Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, and if you don’t know anything about your car or how it works, you may be the perfect mark for a dishonest car repair shop. Here are some car repair scams that you can watch out for.
One common scam is called “gravy work” by car repair shops. What this shady practice involves is billing you extra labor for work that can actually be done in less time. Brake pads, for instance, take about 30 to 40 minutes to change, if your car is in good condition, but dishonest shops will bump this labor charge to several hours.
The Wallet Flush ScamThis particular car repair scam was made famous by various “quick oil change” shops. The scam goes like this: you come in for a simple oil change, but suddenly the mechanic notices that you “need” a radiator flush, power steering flush, or transmission flush.
These services cost a lot of money, and your $30 oil change can inflate to several hundred dollars of extra, unneeded service. If you know the interval for these services by checking your car manual, you can flush the wallet flush scam down the drain.
Billing for Work Not DoneEver wonder if your tire rotation really was done by the car repair shop or if your air filter was really changed at all? Some corrupt car repair businesses will charge you for these types of services without doing them at all.
They do this because checking on the work done can be hard to verify by the customer. For instance, some car air filters are located in very difficult places to reach, so unless you’re willing to get your hands dirty, the shop can just claim that it did the work, hoping that you won't notice it wasn't performed. Sneaky, eh?
If you take your car in for a tire rotation, a simple way to check if they were rotated is to simply mark the left rear tire with a pen or piece of chalk on one of the raised letters on the sidewall. If the mark is still located on the left rear tire, the tire rotation didn’t happen.
The Check Engine Light Swindle
Check engine lights can mean something as simple as your car needing a scheduled oil change or something else that is minor. But some car repair shops turn the check engine light situation into a scam.
They’ll tell you that the car needs an O2 sensor, a new catalytic converter, new wheel bearings, and just about anything else under the sun if they suspect you don’t know anything about car repair.
You can buy yourself some protection by getting a car code reader. If your car was made in 1996 or later, this little device can read OBD 2 codes, and depending on the model you purchase, some can immediately interpret these codes in plain English. Some will even let you reset the dreaded check engine light, which can cost you up to $99 to reset at the car repair shop.
Read Your Car ManualYour everyday car manual is filled with good information about servicing schedules, how long before certain parts of your car may need attention, and which fluids to replace and when.
Knowing these facts can keep you from being ripped off. And of course the best insurance is to find an honest car repair shop recommended by your friends.
Source:
ABC News