Houston car workshop SCAM alert (home, buy, prices)

[behtypa]

Here is the scam/rip-off scheme that I have recently discovered. Look how talented this is.

I found an ad in one of the free paper or magazines saying "cheap alignment" or "cheap oil change".

So I took the bait and went to get my alignment fixed. The shop looks nice, neat and clean, front desk, etc. The whole shebang. Now, when they took my car for an alignment they called me in and showed me that they can't do it because my inner and outer tie rod ends are loose. It sounds very convincing, since they showed how front wheels are wobbling (they pulled them back and forth). But...

.. I have replaced tie rod ends just a month ago! Brand new tie rod ends! So I figured, they put cars on a rotating table and make it look like it is wobbling. Many customers have NO idea what a tie rod end is and how it works. It's a perfect scheme to fish a few extra dollars!

This is not the end. The regular price to change tie rod ends is around $250 ($80 for 2 ends + 2 hours of labor). They quoted me $450 ($270 for 2 tie rods + $180 labor). They not only scam people, they rip them off too. :-))

The bottom line is, any kind of service can be used as a bait. It could be an oil change, alignment or "$100 teeth cleaning and whitening" used by dentist offices. Just know the real price and, well, beware.

[elnina]

Sorry, but what is a rotating table?

[kreeyax]

I find the places that offer the cheap $99 brake services (won't name any names) often tell you things need replacing that really don't. Once I went for a brake job and they said I had a bad wheel cylinder and they wouldn't replace my pads unless the wheel cylinder was replaced too. Took it to another mechanic I trusted who said there was nothing wrong with the wheel cylinder. So many places out there scamming on car repairs...

[cheryjohns]

Thanks for letting us know - I would not have known. I usually take the car to the dealership anyway.

[TimBomb]

you also got screwed for ($80 for 2 ends + 2 hours of labor)
check ebay for prices. its also a 10min job on a carlift

girls, you know you look like easy targets right? fix that first. any shop will be inclined to test your wits. maybe use the automotive forums and arm yourselves with knowledge before going.

[ethanw]

The dealerships are no better. I used to help my dad rebuilt engines and fix cars so I know my way around cars very well. I just don't have the time.
For one of my particular cars, no brand name, or dealership name, I caught them right handed several times for not doing the work expected in various service packages. The most consistent one, they will never rotate tires or do alignment and those were easy to spot. The worse one was on transmission service, where they changed the fluid but not the filter and some membranes. And the one that pissed me off the most was under warranty work related to replacing the leaking intake manifold gasket. They pull the engine top off and used hylomar on the leaking gasket and put it right back on the engine. I literally blew my head gasket off and that was my last service with the reputable dealership. I sold the car and will never buy the brand again nor deal with that dealership. I personally wrote to the dealership owner and he didn't have it easy. When they contacted me back it was too late, the car was sold and I was done with them.

Mechanics are SHADY and they got almost as bas as the cops. Is really hard to find an honest mechanic that you can trust.... I help my friends fixing their cars just by keeping their mechanics honest.... Is a jungle out there.....

I don't start me with knowledgeable mechanics... Hard to find one as well.... So many kids now days on those shops... they barely know what a proper torque value is....

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

Thanks for letting us know - I would not have known. I usually take the car to the dealership anyway.

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by elnina

Sorry, but what is a rotating table?

Not sure if the term is correct. It's a rotating circle used to align wheels. It rotates around the circle, so it is easy to make it look like any wheel is "wobbling".



http://www.norwichtire.com/images/Hunter811AlignmentMachine.jpg (broken link)

[elnina]

Oooops, thank you for the picture. I didn't see it at any mechanic places yet, but probably dealers service stations have it...

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by TimBomb

you also got screwed for ($80 for 2 ends + 2 hours of labor)
check ebay for prices. its also a 10min job on a carlift

girls, you know you look like easy targets right? fix that first. any shop will be inclined to test your wits. maybe use the automotive forums and arm yourselves with knowledge before going.

It could be an easy fix, if you start asking specific questions about the part in trouble. And to ask them (and look like you understand everything) is an easy fix too. Just see a few pictures on the internet and have a general idea of how this part works. :-)

[NTT]

Humm... that's really nothing new. Those scams have been around since the making of the car. That's one of the reason why we often go around and look for an "honest" mechanic.

Once I had a routine oil change. The mechanic came out with an urgent repair that I needed to have ASAP if I wanted to get home safely. Walmart didn't do repairs as such. It was very late in the evening and the mechanic referred me to a nearby shop that opened very late.

So, off I went and had it checked out. The technician came out and confirmed the problem. He said that I needed to replace all 4 hoses on my transmission, fee was almost $300. The way he talked, I smelled a skunk. So, I told him, I didn't bring money and would come back on Monday. Of course, I never did. Instead, I brought my car to my usual, honest mechanic.

We all had a real good laugh in disbelief that day. After checking out my car, my mechanic explained that the transmission only had 2 hoses. Only 1 needed to be replaced, the other one was in good condition. He couldn't figured out what other 2 hoses the other technician was talking about. Price tag for that service? $65.