Motorists slammed with inflated bills for needless repairs
PETALING JAYA: When Tan Chee Keong noticed unusual noises in his car, he did what any motorists would do – take the vehicle to a nearby workshop for checks.
Then came the shock – he was quoted close to RM20,000 for the repairs.
“They told me the steering rack, suspension system, mounting and several other components were all damaged,” the 69-year-old said.
Tan got suspicious when the mechanic failed to properly explain what the problem was.
“Some of what was pointed out did not match the issues I was having,” he said.
ALSO READ: Upfront pricing on auto repairs just a tap away
So, he sought a second opinion from another workshop.
“The mechanic checked the car, test drove it and found that only a few components needed changing. The repairs cost only RM6,000,” he said.
Tan’s case is not an isolated incident.
Many unscrupulous vehicle workshops are out to make a quick buck by “repairing” problems that do not exist
A Subang Jaya resident who wanted to be known as John took his wife’s sedan to a workshop last year after she complained of hearing some noises under the bonnet.
He said a workshop owner, whom he was familiar with, referred him to someone new, who he said was the chief technician.
“He hoisted the car up and took a cursory look at the absorbers and started to give a long list of parts that he said needed to be replaced.
“Besides the absorbers and the lower arms, he said the steering rack also needed changing.
“The quotation came up to RM7,000!” he said.
John then went for a second opinion with a trusted mechanic who told him only the absorbers needed to be replaced.
“I bought the parts elsewhere and he replaced them for me, charging me just RM300 for workmanship. The car runs fine till today,” he said.
Another motorist who wanted to be known as Raj, also experienced a car workshop trying to rip him off.
“The regular shopowner called in a worker I had not seen before to handle my complaints. The man said he was in charge of repairs and ordering parts.
“He said there were many parts that needed replacing, such as the fuel pump, mass airflow sensor, oxygen sensor and engine mounting.
“The estimate came up to several thousand ringgit. I was not happy and took my car elsewhere. And the car was fixed for a few hundred ringgit.”
This is daylight robbery,” he said.
For MK Leow, 29, his experience was slightly different.
When sending his car for servicing at an official service centre, he was hit with a quotation close to RM400.
“I just paid as I trusted the service advisor.
“But friends pointed out later that my bill was actually inflated with various add-ons that were not part of the mandatory service,” he said.
The add-ons included coolant sprays, ozone treatment service and more.
