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Missing cars, money leave dozens of customers frustrated with Las Vegas auto shop

Reliable Automotive Repair closes unexpectedly
Missing cars and money leaves dozens of customers frustrated with Las Vegas auto shop
Missing cars and money leaves dozens of customers frustrated with Las Vegas auto shop
Missing cars and money leaves dozens of customers frustrated with Las Vegas auto shop
Posted at 6:14 PM, Aug 19, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-19 23:15:01-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Missing cars, missing money, and dozens of car repair customers convinced they’ve been ripped off. Frustration is through the roof and it’s all directed at the same Las Vegas auto shop.

Customers claim Reliable Automotive Repair on Rancho Drive and Decatur Boulevard is just the opposite of what its name suggests.

13 Action News spoke to three customers who said the lot surrounding Reliable Automotive Repair was always full of vehicles waiting to be serviced. That is until one day when they showed up and the shop was closed, the owners were gone and all of the vehicles had been towed off the lot, leaving the customers down thousands of dollars with no repairs to show for it.

Rianna Smith says she's down about $5,000 for repairs that were promised by Reliable but were never made to her Chrysler 300.

"[The owner] just stopped answering the phone, stopped texting," said Smith. "He wouldn’t come to the shop and talk to me. How am I supposed to get my kids around, get them back-and-forth to school?"

"I’ve lost three jobs during this situation," she said. "Family members, I couldn’t attend their funerals due to no transportation."

The single mother of six says she brought the car to Reliable to repair the air conditioning back in May. But when she finally tracked it down months later, the back seat was full of spare car parts and the engine was gone.

"It’s wrong. There’s no other way to feel other than played," she said. "It’s a business, you know what I mean? You put your trust into a business expecting the job to get done."

"It’s a shop. I didn’t go to somebody’s house or their garage. I went to a shop, where you get a warranty and all that, nothing. I didn’t get nothing. I got played. They took my money and ran with it," said Smith.

She's hardly the only one. When 13 Action News visited the shop, all we found was a cleaning crew and Tony, the landlord who owns the building.

"I’m sorry about those vehicles that have been towed and there were many, many vehicles, I know," said Tony.

Based on keys left behind and cars towed off the lot, Tony estimates at least 100 customers never received the repairs they were promised. If each customer was charged an average of $5,000, that's half a million dollars missing, most of it in cold hard cash.

Tony says he feels sorry for the customers, but he's not surprised, since he says he's lost at least $25,000 in missed rent payments and lawsuits filed against the owners.

"I feel very bad about it, to myself, because I could not collect my money at all. I’m in a hole also and so are other people," said Tony.

"Anybody who needs any help from me, as the owner of the property, I’m trying to help each and every customer. I’m sorry again for those customers and what happened," said Tony.

If you're one of the victims who is still looking for your vehicle or your keys, here's where to look.

Vehicles were towed to Titan Towing on 3823 Losee Road in North Las Vegas. You can call them at (702) 333-8697.

Some were also towed to The Tow Truck Company on 3975 West Hacienda Avenue in Las Vegas. That number is (702) 434-7175 or call (702) 787-8766 and ask for Brian.

Keys can be picked up at the ARCO gas station next to Reliable Automotive Repair at Ranch Drive and Decatur Boulevard, just ask for Tony.