‘That Code Isn’t Even on the Vehicle:’ AutoZone Worker Tells Customer What Parts They Need. Then the Mechanic Double-Checks

"Let me guess, O2 sensor, alternator, or plugs."

Photo by: @carlsgarage23 & @driven.ar

By: Alexandra Samuels

Jul 1, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

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A mechanic is going viral for calling out one of his biggest pet peeves: customers who come in after a trip to AutoZone, convinced they know what’s wrong with their car.

The Facebook account for Carl’s Garage (@CarlsGarage23) posted a video claiming he doesn't pay attention when a customer rattles off a diagnosis supposedly given by an AutoZone employee.

“Me spacing out as a customer explains what AutoZone told them the problem must be,” the caption reads.

According to him, the advice customers get from AutoZone employees is often wrong.

“Nothing like advice from the experts at #autozone!!!” Carl captions the reel. “I’ve actually been handed code print outs from them by customers and that code isn’t even on the vehicle.”

People in the comments largely agreed.

As of Tuesday, the video had racked up more than 179,000 views.

Are AutoZone Workers Qualified to Offer Mechanical Advice?

AutoZone employees are generally not mechanics. The company is primarily a retail auto parts store, and most of its workers are sales associates, not certified technicians. Their main responsibilities include helping customers find parts, running the register, and managing store inventory.

According to JobzMall, AutoZone does not require employees to hold mechanic certifications or licenses. While some staff may have personal experience with cars, they aren’t trained or authorized to offer repair advice.

Still, many customers mistakenly assume they’re talking to mechanics, and often ask for help that’s beyond the scope of the job of selling car parts.

Workers Speak out

AutoZone employees have expressed frustration with customers assuming they must be mechanics.

In a video posted last September, a worker named Kelly Kell made it clear: AutoZone staff are retail employees, not trained mechanics. His message to customers was blunt: If you’re expecting a full diagnosis, you’ve come to the wrong place.

That sentiment has been echoed on Reddit. In the mechanics Subreddit, one person who said they used to work in an auto parts store said employees rarely claim to be mechanics, and they don’t understand why customers assume otherwise.

“I worked parts for 8 years. The majority of us didn’t say we were mechanics,” they wrote. “Even the ones who were [there] as their F/T job HATED telling people they were. Why? Bc the [expletive] customers expected them to fix their [expletive] for free.”

Meanwhile, in the comment section under Carl’s Garage’s video, some workers even admitted they’ll say anything to end the conversation.

“Sometimes I just tell them stuff so they will just leave me alone,” one person commented. “I’m not a mechanic, bruh, I just sell parts lol.”

The Frustration Is Real

Mechanics have long aired their grievances about customers arriving with advice from auto parts store employees—advice that often misses the mark. Though some AutoZone staffers may be car-savvy, most aren't formally trained, and their guesses can send drivers down the wrong path.

That’s exactly what Carl’s Garage highlighted in a recent post—and plenty of people were quick to back him up.

“Every time. I don’t give a crap what that child at AutoZone told you,” one person wrote. “Let me guess, O2 sensor, alternator, or plugs.”

Another mechanic added, “My response is to ignore whatever the customer told me and respond with, ‘Those guys have no clue what they’re talking about. I’ll figure it out.’”

What do you think?

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A third shared a particularly egregious example of an AutoZone worker giving a customer bad advice. “Came in with an O2 sensor code and a knock sensor code,” they wrote. “AutoZone told them to replace the gas cap.”

Motor1 has reached out to Carl’s Garage via Facebook comment and direct message and to AutoZone via email. We’ll be sure to update this if either responds.