What did this shop just quote me...?

Is there a way to inspect my ball joints and wheel bearings? I literally have had zero clucks, noises, or howls besides a little vibration (after I installed coil spacers) and my steering wheel is a little off. I know it is because the alignment and I know it isn't death wobble. My steering stabilizer is not leaking at all and my sway bar links still have their intact rubber with grease still inside. It's a California jeep with 60k on the clock. Just wondering if there was any truth to their madness


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dylansalrin said:
Is there a way to inspect my ball joints and wheel bearings? I literally have had zero clucks, noises, or howls besides a little vibration (after I installed coil spacers) and my steering wheel is a little off. I know it is because the alignment and I know it isn't death wobble. My steering stabilizer is not leaking at all and my sway bar links still have their intact rubber with grease still inside. It's a California jeep with 60k on the clock. Just wondering if there was any truth to their madness
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I seriously doubt any of those are worn with only 60k miles on your Jeep. 60,000 miles isn't much by Wrangler TJ standards.
 
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You can have someone move the steering wheel 3-9 and look for any movement in the ball joint/steering/links etc. But like Jerry said, pretty doubtful any of that needs replacement at only 60k.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
Stay out of franchise/chain operations like those. They have sales quotas they have to meet and they'll do everything they can to extract every last dollar out of you that they can. They were trying to rip you off.

Quick story about JiffyLube. I had just changed the air filter in my wife's Lexus when I took it in to to JiffyLube to have its oil changed. It's too low slung for me to easily get my big Jeep size jack in underneath to get to its oil pan. So while I'm in the waiting room, the manager comes in with a worried look and looks me in the eye and said 'I don't know how your engine is even running, your air filter is completely clogged. I can replace it for only $69 today, they're on special". I could barely suppress a big grin because I knew I was going to have them by the balls in a minute or two.

Though he said I couldn't go out into the service bay, I said 'Oh I insist' and went through the door to my wife's car with the manager trailing me and asked to be shown the clogged air filter. I played dumb. Everyone went into a panic as I again asked to be shown the air filter. They started looking all over the engine compartment and couldn't even find it. It is located up front, kinda hidden. I then asked the manager how he could say it was clogged when they hadn't even seen it. As I opened the air filter enclosure for them, I explained that I had just changed it and pulled out the pristine air filter I had just installed. They were all freaking out by this time, they had been caught lying red-handed.

I asked 'are you guys trying to rip me off here or what?' The manager just came unglued with embarrassment and he offered a complete service of the car with everything they had in stock... free. I accepted, watched them like a hawk while they did everything, then drove out afterward and never went back.

Chains and franchises like Midas, Firestone, Aamco, Jiffylube, etc. are pushed to meet their daily sales quotas and they can't always do so honestly. Your shop was trying to make you their latest victim.
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Yes, this! I especially love when they say something like, "Well I just don't know if I can let you drive off with your car in such bad shape. It could be really dangerous!".

At one point, when I was resisting some stuff I didn't need, a guy got so aggressive with me that my husband physically got between me and him and told the guy I had said no multiple times and he needed to back the hell off. This guy was like trying to verbally and physically intimidate me into buying a bunch of service I didn't need. It just amazes me.

I used to own a VW beetle and every time I had my oil changed at a chain place, they would tell me I needed my turbo completely replaced. Literally every time. Then I found a local German car mechanic who did any serious work for me after that and he was like uh, no. Just no.

Also, clutch replacement for the Beetle estimate at chain place $2,000. German car mechanic $600. They are total scamsters at chain places.

I will give a strong second to finding a good local place that fits your needs. Once I found my German car mechanic, the Beetle didn't go anywhere else ever again.



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I went to a jiffy lube once, $29 dollar oil change. Guy tells me I needed about $350 dollars in repairs from battery terminal cleaning to a burnt out license plate bulb and every thing in between. I stated I just want the oil changed, Thank You.
They did it and replaced the filter. Yes I was watching. He brings me a bill for $69. I said what is this??? They had put some kinda oil they were pushing at like $10 a quart. I said no I just wanted the $29 oil change that was listed on the sign out front. He said they had already changed the oil with the upgrade oil. I said no thanks, just put the old oil and filter back in. He was astounded....Worked a deal for $29 and tax. Got home an closely checked the oil and filter and was satisfied. Checked everything on the list that was "wrong" with my truck and found nothing.
 
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It's called "up sale." I was a tech at a Nissan dealership many moons ago and we did oil changes for 4.95. Yes, 5 bucks. But for that "low price," we also did a "free" 30 point (or something like that) inspection in order to find problems to repair. So a 5 dollar oil change could become a few hundred dollar job. I never, and do not believe the other techs, ever tried to scam people out of things that didn't need to be done. I would guess maybe 30% of vehicles had issues that needed attention. The techs didn't handle the sales part the service writers handled that but, our guys were low pressure, probably because of the volume of work we had.
 
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To the OP. If you're not upgrading and need any of these components replaced, look up Spicer ball joints and Moog steering components. Then go shopping on amazon.com. You'd be surprised how cheap you can get these top-quality components. That shop probably got a quote from the local dealer and marked it up double.
 
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Cisco Kid said:
I went to a jiffy lube once, $29 dollar oil change. Guy tells me I needed about $350 dollars in repairs from battery terminal cleaning to a burnt out license plate bulb and every thing in between. I stated I just want the oil changed, Thank You. They did it and replaced the filter. Yes I was watching. He brings me a bill for $69. I said what is this??? They had put some kinda oil they were pushing at like $10 a quart. I said no I just wanted the $29 oil change that was listed on the sign out front. He said they had already changed the oil with the upgrade oil. I said no thanks, just put the old oil and filter back in. He was astounded....Worked a deal for $29 and tax. Got home an closely checked the oil and filter and was satisfied. Checked everything on the list that was "wrong" with my truck and found nothing.
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Its the people, not the place. I just had my oil changed at Jiffy Lube on Monday. Total bill was $33. new oil filter, 6 quarts of 10W-30, topped off my fluids and even vacuumed the TJ out. I fully expected the $50 dollar air filter replacement hard sale or something else. The manager came back and said I have slight oil leak that I should get checked out by a mechanic. Nothing major but just a small drop at the edge of the pan (which I knew about already). All the fluids looked good and the air filter was in great shape. She complimented me on my TJ and said have a great day. Even the kid that checked me in was a hustling, hard working kid. the type of kid that was jogging from task to task to make sure everyone was taken care of.
 
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These places especially prey on women who bring in a vehicle for routine service. Dealerships are notorious for upselling. My wife recently took her 2012 Honda Civic with 45k on the odo in for an oil change and vehicle inspection at a local Honda dealership. She was driving to Denver and just wanted everything looked at. I don't know how hard they looked, but the list of 'needed repairs' came to over $3k. Needless to say, she knew enough to pay for the 'inspection', but that's all. None of the things they listed needed fixing. We got the oil changed somewhere else. This dealership charges $75-$80 to change a cabin air filter, which can be bought for $10 and takes about 2 minutes to change.
 
$3200? Holy cow. You could have an entire Currie suspension for all that. And then for an extra few hundred dollars, you could replace all those things yourself.

I would be having a very high volume conversation if a shop tried to pull that BS on me.
 
Add chabills to the list. Brought my daughters VW beetle in for an air conditioning service. They pulled everything apart and then said it would be 3k to fix. I told them I didn't authorize that level of repair and it was clearly discussed between me and the service manager what i wanted. I did it myself for 500 bucks. They also tried to tell me the turbo waste gate was bad and needed to be changed or it would burn up the turbo. Needless to say, I wouldn't bring in a bicycle tire for them to air up.



*Note* It doesn't have a turbo and never did.
 
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So, The brakes on the Jeep were really, really good. Like a brand new car, you'd just touch the pedal and you were stopping.

I've been doing my own brakes since I was 17, so I have about 35 years. I have every brake tool you need to work on brakes.

I hate working on brakes. :lol: My back is screwed up and I know I'm going to be paying for a doing a brake job in pain for about 3 days.

Plus, It's hot and humid in Houston. No, no, no....not, Gee, Roger, it gets humid here too! No. Unless you've been here to experience Houston on a steamy July afternoon, you have no idea.

Anyways, my FIL gave us a really nice car, a little Toyota Solara. He had Brake Check, a chain down here do a Lifetime Brake Job on the car.....and I loved it.

"Roger, the brakes are making a funny noise."

"Take that Sh*t to Brake Check!"

"Roger, the pedal feels funny."

"Take that Sh*t to Brake Check!"

"Roger, the wheels are on fire!"

"Take that Sh*t to Brake Check!"

It was great.

giphy.gif


TBC...
 
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Of course the day after I bought the Jeep, I hear a slight squeak coming from the back brakes when in reverse.

Then it started getting worse and worse and finally started to squeal when stopping.

I told my wife, Y'know our daughter is going to be going away and it sure would be nice if she was having problems for her just go to Brake Check and have it fixed.

We had nothing but good luck before with them and agreed it would be worth paying the "Professionals" <sigh>

Wife takes it in on a Saturday. I talked to guy over the phone. One of the pads is cracked on the back and one pad is glazed over on the front.

I told him, just go ahead and replace all pads and turn/face the drums/rotors. Basic Brake Job.

I get home and right away I see large black smudge marks all over the fenders, doors and in the interior.

Ask the wife if the brakes were ok and she said yes. Ask how much? $475.

$475!!! For brakes??? Wow.

Monday I go to drive to work and the pedal just about goes to floor as I almost run the 1st stop sign.

They feel like they have air in the line, not responsive as they were.

I call the manager and state my concerns. When I say state, what I really mean is I'm giving this guy a piece of my mind.

I'm not a happy customer.

I ask questions like "How could let my wife drive away with the brakes like that?"

"Why does My Jeep have grease, brake dust, hand prints and god knows what else all over the fenders and interior?"

"How can "Professionals" who's specialty is brakes be so bad at a brakes?"

He assured me all would be taken care of next Saturday, when I set another appointment.

TBC...
(Sorry guys, I'm swamped here at work!!)
 
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LeePTI said:
I urge everyone to post their experiences like this on YELP. It helps prevent those reading reviews from getting ripped off. It puts the business on notice. And it hitting the POST button does make you feel better. Share both positive and negative.
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Agreed. While I usually post only highly positive reviews on Yelp, I'd give Midas a bad review there for sure. What they quoted you should be criminal.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
Dude! You need to get your Jeep out of there pronto! Don't go anywhere near a Midas or an AAMCO. Rip off artists. We have an AAMCO opened up in town. That ass hat takes customer's cars, leaves stuff on over night, then tries to sell them a battery, among other nonsense.
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Just Brakes is every bit as bad. You go in there for ANYTHING and the quote will be $800 plus.
 
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