Took car in for alignment, left with burned clutch

[Ozcraig]

initial "test" drive


drive back to firestone


smoking - hint it's not the brakes.



super painful to watch

I can,t believe that guy is a tech! Are you sure he's not the cleaner? He has no idea how to drive a stick shift. How do people like this get a job? Staggering.

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[Johnny Rockit]

I would say, congratulations, you just bought me a new clutch.

And it will be installed elsewhere. No way would they be touching the car after that. Dash cam saved you I believe.

 

[Johnny Rockit]

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. I was shouting at my screen like a psychopath when watching it for the first time. Absolutely infuriating.

A couple of times when getting a bit into the power getting up to speed merging on the highway I hit the brake while clutching and instead of fourth gear it was a slight grind of third gear as the car slowed quickly and I was launched forward. Not a pleasant feeling. Watching and listening to that test drive was horrifying. The "tech" should have been fired on the spot. I am willing to bet he has bounced from shop to shop for doing that shit to a customers car.

 

[2021 Mach 1]

As the title says, I took my car into an allegedly reputable shop for an alignment on a new staggered wheel setup. During the test drive, the tech completely obliterated my clutch. Apparently rode the clutch pedal the entire way, hit redline a few times, dumped it while redlining. Less than a mile into the drive, there’s smoke coming from the car visible on the dash cam footage. Car gets back to the shop where an unrelated tech who didn’t drive the car points out the smoke pouring from my engine bay. The tech who drove attributed the smoke to “the brakes”, whatever that means.

During the drive home it’s obvious the clutch isn’t right. My once smooth long travel with a crisp bite point is now half the length of travel and the bite point is nearly gone. When it does engage, the entire car shudders and shakes, most prominently felt in the rear with a loud clunky noise. 1,2, and R are all nearly toast. I can engage in those gears but the car shakes and shimmies, clunks, and doesn’t sound good at all.

So I’ve filed a complaint with the corporate office and the store manager says my issue is being forwarded to their insurance for review. I filed a claim with my car insurance as well but not much hope there. I’ve got the Ford ESP with another 4 years and 60k miles left so I’m crossing my fingers that when they get a chance to look at it (in two weeks) they won’t bend me over the barrel.

Anybody else deal with something like this? I’ll upload the dash cam videos when I get home for the curious. Needless to say, I’m absolutely livid and seething over the situation.

In 2005, a co-worker took his GT2 RS in for a routine service at Porsche dealer. That afternoon they called him and said there was a "problem" with his car. They emailed him a photo. The front fender was ripped off the car and the wheel was barely attached. I forget if they bent the frame. They totaled the car. They gave him a new GT3 RS, which he loved.

 

[ice445]

I've never had this luck at my local Ford Dealership. They would take my Focus RS out for any little thing. Oil change, inspection it didn't matter. I know I took it for tires and an alignment and they put 10 miles or so on a test drive. I was told it's what they do to "make sure everything is okay." I haven't taken the Mustang there for anything and I do not plan on it.

That's how my dealer is, but only for anything cool or fun. I kinda get it, but it's still annoying.

 

[ice445]

I can,t believe that guy is a tech! Are you sure he's not the cleaner? He has no idea how to drive a stick shift. How do people like this get a job? Staggering.

By lying, lol. Nobody actually checks if you can or can't, but you'll get asked. I was this guy once, at 19. Drove stick for 5 minutes once in my life, and said "yeah I can" when I got hired as a parts driver. All the vehicles ended up being stick shift, lmao. When I did my first run out with someone helping me train the route, I stalled a bunch of times and made it very clear I didn't know wtf I was doing. Even then though, I didn't ride the clutch for 200 miles like this guy. And I was able to get it down quick enough to where it wasn't an issue with keeping my job...

 

[RagmopInKona]

Video of the drive, at end of video, you can see smoke. This is less than a mile from the shop.
https://files.catbox.moe/8jfmby.ts

Video of tech arriving back at shop with more smoke visible.
https://files.catbox.moe/7e4alg.ts

Video of another tech witnessing the smoke and I guess pretending like he doesn't see it.
https://files.catbox.moe/4p4f7j.ts

The shop is a Firestone location in Bakersfield.

Firestone. Why, why would you take it to a Firestone. I'd not let them near my pedal bike.

 

[Austin1992]

First video, “Shit, ‘am boi”, instantly knew who you were dealing with… There’s a certain mindset of some people out there that have complete and total disregard for anyone other than themselves. Makes me want a dash cam even more than I already do. He should not only be fired but held financially responsible for the repair of your car and his name not forgotten if you have issues down the road with your drivetrain that could be related to this day. I told a co worker earlier if this this happened to me I would feel like a rape victim, the car would never feel the same ever again, and would add emotional stress to the reasons of suing lol.

 

[GTP]

Seatbelt
Insurance
Dashcam

I never leave my driveway without them.

 

[JFALK68]

initial "test" drive


drive back to firestone


smoking - hint it's not the brakes.



super painful to watch

 

[v guy]

Hots cars and bad techs.

I once left my 99 cobra convert for an oil change..it had new tires on it.........I checked the tires the next week, when I nearly hydroplaned off the road................bald rears!!!!!!............

WTF!!!

 

[Turbo23]

Bought tires at Sams Club. I look through the window to see some idiot slipping my clutch horribly because he couldnt back the car off the lift. Left the traction control on or some crap. Never again buying tires at ANY Sams club. Its a joke. Oh yeah, I took a day off work to have them installed after they called and made appt. I show up and "oh somebody called in and now we can't do it" all Sams is, is low price. Nothing else.

 

[ShadesOfBloo]

The shop is a Firestone location...

I can believe it, and it makes me glad I stopped going to Firestone.

 

[Oakley]

Fuck....I have to get an alignment in the spring..

something tells me your clutch will be okay lol

 

[Geodudes550]

First video, “Shit, ‘am boi”, instantly knew who you were dealing with… There’s a certain mindset of some people out there that have complete and total disregard for anyone other than themselves. Makes me want a dash cam even more than I already do. He should not only be fired but held financially responsible for the repair of your car and his name not forgotten if you have issues down the road with your drivetrain that could be related to this day. I told a co worker earlier if this this happened to me I would feel like a rape victim, the car would never feel the same ever again, and would add emotional stress to the reasons of suing lol.

This feels like when I had my house broken into a few years back. It was months before I could sleep soundly after it happened. It’s going to drive me nuts forever because any little noise or clunk is going to be maddening.

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