A man says he was “scammed” by a brake shop after bringing in his Dodge Ram for service.
Recently, TikTok user Sean Christopher Cochran (@thecowboyofrealestate) vented his frustration with a brake shop that kept his car for over 28 hours.
In the video, Cochran lays out how a simple brake repair spiraled into multiple new parts and a seemingly endless ordeal of misinformation.
Is this a brake shop ‘scam’?
Cochran noticed that his brakes were squeaking on his Dodge Ram 1500, so he did what anyone would do: he researched companies, checked online reviews and called around. Eventually, he decided on Mavis Tires & Brakes in Shorewood, Illinois.
“They had some decent reviews online, I called around a few places, so I took it there,” Cochran said.
According to him, he dropped off his truck at 8 a.m. and was the brake shop’s first customer of the day.
While he waited, Cochran received a series of calls. In the first call, the shop said he needed new brakes for both axles, which would cost him around $1,200. Then he received another call and was informed that he needed new calipers as well. This would cost around $650.
So they called me up and said I need all new brakes for both axles and it’s going to be about $1,200. I was like OK whatever go ahead and do it. Then they call me back and go oh by the way your calipers are also bad, you need new calipers. It’s going to be $650.”
“I was sick about that, but what are you going to do? You can’t have bad calipers. So I said go ahead and do it,” Cochran recalled.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end. He receives a third call, informing him that his master brake cylinder was clogged and he needed a new one, which would cost approximately $600. This brought the total repair cost to $2,400.
What pushed Cochran over the edge
Unfortunately for Cochran, the price tag is the least of his worries. After waiting to hear back from the brake shop, he received another call from a kid who explained that he checked the masterbrake cylinder and that it doesn’t need to be repaired. The mechanic then let him know that he’d get the repaired truck shortly.
Another call finally pushed Cochran over the edge. According to him, the shop said they were unable to reset his antilock braking system because car manufacturers have created safeguards that intentionally keep third party shops from being able to access the truck’s system.
Instead of trying to offer a discount or assist with the issue, the shop informed Cochran that he needed to have his truck towed to a dealership which would be able to reset his truck’s ABS system.
Outraged that the shop kept his truck all day and then informed him he needed to spend even more money to get the system unlocked, Cochran headed to the store to speak to a manager in person.
Did the Ram need additional repairs?
After waiting past closing, another mechanic emerged from the back to let him know that the computer had a broken port and that they’d need to keep working.
“They come back up there, and she’s like ‘Mr. Cochran, we can’t figure it out right now, but please come back tomorrow morning, or call us back tomorrow morning and we are going to stay here and work on it till we finish,’” he said.
But like everything else that day, Cochran was misinformed. At 6:30 p.m. the mechanics stopped working and headed home. Before they left, the manager promised they’d have his car fixed first thing in the morning. To make up for this, they said that they’d replace the masterbrake cylinder for free.
At 11 a.m. the next morning, he called the shop and learned the repairs would take another three hours. But at about 6:30 p.m., he learned it actually won’t be finished for another day. “They’ve now had my truck for 28 hours,” Cochran said.
Why do diagnostics result in additional repairs?
It’s unclear whether or not the brake shop added on repairs that he didn’t need. Unfortunately, auto shops in general have gained a reputation for slapping on additional repairs whenever a vehicle is brought in.
According to an article from ABC News, “mechanics may try to squeeze more money out of customers by doing unnecessary repairs.” Another method is to overcharge for labor.
“Most shops will charge you an hour and a half to two hours to turn the rotors and put pads on it,” a mechanic named Joe told ABC News.
The video has amassed over 102,000 times as of publication. In the comments, users say they believe the shop scammed him.
“$1,200 for brakes is outrageous,” one said.
“It sounds like a bunch of upcharging has been done,” another added.
“I seriously doubted it needed calipers and a master cylinder. Brother, I hope you get your truck working and they are not overcharging,” a third agreed.
“Sometimes going to mom and pops places are better,” a fourth suggested.
@thecowboyofrealestate I am having the worst experience ever with Mavis tires and brakes in Shorewood Illinois. ##autorepair##automotive##auto##mechanic##car##cars##carrepair##autoshop##autoservice##repair##collisionrepair##autobody##autorepairshop##oilchange##autobodyshop##autoparts##bodyshop##carcare##mechaniclife##autobodyrepair##bmw##carservice##brakes##carsofinstagram##automechanic##ram1509##autorepair##automotive##auto##mechanic##car##cars##carrepair##autoshop##autoservice##repair##collisionrepair##autobody##autorepairshop##oilchange##autobodyshop##autoparts##bodyshop##carcare##mechaniclife##autobodyrepair##bmw##carservice##brakes##carsofinstagram##automechanic##collision##automotiverepair##tires##autorecycling##service##automotiverepair##brakes##autorecycling##service ♬ original sound – Sean Christopher Cochran
The Daily Dot reached out to Cochran via TikTok comment and email for comment. We also reached out to Mavis Tires & Brakes via contact form.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
