When going to the car dealership, it’s common to leave with a higher bill than expected.
This is not only because the price of mechanic work in the United States has gone up considerably in the past decade, with CNBC noting that “motor vehicle maintenance and repair costs increased 4.1% per year from November 2013 to November 2023, compared with just 2.8% for the overall consumer price index,” but also due to cars frequently having more wrong with them than a driver might expect.
This is so common that mechanics themselves joke about it, and there are plenty of stories across the internet of people entering the shop with a single problem, and then leaving with repairs that cost them thousands.
Now, another user has gone viral after claiming that a headlight problem led to a shocking discovery about his car.
Why did this simple repair turn into bad news?
In a clip with over 243,000 views, TikTok user Mac Hereford (@machereford) shows himself in a chair listening to a mechanic on speakerphone.
“Dropped my car off at car shop to get headlights done,” he writes in the text overlaying the video. “You will never believe what they had to say back.”
As the mechanic speaks, it’s clear that all is not right with Hereford’s vehicle. The mechanic states that the motor is knocking, the car needs new tires, new brakes, and more. As a result, the mechanic advises that Hereford is in “the perfect spot to try and chop and see what you can get out of the car”—i.e. sell for parts—and buy a new vehicle.
Hereford wrote in a comment that this was a real voicemail, adding in the caption, “Welp, sounds like they are telling me I need a new car.”
Commenters aren’t sure
While the issues noted by the mechanic sound serious, Americans are generally distrustful of mechanics. In fact, one 2024 survey found that 78% of Americans don’t trust their mechanic—which may be why so many commenters advised Hereford to get a second opinion or even ignore the stated issues altogether.
“First mistake… Not youtubing that headlight install,” a user said.
“And I bet they’ll buy the car from you for pennies on the dollar and get you into something at a 9 1/2% rate with only 8000 down,” added another.
“I got an oil change and the mechanic told me he ‘couldn’t let me’ drive my car without some imaginary repair. I snatched my keys from the counter and asked if he wanted to be paid for the oil change or not because I was leaving either way,” recalled a third. “He threatened to call the police. I drove that car another 2 years before selling it nothing was wrong with it.”
@machereford Welp, sounds like they are telling me I need a new car 😭😂 #carshop #carsales #carrepair #carsalesman #herflife ♬ sunet original – 🎄CHRISTMAS☃️
However, other commenters countered that the mechanic was correct in pointing out these possible issues.
“People don’t understand as a service advisor people will come in for ‘headlights’ then leave and say now my car has an engine knock so if we don’t say what we see it’s OUR fault for not telling them,” noted a TikToker.
“Always get a 2nd opinion, get a estimate printed out for all that and try another shop. if your engines knocking ,car might be cooked though,” stated a second.
The Daily Dot reached out to Hereford via TikTok and Instagram direct message.
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