DETROIT – Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's office has issued cease and desist orders to two unregistered auto repair shops in Kent and Wayne counties. Johnson made the announcement Wednesday.
“Repair facilities must comply with the law,” Johnson said. “If they do not, we will take action to bring them into compliance to protect consumers.”
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• Nacho’s Auto Repair, 1175 Burton Street SE in Grand Rapids, owned by Ignacio Cabrera-Tapia, is alleged to have performed repairs without facility registration or mechanic certification. A Secretary of State regulation agent who visited the facility in October and returned in December discovered new repairs were being conducted despite the lack of a license. Also, transmission work was underway although Cabrera is not certified in transmissions. The cease and desist order was issued Dec. 20.
• 360 Auto Repair, Oil and Wash, 13915 Grand River Road in Detroit, owned by Hussain Al-Haddad, is alleged to have performed repair work without registration. An investigation by Secretary of State agents prompted by a consumer complaint found the facility did not provide the customer with a written estimate, furnished the customer with a non-compliant invoice and failed to inform the customer that the mechanic was not certified in the proper repair category. The cease and desist order was issued Dec. 21.
The cease and desist order prohibits each facility from performing any further automotive repairs until they come into compliance with Michigan law. State law provides that any person who knowingly provides automotive repair services without a registration or certificate is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
Johnson encourages consumers to always verify the repair shop they are using is registered with the state and licensed to perform the type of automotive work they need done. As part of her focus on strengthening her office’s consumer protection efforts, Johnson created the Office of Investigative Services, which investigates and inspects automotive-related businesses.
Consumers who have a complaint against either of these repair facilities are encouraged to call the Office of Investigative Services Automotive Complaint Line at 517-335-1410.
Under Michigan law, a customer is entitled to recover any amount paid to an unregistered facility for the repair of a motor vehicle belonging to that customer.