I have a video to share about rip-off car AC repairs. The video is from the today show and one of the better camera exposés I have seen related to the car business.
Although these hidden camera stories are nothing new they are getting a lot better. In this one the bait vehicle has six high definition cameras installed. I’m posting this in the air-conditioning section because the repairs are directly related to this often misdiagnosed system.
Rip-off car AC repairs can be one of the easiest ways for a shop to dig deep into your pockets. These repairs can be expensive. The drivers want for comfort on hot summer days can outweigh the costs and the owner’s common sense about getting second opinions.
Automotive consumers are most vulnerable to these scams when it’s 112 degree’s outside and the auto repair service center is backed up with other air-conditioning repairs. In this situation people can feel some desperation and approve repairs even if they are skeptical on the diagnosis.
Rip-off A/C Repairs at Dealers
Here is the video provided by the MSNBC website. I’m sorry that it starts with a 30 second commercial, but hang in there, because this is good stuff to see. This video focuses on new car dealership service departments.
At the end of the video the investigative reporter said he plans to go to some aftermarket shops in the near future with the same vehicle and the same air-conditioning problem. This should provide a fair and balanced full report in the future.
What’s real interesting about the video is some automotive consumers are under the belief that the car dealership will provide the best service or at least have technicians with the highest level of expertise for that specific vehicle.
These things might be true. But if the result is rip-off car AC repairs then knowledge really doesn’t matter. It may be more important to your wallet how honest the auto repair center is as opposed to their level of knowledge.
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Things Learned about Car AC
The above video teaches us a lot of lessons about auto repair service. It also teaches us something about car air conditioning problems. In the video the control relay was the problem. When the relay is bad the compressor will not kick on.
The relatively simple electrical repair feels exactly the same way to the driver as the most expensive compressor repair. Both of these situations produces the driver complaint of the car ac is not blowing cold enough.
The common complaint of the A/C blows warm needs to be diagnosed properly. As the automotive consumer your best defense against misdiagnosis would be to ask a lot of questions about the shop’s diagnosis.
In the above video you can see that the service writer lays out the complaint with a cause and then a correction followed by a price. All too often the customer will just provide a yes or no answer.
Service writers prefer it that way. An automotive consumer who does research and starts asking a lot of questions can often provide the rope that the service writer will eventually hang himself with.
The more the service writer talks about the diagnosis or the recommended services the more risk he runs of exposing the service departments possibility of wrongdoing.
If you just say yes to the $2000 compressor repair, then not only have you condoned dishonest diagnosis, but you’ve also motivated the repair center to continue this type of behavior. Search through the automotive content on the Web. There is almost a full education about this subject available.
On the you fix cars website I have outlined a lot of car A/C problems and solutions. Take a minute and go back to the start page for the automotive air-conditioning section and review some articles about the theory and operation of the systems.
An educated consumer will have a better chance of protecting themselves in all kinds of car repair situations. This website provides good background information that can help you achieve some knowledge about different automobile subjects.
This next link takes you back to the homepage. This is where you can review what is available throughout the site. Find additional answers to automotive questions and also some DIY car repair help.