Taking your car into a shop for repairs can get expensive, especially when a mechanic finds an even bigger issue. One mechanic shared an unfortunate situation with a customer who insisted on only one fix.
The mechanic shared their experience on the r/Justrolledintotheshop subreddit. They explained that a customer brought in a 2019 Ram 1500 with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine. The customer asked for all 16 spark plugs to be replaced but refused a diagnostic.
However, the mechanic still decided to do a little poking around, leading them to find a much bigger issue. They then contacted the customer to let them know about a serious engine issue but received an unexpected response.
“Why can’t you just follow simple instructions and do as you’re told?” the customer reportedly said to the mechanic.
A Bigger Problem
CS: Just put plugs in it
by
u/lmZen in
Justrolledintotheshop
The mechanic shared a video of the issue in a comment under the original post. They described it as a collapsed intake-side lifter on cylinder five. In the comment, they pointed out the top-left spring and said the lifter had collapsed internally.
After finding this issue, the mechanic contacted the customer, who refused further diagnostic work and insisted on only replacing the spark plugs.
In the post, the mechanic jokingly agreed to follow the customer’s instructions, sarcastically adding that they might as well replace a coil afterward, too.
Commenters Warned of Potential Blame
The post prompted other Reddit users to share their thoughts on the situation in the comments. Some warned that the mechanic could end up being blamed if the truck continued to have problems after the spark plugs were replaced.
One commenter suggested the mechanic should have simply refused to carry out work they believed would not fix the issue. They also pointed out that the customer might later accuse the shop of causing the problem, even if the underlying issue had nothing to do with the spark plugs.
Another commenter recommended getting the customer to sign a waiver before proceeding with the work because they might later blame the mechanic for the issue. The mechanic responded, saying that the customer had already signed approval for the work and had specifically declined diagnostic testing.
The mechanic then shared another similar experience they had with a customer who insisted on replacing a battery without paying for a diagnosis. When that didn’t solve the problem, the customer requested an alternator and then a starter. Neither fixed the issue, and the actual cause turned out to be a relay.
No other updates had been made to the post regarding whether the customer ended up getting the engine issue fixed. However, the situation highlights a common point of frustration for mechanics when customers request specific repairs without first confirming the cause of the problem.