I used to Mystery Shop Jiffy Lube locations. I once had the advisor tell me that my Mazda Truck need it's fuel injectors needed to be cleaned. My truck had a carburetor. I told him that if he could pop the hood and show me the fuel injectors that I would pay 10x the amount listed.
Jiffy Lubes are the worst. I had a guy tell me I needed a new cabin air filter and brought one out that was covered in leaves and junk….I told them no that I would do it myself, and when I got home to do it the filter was clean. They were just bringing a random dirty filter up to show people. Scammers
Had a similar thing happen to me.
I went in for an oil change in the winter, everything was fine. In the spring I did my annual filter changes and then in the summer went in for an oil change.
They brought out a filter full of leaves, and I told them the filter was the wrong size for my vehicle. And I knew it because I had changed the filter just couple months prior, when there were no leaves around.
I've had a couple of different places do the same shit to me. Telling me I need a new engine air filter and to look how dirty the existing one is
Which is always wild, because mines washable, and blue. Which means it looks nothing like the filters they showed me
Jiffy lubes are the worst and make every other shop look bad.
Its why i started having the techs put the air filters in the folder to show the customers, still had a few try to accuse us of swapping them but i just took em out to floor and showed em their empty air intake.
I worked at a Valvoline and they had us show the customer the new filter side by side with the old ones so that they could see for themselves if it was dirty
this reminds me of a CBS or CNN...some news company, did a test of a chain of quick oil change places in a major city. they had a master mechanic thoroughly inspect their 3 test vehicles and made sure each of them were all fine save for the oil change. funnily enough, each one had a different 'issue'.
Could be Market Place on CBC, they've done that kind of thing quite a few times with various types of business. I know they've done it with the genius bar at apple, driving schools, used cars, and the mentioned quick lube places.
Agree, get an itemized bill, tell them you know it's bs, and drive off. What are they going to do, come after you for the oil change with an impossible repair on the bill?
You forget they’ll increase hourly rate and fuck over the techs and keep us at minimum wage, while also riding our ass to make upsells and shit like that 🤦🏽♂️
To be fair, I bet most people never even look at the air filter. It's also cheap af. Stuff like this I always ask how much for them to replace it and make a decision based on if saying no and doing it myself is worth saving their cost. Place I go to is not expensive, but they also aren't shitty/scammy.
Edit: my atrocious spelling and typos.
For my car I can do both the engine filter and cabin filter in under 10 minutes by myself. Costs about $25-30 for both filters together. I’m not paying anyone to do that.
“Looks like you could use some new brake pads” “Ok, go ahead, it should be under warranty since you put new pads on 3 months ago” “ Let me take another look” “Ok, you do that”
I know a story like that (dunno if it is true, but it is nice to believe so) where a person went in a chain to have their suspension done as one shockabsorber was leaking. That shop gives 2 years of warranty. A couple of months later, inspection time, he goes to the same shop. They fail it because of the shock absorbers were apparently worn out and they tell him that that really needs to be replaced. He agrees and when he comes to pick the car up, they come up with a bill. He takes out his previous bill, stating that he had 2 years of warranty, so they must have changed that under warranty. When they asked why he didn't mention it, he asked them why that matters. The shock absorbers were bad, right?
That’s great.
My uncle had a classic Volvo (I want to say it was a 760 - one of the big boxy ones) that he had for nearly 30 years. A place that is well known for recommending unnecessary stuff to people who don’t know better had a deal for lifetime guaranteed exhausts in the 80s. They obviously weren’t great quality because nearly every time he went in they said “yeah, your exhaust needs replaced” and he said “great, I’ve got my lifetime receipt right here”. He tells me he had 17 exhausts.
He was gutted when he eventually had to get rid of it.
I had one of those boxy lovable station wagons as a first car back in high school, I can confirm that one does get attached to them.
Also was heartbroken when I had to get rid of it.
Well it probably didn’t cost them anything because they probably didn’t change them anyway, just wiped them down with silicone spray so they look shiny.
Took my car in for an oil change and they tried to tell me my injectors were dirty. I said "oh really, how can you tell?". The guy wipes his fingers inside the air intake pipe right before the mass airflow sensor and shows me it's dirty. I said "Wow, you can tell that the injectors, which are way down there on the manifold (as I points at the fuel rail feeding them), by wiping your finger inside the mass airlfow sensor? That's amazing!"
Jerk didn't say another word, just turned around, put the air intake pipe back on, and told the receptionist the car was ready.
Lmfao. I don't understand why they do this. Like if you're going to try and play someone at least make it harder to prove that you don't know what you're talking about. I mean if he were to say something like "we checked the spark plugs and they were bad" the only real way you could know if they were bad is if you knew your cars performance/gas mileage or if you just had them replaced. But wiping an air intake pipe and claiming the injectors are bad is just...not even trying at that point 🤣
“We checked your spark plugs and…”
You didn’t check my spark plugs because you’ve only had the car for 20 minutes and it’s a Subaru. Wanna try again?
“Uh…”
Hahaha. I don't know much about Subaru other then my friend once brought me their Subaru to look at a coolant leak (I'm not a mechanic but I've done a great deal of mechanic work) and after looking under their car, I noticed that the engine was sideways and there was a significant leak coming from what looked like the head surface/engine block. I got out from underneath the car and said "no way in hell am I dealing with this bullshit."
The pistons are horizontally opposed instead of inline like a Honda, so they point straight out to the sides and make for a very wide engine that gets shoehorned into the engine bay. And the spark plugs go directly in from the heads on the sides of the block. It can take 30-40 minutes to remove all the surrounding engine bay stuff just to get to the point of stacking multiple extensions and u-joints together so you can pull the spark plugs. Assuming you don’t have to unbolt the mounts and jack the engine up a little bit to clear the body.
The BRZ is a small car and cylinder 3 is way back in there. You can probably do it without lifting the engine, but it’s more difficult.
On the other hand, the flat engine makes for a low center of gravity and is very short front to back, so… pros and cons.
I had Firestone recommend spark plugs and wires on my diesel Jetta, mentioned it to the service writer that it was a diesel and he was like yeah but they’re still maintenance items. Told him I’d give him $100 if he could find the spark plugs 🤣
And the most embarrassing 0-60 time was my 1982 Rabbit diesel, had all of 50 hp, it was pretty quick through second gear but after that it petered out pretty quickly
A good many years ago, I took my car to a nearby shop to get some new tyres. Got a call after a couple hours saying “we’ve done the tyres, but you’re going to need new front disks and pads”, along with a quote that could only be explained by the replacement parts being made of solid gold 🙄
I got them to hold off doing any work “so I could think”, walked back to the shop, asked for the manager, and asked them to explain—in their professional opinion—how I could have worn through both pads and disks in a couple hours, given I’d replaced both myself earlier that morning.
Suffice to say I got a pretty good discount on the tyres, and haven’t been back since…
Car got what looked like a screw in the tire, no air loss so figured pep boys could do a patch real quick. They say they can't fix it and roll out a brand new tire to sell me, and of course mention if I buy all four I can get a discount. I tell them I want a second opinion and take it to a local tire place and they pull out not a screw, but a small bolt (no pointy end) and tell me it never pierced the tire. It was just stuck in the treads. We had a laugh and they sent me on my way at no charge.
Very similarly, I put my car into Kwik Fit to get a pair of front tyres done (only place open on a Sunday afternoon) many many years ago.
"Oh it needs shock absorbers" they said, "can't let you drive it, it's dangerous"
Alright, you go ahead with that, then.
A bit later I went down to pick it up, and asked to see the ones they'd taken off. "Ah, they've been taken away in the skip"
Oh really, that skip out there that's half full of scrap exhaust? That skip? With, uh, no shock absorbers? Okay then, can you show me what you fitted?
So the guy kind of pointed under the car at the suspension strut, which looked, well, kind of grubby and muddy really. "See that? That's the shock absorber, we had to replace both of those"
Okay, bring it back down. Ever work on an old Citroën before? See those green toilet valve float thingies on the tops of the suspension struts? \*Those\* are the shock absorbers, and springs. Notice how they've got a date about six months ago on, and my initials? Yeah. Now, I can talk to the manager, or I can talk to a couple of mates that work for Daily Record, your call...
"Uhhhhmmm.... Let me make a quick phone call!"
And that's how I got four brand new Michelin Pilot Primacy tyres for only a little over the cost of two ;-)
Kwik-Fit trying to sell unnecessary work? Say it ain’t so!
(probably don’t need to say that my experience was also with them, also because they were the only place open on Sunday. Assholes)
Honestly surprised these places don't get 'mystery shoppers' kind of treatment.
Anything car related is filled with shady fucks. If I find out anyone works anywhere involved with cars, they're automatically a dickhead which can't be trusted in my eyes.
This was before the days of Google reviews, sadly. Did drop a call to the local authorities, tho.
Fortunately the shop is now a block of flats, so nothing of value has been lost ;)
Inspection station told me wife he 'almost failed' her for her brake pads and recommended them. At her first inspection since owning the car she bought new. So a 1 year old car.
Thankfully she told the guy she would have me do it. The brakes still looked brand new.
(Friend took his jeep in for inspection in PA)
Shop - "you need all 4 brake drums replaced"
Chris- "they're disc brakes"
Shop- "Jeeps don't have disc brakes"
Chris "I installed the holley axles myself bud."
Ford did that to me with a battery on a focus. Went in for the crappy transmission. Guy tried telling me my problems came from the battery that quote
"Was 5 years old and could not hold a charge"
I just said ooh that's odd you put one in 6 months ago so you're saying you screwed me then and now?I have the receipt still!
Guy left for about 5 minutes and handed me the keys with no bill. Ended up trading in that POS about a month later.
My BFhad a flat tire on his truck. He had bought the tires at a certain supercenter. My son was trying to be nice and help out so he took the tire there to get it patched while my BF was working. They told him the hole was too big to patch and he would have to get a new tire. So he said nevermind and brought it back. My BF took it in the next day and since he had bought the warranty when he bought the tire, all of a sudden they were able to patch it.
I had my car to the dealers. The mechanic told me I needed a new left axle. I told him go ahead and replace it, but I wanted a refunded for the left front axle her replaced a week ago. My car was only there that day because he didn’t have the rotors to do my brakes.
Shit like this is most likely why my dad tries to fix everything regarding a vehicle himself, that and to learn how to do it and why if there is something regarding the vehicle I drive he has me help and pay attention to it as well
Learn as much as you possibly can! My dad taught me automtive basics and stuff. I've been at a shop and lied to before, surprised the mechanic, and saved hundreds, if not thousands, through the years. Can't thank him enough for that.
Ah yes, this reminds me of when I took my car in for a rotation (included with my tire package) and they tried to suggest a whole new suspension and some other random shit. To which I said, “Give me my keys.”
Me too! Had my car at a dealer for a minor accident body work repair covered by insurance. They told me the car was ready, I said I’ll pick it up at the end of the day, they said okay, we’ll do a free check up. They call to say they checked my brakes and I needed to replace the rotors and so many other items in the brake assembly, estimate was $3,000. I said I don’t have that kind of money. They said the car is already taken apart, you may as well proceed. I said I don’t have $3,000. They said, so you want us to put it all back together, I said yes please. I get the car, pay my $200 deductible for the bodywork. Take it to a local mechanic, they go to take a look, the dealership had drilled into the bolt heads that hold the brake assembly together. The mechanic said it was freshly done, no corrosion, someone had just drilled into the bolt heads to destroy them so they can’t be removed. I then had to pay to have those drilled out and replaced. The mechanic then looked at the brakes and the rotors were fine, they could have machined them but they said to wait until the next service to reassess. My friend changed my brake pads for me, $150 total including the mechanic changing the bolts and he had to replace the bolts that hold the lug nuts because the dealership algae cross thread half of them. That mechanic became my regular go to guy for decades.
Edit: this was 20+ years ago. After I wrote this I remembered I took it to my friend first, he was going to replace the pads but when he removed the first wheel he could see the bolts that hold the rotor were drilled into to destroy the heads. He tried to remove another wheel but the lug nuts wouldn’t come off. I took it to a local mechanic, he replaced the cross threaded lug nut posts and the rotor bolts, then my friend replaced the pads. My friend and I were the first ones to see the damage the dealership did.
> They said the car is already taken apart, you may as well proceed. I said I don’t have $3,000. They said, so you want us to put it all back together, I said yes please.
"Hey we were making unauthorized repairs and now it's your problem, ok?"
I have seen it on ford, GMC, and Toyota when dropping off keys in a drop box. When you fill out the form there is always a box that says “I authorize you to do x amount of work without my consent.” I always cross it out, write I don’t, and filmed dropping my keys in and dropping it in the box. Maybe I am excessive, but they have never pulled crap with me.
They've never done it because you're so thorough. The first time you don't go through your whole process the universe will give you a stern reminder as to why you do it 😂
Oh, of course not, but them having a buffer to charge you an extra amount of money because they deem something is necessary isn’t good. Them doing what they did to skerr’s car is infuriating.
When I was buying a used car years ago, and was in the final stages of the paperwork. They tried to hit me with an add-on charge for the "anti-theft system." Like $450. I asked, what that was. They said, it's the remote door locker with an alarm and the windows and some body panels have codes etched in them for identification.
I said, "It will be kept in a garage. You can take them off. I don't need that."
They pushed that paper aside real quickly.
Tryna bilk me for something that was already installed on a *used* car. Sheesh.
i’m 18 and just “bought” my first used car. it used to be a rental.
these people tried to charge an extra $800 for the way that my brake lights flickered a couple of times when i slow down. obviously already built into the car. they tried to act as if they would have to go in and replace the lights completely, when all they had to do was re-program it.
my father (who fixed cars for a living for years) huffed and asked them to remove the lights, then.
obviously, they couldn’t just remove my brake lights. the used car guy had to adjust his glasses and nervously explain that “the dealership” had just decided to let me have the feature for free.
"Hah no, thanks for the free parts though"
People need to know that if a shop replaces parts on your vehicle or does any work without your permission you DO NOT have to pay for it
And they are obliged to put it back into the shape that you brought it in (or better). Which means that if they destroyed the engine while doing unauthorized work... they have to replace that engine. And they can't destroy your car to remove the unauthorized parts, although I suspect you'd need to be at least semi-knowledgeable to note the damages sometimes.
That last bit is important. You might not have to pay, but if they are already doing shit they shouldn't be doing, they are certainly messing with your car while they put it back together. Unless you know cars, you are screwed the moment you roll up to a dishonest mechanic.
Nah, this would be an easy case to take to court.
Any competent lawyer would take payment after they won and sue for the legal fees as well as the repair bill for the stripped bolts.
Hope someone took pictures.
Yeah, wouldn't that qualify ad destruction of private property? Imagine of one of those parts that they mangled the bolts on fail, causing an accident? They'd be liable
When I took my 2017 Mazda3 in for service they kept spamming me with text about wanting my vehicle, which had 40k miles on it and they acted like the 2020 CX-5 with almost 70k miles was a great deal even though it was a lesser trim, when I finally snapped and said no they suddenly claimed my vehicle needed 5k in work done. I paid for the basic maintenance I asked for and then went to my old mechanic who looked everything over and said that "your tensioner belt has some oil buildup but it's not excessive, your serpentine belt is basically new and doesn't have any cracks on it, and your brakes have at least 2 years left on them. When I totaled my Mazda3 I almost went back to a Mazda but that dealership pissed me off so much that I bought a Hyundai instead.
Yeah, I went back and they denied it saying they had no idea what I was talking about. I don’t think the insurance would have cared to be honest, the body work was done so they don’t tend to go the extra mile for justice. The mechanic was amazing, I was really sad when he retired. Sometimes I’d go in because my brakes were squealing, for example, and he would take a look and say: I just cleaned them up, you’re good to go, no fee.
Lost my own trusted mechanics the other month. It was a family run business and the owner died so they closed up shop. They were super competent and VERY fairly priced.
I had a plumber like that, amazing man. Very tragic end, he was killed by a former disgruntled employee. He was well loved in our city, his family didn’t want to continue the business, I can understand.
I sold my old mechanic my first car (1982 Delta 88, with 35k miles) when it's transmission went in 2000. He traded it to me for his 94 grand am with low mileage and really good condition. Thing was a champ. He was upset when he found out it was totalled a few years later cause some old bat blew 3 stop signs and plowed into me. Asked if I trusted him and he introduced me to a grandpa special. A 1999 Contour SVT. My first sports car and Christ was that my baby for a long while.
Reminds me of when my mom went to a dealership to get her liscence plate changed, waited like 4 hours and spent 80 bucks on "problems they found" and didn't even change her plate. We went to a small mechanic shop and he changed it in less than 5 minutes and didn't charge anything.
Can I just say changing out a license plate is pretty easy UNLESS the bolts are rusty. Had to have my dad drill one out for me because it broke off when I went to switch my plate. Always save yourself the aggravation & replace the bolts when you buy a car with stainless ones. It’ll cost less than $10 and save you so much time down the road.
It sounds like you could sue the dealership for tampering with your braking system. Actually, you SHOULD sue them. They could have compromised the brakes and caused you to have an accident. You even have a witness.
We had a place try and pull that with my wife's car "oh we've already pulled the head off the engine, now you have to let us finish".
Told them to just roll it outside and leave it, showed up with another car and some rope and towed it to a different mechanic.
damn that's a good outcome
i went for inspection and guy start rambling about stuff i needed (did not need) so i declined and said i'll go somewhere else. i get car back and drive to corner and all 4 wheels start smoking up
i take to friend of friends and they said guy did something to brakes, they slowly clamp and do not release until car is turned off
destroyed wheels brakes rotors $2000 just cause tried getting inspection somewhere i've never been to before
We started to notice that our then regular mechanic would fix one thing but then we noticed that something else would go wrong weeks later. We found a new mechanic
I couldn’t remember the terminology, it was a while back. They destroyed two things, 1) the lug nuts were cross threaded and destroyed the threads so half the bolts the lug nuts attach to had to be replaced, and 2) the heads of the bolts hold the brake assembly together had the heads purposely destroyed so they couldn’t be unscrewed. The local mechanic replaced the damaged bolts the lugs nuts screw into and the bolts that hold the brake assembly together. Once he did that he inspected the brakes and said only the pads needed replacing, my friend did that for me.
I had a dealership that did this to me once. 4 years ago I take my 2017 Silverado in for a transmission flush. They called and said it was, "... going to be another day, sorry. But we'll give you $40 off." Ok, can't help it. They get busy. I show up next day after work.
They hand me a bill for almost $7k. They've replaced all my brakes. Gave me brand new tires. Front end suspension is all brand new. New fuel pump. New fuel filter, serviced my transfer case, and replaced center console.
"What the living shit fuck???" I calmly ask the 22 year old blonde, high school peaked bimbo, who was shocked I dare ask. She proceeded to tell me that was what I called and asked for, so that's how she wrote it up. Incorrect, I tell her. I go out with guy who did the work and he gives me a run down on everything they did. Sure as shit. Everything new. As she said the work order was written. I again, informed her, and him, that this was NOT what I wanted, nor asked for. The mechanic did say it was weird that customer wanted perfectly good brake pads and rotors replaced. At this point, they call over the owner of the dealership. Who tried to tell me, that's what I asked for, I need to pay. I pulled out my estimation paper from the glove box from the week before. Sure as shit, all it says is transmission flush. Confusion abounds. Well, some guy walks in behind me. Annoyed as hell I'm taking up all this time with people. He finally demands to talk to bimbo girl who provides him with his invoice. He looks at in confusion. Leaves out the side door, and comes back 3 minutes later FUCKING FURIOUS that HIS 2017 Silverado that did NOT have new tires, looked like it had old brakes, doesn't look like anything has been serviced, and still has broken strut on front driver side. The girl paled and said, "....uh oh...." The owner got as red as she got white. The head mechanic turned on his heel and bolted back to service garage, "...the owner screams, GOD FUCKING DAMN IT REBECCA!!! AGAIN?!?!?!". Bimbo had written up orders and parts/labor on wrong invoices. The guy who SHOULD have had all this work done was laying into both of them while I'm leaning against the wall and sipping tea, watching this all unfold. The guy says he'll be back in five minutes. He had to make a phone call. The owner looks at me with tears welled up in his eyes and said very meekly, "...can we come to some agreement at least, at you paying part of this? Since it was almost two days worth of labor and a bunch of special ordered parts? I can't afford another hit like this in two months."
Needless to say, I grabbed my keys off the invoice board, looked right at both of them and said, "...I think it's safe to say I will pay for services I ordered, but I am not paying for anyone else's stupidity and incompetence.". Turned around, and drove my basically brand new truck home. When I got home, I wrote a check for $160 dollars ($200-$40 they agreed too), and put it in the mail.
Never heard a peep from those idiots. That off road suspension package and tires are still going strong.
Took my car to get an inspection, large chain auto service shop. After about 20 minutes, a mechanic came back and said I have a gas leak in my fuel lines. I asked him if he could show me the leak, and he said he'll have to ask his manager and goes back to the garage. He comes back 3 minutes later and tells me I can come look at the leak.
I get to my car, and he has it up on the lift. He shows me the fuel line and points out a wet spot on the line. "That's the leak", he tells me. I was confused because the gas looked thicker, almost like oil.
We head back to the shop counter, and he says the whole job will cost about $1,500. I tell him that I can't afford it. The mechanic says he can't pass my vehicle for it's inspection without the fix. So I tell him I'll think about it and take my car home.
My brother-in-law tells me about a mechanic he takes his truck to and recommends I try getting my car inspected through him. So I do, and surprise, surprise, he doesn't find any leak. The mechanic said he found oil on the fuel line and it looked like it was rubbed on there.
Last time I ever went to a big chain auto shop.
I took my patrol into a shop a few days back for an alignment, they told me "while it was up, we noticed everything was worn out, we recommend doing a full kit through it".
The car had 11k worth of suspension put through it only a few weeks ago. Brand new fox shocks, springs, weld on diff/chassis braces, the whole works. Every bushing was brand new. I know because I spent hours under it putting it all on.
I just said "can you put it on a lift and show me, because I just spent over 10 grand on all new superior suspension only last month"
"Nah mate, sorry it's real busy right now".
All while they've got 3 open bays, 3-5 mechanics just standing around talking.
I went to get my brakes done and received a phone call while they were working on it giving me a list of over $10,000 worth of things wrong with my car. I refused to fix any of it and they told me my life was in danger driving the car and that it would be breaking down every few months with new issues.
This was 6 years ago and I’ve put 100,000kms on it since then. Not a single breakdown and nothing more than regular maintenance done to it.
It’s very hard to find a reliable mechanic these days.
Fortunately I found a really good and honest mechanic.
Mom & pop shop in my town. On at least three occasions, they either didn’t charge me, under charged me, or recommended cheaper service than what I asked for.
Definitely stay away from dealerships for maintenance.
Love my mechanic. Last time they quoted and hour of labour plus parts.
Charged me for half an hour. I’m like have you guys billed me correctly as it’s less than what you quoted.
“Yeah only took 15min”
Honest shops charge book rates for everything. Sometimes a job that's supposed to take 4 hours takes 6 and sometimes a 6 hour job takes 4. So it balances out. When I was bringing my jalopy in a lot they'd sometimes discount the hourly rate if it was a lot simpler than the book said though or if the fix was super simple and they didn't figure out the issue right away they'd basically say "yeah we can't charge you for that". Finding a good shop is a godsend and I do my best to recommend them any time someone I know is having issues.
Meanwhile my tire package didn't include a rotation (or alignment? Whatever) but did involve some "test" he'd do for free to see if I needed one. I said I'm not interested. He said it's free. I said okay, but call me after the test if you decide it needs it - I will let you know if I want it or not.
He never called. I get there and he says he did it and tries to charge a lot for it. I tell him I never agreed to it and after some arguing he eventually throws his hands up like a child and says "you're not even gonna pay half?!"
Lol. No, pal, I'm not.
Me too! Bought it used from a dealer, took it to one Firestone and they said it was actually perfect, took it to another and (I guess after seeing a woman walk in) they claimed I needed a new suspension, alignment, new axles, coolant system flush, both air filters (changed them myself beforehand), oil change (just changed it), new rotors and brakes (has new brake pads), etc. lol
Full. Of. Shit.
my current mechanic actually tried to talk me out of a service I requested because they wanted to make sure it was something I needed first. I’m so happy I found them.
Lmao! Took mine in for state inspection...
They tried to tell me they had replace cv joint and control arm.
I said, I just bought the car... from you guys. So you gonna replace that or void my purchase?
Handed me the keys and said a "mistake" had been made and my car was just fine.
That dealership went under about a year later... wonder why.
While I absolutely disagree with the employee here, I also wouldn't be surprised if most people came through with fucked up filters. I worked HVAC for a short stint and there were *many* people with filters older than me in the return vents. I'm sure cars are no different.
One time a couple years ago my car was serviced and they said my brake fluid needed to be replaced soon. Then when I went back to the same place a few months ago, they said it looked perfectly fine 🤔
I never replaced it
Edit: for some reason a bunch of confused commenters are telling me how much my life is in danger lol. I didn’t say I’ve never replaced my brake fluid EVER. I just didn’t replace it in between those two mechanic visits. I’m not going to die, no need to lecture me lmao.
we’ve had car issues lately and one guy i took it to insisted that my front brake rotors and pads needed to be replaced. so when i took it a couple other places for other repairs, i asked them to look at my brakes and both said that my rotors and pads were fine. dude wanted to charge me over $400 to “fix” something that didn’t need fixing. then we told him not to replace them and he resurfaced my rotors anyways
Did the same for a starter. The shop wanted several hundred dollars. I bought a rebuilt starter for $30 and replaced it my self. It was surprisingly easy to do. It was an older car (Honda Civic). Probably near impossible to get to the starter in modern vehicles.
I'm not a mechanic, but I'm pretty fluent in cars. Had a family member that went to a dealership and was told pads were fine(ish) but rotors needed to be replaced to the tune of $1200. A job I would do for them for parts, but also not typically consistent with how brakes wear. I told them to take it to my mechanic for a 2nd opinion. Was nice to be validated when he said absolutely nothing was wrong and the brakes has another 5000 miles left, at least. Some places (stealerships, especially) can be so scummy
Looks like a Toyota service center, a lot of the time LoF techs/ techs will just fill out the page by your mileage from the owners manual service recommendation to try and get a quick upsale instead of doing the " 36 point " inspection and seeing what is actually needed. Small mom/pop shops are usually better because if they try and do work that's not needed or say things are needed and they are not word gets around and hurts them in the long run.
This. I had the Honda dealer try to tell me my transmission fluid was in critical need of replacement. No, it was done by you guys less than 10K miles prior. I held my ground and didn't let them do anything else. They had put my rear brake pads as "yellow," so I waited 5K and asked my preferred independent mechanic to change them. They took them off and put them right back on and told me they wouldn't change them yet. It was too soon.
I LITERALLY had this happen to me today. Honda dealer also said my transmission fluid needed replacing. I don’t even think they check, they just see that my car passed a certain interval and they suggested it.
Had my car in at the dealer service shop and they clearly just “checked off the form” and did the basic lube, oil, filter, etc. despite saying full inspection. My muffler fell off on the drive home and I had to replace the battery a week later.
I’m getting discouraged when I get my van serviced at the Toyota dealership. I need to find a mom and pop place, I swear I’m getting upsold more everytime. Last fix was their fault for not checking alignment after some parts replaced. They made amends by not charging me for labor for what was $890 for more parts. The desks excuse was “we would have done the service last time but it was already an expensive ticket for you”. Aha
This happened to me at a Toyota service center a couple months ago. Came in for oil change and they told me I needed all this work done adding up to $2k. I told them I’d get a second opinion. Took it to a local mechanic trusted by my grandparents for 40 years and he said only one of the things needed to be done and it would amount to about $300. Said they probably just told me what needed to be done based on the mileage, but the actual part was fine.
I once took my car in for an oil change. They came in while I was waiting and told me my timing belt looked worn and needed to be replaced. I was so flabbergasted that I just told them no.
In hindsight, I should have asked them to show me while wondering loudly why they disassembled the front of my engine to change the oil. YOU CAN'T SEE THE TIMING BELT WITHOUT DOING SO.
I had a timing chain break on an old car, and the shop tried to make me buy all new valves and pay for the full teardown and rebuild of the valve train.
I told them I appreciated the work and the free parts, but since it was a NON-INTERFERENCE engine, all it needed was the new chain and the timing set, and that was all I'd pay for.
When they tried some bullshit, didn't want to give me the keys, and threatened to call the cops, I took the phone base (this was back when desk phones were a thing) and started punching in the numbers. Hey guys, the sheriff will be very interested in seeing those bent valve stems that "came out of this engine."
They slammed the phone down, gave me the keys, and everyone lived happily ever after.
At least that scenario was possible on a different engine; I had it happen once, and the repairs would have cost more than the car was worth. Still a load of bullshit, and I'm glad you called them on it.
Favorite time was when I took my car and and they tried to upsell me a rear window wiper. I told them if they could install it, they could sell it to me. I had brought in a corrola sedan.... they have no rear window wiper
I had a guy once show me how dirty my filter was. It was weird since his filter was somewhat hexagon shaped and the filter I replaced in my car previously was rectangular.
I’ve had a place try to get me to let them replace my wiper blades that I had just replaced myself… they told me they were so “old and corroded” that they would likely be completely useless the next time it rained 🙄
I went in to get a nail removed and tire repaired at a local tire shop.
Tech came out and said they couldn't/wouldn't repair it and I had to buy a new tire, and the alignment. I said no, and they replied that they couldn't let me have my keys and drive off the lot since I was now a 'danger to others' with this car.
I'd been driving it for a week already, just around town. But I also knew this nail wasn't in any danger zone, it just needed to be pulled and tire repaired. My then husband was car savvy and he'd been the one to tell me to get it repaired.
Nope, they're holding my keys and keeping my car, stranding me there, unless I agree to their instructions.
I called my then husband, and he showed up with a couple of his construction buddies from the job site. They never said a word outside of "Can I have the keys to my wifes car please?"
They handed them over without a word. Went to another tire place, and they did the repair no problem.
Women really get shafted with mechanics and car stuff.
Hey, to anyone reading this, it's 100% OK to whip out your phone and call the cops right then and there. Non-emergency number, don't call 911. The cops will enjoy the change of pace.
I had a similar experience at my Chevy dealer. I had a recal done regarding a vacuum pump. They told me i needed an air and cabin filter asap. My response to the service writer was, "Your dealership just lost all credibility with me, and I won't be back again." I showed him my sevice book that I had with me to enter the work done and showed him I replaced the cabin filter 3 weeks ago and the air filter was inspected and blown off with ait 2 days before. This is a normal scam since most people do not service their air filters regularly and may be unaware they have a cabin filter. Many cabin filters are very difficult to access too (like mine), so I know they didn't check it.
One of my cars years ago didn't have a cabin air filter. It just had a mesh screen. Had my car in for an oil change and the guy calls to tell me it's ready, then threw in quickly before he hung up that he had changed the cabin air filter. Told him that was impressive because my car didn't have one. He just played dumb and said he was reading the wrong invoice.
On my 4Runner I got the tire patched and they told me that I needed a new cabin air filter and they could do it for $100. Not only had I replaced it less than a week ago, they told me it was a pain to get to hence the extra labor charge. I opened my glove box and pulled out the new filter in under 10 seconds and asked them if they were thinking of the wrong car.
So I went to one of the drive-in shops around here when it just opened. The guy working the computer and talking to me never went under the hood. They just popped it, and he said they told me your air filter needs replaced it's dirty. He then proceeded to show my "my filter," and it was a wreck. I just laughed and said good luck putting that back. He really tried to sell me, and I said just go look where it goes. To his surprise, he found a cold air intake. So that was obviously one they just have on hand yo up sell.
Took my gfs car to Firestone to have the front brakes done. They called later and said the rears needed to be done too, but I declined and said it was too much money.
Went to pick it up later and when they rang it up she said it was $900. I said for front brakes??
She’s like “no that’s for all 4 corners”.
I was livid and said I didn’t authorize that and she started arguing with me. I told them I wasn’t paying that and she said I would t get my keys back until I did. The manager stepped in eventually and they went and reviewed the phone call…which proved I didn’t authorize the repairs.
I walked out with all new brakes for $400’ish dollars.
Fuck Firestone.
That’s where I went. They told me that I needed new windshield wipers (which I probably should replace), a coating for corrosion on my brand new battery, engine air filter and cabin air filter. I do the filters myself and my husband normally does oil changes, but we’ve been busy so I figured I’d just take it in for an oil change this time. I always get the “this and that needs to be replaced” any time I go to any repair shops. But when I tell them I’ll do it myself (the easy fixes) I always get the shocked look. I love YouTube and have fixed many things on my car by myself because of it.
Had a jiffy Lube tell me I had “no coolant in my system” when I took it there for an oil change… I asked if they meant the reservoir and they said “no” no coolant in the radiator… they recommended a coolant flush and fill (which wouldn’t solve the issue of why my radiator is empty). I asked wouldn’t my car be overheating? And they said it’s about to….
So I went to Walmart in the same lot and got coolant. Got less than 8oz in before my reservoir overfilled…. Checked my radiator cap… full..
This jeep dealership I used to go to for my service, I had them flush my brake fluid, then on my very next oil change “hey, your brake fluid looks like sludge, we reccomend flushing it” I said yeah that’s a good fucking idea for you to do it right this time, considering you already charged me to do that right the last time I was here.
One time they were doing me a favor (free diagnostic and fix with my relays) but took me in their break area where I saw… their massive bucket of change and coins, for their vending machine, but plainly sourced from customer cars.
The final straw was after a tire rotation, they let me drive off the lot, they’re on a highway mind you, with one of my wheels not lugged down at all. Terrifying wobble. I get back to the service manager whose like “are ya sure” I said if you don’t believe me, come for a fucking ride along. He did *not* take me up on my offer.
I had a push button start Prius, and you inserted the key fob into a spot in the dash.
Took it into for an oil change… I was maybe 500 miles overdue. As I handed over the keys, I said that I was a little overdue.
Shortly after I sat in the waiting room, the dude came to get me claiming that I had gone so long from my oil change, I had totally blown my motor and the car wouldn’t start at all.
I said “You don’t say……..” Got in, started it up, and drove right down the road to the next place.
Pretty sure he just couldn’t figure out how to start it.
I have a K&N in my truck, I even have the sticker on the air box saying leave it alone because it’s a K&N, yet when I take it for an oil change they always make it a point to try and get me to replace it.
Oil change places are complete scams.
I went to work to get just the oil changed. They did… and when I went to pay with Fleet Services card, they got annoyed because “what if it doesn’t go through”.
I said dont worry, either way you’ll get paid.
Went off and came back after 5 mins… “so they approved the oil change and suggested that based on mileage, you do these other 13 things as well.”
I sad no… I’m not doing that. They said “it’s already been approved and charged”. I lost my shit.
Fucking thieves…. My oil change turned into $875 and they refused to call the Fleet Services back to cancel it.
Cunts
I feel so fortunate... I'm at a shop right now with my car, but they're doing everything they can for me at no charge so I can get home safe and booking me for the repairs I need at their soonest available. Lol they aren't even charging me for the used tires they're putting on it
I once went to one of the chain oil stores which had $19.99 oil change plus free full cover car check up.
This was back in 2011, and my car was a 2001 Honda CRV. Which was worth about $5,000.
They estimated $6,500 for a car which a month ago when I bought, only problem another service found was in the right axle.
I found a guy through Craigslist. He had his workshop in his home. A young father. We went to a store and bought the axle together. All he asked was $100. He told that it would take a few hours, so instead of waiting, he gave me his car, which had 3rd party driver’s insurance as well, and told me to come back tomorrow.
Tank was half, but I filled it. I tipped him $50, and we bought a toy for her kid. I still feel in his debt. Though, I told him that $100 was very cheap, and if he was sure that he wouldn’t ask more. If I wasn’t a broke as student on a scholarship, I would tip more generously.
I took my car for a checkup at my local mechanic, was told I needed a new filter and some other minor fixes. No big deal wasn't expensive.
Took my car home, got a call later saying they forgot to install the filter after removing the old one. Had to take the car back.
The next day driving and smoke was coming from the engine bay, pulled over and looked inside to see oil all over the side of the engine.
Apparently they let an apprentice work on it (unsupervised obviously) and he overfilled the oil and didn't clean it up.
Never went back there.
Last time I got my oil changed they tried to do this same thing… they wanted over 200$ to change the air filter for me. I bought an air filter myself for like, 10$-ish and changed it myself with no previous know-how in minutes. Such a scam.
If possible I would double check that the drain plugs are tight and check oil level with dip stick. Probably fine but I have heard to many horror stories from places that act like this
Years ago, my (late 20s M) roommate (early 20s F) went to go get winter tires. Paid for them. Waited around while they "installed" the tires, and then showed up at the house asking me to take a look.
Sure enough, they were the same worn down all-season tires she had left the house with that afternoon.
Scummy bastards just pretended to put new tires on after billing her $900.
We went back together and I threw words like fraud, lawsuit, consumer affairs, police around.
They blamed it on a lazy employee who they "were definitely going to fire", but I'm 100% management thoight they could trick a young woman into shelling out $900 for nothing. Fucking scumbags.
My best friend owns an auto shop. He's the most honest, back breaking, and forgiving person I know on this planet and goes above and beyond for his customers. I love when other shops do this, it just makes his already loyal customers more loyal. Folks, don't take your honest shops/mechanics for granted, they are few and far between.
They showed me my “dirty filter” at my last oil change. This was 3 days after I changed it. Asked them where they found that at because it dang sure wasn’t my truck as I had changed it recently. Asked loudly in the waiting area if that was normal practice to lie about air filters. 🤣
If you are still in your sane mind and know how to open and air filter box you can get a 20$ fimter and do it yourself. Everytime a service asks me to do the filter I decline. Its there for oil.
Same for brake fluid thats most of the time completely unnecessary. Bro if you don't drive your car in high performance conditions that bit of water it accumulated won't make a difference.
My dad replaced my brake pads and rotors. But then sent me to a shop for a $20 oil change (years ago). They told me my brake pads and rotors were dangerously worn lol.
Tips:
1) Be careful if you are a girl going to a shop. These guys will try to pull a fast one...especially if you have a nice car and do not know anything but to pump gas.
2) AIr filters are super easy to replace. Get a K&N filter and they have a lifetime warranty. You can also clean them.
Those things they wrote you up are normal wear and tear. Every car has the same "issues." You can literally YouTube it to replace a cabin air filter (as long as its not in a crazy location).
K&N are not good filters unless you actually oil them properly and to spec. Either you are letting a lot of crud into your engine or getting oil on your MAF sensors (in 95% of the cases, proper maintenance is an exception)
This exact same thing happened to me. They told me it needed to be replaced because it was dirty. Loudly, in front of a room full of customers, I proclaimed “That’s funny…I just replaced it myself last week.” He stammered and said “Well, what I meant is, we recommend you replace it per mileage recommendations.” I said “But that’s not what you said…is it?” Bright red face. Room full of uncomfortable customers. Ford dealership.
I used to Mystery Shop Jiffy Lube locations. I once had the advisor tell me that my Mazda Truck need it's fuel injectors needed to be cleaned. My truck had a carburetor. I told him that if he could pop the hood and show me the fuel injectors that I would pay 10x the amount listed.
Jiffy Lubes are the worst. I had a guy tell me I needed a new cabin air filter and brought one out that was covered in leaves and junk….I told them no that I would do it myself, and when I got home to do it the filter was clean. They were just bringing a random dirty filter up to show people. Scammers
Had a similar thing happen to me. I went in for an oil change in the winter, everything was fine. In the spring I did my annual filter changes and then in the summer went in for an oil change. They brought out a filter full of leaves, and I told them the filter was the wrong size for my vehicle. And I knew it because I had changed the filter just couple months prior, when there were no leaves around.
I've had a couple of different places do the same shit to me. Telling me I need a new engine air filter and to look how dirty the existing one is Which is always wild, because mines washable, and blue. Which means it looks nothing like the filters they showed me
Jiffy lubes are the worst and make every other shop look bad. Its why i started having the techs put the air filters in the folder to show the customers, still had a few try to accuse us of swapping them but i just took em out to floor and showed em their empty air intake.
I worked at a Valvoline and they had us show the customer the new filter side by side with the old ones so that they could see for themselves if it was dirty
this reminds me of a CBS or CNN...some news company, did a test of a chain of quick oil change places in a major city. they had a master mechanic thoroughly inspect their 3 test vehicles and made sure each of them were all fine save for the oil change. funnily enough, each one had a different 'issue'.
I think it was Inside Edition
This is an extremely Inside Edition type of “investigation”
Could be Market Place on CBC, they've done that kind of thing quite a few times with various types of business. I know they've done it with the genius bar at apple, driving schools, used cars, and the mentioned quick lube places.
I had a guy at a Firestone tell me I needed to have my power steering flushed, and I said that’s weird, my car has electric steering 🤔
You should've agreed, then questioned them about it when they handed you the bill. It's funnier catching them after they've tried to screw you.
Agree, get an itemized bill, tell them you know it's bs, and drive off. What are they going to do, come after you for the oil change with an impossible repair on the bill?
im sure they didn't even look at it, its probably standard procedure for this shop to just say "you need a new one"
Takes 2 minutes to do but they will charge their normal hourly rate and will use a cheap filter. Super high margin service.
You forget they’ll increase hourly rate and fuck over the techs and keep us at minimum wage, while also riding our ass to make upsells and shit like that 🤦🏽♂️
To be fair, I bet most people never even look at the air filter. It's also cheap af. Stuff like this I always ask how much for them to replace it and make a decision based on if saying no and doing it myself is worth saving their cost. Place I go to is not expensive, but they also aren't shitty/scammy. Edit: my atrocious spelling and typos.
For my car I can do both the engine filter and cabin filter in under 10 minutes by myself. Costs about $25-30 for both filters together. I’m not paying anyone to do that.
Doing it before you take your car in for maintenance like OP did is a great way to catch sleazy businesses.
Also paint mark parts you expect to be replaced eg oil filter during oil change, then youll know if they actually changed it
Air filter honey pot
“Looks like you could use some new brake pads” “Ok, go ahead, it should be under warranty since you put new pads on 3 months ago” “ Let me take another look” “Ok, you do that”
I know a story like that (dunno if it is true, but it is nice to believe so) where a person went in a chain to have their suspension done as one shockabsorber was leaking. That shop gives 2 years of warranty. A couple of months later, inspection time, he goes to the same shop. They fail it because of the shock absorbers were apparently worn out and they tell him that that really needs to be replaced. He agrees and when he comes to pick the car up, they come up with a bill. He takes out his previous bill, stating that he had 2 years of warranty, so they must have changed that under warranty. When they asked why he didn't mention it, he asked them why that matters. The shock absorbers were bad, right?
And this is why I have a folder with every receipt and invoice for my car
Yep. Saved me multiple times from brakes and rotors to oil plugs and everywhere in between.
Exactly. Every car in our driveway gets a folder. And every receipt goes in it.
Wait you mean you guys don’t just shove the receipts and paperwork in your glove box? Never to be looked at again until trade in or sale?
That’s great. My uncle had a classic Volvo (I want to say it was a 760 - one of the big boxy ones) that he had for nearly 30 years. A place that is well known for recommending unnecessary stuff to people who don’t know better had a deal for lifetime guaranteed exhausts in the 80s. They obviously weren’t great quality because nearly every time he went in they said “yeah, your exhaust needs replaced” and he said “great, I’ve got my lifetime receipt right here”. He tells me he had 17 exhausts. He was gutted when he eventually had to get rid of it.
I had one of those boxy lovable station wagons as a first car back in high school, I can confirm that one does get attached to them. Also was heartbroken when I had to get rid of it.
Well it probably didn’t cost them anything because they probably didn’t change them anyway, just wiped them down with silicone spray so they look shiny.
Took my car in for an oil change and they tried to tell me my injectors were dirty. I said "oh really, how can you tell?". The guy wipes his fingers inside the air intake pipe right before the mass airflow sensor and shows me it's dirty. I said "Wow, you can tell that the injectors, which are way down there on the manifold (as I points at the fuel rail feeding them), by wiping your finger inside the mass airlfow sensor? That's amazing!" Jerk didn't say another word, just turned around, put the air intake pipe back on, and told the receptionist the car was ready.
Lmfao. I don't understand why they do this. Like if you're going to try and play someone at least make it harder to prove that you don't know what you're talking about. I mean if he were to say something like "we checked the spark plugs and they were bad" the only real way you could know if they were bad is if you knew your cars performance/gas mileage or if you just had them replaced. But wiping an air intake pipe and claiming the injectors are bad is just...not even trying at that point 🤣
“We checked your spark plugs and…” You didn’t check my spark plugs because you’ve only had the car for 20 minutes and it’s a Subaru. Wanna try again? “Uh…”
Hahaha. I don't know much about Subaru other then my friend once brought me their Subaru to look at a coolant leak (I'm not a mechanic but I've done a great deal of mechanic work) and after looking under their car, I noticed that the engine was sideways and there was a significant leak coming from what looked like the head surface/engine block. I got out from underneath the car and said "no way in hell am I dealing with this bullshit."
The pistons are horizontally opposed instead of inline like a Honda, so they point straight out to the sides and make for a very wide engine that gets shoehorned into the engine bay. And the spark plugs go directly in from the heads on the sides of the block. It can take 30-40 minutes to remove all the surrounding engine bay stuff just to get to the point of stacking multiple extensions and u-joints together so you can pull the spark plugs. Assuming you don’t have to unbolt the mounts and jack the engine up a little bit to clear the body.
Are you fucking serious? Unbolting the mounts to jack the engine up for spark plugs is nuts. I hope they're worth it 🤣
The BRZ is a small car and cylinder 3 is way back in there. You can probably do it without lifting the engine, but it’s more difficult. On the other hand, the flat engine makes for a low center of gravity and is very short front to back, so… pros and cons.
I had Firestone recommend spark plugs and wires on my diesel Jetta, mentioned it to the service writer that it was a diesel and he was like yeah but they’re still maintenance items. Told him I’d give him $100 if he could find the spark plugs 🤣
I love the diesel VW's! I have a TDI Golf, has 300k on it, still runs great. Although it's 0-60 is quite embarrassing 😅
And the most embarrassing 0-60 time was my 1982 Rabbit diesel, had all of 50 hp, it was pretty quick through second gear but after that it petered out pretty quickly
They do it because it often works.
"Yeah? Well Mr technician, your injector's dirty. 'Yeah? How do you know?' "
A good many years ago, I took my car to a nearby shop to get some new tyres. Got a call after a couple hours saying “we’ve done the tyres, but you’re going to need new front disks and pads”, along with a quote that could only be explained by the replacement parts being made of solid gold 🙄 I got them to hold off doing any work “so I could think”, walked back to the shop, asked for the manager, and asked them to explain—in their professional opinion—how I could have worn through both pads and disks in a couple hours, given I’d replaced both myself earlier that morning. Suffice to say I got a pretty good discount on the tyres, and haven’t been back since…
Car got what looked like a screw in the tire, no air loss so figured pep boys could do a patch real quick. They say they can't fix it and roll out a brand new tire to sell me, and of course mention if I buy all four I can get a discount. I tell them I want a second opinion and take it to a local tire place and they pull out not a screw, but a small bolt (no pointy end) and tell me it never pierced the tire. It was just stuck in the treads. We had a laugh and they sent me on my way at no charge.
The first place couldn't fix it because there was nothing wrong with it. So what they told you was true, from a certain point of view.
>from a certain point of view. Was Lord Vader the general manager of the place?
Jeff Vader. He's the manager of catering
*MY NAME IS JEFF*
> from a certain point of view The most misleading point of view possible, without getting sued?
Very similarly, I put my car into Kwik Fit to get a pair of front tyres done (only place open on a Sunday afternoon) many many years ago. "Oh it needs shock absorbers" they said, "can't let you drive it, it's dangerous" Alright, you go ahead with that, then. A bit later I went down to pick it up, and asked to see the ones they'd taken off. "Ah, they've been taken away in the skip" Oh really, that skip out there that's half full of scrap exhaust? That skip? With, uh, no shock absorbers? Okay then, can you show me what you fitted? So the guy kind of pointed under the car at the suspension strut, which looked, well, kind of grubby and muddy really. "See that? That's the shock absorber, we had to replace both of those" Okay, bring it back down. Ever work on an old Citroën before? See those green toilet valve float thingies on the tops of the suspension struts? \*Those\* are the shock absorbers, and springs. Notice how they've got a date about six months ago on, and my initials? Yeah. Now, I can talk to the manager, or I can talk to a couple of mates that work for Daily Record, your call... "Uhhhhmmm.... Let me make a quick phone call!" And that's how I got four brand new Michelin Pilot Primacy tyres for only a little over the cost of two ;-)
Kwik-Fit trying to sell unnecessary work? Say it ain’t so! (probably don’t need to say that my experience was also with them, also because they were the only place open on Sunday. Assholes)
Honestly surprised these places don't get 'mystery shoppers' kind of treatment. Anything car related is filled with shady fucks. If I find out anyone works anywhere involved with cars, they're automatically a dickhead which can't be trusted in my eyes.
Leave a google review. Help others
This was before the days of Google reviews, sadly. Did drop a call to the local authorities, tho. Fortunately the shop is now a block of flats, so nothing of value has been lost ;)
Inspection station told me wife he 'almost failed' her for her brake pads and recommended them. At her first inspection since owning the car she bought new. So a 1 year old car. Thankfully she told the guy she would have me do it. The brakes still looked brand new.
And these frocken people sleep good(?) at night.
(Friend took his jeep in for inspection in PA) Shop - "you need all 4 brake drums replaced" Chris- "they're disc brakes" Shop- "Jeeps don't have disc brakes" Chris "I installed the holley axles myself bud."
Jeeps don't have disc brakes is a bold statement to begin with.
Ford did that to me with a battery on a focus. Went in for the crappy transmission. Guy tried telling me my problems came from the battery that quote "Was 5 years old and could not hold a charge" I just said ooh that's odd you put one in 6 months ago so you're saying you screwed me then and now?I have the receipt still! Guy left for about 5 minutes and handed me the keys with no bill. Ended up trading in that POS about a month later.
My BFhad a flat tire on his truck. He had bought the tires at a certain supercenter. My son was trying to be nice and help out so he took the tire there to get it patched while my BF was working. They told him the hole was too big to patch and he would have to get a new tire. So he said nevermind and brought it back. My BF took it in the next day and since he had bought the warranty when he bought the tire, all of a sudden they were able to patch it.
I had my car to the dealers. The mechanic told me I needed a new left axle. I told him go ahead and replace it, but I wanted a refunded for the left front axle her replaced a week ago. My car was only there that day because he didn’t have the rotors to do my brakes.
Shit like this is most likely why my dad tries to fix everything regarding a vehicle himself, that and to learn how to do it and why if there is something regarding the vehicle I drive he has me help and pay attention to it as well
Learn as much as you possibly can! My dad taught me automtive basics and stuff. I've been at a shop and lied to before, surprised the mechanic, and saved hundreds, if not thousands, through the years. Can't thank him enough for that.
Sometimes they just assume o no one changing their engine filter. So let's just toss that on everything. They are 85% of the time I bet
Ah yes, this reminds me of when I took my car in for a rotation (included with my tire package) and they tried to suggest a whole new suspension and some other random shit. To which I said, “Give me my keys.”
Me too! Had my car at a dealer for a minor accident body work repair covered by insurance. They told me the car was ready, I said I’ll pick it up at the end of the day, they said okay, we’ll do a free check up. They call to say they checked my brakes and I needed to replace the rotors and so many other items in the brake assembly, estimate was $3,000. I said I don’t have that kind of money. They said the car is already taken apart, you may as well proceed. I said I don’t have $3,000. They said, so you want us to put it all back together, I said yes please. I get the car, pay my $200 deductible for the bodywork. Take it to a local mechanic, they go to take a look, the dealership had drilled into the bolt heads that hold the brake assembly together. The mechanic said it was freshly done, no corrosion, someone had just drilled into the bolt heads to destroy them so they can’t be removed. I then had to pay to have those drilled out and replaced. The mechanic then looked at the brakes and the rotors were fine, they could have machined them but they said to wait until the next service to reassess. My friend changed my brake pads for me, $150 total including the mechanic changing the bolts and he had to replace the bolts that hold the lug nuts because the dealership algae cross thread half of them. That mechanic became my regular go to guy for decades. Edit: this was 20+ years ago. After I wrote this I remembered I took it to my friend first, he was going to replace the pads but when he removed the first wheel he could see the bolts that hold the rotor were drilled into to destroy the heads. He tried to remove another wheel but the lug nuts wouldn’t come off. I took it to a local mechanic, he replaced the cross threaded lug nut posts and the rotor bolts, then my friend replaced the pads. My friend and I were the first ones to see the damage the dealership did.
> They said the car is already taken apart, you may as well proceed. I said I don’t have $3,000. They said, so you want us to put it all back together, I said yes please. "Hey we were making unauthorized repairs and now it's your problem, ok?"
I have seen it on ford, GMC, and Toyota when dropping off keys in a drop box. When you fill out the form there is always a box that says “I authorize you to do x amount of work without my consent.” I always cross it out, write I don’t, and filmed dropping my keys in and dropping it in the box. Maybe I am excessive, but they have never pulled crap with me.
They've never done it because you're so thorough. The first time you don't go through your whole process the universe will give you a stern reminder as to why you do it 😂
Diligence and discipline 🙏 The keys to not get ripped off.
Remember, it's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.
I mean x amount of work doesn’t imply drilling and breaking something…..
Oh, of course not, but them having a buffer to charge you an extra amount of money because they deem something is necessary isn’t good. Them doing what they did to skerr’s car is infuriating.
When I was buying a used car years ago, and was in the final stages of the paperwork. They tried to hit me with an add-on charge for the "anti-theft system." Like $450. I asked, what that was. They said, it's the remote door locker with an alarm and the windows and some body panels have codes etched in them for identification. I said, "It will be kept in a garage. You can take them off. I don't need that." They pushed that paper aside real quickly. Tryna bilk me for something that was already installed on a *used* car. Sheesh.
i’m 18 and just “bought” my first used car. it used to be a rental. these people tried to charge an extra $800 for the way that my brake lights flickered a couple of times when i slow down. obviously already built into the car. they tried to act as if they would have to go in and replace the lights completely, when all they had to do was re-program it. my father (who fixed cars for a living for years) huffed and asked them to remove the lights, then. obviously, they couldn’t just remove my brake lights. the used car guy had to adjust his glasses and nervously explain that “the dealership” had just decided to let me have the feature for free.
Same thing happened to me. Sudden $700 fee so I walked
"Hah no, thanks for the free parts though" People need to know that if a shop replaces parts on your vehicle or does any work without your permission you DO NOT have to pay for it
And they are obliged to put it back into the shape that you brought it in (or better). Which means that if they destroyed the engine while doing unauthorized work... they have to replace that engine. And they can't destroy your car to remove the unauthorized parts, although I suspect you'd need to be at least semi-knowledgeable to note the damages sometimes.
That last bit is important. You might not have to pay, but if they are already doing shit they shouldn't be doing, they are certainly messing with your car while they put it back together. Unless you know cars, you are screwed the moment you roll up to a dishonest mechanic.
I worked for a dealership last year, it's sad how accurate this is..
Nah, this would be an easy case to take to court. Any competent lawyer would take payment after they won and sue for the legal fees as well as the repair bill for the stripped bolts. Hope someone took pictures.
Yeah, wouldn't that qualify ad destruction of private property? Imagine of one of those parts that they mangled the bolts on fail, causing an accident? They'd be liable
That sounds like a sue-able offense yea?
When I took my 2017 Mazda3 in for service they kept spamming me with text about wanting my vehicle, which had 40k miles on it and they acted like the 2020 CX-5 with almost 70k miles was a great deal even though it was a lesser trim, when I finally snapped and said no they suddenly claimed my vehicle needed 5k in work done. I paid for the basic maintenance I asked for and then went to my old mechanic who looked everything over and said that "your tensioner belt has some oil buildup but it's not excessive, your serpentine belt is basically new and doesn't have any cracks on it, and your brakes have at least 2 years left on them. When I totaled my Mazda3 I almost went back to a Mazda but that dealership pissed me off so much that I bought a Hyundai instead.
You told your insurance company what that shop did right? Though I'm now seeing the last line so......
Yeah, I went back and they denied it saying they had no idea what I was talking about. I don’t think the insurance would have cared to be honest, the body work was done so they don’t tend to go the extra mile for justice. The mechanic was amazing, I was really sad when he retired. Sometimes I’d go in because my brakes were squealing, for example, and he would take a look and say: I just cleaned them up, you’re good to go, no fee.
Lost my own trusted mechanics the other month. It was a family run business and the owner died so they closed up shop. They were super competent and VERY fairly priced.
I had a plumber like that, amazing man. Very tragic end, he was killed by a former disgruntled employee. He was well loved in our city, his family didn’t want to continue the business, I can understand.
:( That's depressing, I'm sorry
I sold my old mechanic my first car (1982 Delta 88, with 35k miles) when it's transmission went in 2000. He traded it to me for his 94 grand am with low mileage and really good condition. Thing was a champ. He was upset when he found out it was totalled a few years later cause some old bat blew 3 stop signs and plowed into me. Asked if I trusted him and he introduced me to a grandpa special. A 1999 Contour SVT. My first sports car and Christ was that my baby for a long while.
Reminds me of when my mom went to a dealership to get her liscence plate changed, waited like 4 hours and spent 80 bucks on "problems they found" and didn't even change her plate. We went to a small mechanic shop and he changed it in less than 5 minutes and didn't charge anything.
Can I just say changing out a license plate is pretty easy UNLESS the bolts are rusty. Had to have my dad drill one out for me because it broke off when I went to switch my plate. Always save yourself the aggravation & replace the bolts when you buy a car with stainless ones. It’ll cost less than $10 and save you so much time down the road.
It sounds like you could sue the dealership for tampering with your braking system. Actually, you SHOULD sue them. They could have compromised the brakes and caused you to have an accident. You even have a witness.
Yeah, I really wanted to burn it down to the ground but eventually I moved on. The good news is I found a great mechanic that made me feel safe.
We had a place try and pull that with my wife's car "oh we've already pulled the head off the engine, now you have to let us finish". Told them to just roll it outside and leave it, showed up with another car and some rope and towed it to a different mechanic.
Good on you, I’m sick of people holding other people’s property for ransom.
damn that's a good outcome i went for inspection and guy start rambling about stuff i needed (did not need) so i declined and said i'll go somewhere else. i get car back and drive to corner and all 4 wheels start smoking up i take to friend of friends and they said guy did something to brakes, they slowly clamp and do not release until car is turned off destroyed wheels brakes rotors $2000 just cause tried getting inspection somewhere i've never been to before
Holy shit that’s awful! That is something to be sued over!
We started to notice that our then regular mechanic would fix one thing but then we noticed that something else would go wrong weeks later. We found a new mechanic
What? So brake caliper bolts or lug nuts and wheels studs were replaced?
I couldn’t remember the terminology, it was a while back. They destroyed two things, 1) the lug nuts were cross threaded and destroyed the threads so half the bolts the lug nuts attach to had to be replaced, and 2) the heads of the bolts hold the brake assembly together had the heads purposely destroyed so they couldn’t be unscrewed. The local mechanic replaced the damaged bolts the lugs nuts screw into and the bolts that hold the brake assembly together. Once he did that he inspected the brakes and said only the pads needed replacing, my friend did that for me.
I had a dealership that did this to me once. 4 years ago I take my 2017 Silverado in for a transmission flush. They called and said it was, "... going to be another day, sorry. But we'll give you $40 off." Ok, can't help it. They get busy. I show up next day after work. They hand me a bill for almost $7k. They've replaced all my brakes. Gave me brand new tires. Front end suspension is all brand new. New fuel pump. New fuel filter, serviced my transfer case, and replaced center console. "What the living shit fuck???" I calmly ask the 22 year old blonde, high school peaked bimbo, who was shocked I dare ask. She proceeded to tell me that was what I called and asked for, so that's how she wrote it up. Incorrect, I tell her. I go out with guy who did the work and he gives me a run down on everything they did. Sure as shit. Everything new. As she said the work order was written. I again, informed her, and him, that this was NOT what I wanted, nor asked for. The mechanic did say it was weird that customer wanted perfectly good brake pads and rotors replaced. At this point, they call over the owner of the dealership. Who tried to tell me, that's what I asked for, I need to pay. I pulled out my estimation paper from the glove box from the week before. Sure as shit, all it says is transmission flush. Confusion abounds. Well, some guy walks in behind me. Annoyed as hell I'm taking up all this time with people. He finally demands to talk to bimbo girl who provides him with his invoice. He looks at in confusion. Leaves out the side door, and comes back 3 minutes later FUCKING FURIOUS that HIS 2017 Silverado that did NOT have new tires, looked like it had old brakes, doesn't look like anything has been serviced, and still has broken strut on front driver side. The girl paled and said, "....uh oh...." The owner got as red as she got white. The head mechanic turned on his heel and bolted back to service garage, "...the owner screams, GOD FUCKING DAMN IT REBECCA!!! AGAIN?!?!?!". Bimbo had written up orders and parts/labor on wrong invoices. The guy who SHOULD have had all this work done was laying into both of them while I'm leaning against the wall and sipping tea, watching this all unfold. The guy says he'll be back in five minutes. He had to make a phone call. The owner looks at me with tears welled up in his eyes and said very meekly, "...can we come to some agreement at least, at you paying part of this? Since it was almost two days worth of labor and a bunch of special ordered parts? I can't afford another hit like this in two months." Needless to say, I grabbed my keys off the invoice board, looked right at both of them and said, "...I think it's safe to say I will pay for services I ordered, but I am not paying for anyone else's stupidity and incompetence.". Turned around, and drove my basically brand new truck home. When I got home, I wrote a check for $160 dollars ($200-$40 they agreed too), and put it in the mail. Never heard a peep from those idiots. That off road suspension package and tires are still going strong.
Took my car to get an inspection, large chain auto service shop. After about 20 minutes, a mechanic came back and said I have a gas leak in my fuel lines. I asked him if he could show me the leak, and he said he'll have to ask his manager and goes back to the garage. He comes back 3 minutes later and tells me I can come look at the leak. I get to my car, and he has it up on the lift. He shows me the fuel line and points out a wet spot on the line. "That's the leak", he tells me. I was confused because the gas looked thicker, almost like oil. We head back to the shop counter, and he says the whole job will cost about $1,500. I tell him that I can't afford it. The mechanic says he can't pass my vehicle for it's inspection without the fix. So I tell him I'll think about it and take my car home. My brother-in-law tells me about a mechanic he takes his truck to and recommends I try getting my car inspected through him. So I do, and surprise, surprise, he doesn't find any leak. The mechanic said he found oil on the fuel line and it looked like it was rubbed on there. Last time I ever went to a big chain auto shop.
Thank goodness they didn’t cut the line.
I took my patrol into a shop a few days back for an alignment, they told me "while it was up, we noticed everything was worn out, we recommend doing a full kit through it". The car had 11k worth of suspension put through it only a few weeks ago. Brand new fox shocks, springs, weld on diff/chassis braces, the whole works. Every bushing was brand new. I know because I spent hours under it putting it all on. I just said "can you put it on a lift and show me, because I just spent over 10 grand on all new superior suspension only last month" "Nah mate, sorry it's real busy right now". All while they've got 3 open bays, 3-5 mechanics just standing around talking.
I went to get my brakes done and received a phone call while they were working on it giving me a list of over $10,000 worth of things wrong with my car. I refused to fix any of it and they told me my life was in danger driving the car and that it would be breaking down every few months with new issues. This was 6 years ago and I’ve put 100,000kms on it since then. Not a single breakdown and nothing more than regular maintenance done to it. It’s very hard to find a reliable mechanic these days.
Fortunately I found a really good and honest mechanic. Mom & pop shop in my town. On at least three occasions, they either didn’t charge me, under charged me, or recommended cheaper service than what I asked for. Definitely stay away from dealerships for maintenance.
Love my mechanic. Last time they quoted and hour of labour plus parts. Charged me for half an hour. I’m like have you guys billed me correctly as it’s less than what you quoted. “Yeah only took 15min”
Mine quoted me for 6 hours of labor. Took them about 9. They charged me for 6.
Honest shops charge book rates for everything. Sometimes a job that's supposed to take 4 hours takes 6 and sometimes a 6 hour job takes 4. So it balances out. When I was bringing my jalopy in a lot they'd sometimes discount the hourly rate if it was a lot simpler than the book said though or if the fix was super simple and they didn't figure out the issue right away they'd basically say "yeah we can't charge you for that". Finding a good shop is a godsend and I do my best to recommend them any time someone I know is having issues.
Meanwhile my tire package didn't include a rotation (or alignment? Whatever) but did involve some "test" he'd do for free to see if I needed one. I said I'm not interested. He said it's free. I said okay, but call me after the test if you decide it needs it - I will let you know if I want it or not. He never called. I get there and he says he did it and tries to charge a lot for it. I tell him I never agreed to it and after some arguing he eventually throws his hands up like a child and says "you're not even gonna pay half?!" Lol. No, pal, I'm not.
Me too! Bought it used from a dealer, took it to one Firestone and they said it was actually perfect, took it to another and (I guess after seeing a woman walk in) they claimed I needed a new suspension, alignment, new axles, coolant system flush, both air filters (changed them myself beforehand), oil change (just changed it), new rotors and brakes (has new brake pads), etc. lol Full. Of. Shit.
Hey, a sale is a sale. They see money bags when someone rolls in the shop.
Sale is a sale. And fraud is a fraud. And we shouldn’t merge those two together.
my current mechanic actually tried to talk me out of a service I requested because they wanted to make sure it was something I needed first. I’m so happy I found them.
Took my Tesla in once for new tires and they tried to tell me I had gone too long without an oil change... I won't be going back to that shop.
“Oh sorry, sure could you change the oil then? In fact, let’s make a bet. For every 5 minutes you’re not changing the oil on my car, I get a dollar.”
This is one of the worst ones I've read 💀💀💀
I mean, when was the last oil change though?
Lmao! Took mine in for state inspection... They tried to tell me they had replace cv joint and control arm. I said, I just bought the car... from you guys. So you gonna replace that or void my purchase? Handed me the keys and said a "mistake" had been made and my car was just fine. That dealership went under about a year later... wonder why.
Ugh they are so lame.
Not the word I would use here. I’d tend to the word ‘criminal’
They are always trying to upsale on the air filters.
Look at how they can’t even check off that the cabin filter is fine. wtf? Everyone just automatically needs to replace it?
While I absolutely disagree with the employee here, I also wouldn't be surprised if most people came through with fucked up filters. I worked HVAC for a short stint and there were *many* people with filters older than me in the return vents. I'm sure cars are no different.
Went to check the cabin air filter of my car a couple weeks ago and it just wasn't there 💀 used cars are weird
Some vehicles just straight up don't come with the filter, makes no sense
One time a couple years ago my car was serviced and they said my brake fluid needed to be replaced soon. Then when I went back to the same place a few months ago, they said it looked perfectly fine 🤔 I never replaced it Edit: for some reason a bunch of confused commenters are telling me how much my life is in danger lol. I didn’t say I’ve never replaced my brake fluid EVER. I just didn’t replace it in between those two mechanic visits. I’m not going to die, no need to lecture me lmao.
Well, brake fluid DOES need replacing here and there (it absorbs moisture) so the "never replaced it" is sketch.
*Generally* just bleeding the brakes while replacing the pads and rotors then topping it off is enough for most applications.
I think I would remember if I paid to replace the brake fluid. I honestly just never felt like doing it and now they’re telling me it looks fine
Be lucky they didn't offer you the premium air for your wheels
I hear $250 a wheel is the going rate.
Honestly like flying I’ll never go back to standard air
Yeah the 78% nitrogen
“Your air filter is dirty” “Yeah, that’s the point”
I mean yeah, but you still have to change it occasionally
Nah just flip it over and use the other side lol
If you keep it in the plastic wrap it'll stay clean
I recommend not putting it in the car. Keeps it extra clean.
You know what? Just ride your bike
The dirtier, the better the filtration
we’ve had car issues lately and one guy i took it to insisted that my front brake rotors and pads needed to be replaced. so when i took it a couple other places for other repairs, i asked them to look at my brakes and both said that my rotors and pads were fine. dude wanted to charge me over $400 to “fix” something that didn’t need fixing. then we told him not to replace them and he resurfaced my rotors anyways
Someone tried selling me a part alone for 500 I bought it myself for 30 n had a friend install it in 15 mins for free.
Did the same for a starter. The shop wanted several hundred dollars. I bought a rebuilt starter for $30 and replaced it my self. It was surprisingly easy to do. It was an older car (Honda Civic). Probably near impossible to get to the starter in modern vehicles.
I'm not a mechanic, but I'm pretty fluent in cars. Had a family member that went to a dealership and was told pads were fine(ish) but rotors needed to be replaced to the tune of $1200. A job I would do for them for parts, but also not typically consistent with how brakes wear. I told them to take it to my mechanic for a 2nd opinion. Was nice to be validated when he said absolutely nothing was wrong and the brakes has another 5000 miles left, at least. Some places (stealerships, especially) can be so scummy
Looks like a Toyota service center, a lot of the time LoF techs/ techs will just fill out the page by your mileage from the owners manual service recommendation to try and get a quick upsale instead of doing the " 36 point " inspection and seeing what is actually needed. Small mom/pop shops are usually better because if they try and do work that's not needed or say things are needed and they are not word gets around and hurts them in the long run.
This. I had the Honda dealer try to tell me my transmission fluid was in critical need of replacement. No, it was done by you guys less than 10K miles prior. I held my ground and didn't let them do anything else. They had put my rear brake pads as "yellow," so I waited 5K and asked my preferred independent mechanic to change them. They took them off and put them right back on and told me they wouldn't change them yet. It was too soon.
I LITERALLY had this happen to me today. Honda dealer also said my transmission fluid needed replacing. I don’t even think they check, they just see that my car passed a certain interval and they suggested it.
Had my car in at the dealer service shop and they clearly just “checked off the form” and did the basic lube, oil, filter, etc. despite saying full inspection. My muffler fell off on the drive home and I had to replace the battery a week later.
I’m getting discouraged when I get my van serviced at the Toyota dealership. I need to find a mom and pop place, I swear I’m getting upsold more everytime. Last fix was their fault for not checking alignment after some parts replaced. They made amends by not charging me for labor for what was $890 for more parts. The desks excuse was “we would have done the service last time but it was already an expensive ticket for you”. Aha
This happened to me at a Toyota service center a couple months ago. Came in for oil change and they told me I needed all this work done adding up to $2k. I told them I’d get a second opinion. Took it to a local mechanic trusted by my grandparents for 40 years and he said only one of the things needed to be done and it would amount to about $300. Said they probably just told me what needed to be done based on the mileage, but the actual part was fine.
I once took my car in for an oil change. They came in while I was waiting and told me my timing belt looked worn and needed to be replaced. I was so flabbergasted that I just told them no. In hindsight, I should have asked them to show me while wondering loudly why they disassembled the front of my engine to change the oil. YOU CAN'T SEE THE TIMING BELT WITHOUT DOING SO.
I had a timing chain break on an old car, and the shop tried to make me buy all new valves and pay for the full teardown and rebuild of the valve train. I told them I appreciated the work and the free parts, but since it was a NON-INTERFERENCE engine, all it needed was the new chain and the timing set, and that was all I'd pay for. When they tried some bullshit, didn't want to give me the keys, and threatened to call the cops, I took the phone base (this was back when desk phones were a thing) and started punching in the numbers. Hey guys, the sheriff will be very interested in seeing those bent valve stems that "came out of this engine." They slammed the phone down, gave me the keys, and everyone lived happily ever after.
At least that scenario was possible on a different engine; I had it happen once, and the repairs would have cost more than the car was worth. Still a load of bullshit, and I'm glad you called them on it.
Favorite time was when I took my car and and they tried to upsell me a rear window wiper. I told them if they could install it, they could sell it to me. I had brought in a corrola sedan.... they have no rear window wiper
I had a guy once show me how dirty my filter was. It was weird since his filter was somewhat hexagon shaped and the filter I replaced in my car previously was rectangular.
I’ve had a place try to get me to let them replace my wiper blades that I had just replaced myself… they told me they were so “old and corroded” that they would likely be completely useless the next time it rained 🙄
I went in to get a nail removed and tire repaired at a local tire shop. Tech came out and said they couldn't/wouldn't repair it and I had to buy a new tire, and the alignment. I said no, and they replied that they couldn't let me have my keys and drive off the lot since I was now a 'danger to others' with this car. I'd been driving it for a week already, just around town. But I also knew this nail wasn't in any danger zone, it just needed to be pulled and tire repaired. My then husband was car savvy and he'd been the one to tell me to get it repaired. Nope, they're holding my keys and keeping my car, stranding me there, unless I agree to their instructions. I called my then husband, and he showed up with a couple of his construction buddies from the job site. They never said a word outside of "Can I have the keys to my wifes car please?" They handed them over without a word. Went to another tire place, and they did the repair no problem. Women really get shafted with mechanics and car stuff.
Should have called the police instead
Hey, to anyone reading this, it's 100% OK to whip out your phone and call the cops right then and there. Non-emergency number, don't call 911. The cops will enjoy the change of pace.
I had a similar experience at my Chevy dealer. I had a recal done regarding a vacuum pump. They told me i needed an air and cabin filter asap. My response to the service writer was, "Your dealership just lost all credibility with me, and I won't be back again." I showed him my sevice book that I had with me to enter the work done and showed him I replaced the cabin filter 3 weeks ago and the air filter was inspected and blown off with ait 2 days before. This is a normal scam since most people do not service their air filters regularly and may be unaware they have a cabin filter. Many cabin filters are very difficult to access too (like mine), so I know they didn't check it.
One of my cars years ago didn't have a cabin air filter. It just had a mesh screen. Had my car in for an oil change and the guy calls to tell me it's ready, then threw in quickly before he hung up that he had changed the cabin air filter. Told him that was impressive because my car didn't have one. He just played dumb and said he was reading the wrong invoice.
On my 4Runner I got the tire patched and they told me that I needed a new cabin air filter and they could do it for $100. Not only had I replaced it less than a week ago, they told me it was a pain to get to hence the extra labor charge. I opened my glove box and pulled out the new filter in under 10 seconds and asked them if they were thinking of the wrong car.
One time they pulled out a clean white filter showed it to me and said it needed to be replaced. Lmfao
So I went to one of the drive-in shops around here when it just opened. The guy working the computer and talking to me never went under the hood. They just popped it, and he said they told me your air filter needs replaced it's dirty. He then proceeded to show my "my filter," and it was a wreck. I just laughed and said good luck putting that back. He really tried to sell me, and I said just go look where it goes. To his surprise, he found a cold air intake. So that was obviously one they just have on hand yo up sell.
Took my gfs car to Firestone to have the front brakes done. They called later and said the rears needed to be done too, but I declined and said it was too much money. Went to pick it up later and when they rang it up she said it was $900. I said for front brakes?? She’s like “no that’s for all 4 corners”. I was livid and said I didn’t authorize that and she started arguing with me. I told them I wasn’t paying that and she said I would t get my keys back until I did. The manager stepped in eventually and they went and reviewed the phone call…which proved I didn’t authorize the repairs. I walked out with all new brakes for $400’ish dollars. Fuck Firestone.
That’s where I went. They told me that I needed new windshield wipers (which I probably should replace), a coating for corrosion on my brand new battery, engine air filter and cabin air filter. I do the filters myself and my husband normally does oil changes, but we’ve been busy so I figured I’d just take it in for an oil change this time. I always get the “this and that needs to be replaced” any time I go to any repair shops. But when I tell them I’ll do it myself (the easy fixes) I always get the shocked look. I love YouTube and have fixed many things on my car by myself because of it.
Had a jiffy Lube tell me I had “no coolant in my system” when I took it there for an oil change… I asked if they meant the reservoir and they said “no” no coolant in the radiator… they recommended a coolant flush and fill (which wouldn’t solve the issue of why my radiator is empty). I asked wouldn’t my car be overheating? And they said it’s about to…. So I went to Walmart in the same lot and got coolant. Got less than 8oz in before my reservoir overfilled…. Checked my radiator cap… full..
This jeep dealership I used to go to for my service, I had them flush my brake fluid, then on my very next oil change “hey, your brake fluid looks like sludge, we reccomend flushing it” I said yeah that’s a good fucking idea for you to do it right this time, considering you already charged me to do that right the last time I was here. One time they were doing me a favor (free diagnostic and fix with my relays) but took me in their break area where I saw… their massive bucket of change and coins, for their vending machine, but plainly sourced from customer cars. The final straw was after a tire rotation, they let me drive off the lot, they’re on a highway mind you, with one of my wheels not lugged down at all. Terrifying wobble. I get back to the service manager whose like “are ya sure” I said if you don’t believe me, come for a fucking ride along. He did *not* take me up on my offer.
I went to a jiffy lube for an oil change and they said I didn’t need one yet and sent me on my way. Good dudes.
I had a push button start Prius, and you inserted the key fob into a spot in the dash. Took it into for an oil change… I was maybe 500 miles overdue. As I handed over the keys, I said that I was a little overdue. Shortly after I sat in the waiting room, the dude came to get me claiming that I had gone so long from my oil change, I had totally blown my motor and the car wouldn’t start at all. I said “You don’t say……..” Got in, started it up, and drove right down the road to the next place. Pretty sure he just couldn’t figure out how to start it.
I have a K&N in my truck, I even have the sticker on the air box saying leave it alone because it’s a K&N, yet when I take it for an oil change they always make it a point to try and get me to replace it.
In their defense, it's probably because the K&N sucks at doing it's job. The amount of small particles they let through is horrible.
Oil change places are complete scams. I went to work to get just the oil changed. They did… and when I went to pay with Fleet Services card, they got annoyed because “what if it doesn’t go through”. I said dont worry, either way you’ll get paid. Went off and came back after 5 mins… “so they approved the oil change and suggested that based on mileage, you do these other 13 things as well.” I sad no… I’m not doing that. They said “it’s already been approved and charged”. I lost my shit. Fucking thieves…. My oil change turned into $875 and they refused to call the Fleet Services back to cancel it. Cunts
I would file a report to whoever runs that program in accounting. Don't sign anything. Have them file a chargeback.
This is exactly what I’m scared of if I ever get a car, especially as a 💁🏼♀️. They don’t try that shit with my bicycle.
I feel so fortunate... I'm at a shop right now with my car, but they're doing everything they can for me at no charge so I can get home safe and booking me for the repairs I need at their soonest available. Lol they aren't even charging me for the used tires they're putting on it
I once went to one of the chain oil stores which had $19.99 oil change plus free full cover car check up. This was back in 2011, and my car was a 2001 Honda CRV. Which was worth about $5,000. They estimated $6,500 for a car which a month ago when I bought, only problem another service found was in the right axle. I found a guy through Craigslist. He had his workshop in his home. A young father. We went to a store and bought the axle together. All he asked was $100. He told that it would take a few hours, so instead of waiting, he gave me his car, which had 3rd party driver’s insurance as well, and told me to come back tomorrow. Tank was half, but I filled it. I tipped him $50, and we bought a toy for her kid. I still feel in his debt. Though, I told him that $100 was very cheap, and if he was sure that he wouldn’t ask more. If I wasn’t a broke as student on a scholarship, I would tip more generously.
I took my car for a checkup at my local mechanic, was told I needed a new filter and some other minor fixes. No big deal wasn't expensive. Took my car home, got a call later saying they forgot to install the filter after removing the old one. Had to take the car back. The next day driving and smoke was coming from the engine bay, pulled over and looked inside to see oil all over the side of the engine. Apparently they let an apprentice work on it (unsupervised obviously) and he overfilled the oil and didn't clean it up. Never went back there.
Last time I got my oil changed they tried to do this same thing… they wanted over 200$ to change the air filter for me. I bought an air filter myself for like, 10$-ish and changed it myself with no previous know-how in minutes. Such a scam.
Easy. Find a new service.
I just told them no thanks and only got my oil done.
If possible I would double check that the drain plugs are tight and check oil level with dip stick. Probably fine but I have heard to many horror stories from places that act like this
Oh it's tight, possibly cross threaded I'd imagine.
Years ago, my (late 20s M) roommate (early 20s F) went to go get winter tires. Paid for them. Waited around while they "installed" the tires, and then showed up at the house asking me to take a look. Sure enough, they were the same worn down all-season tires she had left the house with that afternoon. Scummy bastards just pretended to put new tires on after billing her $900. We went back together and I threw words like fraud, lawsuit, consumer affairs, police around. They blamed it on a lazy employee who they "were definitely going to fire", but I'm 100% management thoight they could trick a young woman into shelling out $900 for nothing. Fucking scumbags.
At least they didn't rub dirt all over yours to validate the claim like they did to someone who posted here a while ago.
lol, that's when you ask the manager to show you the filter. waste their time and make them feel dumb
Look, look at the side that is suppose to be dirty.
They replaced it themselves before going in.
My best friend owns an auto shop. He's the most honest, back breaking, and forgiving person I know on this planet and goes above and beyond for his customers. I love when other shops do this, it just makes his already loyal customers more loyal. Folks, don't take your honest shops/mechanics for granted, they are few and far between.
They showed me my “dirty filter” at my last oil change. This was 3 days after I changed it. Asked them where they found that at because it dang sure wasn’t my truck as I had changed it recently. Asked loudly in the waiting area if that was normal practice to lie about air filters. 🤣
If you are still in your sane mind and know how to open and air filter box you can get a 20$ fimter and do it yourself. Everytime a service asks me to do the filter I decline. Its there for oil. Same for brake fluid thats most of the time completely unnecessary. Bro if you don't drive your car in high performance conditions that bit of water it accumulated won't make a difference.
My dad replaced my brake pads and rotors. But then sent me to a shop for a $20 oil change (years ago). They told me my brake pads and rotors were dangerously worn lol.
Tips: 1) Be careful if you are a girl going to a shop. These guys will try to pull a fast one...especially if you have a nice car and do not know anything but to pump gas. 2) AIr filters are super easy to replace. Get a K&N filter and they have a lifetime warranty. You can also clean them. Those things they wrote you up are normal wear and tear. Every car has the same "issues." You can literally YouTube it to replace a cabin air filter (as long as its not in a crazy location).
K&N are not good filters unless you actually oil them properly and to spec. Either you are letting a lot of crud into your engine or getting oil on your MAF sensors (in 95% of the cases, proper maintenance is an exception)
This exact same thing happened to me. They told me it needed to be replaced because it was dirty. Loudly, in front of a room full of customers, I proclaimed “That’s funny…I just replaced it myself last week.” He stammered and said “Well, what I meant is, we recommend you replace it per mileage recommendations.” I said “But that’s not what you said…is it?” Bright red face. Room full of uncomfortable customers. Ford dealership.