‘Memo Says Rotted Out Unibody Unsafe For Road Use’: Mechanic Condemns Saturn Vue. Then The Owner Brings It Back 3 Years Later

A Michigan mechanic was stunned to see the 2008 Saturn Vue that he thought he condemned three years earlier back in the shop. Here's what he says went wrong and how the owner tried to fix it.

A Facebook reel from clip account AutoTechMike is making the rounds right now, but the original video comes from creator Michael Pfeffer. 

“So we got a 2008 Saturn Vue that was brought in that I condemned like three years ago,” Pfeffer says to start the video. “But my new service writer didn’t read the memo. I’m gonna bring it in and see what’s changed in about three years.”

The first thing that Pfeffer notices as he’s driving the Saturn into the shop is that it clearly has no power steering. Additionally, it has some obvious body damage to one side. But the surface level damage pales in comparison to what Mike finds under the hood.

What Did The Memo On The Saturn Vue Say?

Pfeffer reveals how he diagnosed the vehicle when it came in three years ago. “The memo on it says ‘rotted out unibody, unsafe for road use,’” he says.

Then he takes viewers under the hood. It’s a sight to behold. The vehicle is held together with duct tape, chain, and bungee cord, which Pfeffer later discovers is what’s holding the gas tank up. “Just take a look at this. Really?” he asks.

But what’s really disturbing is the rusted and crumbling frame. “This is why I condemned it,” he says. “This is one we’re not gonna fix at all.”

At the end of the video, Pfeffer concludes, “This is unsafe. This isn’t leaving the shop without a tow truck.”

In the caption of the post, Pfeffer writes, “Rusted so bad. The state police said they couldn’t do anything.”

Can A Mechanic Really ‘Condemn’ A Dangerous Vehicle?

There isn’t a formal condemnation process for mechanics in Michigan. However, under state law, police agencies are able to remove and impound a vehicle from public or private property if it is determined that vehicle isn’t safe to drive on public highways.

But Mike is far from the only mechanic to wish there was a formal condemnation process that the industry could deploy to deal with owners of dangerous vehicles who refuse necessary repairs.

In a Reddit post to r/mechanics three years ago, a mechanic asked, “Do you think you should be allowed to ‘condemn’ a vehicle that you find is extremely unsafe to drive but the owner refuses repairs?”

When the poll closed, 280 respondents said yes and 159 said no. One person wrote, “I’ve had a few that I brought to my service manager’s attention for a signed acknowledgement of the condition and unsafeness of the vehicle.”

A second person replied, “I would love to do the same thing. I gotta cover my [expletive] when a guy has bald tires, no brake pads, and rotting out brake lines. That thing is a ticking time bomb and any one of those things failing could kill someone.”

Motor1 contacted Pfeffer via Instagram direct message for comment. This post will be updated if he replies.