Perpetual Ruminations

Flimflam or Shoddy, That is The Question

This isn't really a rant, but just a way to get something off my mind that's bothering me.

After we moved into this area, we didn't know anything about local businesses; where to get good deals, good work, and who to avoid. So, when it came time to have the oil changed in the car, we had no idea where a reputable garage was. We asked the landlord, who recommended two local garages that he uses.

We set up an appointment and took the car for an oil change and general servicing. When we picked it up, we found out that the front struts were getting bad and would need to be changed, everything else was fine. It wasn't anything pressing, so we decided to wait until fall when we had the snow tires put on. Everything seemed fine.

About a month later, I took my pickup in for an oil change and service, I also needed to have the transmission fluid and filter changed. Everything worked fine, but the color was off, and when the temperature dropped below zero, I had to let the truck warm up to operating temperature or it didn't shift quite right.

While the truck was in, they noticed that it also needed a brake job, so I had them do the brakes at the same time. When it was done, I brought it home, but it wasn't shifting right. I checked the transmission fluid and had to add two quarts to fill it up. I also noticed that the brake fluid was low, so I topped that off. Since it was just serviced, I began to wonder why any of the fluids were low, so I checked the antifreeze, and that also was low. I also had to put in a new air filter!

Now, I began wondering why they didn't fill any of the fluids. Also, the entire time I have owned the truck, it's never lost any fluids, so why was the antifreeze low?

Let's skip ahead a few months, to late fall, early winter. With snow on the ground, it was easy to see that the truck now has a small transmission leak, a small antifreeze leak, and instead of it shifting better, it has gotten worse after taking it in to be serviced.

We took the car in to have snow tires put on and the struts changed, assuming they were actually bad since it drove and handled fine. While changing the struts, they discovered that it also needed the front stabilizers changed. I went back and looked with them, and sure enough, they were both loose and needed to be replaced. Why had we not noticed this while driving it?

They were able to get the parts and do the job right away, but between labor and parts, it was over a grand. When they finished, they informed us that the rear shocks would soon need changing, but they could wait for spring when the snow tires came off. I now began to wonder if the shocks were bad or if every time they have the vehicle they'll find a new problem.

Anyway, we skip ahead another month. When driving the car, if we hit a big bump, something in the rear driverside would clunk. Also, when the temperature dropped below zero, the engine wouldn't turn over very well, the battery needed to be replaced. Since it was time for another oil change, we set up an appointment to have the oil changed, the battery replaced, and to have them find and fix the clunking.

They changed the oil, put in a new battery, and informed me that the clunking was the rear shocks. They didn't have time to change them right then, and I was told it wasn't anything to worry about. They would change them when we took the snow tires off.

By spring, the clunking had gotten a lot worse, and then one day while driving I noticed the rear end shift just a little as I was driving. I put it up on the jack and looked at the shocks. They seemed to be fine, relatively new, and they were tight, no clunking. I then looked at the rear stabilizers and saw that they were in need of replacing, just like in the front.

Did they even look to see what was wrong? This could have been a disaster since the two parts that were clunking also hold the entire rear axle to the frame. I also pondered why these problems all started after having the car in for an oil change. By now, of course, we know more people, and they all agree that the garage we used was not any good. It's always nice to have someone tell you, "Don't go there," after the fact.

I asked around and quite a few people recommended a different garage, so I took the car in to see what kind of price it would be to get the rear end fixed. He was honest and down-to-earth. He put the car up on the lift and checked with me, to see what was involved, and quoted me a price of $450.00 if there were no unseen problems.

I set up an appointment since he had to order the parts and they wouldn't arrive for at least a day, two at the latest. I then called the other place that I did not trust to work on a bicycle anymore and explained what was going on with the car. I also told them what I had found wrong, and asked what it would cost to have it fixed.

First, they would need to set up a time to look at it, which would cost $60.00, but they would subtract that off the final cost of the repairs. They also said that their records showed it needed new shocks as well. I didn't tell them another mechanic had told me the shocks were still in great shape. Anyway, the total cost for shocks, bushings, and labor would run at least $1200.00 the same as the front, if everything went well. Over twice the cost for parts and for labor.

I now understand the place is a rip-off, and I firmly believe they did something to cause the problems. I cannot prove it, but I'm convinced.

So back to the car. I took it in on Thursday and he worked on it through the day. Nothing went right! Of course, he showed me how the mounting bolts had broken from being rusted and what it took to get things apart. He also showed me how he would have to weld new nuts onto the frame since the old ones had broken off. But, what he didn't tell me was that it would now cost a lot more. In fact, he said that if he had the right hardware to reinstall, I wouldn't even have to pay for the new parts. The only downside was that he would need to keep the car for another day to finish the repairs. It was understandable since it was almost quitting time and the back axle was half removed.

Friday he called. He had fully removed the rear axle to use the press to put the new parts in. At that time, he found that both rear coil springs had busted loose because of the axle shifting. He had already ordered the parts, in hopes of getting them the same day, but it was too late, they will not be here until Monday. I agreed with him that it would be best to replace them right away. As he said, it's already pulled apart, so it won't cost me anything for labor, just the cost of the springs, which he said would be the same as his cost since he had missed this.

In fact, he hasn't said anything at all about it costing more than the original quote, which included a high side if he needed to replace shocks, springs, and the bushings. If everything went smoothly, $450.00, and if everything needed replacing $600.00.

It's a pain being down to one vehicle, but Monday the car will be done. He would neither confirm nor denied that something was done to cause the damage, but he did say that it wasn't normal for the front and rear stabilizers to go bad, they tend to only need replacing if damaged in an accident. In fact, in over twenty years of servicing vehicles, he has never had to change them. Confirmation enough for me.

Monday I'll find out how much more the cost will be, but from all the conversations with the mechanic, the only cost increase he has stated was the price of the springs. Oh, and he also informed me that the damage was severe enough that had we not stopped driving the car until we found out what was wrong, we could have easily lost the rear axle while driving.