I think it is unfortunate that mechanics get blamed for dishonest business owners decisions.
Very few mechanics are in a position to profit from the charges on the bill.
So there is no or very little incentive for them to cheat anyone.
I'll give you an example of what I've encountered.
I had a 1988 Nissan pickup. Around 2003 the steering started to feel unstable. Not loose, just didn't feel right.
So I replaced the upper and lower ball joints, the tie rod ends, and the front wheel bearings. That made no difference. So I took it to a shop for a wheel alignment.
There the manager told me that he couldn't do a wheel alignment because the "whole front end was worn right out." His words.
I asked him to show me exactly what parts needed replacement, so he took me out to the truck and pointed to a brand new tie rod end. He claimed that there was nearly a half inch of play in that tie rod end. I asked him to show me that play. He tried but found no play. He then claimed that there was indeed play in that tie rod end and the other parts as well but because of the way the truck was parked it wouldn't show at that time. Then he explained that the tie rod ends, the upper and lower ball joints and the wheel bearings were totally worn out and the vehicle was not road worth because of it, he said.
To make a long story short, it turned out that a stabilizer strut was causing the problem. I had found a small bit of play in that strut but couldn't imagine it causing the problem. The shop that replaced it agree, but said they couldn't find any other explanation for the instability and since the part was inexpensive, it wouldn't hurt to replace it. They replaced it for a total of $105.00 and change, and it solved the problem.
Point is, in all of this, never did a mechanic give me wrong information, at either shop. At one shop, the owner clearly tried to cheat me, at the other, the owner gave me great service and a great price.
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