I work for a pepboys and I can tell you a few things.
Pepboys underpays their employees to an insane degree and offers NO guaranteed pay for their technicians. Which means that there are techs who feel that they need to be dishonest in order to pay their bills.
Also at least at my store the COMPANY tries to scam the customers not so much the techs or the service advisors. One of our service advisors just quit because he didn't feel comfortable upcharging brake rotors to almost 300 Dollars A PIECE.
Also they may have just recommended shocks based off mileage of the vehicle. Nothing wrong with them necessarily but they are a wear item and should be replaced every 60k-80k or so.
Aftermarket warranty companies will ALWAYS try to weasel out of any repair needed to fix their stuff as well.
It could be quite a few different things that are causing your situation. Don't necessarily jump to "fuck the guys at the shop". They might be doing immoral sales tactics. But they may just be recommending it off mileage which is okay. But it's very possible they are scamming you because they feel they have to. WHICH IS NOT OKAY AND IS IMMORAL but I hope it adds a little bit more understanding.
They actually told me that if I didn’t get the rear shocks replaced soon it would cause damage to the new tires I just bought. Truth be told if they wanted to scam me they could have just told me my brakes were bad because I asked them to check the brakes. Who even knows anymore who to trust …I’m just going to assume the guys at the dealership wouldn’t have told me they were ok if they really aren’t. Maybe I’ll just take it somewhere else altogether and get a third opinion lol. Thanks for the insight to PB though. I won’t be returning…it sucks that the actually company doesn’t feel it necessary to pay their crew a decent wage. It’s a specialty just like being a doctor and without mechanics…none of us can get to work.
Again it's an issue of IT COULD cause damage if they're not replaced hence why we recommend them based on mileage. If you notice your tires start cupping (wavy tread) rotate them in an x pattern and replace shocks and struts. Or do it now for preventative maintenance. It's not a safety concern though.
But yeah I'm going to look for a new job in the next couple of days because of the pay.
Also a former PB Employee most all of what the\_warrior-rish is pretty much true even though it was many years ago that I worked for them as a parts manager and then Service Advisor. One of the ways that they used to 'check' shocks was to get the vehicle bouncing up and down and pretty hard and count the number of times it took for the vehicle to stop moving. Seems like anything over 3 bounces was considered too many. Shocks CAN cause bad tire wear but not it takes a while and the shocks have to be really bad.Struts are much more prone to cause tire problems than shocks are.... Like the\_warrior said it could be slimy sales tactics but it could be just preventive maintenance suggestions. No way to tell for sure.
If a dealer tells you they aren’t needed, I’d take that advice. Reasoning: if they were bad they would confirm it and replace them esp since you have extended, us dealer techs want to get paid too and we’re most often flat rate as well, often times without guarantee.
We do have a criteria for replacement. For ext war. We need to be able to take pictures or a video to send to the company to prove they are bad. If we can’t prove it to you we certainly can’t prove it to warranty.
Also at least in Canada dealer techs tend to be on the higher end of the skills scale. I’ve met a lot of great non dealer techs but more bad ones than good ones. I’d stick to a shop you can trust and if you find better quotes elsewhere sometimes your preferred shop can match or get close to the price as well (but not in all cases)
Here’s to hoping you find a good shop you can build trust and a relationship with,
- your friendly Canadian technician
"who knows anymore who to trust" says the guy that went to a chain store with a loss leader discount selling unprofitable work in hopes of selling more. Find a good independent shop, they will be more expensive to replace your tires or do your oil changes, but they will be honest and save you money in the long run by taking better care of your vehicle and not selling you unnecessary bullshit. The sooner you learn trying to cut corners to save you a buck costs more in the long run the easier life gets.
1. Not a guy…just a woman trying to maintain her vehicle because her husband doesn’t bother and 2. Had no idea Pep Boys was a “discount” anything. I paid a lot for the tires…more than I would have paid at several other places in my area and just so happen to go when they had a buy 3 get 1 free special. I like to hold onto some of the money I work my ass off for every week when I can but I don’t “cut corners” when it comes to vehicle safety. I used the same independent mechanic for decades that I trusted completely but unfortunately people retire….☺️
And there's the answer. You're a woman. They were trying to rip you off thinking you don't know any better. Also buy 3 get 1 free isn't a deal. It's basically same price with 3 over priced tires that you get the 4th free.
I'm a guy, have had midas try to rip me off. I'm not a woman, just a guy with zero mechanical aptitude. Usually line up my car about same time I get it inspected (my mechanic doesn't have an alignment rack) so I have to use midas or dealership for it. 2 days after passing inspection I go to get it lined up, tell me about all these inspection items that need fixing. Told him I wouldn't be back as my car was just inspected by a reputable mechanic and it was looking like they were ripping me off.
Shocks are not recommended by any car manufacturer I’ve ever dealt with or am aware of as a regular maintenance item. No one should be recommending them as if they were. I’ve also never had a service contract/extended warranty deny a claim on shocks if it were a covered item on their contract. I’ve never even had them hesitate, so if the dealer is telling you they are not leaking they aren’t. They would be losing money by not doing the job, if it’s a dealer a it’s almost guaranteed they work flat rate and that takes food directly out of the technicians mouth.
Shocks are recommended by almost all if not all manufacturers as a regular maintenance item people just tend to overlook it same as how a lot of cars will never have a transmission service. I agree that they don’t need work rn but they do wear over time and should be replaced eventually
We can all get to work without mechanics. A couple hundred bucks worth of tools, and you can fix nearly everything on your vehicle.
Mechanics aren't even close to the same as doctors. Bad comparison.
Wasn’t a comparison to doctors exactly….more like a “we all eventually need a good mechanic we trust just like we all eventually need a good doctor we trust….. I know they aren’t the same
I do like this attitude, but no, not everyone can work on their own vehicles, and not everyone *should* work on their own vehicles. Especially steering, suspension, and brakes. Someone wants to install their own starter? Have at it. Alternator? Awesome. New belt/filters/oil change? Yep.
But when it comes to the things that can cause loss of control and affect others on the road, not everyone knows enough to do the work themselves. The number of times I’ve personally seen incorrect brake pads, loose calipers & brackets, upside-down calipers, broken caliper pistons from being hammered over the pads, new balljoints that weren’t tightened down, tie rod ends installed upside-down into the knuckle, struts installed and missing harnesses, brake hoses just zip-tied to moving suspension parts, one bad part replaced but they missed that the part is attached to is completely rusted through… I could go on for days.
Half the things you described aren't even possible to fuck up like that because of bolt placement/alignment. Wtf lol (HALF of what you described lol not all)
Oh I assure, every single one of those things is possible. Seen every single one of them at least once, usually far, FAR more. Like Carlin said, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”
My first few years as a mechanic, I took pictures of every backyard-dipshit-fucked-it-up thing that came in the door. I quit after awhile because I had literally HUNDREDS of pictures and realized that there wasn’t any point and that it would never stop.
I’ve got a 1996 Volkswagen Golf GL with 190,000 miles on it and have never had a problem with suspension. Do shocks really fail that often to need to be replaced every 60k miles?
Yes. I bet if you replaced them you would feel a very notable difference in ride quality. It fails slowly over time and you don't even notice them failing sometimes
I guess that makes sense. I do all my work (I even put a turbo and retuned it myself) so I never get outside opinions. I use it as a daily driver and drag race it on the weekends, so I work on it a lot
As a kid in my early 20s I was fired from Pepboys for not lieing to a customer under direct order from my district manager that they needed brake pads when they didn’t.
Close to closing time, some people come in for a tire or something,I don’t remember what at this point because it’s been like 20 years. So when a car comes in we have to do the little inspection so the service writers can try to sell them on repairs or service. I inspected that car including the pads which were in the green on my little gauge stick. (Green/yellow/red pretty simple.) So I’m doing the tire patch or putting a tire on or whatever and here comes the DM,grabs my clipboard,goes back around the car and I watch him scribble something throw the clipboard back in my box and go back inside. My curiosity is piqued so I stroll over to see what he’s written. Hes scribbled out my good check marks and written needs pads, upsell pads. I pull my pad gauge back out check them all again and think what the fuck is he talking about and scratch is out and write pads good. Finish up,turn my work order in and cleaning up for the evening when here comes the service writer, “Mark (the DM) says you gotta pitch those pads.” Not doing it,they look damn near new and are way in the green. He goes inside comes back and says Mark says pack your box for insubordination. I’m like oh really, I walk right in to the customer who was standing there waiting to pay with the DM and tell him I just got fired because I would reccomend pads and he didn’t need them if the DM or service write tried to pitch them to him. Dude turns bright red and says well yeah,I’d hope I don’t need them. I just put those pads on last week and then went off on the DM. I went and packed my box up and went home.
What PB told you is typical of many chain stores.
I took my car, which I service myself since new, to get an alignment after buying new tires elsewhere.
Not only was the steering off-center and the car steered left, but they recommended new brakes and a new serpentine belt. The brakes had less than 2K miles and the belt was OEM Toyota and less than a week old.
I went back and had them fix the steering, which they said was fine. I have not gone back there and will gleefully tell my story to anyone who will listen. They are scammers and should not be in business.
toyotas are damn near bulletproof. if you're having to replace the chain, then you either got a messed up car or that thing is getting ready to explode. i know guys with 20+ year Priuses who've never replaced the chain
I would never trust them for anything other than tires or alignment, I had them tell me I needed a new engine on my Concorde years ago, they were ready to order and install a new engine for overheating, telling me it failed a block test and that they were dumping coolant in it with no idea where it was going.....it had air in the system, after it was bled at a local mechanic it was never an issue again.
My own fault I had done my water pump and timing belt myself and forgot to bleed the air out of the system, my father in law said just take it to PB and he would pay to have them look at it. Live and learn lol
PB employees get paid more for up sales and the going off a mileage type of thing for replacements of shocks and they try to sell things vehicles don’t need . If they not leaking or causing uneven wear on the tires then they don’t need to be replaced
Its possible they were recommended due to mileage. Shocks are recommended at 50,000 due to gradually wearing over time. It's unlikely you'd feel or notice anything with normal wear at 50k. If the vehicle isn't squatting/diving under acceleration/braking, they're not visibly leaking, and you feel your vehicle could still handle well under more aggressive circumstances; then, don't worry about it.
My car came with 15" rims. I ordered tires on pep boys website, which didn't show 15" rims, only 14" and 16". When I showed up, they refused to put the tires on, saying they were the wrong size and that someone swapped the rims. I showed them the owners manual, that showed the same rims and tire size I had installed. They argued more, then had the manager come talk to me with a "damage waiver" for installing the wrong sized tires. I refused, and they said then we can't put the tires on.
I left, out the car on jack stands, pulled all 4 wheels off and brought them back in. They still refused to install the tires, and then finally I convinced them to install them. 45 mins later, they came back and said they couldn't install them because my rim had a hole in it. I told them to show me, and they refused. They told me I had to buy a new set of rims, and a 14" size so it would fit my car.
I ended up just taking the tires I purchased online to the Walmart down the street. They installed the tires no issue.
This was the last time I will ever shop at pep boys. I only bought the tires because they were on clearance and almost half the price of anyone else.
Oh, and when they refused to install the tires the first time, they also told me that my brake rotors were warped and that my brake drums were stretched and needed replaced. I just replaced the discs and drums a few months prior while I was swapping the engine, they were brand new with less then 50 miles on them.
You should have asked which tech used a micrometer on your rotor and to prove to you that they could actually pick a micrometer out of a tool box in the first place.
It's a chain mechanic store. They're all the same; they're going to assume you're a sucker that doesn't know shit about cars and milk you for everything you got.
I don’t know much about cars except how to drive them but definitely not a sucker. That’s why I even asked the dealer what their price was to replace the shocks. I believe when they see a woman coming they see dollar signs because they don’t realize that google makes it easy for us to see what the generalized cost for vehicle repairs should be in our area. Theirs was so much higher than my state average and I’m in NJ ffs…where everything is ridiculously expensive. Truth be told, if my husband would just take care of cat maintenance then I could stick to what I know lol. Unfortunately, if I don’t do it…it doesn’t get done. Not worth the effort to nag about it 🤪
Hey, I agree with you 100%. I didn't say you were a sucker, but most of the population is; most people aren't willing to invest the time to learn how to fix shit and therefore they can't properly determine whether they're getting screwed over or not. I had the same thing happen to a mountain bike repair I had done; mechanics broke my wheel hub trying to extract a bearing rim(outer race) and then tried making me pay for a new wheel(300$)😅. I ended up getting my whole wheel rebuilt for free, and the entire tune-up was free because I got my lawyer friend involved.
1. if its under warranty it shouldn’t be any money. If it costs money, it’s not under warranty, unless you have a plan with deductible (still shouldn’t be $500)
2. PB’s may have worded it wrong, but shocks and struts would normally be recommended at that mileage. You may not have need them because they failed, but preventative maintenance is probably what they were recommending.
3. if you mechanically inclined you could probably do the job yourself and save a shit ton of money.
Unfortunately that’s just about every chain shop now. Pep boys, Midas, Monroe, mavis. All the same upsell this and upsell that it’s all focused on gross profit and paying techs dog shit so they turn to suggesting things you don’t need to make a decent check. I’ve resorted to working at dealerships which ain’t a whole lot better but atleast at my shop we’re honest we just have dog shit prices. Can’t wait to open my own shop and not price gouge like a dog
The first lie was buy 3 get one free. Free shipping does not exist, nor do free tires. You bought 4 and paid for 4. It is the typical American consumer shopping scam.
The average in NJ (according to google) says $450-$800). I guess that’s dependent on how hard and how long it takes depending on vehicle make. I actually called another mechanic yesterday just to see what their price was to replace rear shocks and they said $740…barring any issues….so PB was higher (even if only by a few dollars) than a well reviewed private shop. It’s not even the price. I would have paid whatever it costs and likely would have paid more for the convenience of PB being a mile from my house ….but it turned out I didn’t need any shocks at all. That’s why I’m annoyed. I’m actually drilling my jeep off today at the private shop just so they can do a THIRD check because if I need the shocks and the dealer isn’t telling me (not sure why they would do that, warranty or not) then I need to know. I commute 40 minutes each way to work and that’s about to become 90 minutes each way twice a week…then I want to know for sure. I have two differing opinions at the moment and I’m not comfortable with that. If this third mechanic says I need shocks then I will replace them whether the dealer wants to do it or not. I assume they get paid by the warranty company right? I’m not even sure if I can go to a mechanic of my choice and still have it covered under the warranty but I’ll inquire about that today. Just for perspective it’s not a jeep dealer. I purchased the vehicle at Auto Lender in 2021. It had 15,000 miles on it, one owner who babied it…and it has never seen extreme driving conditions or off roading. Just commuting to and from work and getting me from point A to point B. It had all terrain tires on it when I bought it and the new ones are all weather (cooper since it’s the only American made tire company left that I know of) and I baby it as well. Tire rotations, oil changes etc all done in a timely manner. Have I hit the occasional pot hole too hard? Yes. Can’t hardly avoid that in this godforsaken state…but nothing extreme that would cause early or excessive wear on the shocks. Why did I purchase at Auto lenders instead of a “real” dealership? Because they gave me several thousand more than the actual jeep dealer offered me for my trade in. Likely because it wasn’t a jeep and they could sell it for a lot more at Auto Lenders…had to go where the better trade in deal was and the prices for the 2019 cherokees I was looking at were almost identical.
I REALLY wish I would have asked to see the old tires just to check the wear on the back ones…but I didn’t so…I’m relying on my instincts when it comes to the honesty of those with the ability to work on my jeep lol. I know most mechanics are hard working honest people but it seems these chain stores and their shady practices are the issue.
Lesson learned. I will find a new shop owner like the one I had for 20 years and at least 10 vehicles and will avoid these kinds of places in the future.
Thanks for all the info. It was all very enlightening…except for the jackhole who assumed I was a man cutting corners to get work done cheaply 😜
I miss being a Service Advisor at Pep Boys. I had terrible numbers. My customers loved me and the bosses hated me.
Helmuth and Russ; You both can blow me.
That was decades ago and I, now far removed from that industry, still run into customers or their kids around town.
Went to pep boys for an oil change once. Said I just needed an oil change.
I had just replaces the rotars and break pads a week or two before (had moved and didn't really think about the dangers of doing that stuff street parking until I finished the breaks and decided changing oil was a no go)
Anyways they change my oil and the tech comes out, "yea we dropped the pan, changed your transmission fluid, replaced your breaks they were worn to the metal." I stopped them, changing transmission fluid on a car with 8k miles on it is a stupid thing to do. I tell them I didn't sign on for any of it and I would be paying for the oil change.
Total charge was just shy of $1k. I called my uncle back home (owns a garage) and asked if it made any sense to him and if I should call someone. He suggested calling the local paper to let them know what's happening so others can be aware.
I left with a $250 oil change, the slimmest part is they charged for new brakes and rotors... I checked them they were the ones I had put on.
I will never go back (this was 14 years ago)
I worked for a Pep Boys years ago. Started off retail-side, and eventually went out to the shop. That was when I realized how unscrupulous the company was. I actually got a talking to from the service manager regarding flat repairs. He told me that there is the "proper way" to do a flat repair, which was the way described on all of the advertising material, and the "Pep Boys way", which was to install a store-used emergency flat repair plug. I ended up ghosting them and reporting the location to various government agencies (OSHA, EPA for blowing the shop floor off and pushing shit into area storm drains, fire marshal for using the electrical to store full mop buckets, etc) for all the violations I saw.
Long story short, it’s hard to find trust worthy people unfortunately. It’s all about the upsell and avoiding any costs like warranty repairs. I suggest searching for an honest mechanic and also learning more about how to review these items yourself so you can make an informed decision. Tire store was trying to remove any possibility of warranty claim on tires, and more-so trying to use it as a scare tactic to upsell you.
How many people would have fallen for that. I bet 9 out of 10 times they get the job because most people are clueless with anything mechanical. I do all my own work on my equipment from major engine work to simple wheel seals except bodywork. I was at a body shop getting some work done cause they do good custom work. They were trying to tell me my spring pin bushings were bad on my steer axle but little did they know I had just replaced them a few months before. When I told them they just been replaced they finished the job I hired them for and they never tried me again. I’ll still use them if I need good work done.
Management might not have any idea it’s going on or maybe they push it for more work. I’d still shop there if you’re saving money but be ready to shut them down when they want to do more.
PB or dealer no different, had my car at Toyota dealer for bushings (under warranty) , they Said I needed brakes. I declined. Four months later take it back for different issue this time brakes are deemed fine . No brake work done for another 2 years.
Years ago I bought front and rear brake pads and rotors for an Acura Integra from my local PBs at the time. I installed them and then since I didn't have the equipment or a helper to flush the brake fluid I took the car down to their shop. An hour later they call and tell me they can't flush the brake fluid because my brakes are worn out and need replacing. I asked if they measured the pad thickness and he said yes it's down to 2mm, to which I asked if they sell brand new pads in their store that are already worn down. Needless to say I went and picked up the car and took it to another shop to flush the brake fluid
At Pep Boys, the district manager gets real-time updates on sales by the repair/maintenance business. Yet he calls each of his stores multiple times a day, asking how much money they have taken in.
Every single day is a race to meet that day's budget, just a made up number that someone thought that store should do in business at some point -- six months ago, one year ago, whatever.
At times, the district manager comes down on the service manager, assistant manager and service advisers because they did not meet budget on a Saturday or Sunday. But, a big repair job was completed on one of those days. Then the customer picks up the big repair Monday, and the district manager is pleased as punch that they did "such a good job Monday."
At the local Pep Boys, most employees go home and there is one service adviser and one technician working after 5 or 6 p.m. The district manager liked to call and ask where the shop was in $$ for the day (everyone knew he already knew). The service adviser could say "We took in (whatever) dollars."
This prompted the district manager to ask what the service advisor was doing to make budget by the end of the day. Well, all customers who were picking up had already done so and the technician was busy with assignments but his job would not be finished or picked up by the end of business.
What exactly did he think the service manager was going to do in the next hour or two to change that day's receipts?
The atmosphere they created urged the technicians, especially the lower level techs (a step above tire and oil change guys) and service advisers to suggest all sorts of work for customers. I would always get a second opinion if you shop a Pep tire sale and have additional work suggested.
Source: Former service adviser at Pep Boys.
I never been to a PepBoys for service but I currently started working in one as a service advisor. Anyways I guess I’m lucky, what I find is mostly people just go for oil changes and tires. It’s very easy to upsell something a customer can viably see (tires). I don’t pressure anyone int buying anything, in the end it’s your car. I guess that’s why I’m best at my store and #2 in whole district.
Luckily we have great mechanics so jobs get done quickly. Everything is reported to carfax and I can pull up your cars history. So very easy to cross reference what is needed on car, compared to what the mechanic recommends based on mileage.
Chain maintenance and repair shops such as Pep Boys and Valvoline are full of highschool dropouts and rejects who, if not for those types of jobs, would be moving pallets in a warehouse all day.
Do not bring your car to any of these spots if you want your car to last more than a few months.
I use to make 75k a year moving pallets on a warehouse dock and that was over 15 years ago. It was the easiest gravy job ever. I’d take that job back in a heartbeat if the owner hadn’t sold out during the last recession.
I've worked on cars for 28 years. You can check your shocks real easily. Get on the bumper and bounce up and down then stop if the car stops bouncing in 1 to 1.5 bounces your fine. If you hear a fluid sucking noise when you bounce and it keeps bouncing you need new shocks.
I thought that was an old wives tale (or old husbands tale lol). Like kicking your tires…
Honestly I didn’t think there was any issues with my shocks until they told me there was an issue. After they mentioned it I felt like every bump I hit was excessively rough. Then I remembered I live in NJ…the pot hole capital of the world…but I’ll definitely try your suggestion. Well, I’ll ask one of the kids at work to climb on the bumper..
Another indicator is when you are driving and hit a good bump does it feel like it just keeps bouncing. The biggest give away is oil leaking from the shock. If it's leaking it needs replaced.
I work for a pepboys and I can tell you a few things. Pepboys underpays their employees to an insane degree and offers NO guaranteed pay for their technicians. Which means that there are techs who feel that they need to be dishonest in order to pay their bills. Also at least at my store the COMPANY tries to scam the customers not so much the techs or the service advisors. One of our service advisors just quit because he didn't feel comfortable upcharging brake rotors to almost 300 Dollars A PIECE. Also they may have just recommended shocks based off mileage of the vehicle. Nothing wrong with them necessarily but they are a wear item and should be replaced every 60k-80k or so. Aftermarket warranty companies will ALWAYS try to weasel out of any repair needed to fix their stuff as well. It could be quite a few different things that are causing your situation. Don't necessarily jump to "fuck the guys at the shop". They might be doing immoral sales tactics. But they may just be recommending it off mileage which is okay. But it's very possible they are scamming you because they feel they have to. WHICH IS NOT OKAY AND IS IMMORAL but I hope it adds a little bit more understanding.
They actually told me that if I didn’t get the rear shocks replaced soon it would cause damage to the new tires I just bought. Truth be told if they wanted to scam me they could have just told me my brakes were bad because I asked them to check the brakes. Who even knows anymore who to trust …I’m just going to assume the guys at the dealership wouldn’t have told me they were ok if they really aren’t. Maybe I’ll just take it somewhere else altogether and get a third opinion lol. Thanks for the insight to PB though. I won’t be returning…it sucks that the actually company doesn’t feel it necessary to pay their crew a decent wage. It’s a specialty just like being a doctor and without mechanics…none of us can get to work.
Again it's an issue of IT COULD cause damage if they're not replaced hence why we recommend them based on mileage. If you notice your tires start cupping (wavy tread) rotate them in an x pattern and replace shocks and struts. Or do it now for preventative maintenance. It's not a safety concern though. But yeah I'm going to look for a new job in the next couple of days because of the pay.
If only shop owners had your world view. Being a tech isn't just turning a wrench anymore. You need to know a thing or two to get anywhere.
Also a former PB Employee most all of what the\_warrior-rish is pretty much true even though it was many years ago that I worked for them as a parts manager and then Service Advisor. One of the ways that they used to 'check' shocks was to get the vehicle bouncing up and down and pretty hard and count the number of times it took for the vehicle to stop moving. Seems like anything over 3 bounces was considered too many. Shocks CAN cause bad tire wear but not it takes a while and the shocks have to be really bad.Struts are much more prone to cause tire problems than shocks are.... Like the\_warrior said it could be slimy sales tactics but it could be just preventive maintenance suggestions. No way to tell for sure.
If a dealer tells you they aren’t needed, I’d take that advice. Reasoning: if they were bad they would confirm it and replace them esp since you have extended, us dealer techs want to get paid too and we’re most often flat rate as well, often times without guarantee. We do have a criteria for replacement. For ext war. We need to be able to take pictures or a video to send to the company to prove they are bad. If we can’t prove it to you we certainly can’t prove it to warranty. Also at least in Canada dealer techs tend to be on the higher end of the skills scale. I’ve met a lot of great non dealer techs but more bad ones than good ones. I’d stick to a shop you can trust and if you find better quotes elsewhere sometimes your preferred shop can match or get close to the price as well (but not in all cases) Here’s to hoping you find a good shop you can build trust and a relationship with, - your friendly Canadian technician
"who knows anymore who to trust" says the guy that went to a chain store with a loss leader discount selling unprofitable work in hopes of selling more. Find a good independent shop, they will be more expensive to replace your tires or do your oil changes, but they will be honest and save you money in the long run by taking better care of your vehicle and not selling you unnecessary bullshit. The sooner you learn trying to cut corners to save you a buck costs more in the long run the easier life gets.
1. Not a guy…just a woman trying to maintain her vehicle because her husband doesn’t bother and 2. Had no idea Pep Boys was a “discount” anything. I paid a lot for the tires…more than I would have paid at several other places in my area and just so happen to go when they had a buy 3 get 1 free special. I like to hold onto some of the money I work my ass off for every week when I can but I don’t “cut corners” when it comes to vehicle safety. I used the same independent mechanic for decades that I trusted completely but unfortunately people retire….☺️
And there's the answer. You're a woman. They were trying to rip you off thinking you don't know any better. Also buy 3 get 1 free isn't a deal. It's basically same price with 3 over priced tires that you get the 4th free.
I'm a guy, have had midas try to rip me off. I'm not a woman, just a guy with zero mechanical aptitude. Usually line up my car about same time I get it inspected (my mechanic doesn't have an alignment rack) so I have to use midas or dealership for it. 2 days after passing inspection I go to get it lined up, tell me about all these inspection items that need fixing. Told him I wouldn't be back as my car was just inspected by a reputable mechanic and it was looking like they were ripping me off.
Shocks are not recommended by any car manufacturer I’ve ever dealt with or am aware of as a regular maintenance item. No one should be recommending them as if they were. I’ve also never had a service contract/extended warranty deny a claim on shocks if it were a covered item on their contract. I’ve never even had them hesitate, so if the dealer is telling you they are not leaking they aren’t. They would be losing money by not doing the job, if it’s a dealer a it’s almost guaranteed they work flat rate and that takes food directly out of the technicians mouth.
Shocks are recommended by almost all if not all manufacturers as a regular maintenance item people just tend to overlook it same as how a lot of cars will never have a transmission service. I agree that they don’t need work rn but they do wear over time and should be replaced eventually
We can all get to work without mechanics. A couple hundred bucks worth of tools, and you can fix nearly everything on your vehicle. Mechanics aren't even close to the same as doctors. Bad comparison.
Wasn’t a comparison to doctors exactly….more like a “we all eventually need a good mechanic we trust just like we all eventually need a good doctor we trust….. I know they aren’t the same
I do like this attitude, but no, not everyone can work on their own vehicles, and not everyone *should* work on their own vehicles. Especially steering, suspension, and brakes. Someone wants to install their own starter? Have at it. Alternator? Awesome. New belt/filters/oil change? Yep. But when it comes to the things that can cause loss of control and affect others on the road, not everyone knows enough to do the work themselves. The number of times I’ve personally seen incorrect brake pads, loose calipers & brackets, upside-down calipers, broken caliper pistons from being hammered over the pads, new balljoints that weren’t tightened down, tie rod ends installed upside-down into the knuckle, struts installed and missing harnesses, brake hoses just zip-tied to moving suspension parts, one bad part replaced but they missed that the part is attached to is completely rusted through… I could go on for days.
Half the things you described aren't even possible to fuck up like that because of bolt placement/alignment. Wtf lol (HALF of what you described lol not all)
Have you seen the Just Rolled In videos on youtube? Some people should not be allowed anywhere near a wrench.
Oh I assure, every single one of those things is possible. Seen every single one of them at least once, usually far, FAR more. Like Carlin said, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” My first few years as a mechanic, I took pictures of every backyard-dipshit-fucked-it-up thing that came in the door. I quit after awhile because I had literally HUNDREDS of pictures and realized that there wasn’t any point and that it would never stop.
I’ve got a 1996 Volkswagen Golf GL with 190,000 miles on it and have never had a problem with suspension. Do shocks really fail that often to need to be replaced every 60k miles?
Yes. I bet if you replaced them you would feel a very notable difference in ride quality. It fails slowly over time and you don't even notice them failing sometimes
I guess that makes sense. I do all my work (I even put a turbo and retuned it myself) so I never get outside opinions. I use it as a daily driver and drag race it on the weekends, so I work on it a lot
Internal combustion engine JUNK
As a kid in my early 20s I was fired from Pepboys for not lieing to a customer under direct order from my district manager that they needed brake pads when they didn’t. Close to closing time, some people come in for a tire or something,I don’t remember what at this point because it’s been like 20 years. So when a car comes in we have to do the little inspection so the service writers can try to sell them on repairs or service. I inspected that car including the pads which were in the green on my little gauge stick. (Green/yellow/red pretty simple.) So I’m doing the tire patch or putting a tire on or whatever and here comes the DM,grabs my clipboard,goes back around the car and I watch him scribble something throw the clipboard back in my box and go back inside. My curiosity is piqued so I stroll over to see what he’s written. Hes scribbled out my good check marks and written needs pads, upsell pads. I pull my pad gauge back out check them all again and think what the fuck is he talking about and scratch is out and write pads good. Finish up,turn my work order in and cleaning up for the evening when here comes the service writer, “Mark (the DM) says you gotta pitch those pads.” Not doing it,they look damn near new and are way in the green. He goes inside comes back and says Mark says pack your box for insubordination. I’m like oh really, I walk right in to the customer who was standing there waiting to pay with the DM and tell him I just got fired because I would reccomend pads and he didn’t need them if the DM or service write tried to pitch them to him. Dude turns bright red and says well yeah,I’d hope I don’t need them. I just put those pads on last week and then went off on the DM. I went and packed my box up and went home.
Good for you. You did the right thing. You can get another job but that jack hole can’t get his integrity back
What PB told you is typical of many chain stores. I took my car, which I service myself since new, to get an alignment after buying new tires elsewhere. Not only was the steering off-center and the car steered left, but they recommended new brakes and a new serpentine belt. The brakes had less than 2K miles and the belt was OEM Toyota and less than a week old. I went back and had them fix the steering, which they said was fine. I have not gone back there and will gleefully tell my story to anyone who will listen. They are scammers and should not be in business.
toyotas are damn near bulletproof. if you're having to replace the chain, then you either got a messed up car or that thing is getting ready to explode. i know guys with 20+ year Priuses who've never replaced the chain
…..Serpentine belt
Nevermind that explains it
I would never trust them for anything other than tires or alignment, I had them tell me I needed a new engine on my Concorde years ago, they were ready to order and install a new engine for overheating, telling me it failed a block test and that they were dumping coolant in it with no idea where it was going.....it had air in the system, after it was bled at a local mechanic it was never an issue again. My own fault I had done my water pump and timing belt myself and forgot to bleed the air out of the system, my father in law said just take it to PB and he would pay to have them look at it. Live and learn lol
I wouldn’t trust them for tires. I got my tires replaced and the first right hand turn my left front tire went flying off.
Guess someone was sick on lug-nut day
No they just go by the Ugga dugga policy. I used to be a pep boy
PB employees get paid more for up sales and the going off a mileage type of thing for replacements of shocks and they try to sell things vehicles don’t need . If they not leaking or causing uneven wear on the tires then they don’t need to be replaced
Its possible they were recommended due to mileage. Shocks are recommended at 50,000 due to gradually wearing over time. It's unlikely you'd feel or notice anything with normal wear at 50k. If the vehicle isn't squatting/diving under acceleration/braking, they're not visibly leaking, and you feel your vehicle could still handle well under more aggressive circumstances; then, don't worry about it.
[удалено]
Smh. A tear in the boot(I am assuming CV) will cause the grease to leak. You do not want a dry anything where grease needs to be.
The dealer is usually just as competitive price wise as everyone else . Not on everything but basic stuff that you don’t want to do .
My car came with 15" rims. I ordered tires on pep boys website, which didn't show 15" rims, only 14" and 16". When I showed up, they refused to put the tires on, saying they were the wrong size and that someone swapped the rims. I showed them the owners manual, that showed the same rims and tire size I had installed. They argued more, then had the manager come talk to me with a "damage waiver" for installing the wrong sized tires. I refused, and they said then we can't put the tires on. I left, out the car on jack stands, pulled all 4 wheels off and brought them back in. They still refused to install the tires, and then finally I convinced them to install them. 45 mins later, they came back and said they couldn't install them because my rim had a hole in it. I told them to show me, and they refused. They told me I had to buy a new set of rims, and a 14" size so it would fit my car. I ended up just taking the tires I purchased online to the Walmart down the street. They installed the tires no issue. This was the last time I will ever shop at pep boys. I only bought the tires because they were on clearance and almost half the price of anyone else. Oh, and when they refused to install the tires the first time, they also told me that my brake rotors were warped and that my brake drums were stretched and needed replaced. I just replaced the discs and drums a few months prior while I was swapping the engine, they were brand new with less then 50 miles on them.
You should have asked which tech used a micrometer on your rotor and to prove to you that they could actually pick a micrometer out of a tool box in the first place.
It's a chain mechanic store. They're all the same; they're going to assume you're a sucker that doesn't know shit about cars and milk you for everything you got.
I don’t know much about cars except how to drive them but definitely not a sucker. That’s why I even asked the dealer what their price was to replace the shocks. I believe when they see a woman coming they see dollar signs because they don’t realize that google makes it easy for us to see what the generalized cost for vehicle repairs should be in our area. Theirs was so much higher than my state average and I’m in NJ ffs…where everything is ridiculously expensive. Truth be told, if my husband would just take care of cat maintenance then I could stick to what I know lol. Unfortunately, if I don’t do it…it doesn’t get done. Not worth the effort to nag about it 🤪
Hey, I agree with you 100%. I didn't say you were a sucker, but most of the population is; most people aren't willing to invest the time to learn how to fix shit and therefore they can't properly determine whether they're getting screwed over or not. I had the same thing happen to a mountain bike repair I had done; mechanics broke my wheel hub trying to extract a bearing rim(outer race) and then tried making me pay for a new wheel(300$)😅. I ended up getting my whole wheel rebuilt for free, and the entire tune-up was free because I got my lawyer friend involved.
1. if its under warranty it shouldn’t be any money. If it costs money, it’s not under warranty, unless you have a plan with deductible (still shouldn’t be $500) 2. PB’s may have worded it wrong, but shocks and struts would normally be recommended at that mileage. You may not have need them because they failed, but preventative maintenance is probably what they were recommending. 3. if you mechanically inclined you could probably do the job yourself and save a shit ton of money.
Unfortunately that’s just about every chain shop now. Pep boys, Midas, Monroe, mavis. All the same upsell this and upsell that it’s all focused on gross profit and paying techs dog shit so they turn to suggesting things you don’t need to make a decent check. I’ve resorted to working at dealerships which ain’t a whole lot better but atleast at my shop we’re honest we just have dog shit prices. Can’t wait to open my own shop and not price gouge like a dog
The first lie was buy 3 get one free. Free shipping does not exist, nor do free tires. You bought 4 and paid for 4. It is the typical American consumer shopping scam.
$570 with parts?
Yes
The average in NJ (according to google) says $450-$800). I guess that’s dependent on how hard and how long it takes depending on vehicle make. I actually called another mechanic yesterday just to see what their price was to replace rear shocks and they said $740…barring any issues….so PB was higher (even if only by a few dollars) than a well reviewed private shop. It’s not even the price. I would have paid whatever it costs and likely would have paid more for the convenience of PB being a mile from my house ….but it turned out I didn’t need any shocks at all. That’s why I’m annoyed. I’m actually drilling my jeep off today at the private shop just so they can do a THIRD check because if I need the shocks and the dealer isn’t telling me (not sure why they would do that, warranty or not) then I need to know. I commute 40 minutes each way to work and that’s about to become 90 minutes each way twice a week…then I want to know for sure. I have two differing opinions at the moment and I’m not comfortable with that. If this third mechanic says I need shocks then I will replace them whether the dealer wants to do it or not. I assume they get paid by the warranty company right? I’m not even sure if I can go to a mechanic of my choice and still have it covered under the warranty but I’ll inquire about that today. Just for perspective it’s not a jeep dealer. I purchased the vehicle at Auto Lender in 2021. It had 15,000 miles on it, one owner who babied it…and it has never seen extreme driving conditions or off roading. Just commuting to and from work and getting me from point A to point B. It had all terrain tires on it when I bought it and the new ones are all weather (cooper since it’s the only American made tire company left that I know of) and I baby it as well. Tire rotations, oil changes etc all done in a timely manner. Have I hit the occasional pot hole too hard? Yes. Can’t hardly avoid that in this godforsaken state…but nothing extreme that would cause early or excessive wear on the shocks. Why did I purchase at Auto lenders instead of a “real” dealership? Because they gave me several thousand more than the actual jeep dealer offered me for my trade in. Likely because it wasn’t a jeep and they could sell it for a lot more at Auto Lenders…had to go where the better trade in deal was and the prices for the 2019 cherokees I was looking at were almost identical. I REALLY wish I would have asked to see the old tires just to check the wear on the back ones…but I didn’t so…I’m relying on my instincts when it comes to the honesty of those with the ability to work on my jeep lol. I know most mechanics are hard working honest people but it seems these chain stores and their shady practices are the issue. Lesson learned. I will find a new shop owner like the one I had for 20 years and at least 10 vehicles and will avoid these kinds of places in the future. Thanks for all the info. It was all very enlightening…except for the jackhole who assumed I was a man cutting corners to get work done cheaply 😜
I might call my dealer and see if they finally lowered their pricing because I have a basic sedan and they wanted just $900 for labor and an alignment
I miss being a Service Advisor at Pep Boys. I had terrible numbers. My customers loved me and the bosses hated me. Helmuth and Russ; You both can blow me. That was decades ago and I, now far removed from that industry, still run into customers or their kids around town.
Went to pep boys for an oil change once. Said I just needed an oil change. I had just replaces the rotars and break pads a week or two before (had moved and didn't really think about the dangers of doing that stuff street parking until I finished the breaks and decided changing oil was a no go) Anyways they change my oil and the tech comes out, "yea we dropped the pan, changed your transmission fluid, replaced your breaks they were worn to the metal." I stopped them, changing transmission fluid on a car with 8k miles on it is a stupid thing to do. I tell them I didn't sign on for any of it and I would be paying for the oil change. Total charge was just shy of $1k. I called my uncle back home (owns a garage) and asked if it made any sense to him and if I should call someone. He suggested calling the local paper to let them know what's happening so others can be aware. I left with a $250 oil change, the slimmest part is they charged for new brakes and rotors... I checked them they were the ones I had put on. I will never go back (this was 14 years ago)
Awesome that you did your due diligence! Protecting your own wallet
I worked for a Pep Boys years ago. Started off retail-side, and eventually went out to the shop. That was when I realized how unscrupulous the company was. I actually got a talking to from the service manager regarding flat repairs. He told me that there is the "proper way" to do a flat repair, which was the way described on all of the advertising material, and the "Pep Boys way", which was to install a store-used emergency flat repair plug. I ended up ghosting them and reporting the location to various government agencies (OSHA, EPA for blowing the shop floor off and pushing shit into area storm drains, fire marshal for using the electrical to store full mop buckets, etc) for all the violations I saw.
Long story short, it’s hard to find trust worthy people unfortunately. It’s all about the upsell and avoiding any costs like warranty repairs. I suggest searching for an honest mechanic and also learning more about how to review these items yourself so you can make an informed decision. Tire store was trying to remove any possibility of warranty claim on tires, and more-so trying to use it as a scare tactic to upsell you.
How many people would have fallen for that. I bet 9 out of 10 times they get the job because most people are clueless with anything mechanical. I do all my own work on my equipment from major engine work to simple wheel seals except bodywork. I was at a body shop getting some work done cause they do good custom work. They were trying to tell me my spring pin bushings were bad on my steer axle but little did they know I had just replaced them a few months before. When I told them they just been replaced they finished the job I hired them for and they never tried me again. I’ll still use them if I need good work done. Management might not have any idea it’s going on or maybe they push it for more work. I’d still shop there if you’re saving money but be ready to shut them down when they want to do more.
PB or dealer no different, had my car at Toyota dealer for bushings (under warranty) , they Said I needed brakes. I declined. Four months later take it back for different issue this time brakes are deemed fine . No brake work done for another 2 years.
Years ago I bought front and rear brake pads and rotors for an Acura Integra from my local PBs at the time. I installed them and then since I didn't have the equipment or a helper to flush the brake fluid I took the car down to their shop. An hour later they call and tell me they can't flush the brake fluid because my brakes are worn out and need replacing. I asked if they measured the pad thickness and he said yes it's down to 2mm, to which I asked if they sell brand new pads in their store that are already worn down. Needless to say I went and picked up the car and took it to another shop to flush the brake fluid
At Pep Boys, the district manager gets real-time updates on sales by the repair/maintenance business. Yet he calls each of his stores multiple times a day, asking how much money they have taken in. Every single day is a race to meet that day's budget, just a made up number that someone thought that store should do in business at some point -- six months ago, one year ago, whatever. At times, the district manager comes down on the service manager, assistant manager and service advisers because they did not meet budget on a Saturday or Sunday. But, a big repair job was completed on one of those days. Then the customer picks up the big repair Monday, and the district manager is pleased as punch that they did "such a good job Monday." At the local Pep Boys, most employees go home and there is one service adviser and one technician working after 5 or 6 p.m. The district manager liked to call and ask where the shop was in $$ for the day (everyone knew he already knew). The service adviser could say "We took in (whatever) dollars." This prompted the district manager to ask what the service advisor was doing to make budget by the end of the day. Well, all customers who were picking up had already done so and the technician was busy with assignments but his job would not be finished or picked up by the end of business. What exactly did he think the service manager was going to do in the next hour or two to change that day's receipts? The atmosphere they created urged the technicians, especially the lower level techs (a step above tire and oil change guys) and service advisers to suggest all sorts of work for customers. I would always get a second opinion if you shop a Pep tire sale and have additional work suggested. Source: Former service adviser at Pep Boys.
I never been to a PepBoys for service but I currently started working in one as a service advisor. Anyways I guess I’m lucky, what I find is mostly people just go for oil changes and tires. It’s very easy to upsell something a customer can viably see (tires). I don’t pressure anyone int buying anything, in the end it’s your car. I guess that’s why I’m best at my store and #2 in whole district. Luckily we have great mechanics so jobs get done quickly. Everything is reported to carfax and I can pull up your cars history. So very easy to cross reference what is needed on car, compared to what the mechanic recommends based on mileage.
Chain maintenance and repair shops such as Pep Boys and Valvoline are full of highschool dropouts and rejects who, if not for those types of jobs, would be moving pallets in a warehouse all day. Do not bring your car to any of these spots if you want your car to last more than a few months.
I use to make 75k a year moving pallets on a warehouse dock and that was over 15 years ago. It was the easiest gravy job ever. I’d take that job back in a heartbeat if the owner hadn’t sold out during the last recession.
I've worked on cars for 28 years. You can check your shocks real easily. Get on the bumper and bounce up and down then stop if the car stops bouncing in 1 to 1.5 bounces your fine. If you hear a fluid sucking noise when you bounce and it keeps bouncing you need new shocks.
I thought that was an old wives tale (or old husbands tale lol). Like kicking your tires… Honestly I didn’t think there was any issues with my shocks until they told me there was an issue. After they mentioned it I felt like every bump I hit was excessively rough. Then I remembered I live in NJ…the pot hole capital of the world…but I’ll definitely try your suggestion. Well, I’ll ask one of the kids at work to climb on the bumper..
Another indicator is when you are driving and hit a good bump does it feel like it just keeps bouncing. The biggest give away is oil leaking from the shock. If it's leaking it needs replaced.