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'Literally STEALING': Ford Driver Told He Needs Thousands In Suspension Work At Dealership. It's An All-Too-Common Trick

"THIS IS HOW."

Mechanic uses Ford to show how shops are scamming you over loose wheels. It’s more common than you think

Photo by: Igal Ness & mainly_mechanics

Alexandra Samuels

By: Alexandra Samuels

Oct 21, at 6:00am ET

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A mechanic says a customer was quoted thousands of dollars for suspension work he didn’t need—and claims the real fix took little more than properly tightening a fastener.

Justin (@mainly_mechanics), who runs a page dedicated to auto repair and mechanic content, recently showed viewers what he says is one way shops sell customers unnecessary repairs.

“THIS IS HOW THE SHOP IS STEALING YOUR MONEY. Literally STEALING IT!” he wrote in the text overlay of his clip.

Justin says some shops are “ripping off customers,” then demonstrates what he means using a Ford wheel that appears to have an alarming amount of movement.

He first showed viewers a wheel that, according to him, “doesn’t have any play in it.” Justin then pointed out the center of the wheel and the axle nut before loosening it. After doing so, the wheel that “didn’t have any play before” suddenly appeared loose.

Justin said a regular customer brought his car into his shop after another mechanic recommended they replace the car’s wheel bearing and control arm. That immediately raised questions for the content creator because he had recently replaced both parts himself.

“Well, they’re saying it has an excessive amount of play in it,” Justin recalls his customer telling him.

Justin inspected the vehicle and said the components appeared fine. Instead, he said the issue came down to hardware at the wheel that had not been properly tightened.

Using an impact gun, Justin tightened the fastener and then torqued it to the proper specification. When he checked the wheel again, the movement was gone.

“I torque it to spec, no play in the wheel bearing whatsoever,” Justin says.

Justin argues that some mechanics get “so comfortable” selling unnecessary repairs that they may recommend parts without properly inspecting the vehicle first.

“Just be really careful if you’re going to a new shop,” he advises.

He says his customer had been quoted thousands of dollars for repairs that, in this case, he believed weren’t necessary. As of this writing, the video has more than 526,900 views.

A Loose Axle Nut Can Mimic A Bad Wheel Bearing

Justin’s example highlights an important distinction: Excessive wheel play can signal a failing bearing, but it doesn’t automatically mean the bearing needs to be replaced.

Meineke says loose steering or excessive play can indicate a worn wheel-end bearing, along with noises such as humming, howling, squealing, or growling. But other outlets note similar symptoms, such as steering wheel vibrations, can also come from worn suspension components, which is why technicians should inspect the wheel and surrounding hardware before condemning the bearing.

Axle-nut torque matters, too. Timken says the axle nut must be tightened to the vehicle manufacturer’s specification because improper torque can cause equipment failure. MOOG similarly warns that you should tighten an axle nut to the manufacturer’s specification with a torque wrench, not by hammering it down with an impact gun.

The correct number isn’t universal, and torque specification guides list substantially different procedures and torque values. Some applications, for instance, call for tightening, loosening, and then retightening the axle nut in a specific sequence.

That means a mechanic seeing movement at the wheel should still diagnose where that play is actually coming from before recommending an expensive bearing or suspension repair.

In Justin’s case, he says tightening the hardware to specification eliminated the play entirely. That alone doesn’t prove another shop intentionally tried to sell an unnecessary repair, but it does illustrate why confirming the diagnosis matters before authorizing a costly parts replacement.

Gallery: Peugeot 208 with universal wheels

Peugeot 208 with universal wheels

Source: parkedinmarseille

“So Hard To Find A Mechanic You Can Trust”

Many viewers focused on how difficult it can be to know whether a mechanic or dealership is recommending work a car actually needs.

“It’s so hard to find a mechanic you can trust, especially as a female,” one person wrote.

“Dealerships are the worst,” another echoed.

Others wanted Justin to identify the business involved.

“Post the shop that made that claim,” another viewer urged.

One commenter took Justin’s allegations even further.

“That’s not even ripping you off at that point. This should be categorized as fraud and attempted murder. For sure they loosened that hub bolt,” they said.

But several viewers also questioned part of Justin’s story: If the customer already trusted him to work on the car, why had they taken it somewhere else?

“One thing I don't understand is, if you're his mechanic, and he trusts you, why did he go to someone else?” one person asked.

Another raised the possibility that the loose axle nut came from the earlier repair.

“Alright, bro. You said that you replaced the control arm on that vehicle, so what are the odds that you forgot to tighten the axle nut?” they asked.

Of course, not everyone agreed with the notion that repair shops routinely invent problems.

“I don’t doubt there may be some places that will do that, but most shops aren’t out there trying to create work. There is plenty of work there,” said one.

Others offered their own advice for protecting themselves at the repair shop.

“Always ask for the old parts!” one viewer suggested.

Another said they take a more wary approach altogether.

What do you think?

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“I always go to 3 shops to see what they say,” they wrote.

Motor1 contacted Justin via TikTok direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds.

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