Is midas trying to rip me off?

Question

i went to midas and they are always trying to come at me with me needing a new air filter. today he was telling me i need to replace my timing belt, a right front axle etc.. are they telling me this cause im a girl? he said if i dont change my air filter, it will ruin my engine. are they trained to try to sell stuff. they always tell me i need an air filter, and its not with just this car. even if i bring my other car, they tell me the same thing. he said my axle is tearing something. they are so annoying, just change my oil!!!

Answer 1

the simple answer to your problem is,quit taking your car there if you think they are idiots.duh.stay away from the chain stores and go to your local shop.

Answer 2

id take it to a local macanic to get a once over it would cost like 100 bucks but he could tell you whats really wrong, midas is there just to make money, they are cheeper than a normal macanic, but a normal guy needs you more than you need him so 90% of the time he'll be lagit, the air filter and timing belt usually do need to be changed every 5 years or so, it depends but the axle sounds like a load of c**p

Answer 3

Probably so, I wouldn't take anything to Midas, Jiffy Lube, or Walmart. They're just trying to upsell you for more commission, and they do inferior work. You'd be better off taking your car to your local dealership, your oil change might be a little more expensive, but atleast it'll be done right and you won't need to worry about them trying to sell you something you don't need or worrying about your oil drain plug falling out because it was left loose and ruining your engine. Over the years, I've sold places like that many engines because of oil plugs being left loose.

Answer 4

Yeah they always do that.  Furthermore, when you go back to them they see the history of what you have bought and then they just figure you believe anything they say.

If you don't have a trusted mechanic or friend to check these things out for you, I'd suggest going to a dealer.  Those guys don't really have incentive to upsell you.

Answer 5

Well it's not because you're a girl.  It's because you're a Midas Customer.

They make nothing or pennies on an oil change.   A bad air filter won't "ruin your engine".  Run bad, get less gas milage but unless it's plugged it won't ruin it.    Keep track of when it's changed.   They should easily go at least 3 oil changes if you do them every 3,000 miles.  Keep a log book of when these items are changed.    

There is more money for them on each air filter they sell you than they make on the whole oil change.   Same for gas filters, PCV valves, etc.

If they point out something "expensive" I'd go to another garage and ask them to look your car over and don't tell them what the first garage said.  If they both say the same thing I'd go with whoever gave cheapest quote.   A torn CV joint boot will be very expensive if thats torn or tearing so check that out asap.

Oh and they pull this crude on guys as well not just girls.  Some places keep a generic dirty as heck filter on hand that didn't even come from the car you brought in to scare people into buying new ones.

The shop makes more money from each sucker  errrrrrrrrrr customer and the mechanic gets a "spiff" or extra bump on his check for each "extra" they sell.     Learn how to change your own air filter and go to Wally Mart or Kmart and get one to replace your own.

Good luck

RoyG

KC

Answer 6

The axle must be a front wheel drive. The thing tearing is the CV boot. it covers the CV joint.boot holds the "Grease" in the joint. Easy to check yourself look under the auto your self or have someone that you trust look. the axel runs from the trans. to the wheel. look for grease coming from the rubber covers. Needs replacing if you find grease or see a hole in the rubber. As for the air filter. buy one at the local parts store most will install for free.

Answer 7

I can't answer whether or not they are ripping you off without seeing your axle or without knowing how many miles are on your current timing belt. The same can be said for your air filter.

I would say that telling a customer a failed air filter would ruin the engine is kind of pushing it. In theory a really failed air filter could. But you would be seeing a lot of other symptoms before that.

Yes the Midas mechanics, like any other retail mechanic are paid on commission. Oil changes are an excellent opportunity to sell a customer additional work. Sometimes this can lead to unnecessary work being sold to a customer. In fact it has led to out right deception which has been caught on tape and shown on TV.

On the other hand, mechanics are trained to look for thinlgs that a car owner wouldn't normally look for. This is what you are paying them to do when you get an oil change. The timing belt for instance is a good example. Most car owners don't realize a timing belt is something that needs to be changed from time to time. If he had changed your oil and not mentioned your timing belt, it could come back to bite him. Say you were driving 2 days later and it broke and left you stranded. Your first question would be "Why didn't the mechanic tell me my timing belt  needed replacement?" Or if you broke an axle 2 days after your oil change. "The mechanic had the car in the air, why didn't he see it"

I can certainly understand your point of view. You would like to have an oil change done and not be bothered with a bunch of non sense. When the mechanic or service adviser tells you of needed work, thank him for telling you. Then ask someone you know for a second opinion.

Remember, these guys work for a living. Be patient with them. But also be careful with your car. You might miss some good advice

Answer 8

Why do you take your car in to Midas?

To maintain it, right?  So we can agree Midas' job is to make sure your vehicle is properly maintained.  When the service writer comes to you with recommendations what is s/he doing?  

Exactly what you came in for, helping you maintain your vehicle - which includes a whole lot more than just changing your oil.  Check your owners manual - all of the stuff you are supposed to do and when is in there.

Now, you may elect to have the recommendations taken care of or not taken care of, that is your choice, but that does not mean the recommendations are invalid.  As someone who works the other side of the counter I can assure you there is no reason to fabricate recommendations for maintenance or service.  Almost every car that comes in will have some item of routine maintenance that has been ignored or some mechanical fault (major or minor) in need of being rectified.

The reason you are so defensive about it is the same reason most people are:  You don't know much, if anything about your car and its the last thing you want to spend your hard earned money on.  Don't worry, your not alone and I'm not judging you.  It's just one of those hurdles that I have to deal with every single day.  I understand, believe me.  One of these days though when that CV joint snaps leaving you stranded and tearing apart your suspension and transmission you will regret not taking them up on that recommendation sooner.