A car abandoned at the repair shop can be a big deal for the mechanics. Just the sheer real estate involved in storing a vehicle after repairs can be a huge headache.
Recently, a customer seemed to abandon their Nissan Altima after replacing the transmission. One of the mechanics from the Cars Adventures (@cars.adventures_) TikTok account had enough.
The video explaining the situation has picked up over 485,500 views and counting since Tuesday.
This car has a new transmission. They left it at the shop
“This is why mechanics are leaving the business,” the video’s caption proclaims.
“So here we got a 2013 Nissan Altima,” the mechanic states. “It came here for a transmission issue, and the customer approved the repair quote.”
He claims that the shop installed an entirely new transmission from Nissan. “You have to remove the subframe and a lot of other things to get it in and out.”
The mechanic also claims that he had to tow the car to a Nissan shop to correctly program the transmission.
But after the repairs, the customer never came back.
Car abandoned
According to the mechanic, “I had to put a mechanic’s storage lien” on the Altima.
“Now we’re trying to sell it just to get the money back for the transmission,” he states.
Additionally, he claims in the video that several other cars have also been abandoned at the repair shop.
The cars, he says, still need to be picked up and paid for.
“So the next time you’re looking for a mechanic to work on your car and you can’t find one, this may be why,” he says.
What is a mechanic’s lien?
According to Car Titles.com, “A mechanic’s lien is a legal process that allows licensed automotive facilities to recover costs for repairing a vehicle.”
The legal process may allow a shop to recover costs, but it’s complex to execute and “should only be used when absolutely necessary; it is not an easy way to title the vehicle,” per CarTitles.com.
Once a lien is established, the shop can begin to take steps to sell the car. However, procedures vary from state to state.
According to Automotive Management Network, “Some states require the car to be sold at auction, but others allow the auto repair shop to acquire a title on the car so it can be used as a loaner car at their shop.”
“Additionally, some states will only allow you to keep the money owed for repairs and storage, whereas others will allow the repair shop to keep all of the proceeds from the sale,” the site says.
@cars.adventures_ This is why mechanics are leaving the busienss #carrepair #autorepair #mechanic #tiktok ♬ original sound – cars.adventures_
Viewers speak up
Unaware of the complexities involved, saladon89 (@saladon89) commented, “Wut? Not sure wuts [sic] the problem. That’s a free car, fix it and sell it.”
Other viewers had advice to offer, like one who wrote, “My shop gets a deposit in advance that covers the cost of the parts.”
Another viewer agreed that the price of doing business may drive a mechanic to quit.
“No money in repairing cars,” they wrote. “No one can pay for the time it takes to make the repairs if you are actually trying to make a living.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Car Adventures via TikTok messenger and comment for a statement.
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