Certain petrol & diesel drivers are getting caught out by mechanics

A mechanic has explained why you should exercise caution when a garage says your petrol or diesel vehicle has a blown engine. 

The auto maintenance and repair expert used one of his customer’s experiences as an example to illustrate his point in a YouTube video.

This mechanic, who goes by the username Toyota Maintenance (@ToyotaMaintenance), said in his video that another garage told his customer their SUV was dead because the engine had a blown head gasket and possibly warped cylinder heads, Torque News reports.

The technician estimated the SUV’s repair costs at between £5,588 and £7,983 — resulting in his friends telling the driver he should get a second opinion on the car that previously had been smoking under its hood while on the road.

Upon review, this YouTube video’s mechanic said he found a bad water pump and timing belt — two repairs far more affordable than the original quote, which started at over £5,500.

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According to Torque News, reasons why a mechanic might provide a blown engine misdiagnosis include not wanting to mess with a vehicle’s repairs due to labour intensity, time constraints, or a lack of industry knowledge.

Another mechanic, Scotty Kilmer, said you should look for help from a different garage if the technician checking your car says they don’t know what’s wrong since there’s no active check engine light or codes.

Drivers can reduce their likelihood of working with a poorly trained mechanic by verifying that the technician is trained and certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).