Auto Parts Map

Not confirming the concern. It isn’t rocket science, really — you have to confirm the problem before you fix it, right? To fix a problem, the first thing one must do is recognize it.

Not enough road tests. The importance of a thorough road test (even for an oil change) is well documented in automotive training manuals. Yet, many technicians consider driving the vehicle into the shop good enough.

Misdiagnosis. Due to the aforementioned reasons and a plenitude of miscellaneous reasons unmentioned, cars often get misdiagnosed. Mechanics will dawdle away for hours, thinking they’ve got the problem down pat, but think again — who’s missing work and a day’s pay just to square this away with the Mechanic from Hell?

Throwing parts at a problem. There are many technicians who treat fixing a vehicle like betting on the lottery, in the sense that they use random parts to solve a problem rather than admit they can’t do it. Technicians would normally say, “What it is, good Sir, is that I replaced this, and, er…replaced it with that, and…it’ll be a while before we get ‘er out of ‘ere, cos it’s not fixed yet.” Alright, so we’re back to the very first mistake; diagnostics first before going full speed ahead, blah blah blah.

Not addressing primary concerns first. There are too many mechanics out there looking out for Number One (meaning themselves) and always thinking of a flim-flam to throw at the unsuspecting customer. There’s nothing wrong with this provided there’s no charge for the inspection, it doesn’t conflict with your time, and the upsell suggestions are valid (they’re frequently not). It is safe to say that a free inspection plus upselling is usually a red herring that leaves the main concern pitifully overlooked. So…what’s wrong with my car?

Overconfidence. Too often unqualified technicians get in over their heads. So they keep working and working, flummoxed as they may be, but not once do they endorse the duty to somebody with more skill and/or experience. They may be souls whose intentions are good, oh Lord, your car is going to be misunderstood!

Taking shortcuts. In the ongoing effort to beat the clock, technicians will create a host of problems: breaking parts, snapping bolts, short circuiting sensitive electronics. Read more about these mechanical misadventures in our excellent article on Auto Repair: How Can They Screw Up an Oil Change.

Poor Repairs. Mechanics often make a few crucial mistakes in their repairs, either out of sloth or incompetence. Sloppy work – that’s putting it succinctly. You’ll know it when you notice a few bolts missing, a part improperly lined up, if at all, or a component shoddily installed. And when computer repairs are a part of the repair work, one would shudder at the many programs they deprogram, the many codes they decode (albeit unsuccessfully) and the repeated failures to synchronize computer protocols — and those are just a few of the problems!

Failing to re-confirm a completed repair. Once a repair has been completed, double-checking the repairs performed is essential to ensure the car is back in running condition. Many times different parts are thrown in (as if the technician was auditioning for MasterChef) and as a result, the car’s owner is back a day later with his vehicle, borrowing a few words from the host of another cooking show — Hell’s Kitchen.

Boorish technicians. If the above nine mistakes weren’t bad enough, there are now greasy fingerprints on the hood and steering wheel, and two big greasy boot marks on the carpet.

If you’re having transmission problems, we’ve got the parts you’re looking for.