RESERVE — Lauren Viola, a small business owner and mother of three, has fought an uphill battle since her husband’s 2013 Hyundai Sonata broke down in February, sparking a chain of events that included a months-long conflict with a local mechanic shop.

Brock’s Automotive Tire & Collision Center is located at 1288 Highway 44 in Reserve. Owner Rickey Brock has more than 25 years of experience in automotive services, which include alignments on any size wheels, computer diagnostics, 24-hour towing, brake repair, body/collision repair and more.

Viola states her family’s vehicle was held hostage for months and returned inoperable, with no refund for $5,000 worth of repair work.

Those speaking on behalf of Rickey Brock maintain Brock’s went over and beyond to provide free storage while replacing the motor in Viola’s car. Attorney Sal Christina stated Brock’s was paid only for replacement of the motor, which did not cover repair of other issues rendering the car inoperable.

Tommy Porche, a relative of Viola, transported the car to Brock’s Automotive in February. Porche does occasional work at the shop. According to Viola, he determined the Sonata needed a new motor priced around $3,400.

With Viola unable to afford the repairs, an agreement was made to store the vehicle at Brock’s for free while she saved the money. By May, Viola had secured funds, but the engine was now priced at $4,634.83. Brock’s was sent $2,700, the amount needed up front to start working, according to Viola.

“I felt obligated to support this small business who had kept my car there all that time without issue,” Viola said.

The repair took more than one month, and Viola was informed a fuel line had to be replaced. According to Porche, Viola was advised of the cost to repair it, which she could not cover. Instead, Brock patched it up as a temporary solution to buy her some time to save.

“As far as I know, the gas leak existed before because there was a spot on the old engine where they were changing it before,” Porche said.

Viola drove the car home in July. The next day, it would not start, and Porche transported it back to Brock’s. Brock later towed the car to the Hyundai dealership for diagnostics. At the dealership, Viola was told a reputable dealer would have changed her car’s starter with the motor. Additionally, Viola was told the motor would have been replaced for free at Hyundai.

The car was returned to Brock’s for a fuel line/starter repair and remained at the shop for weeks. Viola said she encountered rude customer service, and her car was “held hostage” until she signed papers saying Brock’s was not liable. The car was eventually released after a AAA driver signed on her behalf without consent. Once returned, the car would not start.

“After speaking with experts, (I learned) the motor of the car for that year was recalled,” Viola said. “They replaced it with another faulty used motor. If they were a reputable auto shop, they wouldn’t have put a used motor into this vehicle. They’ve had my car for months, were paid 5K, and it doesn’t run. By them keeping the car so long, they’ve voided the warranty on the motor.”

In sharing her experience on Facebook, Viola heard comments from other customers who claimed they had been overcharged for repairs at Brock’s.

Porche said he paid $438 to get the car returned to Viola at no cost to her. According to Porche, the car now has a bad battery, unrelated to the service paid for. He said the conflict resulted from Viola’s misunderstanding of auto parts and repairs.

“When you put a motor in the car, it’s just a motor,” Porche said. “It’s not an alternator. Your starter is not part of the motor. Your AC compressor is not part of the motor. Your radiator and batteries is not part of the motor.”

Porche said a used motor was placed in the Sonata because it was the best motor the $2,700 payment could afford. He added that a Catholic Church contributed the money for the motor replacement.

Additionally, Porche said Brock’s is an independent mechanic shop that doesn’t know the ins and outs of what pieces the dealer would have replaced.

“A dealer sometimes does unnecessary stuff because it’s a numbers game,” Porche said.

Christina said Brock’s did nothing wrong.

“Mr. Brock was going above and beyond what he needed to do to try and help them,” Christina said. “At his own cost — he didn’t event charge them — he towed the car to the dealership for them and towed it back. Every time he turned around, they were either slandering his name and that of his business, or they were coming into his business and spewing vulgarity.”