$20 Oil Change Led to $1000+ In Repairs, Why Does this Always Happen?

If it's not one thing it's another, am I right?

You finally got your bills paid, and you're thinking you might not have to scrape by this month like you usually do, then BAM! Unexpected repairs have to be made for something you use daily. Sound familiar?

It's a tale as old as time. I mean, a tale since the beginning of car maintenance that is. I knew I should have taken automotive class in high school. Instead I ended up being the only girl in my construction class. Although, I did learn how to build a pretty nice shed among other things.

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Anyways, I drive from Temple to Waco pretty frequently and needed to get my oil changed. Typically I take my car to a shop in Waco, where I've known the service writer and mechanics for years. They're really nice people who I know I can trust, and they've always helped me understand what I need right away and what can wait.

This time I decided to give a Temple auto shop a chance. I heard about their $20 oil change, and figured I'd give it a shot. It seemed easier than having to take time off work to go to Waco to my usual spot. Ugh, if I only knew what I know now.

Things started off okay, but when the oil change was finished I was informed that I needed a few repairs to my vehicle. I was handed the estimate which totaled over $1000. I seriously almost fainted. My mind was trying to compute how my $20 oil change transformed into something way out of my price range.

Honestly, I'm stubbornly independent and have done quite a few repairs on my vehicle myself. YouTube is pretty great when it comes to DIY. I approved half of the repairs because the problems seemed over my head. Before I left, the service writer told me they would keep me updated on the status of my car, and I left for work.

The day went by with absolutely no updates. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I was definitely concerned about what was happening with my car.

Unfortunately I discovered too late that the business closes early on Fridays, and isn't open on the weekend. I called and left a message right before they closed, but didn't receive an answer.

I had no car for the weekend and had to rely on friends for rides. It was pretty frustrating, but I was sure the business would return my call on Monday morning. Well, Monday morning came and went with no word. Finally, in the afternoon, I received a call that my car was ready. A co-worked helped me with a ride to the shop, then I paid my bill and left.

I didn't have the energy to express my frustration, so I just vowed to myself that I wouldn't be back and had learned my lesson. Then, while driving down the highway, I received a call from the shop. When I answered, the service writer explained that one of the technicians believed that they left a ratchet under the hood of my car. They asked if I would be willing to check and return the ratchet if I found it.

I was seriously shocked...again! I can tell you that the ratchet was long gone, especially after my highway trip. Next time I'm definitely sticking to what I know.