Tire shop experience

[SoCal Sam]

We always hear about getting cheated, but often don't hear it when a mechanic is honest. My adult daughters older Honda Accord was leaking oil. Two shops said it was the main seal, as I recall quoted around $750. I recommended a mechanic who I always took my Honda's too. They quoted a bit less, sight unseen, so she took it there. The next day, showed up to pick up the car. Prices was $79. All it needed was a new sensor unit.

The shop could have charged $700 and only replaced a sensor, but didn't. That is why I go there when my Honda's (rarely) need repair.

It's 2021. Honesty and integrity are no longer priorities. In all my years, I have found only one mechanic I trusted. He was an older guy who wore a white coat to work. Oil change monkeys? Don't make me laugh. Dealerships? Even worse. That is why I drive the "Dinosaur" Crown Vic. I got tired of being lied to and learned how to maintain it.

 

[quiet]

We always hear about getting cheated, but often don't hear it when a mechanic is honest. My adult daughters older Honda Accord was leaking oil. Two shops said it was the main seal, as I recall quoted around $750. I recommended a mechanic who I always took my Honda's too. They quoted a bit less, sight unseen, so she took it there. The next day, showed up to pick up the car. Prices was $79. All it needed was a new sensor unit.

The shop could have charged $700 and only replaced a sensor, but didn't. That is why I go there when my Honda's (rarely) need repair.

Maybe more common is to miss diag the leak, then actually replace the good seal, then get to do the sensor too.

 

[quiet]

It's 2021. Honesty and integrity are no longer priorities. In all my years, I have found only one mechanic I trusted. He was an older guy who wore a white coat to work. Oil change monkeys? Don't make me laugh. Dealerships? Even worse. That is why I drive the "Dinosaur" Crown Vic. I got tired of bring lied to and learned how to maintain it.

If I can't open the hood, point to the noise and say, change that part, I don't want it.

 

[Bill S]

Oil chage = high school grads (barely). Firestone and other places, one step above. Find a good mechanic and self diagnose to the best of your ability. Talk like you know what you're talking about.

Fluid leaks? This stuff does work wonders to seal most leaks and you just use a little. I've used it on lawn tractors to keep from having to pull the rear end to fix differential leaks and in cars for oil leaks. It swells the seals.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...G_QK9RR2ye_RR-6B6vxoCaF0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[SoCal Sam]

If I can't open the hood, point to the noise and say, change that part, I don't want it.

"Sir, you will need a couple of new modules."
"How much?"
"It's a foreign car thing..."

 

[jlh3rd]

I do all my own work ever since my college days in the 70's when a mechanic replaced a worn tire and did not torque the lug nuts properly.....could'a killed me and my three friends going home from college on, at that time, the worst main two lane hwy. in louisiana......yeah, the whole wheel came off......
I took my motorcycle to a show in alabama a few years ago, drove from Pa. in my truck. My two front tires developed issues ( another story) so i was stuck getting tires at these new Mavis tire places. I specifically told them to just replace the two tires...don't do anything else. Next thing I know my hood is up...wtf?... he said they do a courtesy check and started to do the fluid this and fluid that. I had to tell him to get out of my engine compartment and shut the hood. Then he proceeded to say the shocks were suspect. I said they're fine, just do the tires.....jeez...
I feel for people, especially women, who get ripped off......

 

[SoCal Sam]

I do all my own work ever since my college days in the 70's when a mechanic replaced a worn tire and did not torque the lug nuts properly.....could'a killed me and my three friends going home from college on, at that time, the worst main two lane hwy. in louisiana......yeah, the whole wheel came off......
I took my motorcycle to a show in alabama a few years ago, drove from Pa. in my truck. My two front tires developed issues ( another story) so i was stuck getting tires at these new Mavis tire places. I specifically told them to just replace the two tires...don't do anything else. Next thing I know my hood is up...wtf?... he said they do a courtesy check and started to do the fluid this and fluid that. I had to tell him to get out of my engine compartment and shut the hood. Then he proceeded to say the shocks were suspect. I said they're fine, just do the tires.....jeez...
I feel for people, especially women, who get ripped off......

Oil change monkeys will rip out the air filter and show it to you...without permission. I have seen them break the air box and then deny they were responsible. Never again.

 

[quiet]

I don't like working on any car. One of the reasons I drive old rwd is the local talent is better at fixing old dumb cars than new smart cars. It's not just the fix it yourself car owners that are struggling with the new cars.
The older a car is the better my chances of getting a shop "here" to successfully fix it.

 

[Condorsat]

A good way to save money at tire shops is to check the prices of parts online. Sometimes the prices can be dramatically different from the quoted price at tire shop for the same or similar products. The shops I used had no problem installing parts that customers bring in (you'll be charged for labor) or have shipped from third party vendors. Saved myself $400 last time I used this method.

 

[cgutz]

A good way to save money at tire shops is to check the prices of parts online. Sometimes the prices can be dramatically different from the quoted price at tire shop for the same or similar products. The shops I used had no problem installing parts that customers bring in (you'll be charged for labor) or have shipped from third party vendors. Saved myself $400 last time I used this method.

I have mixed feelings about this. If there are problems with the tires, the installer blames the seller (tire), the seller (tire) blames the installer. However, you can save a bit of money.

Don't just assume big chain sellers/installers have the best prices. My local independent garage quoted me a better price for 4 tires installed than the big box tire store for the same tire.

 

[Condorsat]

I have mixed feelings about this. If there are problems with the tires, the installer blames the seller (tire), the seller (tire) blames the installer. However, you can save a bit of money.

Don't just assume big chain sellers/installers have the best prices. My local independent garage quoted me a better price for 4 tires installed than the big box tire store for the same tire.

That's okay .. I'll take the risk of returning a defective product for the reward of lower price .. risk & reward sit on the same seat on the Ferris Wheel.
$400 was about a 50% savings over the original estimate given by the tire shop.

True .. you just can't assume that Walmart or Tire Rack have better prices for particular products than the tire shop .. but that's a bet I would be willing to take 7 days a week and twice on Sunday.

You can also research the product you are buying online (professional & customer reviews) and get estimates for both options (installation charges) from the tire shop.

Side note: I have no problems buying automotive products from Walmart but I would not trust them to do anything to my car .. even an oil change.

 

[quiet]

A good way to save money at tire shops is to check the prices of parts online. Sometimes the prices can be dramatically different from the quoted price at tire shop for the same or similar products. The shops I used had no problem installing parts that customers bring in (you'll be charged for labor) or have shipped from third party vendors. Saved myself $400 last time I used this method.

They guaranty the labor, not the parts. If the new part is bad, you wait for another part to be delivered, then get to pay to have it installed again.
Works good on expensive easy to install parts with small labor charges, not on cheap and difficult to install parts.

I've had good success getting the parts supplier to pay the double labor charge though. It just has to be clear that's the way it's going to be if the part is bad.

I haven't received any bad tire yet. But the $10 remount and balance charge for one tire wouldn't bother me.

I did get a good set of tires from Discount Tire that weren't to my liking. They were Cooper's version of the Goodyear T/A. To stiff and not sticky enough. Discount said yes, that's correct, and if you don't like them we will send you the T/A's. They said to drive the Coopers till the T/A's arrive. Discount immediately sent out 4 T/A's and return labels for the Coopers.
The T/A's went on at the same time the Coopers came off. Then the Coopers went back to Discount. Discount paid all shipping and remount charges. No cost involved.
None of this we'll send you new T/A's when we get the Coopers back stuff.

I was impressed to say the least. Discount said don't feel bad, that's just the way we do it.

 

[Judas Priest]

Things are different here in Germany; dare I say, better

I had two new tires mounted on my old Mercedes yesterday. They torque the lug nuts to spec, and on the bill is a notice to come back in 50-100 kilometers to have them re- torqued (which I will do myself). They said my car was in great shape, but I should have the brake fluid changed soon, because its moisture content is a 4%.

When the shop manager drove my car out, he came back into the office with a smile on his face, and said "Great car!"

edit: deleted one "better"

 

[jimbo2k]

Was a fleet manager for eight years, 125 vehicles, mostly Fords. Always had a gift for diagnosing by driving and listening. Hate going into a shop and being treated like an idiot.I have more certifications than all in your shop combined. Once that happens I never return. Find your self shops that you trust. Was my job. Mechanic, auto body, glass, diesel, alignment, tire, Transmission. Good shops made my job much easier

 

[BillyTheKid]

I have a local tire shop in town...3rd generation family run business, been there 60 years or more.
I just call Dennis and see what he recommends. He knows my name, he knows my driving habits. He also does simple stuff like wheel bearings, exhaust systems, oil change, brakes.

Sure, i could save a few bucks buying tires someplace else and just paying him to mount them...But he needs to make a 'profit' to stay in business. He needs to eat, pay the light bill, buy toilet paper, pay his employees a decent wage, buy insurance, etc. etc. etc.
If he closes up shop, then we're all at the mercy of Walmart or worse.

Too many people want to get everything as cheaply as possible, then bemoan the fact that all the independent shops are gone. Well....DUH !!!

 

[old_tv_nut]

"90,000 mile" tires lasting only 25k? Seems odd to me. On the other hand, I've been told that Florida is tough on tires because of combo of temps and coral rock content of road surfaces. Has Louisiana got something similar happening?

When I had the 2003 Merc Marauder, there was only one brand that made the staggered tire set (semi-soft all-seasons). $1200 for four. I think they were rated 60k, but I always changed them at 30k because the traction was definitely poorer by then.

Now, I've been driving so little since retirement and the pandemic, I may need to replace tires based just on age instead of wear.

As for the unneeded upsell, once when I had a tire problem (when much younger and out of state), I got the "shocks look like they're leaking" crap. I just said "Thanks, where's the nearest Sears - they're under warranty."

 

[Condorsat]

No locally owned tire shops left in my town. The last one closed up a couple of year ago .. the building was taken over by a Dollar General store.

 

[cgutz]

Side note: I have no problems buying automotive products from Walmart but I would not trust them to do anything to my car .. even an oil change.

I also have no problem buying stuff at Walmart. You do have to be careful though about one to one product comparisons. Sometimes the "model number" is the same, but with a prefix/suffix indicating it was made for Walmart to their specifications. Might not be the exact same product, even if similar in appearance.

In terms of letting them mount the tires...they don't appear to know how to torque the lugs properly and can warp rotors, etc.

Not bashing Walmart, I shop there regularly...

 

[Condorsat]

I also have no problem buying stuff at Walmart. You do have to be careful though about one to one product comparisons. Sometimes the "model number" is the same, but with a prefix/suffix indicating it was made for Walmart to their specifications. Might not be the exact same product, even if similar in appearance.

In terms of letting them mount the tires...they don't appear to know how to torque the lugs properly and can warp rotors, etc.

Not bashing Walmart, I shop there regularly...

True story .. knew somebody who worked on salesfloor at Walmart. Manager asked him if he wanted to work in automotive? He said "I don't know anything about cars" .. the manager said "oh, you don't have to know anything about cars".

Walmart is okay to deal with ... you just have to do your due diligence.

 

[quaddriver]

The other thing I didn't mention was the power steering rack. They told me that the boots had disintegrated because the rack was leaking fluid. Quoted me $1,200 for a new rack, flush and alignment. Boots had disintegrated, no fluid leak. I replaced the boots myself,

lemme guess, monro or firestone shop?