Car Wizard Catches Rival Shop Lying About Repairs, Could Have Killed Customer

It was just another customer's car at Omega Auto Clinic. A checkup on a 2001 Jaguar S-Type that the owner claimed to have had serviced numerous times by another mechanic, including three alignments, an AC compressor swap, and a coil pack replacement in the last five months.

But the very apparent smell of burning oil and woefully vague steering was giving Dave the Car Wizard every feeling that one of his customers had been royally fleeced by a competing Kansas mechanic. More looking was needed. Further inspection finds that the coil packs were, in fact, not changed at all.

The burning oil smell was explained by a collection of seepage residing on top of a heatshield underneath the engine. The engine mounts were also not even close to being replaced. They were warped like big blocks of mozzarella cheese before you shred it for a pizza, meaning they were completely shot. So much for the bogus claim that there weren't any coolant or oil leaks. This alone would have been enough for any self-respecting shop owner to be run out of town, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Putting the car up on a lift reveals a transmission mount that was very much on its last legs. Most horrifically, the driver's side front ball joint was so loose and worn out, it could have blown apart at any time under highway speeds. Not only was Wizard's customer ripped off in the most unscrupulous way imaginable, i.e., by outright lying, they also put the customer's life in grave danger.

We, at autoevolution, would wager this qualifies as gross negligence that most suing attorneys would ruin their pants dreaming about. Lord bless Dave the Car Wizard for helping this poor person get their car fixed in full. Hopefully, they get a great price on the service.