Help....Car Repair Diagnosis and Bill

[Anonymous]

Someone who knows more than I do, please advise!

My 19-year-old car was having trouble starting and I brought it to my (previously trusted) mechanic. After a day in the shop, I got a call explaining what was wrong with it.....mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo.....with a quote of $900 to repair it. The car has a trade-in value of about $2000 and I was planning to buy a new car in a couple of months.

The guy told me that this was absolutely the problem and the car will run like a top after this repair. My thought was that if I didn't pay the $900. I'd donate it and have it towed from my house, but if I did pay the $900, I'd recapture the cost and come out $1000 ahead. (Plus I wouldn't be in crisis mode to buy a new car next week, for which I am unprepared.) So, I authorized it, and they said they'd absolutely have it done by this afternoon.

Now I get a call that after they did the $900 repair, the car still is having troubles, and that they really needed to do the first repair before they could determine if anything else was wrong. I argued that that was not the message I got yesterday - I was told that the $900 repair would fix it. If I had been told "maybe', I wouldn't have authorized the repair.

What should I do at this point? He said he'd call back in an hour to tell me precisely what additional problems they found.

[Anonymous]

What was it doing, and what did they repair?

[Anonymous]

I don't believe that your 19 year old car has a trade in value of 2k.

[Anonymous]

We need to know what the "mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo" was before we can give you any meaningful advise.

[Anonymous]

Any car is worth $1,000 on Craigslist. I sold a car with a misfire, overdue for major work 180k mile service and soon a transmission belt at 200k), and a torn CV boot. The dealership offered me $50 for it as a trade in. I put it on Craigslist for $500 and listed everything wrong with it. I had half a dozen people trying to be helpful email me in the first 20 minutes saying I’m not charging enough and it should be “at least” $1,000 because it runs.

So I did that, I re-listed for $1,000 and had someone come by and buy it that weekend (had several interested people). Just make sure to take your plates off and report the sale to the state if you do this. Oh and only take cash and don’t do all this alone.

These guys buy these cars cheap, fix them up, then sell them. Car parts are cheap, the labor is expensive unless you do it yourself.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Problem solved (I hope).

The manager of the shop made good. He said that since they did not fully identify the problem, they will complete the repairs for no additional charge. He said the $900 repair I DID pay for was still necessary, just that they also needed to repair one other part which they did not diagnose correctly. I hope that's true!

To the person upthread who asked how a 19-year-old car could be worth $2,000, it can if the model has a reputation for reaching 200,000 miles easily and mine has just over half that. Plus, very well maintained and in new condition.

Anyway, thanks for the responses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any car is worth $1,000 on Craigslist. I sold a car with a misfire, overdue for major work 180k mile service and soon a transmission belt at 200k), and a torn CV boot. The dealership offered me $50 for it as a trade in. I put it on Craigslist for $500 and listed everything wrong with it. I had half a dozen people trying to be helpful email me in the first 20 minutes saying I’m not charging enough and it should be “at least” $1,000 because it runs.

So I did that, I re-listed for $1,000 and had someone come by and buy it that weekend (had several interested people). Just make sure to take your plates off and report the sale to the state if you do this. Oh and only take cash and don’t do all this alone.

These guys buy these cars cheap, fix them up, then sell them. Car parts are cheap, the labor is expensive unless you do it yourself.

OPS here....and thanks for the advice. I definitely will take cash only, and I'll get my brother to meet the buyer with me.

[Anonymous]

The car must be either a Honda or a Toyota.
Or within the family.

Otherwise I don’t be

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The car must be either a Honda or a Toyota.
Or within the family.

Otherwise I don’t be

Yup....within the family of Honda or Toyota (upscale version).

[Anonymous]

^^^^ I knew it! ^^^^
Them cars are truly the gold standard when it comes to reliability issues.

They are truly built to last.
Almost forever.

[Anonymous]

I also sold my car on CL. The dealer where I was buying the new car kept insisting they would give me an equal amount if I traded it in. I told them cash is more valuable, and left. I sold mine for $1,700. When I went back to the dealership the following week, he admitted they “never would have given that much in trade.”

It is true that some issues have to be fixed before other things can be diagnosed. Do you remember what they’re repairing?

[Anonymous]

I would have? checked the battery cables, the alternator, and the starter before taking it in. Any of those are easy fixes, and not $900 repairs. You can hit a starter with a hammer and get the car to start. If it's the solenoid, you can cross it over with a screwdriver. I always suggest buying the book that goes with your vehicle so that you can troubleshoot minor problems before taking your vehicle to a mechanic.

[Anonymous]

Ignore the question mark. My phone likes to insert random things into my posts.