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)
“It’s plastic loads of cars do this unfortunately options are have a new piece sewn in 😢”
“My steering wheels shakes a bit when i brake on high speeds (barely to non on low speeds) google said it could be my brake discs so some advice would be nice, the first 2 are the front discs and last2 the rear. thankyou in advance. Golf 7 2014 submitted by /u/Exact_Ad7955 [link] [comments]”
“I was trying to do an oil change on my 2016 Honda accord sport and realized I don’t have the right socket size for the bolt for the oil pan. I noticed in the dip stick that my oil was low so I added 2qts of new oil now my dip stick looks like this. Is it safe or am I boned submitted by /u/Zachmo-537 [link] [comments]”
“I hope this is the right place to ask, but I recently bought a Renault magane 3 2013 1.6L dci and I am still trying to figure things out so I came here to maybe ask for some help. I noticed that this car has a system where if I go away from the car with the key card, it auto locks, but I've been trying for a few days to get it to auto unlock too and nothing seems to work. When I get close, it doesn't unlock and neither the small rubber button on the driver door's handle doesn't u”
This is it. Cart needs to be pulled and replaced... or ball/cam/Seats springs if its an old school. That oughtta fix it
Some automakers used wires coated in a plastic that contains soy protein.
“Bought my 2003 Subaru Legacy L (2.5L 4cyl engine) last year from my mother and stepfather who claim the car "burns oil", and switched to 10w30/10w40 to help reduce said (alleged) burning; the manual recommends 5w30. The car is almost at the 190k mark and in my year of owning it, I have noticed I have to fairly regularly keep an eye on the oil level and keep it topped off with the thicker oil that I've been recommended. It's about time for an oil change, and I'm considering”
“Hey guys, I will try to keep this short... So, for the last couple of years I've been having some coolant problems. It started with tiny leaks, I used that liquid copper thingy to solve it and it worked? for a while at least, then did it again and finally lost all coolant, mechanic replaced a hose, few months after, same thing, another hose?? (ok...), few months after, again, now broken coolant reservoir, a few months again and now is why I am here, it happened again where we lost all the co”
“Hey guys. So I just installed a new passenger motor mount on my 2015 Honda Accord LX 4 cylinder and it’s making this thud noise immediately when starting and clanking noise when going over holes in the road. It never made this noise when starting before installing the new motor mount. When going over holes it used to make a very loud bang noise, thats gone, but it still makes a clanking noise. Did I install the motor mount incorrectly? I asked chat gpt and it says, “Once you loosen, settle, and”
“You might have gotten lucky here. I'd take the door off and inspect the hinge and bottom rail.”
“Got a brand new battery put in, cleaned the terminals. What should I check next? I was thinking maybe replace the ignition switch next and see if that's causing it since it seemed to get further into the process when I jiggled it into a different position. submitted by /u/someuniquename [link] [comments]”
“Hello. Just did the injectors on this damn thing. Now, when I do a cold start (first start of the day only usually), there sounds like a metal crunch / rattle / scrape kind of noise from what sounds like the front left hand side of the engine (if I’m sitting in the driver seat, that’s where the sound is) It goes away almost immediately and doesn’t come back until the next cold start. Car has zero misfires, codes, runs fine. Can not figure it out and impossible to replicate it as it’s only on a c”
“2011 Ford Escape XLT 2.5L, 166k miles submitted by /u/Jerd-herder [link] [comments]”
“Hey yall! So a couple of months ago, I noticed when I unlock my car, one of my left rear lights doesn’t turn on. When I start the car though and break, it seems to be working but when I first unlock it, then it doesn’t. Has anyone experienced this and/or have any advice? Thanks! submitted by /u/dragonfruitvibes [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, I have a 2019 Range Rover Evoque. It makes a loud whirring sound when I speed up or rev the engine. Anyone heard this before? submitted by /u/Open-Illustrator6325 [link] [comments]”
“Here is my dipstick: first picture is it wiped cleaned, 2nd is right after I dip. I feel like my car has been going out of oil fast, but I’m not noticing any leaks and I brought it to my mechanic and he said that he didn’t notice any leaks himself either. submitted by /u/jimmybeans13 [link] [comments]”
“Found this oily spot on the bottom center of the front cover on my 2012 WRX. It has an ej20y swap performed about 30k ago. Change oil every 3k. Never noticed before. Where should I start? submitted by /u/Own-Wear5209 [link] [comments]”
“On a 2010 crown Vic I have two persistent codes p0401 EGR system to less flow code and a gross evap leak code Car runs fine but would stall at idle or coasting at low speed So I work at a dealer as a tech but I don’t have the know how on evap systems and EGR systems to fix the issues so I asked if a more experienced tech could take a look at it he smoked the system out for an evap leak and no matter what we did we couldn’t find any smoke or leaks out of the system so he suggested it must be the”
“2016 Lexus NX 200t 8AR-FTS engine - to my knowledge, my car hasn’t had any previous issues. I tried to start it today, and this rattling is what I got. Lights turn on and fob still works. Check engine light has never been on before, but it is now. Dashboard flickers while it rattles then says “ignition on,” but it’s definitely not. Haven’t got the first clue about cars, so I’m hoping the sound alone is enough to diagnose with some confidence.. just trying to anticipate how much of a financial an”
“(Mazda 2026 Signature, 8,200 km) I was driving normally this morning when the car started losing power, and the battery and check engine lights immediately came on. After I turned the car off, it wouldn't start again—though the instrument cluster still lit up. I tried jump-starting it, but it still wouldn't start. At the dealership, they replaced the battery, but it still refused to start. I have no idea what the issue could be; has anyone else experienced something similar? submit”
“Was changing battery on Mom's car and saw this was just dangling not sure if it was connected to anything or not, but car starts fine without it being connected anywhere the little box has a green light that turns on when I connect the piece of metal to metal, so I'm not sure where it's supposed to be connected. submitted by /u/eyes333333 [link] [comments]”
“Okay, so i seriously need some advice on my car, a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek. Recently took it in to my local shop after some concerns about my AC rattling and not working occasionally, as well as some creaking and squealing sounds coming from the front suspension. Got my report and inspection back today and turns out my entire AC kit as well as my front control arms and ball bearings have to be replaced. It is an estimated 4k in work, the shop i took it too is usually super inexpensive so i can tel”
“2016 jetta tsi clutch pedal randomly sticks to the floor and doesn't come back up on its own. But if I manually pull the pedal up with my foot or whatever then it continues working fine for a while until it happens again... Mechanic said it was most likely the clutch slave cylinder, So I got it replaced. Mechanics said when they had it taken apart everything looked fine...and it's still happening so what the H submitted by /u/gobstopper200 [link] [comments]”
I drive a 2015 Nissan Sentra (eighth digit of my VIN is P) and my check engine light keeps coming on every few months. Every time I get it checked out it’s…
“Looking for some diagnostic input. I have a 2021 VW Jetta S with the 1.4L engine and 58,000 miles. Over the past week, it has developed a faint ticking/rattling noise at low idle while in Park. The noise disappears if the RPM is raised or the car is placed in gear. After driving, the noise is initially gone when I put the car back in Park, but it returns after approximately 30 seconds. A few additional details: No check-engine light or stored symptoms Engine runs smoothly and the transmission sh”
“Recently worked on accessory bracket because of an oil leak. Now AC like frozen and there is a noise. Mostly when idling in gear. What can it be? submitted by /u/Patient_Invite_4503 [link] [comments]”
“I'm pretty sure that my cowl drain on 2012 Chevy cruze got clogged or something crawled up there because there is a HORRIBLE smell whenever I turn the air on and even just with the windows down the smell wafts into the cabin. Took it to a shop and got quoted about 3000 that I dont have but im literally gagging while driving and that feels unsafe. submitted by /u/BoardNew5204 [link] [comments]”
“I'm a teen with his first car and basically I am car illiterate. Anywho a couple days ago my car started talking a couple seconds to turn over when I went to start it, only times being in the morning and when I go to leave school, any idea what it might be? Also I drive an 01 Oldsmobile intruige with a little over 155k miles if it helps. submitted by /u/Efficient_End_8922 [link] [comments]”
“Theyre saying dirt entered the intake manifold yet all cylinders had oil in them and there was excessive back pressure coming out of the dip stick spraying oil into my engine bay and hood. 2 cylinders lost compression. submitted by /u/The-Orion-Syndicate [link] [comments]”
“So I’m not in immediate need to get rid of it? And by that I mean I can’t afford nothing else right now and would like to make it through the winter. I wouldn’t wanna sell it to somebody else and make it their problem I would be straight with them and let them know about the rust.”
“Hey guys first time doing a timing job I had a no start on a genesis coupe 2.0 opening up the timing cover and it seems the tensioner failed causing the chain to crash into an oil jet, just wondering if this looks right to anyone with experience. Appreciate you taking the time to look at this post. submitted by /u/Alert_Detective_2331 [link] [comments]”
“Is this the chain slapping before it builds pressure on an e39 M57 diesel bmw? submitted by /u/Legal-Check-5660 [link] [comments]”
“19 camry xse. i’m being quoted over $3k. after they literally just replaced my strut. what would cause all of these components to seize at once? surely there has to be something else that can be done than to have to replace literally everything? submitted by /u/No_Internet4779 [link] [comments]”
“Hey all, anybody recognise this sound coming from under my hood? Happens only when i rev it, The car is bmw e46 320d 2003. 150hp submitted by /u/lilcutthroatOTF [link] [comments]”
“Yeah one shop told me that but he said I could still drive it for a few years but today I was told that it should be taken off the road!!!”
2018 toyota corolla le submitted by /u/Tbonewon [link] [comments]
“As the title reads- bought this from a private seller very recently and the sound was not observable during the test drive (goes away entirely when pushing on the gas). Also seems to not be present even in idle if the engine has been warmed up. On cold starts though, this is what it sounds like. For sure rod knock or could it be something else? submitted by /u/justanotherdudski [link] [comments]”
“hi I was hoping for some clarity please. Toyota Mark Qualis wagon 1997. 350k started leaking oil a few months ago. My mechanic got 1500 (NZ) and put in a brand new cambelt and “fixed the oil leak” -( I think our oil thickener in) car kept leaking oil took to my regular Warrant of Fitness guy. failed on the oil leak that had been ”fixed“ and two cracked brackets. took back to my mechanic (since then the alternator has passed on and won’t charge battery) now priced up 3600$ for two new front brack”
“I have not worked on much small engine EFI, dont have a scan tool. No engine codes from the cluster light. Just 61 which is no codes. Fuel is good, clear no water, 37 or so psi at the rail. Great fuel flow out of the secondary fuel filter (more like an automotive can style). New generic paper fuel filter. Injectors also taken out, blown through while momentarily engaging them good pattern, clean. Intake is off, exhaust spark arrestor was fairly nasty. Taken out for testing, nothing. Old plugs lo”
“Any ideas on what this might be? My first thought is the oil temp sensor is broken. There's a squealing sound coming from the engine bay that could be my fan belt as well. I'm not sure if that's got anything to do with it. Need to drive maybe 50km as well tomorrow, I'm tempted to just send it. This is the first real trouble I've ever had with this car, it's reasonably well maintained. Edit: sorry the video got cropped somehow. It was at 100°C then slowly dropped to 80 and”
“Hello everyone, first time using Reddit for a diagnostic. I’ve got this Audi A7 3L V6 2018. It’s making a loud clicking/ticking noise no clue what it is. It’s the same when it’s idle/cold start/higher revs. I’ve attached a video below on a cold start. Any suggestions are appreciated! Thank you! submitted by /u/rc17z [link] [comments]”
“Chasing down a misfire in my van (P0352: ignition coil B circuit open) and found this chewed wire on the harness for the #6 cylinder coil. According to the schematics, this white/blue wire is the earth ground wire for all coils in this bank, so fixing this is my first step in troubleshooting before I move on to more invasive and expensive tests. Is this something I can just fix with some liquid electrical tape? Or do I need to de-pin the connector and splice in a whole new chunk of wire? s”
“I have a 2008 scion xd. Car has started misfiring strictly on cylinder 1. I’ve done coil swaps, new injector, new plugs, new intake gasket, smoke test, injector leak test, I’ve tested the injector connector wires, compression test 135psi dry 145psi wet and I cant seem to shake this misfire. The codes I have are p0301 p2195 p0171. The misfire count on cylinder 1 keeps maxing out and the ecu is maxing out the fuel trims. For testing purposes I had a 550cc injector laying around, I put that in cyli”
“2015 Honda ACCORD EXL, 2.4L 4-Cylinder i-VTEC engine. I'm having issues with my car turning over. Its been happening for awhile now, and getting worse with every start. In the beginning it would take 1-3 seconds tops. Now it is very prolonged to 15-30 seconds. Battery is 4/25, posts and terminals are good and cleaned. Checked the spark plugs and gaps, they all look good and were clean. No signs of wear, gas, or oil. Spark plugs were replaced late last year. Any guesses what I could look at?”
“Gran Caravan 2017 SVT I wanted pump PSI check and got this instead submitted by /u/Sado_PR [link] [comments]”
“Not sure where to look for year of belt if it would even be listed. No sign of a number left by mechanics during a change either. I did read on one forum that the R6 could refer to 2016? TIA for any help !! Plan is to book a change immediately if I can’t find out. submitted by /u/SnooGuavas2434 [link] [comments]”
“My 22 218i gran coupe went in for an oil service today, they also clean it after. A few hours later I’ve noticed this crack on my boot/trunk. Is this something they have caused or is this just a coincidence with the paints life starting to go? Are there any fixes for this? submitted by /u/Sorry-Pay6577 [link] [comments]”
“2003 Toyota corolla, 375,000 MI. When I go to shift into third, it'll give me a bit of gear grinding noise most of the time unless I get the RPMs just right. Recently it will push back on me, pop out about half the time What RPM and speed should 3rd gear v shifted into? We'll start there What do you think the repair is? New synchros? submitted by /u/NCC74656 [link] [comments]”
“Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDI Z22D1 – Rough idle + white diesel-smelling smoke after timing chain failure. Injectors swapped, harness replaced, problem remains on cylinder #2 Hi everyone, I need help from someone who has real experience with the Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 VCDI 184 HP / Z22D1 or the equivalent Opel Antara A22DM engine. I want to explain the entire history because this problem started after a major engine failure. Before the problem The car was running normally. There was only one fault c”
“'01 Toyota Tacoma. Felt a pop under medium braking and big reduction in stopping power (obviously) this morning. Looks like the rotor snapped in half and caliper broke where the pins are. What could've caused this to happen? You will notice rubbing wear on the disc where it broke, but I believe that was caused by the part of the rotor still connected to the hub rubbing against it as I drove home rather than what caused it. I need to make sure it's not more than just a defective/corro”
“2024 Honda CRV 52k miles Not really sure what’s wrong, or if it’s just normal? But when I press the brake pedal down, there’s a short whooshing noise. Just for a second (it doesn’t stick around for the whole time the brake pedal is down) and then when I lift my foot off the pedal, it’s there again. It’s just a short whooshing noise. Not very loud (I can’t hear it over my music playing) No change to brake power either. I had seen some people on different posts saying it could mean that the booste”
“2014 Ford Taurus Attempting to rotate my engine in order to align it and remove/replace it. It was going fairly smoothly until my ratchet absolutely failed to make it budge any further. I still have a couple of revolutions before my timing marks line up but i cannot get it to budge at all. Is this catastrophic failure or am I missing something easy? Any help you guys have would be deeply appreciated, thank you! submitted by /u/th3echelonchair [link] [comments]”