Who pays? The mechanic or me?

I’d like to hear from you mechanics out there. For 6 months, wiper suddenly wipes 2ce, I did not touch lever. For 2 months, turn signals work intermittently. Told mechanic I didn’t want to spend a lot to find problem if electrical. He said switch will fix. I asked, “Might, or will?” He assured me, will. I paid nearly $300. Same problem. Took it back and he replaced $15 flasher. I knew immediately by the sound it was fixed. He didn’t charge me for the flasher (nice guy) and said it might have been both causing the problem.



Do I owe him for the $15 flasher, does he owe me nearly $300 for the switch, or is this fair?

If it isn’t written, I think you’re SOL. If he wrote it, I think you pay for the part, he covers his own labor.

It’s quite likely both parts were faulty. The flasher has nothing to do with a wiper problem; that could have been a faulty switch if the wipers are fine now.

Just offhand, I don’t see a problem and the mechanic is correct.

Agreed. ok4450 almost certainly has this correct.

I think both were the problem as I assume the wipers were ok after the fix, and now the turn signals are also. The turn signal flasher and wipers are not related. He replaced the flasher as a gesture of good will and to get you to recommend his service, a thanks, maybe some cookies and letting him know you were happy and will recommend his shop to others should suffice.

The turn signals and the wiper are related, both are controlled through the multi-function switch. The OP says that both were giving trouble and the mechanic promised that replacing the switch would fix both. It fixed the wipers, but not the flashers. To make good on his promise that his original diagnosis would be correct, he now eats the cost of replacing the flasher.

The mechanic did not build or design your car and you should consider yourself lucky he was able to fix it…At a dealership, people who represent the designer and manufacturer, this little problem could have EASILY gone to four figures…

Thank y’all for your responses. The wiper problem is so intermittent, I won’t know for awhile if it is fixed, but you are probably correct that both parts were faulty.

My issue was, if he had told me it was a maybe, I wouldn’t have had the work done. I’m a big believer in using turn signals, but I’m one of two people in this town that uses them.

However, you have me feeling better about this transaction. I was wondering if I had been fleeced, and from your responses, I’d say not. Also, I really do think these guys are honest. Thanks for weighing in.

He did eat the cost of replacing the flasher.

In our town we have standoffs of you go first at the stop sign. He did a good job of estimating his best cause for the problem, He did not anticipate a secondary problem and took the extra step as needed to make sure all was good in the end. Who could ask for anything more!

If your a regular customer ask him to cut you a deal…maybe he’ll knock a little off the bill or throw in a free oil change to keep your business.

It sounds like the mechanic already cut him a deal, doing something like this would be a bad move in my opinion, you don’t want to be thought of as one of those customers who’s going to complain no matter how good of a job you do.