Car people, I need your wisdom

... Is there a difference between using a franchise and a dealership? Originally Posted by CurvyKatie

The odds of more slime is much higher at a franchise.
Dealerships always have factory reps coming though looking at QC. However, a Dealership shop will be more expensive (I'm willing to pay for quality work).
Regardless, everyone should have a trusted mechanic (not necessarily a dealership) that knows the vehicle type you have.

But shouldn't the same shop fix it if they broke it? Originally Posted by CurvyKatie

Take it to dedicated suspension/alignment shop. Get a WRITTEN estimate as to what they found wrong.

Make copies of the the write up. Take it to the 1st shop, show them what was found wrong and the cost to fix. Tell them they can fix it, or you can go the ugly legal route which is:
That other shop fixes it, your lawyer gets them to reimburse you.

I have had a few timing belts changed on cars & depending on make/model of car it might need to go up on a lift so they can get under it though rare.

The guy was partially correct when he said your suspension has to "relax" from being up on a lift but ONLY if the lift they used was a frame lifter (arms go under the frame) instead of a tire lifter where you drive up on the ramps onto the lifting channels. If done this way the weight of the car is the same on the tires, be it on the ground or 10 feet up.

Name the shop

Took my car to get the timing belt changed, as I was supposed to for regularly scheduled maintenance. Nothing wrong with the car. I get the car back and it's bouncing like crazy. I call the shop and the guy tells me that the suspension just has to adjust after the car being on the lift and it will go away in a few days. I think they damaged my car. Has anyone heard of such a thing? Can I keep driving it? When I go over a speed bump the rear end crashes down like whatever springs/suspension are back there are gone. Originally Posted by CurvyKatie

I can recommend 2 shops that I use.

Master Car Care & Collision on Yale street inside the loop. They do everything but transmissions. For that I go to Aamco Transmission & total Car care on 290 northbound before pinemont.

I uses Aamco when my transmission acted up

Ok. I just have to say it. Katie, I understand you being cautiously vague in describing your vehicle, but 2WD doesn't tell us enough. That can mean front wheel or rear wheel drive. Can you narrow it down to Korean, Japanese, USA, Or European at least? Not even asking for the exact manufacturer, model, or year

Name the shop Originally Posted by GhostRiderYYZ

Ripley's

Ok. I just have to say it. Katie, I understand you being cautiously vague in describing your vehicle, but 2WD doesn't tell us enough. That can mean front wheel or rear wheel drive. Can you narrow it down to Korean, Japanese, USA, Or European at least? Not even asking for the exact manufacturer, model, or year Originally Posted by Dorian Gray

Lol, sorry. Wasn't trying to be vague, I literally don't even know enough about cars to understand what you're asking for.

So it's front wheel drive (had to ask Claude, lol) and it's Korean.

Your struts are probably still the originals that came on the vehicle. They can easily say they failed due to age. I've never heard of them seizing up on a vehicle that is used regularly but then again I'm no expert or mechanic, I get all my info from YouTube & TikTok.
Maybe they are keeping your vehicle & are going to try & compress them to try & free them up but would be best to replace them.
There's no telling why they didn't bring it up when they did the repairs, they probably just thought they would resettle back to normal after some driving. I still think my chubby friend idea might help.

Oh man!!! This is why I fix my own cars... so many scammers out there...
If I were you, I'd take it to another shop and let them give you a second opinion. But b4 you to that, please,please read their reviews. Go straight to the 1 star reviews... do your research. Because for all you know, they will want to scam you as well!
The last time I took my car to a shop, they told me my WHOLE AC system was shot and I was looking at 2-3 thousand $..
I went and got me a leak detector (frion) light and found the source of my problem... Definitely YouTube gets the credit for most my car knowledge. I have learned so much and still learning! Take advantage of the free knowledge out there. It will help you not get scammed.
They see that youre a woman and take advantage of that. Been there done that!
YouTube really helps a lot to show you how things work...
It sounds like they definitely screwed with your suspension system..

Oh man!!! This is why I fix my own cars... so many scammers out there...
If I were you, I'd take it to another shop and let them give you a second opinion. But b4 you to that, please,please read their reviews. Go straight to the 1 star reviews... do your research. Because for all you know, they will want to scam you as well!
The last time I took my car to a shop, they told me my WHOLE AC system was shot and I was looking at 2-3 thousand $..
I went and got me a leak detector (frion) light and found the source of my problem... Definitely YouTube gets the credit for most my car knowledge. I have learned so much and still learning! Take advantage of the free knowledge out there. It will help you not get scammed.
They see that youre a woman and take advantage of that. Been there done that!
YouTube really helps a lot to show you how things work...
It sounds like they definitely screwed with your suspension system.. Originally Posted by LadyMoxie

You are so right. I am starting to educate myself, got a youtube playlist of videos I curated that need to to through so I can learn. I am so tired of being taken advantage of. I wish there was a place where I could go take a class, but it looks like they don't offer those for continuing education anymore. I am certainly never going to buy a car with a timing belt again, that is for sure.

Ripley's Originally Posted by CurvyKatie

I know the the shop(s) - they have 2, one on 1960 (the original location, been there since the 70's) the other in Spring.

It used to be family owned but I have discovered with "family owned" is the original family member owners pass it down to their kids who then muck it up as did Hoephl's garage on Shepard. Original owner was solid, then he retired, kids took over then things went downhill.

You would take your car in for 1 thing, they would give it an inspection, find other things that would jack up the bill from 2-300 hundred to 800 +. When you told them just to fix the original item you brought it into, they got sorta "meh" about things, took a LONG time to fix it. Aka they acted like you were not important.

Your car is front wheel drive or rear? This shaking / bouncing it does, at what speed does it start?

You would take your car in for 1 thing, they would give it an inspection, find other things that would jack up the bill from 2-300 hundred to 800 +. When you told them just to fix the original item you brought it into, they got sorta "meh" about things, took a LONG time to fix it. Aka they acted like you were not important. Originally Posted by GhostRiderYYZ

Were you there with me when I took it in? Lol, this is EXACTLY my experience.

I would say around 35mph is when the bouncing gets ridiculous. I can't go test it again cause it's sitting at their shop now. But it's not shaking, it's bouncing, like a low rider, lol. I cannot drive home with a carton of eggs. Tires are good.

Oh edit to add, front wheel drive.

Old struts can often seize or stay stuck after a car has been placed on a lift with weight holding/forcing them down. Especially if they’ve had dirt and etc., reduce the lubricants/grease within them.

They might assume they’ll settle back to normal after driving the vehicle for a few miles, like new ones often have too after installing.

Ive had to drive at least 1,000-1,500 miles to have the new shocks/struts/coilovers completely settle to normal height.

Struts/springs/coilovers are relatively easy to change. I’ve replaced on several Audi’s, BMW’s, VW’s, Silverados/Sierras and a few Japanese cars (the easiest).

I would recommend finding an Indy(independent) shop that specializes in your specific car brand. Dealerships will cost a fortune and often times you’ll get the car back with the same problem existing, franchises are hit and miss, often times you’ll run into the ones that will make false diagnosis and claim the issue is fixed, but another or the same issue reappears, within a few days of having taken the vehicle.

What’s the year, make and model of your car? I was trying to remember what vehicle you had last time I visited you, but it’s been a few years since I last saw you.

Were you there with me when I took it in? Lol, this is EXACTLY my experience.

I would say around 35mph is when the bouncing gets ridiculous. I can't go test it again cause it's sitting at their shop now. But it's not shaking, it's bouncing, like a low rider, lol. I cannot drive home with a carton of eggs. Tires are good.

Oh edit to add, front wheel drive. Originally Posted by CurvyKatie

Ok, if it was shaking that would indicate a possible tire out of balance issue.

if it is bouncing, hopping - is it doing it on the front end or rear? if front then "THEY" did something to the drive system.

Front wheel drive means belt is on side of car, usually the left side looking into the hood. I am wondering if they fiddled with the engine mount and forgot to re-secure the engine. When you accelerate the torque from the engine might be making it hop.
Let us know what this shop finds out.

I wished I would have taken an auto mechanics class instead of a home economics class. I was taught that at home.

I wished I would have taken an auto mechanics class instead of a home economics class. I was taught that at home. Originally Posted by R.M.

I hear that. I took ballet classes growing up. A whole lotta good that did me, lol.