An auto repair specialist recently sparked conversation online after revealing that a Toyota dealership allegedly overcharged his customer. Without actually fixing the issue.
Mechanic John Brian (@johnbrian210) recently posted a TikTok video showing his work on a customer’s Toyota after the dealership had repeatedly let them down. It’s unclear what dealership the customer dealt with.
His video, which has garnered over 504,800 views at the time of writing, opens with the classic TikTok robotic voice explaining the situation.
“Customer states, the Toyota dealership keeps giving him the runaround,” the TikTok voiceover begins.
Then, the mechanic states his customer paid for air conditioning repairs. The system still wasn’t functioning properly.
Brian shows the previous bill on screen, revealing a hefty charge of $1,914, saying “It definitely adds up fast.”
Brian then inspects the car and opens the door to a messy interior, noting, “There is an unusual knocking noise when the engine is running.”
Using a stethoscope, he pinpoints the source of the noise. “To my knowledge, the AC compressor clutch was replaced along with a service,” he says.
He confirms, “I verify the noise coming from the AC compressor.”
Brian continues investigating, checking the air conditioning system’s cooling.
“The air conditioning definitely does not cool even being nearly full,” the mechanic says, as he shows the pressure readings on the screen
The video ends with Brian preparing to tackle the problem, determined to fix it. “Let’s see what I can do to get air conditioning back in this Toyota,” he concludes.
How much does it cost to fix the AC compressor?
According to Forbes, the dealership’s $1,900 charge is par for the course. So the bigger issue here is that the driver paid market price for an AC compressor fix and got nothing out of it. On Reddit, the same question for a $1,600 repair ignited debate.
“Sounds like a pretty steep quote for just a compressor swap. I had a similar issue a while back and found that getting a few quotes from different places really helped,” the top comment read. “I used this site to compare home HVAC companies and ended up finding a better deal. It’s worth checking around to make sure you’re not overpaying. Sometimes, the high price might be justified, but it’s always good to make sure.”
Are car repairs getting too expensive?
The short answer is yes. Several financial reports have shown that owning a car in the U.S. is becoming more costly due to rising repair and maintenance expenses.
Earlier this year, CNBC reported that “repair costs are rising relative to the overall rate of inflation.”
Experts point out that this trend isn’t just a passing phase—it’s been happening for years. In fact, car maintenance and repair costs increased by 4.1% per year from November 2013 to November 2023, while overall prices only went up by 2.8%.
The rising costs are attributed to a few factors, such as more complex vehicle designs, fewer car repair professionals, pandemic-related supply shortages, and more.
@johnbrian210 How mad would you be? #customer #customerstates #toyota #diagnosis #diagnostic #ac #airconditioning #mechanic #mechaniclife #mechanicsoftiktok #automotive #autoshop #autorepair #foryoupage #viral #fyp ♬ original sound – JohnBrian
Commenters are appalled at the state of the vehicle
In the comments, some users are appalled at the dealership’s alleged actions, but most can’t seem to get past the state of the vehicle’s interior.
“Customer never heard of soap in his life,” wrote one commenter jokingly.
“Dealership seen the inside and said [expletive] that,” joked another.
“Never ever go to the stealership for service unless you have a warranty,” advised a third.
The Daily Dot has reached out to John Brian (@johnbrian210) via TikTok messaging and comments, and to Toyota via email.
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