This is my first post so let me get started by just saying hi.

Now the problem, I had new tires put on my GTA today. The guys at the tire shop mixed up the front and rear rims when they put them back on, and then backed it out of the garage. The steering was hooked hard to the right exiting and then hard to the left re-entering the garage. The driver side rim got a pretty nice gouge from the strut mount, and the passenger side rubbed on the control arm but just left an abrasion, not really a gouge.

I'm going to another mechanic to inspect damages tommorow, what do you guys think could have been screwed up? I'm thinking an alignment check, visual inspection of the rims, and a look at the control arms and strut mounts. Any other suggestions?

Supposedly they are goig to pay for any damages the new mechanic needs to fix. I just want to make sure I catch it all and don't end up with a rusted out rim or something six months from now.

Thanks

 

Nail them for everything you legally can. They're supposed to be professionals. I got tired of shops and dealerships messing up completely different parts of the car when it's in for something. The worst one was when my 99 Z28 was in the shop, under warranty, for a leaking exhaust manifold gasket. I got the car back with a cracked front clip. They backed a car into it and weren't going to tell me.

Your suspension and links will probably be fine. If your rims are aluminum they'll need to be refinished otherwise they'll start to corrode. If the gouge can't be sanded out then you'll need a new one or a good wheel balancer person.

 

Thanks, thats what I was afraid of with the rims. I just need to get a mechanic to say the same thing and I think they will pay for them.

 

you "think?"

they better, it is even labeled on the rim front n rear.

That is more common sense to a novice rather than a so called professional. If a shop is interested in staying in business with a good name, they should fix it with a smile on their faces seeing it was their fault.

 

I took my 96' nissan pickup with 12500 miles on it to the dealership for a check engine light.

It came out riding like sh$t with a check engine light back on, and the brake light on.

I took it back in, they charged me $75 for a broken wire on my intake (their fault but legally they can charge up to $75 without asking) They also said I needed new shocks, new brakes on all fours, gave me an estimate for $1500 (check out the mileage/\)

I took it to good year immediately.

They said,
the tires had 75 lbs in them (rated at 35) hence i didn't need new shocks. it was the tires being overinflated.

Somone had over tightened the front brake line squishing the brass making it leak (brake light).

The brakes were still brand new and had at least 30k to go.

The cost for repair $12 for the brass fitting, and $15 for labor.

Keep inmind this went in for a check engine light, they took it upon themselves to remove my tires check the brakes etc.

Talk about angry. I think your pretty lucky, they said they would pay for reapairs ) Perhaps they had a kid putting the rims back on, I really feel for you tho.

 

:enguage rant mode:
As a Mechanic I'm offended you even remotely refeer to "tire monkeys" as any sort of mechanic. :rant over:


Depends on the local laws in your state but most are in favor of the person/entity that did the work fixing the problem the first time around. So you should have stayed there and got the problem fixed when it occured or have gotten a written statement of the damage, why it happended how it was going to be fixed and when. If you did not you may have nothing against the shop legaly and a broken car to boot. "It wasent like that before" doesent hold up too well. Good luck!