Car Repair Shop Chain Scams Elderly Lexus Customer During Road Emergency With Over $1,700 ‒We're Going to Do a Full Investigation to Really Show You the Level of Corruption, of Theft, of Just Blatant Scamming in the Automotive Industry

A recent video by a Toyota mechanic titled "Shop Scams Customer with over $1700!" warns car owners that some non-dealership repair chains are just as bad…if not worse.

Toyota Mechanic Shares Unbelievable Scam Story

"I've been presented by a case from a customer that their elderly father had an issue while they were on a trip. And a shop, not a little unknown shop, a chain repair shop, scammed them so bad it makes my hair stand. Today I'm going to show you what they did. And we're going to do a full investigation to really show you the level of corruption, of theft, of just blatant scamming in the automotive industry that just ruins it for everybody," states the host in a recent episode of the Car Care Nut YouTube channel.

According to the host, here is a summary of what happened:

1. The owner of a 2008 Lexus RX 350 with approximately 170,000 miles on the odometer noticed a flashing check engine light warning on the dashboard, concurrent with the engine running a little rough.
2. Fearing for the worst, the elderly owner of the Lexus stops at the first repair shop he sees, which is a well-known automotive repair chain business.

Not going to name names, but God knows, and that's between them and God. ‒The Car Care Nut

1. During a diagnostic, the Lexus owner asked for an oil change as well since the car was due for one.
2. The owner was afterward handed a repair bill that includes six new coils and spark plugs, a plenum gasket, an undefined fuel service charge, and the oil and filter change requested by the owner. The total was a shocking $1,719.97!

That's actually after a discount of $370. So, the real price was $2,089.97."

A DEEP DIVE INTO THE REPAIR

To show how the repair bill for six new coils and plugs with an oil and filter change was so outrageous, the host takes a deep dive into what the repairs/services should have cost by buying the same parts sold at AutoZone.

Here's a summary of the Toyota mechanic's findings:

Spark Plug Estimate: Shop Charge is $74 per spark plug for six spark plugs and a total of $449.49. The AutoZone price is $27.75 each.

Plenum Gasket Estimate: Shop charge is $51.99. The AutoZone price is $28.53.

Ignition Coil Set Estimate: Shop Charge is $588.87. The AutoZone price is $416.65.

The Real Costs, Including OEM Substitutions

The real cost of the repair (aftermarket parts from AutoZone plus 2.5 hours of labor from the Car Care Nut garage) would have been $873.25, Not the $1,719.97 quoted to the Lexus owner.

However, if the repair had been done using OEM parts in the host's garage, the host's total repair bill would have been $1,440.97

The "Should Have Been" Costs

The above is assuming that all the repairs listed needed to have been done. However, checking the diagnostic code the chain repair shop produced, it turned out that only one coil was bad and the remaining five (billed for) were okay.

In short, had the chain repair shop been honest (not charging for parts not needed and charging a more acceptable markup for the non-OEM parts), the Lexus owner's bill would have been significantly less at around $1,358.13…but again, with non-OEM parts.

They just robbed an elderly man in an emergency when he was on a trip.

Discounts Are a Red Flag

According to the host, the $300 discount on the repair bill is an example of a red flag. Essentially, the garage is overly marking up everything and then shows you a "discount" as a sales tactic to mislead you on the real cost of what the repair/service should have been.

Why would any shop give you a $350 discount? That is unbelievable. That is a large percentage of the repair. I mean, if that's not a red flag, I don't know what is. And then they give you a $20 discount on the oil change…but my biggest problem is $662.93 in labor to do six spark plugs, coil, and a wrong diagnosis.

For more details about this scam, here is the video for your viewing pleasure…or displeasure, as it may be.

We're going to need to end this video because my blood is boiling. Folks, be careful out there. Be careful because the more I see these, the more just horrified I am of this industry. I am in it and we try to do the right thing and a lot of other shops do the right thing, but it's shops like this that ruin it for everybody. Make people lose their trust and it's horrible and I get it. 

Shop Scams Customer with over $1700! This is UNBELIEVABLE!

The Takeaway of This Scam Story

The key point with a car repair situation like this is that if you are unsure of whether or not you are being scammed, stop to take the time to consult with another mechanic you know, or at least check with a family member to see if the repair estimate sounds right to them. In many cases such as with the story above, that help is really only a phone call away.

For an additional recent car repair scam article, here is one that discusses who is cheating their car repair customers with overpriced non-OEM parts.

COMING UP NEXT: Dealership vs. Independent Garage? I Don't Care What Anybody Says…People Are Generally Miserable in the Dealership Setting. They Throw On That Fake Smile, but They're Dying Inside

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and restores older vehicles, often incorporating engine modifications for improved performance. He also covers modern cars—including EVs—with a focus on DIY mechanics, tool use and selection, and other topics related to automotive repair. Follow Tim on Twitter (@TimBoyerWrites) and Facebook for daily updates and insights on new and used cars and trucks.

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