OKC mechanic wrecks customer's Polaris on test drive, makes her pay up
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - A woman is frustrated after she took her late-husband's $50,000 Polaris RZR to an Oklahoma City mechanic and they wrecked it, a year-and-a-half later and they still haven't fixed it.
"He loved this thing, it was his baby," said Mechele Abbott.
Abbott's husband James died in 2022 from a respiratory illness.
She said one thing he loved was his 2018 special edition Polaris RZR with several rare modifications to it.
After he passed, Mechele took it to their typical mechanic shop in OKC, Maxey's Motorsports.
"I felt good about bringing it there because it's where he brought it when he was alive," said Abbott.
According to her records, she brought it there several times for different reasons like a belt or an oil change but on February 8, 2023, she said an employee took it on a joy ride through the neighborhood behind the business.
"He wrecked it," said Abbott.
A police report details that the employee saw a child near the road, a father came out telling the employee to slow down, and the employee quickly turned to avoid hitting the child. Then, the report stated the RZR flipped and caused massive damage.
"They wrecked it, it's broken almost everywhere," said Abbott.
She said that the manager of Maxey's Motorsports along with staff hadn't fully repaired her vehicle. When KFOR went to her home, there was massive damage to it.
"If Jim was here, nobody would have driven it, he would test drive it," said Abbott. "Those service guys knew him, knew he died, and knew they could take advantage of me."
Abbott also told KFOR that the shop had a policy that doesn't require Maxey's to pay for damage in certain situations. She said that if "you give them your vehicle and damage happens, the costs aren't on the shop."
All around the neighborhood, people told KFOR that mechanics or workers drive fast through their neighborhood all the time when they're not supposed to.
"They think there are no kids but there are so many kids, they need to slow down," said one neighbor.
The roads are Maney and Williams near Northwest 38th Street.
KFOR approached the Operational Manager for the shop who told them that their workers don't do that.
But KFOR caught several of them driving Polaris throughout both the roads on two different days.
"Oh. Well, they're not supposed to do that then. I will talk to them, that's something easy to fix," said the OM.
When asked about Abbott's situation the OM told KFOR he didn't know anything about the rig. But he quickly corrected KFOR whenever facts weren't exactly how he remembered it.
When asked why he said he didn't know anything about the rig but knew exactly what was repaired, he said he wasn't the person to talk to.
If an employee takes it on a test drive, flips it, and breaks it. Wouldn't that be on y'all to fix it?
"Generally, yes, for sure," said the manager. KFOR was then told to contact the General Manager Tony Maxey.
"He always answers his cell phone, you should call him," said the manager.
Maxey did not answer or call back KFOR Thursday.
For now, Abbot is left without answers and is tired of having to deal with the issue.
"I just want whatever their insurance would give, and I want to keep my husband's RZR and walk away from this," said Abbott.