yard has been here a really long time and the people that work there are friendly and have good attitudes. A few things stop this from getting a higher rating. The biggest being the way they price things. Whoever is working at the counter sets the prices, there is no set price list or anything like that. Prices for the same part can vary, although I will say they are cheaper than pickapart. This stops me from loading up my wheelbarrow with things I want but don't need. To test my theory of various prices, I first asked for a price sheet. They don't have those. I asked how much for a grill off of an Opel. He said it could be 10, 15, or even more (still good prices.) This week I spent $20+tax there for a side mirror. I would've stayed home since they are $22 new, shipped to my house. I actually bought a car there last year that I was told had a clear title. Although the title looked good at a glance when it was handed to me, it was signed in the wrong spot. I called and even went back the next day, left messages and was ducked and dodged. Never heard a word back and it took months for me to straighten it out. I would've had an $1800 brick if I didn't luck out tracking down the previous owner from 7 years ago. Side note: they RARELY sell whole cars, this was an anomaly. Another thing that affects the rating is the terrain. Although they don't have Boulder like rock where you sorian your ankle like 111 does, they have a lot of mud, weeds, and the ground has huge puddles all over the place. This is a chigger and mosquito's heaven, and you will get torn up by them in the middle of the day. If you need to wash up before going home, you are going to have to bring your own soap and water. There is no running water or sink. I still like the place and will continue to go (with deep woods off and instant soap n water.) 10 years ago this was THE place to go to. Slight maintenance and modernization could bring...