-water reservoir was replaced and the radiator was flushed-as well as an oil change-car overheated the next day
#2-$350 took car back and had the water pump replaced and had the radiator pressure tested-car overheated same day
#3-took car back and had thermostat replaced, supposed to have gotten car back at 11 then 4 then 6, didn't get it back. all of my husband's work stuff was in there and the mechanic had some shallow family emergency excuse about why he never returned the car
So after all of this crap, I'm thinking that I need to just go and get the car and say thank you for all of the FREE work you've done on it, and not pay him a cent for the third time we had to take it in. Fair or not?
Is this the right thing to do to a shitty car mechanic?
You can't do that, it's illegal. If you do that, he can have the cops knocking at your door.
I'd start by being nice to them and just asking for a hefty discount because you've obviously paid for work that wasn't necessary. See if they play ball, you might be surprised.
If that doesn't work and you want to be nasty with a shop that's not getting the problem right here's how the law works.
You don't owe for labor on his guess and check work. You owe the parts, you do have new parts installed after all whether it was time to replace them or not. They're supposed to be trained experts, not just parts changers though.
Take a close look at your last two bills and tell him you've familiarized yourself with laws regarding incorrect/unnecessary repairs and you are demanding he apply the labor you've already paid on the last two jobs to this third job. That labor can go towards the entire last bill, parts and labor and tax.
If you decide to go that route be prepared to never return to that shop--why would you anyway, it sounds like they've got no idea what they're doing. If you want to make sure this goes your way, look up the actual laws in your area and print them out. findlaw.com, search auto mechanic.
I wouldn't let them keep the car. You don't want someone that knows how angry you are to have that car in their possession for any longer than necessary. If it comes down to it, pay with your credit card and then sue them in small claims court.
Is this the right thing to do to a shitty car mechanic?
I my god how some people pose a question knowingly they are indicing people in error is outrageous
Why didn't you mention what had went on? You pose your frustration and some people answer the best they can with what you mention and come out and tell what you did and they did.
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Your last paragraph stipulates what went on and you say different in that phrase you are quite a manipulative person to have answered that there was already an understanding in the question.No wonder people are reported so much Your 96 questions tells u just want to be seen or heard. shame on
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Your Friendly Jewish Accountant was also right with his answer. peolpe are blind some will and can read your mind now. good luck on future questions.
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How can you be so shitty yourself to have done what you did.
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You should have done that the second time you brought it in, it's customary for them not to charge you. Why didn't you bring it up then?
if you owe for repairs you can be taken to small claims for the work done. However, you can file a claim with your local business bureau as well as the state bureau of auto repair. they may be able to recover some of your expenses. In future just make sure you take to a AAA rated shop with SAE mechanics.
defiantly..... im surprised they didn't check the thermostat in the first place... and they should let it run after the first fix to see if it was fixed.... plus if it ended up Just being the thermo.. u just paid big bucks for nothing,,,,, go get it back now
You have what is known as a dipstick ... not a mechanic working on your car. Obviously no diagnostic process other than the %26quot;Throw Parts%26quot; method is being used.
I suspect that your problem is either that the cooling fan is not working or the radiator is clogged. But that should have been identified the first trip....
Three strikes and out - do not pay any remaining balance and go elsewhere ...
question is, did you authorize the work? if you did you are bound to pay. i dont like mechanics like this. i had a job where i messed up on diagnosis and ended up taking a 600 loss...i never tried to charge for it. if you didnt authorize the work, then its all gravy
It is pretty obvious to me that the diagnostic of the over heating of this car was not done in a proper fashion and professionalism.
If i was to have done this car here is the procedure.
#1 Take a pressure test of the radiator,
and look for leaks,
get the engine warmed up to see if there was good circulation of the coolant,
This would tell me if the water pump was in good order,
I would have checked the top and lower end of the radiator if the rad was blocked or not,
Check for proper heat inside the car to see if the heater is producing a good amount of heat,
Remove the thermostat and check the heat sensor in boiling water and check if it would open at 100 to 195degrees , if not it needs to be replaced,;
An honest garage or mechanic does not replace unnecessary parts!
He must give a detailed estimate of the repairs to be done with absolute certainty.
When an agreement has been reached between parties then he can proceed with the work and guarantee that it will work and perform as required.
In your situation you can prove that the work was not done properly and paid bills to prove what should have been done in the first place.
So, do not take the car without paying as he could put a mechanics lean on your car and sell it for what its worth after 30 days, and you loose.
Report him to the better business bureau with a copy of your repairs and bills, and then take him to small claims court where he will have to prove beyond a reasonable doupt that the car is in good order prior to the second repairs, third repair,where the car was not functionning still.
He will have to re-imburse you and pay court cost plus have a bad rating at the BBB and loose a lot of clientel.
Be fair to the system, pay it and you will see what an honest judge do to a garage like it.
i have worked on cars 20 years,me i would just get the car and NOT PAY SHT!! THAT WOULD BE FAIR!!!
