Used car insanity in the CAR WIZARD's shop! Why did the huge repair get approved on this '15 Acadia?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2021
- With all the insane pricing in the used car market right now even the CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ is getting the green light to make repairs that would NEVER have been approved a year ago. See just what needs to be repaired on this 2015 GMC Acadia, and why the customer (a used car dealer) agreed to the sky high bill.
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Six years old and it needs $4k worth of repairs. Good ole' GM
Most vehicles at this point in time are junk . It's like the '70s all over again .
Much better than the new Fords. The Fusions, Focuses and F150 are having serious transmission issues let alone the 5.0L Coyotes are having issues with the cams flatening by sticking valves.
GM trying to beat the Germans at the lack of reliability game
@@Dr.Westside My 2015 Infiniti runs like new,no leaks ,no repairs, 180k miles.Made in Japan.
@@mikealvarenga3721 what do you mean "trying"?
When I was an boy in the early 1970s we had a TV repairman come to work on our Zennith. He opened her up, adjusted a couple of set screws and said "There you go.... That's $50".
Dad says "$50 for turning a couple of screws?"
Repair man said "No, 50¢ for turning the screws. $49.50 for knowing which screws to turn".😁
Nowadays you'd just throw the tv out because the manufacturer won't tell anyone which screw to turn
@@TH-camAIbot yep, the TV I have now replaced an old tube type that lasted almost 40 years.
Now you go to TH-cam and fix it yourself.
@@danrogers4617 yep, I do a lot of that! 😂
@@allenrussell1947: I got >20 years out of my old LDTV (Low Definition TV) and
The more Wizard videos I watch, the more I appreciate my lowly, $4,000, everything manual, Toyota Yaris, for its simplicity and reliability. 170k miles and only routine maintenance.
Same with my 4k$ matrix
I mean I have a 14 chevy cruze 2.0l turbo diesel. 167k miles on it. It's had some issues mostly emissions but thats not really the cars fault. I use my car for Doordash, lyft uber whatever, 300 miles a day 6 to 7 days a week I never shut it off it runs 10 to 14 hours a day most of the time. Hasn't left me stranded yet. Obviously brakes timing belts oil changes add up for maintenance costs but so far its been a solid vehicle I can get mid to low 50s on the highway if I drive it right. Fully loaded leather interior heated seats built in navigation on star everything you need, bought it at 100k miles for 7k dollars. Can't complain.
Same with my 2nd gen tundra! 500k mile trucks all day if maintained
I'm in a 04 Corolla and I only have regular maintenance never any catastrophic fails like you see on this channel
Peter Fernandez, I have an all manual 08 Yaris with 100k that I am so thankful for! Go Team Yaris!
"If we can save a few hours for them..."
This is what an honest and reputable person does.
Most shops now days will do it in less time but charge the customer the full labor hour count. I have never been to a shop or know anyone that has where the shop said they were able to save time or materials so the bill will be less. (True story)👉🏻 I've asked no less than 5 people in the industry if the know an honest and reliable mechanic that won't rip off my parents fir some repairs they need. All replies were "NO". It's sad.
@@PsychoAudio667 It definitely sounds bad, but if they save time on one repair and still charge the full labour hours theres also the other side of the story. Sometimes a repair can take them longer then labour hour count and they charge the same, its a win lose.
He only do it fo dealers, no regular customers.
Dealers will bring constant work while customers shows up every once in a while.
@@picks2789 yeah that's when they add things like you were low on blinker fluid or you muffler bearings were about to go🤣 ofcourse we may be able to 👀 through that 🐂💩 but some people have no clue. It sucks that you just don't know who to trust anymore.
@@PsychoAudio667 they use book times. It the tech is good at his job and can do it quicker why should he get paid less???
Most dealers just slap an “as-is” sticker on it and find a sucker.
I too have noticed many more dealers doing no actual reconditioning and marking it “As - Is”. The rise in this used car sales practice seems to have arisen in direct proportion to increasingly technology complex cars - not even the dealers can afford the repairs.
There's always that guy looking for a deal because he's a do it yourselfer or has a mechanic that thinks they can fix it cheaper than the dealer.
@@TakuroSpirit77 Except that dealers are not marking these "As Is" cars down by 50% - instead they are asking full price. Not exactly any sort of deal for the DIYer.
I thought that was just standard. A used car is always as-is unless they're offering an extra special deal on a car that is probably crap. Usually it's in the paperwork they make you sign, I've never not signed one at a dealer, and never seen a car "marked" as-is. This is why it's often a good idea to pay a third party mechanic to look it over before you buy.
I guess some used cars come with a warranty but that's a different subject all together...
thats more of a state thing.... all used vehicles in michigan are "as-is" you cant sell a vehicle and not make it "as-is"
Car wizard is the Bob Ross of auto repair . Soothing voice and gentle manner. Wish I could find a shop to work in with a boss like you, someone who wants the job done, correctly and doesn't mess around.
This is not an "economic boom"
We're in the midst of the worst inflation event in memorable history
This is the weirdest economic crash ever disguised as a boom.
Two words - quantitative easing - the new normal
Shhhh!!! It will go away if we don't talk about it.. and presto, we've printed ourselves an eceonomic boom gentlemen!
It's called stagflation. I'm inclined to think you are right.
Imagine if we had a legitimate media...
I've been a mechanic for almost 18 years now, 10 of those years were at GM dealerships. I've done so many 3.6 timing chain replacements, I can damn near do it blindfolded. I've actually grown to enjoy them. I'll happily do GM 3.6 and 2.4 timing chains all day long. I can have an entire Traverse/Acadia/Enclave subframe, with the engine and trans still perched on it, out on the floor by lunchtime and have it buttoned back up with fresh chains, guides, and tensioners by the end of the day. Ironically, the biggest time-sink of the entire job isn't dropping the drive line out of the vehicle, it's cleaning the old RTV off of the timing cover and engine to make sure it doesn't come back in a few weeks with a timing cover leak. It can be done in chassis, but it makes it almost impossible to properly clean and prep the engine to re-seal the timing cover and the general lack of access makes the whole job very frustrating. I find it's much less headache to just remove the engine/transmission/subframe as an assembly.
45 mins the cradle with powertrain is on the floor, By lunch time I have the chains finished and its running, hurry up
Right on
Urination Bob is relieved
@@scrappy7571 How much time does it pay?
@@peterl2017 usually 12 or more, depends who is paying, or if insurance is involved
Just a few years old and already needs a major service. I’ll stick with my old Honda 👍🏻
Honda has problems as well. but overall those Acadias are toilets on wheels.
I have just two older vehicles a 1999 camry bullet proof overall my other ride is a 1984 nissan 200sx with a ford 5.0 v8 swap. both easy to work on and relible...paid for bought the nissan back in 94 still runs today swapped the original 1.8l turbo when it had 316K still ran decent when pulled the camry has 266k still runs great original engine and trans....
Yes I have personally driven two Honda's over 300,000 miles never once had to replace a fuel pump or vent-Hot Cold actuator and yes the A/C in both cars still worked maybe a top off or so once in 8 years.
me as well, my 21 year old Accord is still running strong with virtually everything original, replaced timing belt/waterpump as preventative maintenance. Great car, so glad I bought it brand new in 1999.
Not just GM. I'm dealing with a 2013 VW and I'm searching for a Honda now.
I would never own a vehicle with that level of dysfunctional engineering and unnecessary complexity ! Way to go GM !!!
So you drive old cars, or you walk a lot? ;)
@@markbeiser GM Ford and Chrysler. Don't forget them also. Volkswagen is pretty shit too.
@@windowlicker6996 VW is obsessed with reaching ever higher levels of, as a previous poster stated, "dysfunctional engineering and unnecessary complexity". My son was a real fanboy of the brand. In college had had a 2005 Passat, then got a 2013 GTI when he got his first real job. He eventually got burned too many times by VW's bullshit and move on. The only reason he was able to keep the GTI for the year he owned it, was that he had a company car to drive when the VW was at the dealer and on the lift, where it would be for weeks on end. Awesome car to drive, horrible car to own.
This is a compelling reason why my experience with GM (and most Ford) vehicles encourages me never to buy one for myself - particularly US made/designed ones (and that includes US-designed "japanese"/"korean"/"german" ones - decades of being able to buy a captive market has been extremely damaging to US manufacturing capabilities and competitiveness. Protectionism is never good for consumers and the USA is one of the most heavily restricted/protectionist markets in the world, despite all the "free trade" BS)
VW reliability in europe is a bit better than VW USA for some reason (not much, but a bit). Chinese makers are evolving rapidly and will be every bit as good as Japanese/Korean cars before much longer. (Pointing and laughing at China's cars because of stuff produced in the 2000s is like pointing and laughing at japanese cars in the late 1980s because of what was coming from there in the early 1960s)
Europe has just signed a tariff-free deal with Japan which means that European makers are about to face the full force of Japanese quality control without being filtered via 10% import tariffs or local assembly plants (It's staged and goes fully open in two years). That means that VW/Renault/PSA/Fiat/etc have to improve their game a bit and BMW/Mercedes/etc have to improve it a lot. A free trade deal with Korea isn't far behind. That will translate to improvements in quality seen in the USA too (who remembers 1970s lancias and fiats that would rust to nothing in 4-5 years?)
@@miscbits6399 All your points are valid, and your post is well written, Thanks for the input !
In 6 years it needs a single repair that costs more than my 85 Datsun Pickup has cost in the last 22 years, including purchase price. 🤣
do yourself a favour, dont ever, for any reason, under any circumstances get rid of that car if you care about yourself. yes its old but if you do proper maintenance (nothing extremely expensive, just dont use 2$ free shipping air filters from china etc). it will be able to be driven untill your grandkids retire. the newer cars you can throw all kinds of money at them, just so they can fail in a more expensive and unexpected way later.
@@kapioskapiopoylos7338 I'll never get rid of it. It was my first vehicle and it'll be one of my last 😁
Ford Expedition . . . I bought the used car warrantee.
1) Engine temp went up and down. Tech said, 'Its supposed to do that.' I nearly jumped over the counter and slapped him. Instead, I changed the thermostat myself. Fixed.
2) One side of dash wasn't outputting AC . . . tech measured wrong side, said cool air coming out. Was a very expensive repair, same cheap part as in this video . . . found out how to 'reset' the plenum actuator by pulling the fuse and switching the ignition on and off. Fixed.
3) Plenum actuator for rear AC started clicking . . . $800 repair! I bought the part (didn't fit) and opened it up, replaced the nylon cog . . . instead of removing interior jammed my arm in and replaced the fixed plenum . . . fixed.
Do NOT buy a used car warrantee . . . they just deny, deny, deflect, deflect . . .
The only extra coverage I'll buy is road hazard coverage for wheels and tires.
I abuse the hell out of that
Just like any insurance, really...
Had a house warranty once, spring broke on the garage door not covered, useless
Stay on topic please.
I just had warranty work done and they refused to cover the most expensive part even though two different mechanic shops told them it was bad but the adjuster claimed he didn't see anything wrong with it 🙄
Whenever I see videos on four figure repair costs on newer vehicles, I think about holding onto my aging Accord a little bit longer.
I agree with you. I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla and I have no desire to own anything newer or more complex. I never have any trouble with it.
This isn’t the case usually . He charges top top rate for his work .
@@ChaoticDave69 - Gotta pay for his boats
lol same car here
There is something special about basically driving around for free
Your wife's comment about whether it is an interference engine or not proves
she has learned allot from being around the shop. Impressive!
5 k timing chain job in my 75k mile 15 Audi turned into $14k with mounts, tstat, waterpump, hoses, gaskets bolts. They also broke my radiator and condenser in the process. Then took 4 months to do it.
GM never ceases to amaze me with how much corner cutting they do in design and reliability. GM has a 4 year life span on their vehicles.
and that's why I will never buy another American make again (i will consider diesel and electric American makes in the future but not gas). I will buy and American made Toyota but ford, gm, chevy can all get in the boat with Fredo.
News that matter, you should see the spare tire jack they’re recalling. ( made of plastic).
@@kendorsey4499 Are you serious or your being sarcastic. There's no way it's plastic...but being GM nothing surprises me really. It'd a matter of how much can we get away with
GM has been that way for decades. This is nothing new
GM is still better than everything else, especially the foreign garbage. German cars are the absolute worst.
I'd love to see/hear real automotive design engineers defend their work.
Their defense is they are working within a budget. The finance department tells them how much they are allowed to spend, and they engineer it to be at or below budget. That means sourcing cheap parts and modular assembly with little regard for serviceability.
Yea the design is fine for the most part just cheap parts and incompetent owners
The reason todays cars are built as bolt on modules one on top of anothers without any thought on replacing anything. The car and truck industry's needs a swift kick in the gonads to get rid of the cheapest parts we can get. We as consumers are getting screwed by industry's that don't care about the products they sell. It time to get the government's policymakers to make demands to to the automotive industries to build a better quality products. Seems a reasonable idea seeing we the tax payers had to bail them out a few times. We are not the only country that had to bailed out a American auto industry Australia did to. Cheers
@@carlpenney901 amen brother
Honestly you don't. I work for one of the big three and it's nothing but excuses.
Well said wizard. I remember many a Ford Taurus having its dash removed to fix the heat and ac. Customers always complained about it. But hey it’s the automotive engineer that causes a lot of these problems.
Yeah and with the 2002 Ford Explorer it was German engineering.... pure junk
This reminds me of the .22 shortage we had when I was a kid, around 2008 I think. There was a supply chain issue, so everyone bought .22 ammo in case they couldn't get it later, which worsened the shortage, and the price went up like crazy. Then the shortage actually became a shortage, and people bought it even quicker. It's an absurd cycle.
Used cars are at a premium right now due to a shortage of new cars, as manufactures are experiencing a shortage of I.c chips to build computers for cars. My son works for a plant that makes dash pads and rubber window moldings for new cars, and the plant is shut down and he's on unemployment due to lack of orders. It's crazy
And the reason why there is a chip shortage is because when the lockdowns happened, there was a thermonuclear explosion of demand for consumer electronics (video game consoles, TVs, laptops, desktops, etc.) and demand for automotive electronics fell off a cliff.
And if China actually does take military action in 'reclaiming' Taiwan we will up another shit creek because they are the semiconductor capital of the world.
@@digitalrailroader well, no. One of the largest semiconductor plants in China burned down, ergo the shortage
@@rafmatt1607 actually, it was a semiconductor supplier in Japan that had the fire; everybody is avoiding Chinese semiconductors like the plague.
@@digitalrailroader Don't forget extreme drought in Taiwan. Semiconductor manufacturing is very water intensive.
I own and operate a cellphone repair store and one thing that I discovered watching your videos is that we have the very same types of customers. lol
I am a new subscriber. Found you via the Roadmaster/Grandma car episode and am loving your content. Thank you for all the perspective and knowledge you are sharing!
Would love to hear the crazy customer stories ! I've had the same mechanic for over 30yrs and his sons are just as good so they have shared some real whoopers . At this time the craziness is expanding like no other .
It's only going to get even CRAZIER 📉🔥
My Sequoia just clicked over 325k miles, so it's worth nothing. Thankfully everything works on it, nothing leaks or rattles. Even though I'm paying through the nose for fuel, it's cheaper for me to keep it and maintain it.
You could sell it in this market for 5k if you wash it 🤣
@@blueryxfalls7949 Why would I do that? That's another $5 in "Potting Soil"
Another Sequoia owner here and I’ve gotta agree. Toyota makes things last. Makes me not think twice when a maintenance item is worn out and due.
Yup I own 2 a tundra and sequoia, yours is actually worth $5k
Got a 95’ tacoma with 283k, strong runner no leaks
also the timing chains on the acadia's can be done in the vehicle. i've seen very few techs do them but it is very difficult to do in vehicle and a lot of times there not lined up right, they said it only saves you 45 minutes to do in vehicle. Its a lot easier just to drop the motor out to do them and do correctly
Keeping it in the vehicle means it's impossible to get old gaskets and stuff off. It'll be back within a month with a valve cover leak.
From what I saw usually less than a week it would come back, we had one guy actually forgot to put on a new front cover gasket and sent it out
I had my 2013 Equinox in at the dealership for a timing chain related repair that pretty much turned into an engine rebuild. That was covered under a recall. I still spent $2000+ on other repairs while they had it torn apart-front control arm, rear wheel hub, cracked exhaust manifold, etc.
Hello, I just started watching ur videos I see u r a fair person and explain things to people .. most people dont know that a lot of car/truck jobs is a lot of work and time to do... I wish u were here to be my mechanic.. I know u will do a great job and not cut corners ..
Great video, I’m a “shade tree mechanic” and when I do need professional service I engage the shop in meaningful conversation and never haggle over price.
The customer education you provide us with is priceless. I have stopped haggling with my mechanic. Done. All because of you. We need to clone you because I love your honesty.
you are TRULY an articulate pro, love your videos,very well spoken and presented.
I bought a 2016 GMC Canyon 4x4 ext cab new in December 2016 it was my retirement truck. It was lightly used 90% of the time, never did any towing. April 2019 the electric power steering failed at 22,000 miles. GM paid for the $2,500 repair but mentioned this was a common problem and it may occur again with no warning. By that summer I was having intermittent electronic problems in the dash backup camera and entertainment system. By October 2019 the electronic part of the anti-lock brake system was starting to fail intermittently. I traded it off at 26,000 miles as unreliable not knowing when the next issue would appear. It's replacement Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 has not had a single problem up to this time with the same type of use. I'm done with GM and there poor design and build quality.
The older vehicles were more reliable for sure; I bought a Chev Colorado 4x4 in 2005, traded it in 2015 with 219k and one hour of repair, CEL came on dealer said dirty throttle body and cleaned it. I was getting 90k on front brakes, about 66k on rears. Changed fluids regularly, found the transfer case fluid was more expensive than bourbon! I traded it for a 2012 Colorado, no issues with it so far. Our Acadia is a different story.
WIZARD, WE LOVE THE STORIES! KEEP 'EM COMING!!!
Yes, more crazy customer stories!
People get pissed at me when I quote them 100’s to replace 50p o ring😂😂😂👍
It’s hilarious trying to explain the economic principles of repairs. Good job Wizard👍
I run a shop in dayton, ohio and when someone tells me my prices are too high I explain it's free if they do the work.
I do lots of engine work. They get mad when a head gasket set is $200 but the labor is $1300. I do say well I did have to take half of the car apart to get to it all.
I did a £1 O-ring seal on my old Merc E55. It was madness - It was sealing a large passageway between the timing chest back cover and the block where the water pump supplies coolant into the block. My car's done 220k so the thing was like brittle plastic. So, so much dismantlage. I added a water pump and drive belt to the job up front... But loads of air con and cooling bits were shagged out adding to the job. The bill would have been astronomical and all the other bits that got found along the way would made it stratospheric! Once you get into it there's always more!
Oh and the head span right off one of the bolts on the waterpump housing, like they always do on old cars I was lucky though I was able to grab the remains with some moleys and wind it out... But that type of thing can really eat time! And it has to be paid for!
@@hydorah “Dismantlage “ Great word👍
Didn’t MB have biodegradable wiring looms that degraded prematurely?
I love the scented tree hanging on the transmission jack. 🤣👍🏻🌲
That's so unbelievable because the old 3.8 L or 3800 series was so good so reliable with its pushrods and had quite a bit of power even in an old man's car like a Buick Century or Buick Lucerne was the last one
The Century has that crappy 3100 v6 that is run into the ground by it’s owners. The 3800 was in the lesabre, park avenue, regal, the awful Grand Prix and the Lucerne. I’m sure that I’ve forgot a few.
@@ryanthompson2893 05 to 09 Buick Lacrosse had 3800 series 3 as an option.
Moral of the story: Don't buy modern, cheaply made GM vehicles.
Scotty Kilmer approves this message.
*any* GM ;P
Any vehicle in the last decade, they all have the same crap designs.
Amen. God damn GM. They used to make some pretty good stuff. Now it's all just made to sell and die prematurely. They truly hate their customers.
@@stephenhayes3765 Decade? They went to crap when they went all plastic. I'd say early eighties?
Thank you Wizard! I was so tempted to get an Acadia or Traverse but didnt thanks to one of your old videos. No regrets and I ♥️ my 5 year old problem free Odyssey.
Bullet dodged. However, hope your Odessey transmission holds up as that seemed to be the weak point.
@@Blue-moon12 just keep the transmission fluid changed every 30 k miles and you will be fine. Genuine Honda ATF only.
@@Blue-moon12 that was a concern when we got it but by the time we said no on traverse we decided on a minivan and we didnt like the way the rest of the vans drove or their seating arrangements. The odyssey is like driving a big accord while the rest (especially the sienna) felt like drivin a mini-bus.
My parent just upgraded from a 2009 Odyssey to a 2021. It had it's original engine and transmission still working 100%. I had to upgrade to thicker oil due to worn piston rings. I did the service on it it's entire life. it had 33650km on it (209091 miles)
i hope the fuel management system doesn't fail
Thank you for showing why repair costs for some things are so high! I’ve been working on cars (on my own) for over 50 yrs. and can’t believe how vehicles, and the effort required to change them, have changed. Thanks for showing this so people can have a glimpse into things we face every day.
My family owned an autobody repair shop for 64 years. I'm sure you can imagine the crazy customers we had come across over the years. As cars evolved over the years with the multitude of sensors, computers, wiring harnesses, etc. throughout the structure of the car, hidden damage was something that was commonplace once the vehicle was disassembled. Some customers would go absolutely apoplectic when the estimate was, at times, considerably higher, especially when THEY were paying the bill and not their insurance company. Like my father always said about those types of people, "there's an Ass for every seat"! I really enjoy your videos Mr. and Mrs. Car Wizard. Thanks again for the great information and education the two of you provide to your viewers.
I like the old style HVAC controls that were completely manual. They could break but it was less likely.
When they broke it was more work though lol
me too! cable actuated
Electronic hvac controls are usually very reliable, it's just that general motors can't build shit. Also, fuck climate controls integrated into a screen.
@@UnrealOG137 Sorry electronic controls especially the actuators fail very often and with low miles. Manual HVAC is the way to go, they are mostly all bulletproof.
@@watershed44 I've never seen them fail before.
I feel for the guy who got pissed about the hvac actuator, but it's the designers he should be annoyed with. I wish cars had a "fixability" rating next to MPG these days.
Yeah, and also if a component is deep inside somewhere, maybe car companies should spend the money to make it last, not the current cheap as possible crap.
Fix ability rating would be awesome
They are built as modules that are installed on the assembly line with no thought as to how to repair items in that module. Many items are not repairable and are replaced as modules.
And it’s not something that’s new, I’ve been dealing with it back in the 60’s.
watch speedkar99
He is an Indian mechanic in Canada who reviews vehicles with repairability and maintainability in mind.
th-cam.com/users/speedkar99videos
Consumers Reports yearly auto issue.
what I like about you and your channel is that you are 100% honest and I would trust you working on my car. I have an older mercedes benz and I think i have a leak in the evaporator and to get to it, I have to remove the whole dash to get to it. I just do not want to spend money to get to it. I am afraid to tackle that kind of job. But I dont driver that much so it is ok. I did put the blower motor into my car that was a chore but it was satisfying to know i fix it and that repair would cost about $1,000 just cause what you need to do to get to it.
It'd be awesome to see another customer stories video!! I love hearing your stories man. Also would be interesting, if there are any, if you have any mechanic stories from when you were in the Army.
Throwaway cars. Most likely timing issues will arise as soon as they sell it. Obviously they want to fix the leak, because it's the most obvious thing wrong with it Unfortunately many lots love cars like these, they get them for dirt cheap and charge you 3x the amount it's worth
Nothing new nearly all modern cars are disposable like electronics, modern cars never be a collectible or can be restored
Yeah, they charge “you 3x for it” and “you” still buy it lol
And no car is more throwaway than the 2009-2011 Chevrolet Aveo; the catalysts are so expensive in my area, that it can mechanically total the entire car!
A throwaway car is cheap to start with like a cavalier. For the price of one of these I expect 200k miles with routine maintinance. I know gm can do it because I had a 3800 powered buick that ran that!
I once drove a 2011/12 Kia Rio for a car sharing company over here. It got replaced after a year and about 10,000km. When maneuvering it in the parking lot of the dealer where it was exchanged at for a new one, I had trouble getting it into reverse, I had to put it in neutral, let go of the clutch and rev the engine for the transmission to sync up before I could get it in reverse. I mentioned that towards the guy from the car sharing company, and he told me: "Yes, these all have a bad transmission after about 10-11 thousand km, but it isn't a problem because Kia has a 7 year warranty on it." That was my first experience with disposable cars, I thought "Wow, now we have cars that are made right for the salvage yard from production"...
Car wizard or mrs. Wizard, please do more of crazy customer stories at the shop videos , it's fun and very informative.
Be careful what you wish for. It can be fun and informative but it can also be maddening and toxic. Just brace yourself.
@@InsideOfMyOwnMind how come?
@@nadzirahmuhsin6863 I guess I was speaking for those of us who have to navigate these people on a regular basis. It's like ripping a vacation out from under you without warning calling you back to work.
Shop overhead is the #1 enemy of owning a shop. Especially these days with keeping your equipment and diagnostic tools up to date.
Thanks for sharing the shop experiences.
"$1000, Im not paying it!" "Your going to drive the summer with the heat on?" "Yes" "I never heard from that guy again" Breaking news. Man burst into flames while 110 degree temperatures roast Kansas. Seems he had his heat on.
my brothers explorer had that issue shop said $1000 to replace the servo... i did it in 5 minutes through the access panel.... dont always believe the mechanic...i bet that guy gave one of his friends a 6 pack of beer and had it fixed with a $20 part
he probably just went and clamped the heater hoses off or bypassed the heater core, lol.
To be fair, if he'd paid the money who is to say it wouldn't happen again in a couple of years? A frequent point of failure means the part has a good chance to fail ...frequently. And if it's that expensive to repair, then you might as well face the fact that your vehicle is an endless money pit and just get rid of the thing for whatever you can get. Which is probably not much. Replace it with a car that holds its value well over time because that probably indicates it was built to last.
Probably thought he was being taken for a ride, which is why he was mad.
Eventually got some quotes and was told the same by other shop.
fix for the heat being on ..pull the fuse. plug it back in come fall
We came so close to buying one of those hunks of junk instead, we bought a CRV.
Good choice my friend the best you will get a trouble free vehicle for a while sheers.
Why would you consider a three row mid size SUV and go down to a compact one? Makes zero sense. I don't look to buy a minivan then decide buy a corolla instead. @@
Induced apathy In reality he couldnt afford the big suv
Very wise…. RAV4 is also a great choice
@Ste 45 a lot of people like my dad still have to buy american cars no matter how shit
I can relate to your experience with customers not wanting to pay fair prices especially on labor. Lately it has led me to sell parts only and just work on my own stuff. I also live in Springfield, MO which has a big broke mindset present in the local culture, so I usually sell most my stuff online to people out of state. Ive done well doing it, but it has made me a few enemies along the way because I salvage a lot of stuff from the local pick n pull.
I like how this Wizard does not mince words with irate customers.
It is what it is. Take it or leave it. He is not concerned if the customer pitches a fit. So be it. Like he says, no loss to never see a flipped out customer.
Wizard says "I'm not angry" He sure does sound pissed off.!
Rear main seal for 5year old car!????
What the hell you say!?
I seem that red vw, is it for sale
The rear main seals are actually more common on the 2.4 engines than the 3.6 liter engine.
Good vid ,a lot of good info for customers hopefully some people took it in, I used to be service writer way back years ago , you brought back old and unwanted memories it made my head hurt.....lol
Last week, the Car Wizard completed another series regarding the six used vehicles with these unreliable engines and transmissions, that you need to avoid at all costs, including the 3.6 L Pentastar V6 engine from Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. Another vehicle to run away, as quick as possible, is any Chrysler PT Cruiser with any engine and transmission from 2001 to 2010, because they are poorly made and they have a horrible design. Thank you very much and the next Car Wizard video will be up very shortly.
9:45 John Ross (WatchJRGo) said it the best during one of his fleet updates; all of the super cheap cars that you see now ($300-$500) have extremely high mileage, have been completely driven into the ground with major drivetrain, body, or electrical issues (or have no title) and honestly should be scrapped. The current car market both new and used is NOT buyer friendly at the moment, and if you can hold off buying a car when this completely insane bubble finally bursts, hold off as long as you can.
High mileage cars, if looked after, can carry on going - why ever buy another while it still works!
Because at high mileage ANYTHING can go wrong without warning. Oil pump, alternator, transmission, timing chain, fuel pump, master cylinder…… any of those could go bad on a moments notice when you’re on the road and leave you stranded with a super expensive repair bill. Once you get over that 150,000 mile mark, it’s time to start thinking about buying a new car no matter how well you’ve maintained it.
Last January I planned on buying something newer in June. I figured I'd wait for the tax refund crowd to jack up prices in February/March, then buy when the prices dropped. They didn't, instead they've just increased.
I'm fortunate. My current car runs fine and should continue to do so. I feel sorry for the people who really need a car now, they are getting screwed. People are paying $16K for a $12K car. Then financing it which adds even more. By the time they pay it off it will only be worth $2,000.
@@sph_holl2650 indeed, your typical high mileage Toyota/Lexus and Honda is a prime example of that; but my original comment stated that the cars for the $300-$500 price range have been driven into the ground (both interior and exterior trim parts broken or missing, tons of deferred maintenance items, major collision damage that would have totaled the vehicle if turned into insurance, major drivetrain damage like blown engines or transmissions, and paperwork issues like lost/destroyed titles, mileage discrepancies, etc.)
GM Lambda vehicles (GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, et al) are some of the worst vehicles to work on. They were not designed at all for maintainability, and are prone to issues. Was so happy to trade mine in. ☠️
Chevy equinox is another one to stay far away from.
@@henrydillard6217 Chevy Traverse is similar. The Chevy Equinox is one step below and worse.
They go together like legos. The key to them is to drop the powertrain out the bottom and fix everything broken at that time. I did my sisters last year, $1800 worth of parts and a couple days of work it has been back on the road for the past 1.5 years. Also just put $500 worth of suspension parts on it.
As a DIY without a lift, GOOD LUCK!
ever done a thermostat on an atlas L6
Back in 2013, with 55k miles on an '09 Outlook XR, I had it into service for a fluid leak from the transmission, which was done under powertrain warranty. Since I had a good relationship with the service advisor & manager, I convinced them to change-out the 3-5-R clutch disc before it had a chance to shatter (manufacturing defect - not heat treated!). The replacement disc cost me $6.50, which I paid for, while the labor was free to address the fluid leak, which required splitting the case. I ended up selling the Outlook before it hit 70k miles, because I had pushed my luck far enough.
My 2003 Grand Marquis needed a new actuator for the temperature controls three years ago. $700 estimate. Every spring I take the glovebox out, reach in and turn the door lever to cool, and every fall I reach in and turn the lever to heat.
Best repair technician I've eared for a long time. Clear explanations, calm and respectfull of situations for all, great knowledges. You've become my favorite mechanic tech of all. Will fallow you. Keep up the good work. From Montreal, QC, Canada. I personnaly have fuel consumption problem. While speeding up gently, the acceleration goes up little too much and then drops down like it suppose to. No codes on dashboard. I think that it might be the shifting solenoide but not shure. A tip would be appreciated. Thank you and stay healthy.
That's not an "economic boom" it's an extreme shortage of cars.
No, it's Inflation your dollar is worth less. So people are spending more money for used vehicles.
Both are true. Vehicles like the Kia Telluride sells for 20% over sticker. And yes, the semiconductor shortage has caused a HUGE run on used cars.
My friends had an Acadia. It was a money pit. It replaced a Chevy HHR they "thought" was unreliable. They have had a Hyundai Kona for 2 years now and freaking love it!
Chevy HHR's were pretty reliable even though they have cheap crappy interiors. My mom drove one for like 10 years until recently when she got a Ford Escape and a girlfriend of mine drives one now.
I just replaced the power steering line, motor mounts, and spark plugs on my 2016 traverse. Bleeding the power steering pump was a pain. Vacuum bleed finally worked.
The Car Wizard did a video on the six vehicles that he already mentioned to never, ever buy in general and all of these GM vehicles with the 3.6 L V6 engine is one of them. Also, not to buy in the used vehicle market is the Mazda CX-7, especially the ones with the 2.3 L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. These Mazda CX-7's had the similar, timing chain problem as the GMC Acadia, did. Run away from these vehicles and never own one or another, ever again. Thank you very much and have a great weekend. Cheers, guys.
My 2010 Acadia had the dreaded engine light at 54k miles (The oil was changed every 7k miles w/ Mobile one). The shop advisor told me that this generation of 3.8 had issues with improperly heat treated chain guides. Shortly around that time this thing started using 1 quart of mobile 1 a month.... and then I ditched it for a highlander.
Seems like all the 5.3s of the last 8 or so years go through a tremendous amount of oil, especially for a new vehicle. At least the newest ones throw an engine light at a quart low-ish.
Well if you would of changed your oil a bit more you may not have your issue, especially with a fragile engine.
Good choice the best 👍
Very very smart
In 2010 no one really said much about that. And it's full synthetic and came out mostly clear ... So I don't buy that
So while the engine is out, it’s best to repair everything that’s worn out besides the timing chain; water pump, motor mounts, front and rear oil seals and of course fresh coolant etc.
And the oil pump. Depending on the model the engine is in, some can be done in the car like the Camaros, Impalas, and Lacrosses. SUVs have engine out.
Sure its “best” but then there is no profit on it.
Thats what I do with my personal cars and family members cars I wrench on. I only fix whats broken though or leaking.
Sure. Fix it until it's broken. This is going on a used car lot. Fix it so people can drive it
When GM changed to the LFX 3.6 in 2013 the timing change issues mostly went away, and working at a Chevy/GMC dealership I haven't seen a rear main seal leak on an Acadia like that.
Same here at the gmc dealer, never seen a 3.6 with a rear main leaking. it makes me sad the chains last longer, now we have less gravy jobs.
I can relate to the kind of cars that are often found at car auctions. About 10 years ago I was looking for a used car for my fiancée. We went to several used car dealerships and virtually everything was junk, regardless of the make or model. They were basically homes for broken toys. The vehicles were in a bad state due of abuse. I spoke to the dealership owners and they said that they got all of their vehicles from auctions. I eventually ran across a small dealership that had some good vehicles for sale and we ended up with Ford Escort Wagon that was in excellent shape. That dealer showed me a great looking GM van that he just purchased and subsequently discovered that it had a leaking main seal. He said that he was going to take it to an auction to see if he could get most of his money back as he didn't want to fix it or sell it to a customer. Thank you for the video.
You need to make that a new series on this channel. Call it, 'Shop Story Time with Car Wizard'
The official car of “well I didn’t buy a toyota highlander because my husband doesn’t like foreign cars. He says they’re junk” 🤦🏻♂️
Or " highlanders were overpriced I got a great deal on an Acadia instead."
My 2008 Honda is more dependable than my 2018 Ford....no😑 joke...I'm from MI and i bought a car that was made in MI...my mistake
Really. But to hear him say it, a GMC Acadia with a stretched timing chain and faulty plastic climate control actuators is a "quality" vehicle?
An optometrist could fix that eyesight problem in about an hour.
Haha. Spot on
Car Wizard. Not related to this however I've found that a good battery and clean shiny battery terminal connections fix many problems. Been an A.S.E. master tech since 1984 and found this about 5 years ago. Thought I would share with everyone. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!
It's these types of stories that steer us away from the problem automobiles. Keep your Wizard wisdom coming because I like many are listening and learning.
I have learned SO MUCH from your videos about the other side the the repair shop counter! I really have to thank you for these videos because now I know what I'm dealing with the few times I ever take my car to a shop. I generally do everything on my '14 Cayman S and my '01 Subaru Outback LL Bean, but from your videos I know what to expect.
And I know what is right, and what is WRONG in dealing with shops. Thank you, Great video!
Re blend door actuator failure: Most times (maybe all) a 2$ + 20 min. labor solution is to bypass coolant to the heater core for A/C and reconnect it for heat. That's what I do on my 99 Crown Vic, and A/C blows cold and heat hot.
Yes, but a lot of folks don't have the know-how to do that, or are in climates (like the Midwest) where things will change daily, necessitating heat one day and A/C the next, particularly in the spring and fall. I just put a valve in an old car that I could turn off to stop the heater core flow; the A/C worked either way.
On our Traverse we had to replace the power steering line, plus the serpentine because the power steering leak trashed that. We also had the water pump go bad and that AC actuator. The engine mounts went bad so we did those, and the AC lines proved to be an all day project when they started leaking. There was also a random misfire we couldn’t track down, and the rear main seal was leaking pretty much the entire time we owned the car but it was such a small leak we never bothered with it. What did it for us was the transmission.
12:32 never knew you could have hydraulic dampened motor mounts that's really cool, love learning things on your channel
14:25 - I've replaced this part on my 2011 Acadia three times now. Wizard knows his stuff.
This is ridiculous GM "quality"' for a relatively new 2015 vehicle. And cars are at the auction for a reason, the reason being they have problems.
Have they fixed this on newer cars with the 3,6 ?
Do auctions let you scan codes or have them printed out?
@Hissmannen no they have not. And probably do not plan to. They are designed to fail. I have seen so many of these die like clockwork right at 100k unless the owner is really good about maintenence. Even then that does not buy much time.
Its still less problems than their competition has, so the quality is still better than the competition. This long term unreliability of ALL modern cars is part of the reason the last vehicle I acquired was actually built in the late '90s, and the only thing I do to it is change the oil occasionally, and it doesn't even ask for that.
Don't even start with the GM thing. Anything Ford right now is JUNK!! Ecoboost engines are the biggest joke.
A spot-on lecture. I'm worried about the supply of parts, if there will be a shortage. I know Rockauto doesn't have their sales anymore. Well, they do, but not significant.
Great video! The only gm car I've ever owned was the 99 z24 cavalier my wife brought to the marriage. My 97 maxima would run circles around that car and had better mpg. Anyways, we put new bearings in the z24 and dumped it for an 04 accord. I'm shocked people get burned and continue buying gm vehicles. I guess it's patriotic.
What's even worse, after that Jack ass customer talks to you, he heads to the parts store, even more pissed off. Buys the part, tries to install it with a hammer, figures out he can't do the repair, then wants his money back on the broken part. Really scares me when you look at what's on the road behind you at a stop light. 😲
Most people don't understand the work involved in automotive repair I how ever do. Great video Car Wizard. Keep them coming.
Or the 10+yrs it takes to become a pro mechanic.
The problem is all the dishonest mechanics that ruin honest repair recommendations. Too many times I was told something I knew was false to blindly trust anyone anymore. I do ALL my repairs now and I have found less things break and now I have two cars running perfect over 250k miles on them because of great individuals like you wizard. Thank you.
I remember the $2.95 carb rebuild customer charged $85.90 some shops gave the mechanic industry a bad reputation.
Awesome video as always! Glad to see the shop filled, business looks to be doing well at Omega :)
Yes please. More crazy customer stories. Wondering if things are different now that you're famous.
Edit: your corrected to you're
I second that.
Nobody can fix anything LOL
@Scotty secretly loves Chryslers LOL, Fixed it
More crazy stories please Wizard any from Hoovie throwing a tantrum?
That was very cringe
5:47: I love that 1940's Chevy in the back! It looks like Master. Straight six stove bolt engine, three on the tree, and that bulky shape. I love those cars.
This was very educational for me I’ve been a side mechanic for a long time working on older vehicles I would’ve told you you are lying that motor mounts has fluid in it and once I found out I would’ve laughed for a year thanks for the video.
This is an incredibly educational video. You’ve maximized both the education and the entertainment. Thank you so much
15:25 the gen 3 W body Impalas don’t require a dash out but you do have to remove the glovebox on the passenger side and the kick panel on the driver’s side. Even though they go bad so often, those cars are one of the easier ones to fix. It’s still $1000 because it’s got two blend door actuators. Do not use aftermarket parts for dash actuators.
We had to replace the recirculating door actuator in our Dodge Journey when we first got it; thankfully they had the forethought of using the same actuator for all three (four if it’s equipped with dual zone climate control) doors.
I've replaced those in my wife's 09 Impala a few times, but was using aftermarket parts some actual decent quality, or so I thought. The last go around I used OEM parts and haven't had an issue since. It's been about 3 years.
I came here to say this!
Lol no I didn't.
$1000 for $50 worth of parts and an hour worth of work. Bend over buddy!
Usually the Dorman part is better than OEM.
Damn good episode wizard. Being that I own a relatively new traverse high country. I’m going to purchase the extended warranty. It only cost $1500 and I’m covered to 100k mileage and if those issues come up I will just drop it off.
I would absolutely love to see you (Weeeezird (in Hoovies voice)) do videos that talk about common problems or failure points with engines, transmissions, and cars themselves. Like a buyers guide, but instead a buyers guide from a mechanic.
I know these vids kinda explain them in depth, but I'd love to see you expand upon that!
Look at a 3.6 liter GM timing chain it has just two links one on each side like a bicycle chain. Look a a 3.6 liter Chrysler timing chain it has a full 4 links guess which one costs less and wears out sooner?
I'd say the Chrysler one. Just junk.
@@seanfrank4158 The Chrysler 3.6's are solid engines for the most part, you don't hear much bad about them as they get higher in mileage. Same with Hemi V8's. It's a new day when Chrysler builds more durable drivetrains than GM.
Thanks for the information! I did not realize that the timing chain on the 3.6l GM engine was built like that. It's hard to believe that keeping up on oil changes and regular maintenance would prevent the chain issue that happens so often. Sure, maintenance would postpone the issue, but not prevent it in the long run.
Chrysler builds good engines actually (besides the 2.7 lol) just the electronics aren't the best lol
@@nicholasfield6127 Of course they do! They're the only ones that have a patent on the Hemi .
When he started that story with ‘an older gentleman came in’ I kind of knew how it would end.
They grew up without AC, all you need is a heater for the winter anyway!!
Sounds more like an "older man" came in. Gentlemen handle things politely, whether or not they are annoyed at the necessity of the repair.. It's not the Car Wizard's fault, after all.
I have a mechanic I have been using for in excess of 30 years. The guy who runs the shop is called Ed, and I absolutely trust him. I had a head gasket failure on a Volvo 5-pot, and two bolts snapped. It’s a thing that happens. Just like the engine dampers. The bill increased by 25%, but years of trusted advice means I paid, knowing it was real, unavoidable, and shit happens. Moral: find a wizard and stick with them.
"Turds, a whole sea of them"
- Car Wizard
I was looking for this quote of his comment. haha, well done, sir
I actually laughed out loud when he said this lol
I can tell you from my own experience is that this stinky auction business happens WORLDWIDE. When people trade in a car is for some good reason..
did you happen to visit England's Blackpool beach in the 1970s? :D
You are so right about all of this. Pull dash even on old 1997 k2500 to repair AC. This is crazy times for sure. I feel for you repair shops.
Wizard doing his best automotive Wilson in the intro.
Over here in little old England i have 3 Yankee pump action screwdrivers made by the Stanley tool company of America ,still in good working order considering they are 40 years old .They were made when Quality mattered unlike everything you buy today that lasts 5 minutes .
Wanna know how weird it is? My wife’s CRV was leased in 2018 for $23,000… Honda just bought it back for $21,000 when the residual was $14,000. I had $7000 of equity… *in a lease*. That does not happen.
The demand for used cars is insanity right now…
Those actuators are definitely a PITA!
The blend door actuator broke 3x over the course of 10yrs of ownership on my old car. Luckily, that was one of 3 actuators that was relatively easy to change out. It's behind the glove box. I still had to buy tiny wrenches in order to get in there though, but in the end, the fix cost me $30 each time and about an hour of my time (max... I got faster at doing it each time).
My sister, on the other hand, had the actuator break on the internal/exterior air flap. She had the same car as mine. That was took me several hours to replace!!! It was located right under the top of the dashboard and behind the passenger airbag. I tore everything out and got it to the point where I could just barely slip my hand and some tools in there to remove the thing. After a couple hours of disassembly, and being about to see the actuator, but not reach it, I was willing to cheat a bit in order to get it out.
In the end, yes, I was able to do both, but I'd consider myself a little more mechanically inclined than the average person. Not nearly as much as an actual mechanic though!