Wanted to see if I could get refunded by automotive shop

[petefig59]

My check engine light was staying on, so I took my car to my local shop where I have done business before and always been treated right. They said according to the code that came up, that it was the gas pedal assembly and I paid for the service with my credit card. About 2 days later, engine light came on again. This time they are saying the code shows that it is the throttle body assembly and that it may be covered by Chevrolet since there are issues with this item. My car is 2007, but the dealers are saying not covered. I went back to the shop and they gave me the technical bulletin to show the dealer which I will do. The shop is father and son owned and the son put in the assembly the first time, but he is off for a couple of days and I prefer to deal with him.

My question is, can I get reimbursed for the gas pedal assembly? Its not my fault if this isn't the issue. Should I stop payment on my credit card? Want to know what I should say to the son.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Walt34]

Were the error codes different? It may be simple coincidence that the gas pedal assembly went bad just before the throttle body assembly, but that seems unlikely. Or if the codes were the same the code may cover several possible sources for the problem.

If they misdiagnosed they should reimburse you though. But talk to the shop owners first to give them a chance before stopping payment with the credit card.

 

[broadway]

It is only fair if you talk to the repair shop first before doing anything kind of chargeback.
Wouldn't you want the opportunity to explain if you were them?
Golden Rule.

 

[calmloki]

why is it doctors don't rebate medical costs when they misdiagnose?

As an ex-mechanic, I gotta say that much work is done by symptoms reported or, hopefully, verified and/or by what diagnostic software reports as the problem. A good mechanic has enough experience to realize that "x" is the common problem and bets on the most likely solution - if possible as much evidence as possible will be required. A poor mechanic is just a straight up parts swapper - diagnostic software points at "x" and "x" gets swapped. maybe that fixes things.

If you've dealt with the shop and been happy with them strongly consider not pissing them off - too many parts swappers out there.

 

[petefig59]

Thanks everyone who so far replied. Yes, I plan on speaking with the son when he gets back. I know that once you find a good reputable shop, you stay with them.

 

[eytonxav]

It may or may not have been initially misdiagnosed, but you should pose that question about getting reimbursed for the gas pedal assembly to the repair shop and see what they have to say.

 

[grasshopper]

Always ask for the replaced part, they may reinstall it if something else is found.

 

[ponyboy]

Why would think you're entitled to get all of your money back when they performed work on your car?

A check engine light could mean hundreds of different things. They diagnosed it...they did the work...check engine light went off. Now 2 days later its back on. You're driving a 10 year old car. Things go bad, things break. Its not the mechanics fault.

When you take your car in this time...would they be better of not using a obd tool and just flipping a coin and saying "heads we fix this...tails we fix that?"

This is a prime example why I would never go in business for myself. People want something for nothing. And even when a job is performed its really difficult to satisfy a customer.

My FIL is a funeral director. He'll take care of all the paper work, prep the body...have the viewing...then the family will complain about makeup or the way flowers were arranged and either not pay or demand a partial refund. I dont understand the entitled mentality we're seeing more and more of.

 

[Bamaman]

Analyzing engine codes are hit and miss. Mechanics often go to the book to see what the most common fix is.

But a really, really experienced Chevy mechanic would probably know that the throttle body was the culprit. GM is the worst auto manufacturer to not fix common problems until warranty repairs cost them a $ billion. And then they'd never admit they have the problem. Too many cans of worms to open at their volume of sales.

More recent vehicles have completely electronic throttles and a dozen or more electronic modules controlled by CAN/BUS wires/cables. The modules communicate by those hair sized wiring, and problems are simply a nightmare to diagnose @ $100 or more per base labor hour. Be glad your vehicle is a little more simple due to its age.

 

[ivinsfan]

You do realize that problems with the gas pedal assembly could possibly put your live and other people's lives in danger? The shop would have been negligent if they hadn't replaced it.

I think wanting a refund for a safety fix is unreasonable and petty.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

i get ripped off with car repairs all the time, what kind of money we talking here? you cancel that credit card payment and u need to find another mechanic, the new one will certainly abuse you, sounds like he took care of the initial problem, car repairs arent fun , sounds like u have an honest mechanic , suck it up and talk to him when he returns, dont expect much

 

[ls99]

The code pulled is not necessarily caused by the thing it supposedly points to. That is why car shops lately call their people "technicians". They supposedly know how to do differential diagnosis.

 

[Texas Proud]

You do realize that problems with the gas pedal assembly could possibly put your live and other people's lives in danger? The shop would have been negligent if they hadn't replaced it.

I think wanting a refund for a safety fix is unreasonable and petty.

The thing is that we do not KNOW if the gas pedal assembly actually had a problem... and if it did not then there was no safety problem to worry about...


To OP.... you never said how much you paid... if it were small I would just being it up and see what they say... the shop I go to is really good (have not idea which mechanic, but they all seem to do a good job).... I remember when they were trying to diagnose a problem and spent hours looking and could not find it for the longest time.... just charged me the normal diagnosis fee... they lost money on it since I did not get it fixed...

 

[ivinsfan]

The thing is that we do not KNOW if the gas pedal assembly actually had a problem... and if it did not then there was no safety problem to worry about...


To OP.... you never said how much you paid... if it were small I would just being it up and see what they say... the shop I go to is really good (have not idea which mechanic, but they all seem to do a good job).... I remember when they were trying to diagnose a problem and spent hours looking and could not find it for the longest time.... just charged me the normal diagnosis fee... they lost money on it since I did not get it fixed...

Right and the way to know for SURE would be to not fix the gas pedal assembly and then go have an accident because of a faulty assembly, that doesn't seem like an option to me.

 

[Zip605]

Trouble codes are usually cleared (erased from memory) by the person working on the car. If the same problem occurs a few times again in series, then it will be recorded in memory again and set the check engine light on. Just because the check engine light was off after the "repair" doesn't mean the problem (or any problem) was fixed. Some codes take several occurences before they register a trouble code. The mechanic did the proper procedure, but likely cannot keep your car long enough, or through the exact failure mode before returning the car to you. Also likely that your local mechanic doesn't repair/see enough total cars to formulate a "most likely failed part" synopsis of the specific engine fault code, something that a car dealership would be able to do.

 

[Koolau]

Within a short time of buying a used car, the "check engine" light came on. I went to a mechanic who said it was in the fuel recovery system which was one of a dozen or more things (from a loose cap - not it) to carbon filter and on and on. So, I didn't do anything. Fast forward 5 years and I was in to get something else fixed (brake pads??) and the guy ran the diagnostic as a courtesy. He showed me a print out of what all it could be. Same stuff as before, but now in black and white. He said to check each and every one of them would cost hundreds in shop time and might NOT lead to a fix. So, fast forward 4 more years. The light is still on and the car is still running just fine.

I'm not recommending this approach, but my point is that the diagnostics (especially of old - say back in the early 2000s) were not always specific. "Changing parts" to see if that was "it" is probably going to be expensive and may not even fix the issues.

While I would agree that the "gas pedal assembly" might be a safety issue, it probably is not. We hear all the time of the "possessed" cars which run through the back of a garage and tear down a hedge and a fence and 6 garbage cans, etc. In all cases, even if there were a problem with the fuel feed system, applying the brake will stop any car, now matter how much fuel it is given. Not suggesting to totally ignore it, but suggesting that with multiple things it could be, an easy fix may not be forthcoming.

I got an indicator (different light, same car as above) that indicated the transmission was overheating. The mechanic said the only cure was replacement or rebuild. I got on the net and MY car has a tendency to overheat the trans during long trips (not the case) AND when using the trans to slow the car on long grades - yup! that's it. So now, I don't slow the car by shifting down and the trans is still working fine 30K later. Again, just sayin' take all the "check this or that" warnings with a grain of salt and be sure you are dealing with someone honest AND reliable.

My feeling is that OP should at least ask the mechanic to consider a refund or application toward fixing the "real" problem (if anyone knows what that is.) As always, YMMV.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Within a short time of buying a used car, the "check engine" light came on. I went to a mechanic who said it was in the fuel recovery system

those things can be a real booger - we ended up replacing the gas cap, charcoal canister, etc and finally having to replace the fuel pump which fixed it on DWs old scoob

no warranty either

 

[Big_Hitter]

My question is, can I get reimbursed for the gas pedal assembly? Its not my fault if this isn't the issue. Should I stop payment on my credit card? Want to know what I should say to the son.

Thanks in advance.

I doubt it - what was the CEL code?

 

[Big_Hitter]

Within a short time of buying a used car, the "check engine" light came on. I went to a mechanic who said it was in the fuel recovery system which was one of a dozen or more things (from a loose cap - not it) to carbon filter and on and on. So, I didn't do anything. Fast forward 5 years and I was in to get something else fixed (brake pads??) and the guy ran the diagnostic as a courtesy. He showed me a print out of what all it could be. Same stuff as before, but now in black and white. He said to check each and every one of them would cost hundreds in shop time and might NOT lead to a fix. So, fast forward 4 more years. The light is still on and the car is still running just fine.

I'm not recommending this approach, but my point is that the diagnostics (especially of old - say back in the early 2000s) were not always specific. "Changing parts" to see if that was "it" is probably going to be expensive and may not even fix the issues.

While I would agree that the "gas pedal assembly" might be a safety issue, it probably is not. We hear all the time of the "possessed" cars which run through the back of a garage and tear down a hedge and a fence and 6 garbage cans, etc. In all cases, even if there were a problem with the fuel feed system, applying the brake will stop any car, now matter how much fuel it is given. Not suggesting to totally ignore it, but suggesting that with multiple things it could be, an easy fix may not be forthcoming.

I got an indicator (different light, same car as above) that indicated the transmission was overheating. The mechanic said the only cure was replacement or rebuild. I got on the net and MY car has a tendency to overheat the trans during long trips (not the case) AND when using the trans to slow the car on long grades - yup! that's it. So now, I don't slow the car by shifting down and the trans is still working fine 30K later. Again, just sayin' take all the "check this or that" warnings with a grain of salt and be sure you are dealing with someone honest AND reliable.

My feeling is that OP should at least ask the mechanic to consider a refund or application toward fixing the "real" problem (if anyone knows what that is.) As always, YMMV.

you were lucky that you didn't have to pass emissions on that vehicle - that CEL code would cause an emissions check failure, which is why we ended up fixing DWs CEL

then of course we traded it in a year or two later for a new car

 

[Lakewood90712]

Were the error codes different? It may be simple coincidence that the gas pedal assembly went bad just before the throttle body assembly, but that seems unlikely. Or if the codes were the same the code may cover several possible sources for the problem.

If they misdiagnosed they should reimburse you though. But talk to the shop owners first to give them a chance before stopping payment with the credit card.

+ 1

I would never stop a payment before approaching the merchant about the issue.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

my wheels would have broken off

Within a short time of buying a used car, the "check engine" light came on. I went to a mechanic who said it was in the fuel recovery system which was one of a dozen or more things (from a loose cap - not it) to carbon filter and on and on. So, I didn't do anything. Fast forward 5 years and I was in to get something else fixed (brake pads??) and the guy ran the diagnostic as a courtesy. He showed me a print out of what all it could be. Same stuff as before, but now in black and white. He said to check each and every one of them would cost hundreds in shop time and might NOT lead to a fix. So, fast forward 4 more years. The light is still on and the car is still running just fine.

I'm not recommending this approach, but my point is that the diagnostics (especially of old - say back in the early 2000s) were not always specific. "Changing parts" to see if that was "it" is probably going to be expensive and may not even fix the issues.

While I would agree that the "gas pedal assembly" might be a safety issue, it probably is not. We hear all the time of the "possessed" cars which run through the back of a garage and tear down a hedge and a fence and 6 garbage cans, etc. In all cases, even if there were a problem with the fuel feed system, applying the brake will stop any car, now matter how much fuel it is given. Not suggesting to totally ignore it, but suggesting that with multiple things it could be, an easy fix may not be forthcoming.

I got an indicator (different light, same car as above) that indicated the transmission was overheating. The mechanic said the only cure was replacement or rebuild. I got on the net and MY car has a tendency to overheat the trans during long trips (not the case) AND when using the trans to slow the car on long grades - yup! that's it. So now, I don't slow the car by shifting down and the trans is still working fine 30K later. Again, just sayin' take all the "check this or that" warnings with a grain of salt and be sure you are dealing with someone honest AND reliable.

My feeling is that OP should at least ask the mechanic to consider a refund or application toward fixing the "real" problem (if anyone knows what that is.) As always, YMMV.

i have no luck with these issues, if that was my car, within an hour my engine would have seized my axles would have broken and i would have been stranded on a desolate road

 

[petefig59]

To the people who asked how much. I was charged $200 for the part and $50 for labor. The error codes were different.

I believe someone had mentioned that with this problem it could be a lot of things. Another question, with the engine light on, I will not be able to pass inspection when it is time to get a sticker. What happens if I get the throttle assembly fixed and the light comes on again? I don't want to keep throwing money into this.

 

[Winemaker]

Any code is an electronic mark that is recorded by the car's computer. If the car runs fine, as him to clear the codes after recording them. Run the car some more until the codes come back, check to see if same codes. Every six months I get a check engine light referring to uneven air flow in throttle body; meaning- get a can of carb cleaner and spray the intake. Clears the code every time.
My son-in-law's Ford truck had a burned out tail light, and he promptly replaced it. It still wouldn't burn, even 3 bulbs later. Called the Ford dealership and they laughed and told him to bring it in. The computer had to reboot the light system, after seeing a burned out bulb, it shut that circuit off, and rebooting would correct the light issue. It did and there was no charge. For a stupid light bulb!

 

[Texas Proud]

Within a short time of buying a used car, the "check engine" light came on. I went to a mechanic who said it was in the fuel recovery system which was one of a dozen or more things (from a loose cap - not it) to carbon filter and on and on. So, I didn't do anything. Fast forward 5 years and I was in to get something else fixed (brake pads??) and the guy ran the diagnostic as a courtesy. He showed me a print out of what all it could be. Same stuff as before, but now in black and white. He said to check each and every one of them would cost hundreds in shop time and might NOT lead to a fix. So, fast forward 4 more years. The light is still on and the car is still running just fine.

I'm not recommending this approach, but my point is that the diagnostics (especially of old - say back in the early 2000s) were not always specific. "Changing parts" to see if that was "it" is probably going to be expensive and may not even fix the issues.

While I would agree that the "gas pedal assembly" might be a safety issue, it probably is not. We hear all the time of the "possessed" cars which run through the back of a garage and tear down a hedge and a fence and 6 garbage cans, etc. In all cases, even if there were a problem with the fuel feed system, applying the brake will stop any car, now matter how much fuel it is given. Not suggesting to totally ignore it, but suggesting that with multiple things it could be, an easy fix may not be forthcoming.

I got an indicator (different light, same car as above) that indicated the transmission was overheating. The mechanic said the only cure was replacement or rebuild. I got on the net and MY car has a tendency to overheat the trans during long trips (not the case) AND when using the trans to slow the car on long grades - yup! that's it. So now, I don't slow the car by shifting down and the trans is still working fine 30K later. Again, just sayin' take all the "check this or that" warnings with a grain of salt and be sure you are dealing with someone honest AND reliable.

My feeling is that OP should at least ask the mechanic to consider a refund or application toward fixing the "real" problem (if anyone knows what that is.) As always, YMMV.

I guess your state does not require your car to be working properly to pass inspection.... here, you cannot have a check engine light and pass...

 

[Hermit]

With labor coasting around $100/hr, it doesn't take a lot of troubleshooting time to make the part swapping the cheapest route. If that is what the error code indicated, then maybe there was a problem in the throttle that was masking the problem in the throttle body. Who knows. These were two different error codes. If you got the same error code, I could see your issue, but with two error codes, it is hard to say how they are related, if at all. IMHO the best thing is to ask the mechanic what he thinks about the two problems being related and trust his opinion until he does something to break that trust.