Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
A Lyons auto shop with a history of lawsuits by clients is facing a new suit from customers who allegedly had to call police for the return of their un-drivable vehicle.
Canyon Auto Service and lead mechanic Godofredo “Lee” Quiroz were sued March 2 in Linn County Circuit Court for $10,000 by Bend residents Rachel Francois and John Cripe.
Plaintiffs are seeking $3,623 for costs paid to Canyon Auto Service, $2,168 for repairs by their local mechanic, $4,000 for buying a replacement vehicle, and $272 in filing fees.
The business and owner Tammy Quiroz, Lee Quiroz’ wife, denied wrongdoing in a March 27 filing. Lee Quiroz was personally served with notice of the suit March 14, and as of press time had not filed a response.
Court records said both parties have agreed to attempt mediation.
According to the suit, plaintiffs’ Subaru Outback broke down in Mill City on March 2, 2023, and Quiroz advised them they would need an engine rebuild and new transmission.
After plaintiffs retrieved their car a month later, the vehicle allegedly broke down again on the road to Bend.
Plaintiffs’ local mechanic told them the engine was rebuilt improperly, including a backwards fan belt and the use of “knock off parts,” and plaintiffs paid him for extensive repairs.
The Subaru continued to break down and Lee Quiroz towed it back to his shop in August of 2023 for additional work.
Problems allegedly persisted and the Subaru was again towed to Canyon Auto Service that October.
During this timeframe plaintiffs purchased a replacement car, said the suit, because the Subaru was no longer dependable.
The vehicle then allegedly stayed at the Lyons shop for four months and Lee Quiroz “kept making excuses of why the car was not fixed,” said the suit. Plaintiffs arrived at the shop Feb. 4 and demanded the vehicle be returned, and defendants allegedly refused to turn over the car unless plaintiffs signed a legal liability waiver.
The suit said plaintiffs then called 911 and that defendants agreed to return the car after a deputy told them refusal to do so would be considered theft.
A report from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office corroborated this account and said Tammy Quiroz told the responding deputy that her attorney had advised her to make plaintiffs sign the waiver.
The suit claims defendants returned only the car and kept the rebuilt engine at the shop, which was still in their possession at the time the suit was filed.
This is the latest of several lawsuits filed against the Quirozes and multiple shops they have owned for shoddy work and misrepresentation of services.
Since 2009 there have been six other suits in Oregon resulting in judgments totaling more than $190,000.
