In a now-viral video on TikTok, an automotive technician who goes by the name Menjicar on the social media platform posted, about a customer he had who came in with a check engine light problem on her 2020 Chevy Malibu with 49,000 miles.
The woman came to Menjicar's shop for a second opinion after being quoted around $1,000 at a previous shop. According to Menjicar, the shop tried to sell her a brand-new part and service that the customer didn't need.
Menjicar ran a diagnostic scan on the car and found that there was an issue with the vehicle's intake airflow, mainly controlled by the throttle body. Before deciding to just order a replacement part, which would have been around $300, he decided to take a look at the vehicle's throttle body and assess the issue. Through his assessment, he found that all it needed was a cleaning.
"They were actually going to sell her a whole throttle body assembly," said Menjicar.
After taking the part out, cleaning it, and placing it back in the car, the check engine light turned off. He performed a throttle body reset, an essential step in this repair, and the car was good to go. Instead of the $1,052 the first shop was ready to charge the customer, Menjicar charged $100 for the full service.
Menjicar's comment section was flooded with positive responses from viewers, some remarking on the integrity of his repair.
"How do we get one of you at every autobody shop on the planet," one person asked.
Many of the comments expressed similar grievances of being charged more than what they felt a repair was worth. They questioned why the first repair shop hadn't done all the same preliminary work that Menjicar had, saving the customer money in the long run and potentially gaining a loyal customer.
