People have a lot of complaints about chain auto shops.
Customers have raised issues about everything from tire rotation jobs in which the tires aren’t rotated, to oil changes that result in thousands of dollars in damage, to a host of other problems that would make any consumer reconsider visiting one of these locations.
Seeing this, one might think that the solution is simply going to a local, mom-and-pop auto mechanic. However, they can present their own issues, as TikTok user Joe (@alloutdiesel) recently revealed.
What happened to this driver’s truck?
In a video with over 284,000 views, Joe, an auto mechanic, explains why “cheaper isn’t always better.”
According to Joe, a customer came in presenting problems with their engine. The engine was “toast” after around 30,000 miles.
Joe says that the engine had been installed by a local shop that did not specialize in diesel vehicles. As a result, it had a host of issues.
To start, the TikToker says that the shop “bought the engine from O’Reilly’s”—which, while not an immediate marker of poor quality, Joe suggests this may lead one to question the shop’s other decisions.
Those questioning the shop’s decisions would be correct. Throughout the video, Joe shows how the “mouthpiece for the turbo…wasn’t on right,” leading to it “sucking non-filtered air its whole life.” Then, he shows how the high-pressure fuel lines had thread tape on them, how items were held together with zip-ties, how clamps were not properly tightened, and how there were no cab bolts throughout the car.
“Having to pay over again because you just wanted to use someone that doesn’t specialize in diesel? That’s a big f*** up,” Joe concludes.
Finding a reliable auto mechanic can be a challenge. On AAA’s website, it details how one can find a high-quality mechanic. However, other mechanics have taken to the internet to show how one can find a quality mechanic after moving to a new city.
@alloutdiesel Cheaper isnt always better kids!! #dieselmechanic #diesel #dieseltrucks #duramax #duramaxdiesel #lmmduramax ♬ original sound – Joe
Commenters share their disbelief
In the comments section, users expressed their surprise at the quality of work shown in the video, though some questioned Joe’s conclusions.
“What you are showing has nothing to do with specializing in diesal engine trucks,” stated a commenter. “It has everything to do with being a mechanic.”
“To be fair we see the same come [from] the local dealerships,” added another.
“I’m not saying O’Rileys is good but that engine would have made it longer with proper installation,” said a third.
“I call this a 30k lesson. don’t have to go to school,” offered an additional TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Joe via TikTok DM and comment, as well as to O’Reilly’s Auto Parts via website contact form.
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