Can you trust your mechanic?

NJres
Mon, 22 Feb 2016 19:10:31 +0000

I was pretty comfortable with my mechanic but they “sealed” the deal (pun intended) when after one $1000 repair (timing belt, water pump, other stuff) there was still a small oil leak under the car. I took it back and they told me it looked like they had to replace the oil pan and it would cost an additional $300. I sighed, and said, “ok”. When it was done and I went to pick up the car they said, “no charge” because when they got into it they saw the oil leak was caused by seals they had just replaced so it was their fault and no charge.

And my Lexus dealer? (grrrrr!) Very shortly after an oil change the “check engine light” came on. Took it back and they said charcoal cannister needed replacing, $800. After I left it for repair I researched the issue and learned that there had been a huge legal settlement with Toyota over emissions issues, and part of the settlement extended the warranty on this very part to 150k miles. After much hassle the repair was done for free, but I lost all confidence in the dealer. If they didn’t actually know the repair was covered by warranty (and I think they knew) they sure as heck should have known!