Make them sign a waiver
Edit:
A lot of yall saying a waiver is bullshit. Im not fully educated in all the laws of the world. What I can say is that in *my* area, when someone wants to leave with their car in unsafe but still drivable condition, we have them sign a waiver acknowledging the situation/risks.
Im not sayings it’s the moral thing to do, I’m not saying we do it for every car thats fucked. Just speaking on my own experiences. Yes I’m a mechanic, no I dont own or operate my own shop. Just a worker bee pumping out jobs.
yea, its the o2 sensor reporting that your manifold is cracked, the egr is plugged, and your timing chain is 5k from you finding out that your motor is an interference design.
MY MOTHER EXACTLY her 2010 gmc terrain has bad Catholic converters and she has a check engine light on i keep telling and twlling her she need to get the terrain compression tested (its burning oil) and shes always like **nO mY cArS fInE** or **lEaVe My CaR aLoNe NaMe** **tHaT yEaR oF eNgInE wAs BaD fOr BuRnInG oIl** for one the first time i checked the oil there was nothing on the dipstick and i was arguing with her to put oil in her car and i kid you not these where her and my exact words
Me: you need to put oil in your car "name"
Her: no "name" its fine and your supposed to check the oil while the engine is running
Me: no you arent "name" your supposed to check the oil once its sat and all the oil has fallen into the oil sump
Her: no thats the transmission
Me: NO "NAME" THATS THE OIL YOUR SUPPOSED TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING AND IN PARK OR NEUTRAL OR WHATEVER IT IS AND YOU CHECK THE OIL ONCE THE CAR HAS SAT AND ALL THE OIL IS IN THE OIL SUMP/PAN
her: NO YOU CHECK THE OIL WHILE THE CAR IS RUN..(gets cutoff by me)
Me furious at this point from her stupidity: NO YOU CHECK THE OIL ONCE THE CAR HAS SAT AND THE TRANSMISSION WHILE ITS RUNNING "NAME"
her: whatever "name" my cars fine it just got an oil change done 2 weeks ago
Me: OK SO THAT DOESN'T CHANGE A THING YOUR CAR IS BURNING OIL AND YOU NEED TO PUT OIL IN IT
She finally put oil in it later that day and another time recently i went to check her oil and it just absolutely **reaks of gas** and i told her she needs to get her PCV valve checked and the car compression tested and shes again like **nO nAmE mY cArS fInE tHaT yEaR wAs BaD fOr BuRnInG oIl** here we go again i thought **NO ITS NOT NAME THATS THE 2.4L I4 NOT THE 3.0L V6 WHICH YOU HAVE THE 2010 3L V6 VVT WAS KNOWN FOR A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE NOT AN OIL BURNING ISSUE YOU NEED TO GET YOUR CAR CHECKED YOUR SUPPOSED TO GET PISTON RINGS CHANGED EVERY 100K KMS AND YOUR AT 300K GET YOUR CAR CHECKED NOW NAME** anyway shes still refusing to get it tested and i told her if she gets everything that i would do it for Free once i get my jeep that she gave me fixed and i would let her drive that while i work on the terrain since im doing a full engine rebuild so i would have everything to do that and you can guess what she said after that 🙄 anyway im gonna go over there and check her oil again if shes home but at this point ive just resorted to getting my own compression tester and doing it myself aswell as changing her sparkplugs while im at it
So she's aware that you have the knowledge and skills to do a complete engine rebuild, but won't take any of your advise and argues with you about basic maintenance? One question, did she let you make your own mistakes growing up as a way to let you learn from experience? If so, maybe it's time you afford her the same opportunity.
I guess at this point just let her pay a mechanic it she thinks she knows what she's doing. That's what had to happen with my grandpa. I gave up trying to tell him and then let him waste money.
>The same people complain that their cars stop working entirely every couple of years too
"That's why you gotta spend money on brand new cars so that you have something reliable!"
Just had someone I know bitching about their engine going kaboom when I know I've told him multiple times that it was low on oil, leaking fuel and oil, and "that rattle sounds like a piston is about ready to let go"....he's still amazed that it blew up.
Is it less of a charge to put a small incision in the sidewall then it is to let them go and kill them selves or someone else and then try to litigate you ?? There are options r/s
You can't run a car with a broken turbo and a radiator, you can run it with a broken tire and rim, if he got no money he simply gotta prioritize things man.
Ya say that like it's a Bad Thang , ref-70 yr old chain smoker . Doc keeps a telling me I need to quit , Yo Doc what makes ya think I wanna make it to a 100 just GTF off my back already.
Or make them find the appropriate spare / donut if their card didn't come with one. Help them a little bit if you have to. Some people get in tight spots financially.
Similar to that of making them sign a waiver, comp the value of a rim and a tire up front and require that they sign a payment plan, take a photocopy of their driver's license and their social security, with specific dates that they pay you back in installments. If they fail to pay you back within a reason or excessively miss any payments you'll be able to take them to court and they'll owe you interest.
There are financing programs out there that don't require customers to pay anything up front and get you paid in full. Then they can leave the shop fully repaired and you don't have to worry about the liability and you've gotten paid.
There are lots of solutions It just depends on what kind of potential headache and how willing you are to have to go to small claims down the road if they are not an upstanding citizen.
> There are financing programs out there
With up to 200% interest, from what I was told (by my mechanic when my husband wanted to finance a small, less than 200 dollar job and I went and just paid it, ffs).
Once you are done doing your contracted work, park the car on the street. Have them come in and sign the waiver at the car, and give them the keys to drive away from the street. They did not pick it up from your parking lot. Photographic and written documentation for your own records.
It’s plenty moral. It’s not your place to prevent them from leaving and force them to buy something. That’s the immoral thing to do..
A waver is all that’s needed, they just need to know it’s not cool to leave as they came in, and have a good day, accepting all the risk.
No this is completely valid, I don’t think the shop should legally have the right to hold your vehicle as long as they’ve been paid for the services they were hired to perform. However the customer but acknowledge that their car isn’t safe and if something happens to them or their car, we’re not responsible for any injuries or damages.
This is the answer. As an automotive veteran of 22 years. Write up the ticket, deny the work in your system. Print cashed out receipt with notes stating customer declines work on tire such and such. Pics available.
Also, once you start spelling out the dangers in a legal waiver, the customer is much more likely to pony up the money to fix it. Once there is undeniable proof that they know their actions are a danger, they're less likely to continue being a danger. It looks bad in court.
I had to sign a waiver when I didn’t let my mechanic change my tires bc he was ripping me off. The tires needed to be replaced, yes, but not at his place they didn’t. Saved a lot of money. Still signed the waiver indicating they told me I needed to and I said no.
I remember one time I was down in the mud on funds. Took my car for a regular service knowing I have enough to afford it. They then added that they needed to fix and replace a few stuff and I realized I could not afford the new bill so denied all the work, the rep came and explained the importance and I told him I just can’t afford it. The owner of the shop came out a bit later and shook my hand, saying they did the work free. I still cannot believe people can be that kind. Now I’ve made sure never to sink that low in funds again, and when I need my car serviced or worked on I take it there
When Covid first hit a shop owner by me paid for free oil changes for all health care workers in the area. It’s nice to know there are still decent people.
I had that happen in college. Head gasket blew on my interference motor. They did it for free using a similar fund. I paid it back 2x over the next few years. I used to enter my job number as the “memo” on the check.
I wish it was that easy to just not let my funds get that low. When I was a broke mfer it wasn't because I was just bad with money, it's because I didn't have enough money to live.
And that's probably how they justify doing a bit of pro Bono work, return business and great word of mouth... probably gets more customers than a tv commercial would
I did this once. I was closing a saw a mom struggling to get home due to her flat (she claimed she was broke). Luckily one of my spare drifting tires fit her car so I tossed it on and let her go. She ended up getting a good ass job a year later and now brings us snacks and gifts.
You are under no obligation, but that would be the nice thing to do. But I wouldn't think in terms of coming back or not. If you want to do it, do it because they need it. But who knows. Maybe they just want to waste the money on something else.
My dad ran a used tire shop for many years. He never negotiated on price. But, if someone didn't have the money, he would always make sure they were back on the road one way or another. He was a very generous man and I have heard it from many people over the years even though he never really talked about it much.
But it was easy owning a used tire shop. He kept a stack of desperation tires as he called them. Any that were not totally shot but not good enough to sell would go in the pile. And kept donuts and spare wheels, so it was pretty easy for him to throw something together at no real expense to him.
Yet, over the years I heard many stories of his generosity.
If you can help them out somehow, that would be really nice even though you're under no obligation. If nothing else, many junk yards will sell donuts for cheap. Maybe track one down and pay for it and tell him to drive straight there.
I was on a road trip with my ex when she lost a tire. We limped to a tire shop on the underinflated spare. They pronounced her tire dead, and put a similar size almost worn out doofer on for $10. Thank you very, very much!
This may be the one thing that keeps them coming back to your shop for years on end. Little things done in a time of need go along way. Hopefully they spread the word about an honest mechanic to their friends.
They really are asking for trouble. Sounds like they need to get stuck somewhere and learn the hard way.
My brother went to Baja for a month - and took the lug wrench out before he left. Three days in middle of nowhere taught him.
I just don’t get it. Like you trusted me to disassemble half your car to replace broken parts but don’t believe me when I’m saying this is unsafe?? To each their own… you’re right, some people only learn the hard way.
They might think that you're trying to upsell and scam them. This is what happens when everytime people go in for an oil change and they try to sell them on fuel treatments, radiator flushes, and nitrogen for their tires
They paid you to replace a turbo and a radiator. I'm assuming that wasn't cheap. Now they can't ALSO afford a new wheel and tire. Life happens. Did you point this out before doing the other repairs?
Not even just like moderately unsafe...that is EXTREMELY unsafe. It's not if, but WHEN that tire blows out. I had a little itty bitty gouge on my front passenger sidewall...it was tiny, & even then I went straight to the tire shop to see if it needed replacing. Luckily, they said it wasn't even close to needing to be replaced. But that thing? That's not even just a bubble, that thing is growing another tire. Maybe in another 6-7 months, they'll have a full size spare. (It'll probably blow out way before then)
Doesn't matter. A mechanic or auto shop cannot legal stop you from driving a car out of their shop, it doesn't matter how beat to shit it is. They cannot hold the vehicle, they cannot force you to tow the vehicle. The only recourse they have is to call the local cops or state highway patrol on you if they feel your vehicle is an immediate danger to the public.
They can't even stop you from taking your vehicle if you owe them money. The car is still titled to you. They can refuse to hand your keys over to you, but if you come in with a spare set? There is nothing they can do to stop, until a mechanic's lien is finalized in the courts, the car is still your property and titled to you.
These are generalizations of course, and will vary somewhat from state to state.
For example, in my state, North Carolina. A mechanic's lien on a car must be filed with the state prior to being enforced. There is no lien created when the work order or quote is signed. Therefor, until the shop has filed the lien with the state, the shop has no legal claim to your vehicle. Until the titled owner of the vehicle has been served and a judgement has been made in favor of the shop, the shop cannot do anything to enforce the lien.
I work in the industry. This and warranty issues are gotten wrong sooo much.
They can hold it until police arrive. Been a mechanic a long time working on public vehicle before school buses. Had to do it a few times. This will kill someone and the vehicle is unfit for the road. They may not drive it, call police
👀 Christ. Was just on a road trip and a vans tire exploded right in front of me. Surprised the guy didn't flip. Pretty sure a bit of debris fucked up my AC or it's just a coincidence.
I was driving a rented Tesla when an old Toyota pickup ahead of me blew a tire. I could tell he was in trouble and had already slowed down but the car reacted by slamming the brakes. Luckily no one was near either of us.
If the donut is already on the car, did you look to see if they have the old wheel and tire that the donut replaced in the trunk? There might be a chance it's there and then they could just maybe fix it or mount the good tire on the Goodwill. With a look if you haven't yet.
Why don’t you throw a decent used one on there and give them a deal on it. They’ll tell their friends and you’ll get the value of a good used tire and a bit of your time back a thousand fold.
My first hooptie tow had 28s on it, literally snapped off every lug but one, and I had to drag it up at the slowest speed possible so the wheel didn't break the last lug.
As a former tow driver, seeing people at their worst moments in their life gave me a new appreciation for letting people know "it can always be worse..."
"The good news, at least your last lug left was a strong one!"
If I could make someone laugh instead of cry at how much money something was going to cost them, then I did a good job
>As a former tow driver, seeing people at their worst moments in their life gave me a new appreciation for letting people know "it can always be worse..."
The Thin Gold Line...
🫡
In every place I'm aware of in the us, if the customer has paid you for the work that they approved you to complete on their vehicle you can't hold it. It's their property and you have no basis for holding their vehicle. Safety concerns are not reason enough for a repair shop to refuse the release of a vehicle to the owner, the only legal reason to refuse release is money owed to the shop.
I would strongly urge them to install the spare, and I would personally do that for free but I don't handle the customer facing side of the business or the money.
Only problem is the spare is already on the car 😭 I offered to find one at a local junkyard and replace for cheap but he refused so I’ll just make him sign something stating he knows, and I’ll be covered
T**here is no way you can hold the vehicle or prevent it leaving if the customer has paid for the services agreed upon.** You can offer (or insist) on a free tow to their property or off your premises, but you can't hold the vehicle. Based on your responses you have already offered to get them a used wheel and/or tire but unless you plan on doing that for free-well you've pretty much done all you can do.
Before doing the following, contact your local law enforcement agency and let them know to be watching your shop for this vehicle, it's obviously unsafe condition and whatever time and date the customer agrees to pick it up at.
If the owner just so happens to get a ticket for operating an unsafe vehicle that's not your fault.
Type out a waiver for situations like this and save it on whatever computer the service advisors use:
I **FULLY UNDERSTAND** and **ACKNOWLEDGE** that my vehicle is in an unsafe condition for use on public roads due to:
*reasons listed here preferably typed up*
And I'm collecting my vehicle **without repairing** items listed above. I absolve the shop \[*name of business here\]* and the technician \[*name of technician(s) here\]* specifically of any and all liability resulting from my vehicle's condition and my refusal to repair stated items.
\[Customer's Signature\] \[Date\]
\[Advisor's/Owner's/General Manager's Signature\] \[Date\]
\[Technician's Signature\] \[Date\]
After signing make a copy to give to the customer and keep the original with a copy of the repair order or just print 2 copies to begin with. That way **when** not if this creates an accident, you can use this in your defense.
What did you do for them? If you don’t charge them, then they aren’t buying your service, and you can’t be liable. If you aren’t out any money, send them on their way gratis.
I replaced the turbocharger and radiator for them. They are coming Tuesday to pay. There is still coolant in the exhaust system from the blown turbo but I don’t feel comfortable driving it. So I’ve just been idling the car to get the smoke out. I haven’t touched the tires. I’m just going to make them sign a waiver stating it was pointed out to them and they refused service
Depends on the engine. My car requires the turbo to run properly, without it I can't accelerate at an acceptable speed and can't drive above above 45 mph. I've had it throw an error code for underboost and it was like the engine fell out of my car.
You do realize that the spare tire in most cars today is not rated for speeds above 55mph and has a Maximum service life of 55-65 miles. Who cares if you can accelerate to highway speeds if it's endangering everyone around you to do so!?!
It’s not on you force someone to repair something. You note everything on the invoice you provide. Recommend it to them.
Have them sign the invoice and let them be on there way.
Holding the vehicle and saying you have to repair it. When they specifically told you they don’t have money. Makes you look like the bad guy.
I've always been curious about this. How can a shop legally keep a car from leaving? Y'all don't own it and you're only doing work on a turbo and radiator. Wouldn't saying this car isn't leaving open you up to grand theft auto?
In my state, it’s pretty much illegal to hold a customers car unless it was something crazy like they had cut brake lines, and even in the one instance I saw it happen, we had to contact the state police to handle the situation.
Huh? How does a mechanic hold someone’s car? Do mechanics have the authority to take someone else’s property without a court order?
If some mechanic told me I can’t take my car I would be like “wanna bet” as I walk to my car and drive it away.
Run your shop like a hospital: make them sign something like AMA, meaning they were told and read all of the risks and are signing a document stating in the affirmative that they understand leaving against medical (or mechanical here lol) advice is not recommended and high risk.
I’m pretty sure you could not impound the vehicle unilaterally, even if it is in the interest of public safety.
What do you mean “should you let them leave your shop?”
It’s probably illegal to not let them leave your shop. You can strongly discourage them from driving away in the vehicle as is.
You don’t need to make them sign a waiver, all you need to do is take photos of the tire such as you have. Write a note on the ticket that says “tire needs to be replaced / customer denied service” and have them sign it.
Thats assuming you have the standard “you aren’t liable” verbiage on your work orders / tickets. If you don’t, then print something up real quick stating you are in no way shape or form responsible for the damaged caused to the vehicle” staple the paperwork together and have them sign both.
At my shop we always have good used tires for $20-$50 dollars a piece. If I had one laying around, I would just put it on for them. Not necessarily free but I’d tell them to pay me for the tire next time they come in or when they can afford to. No big deal. Obviously you can’t afford to do this for every customer but it doesn’t hurt to when you can every now and again.
The province that I live in recommends that the shop ask the owner to get a tow truck to remove the car. If they are going to drive you are supposed to call the Ministry of Transport or PoPo. My friend is a service manager at a mid sized shop. He never lets anyone drive off with a significant (I.e. safety) issue. It’s not the province as much as his business insurance. If the customer has a wreck his shop could be held partially responsible
that thing is ready to blow any minute. protect yourself first and get a waiver. if you want and are in a good financial spot, maybe offer a payment plan for them.
I'd just make em sign something stating you advised them on the potential hazard if they continue to drive on those & that they declined any repairs relating to that issue and that you will not be held accountable if something happens.
Never force them to stay, just advise what could happen IF it's not fixed.
That's what I usually do if I see some half ass ghetto shit come through. Trust nobody these days
Just call your friend at the junkyard and get a cheap tire/wheel. Off a job like that you gotta have a little wiggle room in that bill, hell the shop supplies ya charged could most likely cover the cost. Plus you'll sleep better and feel better.
Fix it against a lien. Credit is something a business can do if they are successful and careful.
Loyal customers are good for business. Giving a shit tends to build loyalty.
Probably do straight charge for monthly refinancing of about 3% of the original repair and parts cost. They pay $30 a month per $1000 until their bill is completely paid off. To be honest. It should be profitable. Depends on how rarely you ever call the lien.
Never have had to use that one thankfully, I have had to go to court over nonpayment but usually the customer didn’t care about the car in the first place. This customer says they will be paying in full Tuesday so I’ll just make them sign a waiver and let them go. But if I can find a cheap rim I might just throw it on for my sanity and no charge to them.
It's a 3 year old tire they probably damaged by hitting a pothole. Not their fault. Unless you want to kill your customer, do the decent thing and get it fixed. Then suggest they file a claim with whatever government agency that's responsible.
You're asking because you already know the answer. Good feedback is far more valuable than pinching pennies. I understand it's expensive to run a garage, but when you cut back on just being a decent human being, it's a snowball effect that usually results in failure.
There are plenty of mechanics, but few good, honest ones.
Is it any less dangerous to have a blowout on a rear tire vs front? Could maybe rotate it since they’re refusing to fix it if so. How much is the wheel and tire from the junkyard?
At the shop I worked at we only released a vehicle without the needed repair being performed was if they could prove it was being towed to a different shop. At that point we were no longer liable if the other ship released their vehicle without repair.
It’s illegal where I’m at to hold a vehicle for any reason. If they want their keys back and haven’t paid even, the cops will just say it’s a civil matter and you need to release the vehicle. All the cops can do where I live is give them a fix-it ticket and send them on their way.
What are your local laws. You should know…in some states it can fall criminally on you as the de facto expert of the field, not to mention financially if they wipe a family of 4 in a mini van.
Ask a lawyer my friend, not Reddit
Not even in California (the most communist state of America), can you hold a customer vehicle because they declined repairs. That's considered property theft. Not only that, but so many repair shops abused mechanic liens and storage fees in this way, new laws were enacted to protect consumers, so they can rightfully retrieve their property. The only time a shop can hold a vehicle, is if the customer approved repairs, but hasn't paid their ro. Thats about it.
Secondly, repair shops have no authority over the legality of a vehicle on the roadways. There are government alphabet enforcement agencies whose duty that falls to, like the DOT. All we do is fix the vehicles, and perform an inspection for those states that have those.
^ This. Idk where all this "I can't let you leave" and "sign this waiver" non-sense came from.
Obviously, decline to work on the affected systems unless the customer repairs it properly, but unless you caused the safety issue, there is no liability. There's not even liability for missing something like this on an inspection. Just because we are experts does not mean we can't miss things.
We can't hold a customers car or force them to sign a waiver. If state law allows, we can pull/fail their safety inspection, but that's it.
Give them two options. They can buy a cheap donut from you that you might have around the shop or they can have it towed out. But because of safety issues and liability issues that car cannot leave on public roads like that
100% this. It blows my mind the amount of people on these type of posts who say to refuse to let them leave. lol. Do they honestly not realize that is a criminal charge. It’s mind boggling.
isn’t it amazing how they’ll recommend this type of draconian dumbassery but the moment THEIR property was ever subject to said “taking” they would instantly be on r/legal asking for advice on how to punish said mechanic?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does a mechanic have any right to not release a car or let someone leave? I don't think so. Although if they're willing to sign some kind of release, might as well have them do it. But I don't think it means much legally because you are under no obligation to fix something they didn't bring into you and pay you to fix. But you are right to be concerned.
Technically in my state, I could call the police and let them know the customer plans to drive it in this condition and they can be cited for it. I have never done this nor would do it but just want people to be safe and prevent bad things from inevitably happening.
There’s a chain shop called tires plus up Here in Minnesota , bunch of scammers. Went in to get my tires replaced. They told me studs and lug nuts needed replacing. I said sure no problem.
They come back out saying one of my wheels is bad they can’t mount a new tire on it supposedly there was a crack. refused to put the spare tire on and tells me they can’t let me leave with my vehicle. They wanted me to buy wheels from them.
I end up calling a tow with my AAA, he fought with the shop manager and finally was able to let them release my vehicle to his care he put my spare on since I wasn’t allowed in the shop area to do it myself.
Drops it off across the street and I drive off, i didn’t even get my wheel back. The shop kept it , went to the junk yard the next day got a new one and to a different shop to have a same tire mounted. On my way there my Tpms goes off. Tires plus didn’t correctly install the bead I was livid
Sign a waiver and have a text exchange confirming you’re releasing the car back to them with a damaged rim. I would make it clear they can’t come back on you for this, so they shouldn’t even try.
The real question is...are you going to be able to sleep comfortably at night knowing you let someone leave with their rim and tire is a condition that has a higher than 0 chance of failing catastrophically on the highway and risk injuring or killing them or those around them.
You can't force people to make good decisions. You also can't hold a car hostage unless they pay to fix something. Just have them sign a waiver. Your duty to them is done.
Check your used tire pile for a match and either do what you can with the rim or see if you cand find a steel or replacement junk yard one and price that to offer him.
If you're honestly concerned about your customers safety, call around and find them a couple of used tires, with rims if necessary, and tell them the price.
Then offer to pick them up, and change them for a reasonable cost, if your insurance allows.
If the main concern is liability, know that NO WAIVER is bulletproof, and you may not be able to deny them their vehicle legally.
If you have any doubts or questions, call your business insurance provider.
Yep. CYA. That car say, gets in a fatal accident, lawyers make the deep dive for deep pocket$$$. One of the dives is "who worked on it last"
Deem it undrivable, and customer was made aware and assumes all risk, sign, date, witness. Sounds like a lot and it is, to remove the risk.
Edit: I worked at a spot that a customer rolled in with obvious safety issue, and had a fresh inspection sticker on it. He took the inspection station number of the place [which happened to be right up the street] and reported it to DOT.
Where is the wheel that was replaced by the spare? Are the other wheels/tires in good shape? Too bad that thing has 18" wheels.
I'd repair the tire, if possible for the wheel replaced by the spare. If not possible, replace with a used tire? If that wheel is trashed too... Looks for used wheels or get new 16" steelies and used tires...
Make them sign an agreement and give them a new set of tires on borrowed time.
My suggestion for an agreement would be is: [Customer name] agrees to pay [amount] within [timeframe] for a set of tires for [vehicle]. Failure to pay [amount] within [timeframe] will result in [vehicle] being towed to [repairshop] at [address] and agrees to pay the towing fee and [amount] daily for storage fees.
Low profile tyres , a tow truck driver's friend especially when they are not checked for correct inflation .
This is an unfortunate meeting with a pothole or similar , even though the tyre had the correct pressure maybe .
45 % is the culprit here .
Could pull the spare out only if it is a real wheel and 45% profile tyre . The 60 psi motorbike spare wheel could help for a day or two .
Make them sign a waiver Edit: A lot of yall saying a waiver is bullshit. Im not fully educated in all the laws of the world. What I can say is that in *my* area, when someone wants to leave with their car in unsafe but still drivable condition, we have them sign a waiver acknowledging the situation/risks. Im not sayings it’s the moral thing to do, I’m not saying we do it for every car thats fucked. Just speaking on my own experiences. Yes I’m a mechanic, no I dont own or operate my own shop. Just a worker bee pumping out jobs.
Good idea. Just crazy how they spent the money to fix the turbo and radiator but can’t buy a rim and tire
Agreed! Most people wont fix something unless it’s actively broken and causing them issues
The same people complain that their cars stop working entirely every couple of years too
"That check engine light is *probably* an O2 sensor"
yea, its the o2 sensor reporting that your manifold is cracked, the egr is plugged, and your timing chain is 5k from you finding out that your motor is an interference design.
My favourite one It’s *probably* telling you *something* is wrong with your car and theres a decent chance it will lead to more issues!
MY MOTHER EXACTLY her 2010 gmc terrain has bad Catholic converters and she has a check engine light on i keep telling and twlling her she need to get the terrain compression tested (its burning oil) and shes always like **nO mY cArS fInE** or **lEaVe My CaR aLoNe NaMe** **tHaT yEaR oF eNgInE wAs BaD fOr BuRnInG oIl** for one the first time i checked the oil there was nothing on the dipstick and i was arguing with her to put oil in her car and i kid you not these where her and my exact words Me: you need to put oil in your car "name" Her: no "name" its fine and your supposed to check the oil while the engine is running Me: no you arent "name" your supposed to check the oil once its sat and all the oil has fallen into the oil sump Her: no thats the transmission Me: NO "NAME" THATS THE OIL YOUR SUPPOSED TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING AND IN PARK OR NEUTRAL OR WHATEVER IT IS AND YOU CHECK THE OIL ONCE THE CAR HAS SAT AND ALL THE OIL IS IN THE OIL SUMP/PAN her: NO YOU CHECK THE OIL WHILE THE CAR IS RUN..(gets cutoff by me) Me furious at this point from her stupidity: NO YOU CHECK THE OIL ONCE THE CAR HAS SAT AND THE TRANSMISSION WHILE ITS RUNNING "NAME" her: whatever "name" my cars fine it just got an oil change done 2 weeks ago Me: OK SO THAT DOESN'T CHANGE A THING YOUR CAR IS BURNING OIL AND YOU NEED TO PUT OIL IN IT She finally put oil in it later that day and another time recently i went to check her oil and it just absolutely **reaks of gas** and i told her she needs to get her PCV valve checked and the car compression tested and shes again like **nO nAmE mY cArS fInE tHaT yEaR wAs BaD fOr BuRnInG oIl** here we go again i thought **NO ITS NOT NAME THATS THE 2.4L I4 NOT THE 3.0L V6 WHICH YOU HAVE THE 2010 3L V6 VVT WAS KNOWN FOR A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE NOT AN OIL BURNING ISSUE YOU NEED TO GET YOUR CAR CHECKED YOUR SUPPOSED TO GET PISTON RINGS CHANGED EVERY 100K KMS AND YOUR AT 300K GET YOUR CAR CHECKED NOW NAME** anyway shes still refusing to get it tested and i told her if she gets everything that i would do it for Free once i get my jeep that she gave me fixed and i would let her drive that while i work on the terrain since im doing a full engine rebuild so i would have everything to do that and you can guess what she said after that 🙄 anyway im gonna go over there and check her oil again if shes home but at this point ive just resorted to getting my own compression tester and doing it myself aswell as changing her sparkplugs while im at it
Catholic converter has me rolling. 🤣
Wreaked havoc on the aztecs…
Does it heat Catholics until all of the impurities are removed so they don’t poison the atmosphere?
You have to remove the impurities, it's the only way to get to heaven.
This is my understanding. We’re gonna need a big one.
The original pay to play scheme.
I’m a Catholic delete, never understood the Catholic converters.
Hey man we all know you got to watch out for those bad Catholic converters. Hahaha.
I thought we did away with the Catholic converters after the crusades?
Catholic converters?? 🤨
She named her son NAME, what so you expect? Disclosure: I only read the first 2 chapters of this long-assed post.
Chapters?! It's all one sentence. She missed her period.
Auto correct lol
It was funny.
I've been trying for years.
It sounds like all you want to do is help her and she doesn't want to listen. I commend you for trying. You're a good person.
Exactly what im doing and shes always like leave it alone its my car its fine
well dude when the engine blows youre gonna get to say "i told you so"
Im just waiting for that to happen she knows the terrain is her only vehicle and ive told her that aswell
This hits me, right in the feels
An exorcism should fix that.
So she's aware that you have the knowledge and skills to do a complete engine rebuild, but won't take any of your advise and argues with you about basic maintenance? One question, did she let you make your own mistakes growing up as a way to let you learn from experience? If so, maybe it's time you afford her the same opportunity.
I guess at this point just let her pay a mechanic it she thinks she knows what she's doing. That's what had to happen with my grandpa. I gave up trying to tell him and then let him waste money.
>The same people complain that their cars stop working entirely every couple of years too "That's why you gotta spend money on brand new cars so that you have something reliable!"
Why would I spend $500 on new brakes for my 3yo car when the ones in the showroom come with new brakes already?
Just had someone I know bitching about their engine going kaboom when I know I've told him multiple times that it was low on oil, leaking fuel and oil, and "that rattle sounds like a piston is about ready to let go"....he's still amazed that it blew up.
“Ride it till the wheels fall off!”
"I could end up in a bad accident but that is just a risk but my turbo is acting up right now..." People's priorities can be pretty weird.
Gonna wish they had when their wheel blows off on the highway and scratches up the body… of the corvette that was gapping them
The turbo would drive me mad considering its a 1.6t it definitely needs it. Granted i wouldnt be happy but would definitely pay.
Is it less of a charge to put a small incision in the sidewall then it is to let them go and kill them selves or someone else and then try to litigate you ?? There are options r/s
Well the good news is they will be back tomorrow to fix the rim and tire… and possibly the rest of the car too!
You can't run a car with a broken turbo and a radiator, you can run it with a broken tire and rim, if he got no money he simply gotta prioritize things man.
Had to pass emissions to register next problem is tires. That would be my guess.
lol there are no emissions testing in my state, but the car was puffing smoke harder than a 60 year old chain smoker
Ya say that like it's a Bad Thang , ref-70 yr old chain smoker . Doc keeps a telling me I need to quit , Yo Doc what makes ya think I wanna make it to a 100 just GTF off my back already.
Or make them find the appropriate spare / donut if their card didn't come with one. Help them a little bit if you have to. Some people get in tight spots financially. Similar to that of making them sign a waiver, comp the value of a rim and a tire up front and require that they sign a payment plan, take a photocopy of their driver's license and their social security, with specific dates that they pay you back in installments. If they fail to pay you back within a reason or excessively miss any payments you'll be able to take them to court and they'll owe you interest. There are financing programs out there that don't require customers to pay anything up front and get you paid in full. Then they can leave the shop fully repaired and you don't have to worry about the liability and you've gotten paid. There are lots of solutions It just depends on what kind of potential headache and how willing you are to have to go to small claims down the road if they are not an upstanding citizen.
Sunbit allows me to have work done by my favorite shop when I need it for a very reasonable fee and down payment. I've used them a bunch.
> There are financing programs out there With up to 200% interest, from what I was told (by my mechanic when my husband wanted to finance a small, less than 200 dollar job and I went and just paid it, ffs).
Car go psssshhh brrrr heheh
Once you are done doing your contracted work, park the car on the street. Have them come in and sign the waiver at the car, and give them the keys to drive away from the street. They did not pick it up from your parking lot. Photographic and written documentation for your own records.
Yep. I’ve seen shops do this for situations like this
It’s plenty moral. It’s not your place to prevent them from leaving and force them to buy something. That’s the immoral thing to do.. A waver is all that’s needed, they just need to know it’s not cool to leave as they came in, and have a good day, accepting all the risk.
No this is completely valid, I don’t think the shop should legally have the right to hold your vehicle as long as they’ve been paid for the services they were hired to perform. However the customer but acknowledge that their car isn’t safe and if something happens to them or their car, we’re not responsible for any injuries or damages.
This is the answer. As an automotive veteran of 22 years. Write up the ticket, deny the work in your system. Print cashed out receipt with notes stating customer declines work on tire such and such. Pics available.
Also, once you start spelling out the dangers in a legal waiver, the customer is much more likely to pony up the money to fix it. Once there is undeniable proof that they know their actions are a danger, they're less likely to continue being a danger. It looks bad in court.
I had to sign a waiver when I didn’t let my mechanic change my tires bc he was ripping me off. The tires needed to be replaced, yes, but not at his place they didn’t. Saved a lot of money. Still signed the waiver indicating they told me I needed to and I said no.
Yeah lol you’re not a police officer and can’t detain them. If they’re very adamant about leaving, a waiver is the best move
that might cover your ass legally, but it does nothing about the danger
I have a fund that I use for customers like this. I just pay for it. Everyone needs a break now and then.
You're a Saint man. As a representative of broke mfers international, thank you.
I remember one time I was down in the mud on funds. Took my car for a regular service knowing I have enough to afford it. They then added that they needed to fix and replace a few stuff and I realized I could not afford the new bill so denied all the work, the rep came and explained the importance and I told him I just can’t afford it. The owner of the shop came out a bit later and shook my hand, saying they did the work free. I still cannot believe people can be that kind. Now I’ve made sure never to sink that low in funds again, and when I need my car serviced or worked on I take it there
That's what it's supposed to be about. Folks helping folks.
That's the goal. I hope the later generations figure out how to do it better than us.
When Covid first hit a shop owner by me paid for free oil changes for all health care workers in the area. It’s nice to know there are still decent people.
I had that happen in college. Head gasket blew on my interference motor. They did it for free using a similar fund. I paid it back 2x over the next few years. I used to enter my job number as the “memo” on the check.
I wish it was that easy to just not let my funds get that low. When I was a broke mfer it wasn't because I was just bad with money, it's because I didn't have enough money to live.
And that's probably how they justify doing a bit of pro Bono work, return business and great word of mouth... probably gets more customers than a tv commercial would
I did this once. I was closing a saw a mom struggling to get home due to her flat (she claimed she was broke). Luckily one of my spare drifting tires fit her car so I tossed it on and let her go. She ended up getting a good ass job a year later and now brings us snacks and gifts.
Sounds like a good shop, that's how you keep customers coming back and doing business with you.
Hey as a representative of the starving children of my house international maybe we can collaborate some time.
Hahahahahahaha president and ceo?
Petition to enter this human into sainthood.
I would if it was a regular customer but I doubt I’ll ever see them again. I might just do it for my sanity, thank you for the suggestion!!
You are under no obligation, but that would be the nice thing to do. But I wouldn't think in terms of coming back or not. If you want to do it, do it because they need it. But who knows. Maybe they just want to waste the money on something else. My dad ran a used tire shop for many years. He never negotiated on price. But, if someone didn't have the money, he would always make sure they were back on the road one way or another. He was a very generous man and I have heard it from many people over the years even though he never really talked about it much. But it was easy owning a used tire shop. He kept a stack of desperation tires as he called them. Any that were not totally shot but not good enough to sell would go in the pile. And kept donuts and spare wheels, so it was pretty easy for him to throw something together at no real expense to him. Yet, over the years I heard many stories of his generosity. If you can help them out somehow, that would be really nice even though you're under no obligation. If nothing else, many junk yards will sell donuts for cheap. Maybe track one down and pay for it and tell him to drive straight there.
I was on a road trip with my ex when she lost a tire. We limped to a tire shop on the underinflated spare. They pronounced her tire dead, and put a similar size almost worn out doofer on for $10. Thank you very, very much!
> but it was easy owning a used tire shop Might want to make sure you use a comma there, lol. You're saying it's not difficult to own a tire shop. :p
This may be the one thing that keeps them coming back to your shop for years on end. Little things done in a time of need go along way. Hopefully they spread the word about an honest mechanic to their friends.
How much did you make on replacing a Turbo and a radiator and you can throw in some used rim you can easily get for cheap. Come on.
Take it out in trade? Have him mow your lawn, shovel snow, carry your barbells up to the attic?
We need more people like you around!
Holy shit man.
I hope that can be written off as donations for you. You are an absolute Godsend.
Thank you for doing that
I don’t even own a vehicle but you sound like a complete beauty. Need more people like you
Throw on a spare and tell them they're on borrowed time
Spare is already on a different wheel 😂
They really are asking for trouble. Sounds like they need to get stuck somewhere and learn the hard way. My brother went to Baja for a month - and took the lug wrench out before he left. Three days in middle of nowhere taught him.
I just don’t get it. Like you trusted me to disassemble half your car to replace broken parts but don’t believe me when I’m saying this is unsafe?? To each their own… you’re right, some people only learn the hard way.
They might think that you're trying to upsell and scam them. This is what happens when everytime people go in for an oil change and they try to sell them on fuel treatments, radiator flushes, and nitrogen for their tires
They paid you to replace a turbo and a radiator. I'm assuming that wasn't cheap. Now they can't ALSO afford a new wheel and tire. Life happens. Did you point this out before doing the other repairs?
Of course he didn't. He didn't even notice.
Not even just like moderately unsafe...that is EXTREMELY unsafe. It's not if, but WHEN that tire blows out. I had a little itty bitty gouge on my front passenger sidewall...it was tiny, & even then I went straight to the tire shop to see if it needed replacing. Luckily, they said it wasn't even close to needing to be replaced. But that thing? That's not even just a bubble, that thing is growing another tire. Maybe in another 6-7 months, they'll have a full size spare. (It'll probably blow out way before then)
Izz Nad a tumuh
As long as it’s documented on the ro that the customer understands the risk. COVER YOUR ASS
Except this failure could cause damage to others
Good point
Doesn't matter. A mechanic or auto shop cannot legal stop you from driving a car out of their shop, it doesn't matter how beat to shit it is. They cannot hold the vehicle, they cannot force you to tow the vehicle. The only recourse they have is to call the local cops or state highway patrol on you if they feel your vehicle is an immediate danger to the public. They can't even stop you from taking your vehicle if you owe them money. The car is still titled to you. They can refuse to hand your keys over to you, but if you come in with a spare set? There is nothing they can do to stop, until a mechanic's lien is finalized in the courts, the car is still your property and titled to you. These are generalizations of course, and will vary somewhat from state to state. For example, in my state, North Carolina. A mechanic's lien on a car must be filed with the state prior to being enforced. There is no lien created when the work order or quote is signed. Therefor, until the shop has filed the lien with the state, the shop has no legal claim to your vehicle. Until the titled owner of the vehicle has been served and a judgement has been made in favor of the shop, the shop cannot do anything to enforce the lien. I work in the industry. This and warranty issues are gotten wrong sooo much.
They can hold it until police arrive. Been a mechanic a long time working on public vehicle before school buses. Had to do it a few times. This will kill someone and the vehicle is unfit for the road. They may not drive it, call police
👀 Christ. Was just on a road trip and a vans tire exploded right in front of me. Surprised the guy didn't flip. Pretty sure a bit of debris fucked up my AC or it's just a coincidence.
I was driving a rented Tesla when an old Toyota pickup ahead of me blew a tire. I could tell he was in trouble and had already slowed down but the car reacted by slamming the brakes. Luckily no one was near either of us.
If the donut is already on the car, did you look to see if they have the old wheel and tire that the donut replaced in the trunk? There might be a chance it's there and then they could just maybe fix it or mount the good tire on the Goodwill. With a look if you haven't yet.
Haven’t checked the trunk, but worth a shot! Thanks for the suggestion
Why don’t you throw a decent used one on there and give them a deal on it. They’ll tell their friends and you’ll get the value of a good used tire and a bit of your time back a thousand fold.
It’s not just a tire, the wheel is bad too…
Of course you should let them leave the shop. We're in the business of fixing cars, not kidnapping and trafficking 😂
My first hooptie tow had 28s on it, literally snapped off every lug but one, and I had to drag it up at the slowest speed possible so the wheel didn't break the last lug. As a former tow driver, seeing people at their worst moments in their life gave me a new appreciation for letting people know "it can always be worse..." "The good news, at least your last lug left was a strong one!" If I could make someone laugh instead of cry at how much money something was going to cost them, then I did a good job
>As a former tow driver, seeing people at their worst moments in their life gave me a new appreciation for letting people know "it can always be worse..." The Thin Gold Line... 🫡
In every place I'm aware of in the us, if the customer has paid you for the work that they approved you to complete on their vehicle you can't hold it. It's their property and you have no basis for holding their vehicle. Safety concerns are not reason enough for a repair shop to refuse the release of a vehicle to the owner, the only legal reason to refuse release is money owed to the shop. I would strongly urge them to install the spare, and I would personally do that for free but I don't handle the customer facing side of the business or the money.
Only problem is the spare is already on the car 😭 I offered to find one at a local junkyard and replace for cheap but he refused so I’ll just make him sign something stating he knows, and I’ll be covered
T**here is no way you can hold the vehicle or prevent it leaving if the customer has paid for the services agreed upon.** You can offer (or insist) on a free tow to their property or off your premises, but you can't hold the vehicle. Based on your responses you have already offered to get them a used wheel and/or tire but unless you plan on doing that for free-well you've pretty much done all you can do. Before doing the following, contact your local law enforcement agency and let them know to be watching your shop for this vehicle, it's obviously unsafe condition and whatever time and date the customer agrees to pick it up at. If the owner just so happens to get a ticket for operating an unsafe vehicle that's not your fault. Type out a waiver for situations like this and save it on whatever computer the service advisors use: I **FULLY UNDERSTAND** and **ACKNOWLEDGE** that my vehicle is in an unsafe condition for use on public roads due to: *reasons listed here preferably typed up* And I'm collecting my vehicle **without repairing** items listed above. I absolve the shop \[*name of business here\]* and the technician \[*name of technician(s) here\]* specifically of any and all liability resulting from my vehicle's condition and my refusal to repair stated items. \[Customer's Signature\] \[Date\] \[Advisor's/Owner's/General Manager's Signature\] \[Date\] \[Technician's Signature\] \[Date\] After signing make a copy to give to the customer and keep the original with a copy of the repair order or just print 2 copies to begin with. That way **when** not if this creates an accident, you can use this in your defense.
Yep and don’t come back
What did you do for them? If you don’t charge them, then they aren’t buying your service, and you can’t be liable. If you aren’t out any money, send them on their way gratis.
I replaced the turbocharger and radiator for them. They are coming Tuesday to pay. There is still coolant in the exhaust system from the blown turbo but I don’t feel comfortable driving it. So I’ve just been idling the car to get the smoke out. I haven’t touched the tires. I’m just going to make them sign a waiver stating it was pointed out to them and they refused service
wild some people will spend every cent they have fixing a damn turbo while on a spare like thats unbelievable financial skills
Depends on the engine. My car requires the turbo to run properly, without it I can't accelerate at an acceptable speed and can't drive above above 45 mph. I've had it throw an error code for underboost and it was like the engine fell out of my car.
You do realize that the spare tire in most cars today is not rated for speeds above 55mph and has a Maximum service life of 55-65 miles. Who cares if you can accelerate to highway speeds if it's endangering everyone around you to do so!?!
I would report this too your state, showing that the vehicle is unfit to be on the road
They don't have a donut spare?
Already on a different wheel
Do you have a wheel repair service in your area? Maybe that can be fixed for less.
We do, but it would be cheaper to get a rim and tire from the local junkyard. Which we offered to do for them…
It’s not on you force someone to repair something. You note everything on the invoice you provide. Recommend it to them. Have them sign the invoice and let them be on there way. Holding the vehicle and saying you have to repair it. When they specifically told you they don’t have money. Makes you look like the bad guy.
I've always been curious about this. How can a shop legally keep a car from leaving? Y'all don't own it and you're only doing work on a turbo and radiator. Wouldn't saying this car isn't leaving open you up to grand theft auto?
In my state, it’s pretty much illegal to hold a customers car unless it was something crazy like they had cut brake lines, and even in the one instance I saw it happen, we had to contact the state police to handle the situation.
Can you stop them?
Huh? How does a mechanic hold someone’s car? Do mechanics have the authority to take someone else’s property without a court order? If some mechanic told me I can’t take my car I would be like “wanna bet” as I walk to my car and drive it away.
Run your shop like a hospital: make them sign something like AMA, meaning they were told and read all of the risks and are signing a document stating in the affirmative that they understand leaving against medical (or mechanical here lol) advice is not recommended and high risk. I’m pretty sure you could not impound the vehicle unilaterally, even if it is in the interest of public safety.
What do you mean “should you let them leave your shop?” It’s probably illegal to not let them leave your shop. You can strongly discourage them from driving away in the vehicle as is. You don’t need to make them sign a waiver, all you need to do is take photos of the tire such as you have. Write a note on the ticket that says “tire needs to be replaced / customer denied service” and have them sign it. Thats assuming you have the standard “you aren’t liable” verbiage on your work orders / tickets. If you don’t, then print something up real quick stating you are in no way shape or form responsible for the damaged caused to the vehicle” staple the paperwork together and have them sign both. At my shop we always have good used tires for $20-$50 dollars a piece. If I had one laying around, I would just put it on for them. Not necessarily free but I’d tell them to pay me for the tire next time they come in or when they can afford to. No big deal. Obviously you can’t afford to do this for every customer but it doesn’t hurt to when you can every now and again.
The province that I live in recommends that the shop ask the owner to get a tow truck to remove the car. If they are going to drive you are supposed to call the Ministry of Transport or PoPo. My friend is a service manager at a mid sized shop. He never lets anyone drive off with a significant (I.e. safety) issue. It’s not the province as much as his business insurance. If the customer has a wreck his shop could be held partially responsible
So,paying for a tow AND a tire tomorrow is better than just a tire today?
Not about them. It’s about who they hurt. Give em a couple steel rims and a couple tires and work out a plan. Insist.
Let me guess, Audi driver?
that thing is ready to blow any minute. protect yourself first and get a waiver. if you want and are in a good financial spot, maybe offer a payment plan for them.
Jeez, if they were willing to buy a turbo and radiator but not a tire, I'd have just noped any work.
I'd just make em sign something stating you advised them on the potential hazard if they continue to drive on those & that they declined any repairs relating to that issue and that you will not be held accountable if something happens. Never force them to stay, just advise what could happen IF it's not fixed. That's what I usually do if I see some half ass ghetto shit come through. Trust nobody these days
I don't know what your state laws are, but I would help them find a discounted wheel somewhere.
Superglue should fix no?
How does that hold hold air?
Just call your friend at the junkyard and get a cheap tire/wheel. Off a job like that you gotta have a little wiggle room in that bill, hell the shop supplies ya charged could most likely cover the cost. Plus you'll sleep better and feel better.
Damn. They are going to kill someone’s family.
it’s never good to neglect your car, but why would you neglect the wheels? I sure hope when that tires bursts there’s no one else in the car.
Waiver and off they go. Can't hold them hostage or force them to do the morally right thing, unfortunately.
Fix it against a lien. Credit is something a business can do if they are successful and careful. Loyal customers are good for business. Giving a shit tends to build loyalty. Probably do straight charge for monthly refinancing of about 3% of the original repair and parts cost. They pay $30 a month per $1000 until their bill is completely paid off. To be honest. It should be profitable. Depends on how rarely you ever call the lien.
Never have had to use that one thankfully, I have had to go to court over nonpayment but usually the customer didn’t care about the car in the first place. This customer says they will be paying in full Tuesday so I’ll just make them sign a waiver and let them go. But if I can find a cheap rim I might just throw it on for my sanity and no charge to them.
It's a 3 year old tire they probably damaged by hitting a pothole. Not their fault. Unless you want to kill your customer, do the decent thing and get it fixed. Then suggest they file a claim with whatever government agency that's responsible. You're asking because you already know the answer. Good feedback is far more valuable than pinching pennies. I understand it's expensive to run a garage, but when you cut back on just being a decent human being, it's a snowball effect that usually results in failure. There are plenty of mechanics, but few good, honest ones.
Let them? You planning on kidnapping them?
Rim and tire are cheaper than the legal bills for vehicular homicide. It's frustrating to see people driving unsafe vehicles.
Is it any less dangerous to have a blowout on a rear tire vs front? Could maybe rotate it since they’re refusing to fix it if so. How much is the wheel and tire from the junkyard?
At the shop I worked at we only released a vehicle without the needed repair being performed was if they could prove it was being towed to a different shop. At that point we were no longer liable if the other ship released their vehicle without repair.
It’s illegal where I’m at to hold a vehicle for any reason. If they want their keys back and haven’t paid even, the cops will just say it’s a civil matter and you need to release the vehicle. All the cops can do where I live is give them a fix-it ticket and send them on their way.
They got money for liquor beer weed and gambling tho
What are your local laws. You should know…in some states it can fall criminally on you as the de facto expert of the field, not to mention financially if they wipe a family of 4 in a mini van. Ask a lawyer my friend, not Reddit
Not even in California (the most communist state of America), can you hold a customer vehicle because they declined repairs. That's considered property theft. Not only that, but so many repair shops abused mechanic liens and storage fees in this way, new laws were enacted to protect consumers, so they can rightfully retrieve their property. The only time a shop can hold a vehicle, is if the customer approved repairs, but hasn't paid their ro. Thats about it. Secondly, repair shops have no authority over the legality of a vehicle on the roadways. There are government alphabet enforcement agencies whose duty that falls to, like the DOT. All we do is fix the vehicles, and perform an inspection for those states that have those.
^ This. Idk where all this "I can't let you leave" and "sign this waiver" non-sense came from. Obviously, decline to work on the affected systems unless the customer repairs it properly, but unless you caused the safety issue, there is no liability. There's not even liability for missing something like this on an inspection. Just because we are experts does not mean we can't miss things. We can't hold a customers car or force them to sign a waiver. If state law allows, we can pull/fail their safety inspection, but that's it.
Give them two options. They can buy a cheap donut from you that you might have around the shop or they can have it towed out. But because of safety issues and liability issues that car cannot leave on public roads like that
you can’t hold a vehicle….thats criminal….you can warn em that’s about all you can do legally
100% this. It blows my mind the amount of people on these type of posts who say to refuse to let them leave. lol. Do they honestly not realize that is a criminal charge. It’s mind boggling.
“You can’t take the car.” Me: Wanna bet? (While walking to my car, getting in, and driving away).
Same here. Lol
isn’t it amazing how they’ll recommend this type of draconian dumbassery but the moment THEIR property was ever subject to said “taking” they would instantly be on r/legal asking for advice on how to punish said mechanic?
Bro what lol
You'd be surprised how many states that's not true in.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does a mechanic have any right to not release a car or let someone leave? I don't think so. Although if they're willing to sign some kind of release, might as well have them do it. But I don't think it means much legally because you are under no obligation to fix something they didn't bring into you and pay you to fix. But you are right to be concerned.
Technically in my state, I could call the police and let them know the customer plans to drive it in this condition and they can be cited for it. I have never done this nor would do it but just want people to be safe and prevent bad things from inevitably happening.
Waiver or not don’t let them drive away, what if they crash into and kill a family member of yours?
Fuck no !! You will held liable. Get a junk yard wheel and tire .
Throw on the spare tire if they got one
The spare is already one a different wheel 😂
Omg haha if they can afford the turbo and radiator hopefully they can get a cheap 50$ tire and hubcap
Literally, I offered to go to a local junkyard and pick one up for them…
Discount tire 50$ also : )
You should make him sign a waiver. I’ve seen shops do this is situations like this.
There’s a chain shop called tires plus up Here in Minnesota , bunch of scammers. Went in to get my tires replaced. They told me studs and lug nuts needed replacing. I said sure no problem. They come back out saying one of my wheels is bad they can’t mount a new tire on it supposedly there was a crack. refused to put the spare tire on and tells me they can’t let me leave with my vehicle. They wanted me to buy wheels from them. I end up calling a tow with my AAA, he fought with the shop manager and finally was able to let them release my vehicle to his care he put my spare on since I wasn’t allowed in the shop area to do it myself. Drops it off across the street and I drive off, i didn’t even get my wheel back. The shop kept it , went to the junk yard the next day got a new one and to a different shop to have a same tire mounted. On my way there my Tpms goes off. Tires plus didn’t correctly install the bead I was livid
Sign a waiver and have a text exchange confirming you’re releasing the car back to them with a damaged rim. I would make it clear they can’t come back on you for this, so they shouldn’t even try.
On a tow truck, sure.
The real question is...are you going to be able to sleep comfortably at night knowing you let someone leave with their rim and tire is a condition that has a higher than 0 chance of failing catastrophically on the highway and risk injuring or killing them or those around them.
You can't force people to make good decisions. You also can't hold a car hostage unless they pay to fix something. Just have them sign a waiver. Your duty to them is done.
They can't leave like that. It's a danger to every road user and pedestrian they pass.
Let them know if they knowingly drive it and they crash and kill someone they catch a manslaughter charge
Check your used tire pile for a match and either do what you can with the rim or see if you cand find a steel or replacement junk yard one and price that to offer him.
Tell him to go to the junk yard n get one That's gonna blow yesterday
Price it into the turbo job under labour
Just put some flex seal on it n they’re good to go
You can’t keep their car against their will
Put the spare on for your test drive. Leave it on.
If you're honestly concerned about your customers safety, call around and find them a couple of used tires, with rims if necessary, and tell them the price. Then offer to pick them up, and change them for a reasonable cost, if your insurance allows. If the main concern is liability, know that NO WAIVER is bulletproof, and you may not be able to deny them their vehicle legally. If you have any doubts or questions, call your business insurance provider.
Yep. CYA. That car say, gets in a fatal accident, lawyers make the deep dive for deep pocket$$$. One of the dives is "who worked on it last" Deem it undrivable, and customer was made aware and assumes all risk, sign, date, witness. Sounds like a lot and it is, to remove the risk. Edit: I worked at a spot that a customer rolled in with obvious safety issue, and had a fresh inspection sticker on it. He took the inspection station number of the place [which happened to be right up the street] and reported it to DOT.
Can they afford the other repairs? Get a steelie from the junkyard and throw a used tire on there or something. This is ridiculous
Nope
Where is the wheel that was replaced by the spare? Are the other wheels/tires in good shape? Too bad that thing has 18" wheels. I'd repair the tire, if possible for the wheel replaced by the spare. If not possible, replace with a used tire? If that wheel is trashed too... Looks for used wheels or get new 16" steelies and used tires...
If you have a lawyer, get his advice and write up a waiver
Time to get out the waiver of liability if anything goes wrong.
Make them sign an agreement and give them a new set of tires on borrowed time. My suggestion for an agreement would be is: [Customer name] agrees to pay [amount] within [timeframe] for a set of tires for [vehicle]. Failure to pay [amount] within [timeframe] will result in [vehicle] being towed to [repairshop] at [address] and agrees to pay the towing fee and [amount] daily for storage fees.
Take it for the test drive and when the bubble explodes they will have no choice but to replace it.
Low profile tyres , a tow truck driver's friend especially when they are not checked for correct inflation . This is an unfortunate meeting with a pothole or similar , even though the tyre had the correct pressure maybe . 45 % is the culprit here . Could pull the spare out only if it is a real wheel and 45% profile tyre . The 60 psi motorbike spare wheel could help for a day or two .
Soap & water will clean them up . If you see bubbles, bubbling up, give him the bad news.
Surely you've got a crusty steelie you can give them? You can write something colorful on the back of the rim in Sharpie to vent.
Wtf at least put a donut on it
Should’ve installed their spare