Where would we be without our mechanics? Probably broken down on the side of the road somewhere. Thankfully, these awesome men and women are willing to fix all of our car problems so that we don’t have to. However, there are certain car-scenarios that even professional mechanics struggle with. So check out this list of 60 real-life worst-case-scenarios that mechanics found themselves in and the next time that you go to the mechanic, try not to make their job any harder than it has to be.
1. Save The Kitten
This mechanic had his work cut out for him. Usually, you can just leave at the end of the day, whether or not the job is completely finished–but not this time. This mechanic stayed late so that he could rescue this cute little kitty from the engine bay.
2. A ‘Possum Surprise
This is definitely not what you expect to see when you lift the hood of your car. And when the mechanic opened it, he shut it right back down again and said, “Oh, hell no.” I think I would have done the same.
3. Puppy Love
So not every scenario in this collection is the worst-case type. This scenario would actually make your workday even better. I don’t think I’d ever have a bad day at work again if I got to spend every day with puppies as cute as these.
4. Pet Raccoon
Now, this is something that you don’t see every day. When this guy pulled up the shop, he made sure to ask the mechanics to let him know when they were pulling his truck in so that he could go get his raccoon from it first. He then sat in the lobby with his raccoon until the job was done.
5. Dory Brakes
If you don’t know cars, then it can be hard to convey to your mechanic what the issue is. This customer did the bast that they could. And you know what? I think their description makes perfect sense.
6. Honk If A Kid Falls Out
There are thousands of stickers that you could slap onto your car. Some share your political views while others represent your musical taste. But some stickers are just plain funny. And this sticker right here… this is one of those.
7. One Million Miles
This is a very rare thing to see. And for these mechanics, it was extra special. The owner of this car has been coming to this shop since the car had 200k miles on it. He said he wanted to reach one million and he finally did–with the help of these mechanics, of course.
8. Lucky Car
Okay, this one is just insane. I’ve spent hours looking for four-leafed clovers in an entire field of grass and clovers and couldn’t even find one. And then one just happens to grow out of somebody’s fender line? Unbelievable.
9. Need New Tires
You should never let your tires get this bald, especially if you are driving in the rain. When the mechanics told the owner of the car that she should buy four new tires, she refused. They couldn’t make her buy them, but they did make her sign a waiver that released their liability before giving her her car back.
1o. Rediculous Work Order
Sometimes you’ve got to have some fun in order to get through a long work day. And this mechanic decided that today was that day. Read through this actual work form that was printed up and enjoy.
11. Strange Flapping Noise
This customer brought their car in to have the strange flapping noise coming from the driver’s side diagnosed. It didn’t take the mechanic very long to figure it out. In fact, I think that most of us could have solved this mystery.
12. Ancient Tires
You don’t see tires made in Russia over here in the States very often. And not only that, but these things are ancient. Let’s just hope the owner of this car decides to put on some new tires before they blow.
13. Sticky Accelerator
The only thing scarier than having your brakes go out while you are driving is having your accelerator pedal get stuck. This car owner found a clever way to keep himself from crashing. However, I wouldn’t consider this a long-term solution.
14. Temperature Gauge Full
Everyone sees things differently. When I look at this dashboard, I see a broken temperature gauge. When the car owner looked at it, he saw a temperature gauge that read full–and he stated this to his mechanic. But I mean, I guess he’s not wrong.
15. Rental Disaster
As a rental car company, you hope that the person who rents one of your vehicles won’t get into any accidents. Usually you have to deal with minor fender-benders or the occasional flat tire. But how often do the police bring you back a car that’s covered in bullet holes? Not very, I’d imagine.
16. He Gets It
Look, driving a Prius is great for the environment and your wallet, but it’s not exactly the coolest car on the market. But hey, if you’re willing to own that fact like this guy is, then you’ll be the one getting the last laugh when gas prices spike. Well played, sir.
17. Surprise Pup
This customer forgot to mention that their dog was in the car. It scared the hell out of the mechanic, but once he got over his initial surprise, I’m sure these two became best friends. How could you not love a face like that?
18. Hop In
This little guy decided to see what life on the inside of the garage was like. I can only imagine that once he got in there, he was ready to get back out. But with all of the lights and loud noises, getting out was probably a little harder than getting in.
19. Lost Keys
This customer claimed to have lost his keys. Oh, really? I can’t possibly see why.
20. Classic Car
This is a Jaguar XJ220 that has only 3k miles on the odometer. You don’t see classic cars like this in such pristine condition very often. This mechanic made sure to snap a photo of a car that he’d probably never see again.
21. Little Turtle
Animals can survive in some strange places. This little turtle was found living under a car lift. Who knows how long he had been under there, but he looks pretty healthy to me.
22. Window Lock
Some of us are more car savvy than others. But I think that most of us could have probably figured this one out before taking our car to the mechanic. Either way, the problem is fixed. Let’s just hope it doesn’t happen again.
23. Bullet-Proof Glass
This one is just cool. I’ve never seen 1″ bullet-proof glass before and it looks incredibly hard to break. The rest of this car is also heavily armoured. Whoever it belongs to must feel plenty safe while riding in it.
24. Paid In Cash
This customer works at Sonic and used her tips to pay off her $1,000 repair bill. I doubt that many shops are used to counting that many 1’s and 5’s at a time. I’ve got to give it to her, though, she earned it.
25. Gloves In A Glove Box
What do you put in your glove box? I doubt it’s gloves. This mechanic has worked on cars for years and even he was surprised to find this compartment being used for its original purpose.
26. Bubble Tires
I’m not even sure how this happens. What’s even more impressive is that the customer was able to make it to the car shop without this thing blowing. I’m no tire expert, but I’d say he could use some new ones.
27. Hello
My car isn’t fancy enough to program little messages onto the dash like this one. But I have to say, I’m happy that the owner likes to have some fun with it. I’m sure the mechanic wasn’t expecting this when he went in for the inspection.
28. No Spare
This guy is proof that you should always carry a spare tire with you. He actually drove into the shop like this. But now he needs a new rim, which is way more expensive than just fixing a flat.
29. Mint Condition
This is a 1986 Toyota Pickup and it is in mint condition. Although it has 211k miles on it, I’m sure it still runs like a dream. This just goes to show how taking care of your things pays off in the long run.
30. One Million Miles… Again
I can’t believe we are seeing this again. And since this car was bought and serviced at the same dealership for its entire life, the mechanics who worked on it have to be proud of themselves. This car still has its original motor and transmission.
31. Rave Car
This customer had a very strange reason for the dash lights on their car malfunctioning–it thought it was at a rave. The customer stated that they played EDM music in their car one time and after that the lights kept flickering on and off. Who knows, maybe this car just wants to party.
32. Best Instructions Ever
Let’s be honest, most of us don’t read the instructions before we start to work. And this company knew that. So instead of trying to get their customers to read all of the instructions, they pointed out the most important step (on page 7) and warned them of all the extra work involved if they chose not to read.
33. Engine Nest
I have to imagine that this car didn’t move for quite some time. And actually, it’s kind of nice to see nature take back over. It gives me hope that no matter how bad we mess up our planet, nature will find a way to reclaim it once we are gone.
34. Registration
When your registration stickers start to come this far off of your license plate, you know that your car is old. The old woman who owned this car had to ask her mechanic if he could put the registration sticker on her car because she could no longer bend down to do it herself.
35. Funny Tailgate
If you work with cars everyday, you are bound to deal with some funny paint jobs from time to time. This mechanic couldn’t help but snap a photo of one of the more unique tailgates that he’s come across in his time. The owner of this truck must really love that movie.
36. Car Cat
In this case, curiosity almost killed the cat. Luckily for her, a nice mechanic came along and rescued her. She was found under the car’s hood, between the grill and the condensor.
37. Strange Key
Sometimes it’s easier to stick with a short-term solution than get the problem fixed. This car owner decided that if a screw driver worked as a key, then there was no reason to go get an actual key made. But how does he unlock the door?
38. Need New Brake Pads
This Lexus owner drove to the nearest auto parts store in order to get some new brake pads. Unfortunately for him, his old ones gave out before he got to the store. Well, at least he made it.
39. Coworker For The Day
The owner of this car left her sweet little dog in the passenger side of the vehicle in order to help the mechanic check codes for the day. I’m sure that he didn’t mind. It’s always nice to have a little help on the job.
40. Worst Battery Location
In case you were wondering, Ferraris have the worst battery location of any car. At least this is some consolation for the fact that you can’t afford one of these. However, it’s not like it really matters for the owner. If they can afford a Ferrari, then they don’t need to be replacing their battery themselves.
41. Forgot A Spare
You should always drive around with a spare tire somewhere in or on your car. This customer told the mechanic that they didn’t have a spare and that they drove for three days like this. When the mechanic looked, he found a spare tire and a jack set in the trunk.
42. Tesla Undercarriage
Ever wondered what the undercarriage of a Tesla looks like? Well, like this. It’s actually pretty underwhelming and a little bit strange.
43. BBQ Trailer
Now this customer knows how to have a good time. Everybody needs that friend who knows how to grill. And this guy is definitely that friend.
44. 130 MPH
This customer told his mechanic that the car starts to vibrate at 130 MPH. Well what did you expect it to do? Unless you’re driving a racecar on a racetrack, then you should expect some amount of vibrating if you’re pushing your commuter car to those speeds.
45. Rental Car
Most people drive with less care when they are driving someone else’s car. But this driver was a little more careless than most. It’s not entirely his fault though, he had a plane to catch.
46. Overkill
I understand the appeal of a comfortable steeringwheel cover, but this is just a little much. Especially since it covers the speedometer. Try explaining your way out of a speeding ticket with this on your wheel.
47. Puntured Tire
This customer came in for a tire puncture repair. Unfortunatly, he’s going to need a bit more work than that. There’s a strong possibility that the term “You’re Screwed” originated from this photo.
48. Strange Start-up Noise
This customer brought in his vehicle to the mechanic because it made a strange noise when he started it up that morning. When the mechanic looked underneath, it didn’t take him long to figure out the problem. The customer was a little confused when the mechanic told him that he’d been robbed.
49. Giant Tool Box
There are a lot of tools out there and mechanics own most of them. But this tool box seems a bit unnecessary. The mechanic who snapped this photo thinks that his boss may be compensating for something…
50. Money Back
This mechanic replaced a battery in a customer’s car last week and she brought it back in with some complaints and refund demand. She claims that the new battery is making her car do weird things and that this red line on the RPM meter was never there before. Someone may need to explain to her what a new battery does.
51. Hey, It Works
Just because something you fixed works, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fix it better later. But hey, if he just needed to get to work for the day, then I’d say he was pretty resourceful. Well done, sir.
52. Rain-Gutter Tailpipe
Now this one is actually pretty impressive. If I lost my tailpipe, I would take my car into the shop right away. But this guy wasn’t worried. He saw the old rain-gutter sitting in his shed and knew that he’d found a solution.
53. Duct Tape
Duct tape fixes most problems. But I never would have guessed that you could fix your car hood with it. Well, technically it’s not fixed, but it’ll work for now.
54. Tarp Fix
When in doubt, tarp it out. Okay, so that’s not really a saying. But now that I’ve seen this picture, I’m pretty sure that it could become one.
55. Wooden Window
If your window breaks, you should get a new one. But if you don’t have the time or the money at the moment, making one out of wood works just as well. I mean, you can’t see out of it, but hey, you’ve got other windows to look through.
56. Duct Tape To The Rescue
I told you there’s nothing that duct tape can’t fix. Well, fix is a strong word here. But it will at least get the owner of the car down to the body shop without the door flying open on the freeway.
57. Nice Stack
You don’t usually see a big exhaust stack on a tiny car. But hey, to each their own. If this guy wants a big stack, then he can have it.
58. New Seats
Why pay extra at the dealership for new seats when you could just install a bench all by yourself? It may not be as comfortable, but throw a cushion down and you’ll be alright. Safety may be an issue here, however.
59. Door Knob
Why have a door handle on your car when you can have a door knob? Well, I mean, besides areodynamics and overall aesthetics. But hey as long as it opens the door and locks then we’re all good.
60. Clever Mirror
This one is pretty clever if you ask me. I mean, you better tape that mirror exactly where you want it because there’s no adjusting it once you get moving. But if it gets you to the mechanic’s shop safely, then by all means, go for it.
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