JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – A local woman is accusing a mechanic of not doing his job after she dropped her SUV off for a repair nearly two years ago and still has not gotten it back.

Gloria Marquez purchased a 2012 Land Rover for $3,000 from a man in northwest Arkansas with the understanding it would need some work.

“It drove like a dream, it just had white smoke coming out of it from the anti-freeze,” she explained.

The vehicle was towed to Nigel’s Car Place in Jacksonville for $250.00. Marquez said she put $1,800 down on repairs.

Nearly 700 days and more than 16,000 hours later, the Land Rover has never been parked in her driveway.

“Every week, it’s going to be ready, we’re going to start on it Monday. It’ll be ready sometime next week,” Marquez said. “Everything is I promise, I promise, I promise but none of the promises are coming through.”

Nigel Jebb is the owner of Nigel’s Car Place and admitted one of his mechanics destroyed the engine to Marquez’s Land Rover.

“Two years is too long and I apologize for that,” he said. “We did some repairs on it, got it done. In the midst of it getting repaired, it wasn’t right.”

Jebb noted he has not been able to find people to work and that thieves have stolen thousands of dollars in catalytic convertors, among other issues.

“I’m standing behind what I did. It is what it is,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of problems with employees, I’ve had some health problems.”

Despite his problems, Jebb said Marquez reaching out for help has opened his eyes that the job, which has now been goring for two years, needs to get done.

“You’ve been called, but you’ve done your job. It’s pushed this to get done,” he told FOX 16 Investigates. “I’m actually quite happy. Not happy this happened but this has pushed to get the situation sorted.”

Jebb promised the job will get done, saying the SUV will be running by December 15.

“Three weeks,” he said. “You can circle back around, as you say.”

As the seasons change and winter looms, Marquez said she hopes Jebb makes good on this promise before the ground fills with snow.

“It’s always tomorrow, tomorrow,” she said. “I want it fixed.”

Records show Jebb’s business license with the City of Jacksonville expired at the end of 2019. The city said Jebb has agreed to pay the unpaid fees this week. If he does not, the city said it will issue a cease and desist until he is current.