Just another repair shop rant

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MopaR&D

MopaR&D

Nerd Member
Joined
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Location
Augusta, GA
I work at a pizza place in town as a delivery driver for funding my car addictions and a coworker of mine drives a 2000 Durango with the 5.9. I did the front brakes on it a month or two ago as they were beyond worn, at that time I couldn't help but look the rest of the truck over and realized it was really solid for having 170k on the odo; apparently the girl's parents bought it new and passed it down to her when she went to college (she's 24 now). I told her she really ought to get up-to-date on the preventative maintenance since it's a solid vehicle and will keep running a long time with proper care........

Naturally it wasn't a priority for her until a few days ago her radiator cracked and dumped all the coolant... here's where the rant starts. She got it taken to a AAA-approved (or whatever) shop and they did a full inspection. Long story short they wanted an a$$load of money for work I told her I could easily do for a fraction of the price. She brings the truck over and within an hour I realize these guys are either idiots, crooks or both. Their report pointed out seriously worn tie rods and P/S pump; checked everything over and it's all 100% fine. They said the coolant leak was caused by a leaking hose; both hoses were solid and the radiator had an obvious huge crack where water would pour out instantly if you tried to fill it. They noted the front and rear diff and transfer case fluids should be changed based on mileage but didn't notice the BLACK brake fluid which I noticed when I did the brakes (HELLOOO...). Then something about the belt squealing, pretty sure it's the A/C pulley but whatever.

I'm just annoyed this kind of crap always happens. I hate to imagine how many would-be solid old cars get junked because of uninformed owners and crooked repair shops. I know it's been going on since the first cars but still drives me nuts. If only I could fix every decent person's car, but then I'd surely lose my sanity LOL!

At least the upside is I get to make some extra money and have the satisfaction of doing a full tune-up on a 5.9L Magnum that needs it badly, I'm eager to see what a de-carbonize, new dist. cap, plugs, plug wires and fresh GOOD oil will do. The way it runs now it has no problem moving this big SUV so I'm just imagining one in my Duster with a custom-grind cam and ported Edelbrocks mmmmm
 
Typical! Most shops I know of are exactly like this, so if I need anything done on one of my daily’s that I can’t do, or don’t have time to do, I take it to my small town mechanic, who knows just about every make and model inside and out, and gives me the real run down, not some glance over or mileage based estimate!
 
Extended warranty insurance the biggest money making joke ever. These shops know it! Drives the cost up on auto repair big time! That’s why I educated my girls on auto repair. They hate seeing them show up at there shop! Most of the time they bring there vehicles to dad. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
 
A booming business model: educate your customers. Tell them exactly what is wrong and what might go wrong in the foreseeable future.
Treat your customers like you want to see them again instead of emptying their pockets now because you might not see them again. Be honest. Be fair.

I had a booming business that was growing with new customers every week because of this.

Who doesn't follow this?

Midas, Monro, Mavis, Mr. Tire, Pep Boys and anyone who leaves these places to start their own shops because that's all they know.
 
what about making sure your work looks decent?

i had a water main replaced because it was leaking
this employed 2 companies, a plumber and a asphalt company

the plumbers left a Styrofoam coffee cup and a macdonalds cup laying in my yard
before they could get started, they had to cut out a section of the sidewalk and they ran some yellow tape around the "hole"

when the asphalt guys filled the hole, they cut the tape so they could fill the hole and left it there

neither one of these companies will be getting my business again, because they couldnt take 37 seconds to clean up after themselves
 
diymirage said:
what about making sure your work looks decent?

i had a water main replaced because it was leaking
this employed 2 companies, a plumber and a asphalt company

the plumbers left a Styrofoam coffee cup and a macdonalds cup laying in my yard
before they could get started, they had to cut out a section of the sidewalk and they ran some yellow tape around the "hole"

when the asphalt guys filled the hole, they cut the tape so they could fill the hole and left it there

neither one of these companies will be getting my business again, because they couldnt take 37 seconds to clean up after themselves
Click to expand...

In my shop?

No greasy hands on steering wheels, fingerprints wiped off interior pieces, no residual fluids left over from changing them, electrical work back to a factory style appearance.

Good enough?

Always bothered me when I'd get a repair order to check over for an oil leak and find out it was just in for an oil change a few days earlier.

Always checked plug and filter, but I could almost tell you before I got it on the lift, one of my co-workers didn't blast the rack down on the Ford Crown Vic/Merc Grand Marquis, where fhe of gets trapped during a filter change with a little brake cleaner, worrying the customer and wasting the customer's time
 
ramenth said:
In my shop?

No greasy hands on steering wheels, fingerprints wiped off interior pieces, no residual fluids left over from changing them, electrical work back to a factory style appearance.

Good enough?
Click to expand...

and this is the way it should be...if you want return costumers, that is
 
On my last road trip, I went to a local shop for an oil/filter change on my '72 Satellite 318. This was Marin County, California, one of the most "upscale"/expensive counties in the country (this was Mill Valley, the town where Robin Williams lived). The owner of the shop said he would not even touch my vehicle. I reside in Mexico, that would not happen here in a million years.

Went next door to another shop where the owner/manager was "willing" to change the oil.

DSC01319.JPG
 
MOPEkidD-3 said:
I work at a pizza place in town as a delivery driver for funding my car addictions and a coworker of mine drives a 2000 Durango with the 5.9. I did the front brakes on it a month or two ago as they were beyond worn, at that time I couldn't help but look the rest of the truck over and realized it was really solid for having 170k on the odo; apparently the girl's parents bought it new and passed it down to her when she went to college (she's 24 now). I told her she really ought to get up-to-date on the preventative maintenance since it's a solid vehicle and will keep running a long time with proper care........

Naturally it wasn't a priority for her until a few days ago her radiator cracked and dumped all the coolant... here's where the rant starts. She got it taken to a AAA-approved (or whatever) shop and they did a full inspection. Long story short they wanted an a$$load of money for work I told her I could easily do for a fraction of the price. She brings the truck over and within an hour I realize these guys are either idiots, crooks or both. Their report pointed out seriously worn tie rods and P/S pump; checked everything over and it's all 100% fine. They said the coolant leak was caused by a leaking hose; both hoses were solid and the radiator had an obvious huge crack where water would pour out instantly if you tried to fill it. They noted the front and rear diff and transfer case fluids should be changed based on mileage but didn't notice the BLACK brake fluid which I noticed when I did the brakes (HELLOOO...). Then something about the belt squealing, pretty sure it's the A/C pulley but whatever.

I'm just annoyed this kind of crap always happens. I hate to imagine how many would-be solid old cars get junked because of uninformed owners and crooked repair shops. I know it's been going on since the first cars but still drives me nuts. If only I could fix every decent person's car, but then I'd surely lose my sanity LOL!

At least the upside is I get to make some extra money and have the satisfaction of doing a full tune-up on a 5.9L Magnum that needs it badly, I'm eager to see what a de-carbonize, new dist. cap, plugs, plug wires and fresh GOOD oil will do. The way it runs now it has no problem moving this big SUV so I'm just imagining one in my Duster with a custom-grind cam and ported Edelbrocks mmmmm
Click to expand...
sounds like she went to a Firestone or Jiffy Lube type place, they just follow a check list and generally speaking hire less then top notch techs
 
The truck on my hoist rigt now has an oil leak.
Thinking its the valley cover.
If that doesent stop the leak,then its head gasket. If i miss on diagnosis,i eat my labour.
Im sure thats the issue, but when the other shop says its a small leak, nothing to worry about tells me they dont want to fix it.

I have been repairing vehicles my whole life, spent time in parts and as a service writer. A lot of time in dealerships and independent shops.
Monday i go to a dealer for 2 recalls. Lets see how this goes.
One upsale from the service writer and he will get notified.
 
I’m going through this right now my nephew took his infinity g35 to shop they said it needed upper and lower control arms and ball joints on all four corners $3200 dollars. I ordered a moog kit for $245 complete with bushings. I’ll supervise the kid to do it so he knows how easy most stuff is. I told him with 3grand he saved he has to buy me a badass tool collection. Haha. These shops suck. He picked up the car and told them he was going to do it himself. They said he had to have a lift to do it. He told them his uncle has 2 jacks that lift. I’m proud of him.
 
My son took his car, a 2002 Hyundai to a local private shop that his wife and her family has been using for many years. They quoted him over $1200 for various repairs that were needed. My son doesn't know much about cars so they really could have taken him for a ride but instead they didn't recommend that the repairs be done because the frame had some bad rust damage. They said the car would be ok to drive the way it is for awhile but the frame might not hold up to well if he were to get in an accident. All I can say is I wish this shop was closer to me. I guess not all shops are bad!
 
MOPEkidD-3 said:
I work at a pizza place in town as a delivery driver for funding my car addictions and a coworker of mine drives a 2000 Durango with the 5.9. I did the front brakes on it a month or two ago as they were beyond worn, at that time I couldn't help but look the rest of the truck over and realized it was really solid for having 170k on the odo; apparently the girl's parents bought it new and passed it down to her when she went to college (she's 24 now). I told her she really ought to get up-to-date on the preventative maintenance since it's a solid vehicle and will keep running a long time with proper care........

Naturally it wasn't a priority for her until a few days ago her radiator cracked and dumped all the coolant... here's where the rant starts. She got it taken to a AAA-approved (or whatever) shop and they did a full inspection. Long story short they wanted an a$$load of money for work I told her I could easily do for a fraction of the price. She brings the truck over and within an hour I realize these guys are either idiots, crooks or both. Their report pointed out seriously worn tie rods and P/S pump; checked everything over and it's all 100% fine. They said the coolant leak was caused by a leaking hose; both hoses were solid and the radiator had an obvious huge crack where water would pour out instantly if you tried to fill it. They noted the front and rear diff and transfer case fluids should be changed based on mileage but didn't notice the BLACK brake fluid which I noticed when I did the brakes (HELLOOO...). Then something about the belt squealing, pretty sure it's the A/C pulley but whatever.

I'm just annoyed this kind of crap always happens. I hate to imagine how many would-be solid old cars get junked because of uninformed owners and crooked repair shops. I know it's been going on since the first cars but still drives me nuts. If only I could fix every decent person's car, but then I'd surely lose my sanity LOL!

At least the upside is I get to make some extra money and have the satisfaction of doing a full tune-up on a 5.9L Magnum that needs it badly, I'm eager to see what a de-carbonize, new dist. cap, plugs, plug wires and fresh GOOD oil will do. The way it runs now it has no problem moving this big SUV so I'm just imagining one in my Duster with a custom-grind cam and ported Edelbrocks mmmmm
Click to expand...



It’s all about making money. When I had my ‘99 Durango the upper ball joints were bad. Took it to the dealer, they said you could only replace entire upper control arm that came with a ball joint. 800.00 part I believe.

So I take my happy butt to local parts house. I buy Moog ball joints for $45.00 a side ( greasable ) I drill out the rivits and bolt them in. I saved a ton of money and didn’t get screwed by the Dodge dealer.
 
Lildart said:
It’s all about making money. When I had my ‘99 Durango the upper ball joints were bad. Took it to the dealer, they said you could only replace entire upper control arm that came with a ball joint. 800.00 part I believe.

So I take my happy butt to local parts house. I buy Moog ball joints for $45.00 a side ( greasable ) I drill out the rivits and bolt them in. I saved a ton of money and didn’t get screwed by the Dodge dealer.
Click to expand...
How does this not suprise me. Many people bite because they dont know better.
There are some makes now that the ball joint is integral with the control arm.

When i look up parts, i offer several choices to my customers,varying price and quality. If its left to me, i choose the middle of the road parts,not the cheapest, but not the most expensive.
 
Years ago before wife got killed she was a rural mail carrier. She had an 88 Olds mail car and it developed a leak. I didn't have time or lift at time so she carried it to dealer and they quoted her $400 plus dollars to replace seal so I called a local transmission shop and asked him what he got to replace that seal. He told me $50 and I told him that I didn't want any surprises so if it was going to be more to tell me now. He said if he said $50 that is what it will so we took it to him. When we went to pick it up I asked what I owed and he said $10 because he found more bolts lose that seals bad. I have used him several times and told lots of people this story in past 30 years. Don't find them like that too often. Joe
 
Took my Ram 1500 into the dealership to clear up a couple of recalls. They checked the front brakes, said I needed to replace them. I went in to pick up my truck and already knowing I was going to do the brakes myself I asked how much for the fronts. Guy behind the counter said $650.00 bucks. I literally laughed. I asked how much do you pay the one guy it takes to do brakes, 500 an hour cause parts cant be more than $150? He started rumbling on, I smiled, grabbed my keys went to the parts store and put new brakes and rotors on (for shiggles) for $135. I was done, brakes and rotors on, and tools put away in an hour.
I feel bad for people who get taken advantage of, or don't have the means to take care of the simple stuff themselves.
 
Years ago my sisters car needed brake work done. My garage was occupied as was hers. She took it to a local shop, claimed they did a complete 4 wheel brake job. New everything. I went with her to pick it up...stuck my head under, nothing was new. She went on a rant, they refunded her $$. She lived in a small, somewhat tight knit community. Few weeks after this happened they had their bi-monthly community meeting. She told everyone what happened...oddly enough...within 3 months the shop shut down. Go figure.
 
It's sad that people get fkd over all the time at ( not all ) repair shops. I own a shop for almost 20yrs and see crazy quotes for work. Most of my customers know my mark up on parts. I have no secrets and tell them how it is. Honesty is always the best rule, will I ever match your neighbors brothers girlfriends dad that works at home - NEVER
 
OCswinger said:
Took my Ram 1500 into the dealership to clear up a couple of recalls. They checked the front brakes, said I needed to replace them. I went in to pick up my truck and already knowing I was going to do the brakes myself I asked how much for the fronts. Guy behind the counter said $650.00 bucks. I literally laughed. I asked how much do you pay the one guy it takes to do brakes, 500 an hour cause parts cant be more than $150? He started rumbling on, I smiled, grabbed my keys went to the parts store and put new brakes and rotors on (for shiggles) for $135. I was done, brakes and rotors on, and tools put away in an hour.
I feel bad for people who get taken advantage of, or don't have the means to take care of the simple stuff themselves.
Click to expand...

Believe it or not, there are some who only go to the dealership.
 
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