Crooked mechanics

[max384]

On Sunday I took my car into one of the big chain auto garages for a state inspection. I usually try to stick with small independent mechanics (though do about 90% of my own work), but I just moved and didn't have one yet, so I went with the only place that was open on Sunday.

After dropping the car off, I get a call telling me I need new tires, new brake pads, new rotors, and a new lug nut and stud. Now I only have about 30,000 miles on the current tires, and I replaced all of the brakes and rotors early this year. I knew I was good there. I asked if any of them failed inspection. He stammered and said no, but they were close. Riiiight. I asked him what the pads and rotors measured at and he said he didn't have the measurements in front of him. I asked him if he measured the rotor. He said they didn't, but their policy is to replace rotors when they replace pads. What a load. Finally, I asked how they broke the lug stud. He said it broke when coming off. I couldn't prove anything, but I highly doubt this was the case, because I was the last person to have the tires off, and I ALWAYS hand thread the lug nuts down until they're snug, then I torque them on with a torque wrench.

I asked him how much the stud would be. He said $55. I told him to put everything back together, that I would replace the stud. When I came in to pick up my car, he said that when they were putting the tires back on, one of the rear lug nuts "got stuck." I asked him to clarify, and he said they couldn't get it on or off. I told him they cross threaded it, and it needs replaced. He refused and said this happens all the time, and that it doesn't mean they cross threaded it. It wasn't until after I told him I used to be a mechanic that his tune changed and he agreed to replace it for free, and also gave me the replacement stud and nut for the one I was going to replace for free.

I took the car home to change the stud, and then once that was done, I was going to take it back to the garage and have them replace the other stud and put the sticker on. When I got the car in the air and started removing the lug nuts on the tire with the broken stud, I saw that another of the lug nuts on that same tire was cross threaded. The nut wasn't even against the wheel and the stud was bent. This was obviously not an oversight. The mechanic must have been wrenching with a bit and stopped just short of breaking it off, somehow hoping I wouldn't notice, or blame myself when I broke off the stud. What really pisses me off is that they let me drive away with a front wheel only held on by three of the five lug nuts. Four isn't a problem for a short distance, but only three is a safety issue, particularly on a front wheel.

I called and told the manager what happened, and, as expected, he tried to put the blame on me. I was livid. I told him that I was going to replace that stud as well, but that I was going to charge the shop labor. It took a lot of arguing, but eventually they agreed to pay me their rate of $55 to replace the stud and nut. Fortunately I had already bought the replacement on the way to the shop before they gave me a stud and nut for free, so I had two studs and nuts to replace them both.

In the end, I made out okay, but I had planned on getting some stuff done around the house on Sunday, instead I spent a good part of the morning running back and forth to the garage, arguing, and repairing my car myself.

I realized I was going to get screwed when I dropped the car off, and the guy asked me what I did for a living. I very unwisely told him I'm a physician. I immediately regretted that decision. It's basically the greenlight to bend me over and go to town. I never did it, but I saw it happen when I used to be a mechanic. It's pretty ****ed up that I have to lie about my profession in order not to get screwed. If I didn't have a background in working on cars, they would have tried taking me for probably $1500 by the time everything was said and done. By the way, when I inspected my brakes, they weren't even close to needing replaced, and the tires had at least another year on them, probably two, as I knew was the case.

 

[arturo7]

I get oil changes at the dealer just so they show up on Carfax. Every time I take it in there is something else wrong with it...

 

[Dixon9717]

That's messed up. Glad you didn't get taken like so many are.

 

[flars]

The free sixteen point inspection, offered with an oil change, is just another attempt to steal your wallet. A lot of people think "the garage" is trustworthy. The free advertized inspection is only offered because it brings in dollars worth of unneeded jobs.

 

[mb82]

I had one of those shops the last inspection for my old car call and tell me I needed $2400 in front suspension parts. I asked what was wrong and they told me every part I had replaced in the last 6 months. I told them I would come pick up my car and they might want to learn what a new part looks like compared to an old one. Took it to another shop and I needed a new tie rod end which I had not replaced when doing the work I had done a few months before. I had them fix it since it would need another alignment after that anyways and off I went. Oh yeah the $2400 I am not sure but I think the parts must have been gold plated since I didn't pay near that for the parts I put on.

 

[medicmike63]

Friend of mine took his van in for tires to a west coast tire chain that will remain unnamed. They pulled apart the front brakes and suspension for "inspection....this is policy" and said he would have to have several thousand dollars of work done. He told them to put it back together and he would take care of any problems himself, they said the couldn't because of liability and the rig wouldn't leave the shop until repairs were made. He also owned and excavation company and spent several thousand/ year with them on the business. He got the manager and told him to cancel his commercial account. Lo and behold they were able to reassemble the car so he could drive it away. Upon inspection at home there were no issues found.

I have worked as a mechanic in the past, these crooks piss me off to no end. Upsells aggravate me but outright lying and padding the bill is totally inexcusable. Sounds like you handled it better than I would have.

 

[Homercidal]

We have a real good price on oil changes at a dealership near me. They will even come and pick up your car while you are working so you don't have to mess with travel and interrupting your day. The price is cheaper than I can even buy oil and filter at the parts store.

AAAAAAAND the always have a laundry list of items that need fixing.

The first time it was a front wheel bearing. When I picked it up he asked if I wanted to schedule a repair. I said nope. He said it sounds like the bearing is going out. I said, no, it's the tire worn unevenly from the ball joints being junk and the shocks being worn. Both were fixed, but the tire is still uneven. He said he knows a bearing sound when he hears it. I told him I know the bearings are fine because the sound has been the same for a couple of years and I checked the bearing when I changed the joints and shocks and they are both just fine.

And I asked him if he even MEASURED the play in the bearing to see if there is any movement, or felt the bearing turning by hand disconnected from the driveline to see if it spins freely (bad) or has uneven resistance (bad) or if it spins smoothly and with some resistance (good). He said no.

Bah. Can't get good service these days.

The oil change place downtown charges a bit more, but I took it in on a Saturday once and told him to just change the oil and check the tire pressure. And he starts doing other things. JUST THE OIL! He did top off the tranny fluid, which is what I DIDN'T want him to do because the Jeep takes an additive and they always put standard fluid in there. But I guess technically it's a kind of "oil", so I can't blame him for that.

 

[Murphys_Law]

My daughter and her fiancée were driving an RV across country when the engine blew on them. Unfortunately, they were in rural VA and ended up at a dealer thinking they'd get better service. The dealer was higher priced but...they're a dealer after all, right...what can go wrong?

They quoted $X and 1 week and it ended up being $2X and 3 weeks. They drove off the lot and almost crashed because of the breaks. Oh, it was the breaks that caused the engine problem and now they need fixed? More money down the hole.

Fast forward to their way home and the damn thing broke down again. They got into what seems like a respected mechanic who said about everything on the prior repair is ****e!

 

[BigPicture]

Ok, I admit it, I'm a lazy SOB.


The rear end on my Celica was bouncing around. It would drift in the corners.

Took it in to be analysed cuz I know NOTHING about rear ends. Got a call with the bad news, it needed about $3000 worth of work.

No thank you. Just box it up and I'll take it home. On the way home I stopped at the gas station, both rear tires just needed air. Problem solved.

 

[Homercidal]

Next week I'm fixing the Durango. New Radiator, Thermostat, Water Pump, and Fan Clutch.

$250 total for parts (Ok a few dollars more when I buy coolant).

My daughter's boyfriend says he loves cars, so I'm having him help me do the work. It will be nice to be able to show this stuff to someone who cares. If he has fun, I might be able to get him to help me work on the Mustang. I need to clean up the garage a bit and get the parts put back in the motor.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Watching my parents get nickel and dimed to death at the dealer and independent shops as a kid/teenager is why I learned to do my own work. When I was a college student and young "professional" it was also a matter of economics. I even made a decent amount of extra money in college doing carb rebuilds on motorcycles and flipping "ran-when-parked" UJM's.

Now that I am in a different tax bracket, having everything done by a trusted mechanic would actually be a money savings (verses the value of my time) but I still do 90% of my own work because I continue to be given ample reason not to trust professional mechanics.

My RWD Volvo wagon was one of the last red block Volvo's made for the US market and as a result most of the sins of the past were incrementally improved by the time mine hit the road. Along the way, Volvo picked up new suppliers for their volume cars (FWD/AWD) and some of those suppliers parts bled over intermittently to the RWD line. Volvo has always had a secondary data plate under the hood for such things (which of three rear brake set-ups was used, which of three steering racks was used). This plate is the ONLY way to know what parts to order unless you know the differences on sight.

So I go to have my car aligned knowing full well that there was a chance the tie rod ends would not break loose from the tie rods. I had soaked and heated them for about a week before taking it in. Alignment shop eventually gives up and tells me I need both tie rods and ends. I ask them if they ordered the parts for the Koyo rack...

"We had the dealer decode the VIN and told us we need the parts for the "Z" rack".

Me: "Those will not fit and it is not possible to use the VIN to identify what rack is in the car"

Them: "I think the dealer would know."

Me: "Feel free to order those parts and try to put them in but if the car ends up having a Koyo rack I expect to have all the work done for free. Alternatively you can put the car back together, I will come pick it up, order and install the correct parts myself"

Them: "Whatever...It will be ready in 20 minutes"

Manager is prick when I pick it up and makes a point of telling me how many years he has been doing this job. Once his tirade is over: "Yes, but I have been driving and wrenching on the narrow field of Volvo RWD cars for 20 years. Until I got my truck it is all I have owned. I do not doubt your skills as a mechanic but you have lost my business because you lack the skill to listen."

Got home, got it on jack stands, swiped a finger across the still intact label on the steering rack (they are never still intact) to clear away the grime and in big letters it says "Koyo, Made in Japan". ZF tie rods (with inner tie rod end) will fit but they do not have enough range of adjustment to align the car because they are about 3/4" longer than the KOYO inners.

I still would work on my race cars because that is a hobby. Working on my own daily drivers has moved out of that space but I do it out self-preservation.

Oh, and I tripple-pissed the guy off because I would not leave the parking lot until I had loosened and re-torqued the lug nuts to the 65 #/ft specified...and printed on the bearing dust caps. They were at norht 90 #/ft.

 

[BigPicture]

Nobody cares about your stuff more than you.

Once bitten, twice shy.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Just sheared four out of five left rear lug studs on the Volvo trying to remove them to put on snow tires.

"Oh, and I tripple-pissed the guy off because I would not leave the parking lot until I had loosened and re-torqued the lug nuts to the 65 #/ft specified...and printed on the bearing dust caps. They were at norht 90 #/ft."

Yeah, forgot to do that when I had an emergency tire plug done by a tire shop. Did not have my torque wrench with me to re-torque. Never did it, now I am paying for it. Gorilla probably rattled it on to well over 100 lb ft in this case. I emphasize, the max torque is stamped right on the dust cover of the bearing,

 

[Curtis2010]

In the USA getting ripped off was (is?) the norm when I last lived there a decade ago. Here in Central America Ive had a very different experience. Some of our best experiences in CA have involved my old '89 Jeep Cherokee breaking down in remote areas. Locals appear out of nowhere to help, they are just genuinely happy to help and wont accept money. This includes mechanics. Ive had mechanics go way out of their way to help me on Sunday then charge me almost nothing...Ive actually tipped mechanics here because I thought they were charging too little. Even at the big shops in the big cities, where rates are higher, Ive never felt like I got ripped off and have had service managers go out of their way to be helpful.

Last time I broke down in the USA in a remote location on a Sunday, the mechanic who responded had a hard time keeping the sh*t eating grin off his face. It was a simple problem, a clogged fuel filter, he knew I knew that, but he charged me $300 anyway...just because he could.