“I Knew I Should’ve Called In Dead Today”: Mechanics Share The Absurd Things They’ve Seen On The Job (76 New Pics)


Imagine you are driving along, minding your own business, when the dreaded “strange” sounds start to emanate from your vehicle. Or perhaps the “check engine” light comes on. The pain of finding out what is wrong coupled with the pain of paying to fix it means most people bring their vehicles in way too late.


The “Just Rolled Into The Shop” online group is dedicated to the craziest and most absurd things mechanics have seen people bring them. So get comfortable as you scroll through, consider getting your vehicle looked at, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts online. 


#1 Customer States Abs/Esc And Front Radar Lights On…


Image credits: theeyeofchaoss


#2 Someone Came With A Car And This Was In The Trunk. He Said We Can Keep Everything From Inside The Car. I'm Definitely Keeping It


Image credits: AverageAshEnjoyer


#3 This Is Not What I Was Expecting When The Customer Said “The Tire Exploded And There Are Wires Showing”


Image credits: samerooo


The truth is, normal wear and tear can (and will), over time break something in your car. After all, even home appliances under normal use break down and your blender doesn’t spend hours flying down a highway. This is why, as with one’s health, preemptive and preventive measures are often smart then explicitly waiting for something to break


As they are the main point of contact with the road, naturally, the tires tend to be the first to go. If you live in a place with a lot of ice and snow in winter, you have the wonderful opportunity every year to pay to get winter tires installed. 


#4 Pulled This Guy From A Camry


Image credits: craigjr93


#5 "Well, I'm Not Sure How To Say This, But It Looks Like Your Engine Bay Has Been Overtaken By Gay Mice"


Image credits: wrenchindaddy802


#6 Wtf Is This Shi**?! Some Weirdos Out Here…and Why Keep This In Your Car Door?????????? ????


Image credits: horrorismyfav


On the flipside, this does mean that an expert gives your tires a once over at least yearly, so you have someone to tell you it’s time for a new set. That being said, like anything car related, it gets expensive so most people prefer to wait way too long, as the examples here show. Once you add on the fact that some mechanics will take you for a ride, people’s anxiety becomes a bit more understandable. 


#7 Had This Brand New Escape Show Up.. Owners Were Towing It Behind Their Motor Home And Guess The Parking Brake Locked Up. Took Them A Few Miles To Realize What That Terrible Noise Was ?


Image credits: gunsrazorsknifeprty


#8 Found This On The First Truck I Hoisted This Morning


Image credits: NeedleworkerWarm5872


#9 We Will Not Be Installing Your Spare Sir


Image credits: Whatoilyouusebro


As with anything else, the main moving parts are the first to go. This is why some car experts believe that getting your transmission and batteries checked is a good idea from time to time. On the other hand, again like when one visits a doctor, it’s best to not lie to the person who is going to be doing the fixing, otherwise you’ll end up with the main issues overlooked. 


#10 Any Suggestions?


He's got a death grip on the wiring and he's trying to climb deeper.


Image credits: neutral-spectator


#11 This "Time Machine" Just Rolled In. 9 Thousand Miles, And The Plate Expired In 1983


Image credits: Fixitsteven


#12 Third Car We've Had Towed In Within A Week For A No Start After Refueling At A Local Gas Station. This Fuel Sample Is About 96% Water


Image credits: Fuck_it_


At the same time, while it’s important to not be the sort of car-owner you see here, it also helps to do your due diligence when picking a mechanic. While there might be hundreds of garages out there, not every person working in them is an actually certified expert who knows exactly how to fix what you have. 


#13 Me Standing Next To A Cat 797


Image credits: OnlyYowie


#14 These Are The People You Share The Road With Daily…


Image credits: icetilt


#15 Customer Is Going Through A Nasty Divorce, Wanted Us To Have A Look Around After She Saw Her Husband Following Her Around Town


Image credits: Hornetwaffles


This isn’t just to ensure that the cars roaring down the highway are safe (although that is a big part of it), but also to ensure that when repairs are done, they are conducted in an environmentally friendly way. If you are in the US, the EPA provides courses and certifications for car repair specialists to that effect. 


#16 Service Writer Did Not Bother To Get Any More Info From Customer Than This ?


Image credits: coldheater29


#17 Guy Pulled Up To The Shop To Do An Oil Change


Image credits: Jcrosb94


#18 It's So Hot In Texas, The Emblem On My Buddies Truck Is Melting


Image credits: 2-tree


So when you are swapping stories of untrustworthy mechanics (which do exist, there is no use denying it) just remember that many of them do work hard and honestly. It’s a physically demanding job with lots of exposure to toxic chemicals. So perhaps don’t be like the folks in this list, get your car checked when it’s still in good condition. 


#19 The Dangers Of Texting Your Service Customers


Image credits: eyedpee


#20 There’s No Way Wearing Your Seat Belt Is Bad Enough To Actually Have To Buy One Of These


Image credits: Due-Cheesecake9086


#21 A Letter From Gm To My Great Aunt


Image credits: Better-Literature-56


#22 Customers Really Make Me Question Life……


Volvo tech here, customer comes in and complains my iPhone charger will not plug in the charging socket for 2nd row. They are not normal and look to be Swedish. Did you guys forget to change the plugs for a USA car??? She was really trying to plug a wall socket into 2 USB-C sockets. Husband couldn’t figure it out either. These people are among us!! Be careful out there.


Image credits: SkeetnYou


#23 My Friend Traded A Dirt Bike For This Limo. Tuesday He Goes To Get His Chauffeur's License. This Surely Can't Turn Out Well


Image credits: reddit.com


#24 Anyone Else Drive With A Loaded Firearm Pointed At Their Foot At All Times?


Image credits: Revolver_Lanky_Kong


#25 Forgot My Drill So I Asked The Customer And This Is What I Got ???


Image credits: Upbeat_Face_3948


#26 I Present The Jellyfish. Dual Axle Trailer, Was Ran Flat For Quite A Distance


Image credits: ctennessen


#27 Sweeper Wasn't Sweeping. Who Would Have Guessed?


Image credits: TimV14


#28 Someone Needs To Wife This Lady


Image credits: Philgo1980


#29 Customer Came In For New Tires On A…ford Festiva?


Image credits: crackheadonskis


#30 Customer Is A Genius


Image credits: AverageAmerican2720


#31 Came In For Tires. Decided To Use Up The Rest Of What He Had On The Way In. Customer Claims 700+hp


Image credits: Colony-Cove


#32 If You French Fry When You Should Pizza, You're Gonna Have A Bad Time


Image credits: Boxofusedleftsox


#33 A+ For Effort For Whoever Put This Spare Tire On


Image credits: NoahF0920


#34 Cars Like These Always Make Saturdays Great


Image credits: SandPractical8245


#35 Hyundai Kona Came In For An Oil Change With 800lbs Of Concrete In The Back


Image credits: ItsMeLukasB


#36 Two Different Tires, Two Different Customers With In An Hour Of Each Other


Image credits: Asylum308


#37 Customer Does His Own Oil Changes. Said He Rounded The Plug Off


Image credits: hangin_in_the_chow


#38 Just Flooded Into The Shop?


Image credits: drifteddreams


#39 This Sticker Has Been On Since 1988


Image credits: rioryan


#40 That's A First For Me, Loaded With An Extra Mag Next To It. These People Shouldn't Be Allowed To Own Guns


Image credits: wauna_b5


#41 Til Hyundai Made Cars With No Radio


Image credits: MrPeePeePooPooPants3


#42 '05 Corolla With Not A Single Oil Change In 15 Years


Image credits: Prospero424


#43 Customer Sold Us Their 07 Hyundai Sonata For Scrap Then Later Told Us He Needs His $1400 Floor Mats Back


He shows us a receipt when purchased. Custom Bugatti fitted floor mats to a 2007 Sonata he paid $1300 + tax.


Image credits: samerooo


#44 Fed Vehicles In For Repairs. Government Requires Emission Control Devices On Our Vehicles But Give Themself An Exemption To Use A “Deleted” Diesel Truck


Image credits: unsureMechanic


#45 Driver States "Odometer Speaks Martian Before Startup"


Image credits: actually_iceman


#46 Driver Refused To Wait Till Morning For Repairs. Drove Away With Brakes As Shown


Image credits: LordVortigus


#47 Checking A Vehicle Over For Our Lot From Hertz. Rear Brake "Pad" Is Wood


Image credits: JakeSimm89


#48 Customer States $5000 Exhaust Isn't Loud Enough. Please Install $6000 Headers On $500,000 Porsche


Image credits: Fixitsteven


#49 Possibly The Loudest Sound I’ve Ever Heard. Hourly Guy Couldn’t Get The Bead To Seat So He Just Kept Putting Air In It


Image credits: ExpressionOfShock


#50 Which One Of You Knuckle Daggers Did This?


Image credits: -notaflamethrower


#51 Tool Box Battery Backup Is Warm And Comfy


Image credits: B_McGuire


#52 Customer States: "This Car Doesn't Have A 'Hood' Or Any Other Means Of Engine Access. The Whole Body Comes Off For Any Repairs." - Salt Lake County Requires Us To Photograph Emissions Control Devices During Inspection. Ugh


Image credits: kirkrocks


#53 I Knew I Should've Called In Dead Today


Image credits: MattyC137


#54 This Is A Weapon


Image credits: gumpnmh30


#55 New Guys First Day He Drained The Trans And Double Filled The Engine


Image credits: Hornetwaffles


#56 Bro-Diesel Rolls In And This Is What I See When I Lift It Up


Image credits: TheSwedishStag


#57 Fakery As It's Finest


Image credits: Ok_Emphasis4581


#58 Boss Man Came To Work In His Old American Truck Today. A Rare Sight Here In Scotland


Image credits: bubblebobblee


#59 324k Mile Tacoma. Oil Changes Work Folks


Image credits: paul_198


#60 What Could’ve Caused This ?


Image credits: TT_Xyooj8


#61 My Mechanic Just Sent Me The Picture Of My Tire


Image credits: Kiernoz8891


#62 I Had To Let It Cool Down A Bit Before Working On It (Cat 3406)


Image credits: Odd_Importance_4260


#63 Bent Child Seat Anchors? Just Bend Them Back! Ford Recall 21c24


Image credits: PigglyWigglyDeluxe


#64 Rolled Out Today Boys. 22 Years In The Field, I’m Done. No Idea What’s Next


Image credits: fmlyjwls


#65 Customer Threw In The Towel On A DIY Install. They Tried


Image credits: FullLegalUsername


#66 C/S The Solar Panel Isn’t Working/Won’t Charge Batteries


Image credits: buforduga


#67 Going On 18 Years In The Industry, I Hate Where Car Technology Is Heading


Image credits: Inevitable-Ad-8597


#68 I Don't Have A Big Bolt. But I Do Have An Enormous Tap


Image credits: DeeZrMT


#69 Customer Insisted That I Replace His Brake Pads Because The Truck Has 100k Miles


Original pads on a RAM 1500. I'm impressed.


Image credits: HickBarrel


#70 300k Motor Mount


Image credits: Average_Scaper


#71 Found A Lot Of Used Co2 Cartridges In This Car. Are People Getting High Off This Or Something?


Image credits: most_french_fries


#72 My Shop Was Literally Going To Just Throw These In With Scrap Metal Because They Aren’t Calibrated Anymore


Image credits: Out_of_Fucks_2_Give


#73 My Mom Sent Me This And Told Me She Had To Cut Her Motorbike Trip Short. I Thought Y'all Might Appreciate It


Image credits: armourkris


#74 For Our American Friends, I Present To You The Engine Bay Of The Renault Modus


Image credits: JINXT3R222


#75 Customer Says It Started Knocking, Then Got Quiet And Quit Moving. (It’s Me, I’m The Customer)


Image credits: FireBlazer27


#76 No


Image credits: JerewB