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Why Car Owners Should Listen to Service Center Techs

Ignoring a service center tech can be a costly mistake. Here’s one good example of why car owners should not be so quick to dismiss a repair recommendation.
Not All Car Service Techs Will Cheat You

Given the state of the car repair industry where it is difficult to trust many dealership garage mechanics and chain oil or tire service centers, it is understandable why so many car owners tend to ignore warnings from a service tech who found something in need of repair on their car. Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.

The Problem with Service Centers and a Jaded Society

However, not all service center techs are out there to inflate your service bill. Some are budding mechanics looking to develop their experience and skills toward a better life. Some are just regular Joe’s in need of work and a steady income.

However, these guys appear to be a rarity necessitating that car owners always have to have their BS radar on the highest squelch setting to avoid being taken by a false repair recommendation; or worse yet, some con to bring your car back to their garage.

I believe the problem lies with the repair industry.

Too low wages and hiring employees without some level of mechanical accreditation leads to poor performance. The OJT of a new employee without experience is not without its risks to other’s cars. And of course, there is also the greed factor where business operators are not looking for repeat customers but are fishing for the next sucker.

Call me jaded, but it’s what I’ve experienced.

When It’s Time to Pay Attention to a Repair Recommendation

The origin of this topic is a recent Toyota Maintenance YouTube channel episode where the owner of a 2004 Toyota Camry brings in her car for an oil and filter change and mentions that a service center tech had earlier told her there was “a problem with her radiator pipe.”

That “radiator pipe” problem turned out to be a broken radiator hose clamp leaving the hose hanging on with little more than some dried radiator fluid tacking the presumably old stiff rubber hose to the radiator port. That and just dumb luck.

Here’s the video courtesy of the Toyota Maintenance YouTube channel that illustrates the problem:

Customer States Problem with Radiator Pipe

 

Who Is Really at Fault?

Had the hose blown off during a drive on the highway, it is more likely than not the car would have suffered serious engine damage and resulted in a multiple car collision incident.

While it would be easy to fault the service tech for not having the courtesy of just replacing the broken clamp with a new one, you have to consider the potential consequences of just such a good deed.

  1. The employee would have been negligent in his job by providing a free part and a free billable service.
  2. Had he replaced the clamp, but not what was likely a damaged hose needing replacement as well, he would have been negligent in his duties.
  3. Had he accidentally caused further problems with the car such as puncturing a screwdriver into the radiator while changing the hose clamp, he’d likely be out a job.

Call me jaded, but I’m a firm believer that no good deed goes unpunished.

The point to all of this is that while we can never know the particulars of the conversation between the service tech and the car owner, what we do know is that sometimes we are better off paying attention to a warning followed by checking its veracity and then deciding whether to have a repair done or not.

In short, if a service tech comes to you with a repair recommendation:

  1. Ask him to show you the problem and explain the problem.
  2. Take a photo of the problem.
  3. If you are unsure, send the photo to someone you trust for their opinion.

You really do not want to one of those car owners on a Just Rolled In episode who “declined a repair” that is obviously a danger to the owner and others.

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on  “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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