RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (July 5, 2016) — California's Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and Bridgestone Americas have agreed to a settlement covering fraud charges brought by the department's Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) against 22 Firestone Complete Auto Care centers in California.
The charges concerned billing customers for parts the BAR claimed were not replaced and services that were not rendered over a two-year period, starting in 2013. The state agency conducted an undercover investigation of the Firestone stores during that time.
Bridgestone Americas Retail Operations, which is responsible for the stores, said in a prepared statement that it launched an “extensive internal investigation” after the DCA brought its investigation to Bridgestone's attention, and that “appropriate corrective actions and refined operational processes” were implemented, including additional training for employees.