50-year-old car repair shop tries to overcharge customer by $3,500: 'Why can't people be honest in this day and age?'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 28, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

So your car's transmission light has turned on… It's time to head to the mechanic before you end up stranded on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck. 

Owning your own car is wonderful for the most part. When you're breezing down the road on a sunny day with the windows open and the radio playing, it's a gorgeous feeling. But there will come a time in every car owner's life when they'll sit down in the driver's seat, turn on the car, and notice that the transmission light is on. What could it mean? Sometimes there are accompanying noises that sound pretty bad. Other times, nothing really seems to be wrong, but you don't want to put off getting your car checked until you actually break down on the side of the road. 

This is where a mechanic comes into play, and it can be hard to find a competent mechanic who won't charge you an arm and a leg just to inspect your vehicle. This person shared what happened when a mechanic wanted to charge him and his wife $3,500! That's a huge cost for anything, let alone the transmission light in a car turning on, so it was smart for this dude to get a second opinion before committing to spending 4 figures on a mechanic. 

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  • 01
    Man in green shirt and navy vest shines phone flashlight into car engine
    via Yunus Tuğ For Unsplash+
  • 02
    So a few weeks ago, my wife was driving and her transmission light came on. She was going past a transmission shop, so I told her to go there and I would come and meet her. I told her not to say yes to anything, as every single time I have been to a transmission
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 03
    place, they quote me thousands for a repair. I get there, sure enough, they tell me there is a problem with the transmission, and it will cost $3500 to fix it. I leave.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 04
    I then go to a mechanic recommended by my buddy. He drives the car for a day, looks at the fluid, and tells me that he thinks its fine, and that there was probably a bit of metal stuck near the sensor. He wouldn't take any money from me for assessing it, but asked me to remember him next time.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 05
    The car has been running perfectly, and the light hasnt come on again. Why cant people be honest in this day and age? If you are, you will get someone's business for a lifetime.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 06
    I had him work on my other car the next week, and I have sent other people to him. We need to get back to community-oriented business. Trying to maximise your return by charging for the most money when clearly I didnt need the work
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 07
    done is just horrible business practice.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 08
    Sean @SeanALarabee Some of it is lack of experience. A car codes and a technician has to determine if the code is accurate. If a piece of metal cause a sensor to throw a code temporarily, that misdiagnosis is likely by less. experienced technicians.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 09
    Do not just assume fraud. Automobile technology has grown in complexity to the point that it takes skill and experience to get it right. I'm not saying fraud does not happen, I am saying it's not always fraud if they get it wrong.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 10
    Matthew Marsden @matthewdmarsd... This was a place that was in business for 50 years and family owned. That is why it was even more disappointing.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10568815360
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 12
    Not Éamon deValera @feckingm Had they offered to change the fluid for $100 you probably would have taken them up on the offer. It can't really hurt to change the fluid, and it seems like a reasonable price. The problem would be gone and everyone would be happy.
    via @matthewdmarsden
  • 13
    Matthew Marsden @matthewdmarsd... Exactly. Changing the fluids would cost around $250 for this car...but once again I was told that the fluids looked great. I am on top of my cars services. I will get them changed soon, though.
    via @matthewdmarsden

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