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50 Times Car Mechanics Took Pics Of What They Were Dealing With So Others Would Believe Them
If you're counting everything down to the smallest screw, a single car has about 30,000 parts. That's way too many for us average folk to maintain. This means that over time, bad things happen, and we need to take our metal horsies to the mechanic to fix them.
But the state of some of our cars... Due to money shortage, ignorance, or neglect, we DIY or pretend we don't see a problem when it's clear that a professional has to take care of it. So when the inevitable occurs and we pull up to their place begging for help, the poor fellas know they're stuck with it for good.
There's even a subreddit for such situations. r/JustRolledIntoTheShop is a community that collects "those absolutely stupid things" that we bring, roll, or toss into their businesses and car mechanics are pretty popular there. Continue scrolling and you'll understand why.
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Stayed A Little Longer At The Shop To Save This Little Guy From Someone’s Engine Bay
A recent study of 2,000 American car owners support the message this subreddit is sending, too. It found as many as a quarter feel they take a risk each time they hit the road as their vehicle is currently in need of repair or no longer runs well.
The study asked people to reflect on the current state of their vehicle and tested their knowledge of car basics. Results showed an alarming number of drivers are rolling the dice on vehicles in need of work — 68 percent said their cars currently have at least one thing wrong with them.
And with so many vehicles in need of love, Americans could stand to do a bit of brushing up on how to take care of their cars a little better. 36 percent of those studied confessed they don’t know the first thing about fixing a flat tire.
Customer: "Let Me Know When You Are About To Pull My Truck In So I Can Get My Raccoon" And He Sat In The Lobby With A Raccoon Until His Truck Was Done
The survey, conducted by Cooper Tires, discovered that nearly half of American car owners think they couldn't change their car’s oil and almost 30 percent believe they couldn't even pick out the correct oil their car needs in the first place.
One in four Americans also aren't confident they could jump-start their vehicle should they need to.
Even using an air pressure gauge to check tire pressure can prove to be too difficult for nearly one in five Americans.
I Dont Condone Stealing... But Man I Want To
“Although many Americans have a lack of confidence and knowledge when it comes to vehicle maintenance, it’s important to plan ahead and take initiative," Jessica Egerton, director of marketing for Cooper Tires, said. "Don't wait until there is an issue with a vehicle. It’s why Cooper Tires is passionate about helping educate and empower car owners across the country.”
This Made Me Laugh Way More Than It Should Have
Hood Opens. Hood Is Layed Down Immediately. Tech Exclaims "Oh Hell No."
Actual Work Order At Our Shop From One Of Our Technicians
Customer Has Been Coming Since 200k Miles, Said He'd Get To 1 Million. I've Been Waiting For That Day For Years, Today He Casually Rolled Up And Asked To Plug His Tire, Needless To Say Best Tire Plug Ever
The Odds Of A Single 4 Leaf Clover Rooting Into A Fender Line
The Car Sounds Like A Cartoon
Customer Refused All 4 Tires On A Rainy Day, She Also Had To Sign A Waiver Before Releasing The Car
this person is putting their own life, and that of innocent people in danger. In Europe, you could go to prison for driving like this.
Just Crawled Out From Under A Broken Lift
I Work At A Rental Company And The Police Brought This Back...
Customer Failed To Mention The Fact That His Dog Was In The Vehicle, Scared The Hell Outta Me
Accerlator Gets Stuck To Floor. Pull On String To Unstick
Self Aware Prius Owner
This says a lot about the kind of friends he has, or the kind of town he lives in.
C/S She Hears A Flapping Noise Coming From The Driver's Side
I Am Pretty Sure I'm Younger Than The Tire
16 Years Of Writing Service And It Finally Happened. Gloves In A Glovebox
The First And Probably Last Time I Will Ever See One Of These. Jaguar Xj220 With Only 3k On The Odometer
Just Hopped Into The Shop
Work Never Fails To Disappoint
Surprised It Didn’t Explode Into The Shop
Customer States Temperature Gauge Is Reading Full Tank
A Girl Who Works At Sonic Just Paid Her 1k Repair Bill With Mostly 1's And 5's. Mad Resolve
Private Security Tahoe With 1” Bulletproof Glass. The Rest Of The Vehicle Is Just As Heavily Armored
The Only Worthwhile Lift Kit Instructions
When I Saw This I Told Her It Wasn't Going To Be Cheep
Just Pulled This Out Of A Customers Car Between The Grill And Condenser
7 Months Since The Last Post About This Car... He Finally Did It. Our Customer Bought This Civic New In 06 And It Has Only Been Serviced At Our Dealership. Original Motor And Transmission
Just In For An Inspection & Was Greeted With This...
This Little Girl Helped Me Check Codes In Her Owner’s Car Today. Good Girl
86 Yota. 211k Miles. In Mint Condition
They Told Me Someone Was Dropping Off Their BBQ For Me To Do Brakes And Bearings On. I Thought They Were Joking, They Were Not
Guy Drove In Like This. Another Reason Why We Are Essential
Lexus In To Pick Up Some Brake Pads
In Case You’ve Ever Wondered That The Undercarriage Of A Tesla Looked Like
That's smart actually. We are losing parts of the cars on the road, not to mention some of them get stollen while you are parked.
Which Car Has The Worst Battery Location?
C/S Lost His Keys... I Wonder Why
So this fool is driving while he's high? Better report your findings to the police.
Had An Interesting Tailgate Come In Today
A Sweet Old Lady Asked Me To Apply Her 2018 License Plate Decal Today As She Couldn't Kneel Down To Do It Herself Anymore
Customer States "I Played Edm Once And Now My Car Won't Stop Pretending It's At A Rave"
Damn that's a lot of malfunction lights! That's a total crab rave
An Actual "Key" Supplied By A Customer
Turn the ignition cylinder to start, back to run, and then take it out. Some older vehicles have rather expensive ignition switches, and the rest of the car might be enough of an anti-theft system.
Load More Replies...We used to have an old farm truck that we started with a screwdriver - the keys disappeared & my dad didn't want to spend the money on a new ignition switch since the truck never left the farm. And on the old hay truck, there was a wire sticking out that you touched to the metal steering column to start it, unless it was parked so you could roll it downhill & clutch start it. Fun times, lol
Farm vehicles are a law unto themselves! Though I did once have a motorbike with a teaspoon handle as ignition key.
Load More Replies...I actually understand this. My dad has to remove his ignition because it was having issues and to start the car until he took it in he used something similar to a screwdriver. Worked great.
I had a '69 Chevy Nova once that my Dad passed down to me. The key had broken off in the ignition, so to start it all you had to do was turn those little wing thingys that were on those cars in those days. Also, if you locked the drivers side door all you needed was a flat tip screwdriver to open it. Those were the days my friend.
I have driven cars like that, lol. Couldn't afford to pull the steering to replace the ignition switch. It might be a redneck thing but it works.
Ha! My brother used to need a screwdriver to start his car! He bought it second hand from a girlfriend, so I think he was just being kind.
My husband used to start his old El Camino with a steak knife. We couldn't ever eat steak at home because all the effin knives disappeared!
My dad had a truck that any key....and I do mean ANY KEY.....would start it.
Oh my gosh that brings back memories. My older brothers first car he bought for $300 dollars from a junk yard he had to use a screw driver to drive it. 😂
Reminds me when my car's battery died and I had to open it with the actual key, it took us 30 minutes to find the keyhole cause it was under the door handle.... it then took my dad another 30 seconds to figure out how to get the key out of the key fob
Had an 87 Buick skyhawk I could start with a screwdriver, think I used a butterknife once
Awwwww, my besties mom use to have a car that we could start with a screwdriver. Well, anything really. We stole it once with just a pen cap.
Back in 2003, I had a friend who had a beat up two door Ford of unknown model. Close to 500K and he was delivering pizza. One day i opened the glove compartment and found a fork and a spoon. Looked at him in bewilderment. Aaah, these, he said, that's my car key. I lost the real one years ago...
My brothers old Accord ignition key got stuck on and I took out the lock cylinder and used a screwdriver
I actually had to do this because some a**hole stole my 84 Honda and popped the ignition. It would only start with a screwdriver. I had to take it in to get the ignition replaced.
I used to have to unhook the battery on my car to turn it off.
Honda Civic, say mid-80s/early-90s vintage? Was told that is quite common (combination of a kinda useless ignition key system and age). Also, if the key is working, common to have another screwdriver to tap or even short-circuit the starter solenoid that tends to start sticking after a year or so and is a pain to replace.
The fun thing is when it's time to start the car and you have to stick the screwdriver down the middle of the cigarette lighter and touch the bottom without touching the sides, or else the fuse blows and you have to put in a new one and start over. And then you just hold it that way while the car starts. #hadavanlikethatonce
Sounds like you are playing a combo of GTA IV and Operation.
Load More Replies...What else is there? I sold off my last car in Aught Five. Most of my vehicles only needed screwdrivers anyway...
Don’t laugh my Daddy had a very old car that had a rumble seat and had to start it with that “key “.
where i live this is common lol but only for fords it is the only "key" you need for doors or ign in a ford truck -f-250-350 because they did not have a chipped key pop the bottom of the door handle cover use the screwdiver to lift the rod and then whack the ign poof 30 seconds or so and you have a new to you truck
My husband had a Buick with a key like that after it had been stolen twice.
My brother installed a light switch in my old Ford. To start, I flipped both switches on, then turned the bottom one off when the motor caught. To stop, turn of the other switch. I also had no back seat. I installed my son's old crib mattress. My brother sneaked a sign into the back side window that read Curb Service. Then my sisters painted the CIF playoff grid on the side of the car. FYI, our high school won that year. Go, Dons.
I had a car once (1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme) that got the point where the ignition was so worn out that you didn't even need a key. Just had to turn the plastic ignition lock
had to use that when the ignition lock got stuck on my bros Accord. Took out the lock cylinder and used a screwdriver.
Says Didn't Have A Spare, Drove For 3 Days! I Found The Spare In The Trunk Complete With Jack!
Ya Think
Sorry Officer I Didn't Know How Fast I Was Going
I Think My Boss May Be Compensating For Something With His New Toolbox
Customer Stated He Needed A Punctured Tyre Repaired, Had To Tell Him He Was Screwed
Rental Car Came Back Like This "Had A Plane To Catch"
I Replaced A Battery Last Week In A Customers Car And She Is Trying To Claim The Battery Is Causing Weird Things To Happen To Her Car Now. This Morning, She Said The Red Line Was Never There Before The Battery Was Replaced And Wants A Refund. Lord Help Me
Customer Was Wondering Why When He Started His Car This Morning, It Sounded Different. He Didn't Understand It When I Told Him He Had Been Robbed
They stole the catalytic converter, which contains precious metals like titanium, rhodium and palladium. Replacement costs can run up to $3000 depending on what car you are driving.
Note: this post originally had 153 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Some of these are pure stupidity but some I just feel bad for. Obviously no one thought them anything about cars and maybe some people don't have someone to teach them. I wish they had life skill classes in school. Cars, banking, how to write a check, credit, sewing, cooking etc. I had some of these when I went to school but they took them out a year or so after.
When I was in school, the driver's ed class taught us not just how to drive, but the parts of a car and how to maintain it. We also had home economics that did cooking and light sewing, etc. It was a well funded school. Not every family can teach these. Vote to fund schools and well rounded curriculum.
Load More Replies...If you ever need to be reminded about how dangerously dumb millions of people are (and you shouldn't, especially if you live in the US right now) just talk to doctors, mechanics, plumbers, etc. Anyone who fixes things for a living.
I never thought I'd hit worse than a pediatric ward full of kids destroyed by measles back in the 1990s. And then Covid hit... Turns out there's worse than kids in the USA of all places dying of measles. It's .... Yeah. Fixing? We're lucky if we don't break, too.
Load More Replies...My ex was the epitome of why mechanics get a bad rep. A very dear friend recommended my ex to his employee, who had a classic Chevy El Camino. It was an absolutely beautiful car in "Plum Crazy" purple. I WATCHED as he and his dipshit buddy backed it into the shop - and right into the end of the engine hoist. It put a huge dent in the tailgate. They went ahead & did the work requested (brakes & an LOF, I think). My friend brings the guy over to pick up the car and he freaks over the dent. My ex tries to tell him that it was there when the car showed up. My friend takes one look at my face & knows that I KNOW, he's lying. I've never been more humiliated in my life. Lost the ex, kept the friend.
And these folks are on the road driving next to you...
I dont understand the level of poverty in some of these pictures.. stealing some parts-driving without a tyre..just cant get my head around
in the 'old' days, my dad believed girls should be able to do basic maintenance/repair on their cars. fast forward 50 yrs and i am lost w/all the new crap as well the computers in cars. now, i call my great mechanic, curtis, and just tell him that my car is 'screaming' at me, telling me to have [blank] checkes and i would like him to shut it up
It is ridiculous on modern cars! To specialised to be able to fix anything. I'd never realised how much of a difference there was until my bf at the time bought a mach 3 escort. It stopped working once when we were driving, and I was thinking, like with any modern car, it was going to be a big expensive hassle. But he just broke open a pen, took out the spring, used it to hold whatever it was (something to do with the alternator?), we drove home and he fixed it properly when we were there. Old cars aren't safe re crashes etc but by God they were easier to maintain
Load More Replies...Back in 1971, a customer came in to get her car. She paid the bill, went outside and claimed that her car had been damaged in the parking. We went outside to see a crunched area where the damage was all the way down to bare metal. She claimed that the damage wasn't there when she brought the car in for service. We pointed out that the rust on the bare metal couldn't have possibly formed during the few hours her car was in our possession because it hadn't rained for many weeks. She disagreed. Yeah, right.
I ran an auto parts shop for a few years and during the busy season (mid-March through Thanksgiving) I would frequently have to deliver parts myself. I have actually patted fenders and apologized to cars for being owned and driven by total idiots.
Interesting. Some were just plain unbelievable.............can't believe some are so DUMB!
I have to admit I took my 21 foot RV in for a winterization and the tech opened the lid and there was a bee hive growing in there.. I had left it next to the house with a heavy tarp over it...
Hello! I am so glad to found your website on google and found it very useful and Informative and I shared your website with my all colleagues and friends and they are really happy with your website information. if you have a scrap car or junk car and want to sell it for top cash and also get the best services then get in contact with our company NSW EXPRESS CAR REMOVAL and get the best car removal services. Link: nswexpresscarremoval
My heart was broken. I never believed I would get my ex back until Dr Akhigbe brought my ex in 48hrs with a powerful love spell. It is reliable to get a positive result, contact the spell caster for a love spell by email: drakhigbespellhome7@gmail.com or WhatsApp on +2349021374574.
Some of these are pure stupidity but some I just feel bad for. Obviously no one thought them anything about cars and maybe some people don't have someone to teach them. I wish they had life skill classes in school. Cars, banking, how to write a check, credit, sewing, cooking etc. I had some of these when I went to school but they took them out a year or so after.
When I was in school, the driver's ed class taught us not just how to drive, but the parts of a car and how to maintain it. We also had home economics that did cooking and light sewing, etc. It was a well funded school. Not every family can teach these. Vote to fund schools and well rounded curriculum.
Load More Replies...If you ever need to be reminded about how dangerously dumb millions of people are (and you shouldn't, especially if you live in the US right now) just talk to doctors, mechanics, plumbers, etc. Anyone who fixes things for a living.
I never thought I'd hit worse than a pediatric ward full of kids destroyed by measles back in the 1990s. And then Covid hit... Turns out there's worse than kids in the USA of all places dying of measles. It's .... Yeah. Fixing? We're lucky if we don't break, too.
Load More Replies...My ex was the epitome of why mechanics get a bad rep. A very dear friend recommended my ex to his employee, who had a classic Chevy El Camino. It was an absolutely beautiful car in "Plum Crazy" purple. I WATCHED as he and his dipshit buddy backed it into the shop - and right into the end of the engine hoist. It put a huge dent in the tailgate. They went ahead & did the work requested (brakes & an LOF, I think). My friend brings the guy over to pick up the car and he freaks over the dent. My ex tries to tell him that it was there when the car showed up. My friend takes one look at my face & knows that I KNOW, he's lying. I've never been more humiliated in my life. Lost the ex, kept the friend.
And these folks are on the road driving next to you...
I dont understand the level of poverty in some of these pictures.. stealing some parts-driving without a tyre..just cant get my head around
in the 'old' days, my dad believed girls should be able to do basic maintenance/repair on their cars. fast forward 50 yrs and i am lost w/all the new crap as well the computers in cars. now, i call my great mechanic, curtis, and just tell him that my car is 'screaming' at me, telling me to have [blank] checkes and i would like him to shut it up
It is ridiculous on modern cars! To specialised to be able to fix anything. I'd never realised how much of a difference there was until my bf at the time bought a mach 3 escort. It stopped working once when we were driving, and I was thinking, like with any modern car, it was going to be a big expensive hassle. But he just broke open a pen, took out the spring, used it to hold whatever it was (something to do with the alternator?), we drove home and he fixed it properly when we were there. Old cars aren't safe re crashes etc but by God they were easier to maintain
Load More Replies...Back in 1971, a customer came in to get her car. She paid the bill, went outside and claimed that her car had been damaged in the parking. We went outside to see a crunched area where the damage was all the way down to bare metal. She claimed that the damage wasn't there when she brought the car in for service. We pointed out that the rust on the bare metal couldn't have possibly formed during the few hours her car was in our possession because it hadn't rained for many weeks. She disagreed. Yeah, right.
I ran an auto parts shop for a few years and during the busy season (mid-March through Thanksgiving) I would frequently have to deliver parts myself. I have actually patted fenders and apologized to cars for being owned and driven by total idiots.
Interesting. Some were just plain unbelievable.............can't believe some are so DUMB!
I have to admit I took my 21 foot RV in for a winterization and the tech opened the lid and there was a bee hive growing in there.. I had left it next to the house with a heavy tarp over it...
Hello! I am so glad to found your website on google and found it very useful and Informative and I shared your website with my all colleagues and friends and they are really happy with your website information. if you have a scrap car or junk car and want to sell it for top cash and also get the best services then get in contact with our company NSW EXPRESS CAR REMOVAL and get the best car removal services. Link: nswexpresscarremoval
My heart was broken. I never believed I would get my ex back until Dr Akhigbe brought my ex in 48hrs with a powerful love spell. It is reliable to get a positive result, contact the spell caster for a love spell by email: drakhigbespellhome7@gmail.com or WhatsApp on +2349021374574.