35 Times Car Mechanics Took Pics Of What They Were Dealing With So Others Would Believe Them (New Pics)
For many, a badass car straight outta the salon seems like a dream. But whether your ride is one rustic yet still functional boi, or the one that gets more eyes set on it than you've ever had in your entire life, the same rule applies—you gotta take care of it. And this latter part is the one that doesn’t exactly spark too much joy.
The inevitable occurs. Preventable things happen. No surprise that surprises occur. All roads lead to car repair and hey, that’s where it gets entertaining. Thanks to the r/Justrolledintotheshop subreddit, we have the most eyebrow-raising compilation of all the crazy things people bring for car mechanics to take care of it. And you wouldn’t believe how many furballs they find in those dusty engines!
Psst! Make sure to check out our previous articles on crazy stuff car mechanics deal with at their shops that you can find here and here.
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Customer Came In Saying There Was A Kitten In The Dashboard. One Of The Lube Techs Called Dibs. Meet Dash
It works both ways - sometimes they call "dibs" on YOU. Then, there you are - owned by a cat.
Load More Replies...Please remember that these posts were all ripped off from Reddit. You can't reply to people who posted these from here. If you want to see what happened or try to speak to people the click the links under the pictures.
Awwwww...Why cant I find cool stuff like that in cars that I work on? Maybe this one could help with the problem in #4 ?
Cam In For An Appraisal To Trade In And Get The Mirror Cap Replaced. Hand Painted A Pterodactyl
OMG, that is so awesome! And so well-done, too! I've always wished I could create artworks half as well as that.
Now THAT takes a Hella-Creative mind to see a Pterodactyl hidden in the details where nobody else possibly could, then bring it out with paint. The artist should be an archeologist... Finding all those hidden dinos.
Customer Dropped Off For Oil Change. Neglected To Mention This
Wasps are drug addicts. Give them a chance to be nice. And try not to get shanked.
Load More Replies...Bald Faced Hornets!! Don't worry, they are only a little aggressive, not a lot. Lol.
Sir, the oil was changed but it comes with a new spare vehicle.
I would have done the job... And then charged a HUGE A-hole fee on the bill.
Every car owner occasionally runs into problems where hope and the car repair shop are only things that are able to help. But interestingly, a recent survey has shown that most Americans aren’t satisfied with their current auto service provider.
"Only 34 percent of consumers are always satisfied with their auto service provider," said Nelson Rodenmayer, SVP of Sales and Marketing at UpSwell, which ran the survey. "That means that 66 percent of consumers are potentially open to going somewhere else. We want to help auto shop owners tap into that 66 percent market share and get more customers into their shop."
C/S Vehicle Doesn’t Stay Running
Awww, cutest find ever. (I've kept pet rats for at least 15 years, so to me this is the equivalent of a basket of kittens).
We had this problem one year when the mouse population was really high. My mechanic fixed it and wrote on the bill, "Found mouse family inside air filter. Evicted them."
My motorbike one time wouldn't wanna accelerate properly. The crankcase-pressure-relief goes into the airbox, which is why there always is a bit of oil present ... I found a bunch of dead, oil-covered wasps inside, about an inch high from the ground - no idea how or why they got in there...
An inch high meaning about three hands full. Were they attracted by the oil? Been sucked in? I have no idea ... felt sorry for them, of course, my bike isn't meant to kill wasps...
Load More Replies...Awww..... Brings back horrible sad memories of the rats put to death after their owner decided to let them roam (and replicate) free in the apartment building and surrounding areas I lived in. There was no humane eviction option for the rats -- the infestation had gone too far. Too bad the same couldn't be said for the tenant.
New Shop Pet Can We Keep Him?
More compassionate. Will not eat all your lunch. Will bury for later
Load More Replies...Who's The New Guy?
If you want to understand the engine - you have to BECOME the engine!
Load More Replies...I was just thinking the other day "I wonder what The Tin Man is doing". Now I know.
The owner after years and years of repairing at home; now it is a part of it.
We may discuss what good auto service is, but the survey showed that most people, 78%, believe that fair prices equate to good auto service. In fact, price beats other factors like good communication, timeliness, respect and honesty.
Meanwhile, the top three most liked offers include free tire rotation with oil change, discounted oil changes, and a loyalty program. Moreover, 36% of responders get their car checked at a service twice a year, but the number drastically increases with age. The older the respondent, the more likely they get their car serviced more often.
Aircraft. Pilot Landed With His Breaks On
Little Old Lady Dropped Off Her Caravan For A Brake Inspection. Yes That’s The Mileage She Would Have Seen On Her Receipt
And here I was trying to convert kilos to miles because I thought it must be a huge amount! Then I read the comments...
I wish I was once again that young and with that mileage. Enjoy life, it goes by so quickly.
I had to read all the asinine remarks to figure out why this was on here!
Gotta Love Florida
You may wonder how to convince customers that your car service is trustworthy. An interesting experiment was done by Quik Videos, which allows service and repair professionals to email and text short, no-cuts, real-time videos of what needs to be done on their cars and why. Turns out that about 94% of customers watch the films, and an average Quik Video-using dealership has a 212 percent upsell rate, the company’s CEO said.
Jack Gardner, CEO of Quik Video, said that filming a video that explains what has to be done on a car and why “empowers the consumer to make an informed decision.” Moreover, it allows to build that much-needed trust since “’You wouldn’t lie to me on video,’” as Gardner put it.
“My Tyre Light Came On And I’m Not Sure Why”
The owner should be reported if that is wear and tear and not a sudden rip
Considering there doesn't appear much tread left...
Load More Replies...C/S States Engine Making “Pssst Pssst Pssst” Noise
Good Post Or Bad Post?
Big Brain Time
I think the problem might be that a clip-on wheel-balancing weight is interfering with the fitment of the hubcap, thus the 'modification.'
Load More Replies...Made a million times more pathetic by the sight of the actual access point showing about 4 inches above.
Those looks like the standard wheel covers that come on a sedan. You're talking about $200 on an average car like like a Chevy or Ford. Cheap cars...
Load More Replies...Maybe the place that put them on............put them on incorrectly!
C/S To Install New Tire. C/Dns That The Tire Was Filled With Water In Sub-Zero Temperatures. Had To Cut The Sidewall Out With A Leatherman To Get The Tire Off The Wheel (After Breaking The Ice With A Sledgehammer)
Temporary fix for a flat tyre, or wheel has been sat outside for a LONG time and filled up itself
Load More Replies...C/Dns = Customer Denies. Really... Is there a fairy filling tires with water in YOUR neighborhood?
I've seen farm tractors with water in their tires. It's to gain extra traction in muddy conditions. Don't know why anyone would put water in their car tires unless it was for extra traction.
Errg! I can not help but think that this guys air compressor was full of water (yep that happens, and you are supposed to drain it occasionally) and for whatever reason kept on working, and that this is the end result. Take care of your tools folks.
Technically A Carryout Since It Isn't Rolling Anywhere
That is awe inspiring!! The fact that there is so much tread remaining indicates that this wasn't a aged, worn tire. That the defect was discovered before it led to serious injury or death is serious LUCK that the manufacturer -- and the consumer -- should be extraordinarily thankful for.
Ladies And Gentlemen, We Have Achieved Peak Engineering
I just listened to a Smithsonian podcast where they said redneck began as a reference to the red neck ties coal miners wore. Especially those who are unionized or trying to unionize. Miners and their families, every aspect of their lives was controlled by the mine. Housing, travel, healthcare, food etc. To maximize profits mines competed to cut costs. Miners got desperate and fought for their rights (it got really violent). Because the history books were written by men with imperialist views and connections to the mines. They controlled what the word redneck came to mean. Violent, stupid and backwards instead of brave, progressive and desperate.
Load More Replies...Genius, it has a cable holder and everything! I'm gonna go make one for myself now
Customer Is Always Right
False. My brother in law has a job and he is as stupid as they come.
Load More Replies...Knowing how expensive and stupid some glove box catches are to replace, this is a perfectly reasonable solution!
One Fender Bender Away From Turning His iPhone Into An Eyephone
If only being terminally stupid counted as a criminal offence.
Load More Replies...The airbag itself hurts way more than one might expect...
Load More Replies...I was going to say they might be using it as a SATNAV (still a VERY BAD location) but then spotted the actual SATNAV in the top right hand of the picture... Having the iPhone smashed into one's face with the velocity of a standard airbag exploding will most likely result in avoiding a trip to the hospital- that ambulance will deliver the idiot straight to the morgue.
21' Jetta 1.4 With 1300 Miles. Probably The 6th Clutch I've Done In The Last Month. What Makes People Buy Standard Cars When They Clearly Don't Know How To Drive Stick Is Beyond Me
Fun fact: Jim Carrey did this SEVERAL times to the Saleen he was driving in "Bruce Almighty". I was an extra on the movie set and production was shut down every time they had to switch it out. And it smelled AWFUL...
I don’t see what’s wrong in the pic bc I don’t know what it should look like. Can someone tell me What is wrong in the pic and what should be there that’s missing? I’m curious.
Not a mechanic either, but I'm guessing it's the shredding around the edges of the clutch, especially at the top of the photo. That means it's been grinding against something beyond the way the part was designed for, and that's not how driving us supposed to work.
Load More Replies...I taught 4 people how to drive a stick in my car, car lasted over 20 years and never needed to replace the clutch. I mean, learning to drive a stick isn't that hard. I have had people screw up but they generally got the whole process down by the end of the day. I guess people just don't have someone there to show them how to do it? Would have thought that teaching 4 people how to drive a stick (5 if I include myself) in a car would do more damage than one person figuring it out on their own.
AGREE. if one of my friends dads hadn't trained me in 30 seconds to listen I don't know how I would ever have learned.
Load More Replies...The ability to drive a manual transmission vehicle is no longer being regularly taught to the next generation. Those of us born prior to 1980 were almost guaranteed to have been shown at least the basics. And oftentimes we taught the skills to our own offspring only to see them rarely put into practice. It's a necessary but underappreciated skill.
Maybe not in your country. In the UK I think most, if not all, driving instructors have manual cars.
Load More Replies...I used to have a Geo Tracker, and I loved that little SUV. In its 14th year, the alternator went, but the original clutch was still mint. The mechanic complimented me.
In my country you can not drive a manual since you have licence for an automatic.
I got my DL 50 years ago and have NEVER managed this kind of thing, WTF??? HTHDTH?????
Accidentally Made A Magnifying Glass When Rain Gathered On Crash Wrap Covering A Busted Sunroof
no, not luck. very purposeful material design. give engineers the credit that's due!
Load More Replies...The consumer should assume that their lifetime allotment of vehicle-related luck was consumed completely in this instance. Therefore extra caution should always be exercised in the future.
But that took all day, it goes from one side of the car to the other. Parked obviously, but would the rain stay that long? It must've been bulging into the car full of water
Why not? It even follows the path of the sun, so it looks pretty legit. And what else could this be if not an accidental magnifying-glass?
Load More Replies...C/S Weird Rattling In Rear End And The Brake Light Is Out, Said She Tried Changing The Bulb Multiple Times
Why do I get the feeling that she treated the light unit like a slot machine? "Just keep on feeding them in, you'll hit the jackpot eventually and the light will come on!" :D
Load More Replies...To be fair, they are an absolute pig to get out if you drop one. I had a headlight bulb break and to retrieve the broken end I had to remove the entire headlight assembly. If you don't know what you're doing, you really are better off paying someone to fit them for you.
C/S: I Don't Believe In Oil Changes!
They probably don't believe in birth control either while living in poverty already. Fracking IQ underachievers.
Customer "My Cars Heat Isn't Working"
exactly, just like the hotair hand dryers in the bathroom! bacon bacon everywhere. as it should be.
Load More Replies...I had a dumb moment the other day. I thought my ac was broken, kept trying to turn down the temp and get it to blast but no luck. Right when I was feeling like giving up on life I thought to myself "Is the AC on?" It wasn't. At least I realized I was an idiot before anyone else could find out and bill me for it.
I usually remember to hit the a/c button. what I forget is to turn the dial to COLD air (typically i've used hot that morning to deal with windshield fogging)
Load More Replies...Sure this is the obvious reason. But a car I used to own, only half of the dash vents were connected to the air-con system. Mostly the ones on the passenger side, and all of the ones for de-fogging the windscreen were non-functional.
Customer Called For A Tow Because His Car Was Driving Funny
By driving like your in the happy tree friends show.
Load More Replies...Looks like two wheel bolts fell out, and the other three weren't up to holding under braking and tore through the thin steel
Load More Replies...Roachcoach
We kept blasting our friend to stop eating in her car. Mocked her for the empty yogurt containers. Then she text that she got roaches and asked what she should do, we all just replied to stop eating in her car. They ate her car seat and we had to bomb it. She asked to use our vac to vacuum them out and we told her hell no. Suck up some eggs, then we would end up with them in the house.
Wow. My car is full of roaches. Can I use your vacuum? Wow.
Load More Replies...😖 smegging hell, let this be a lesson about taking your trash out!
NOPE.... They couldn't pay me enough to sit my butt in that seat long enough to move it into the service bay.
Makes one wonder what condition their home is in? I hope they don't have children or pets.
2020 Dodge Challenger. When You Live You Life A Quarter Mile At Time
I had a Subaru Justy. for those who don't remember them, 3 cylinders, progressive 3 barrel carb, balance shaft 73hp/73 ft/lbs torque and on demand 4WD. I won every stop light to stop light race against V8s because those fools were so busy burning out while I simply took off.
On Today's Episode Of That's F**ked Up
Oh nooooooo. The antifreeze goes in a different place. Someone was either very stoned or just clueless
This is probably a blown head gasket, and not a case of "that's the wrong hole"
Load More Replies...WHY is that so clean? It should be mud or pudding if mixed with oil.
def put coolant in the oil fill.. otherwise it would have oil mixed in there, lol
C/S Vibration At Highway Speed
This is why regular vehicle checks are important, no way did this happen in the space or a few months!!
I have my oil changed regularly, just had new tires put on, had to pester the mechanic repeatedly that something wasn't right. Mechanic kept telling me everything was fine. Took it to a different mechanic, and this is exactly what my Jeep looks like underneath. I guess, just like in every other profession, some mechanics just suck. If I hadn't been so worried and gone somewhere else, I could have been driving down the highway when it finally gave out.
Load More Replies...Looks like there are brand new tires on it. The thing needs to be hauled to the dump.
That reminds me of the old fence posts I recently removed. More than half of them broke in two when I tried to remove them due to exessive amount of rust. Luckily that wasn't as dangerous as this.
4wd Came In After Getting Stuck In A Deep Puddle, Car Wouldn’t Start At All With Nearly Every Light On The Dash. Pulled The Ecu Out And Found This Nightmare
Who designs an electronics module low in the vehicle and doesn't pot or at least conformally coat the board?!
Load More Replies...The car was in a flood previously. Seen a ton of this in NOLA.
In some cars, this can happen in surprisingly shallow puddles. I have seen it happen in as shallow as 15 cm.
Customer States Vehicle Has "Minor Coolant Leak"
Looks like it has melted, so it was probably something to do with an earlier overheating problem ;-)
Load More Replies...I'd look around the shop for the alien that busted out of that thing.
Hardest Honesty Test I've Had To Pass
Rolled Into The Shop, Didn’t Stop
"Welp, just another tuesday I guess... Coming right now sir, just let me finish balancing this wheel..."
Load More Replies..."They see me rolling and they hating...." Of course they're hating. You could have ran them over without a care. These guys seem fine, but I bet that wasn't the case if the driver came barreling in vs driving like a senior not in a rush.
The Squirrels Are Trying To Burn This One Down...
“Yeah so last week he tried cutting down my house so Marty gave me these so the car will go up in flames”
Bloody squirrels!!! They've been the bane of my life this year. Getting into my loft/attic, stripping wires of their insulation. Chewing holes in the soft fittings around my exterior wall so they can get in. Stealing my loft insulation. Making a right ol' racket while doing all of this!! Think I finally have it sorted but my god I never knew they could be so destructive. Can't see them as cute fluffy creatures anymore.
No Brake Lites
The New "Swiss" Frame! 15% Lighter Than Conventional Frames...
You can make it even lighter by cutting big holes into it. No way it would affect sturdiness in any way.
Was someone shooting at the underside of the truck with various calibers of firearms?
Guy Said He Hadn’t Changed His Oil In A Couple Months
wasn't it miles morales that that quote came from? ................. Judging from the reply below, people think i'm stupid :D
Load More Replies...Not a lie. Oil was definitely not changed in the last couple of months.
Had one like that once on an LTD with a 302. 12K on the oil and the motor was running perfect without a single rattle. Took a gallon of kerosene to get it out.
This Got Towed Into My Buddy's Uncle's Shop In Nj. Snap-On Impact Gun Flew Through The Customers Windshield While On 78
Flashback to the awful engine to the head moment argh (or log truck, I hate driving near them but I notice that unlike other trucks that are just as slow, there's rarely someone within a few car lengths of a log truck these days!)
Load More Replies...I Recommend Not Putting Spray Foam On Your Dash In 100° Weather
According to my son following a recent experience: It is recommended that you DO NOT leave BEAR SPRAY in your vehicle in hot temperatures!! BEAR SPRAY is MUCH more difficult to remove than spray foam. And it hurts a whole lot more.
Cs: Suspension Bottoms Out... Not Even Kidding
I don't get it. The combined weight of all that Sprite is maybe a couple hundred pounds. How can that make the car bottom out?
It seems like there could be at most 33 cases of soda in there, so just over 300 lbs, which would certainly be enough to take up all the suspension travel if the springs are worn out, or the shocks are blown. Neither is terribly unlikely in an older vehicle (third-gen Taurus? 20+ years old).
Load More Replies...Very Sneaky... Walked Under The Lift Not Paying Attention... Got T-Bagged
4 Bolts From The Same Part, 4 Degrees Of Cooperation
Various stages of rust. One came out easily and the others got progressively more difficult. One didn't come out at all.
Load More Replies...Car: ah, maintenance time! But I dont want it. 1st screw. Mechanic continues the service. 2nd screw: I said no! Mechanic insists on service: 3rd screw: okay, I'm done! Now take this! 4th screw: *breaks* Mechanic: FUUUUUU...
Yeah... Na
that steering wheel is on the right, so don't blame America for this one
I’d say it’s New Zealand, based on the signage in the background, and the plates on the vehicle beside it. Front plates are still a legal requirement over here, so it could be an unregistered vehicle.
Load More Replies...This is actually how they get bigfoot et al onto the back of a trailer - they won't fit with the big tyres on. This however looks shonky as hell.
Me and my mom were once rear ended by a truck that had been jacked up so high they couldn’t see us in front of them.
What specifically about this do you believe violates road-legality regulations? You can have as big of a lift as you want anywhere in the USA, provided the headlights are no more than 54" from the ground. Unless you're in Arizona, where the law specifies a maximum 8" distance from the pavement for mud guards.
Load More Replies...That thing has gone beyond needing side steps and reached the point of needing an fighter jet ladder. I would never ride in that thing! A slight gust could blow it sideways...
And one day, if he wished really hard, he would wake up and be a REAL truck!!
Oof... And It's An E Class...
Usually it's so the mechanics don't get the clean seat dirty. In this case the mechanic is probably grateful for that plastic liner between them and that seat. They have to sit in that seat to move it, turn it on and otherwise test it.
Load More Replies...Disgusting business person using their car as an office? I spend a lot of time driving and my car has NEVER been anywhere as filthy! The steering wheel alone is making me feel unwell...
C/S Ordered Wheel Package Online. Now Requesting Window Tint To Be Hidden From All The Crazy Looks He Gets In Traffic
Because they ordered them online and he probably didn't order the right size.
Load More Replies...Ma'am, You Need A Valve Job
I agree, getting the valve heads to impale into the piston is something I've seen a couple of times, but how do you get them in stem-first?!
Load More Replies...Reminds me a Turbo Eclipse my dad bought with a locked up engine. Turned out the kid that had it put a valve beside the drivers seat so he could prevent the wastegate from opening. When the valve train couldn't take any more the heads snapped off the stems and the pistons embedded them in the head, walls and pistons. He must've had it would real tight because even after that happened the engine continued to make at least 3 more revolutions before seizing tight.
Walked Backed Into The Shop Because I Left Something Just To Find Out The Custodian Lifted The Rack Without Paying Attention
That might not be too bad if the vehicle was well-centered. It was supported equally on both sides, about where the rear suspension subframe would attach.
Load More Replies...A Apprentice Diesel Technician In My Class Tried To Do An Burnout In Reverse In His Mustang
I know, I know - but seriously, how hard is it to write "an apprentice"? that person clearly knows that sometimes you use "an" instead of "a", except at the perfectly wrong place. "an" goes before vocals, not consonants!
Looks tatty enough that a burnout in either direction would probably have done the same
Customer Said The Tire Still Had Plenty Of Meat On Them
If the meat was a left-over bit of roadkill that had lain on the road in the heat for a few days, maybe...
99 Rav4- A Vital Option Missing From Every Car Nowadays-The Groin Cooler
I just take my trousers and underwear off and hang one leg out of the window!
I wouldn't mind this option in my car on a very warm day... nearly perished here a couple of weeks back when temperatures hit the low 30s (We don't get 30 degree- Celsius- weather very often in the UK).
C/S Car Is Running Rough.... Yes Those Are Bullets Holes
I can't tell if this person is extremely unlucky or extremely lucky...
Customer Complains About Loss Of Power And A Fuel Smell
It's the fuel pump / filter assembly that's fitted to the top of tank. Tank is probably plastic, but fitting ring and fuel pump assy. will be steel, hence all the rust
Load More Replies...When I read these posts I am part fascinated, befuddled and terrified to know that these could very well be the type of people I share the road with on a daily basis...
This is why I am glad that in the UK, all cars over 3 years old have to pass a mandatory roadworthiness test every year. Yes, it's an expense and a nuisance (though it only costs around £35). But it means that people driving cars in poor condition like some of these examples are not on the road with me. (or if they are, they can be prosecuted). If I end up in a bad accident, it's not much consolation to know it was the other driver's fault because his car was a piece of junk. I'd much rather not be in an accident in the first place.
Load More Replies...The headline posts are sooooo confusing. Correct spelling and punctuation are your friends. I gave up.
That is what happens when you cut and paste from reddit.
Load More Replies...When I read these posts I am part fascinated, befuddled and terrified to know that these could very well be the type of people I share the road with on a daily basis...
This is why I am glad that in the UK, all cars over 3 years old have to pass a mandatory roadworthiness test every year. Yes, it's an expense and a nuisance (though it only costs around £35). But it means that people driving cars in poor condition like some of these examples are not on the road with me. (or if they are, they can be prosecuted). If I end up in a bad accident, it's not much consolation to know it was the other driver's fault because his car was a piece of junk. I'd much rather not be in an accident in the first place.
Load More Replies...The headline posts are sooooo confusing. Correct spelling and punctuation are your friends. I gave up.
That is what happens when you cut and paste from reddit.
Load More Replies...
