Mechanics: Horror Stories
easyrider300m
Member Posts: 1,116
Many years and cars ago, my car died at 2am just outside of Boston. I managed to push it into the parking lot of the nearest gas station. The next morning, I called the station and requested that they diagnose the problem. A few hours later they called to tell me the carberator was bad and should be replaced. He quoted about $250 which at that time was relatively high. Not knowing the mechanic, I intuitively didn't trust him and told him I would come by to take my car out of his lot. I arrived at 5pm and was told that there would be a $15 storage fee. I slipped the bills into his greedy little fingers and proceeded to try to start my car. After pumping the gas several times, I managed to get the car started and drove it back home.
Still having problems with starting the car, I called a backyard mechanic friend of mine and after about 10 minutes of testing, he told me that the gas filter was clogged. I picked up a new one for about $4 at the local parts store and my buddy installed it in about 2 minutes. Car ran perfectly after this minor repair.
That gas station mechanic thought he had a sucker who had no choice but to trust his diagnosis. Well, I called his bluff and saved some big bucks. Do you have a story of being taken advantage of by a shady mechanic? Did you outwit a dishonest mechanic? Do you trust most mechanics? Tell us your Mechanic Horror Stories.
Still having problems with starting the car, I called a backyard mechanic friend of mine and after about 10 minutes of testing, he told me that the gas filter was clogged. I picked up a new one for about $4 at the local parts store and my buddy installed it in about 2 minutes. Car ran perfectly after this minor repair.
That gas station mechanic thought he had a sucker who had no choice but to trust his diagnosis. Well, I called his bluff and saved some big bucks. Do you have a story of being taken advantage of by a shady mechanic? Did you outwit a dishonest mechanic? Do you trust most mechanics? Tell us your Mechanic Horror Stories.
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HE calls us back in a week, tells us it needs a starter. We tell him go ahead and do the work. In another two days he says it still won't start, needs an alternator, and it'll be another three days for the part and another 2 to install. Fine. Not bad so far, it's only been a couple weeks. HE calls us to tell us the alternator's in, but we need a fly-wheel cause it still wont start. This it's gonna take him another week to do. We wait patiently. I stop by the shop in a week to see how it's progressing. HE tells me 'I'll call on Tuesday.' Fine. Tuesday comes and goes and we don't hear from him. I call him the next day and he says 'I should know something by next Thursday.' Another week goes by ad still nothing. It's been almost a month now that he's had our car in the shop. The whole time he hasnt been the least bit apologetic or regretful or all the delays an for not bothering to call us when he says he will. Finally he calls and says it's running and to come get it, with a total bill of well over a thousand dollars by that time after a whole month of 'well, I fixed this but now I realize this other thing is shot.'
Two weeks after: IT died again for good.
my point to what i have said is this, sometimes mechanics make bad guesses, but aren't always trying to burn people. there are a lot of mechanics that don't have near enough experience to be called an "auto mechanic", but by making these stupid decisions, are also making it bad for the "real mechanics". then again, there are plenty of both who will sell their own mom her own wheels.....LOL
and no, i'm not a mechanic by trade.
Sorry to say, this occurred at a national Tire chain that is still in existence. So be leary of some mechanics that are out to make a dishonest dollar at your expense.
Easyrider300M
As was said, You need to realize the difference between incompetence and dishonesty.
The thing that bothers me is when a person goes to a shop, they screw up and instead of saying they didn't know what they were doing, the say they were trying to rip them off. And realize, often the mechanic is at the mercy of the owner or service advisor.
Please, learn the difference between incompetency and dishonesty. Not all mechanics are crooks or dishonest.
Here's my two: Had exhaust replaced on '69 Camaro and shft linkage rubbed on the exhaust in reverse, whch they had to have noticed. I guess since I was in early twenties and looked like 18 they figured i wouldn't mind this slight problem. They actually felt this was satisfactory. (They fixed it) They didn't realize I had such a foul mouth.
Had a '78 Subaru inspected and they broke the 4 way flasher knob. They replaced it with a %$@#& Wood Screw!!!!!
Please understand that I am not badmouthing the whole automobile technician industry but just exposing the land mines out there in the auto repair field. When you find a competent and honest mechanic, you will build a trust between the two of you. Even if he is slightly higher priced than the guy down the street, he is worth every penny if he knows his trade and treats you fairly. In the long run, he will save you from possible frustration and lost time in dealing with the less competent mechanic who may charge less per hour or less on the straighforward job, only to cost you extra money when the tough repairs occur which he may try to solve by replacing unneccesary parts in his trial and error method of repair.
I'll step down from my podium now and let some others tell their "Mechanic Horror Stories."
he even called twice the following week to see when i was coming in. i finally told him that Pep Boys was going to do the work and after his choice words, he hung up. turns out, that i replaced a vacumn line that controlled a vacumn switch in the A/C and everything was fine.
Once I brought my car in to have a flat fixed and have the oil and filter changed. I could have fixed the flat myself with one of those do it yourself expresso plug kits but figured why not have it done right seeing I needed an oil change anyway. So I left the car with the grease monkey and came back to pick it up at the end of the day. Charged me $12 for the flat repair and $23 for the oil change. The guy that worked on my car wrote up the bill. I paid the bill and headed home. Once home, I checked the dip stick to make sure he filled it up to the proper level. The stick had oil on it as black as coal---the oil obviously wasnt changed. I checked the tire repair and found that he had just inserted a plug like I could have done myself in 2 minutes instead of the proper inner patch. Well, I headed back and asked him why he didnt change the oil. He stated that he must have forgot. I said to him: "Yeah, but you didnt forget to charge me!" I also mentioned the improper flat repair and demanded a full refund which I received. Needless to say, I will not be heading back to that station for any future repair or maintenance work. Some unsuspecting customer would have driven the car for another 3,000 to 7,000 miles with dirty oil and a clogged filter. Dont think that would be too good for your engine.--Motto: Buyer Beware
I got nothing to hide. I sleep very well at nights knowing that I have done everything I could to help folks out.
Besides, even if they did want to give my truck some stripes, you probably couldn't tell the difference between it and the tree limb marks down the side and they would have to get passed the dog. Although, he probably could use a midnight snack.
Here are some of the things that have come to me, after a "quality" shop did some repairs.
A friend brought his car to me after he had a timing chain replaced on his Pontiac 6000, after checking it out, we had to pull the pan because of severe rod knock. After pulling the pan, I found that all of the gasket material was scraped into the pan and found its way to the oil pump, where it promptly clogged the oil pump.
Their mistake was a $1800 mistake.
Had to pull the pan on a Cummins NTC350 in a Kenworth for routine rod and main bearings. When I got the pan down, I found 3 rags and a dandy 1/2" Snap-On ratchet. This was a case of someone not double checking things, but I always like it when other mechanics contribute to my tool supply. HA HA.
after seeing the type of split on the boots and seeing that it could have been sliced with a knife, I learned to check the boots anytime a mechanic would be repairing or servicing anything on my car---
a few months go by--time for another oil change---bring it to another chain store for a oil change special at $9.95. The day before I bring it in, I look under the car and note that the boots are in good shape--no cuts etc. I wait in the waiting while drinking their coffee and reading their magazines. Mechanic calls me over and tells me one of my boots is split and should be replaced right away--tells me I shouldnt drive it like that or more damage could occur. Quotes me like $125 to replace the boot. I just knew not to even bother accusing him of cutting my boot as I know he would deny it.
Needless to say, I told him no thanks--I'll have my own mechanic take care of it. Also needless to say, they lost my business forever. The cheapest oil change could turn out to be the most expensive. Live and learn and Buyer Beware!
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Easy- you sure have a lot of hostility towards mechanics, sounds like you may have actually been taken in by a few eh?
I may be more leary than most car owners but my experience with some outright dishonest mechanics is the reason. Those few mechanics that I exposed as outright dishonest probably have taken advantage of many less suspecting customers and got away with it. You know what they say: "Screw me once, shame on you---screw me twice, shame on me?" I dont give them a second chance and try to avoid the first. There are many honest hardworking mechanics out there as well--those are the ones that get my business---
Has anyone had this happen before? Any thoughts as to how to approach this? Should I take it to my insurance and have the dealership pay my deductible?
How much is this going to cost? It's only about a quarter inch long, but the primer is what sticks out.
Thanks for your help!
The people I find really disgusting are the tow truck driver/mechanics sent out by AAA. They try to scam you into unnecessary battery replacements and repairs, and their work is shabby to say the least.
Florida have all been outstanding. In fact, one woman gave a tip to a driver who came to put the
doughnut on her car when she had a flat, & he came back the next day to return the tip, because he found out he wasn't supposed to take tips. Talk about honest! She was flabbergasted. I had a mechanic at a Honda Dealer, where I had gone for some work, call it to my attention that he had put a scratch on the hood with his belt buckle, and they fixed it for free. So I guess I have been luckey, thank goodness.
He says that maybe I had a nail hole or other leak that could cause it and starts checking the tread for nails or holes--he comes back and tells me that he found a hole in the tread probably caused by a nail and therefore it would not be covered under a defect warranty. I tell him I would like to see the hole---he puts it on some kind of spreader machine and spreads the sidewalls apart and pokes around inside with his finger and say--yeah its right there---so I asked if I could try to find it myself---verdict, no hole, nail or other source of causing a leak which he claims could weaken the sidewall---
Outcome: he installed and balanced a new tire and charged me a $50 prorated charge for a $125 tire. This was at a well know multi-ocation tire dealer --- Buyer Beware
I have way too many people coming to me as it is. I have to take the phone off the hook or beg the kids to use the main phone line for the internet.
Believe it or not, there are alot of mechanics like myself. Guys like myself who take their reputations very seriously. There is a group of us and sometimes pride does get in the way, but not in a bad way.
Went to another dealership and asked them to inspect the car. Passed 100%. Talked to the mechanic and ask him how the front brake pads were and he said they had 70% left. Guess where I take my car now?
Stopped taking my car to the dealership that sold it to me new. They are first class rip-off artists after the brake pad incident. Found out later that they are notorious for this kind of work.
Now I take my car to a dealership that I can trust and to a mechanic that is honest.
only problem he really did have was that if the drums did need turning, it had already been done twice, so he was out of luck there. the shoe and everything else was fine. we bent the adjusting levers back to their original position, and the brakes worked like before. Sears is one place i wouldn't send my worst enemy if i had one.
Another time they claimed the rotors were out of spec and couldn't be turned. I called the Toyo shop (why didn't I go there instead?) and got the micrometer specs on allowable wear, and called the guy back: "so, how much rotor do I have left? And give it to me in microns, I know what it is supposed to be." End of racket. For spite they didn't put some hardware back on the hydraulic part of the front brakes, and they ate themselves alive a thousand miles later. Then I got a good shop to do the whole thing over :-(
The first thing you do when you move to town is FIND A GOOD MECHANIC. I think that comes before finding a doctor or dentist :-)
He should have given me an estimate and got my approval before proceding. Needless to say, I will not be going back there for any brake work.
To make a long story short my dad spent 2 hours and about $80 to fix it. Part (i forget what it was) the guy said was bad wasnt even bad. Also autozone only wanted $70 for it to his $400. He replaced a spark knock sensor and something else. Runs great again.
two years:
1): 18 months ago. When I change the oil
and filter, I found the driver side outer
CV boot was broken, and the passenger side
outer CV boot was at bad condition, So I took
my car into one garage. They replaced the
two outer CV boot. When I back at home and
get under the car. I found the mechanic has
damaged the bushing of suspension during
they replaced the outer CV boot. But they
did not admitted.
2): 6 months ago. There has a problem on my car.
When the engine start running, the starter motor
is keeping engaged with the flywheel. I took
it into one garage (AAA approved), they said
that the starter motor take extra current and
cause the starter solenoid melted. Althrough
I doubt this, I let them go ahead. They replace
the starter motor and soleniod. Two weeks later,
it happen again. I took back the car, they can not
find any problem, and just replace the solenoid.
Then aonther two weeks, happen agian, replace
solenoid. At thir time, it happens, then they
search outside help, and figure it is
the ignition swicth problem, They replace the
ignition switch and soleniod. Now this time it
havs fixed the problem. But they did not admitted
that they made a mistake to replace the
starter motor and refuse to refund me the $300
cost of labor and starter motor. To fix this probelm, it cost me $750 in Bay Area.
And there are some who are neither...a small percentage.
Then there are the customers who blame the shops for problems they didn't cause.
This has been mentioned in another forum...but...
"That scratch wasn't there before YOU worked on it!"
My radiator is leaking and you worked on the brakes last month...YOU must have done something.
etc....I've heard it all!
Yes, isellhondas, mechanics do scratch cars when they work on them.
I was talking about the many other times shops are blamed for things they flat did NOT do!
Anyone who has owned or managed a shop (like I have)knows exactly what I'm talking about.
It's so bad that some shops do a walk around with the customers when they leave the car and notate any damage and have the customers sign to that effect.
2) Rotate air in tires - including spare
3) Side view mirror alignment
4) Flush windshield fluid system
5) Clean and adjust valve covers
6) Straighten battery cables
7) Replace water filter
8) Adjust and re-aim brake lights
2.rotate hubcabs
3.drain and refill battery (recharge at no cost)
4.update computer
http://www.funforwards.com/flash/october01/nowheretohide.cfm
cost was $80 and about 3-4 hrs of his time as opposed to a whole day and $400-500 with the other guy
Should i send her a towing bill?
Ryan
terrible ruckus at the repair shop this morning... a bunch of feds and cops, swat guys, and all came barrelling in all doors looking for four more dangerous terrorists on the run. took no time at all to round up bin Drinkin, bin Loafin, and bin Stealin... but they never could find bin Workin.
Harry
There are some dirty miserable jobs that a lot of shops simply don't want based on painful experiences.
The book might call for four hours labor, but the shop owner knows it's a nasty job that will tie up a stall and a technician most of the day.
Either that or the customer has a history of being a pain to deal with.
Hence, a high quote...the shop really doesn't want the job even at the higher quote!
A nasty job and dangerous. A good example of what I meant.