Pep Boys
10200 Broadchannel Rd
Miami Florida
U.S.A.
|
|
Pep Boys possible ripoff loose tie rod Miami Florida
2Author
2Consumer
0Employee/Owner
Since I am not a mechanic, these people could have been telling me the truth. But I'm also a prime candidate for ripoffs.
I brought the vehicle in to have the brakes checked, and am having that job done. I said "no" to the brake fluid exchange, and "no" to the total alignment,
but I was taken to my vehicle and shown that a tie rod on the right front was very loose, and that I must have them replaced.
What I am wondering is that if this is true, would I not have noticed unusual tire wear, or vibration? Also, a month or two ago when I had an alignment done at Goodyear (that store is now closed, which is why I ended up at Pep Boys), no mention was made of loose tie rods.
I'm really at their mercy on this one, and it looks like it'll be around $300 for parts and labor.
Paul
Miami, Florida
U.S.A.
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Pep Boys
REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
2Author
2Consumer
0Employee/Owner
Updates & Rebuttals
#1 Update By Author
AUTHOR: Paul - miami (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008
POSTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008
I ended up not buying the new tie rods because the parts they ordered were the wrong ones and I didn't have time to keep waiting.
As a NON mechanic, I looked under my truck's front end and found that what appears to be the tie rods do have some play, or looseness; however I have no way of knowing if that is normal. I need a real mechanic's advice!
#2 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Robert - Bowie (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008
POSTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008
There is not supposed to be play in the front end parts. Any looseness you can create will be made much greater with the weight of the vehicle behind it.
#3 Consumer Suggestion
AUTHOR: ASE Master Tech - Buchanan (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008
POSTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Steering components are supposed to have NO play or looseness. Play in such parts indicate excessive wear. This looseness will only be magnified with the force applied by power steering and also having to "steer" the wheels with the weight of the vehicle applied. Eventually, when the part completely fails and separates, you may loose control of your vehicle. Do you really want to have the wheel go one way and as you steer the wheel another ?? If you let a worn out tie rod go long enough, you WILL have uneven wear. So you may have gotten lucky by catching it in time. After tie rod replacement, you should have the alignment checked and adjusted as needed. If you feel a vibration caused by a loose tie rod, you are not far from an accident !
As a professional technician, I have little respect for outfits like Pep Boys. For one simple reason, the level of service and management is greatly disparate from store to store. With that said, it also isn't impossible for them to be telling you the truth either. I understand that our industry has to fight uphill battles each day. Many of these battles are having to be fought because of the bad apples. Rest assured that they are NOT the majority, though they do the most damage to our name. Do yourself a favor and find a repair facility, may it be the dealer, or independent repair shop and develop a lasting relationship with them. Check with your friends and family and check with the BBB. Learn as much about your vehicle as you can and keep an open mind. In this instance, it sure sounds to me like they had your best interest in mind.
