I dropped off my van at a mechanic to replace the AC compressor and fix my leaking water pump, which was causing my engine to get hot after 20-30 minutes of driving. They said it would be done by the end of the day but they had the van for a whole week. Apparently they found two bad AC hoses they had to fix. Then they told me my engine was still getting hot despite the water pump leak being fixed. So they had to do a compression test to make sure the two cylinder heads were not damaged from the overheating. Fortunately the cylinder heads are in good shape, but the mechanic said I either had a bad thermostat or a blockage in my coolant system.

Next week I went to pick up the van and saw the dashboard covered in dirt, the passenger seat reclined back as if one of the guys were taking a nap in the van, and they left some bearing separator toolkit in between the two front seats.
Good news was the AC was blowing cold air. But when I took the van for a test drive, however, the engine was VERY LOUD and was struggling to accelerate whenever I pressed my foot on the gas! I drove back to the shop and had the head mechanic test drive it with me. I kept telling him the van was not like that before but he kept saying it was fine and that it’s “only a cruiser van”. It seemed like he was in denial. We got back to the shop and he ran his scanner device in my van, but 0 misfires of any kind came up. I had no way of proving the problem so I had to pay him and told him I’ll bring it back if the van has any issues.

I’m very disappointed in these mechanics. I thought I would have the van back in pristine condition after they had it for a whole week. All the spark plugs and wires were properly connected and the van’s acceleration improved slightly but still struggling to accelerate into 4th gear. What could be the problem?

 

Please keep my username in mind, I may be wrong potentially, but this could very well be the cause of your issue. It does seem like a similar issue to what I had. There has been a recall on the Ford Econoline for the Speed Control Sensor for nearly all their vehicles, 3 times over. The first recall was already including Econoline, this was on Oct 27th 2009. If you haven't gotten it fixed or don't know if you've gotten it fixed it is recommended it says. You should be able to call Ford to schedule to get it fixed for free. It constantly tells me about it on my Jerry app even though I've already done this. The Ford Recall campaign number is 09S09 and Fords Support number is 1-888-222-2751

 

If it was not like that before the work, It very likely is related to something they either moved or changed.

It is a tough situation if that is true and they won't accept any responsibility for their work.
The only option you have is to find a different good shop, have it fixed and stay with them.

You might look for a shop with ASE Certified mechanics/technicians. ASE=Automotive Service Excellence