this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2025
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[–] [email protected] 114 points 3 days ago (4 children)

That's not how that works. The shop has to provide you with an estimated bill that you have to approve before they'll even start working on it.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Depends on the laws in your state

It's also not uncommon for them to tell you that your car needs all this work because mechanics generally get paid on flatrate, so they're always trying to get more work. A lot of mechanics double dip on labor hours. Replace a brake caliper and get a brake flush. Well, they already had to bleed the brakes when they did the caliper and they're not going to bother bleeding all four, they'll just put clean fluid in the reservoir and you'll never know.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Yep, inspect is normally £20-£40, they give you the cost of repair and it stays at that cost. If they discover yet another problem, they don't force you to undergo the repair.

It is permitted for non-certified (MOT) cars to go to and from a mechanic so you can space out repairs over a month or more if needed.

Source: my friend bought a decades old Volvo so he tends to have LOTS of trouble keeping it in a reasonable state on his general wages.

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The actual solution is to reduce dependence on cars.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Well, the actual solution is to abolish Capitalism...

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That's a lot more difficult than investing in alternatives to cars.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago

Well it's get easier the more guillotines are set up in the town squares...

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

Exactly. Your car can't break if you never had one.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The moment every car owner dreads.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"why do I have all these parts left over?"

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

Weight reduction

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

eh, you can save money that way, but there are still repairs that the expense is majority parts.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

$4k gets a couple more beaters off marketplace. But you gotta know what to look for and live in a state lax intersection rules.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Yes, that's a good point.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Bill in dollars and you're going Far far away? Lol not without your car

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

People have been known to cross the Florida Straight on makeshift rafts, I hear Cuba is very nice this time of year.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

And people ask me why I have no interest in learning to drive...

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Unfortunately new cars are more difficult to repair than older cars. Community mechanic shops and education need to be more common.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Community mechanic shops and education need to be more common.

Nah, what you need is fewer cars and to not depend on them to stay alive.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress. Those mechanic shops can transition to working on trains, bikes, EVs, etc. We can do both.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

IMO, I can't see how making progress on car maintainability would be easier than on car dependency.

One depends on local politics, the other on national (or maybe even national to a foreign nation) politics or somehow convincing a global oligopolist to lose a bit of money to help your cause.

But if you want to work on it, good luck and all the power to you. Don't stop just because another problem exists.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Cars will never and should never go away completely, even if they become nothing more than a niche hobbyist thing.

In any case, we very much need and want and should have community mechanic shops and education. A friendly repair cafe is always a good idea.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

right to repair needs to come faster, my fucking malibu needs to have the front bumper be partially removed in order to change the headlight. Yea let's risk cracking the bumper to change a headlight. Really nice.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago (15 children)

[email protected]

[email protected]

Also, learn to repair your own car or at least do basic maintenance if you absolutely have to rely on a car. It can save you a lot of money and much of it is surprisingly easy (sometimes this depends on what car you have though). Oil changes on my car cost $70-80 in a shop but if I did it myself it was closer to $40 and the whole thing maybe took 30 minutes.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

popular mechanics 1963 tip, depicting the disposal of used engine oil into a gravel filled hole in the ground
(Please don't do this. Pour the old oil into the empty container and return it to the store for responsible disposal, or municipal hazardous waste facility, or whatever scheme exists in your location)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

A lot of times you can just give the used oil to any mechanic shop. They almost all run waste oil burners for heat in the winter so any free oil is just free heat for them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Ahh, 1963. Classic PopSci...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is why I only drive 90s and 2000s Asian cars. Cheap to own, cheap to repair, parts are abundant and easy to work on without needing specialized equipment.

Plus if you enjoy driving like me, you have a huge selection of fun, reliable JDM sports cars to choose from, all under $10K.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Same, I have an old 5 speed Subaru right now and I love it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Manual 350Z for me

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago

How would you like to pay?

... I don't 🙃

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

How would you like to pay?

I'd like to use all that spare money I have in my bank account, but instead, I guess I'll use my credit card because my livelihood requires that I have a working car. I'm sure I can pay it off in the next few years before I need another crippling repair or other expense.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Me in two weeks time from now

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

Average Genius Bar experience

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