Dumb car situation

[Sciolist]

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Start taking the bus? Seriously though I would throw a big stink about this. My guess is they won't care and you'll have to eat it, but I would definately get my moneys worth making them feel like [censored]/make it clear I will never be back and will tell friends etc.

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I don't understand this attitude. You get pleasure from making people feel bad, $175 worth of pleasure?

[NozeCandy]

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$175 is about a third to a half a weeks pay for an auto mechanic in many places

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What? I thought mechanics made like $50/hour.

[Slow Play Ray]

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also, you can fix it yourself with google and a part from the junkyard

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this is the only correct answer.

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wow. so, you are saying that the shop has no obligation here whatsoever?

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more like for a cheap part and simple fix, it just isn't worth the trouble. if it was something major they would never see the end of me until i was compensated.

[PokerBob]

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also, you can fix it yourself with google and a part from the junkyard

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this is the only correct answer.

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wow. so, you are saying that the shop has no obligation here whatsoever?

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more like for a cheap part and simple fix, it just isn't worth the trouble. if it was something major they would never see the end of me until i was compensated.

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the thing is, i doubt this is a simple fix. if it was, they very likely would be willing to do it.

[IronFly]

was this a jiffy lube by any chance?
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...be_damage.html


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i doubt this is a simple fix. if it was, they very likely would be willing to do it.

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Do you still have the owner's manual, or can you get one?

I did some casual googling, I found this:

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Different cars and trucks have different style hood latches. Some have manual latches you have to pop right from the hood. Most have hood latches you pull open from the inside of your car with a hood release cable. There is usually a handle under the left side of the dash to pop the hood latch though sometimes it may be behind the seat or even in the glove box. The hood release cable is another item that can wear out over time resulting in the hood being difficult to open due to the cable fraying. Replacing the hood latch assembly only requires the removal of a few bolts, and can be done by most do it yourselfers. Drivewire has great deals on OEM, genuine , and aftermarket hood release cables, Hood latches, and hood release cables.

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No idea if it is actually easy or hard.

http://www.drivewire.com/replacement...handstrut.html

[milliondollaz]

in california (and i would assume elsewhere), once a shop takes possession of your car, they are responsible for it. EVEN if you sign a waver releasing them from responsibility. i found this case cited a lot when dealing with the laws around auto service liability since they love to claim that they are not liable (they might have signs hanging that say "not liable for blah blah blah");

The case of Gardner v. Downtown Porsche Audi, supra note 316, reached a similar result on different grounds. Gardner left his Porsche with Downtown to be repaired. He signed a standardized form that stated: "Not responsible for loss or damage to cars or to articles left in cars in case of fire, theft or any other cause beyond our control." The Porsche was stolen from Downtown's garage. Although Downtown admitted it was negligent, the repair garage argued that the disclaimer absolved it of liability for the failure to exercise due care. Citing an 1872 California statute and the Restatement of Contracts (Second), the court found that the law of California provided that persons cannot contract away their torts when the contract involves the public interest. Applying a six part public interest test established by Tunkl v. Regents of University of California, 60 Cal.2d 92, 383 P.2d 441, 32 Cal.Rptr. 33 (1963), the court, after deeming Southern California the capital of the motor vehicle, found that automobile contracts affect the public interest and standardized terms that disclaim responsibility for torts violate public policy.

edit to add the link i got the text from

[jackflashdrive]

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$175 is about a third to a half a weeks pay for an auto mechanic in many places

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What? I thought mechanics made like $50/hour.

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Nope. They make more in certain parts of the country (e.g., New York) than others, but a mechanic in most parts of the country can count on 500 to 600 per week. Unforunately, having 20 years of experience doesn't do much of anything for your income, the way it would in a lot of occupations.

[guids]

Technically they should pay for it, but Im guessing it will be less of a headache if you get one from a junkyard (should be easy to find), for like 20$, and ask them to put one on. Or see if they will just go to a junkyard and deal with it, if you find a yard with the part. Id bitch a lot though, as Id want a new one, and fixed for free, but its not worth going to court over, so you can use that as a last resort.


PS- Ive done this before, its not hard to do and not from anything other than wear and tear on teh vehicle, just keep a set up channel locks in the glove compartment if you dont care too much about the ride.

[blainestar]

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Start taking the bus? Seriously though I would throw a big stink about this. My guess is they won't care and you'll have to eat it, but I would definately get my moneys worth making them feel like [censored]/make it clear I will never be back and will tell friends etc.

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I don't understand this attitude. You get pleasure from making people feel bad, $175 worth of pleasure?

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I don't get this attitude? A business whos job it is to fix your car breaks something and refuses to pay for it and you just want to say GG and tap the felt. It's not that I get pleasure out of making someone feel bad. I would get pleaseure, in this case, telling a business that I think they are totally in the wrong and being quite sketchy. What's so wrong about making someone(or a questionably shady auto-shop) that you dislike the way they run there business and make it very clear that they can't treat people that way and expect it to be OK.

[PokerBob]

I called back today and the manager confirmed that they would not be responsible for fixing it. Awesome.