Man am I ticked off!

[[LaW]Maverick]

Ok, so here's the scene:

 

Amanda (my soon-to-be wife) takes her car to our local Conrad's to have the oil changed. Not a big deal. So when she goes to pick up her car, they tell her that she needs a new tie-rod on the front left side. I figure, hey, she drives on Cleveland streets all the time, so that's somewhat believable (they're horrid roads). So on Saturday we have the tie-rod replaced at the Conrad's up by her parent's house (because it's where we were at the time).

 

They replace the tie-rod, but while in the process of doing it, they call us and tell us that the wheel bearing needs replaced as well. Now, at this point in time, we had never noticed the rhythmic vibration that typically denotes a bad wheel bearing, so we said that we'd have to wait until we had the money to replace said bearing. It was, after all, a $500 repair, and you know a bearing is going bad once you can FEEL the vibrations that it makes or starts to hum. I've had one go bad, so I have SOME experience as to what they feel like when they do go bad.

 

So we drive the car home after having the tie-rod replaced and a leak in one tire fixed. This was still Saturday. Amanda's parents live 3 minutes from Conrad's and we never broke 35 or 40 the whole way back. She doesn't drive the car again until today (Monday). So she's driving to work, and when she breaks 50mph on the highway, the car starts vibrating badly, especially through the steering column. This gets worse on her transit to school. So I go up there and get the car, sure enough, now it feels like the bearing is horribly bad.

 

So I (very carefully) took it to a different shop. Here's what bothers me:

 

1.) When changing a tie-rod, you don't have to mess with the bearing at all so how would they have noticed the problem? They could have noticed play in the joint when working, but that is a little bit of a stretch (especially to definitively say that it was a bad bearing). I've confirmed this with 2 other separate mechanics.

 

2.) It is very easy to loosen the bearing while working on a tie-rod as they are in close proximity.

 

3.) Bearings go bad GRADUALLY, which means that a huge change overnight in the condition is very very unlikely. Yes, a bearing can crack, but that's also very rare.

 

So something seems very very fishy to me. It could be that a wheel weight simply popped off and this is nothing more than coincidence, however, if it is in fact a lose bearing that can be tightened down, I'm going to be more than a little angry. They put Amanda's life in danger to make a buck, and that's not going to sit with me. It's not conclusive yet, but definitely fishy. Hahaha..my brother wants me to go after them right now. I dunno, what do you guys think? For those of you that know cars, I don't think I'm being exactly paranoid in my suspicions about Conrad's, but it could prove to be nothing. I'm leaning toward the latter, however.

 

Anyway, I'm mad, and wanted to warn you all...that and they charge out the wazoo for a 4-wheel alignment...unless prices have really gone up lately.

[stutters]

wait, you're getting married?

[[LaW]Maverick]

wait, you're getting married?

 

I posted that up when I asked her to marry me...lol, I'm getting married on Saturday...but I'm still really really mad 'bout this car thing

[TheGeek]

Do what the punisher would do

[stutters]

wait, you're getting married?

I posted that up when I asked her to marry me...lol, I'm getting married on Saturday...but I'm still really really mad 'bout this car thing

what car thing?

[[LaW]Maverick]

Do what the punisher would do

 

You know...I wrote up a detailed plan based on what I felt the Punisher would really do....but then I realized that some crazy guy like the one lawyer that blames everything on video games might happen upon it and not understand that I was only kidding. Needless to say, I deleted that original message and replaced it with this explanation...hahaha.

 

 

If it really does appear to be foul play, I'll do what the Punisher would have done if he used the legal system as it's in place right now. I will go to Conrad's, demand my money back, demand they pay for any repairs incurred because of their questionable activities, and if they won't give me money back, I will go get a lawyer and MAKE them give me my money back. That's the game plan

[GOrnE]

Definitely go back and let them know how you feel! I think its definitely suspicous. Not only the vibrations, but a bad wheel bearing would make a noticable squealing, whining or a grinding noise. Something you definitely would take note of whether you know anything about cars or not. And like you said, the bearings usually go bad gradually. How convenient that it went bad as soon as they checked it out. You definitely should've notice something before you brought it in.

The problem with those big auto repair/oil change chain stores. Most of the morons working there have no clue what they are doing or talking about. Also, most of them are careless and sloppy. I had a friend who went in for an oil change of all things and they manage to strip the thread of the oil pan trying to put the drain bolt back in. Of course they made up some story to cover for it. He made a big scene of it, but in the end, got screwed over.

Btw, an alignment should be around $40-70ish.

[[LaW]Maverick]

I usually pay $45 for a four wheel alignment, they charged almost $80...

 

 

Anyway, yeah, it's real convenient, isn't it? When my bearing in my Cutlass went bad, it didn't make much noise, but there was a hum and constant vibration that got worse and worse over the course of 'bout 10,000 miles. Modern bearings, however, should be good for upwards of 200k miles.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks something is rotten. It could be that they really screwed up the balance...badly, or that a wheel weight was thrown off, but, in either case, it was negligent. I don't like those chains at all, but my fiance wanted to take it there, and it is her car. I, for the record, said that I didn't like it...but she said they were good. If it turns out looking like they messed something up, either on purpose or due to negligence, they WILL give me my money back one way or another. In my book, you don't mess up without consequences, especially when people's lives depend on your work. I do have a lawyer in the family, after all! :-) (She's a prosecutor for the state in the sex offenders devision, but hey, Conrad's doesn't have to know that).

[Flitterkill]

Go ahead and marry Conrad's this weekend and then, as soon as possible, get the bearings replaced on Amanda.

 

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

-Fk

[MrDuke]

Yup, definitely sounds like the muffler bearings went bad... I hate asking the wife for $200 to fix those.

[Allanon]

Wow, I didn't know it was this Saturday Mav, gl!

 

Oh... and um... do whatever you have to, I hate their TV ads

[Xterminator]

I hope those mechanics weren't messing with you. If they did i'd be pretty angry myself. Thankfully i have a mechanic who is a family friend, trusty, reliable and honest. I suggest you all find someone you know and go to them for car problems. Big name companies think that everyone who drives a car is a moron that doesn't know how a car works or what each part does. I'm no expert myself but i can tell when i'm being played.

 

Keep us posted mav

[anonymo]

Go ahead and marry Conrad's this weekend and then, as soon as possible, get the bearings replaced on Amanda.

 

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

-Fk

I have to agree with flitter...from all the "experience" passed on to my by co-workers I would also suggest getting a new muffler

[[LaW]Maverick]

Go ahead and marry Conrad's this weekend and then, as soon as possible, get the bearings replaced on Amanda.

 

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

-Fk

I have to agree with flitter...from all the "experience" passed on to my by co-workers I would also suggest getting a new muffler

 

lol

 

 

I found out what was wrong today. It turns out that Conrad's messed up the alignment and balance (which they were supposed to fix, not ruin) so horribly that it was causing the car to violently shake. I feel a little bit better that it was just negligence and not them purposely loosening my wheel bearing. A garage I do trust (I have two that I've had or friends have had experience with upwards of 20 years each) is fixing the car right now. :-) After that, I will drive it to Conrad's and make them give me my money back for the alignment they supposedly did.