Car Owners Blindsided by Repeat Repairs
Car owners are experiencing frustrating and unexpected mechanical issues with their vehicles, often shortly after purchase or repair. These problems range from immediate breakdowns to recurring issues and questionable repair recommendations, leading to distrust and financial stress. The core pain is a lack of vehicle reliability and transparency from repair shops.
SOURCES (60)
“I was back out and the side bumper got caught. The bumper is in place, but the side is loose. How easy would the repair be? Ford Taurus 2017 submitted by /u/Dank--Ocean [link] [comments]”
“So my car just hit 200k miles, and today I'm noticing some hesitation and sort of a weak or muffled feel when accelerating. Air filter is about 2 weeks old, fran, and I jist had my oil changed abput 2 weeks ago as well. I just checked the lipstick after letting it sit an hour, and seeing the oil above the max line. I marked it roughly where I'm seeing it. Is this too much? Would it cause this weird engine feeling? I'm also considering it may be my fuel injectors, as they are the orig”
“I have an 04 Ford Taurus, and today I went to the store, and I came out and a lot of my coolant was on the ground. I put some distilled water in it to figure out where the leak was coming from, and I ran it for a minute and there was no leak. A guys came by while I was looking at it and said the thermostat might be stuck and the coolant overflowed, but the temp gauge is right in the middle. Anyone have any ideas as to what it could be? Thanks submitted by /u/ImpossiblePage3944 [link]”
“I had a local mechanic put replacement of the front shocks and struts as an urgent needed repair, along with this photo showing how damaged it is. Can anyone tell me how urgently needed the replacement is? 2013 Nissan Altima SL 4L with 140k miles. submitted by /u/Boydapalooza [link] [comments]”
“So what i have is the wheel bearing & hub assembly. The problem is that the depth of the assembly is to short so it’s causing your break rotor to hit the A arm once everything is tightened up. submitted by /u/Sad-Art9937 [link] [comments]”
“Probably exceeds the value of the car if you want it done properly. Might be able to find a cheap, non icbc shop to do it and get so it looks ok for a few years, at least get it so the bumper covers don’t look like they are about to fall off.”
“Hey y’all don’t except the car from the shop until your satisfaction has been met!”
“I topped my corolla 2021 se engine coolant back to the max mark about 6 months ago. I checked it today and if appears a little above the minimum mark. Should I be concerned, as I’ve read coolant needs to be replenished every 30,000-60,000 miles while I’ve driven the car in the past 6 months for about 5000 miles. submitted by /u/medrrk [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys I need a little bit of advice. I have an 220k mileage 09 Silverado LTZ with “catastrophic engine failure” as told to me by two different local shop. I’ve been quoted 8500 for a used engine replacement, 11k manufactured, and 14k new. The truck was my first responder POV and daily driver and ran great up until it started knocking really bad one day. I’m not sure I want to sink that kind of money into the truck given the mileage and I have someone who expressed interest in buying it. He as”
“I've been having power and fuel economy issues with my 07 Mini Cooper S (r56 with turbo n14 motor) for a bit now, and after reading pressure values with an OBD tool I noticed something odd. With the motor off and key on, all of my pressure sensors are reading 9.6 PSI. This is odd because atmospheric pressure where I live is 14.1 PSI. I also tested with the motor on, the sensor in the intake manifold read vacuum like it should, dropping too 5 psi, but still its offset. All of the other sensor”
“Hello- I bought a used 2008 Suburban 2500 3 years ago. It has been a money pit, unfortunately. We live in New York, if that is relevant. Problem 1- Last year, my regular shop said it needed frame repair; the fuel tank/shock mount cross member was rusting out and one shock mount rusted off. I could not find anyone who would fix it until May of this year. I was quoted $1200 to "replace" the cross member, however it was repaired. What looks like a piece of exhaust pipe was pushed through”
“Bluish smoke means its burning oil, cylinder rings most likely failed. Its not a new engine, it just needs to have new rings, cylinder rehoning, since its coming off anyway, a new head gasket with resurface, and new timing belt with water pump. That said, you're correct that its going to be a few thousand.”
Hi, looking for advice on whether or not it is urgent to get this fixed and if so, what would be an approximate price range to get it fixed at a shop?…
“I‘m sorry if this is a silly question, I don’t know much about cars, but I just had my car battery replaced for the first time. I just want to make sure everything looks in order. The guy seemed to have made a slight mess with glue (?) near the top right bolt. But otherwise, does all look okay? my car is a Kia Soul 2019. EDIT: Found out the ‘ glue ‘ was dielectric grease! Thank you all for letting me know! submitted by /u/vintageprimrose [link] [comments]”
“Flood water caused damage to my car, so I brought it into the dealer and they concluded ignition coil #4 was causing the misfire and the spark plugs were in really bad shape. Got them both replaced and now less than 2 weeks later the CE light has returned and I’m getting the code P2096. The shop wants to charge me a second inspection fee and I’m wondering if it most likely due to the same issue I brought it in for is this normal? submitted by /u/NikCarries [link] [comments]”
“Cleaning up this Previous repair attempt. 3hrs @ $285 submitted by /u/1stEndGame [link] [comments]”
“So, a new rental we have driven in Italy for a couple days now started to make weird sounds (check video) The car is almost brand new with 1500 km on it. We dont have any idea about working on cars or what would cause this. Please, if anyone can help, let me know if this car is even drivable right now. The rental shop is saying that its just fine if nothing is blinking on the console. submitted by /u/AggravatingConcept53 [link] [comments]”
“Dont know if this is my starter motor or something else. Basically, every 50 - 100 starts, at least 1 time i hit an issue where ill turn the car on, it makes the cranking noise, starts briefly then immedietley shuts off followed by a half a second break and then a loud whirring noise that will keep going until i pull the key out, the second i do everything goes silent, after 2 - 3 more tries it starts up again and acts normal for a week or 2. ill include a video with as much info as possible...”
“I was stopped at an intersection in a left turning lane. The lane on my right is a straight lane. I get the green arrow to turn. I start to move and I thought I felt the transmission slip- a small lurch forward. It’s a very old truck with known problems so I didn’t think anything of it. I go to the gas station just down the road. I come back through that same intersection about 10 minutes later and there’s a sedan in that straight lane just smashed to pieces. Nobody else around. It wasn’t there”
Engine knocking. Help! submitted by /u/ExcitingAd9867 [link] [comments]
“So i put a top end in my sportsman 500 h.o. new piston and i replaced the head assembly with a low miles used head because i had over heated it and blew a head gasket originally.I reused the timing chain and tensioner, cam and rockers, cam was in spec, replaced the valve seals, relaped the valves, cleaned all the carbon off of it. Made sure the engine was perfectly timed with all the timing marks lining up. Adjusted valves to .006 at TDC After firing it up the first time would idle perfectly and”
“Was gifted an old GT-2000 not running. I've changed the carb, fuel lines, cleaned the spark arrestor etc. I can get it to start at open choke, it'll idle rev etc for just a few minutes then die. And won't restart. I'm just at a loss submitted by /u/HeterochromicKid [link] [comments]”
“Hello I have a VW Passat 2013 2.0 tdi that makes a weird sound when idling.. I have checked the motor oil and thats fine. No leaks that i can see. The sound comes from the drivers side. Attaching a video for you guys. submitted by /u/ReliefResponsible431 [link] [comments]”
“Also there’s some white smoke on cold start. This wasn’t fully cold on the video, is that normal? submitted by /u/OMalleyy [link] [comments]”
“Hi! Just noticed this cut in one of my rear tyres... i tried measuring the depth but i could barely even get a credit card into the top of the cut to judge how deep it is... would this be likely to fail an mot? I cant fit anything very well into the cut to gauge depth... Skoda, scala, 2023 Thanks! submitted by /u/Leading_Ad_6831 [link] [comments]”
“I need to lift my car up tommorow, and i dont have a hydraulic jack, i only have the jack in the boot for the spare tyre and a pair of jack stands, my question is, is it safe to just use the wind up jack to lift the car onto jack stands or should i invest in a proper one. submitted by /u/Small-Title1364 [link] [comments]”
“Already asked about this in the fordfiesta subreddit, but didn't get much if an answer. Also found out some new things. About a year ago I bought a ford fiesta mk 8 from 2018 with the incredibly reliable (/s) 1.0 ecoboost. Before I bought it the ford dealer replaced the wet belt and did a large service, but now 1 year and 10k km later I wanted to do another service myself. After I time the bottom engine cover off I found what looks like engine oil dripping from a couple of places. The most o”
“The car is a g02 x4 2018, engine b48, with shaky idling when the car is put in drive or reverse, and the following attempts have been made to eliminate the problem: Spark plugs changed Throttle valve inspected and cleaned (wasn’t dirty) Ignition coils Fuel tank Breather valve - helped noticeably with acceleration responsiveness but the shaking didn’t go away. Replaced Valve Cover Updated i-level & deleted and relearned valvetronic adaptations . Symptom goes away for a short while then revert”
“Hello reddit, I don’t post often but here goes. So basically I was driving my 2012 Toyota Corolla and I recently started to hear a screech sound. It has 120,000km on the odometer. I found out that the screech sound came from my rear passenger side wheel (I’m from Australia so rear left side). With my limited car knowledge, I took off the wheel to find where the sound is coming from but obviously didn’t really know what to do about it… didn’t have the tools to take off the calliper (I think that’”
“I bought a car off a dealership, day later I find a bunch of ants and larvas in the rear cup holder which I vacuumed and thought it was fixed, week later driving around town i check again and see a pile of them on the seats and more larva, I’m starting to get desperate, has this happened to anybody and if it did how did you fix it, I wanted to call pest control to take a look at it. It’s brand NEW! submitted by /u/GlobalTown3640 [link] [comments]”
“What is causing the hiss/rough idle? 05 toyota camery se v6 submitted by /u/YesterdayNext8247 [link] [comments]”
“It’s a little hard to see, but I noticed a loud sound from my car, and saw this thin metal wire hanging down from the bottom. 2013 Honda Civic. submitted by /u/Toucan335 [link] [comments]”
“I have a 1988 toyota Camry, and I've had to replace the stop light fuse twice in a year and a half. A mechanic had to replace it when I bought it just over a year ago, and I just replaced it on my own. This is the one I just took out. If the fuse I just put in didn't immediately blow (which it didn't) and is still working ok, is it safe to assume it's the fuse terminal just needs a cleaning and that it's not a short circuit? submitted by /u/Chlo_Schmo [link]”
“Basically the title. Car (142k miles) was parked back in November of 2025 due to a bad fuel line. I just now got around to fixing it with the help of a mechanic buddy I work with (both at the same shop, he’s a tech I’m a service advisor). Was gonna fix it up and make it a decent car to sell. Did a bunch of steering & suspension work, new battery & starter, canister purge valve/charcoal canister myself. After getting the new fuel lines on, we primed and pressure-tested the system to seemi”
“My 2008 Toyota Yaris went inside a puddle of water and instantly started making weird noises. It happens only when the car is under 20mph speed, the noise goes away when it's over 20 miles speed but it runs fine everything is fine breaks are fine. What could be the problem? Do I just need to let it dry and the problem will go away? Btw I drove 17miles after that happened submitted by /u/Firm_Dragonfruit7552 [link] [comments]”
“I need an advice with this please, I paid a mechanic to fix the coolant leak and the water pump have been replaced twice and it’s still there submitted by /u/Precisechaos12 [link] [comments]”
“2014 dodge journey 2.4L recently changed both my thermostats. My car is no longer showing overheating anymore. But I noticed this hanging down there. Also my check engine light is now on but it wasnt before changing my thermostats. submitted by /u/AdBrave1027 [link] [comments]”
“I have a Subaru Legacy 2013. It was sitting idle outside my house, covered from the rain for the last 2 years. After looking at the car, I could tell that the battery was corroded. I got a new battery for it, and it now turns on. But when I tried to turn on the engine, it wouldn't turn on. What would you say might be the issue here, or at the very least, the next thing I should check for? submitted by /u/MeaningConfident9776 [link] [comments]”
“My car started running pretty hot about two weeks ago, I realised it was low on coolant and that the coolant reservoir had a crack in it. I stopped driving it and was using my wife’s car while I ordered in a replacement coolant reservoir, once that came in I swapped them over, put in some stop leak because I had noticed a minor leak as well and thought it would make sense to fix that now, topped up the coolant. Well now anytime I accelerate there’s this sort of white smoke coming out, I’ve googl”
“modern cars hinges only adjust front to back, and most cars have zero adjustment on the door bolts/studs. the door needs to be pulled back to shape and if it's still not square which it probably wont be, then pull the b pillar. obviously not a DIY'er job LOL”
“2011 gmc terrain 4 cylinder 2.4L Would it be better to just take it to a shop or something I can power through at home with YouTube? submitted by /u/greasyprophesy [link] [comments]”
“If its uknowable from this angle I’ll just take the post down. I just wanted to double check because I thought it was the thermostat and replaced it but it still was leaking. submitted by /u/nightoll [link] [comments]”
“It has a rough idle periodicaly but no noticeable difference in performance submitted by /u/Patient_Hand_9125 [link] [comments]”
“I went to shop and they were done within 15 minutes and it just didn’t seem right. I checked the dipstick and it doesn’t seem like fresh oil. What do you think ? submitted by /u/LongjumpingAd8616 [link] [comments]”
“I bought this truck (Nissan, d21, V6, 5speed, 4x4) 3 years ago with the slave cylinder broken, with as a new one also new master cylinder I fix it and now it recent the oil is as you can see black what’s causing it submitted by /u/Lowtek33 [link] [comments]”
“Hey, anyone know what might be the cause of this sound while idling and if it’s concerning? Seems to be coming from the serp belt area Edit: sound is only present when the AC is on. Thanks! submitted by /u/xAlang [link] [comments]”
“Maybe I'm in the wrong subreddit for this but I replaced my Gfs 2017 Kia soul engine less than a year ago at the dealership. She takes a trip down to Orlando. Car doesn't start. She towed it to a Pep Boys and they're telling us it's a junkyard engine and it's seized. I really don't want to have to buy another new engine or even pay to tow it back across state lines. My question is, is getting a junkyard engine from a dealer ship common practice? submitted by /”
“$700 is cheap for a bumper respray. You get what you pay for. Most accurate estimates for bunper resprays include O/H on the bumper, repair time if needed, pre/post scan due to sensors, lights, blind spot radars. Potentially need to recalibrate the sensors and blind spot radars if the repair is near them or affects their proformance. You have tint time, blend time, depending on if it is tri-coat or not will also affect the total.”
“Hey guys, I’m kinda at a loss. I’ve had four different mechanics. Come and take a look at the vehicle. I had Evap coats come up don’t think that’s the issue.. when I originally got the vehicle I had the throttlebody replaced. I’ve had the alternator replaced recently. And now I’m getting a Code P0013. About less than a year ago I did have issues with the crankshaft position sensor, which is located on the bottom of the vehicle not working properly. I had that replaced. My mechanic says that it’s”
“Is this repairable i feel horrible 😭 submitted by /u/DesperateTailor4933 [link] [comments]”