Auto Repair Shops: A Look at Phantom Parts, Services, and Repairs

This is a very common form of deception and rip-off that many vehicle owners encounter with auto repair shops and mechanics. You bring your vehicle to the shop because of a problem, and the mechanic tells you that there is a damaged part and that you need a new replacement. You give the mechanic a go signal to replace the part and leave everything at that, trusting that the mechanic will do the right thing—only for you to find out later on that the supposedly damaged part was actually in good condition and was not replaced, and you paid for nothing. That is, if you find out.

Phantom parts, services, and repairs pertain to parts that were supposedly installed and services and repairs supposedly performed, but were not. These are just another trick performed by some auto repair shops and mechanics to rip you off of your hard-earned dollars.

This kind of trickery comes in two common forms.

1. Mechanics do not perform the entire service and repair. They do not replace the part that they said to be damaged. In cases like this, a mechanic complicates an otherwise very simple problem, telling you that a replacement part is needed when all that’s actually required is a little tweak here and there to restore the operation of the old part. Then, once your car works fine, they’ll tell you that they have already replaced the part when actually they have not.
2. Mechanics perform the service or repair, but not as extensively as mentioned. They replace the part, but not with a brand new part but with just another part from a random vehicle. Although this can remedy the problem in your ride, the truth is that you still have been ripped off.

You may not know it, but it’s very easy for some auto parts shops and mechanics to perform phantom services and repairs. But, you can avoid being deceived. How? Check out the next post.