Scamming Victim: A Shop Messed Up a Maserati

I take pride in the work I do repairing vehicles. Nothing makes more angry than when another shop scams a person when attempting to fix their car. This 2018 Maserati Levante has had just this experience with a local shop. You won't believe everything the owner went through before bring their car to us. ➡️ Don't forget to check out @MrsWizardsWays for her story about growing up in Kansas.
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#carrepair #carwizard #carmechanic #autorepairshop #automobile #cars #car #maserati #maseratilevante #scammed #scammerexposed

[@bmuns6445]

She should report that shop to the state authorities AND dispute the bill - especially if she used a credit card.

[@gotafarmyet4691]

And press charges, by not doing the brakes and they prove to be unsafe at this point. Then you have them for criminal charges.

[@pavelvesely2518]

I assume that's what happened already

[@forgottenchild7935]

Absolutely, she knew something was off with this shop. I've been wrenching 36 years and haven't seen that kind of blatant thievery in a looooong time.

[@blackshoe2000]

@@gotafarmyet4691 He didn't do rear brakes because it did not NEED rear brakes. At 60,000 miles it's surprising it needed front.

[@JollyGiant19]

@@blackshoe2000If someone pays for something and you don’t deliver, that’s fraud. Need doesn’t factor into this.

[@lotus956]

People need to start exposing these bad shops.

[@oldrrocr]

When do you fire your mechanic? - When the thought first occurs to you. It's like exposing crooked politicians... too many of them. Thanks Wizard!

[@russelljacob7955]

Google reviews. I have one review of a bad experience with over 30k views. I had an excellence car dealer experience. Almost 10k views in 3 years. People look at reviews. Difference is? I get a bad experience, I tell some friends and family and then dont recommend to the few who ask. But online? Shady shop work is seen by everybody. And when it is a trend? They go out of business fast now.

[@waynekaminski5438]

The previous shop should be sued until it gets shut down.

[@wheresthepictureidk2817]

It’s tough because when mechanics do this scam they always give the customer their money back when they get caught. But most customers don’t check the work done to the car so they are usually not caught…

[@mplslawnguy3389]

They won't last long if they're doing stuff this blatant. I would sue them personally. I'm not a litigious person, but something about a thieving repair shop gets my blood boiling. People put a lot of trust in you, because most people don't have extensive knowledge on vehicles.

[@mangotail6808]

When they change the oil, instead of flushing it they probably just put more oil and call it a day

[@NoNo-iz8hd]

I’m taking City VW in Chicago to court .

[@johnmichaelkarma]

With such egregious fraud and her and your documentation of it,calling out the responsible shop BY NAME would not be inappropriate.

[@skmetal7]

then THEY sue YOU for defamation.

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

@@skmetal7 and then COUNTER sued by Omega - which Omega will obviously win, but the winnings might be very small. David seems like the type of good guy that doesent want to bother with this stuff - and focus on work.

[@foellerd]

@@skmetal7it’s not defamation if its true, BUT, it may have to be proven in court if names are dropped which is expensive and time consuming.

[@TVCHLORD]

@@skmetal7just say allegedly

[@johnmichaelkarma]

@@skmetal7 I understand the concern. Stating the facts along with the clear concise and overwhelming documentation and video evidence from both the vehicle owner and Omega make a lawsuit improbable. The offenders would likely do nothing considering the overwhelming evidence against them. Fear and anxiety should not prevent one from warning others. It can only lead to a feeling of feeble uselessness.

[@calvinc.2333]

This is why many of us don’t waste our time shopping around for a good repair shop and just do it ourselves

[@larsch6529]

I've been changing plugs in my cars, trucks, and motorcycles for 50 years. Those plugs in the video looked new to me and I watched that section 3 times. I would have liked to have seen the ladies repair bill? Hoovie keeps this guy in business.

[@alexjeon2180]

@@larsch6529 I agree. Even with a couple of thousand miles, new plugs will already look like that. The cabin filter...100% the other shop didn't change it. The rear brakes....100% the other shop didn't change it. Oil change? Not enough info to be able to tell, but probably a good idea to do it because it's not too much money and you're better off being safe than sorry. Wheel alignment? There is no road test demonstration in the video indicating wheel pull, but I'll trust the Car Wizard that it pulls worse than before the car was taken in to get the alignment according to the customer. Overall, I give the "other shop" a BIG FAT "F" for charging the customer for even one tiny thing like the cabin filter when it wasn't changed. This should NEVER happen. Bunch of scum bags!

[@DickDawsonTheShills]

Scammers ruin things for everyone both customers and shops. There needs to be a data base to collect the info so they can be held accountable for this crap.

[@MatthewDannevik]

like what the bbb is suppose to do?

[@damieg82]

Totally agree! For years now I've been saying better-business-bureaus and similar statutory entities should be collecting data and providing metrics to the public. Every company should start with a 100% rating, and each bonafide complaint should incur a penalty to their score, and those scores should be publicly available. Companies should be mandated to post a QR code on their website and have a print of it their entry door, so customers can scan it and go directly to the score.

[@Jeff-wm3qn]

​@@damieg82and when people take to the cars to the car shops or the dealerships the best way to ensure that they are doing the work is ask for the parts that they changed out cuz by law they have to give you the old broken parts and if they don't give you the old broken parts report them to the police or something

[@DickDawsonTheShills]

@@MatthewDannevik hahaha. Exactly. But seems we have to do it for them.

[@geraldstephens6612]

Don't the car companies & car insurance companies have such a list for such shops?

[@ben6119]

The cabin filter is a common scam. My daughter's car was in the shop for a warranty issue and they sent me a photo of a dirty cabin filter and said it needed replaced. At almost $100 I declined it, changed it at home for $13 and it wasn't even that dirty-they sent a photo of one from another car.

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

The world needs more honest mechanics like you and the mechanics that I use at the shop I go to

[@jeffzekas]

What’s the name and location of your shop? That would be a good shout out for those of us Looking for a decent mechanic.

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

@jeffzekas I'm from Northern Illinois and I don't have the permission of the shop to give the name and location

[@caleb7674]

People whine that wizards bills are too high. A good shop will cost you more, but a cheap shop will get you... what happened here more often than not.

[@lincolnmarklt]

Lol. He charged hoovie 400 more for shocks a few videos ago than anyone can just go buy them retail. 😂🤣

[@basshead.]

@@jeffzekas Scotty Kilmer. He's the best.

[@BehindTheCounter_TFSO]

Hey, Mr. Wizard, this is the problem with the automotive industry today: we have too many bad actors and not enough people trained for today’s modern cars. There's insufficient oversight in some states, and when it comes to regulation, it varies from state to state. In the state of New York, if you own and operate a general repair shop, you need to be registered with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. If a customer is dissatisfied with the work performed on their vehicle, they can turn around and file a complaint with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. If they find the shop has too many complaints against it, they do have the authority to fine the shop or shut down its operation completely. Now, when it comes to the Maserati, a vehicle that's less than five years old has already lost 50% of its value. I have already come across three of them which experienced timing chain issues at 60,000 miles. Remember, they are produced by Stellantis, and they do have some of those parts inside, especially when it comes to phasers and rocker arms. You spent all that money on a Maserati just to find out it has Mopar parts inside. Ouch!

[@LukeEdward]

Tamiami Ford in Naples, Florida tried to scam our business by damaging an oil filter in what I can assume was an attempt in retribution for the engine they just had to replace under warranty. Not only did I catch it, but the entire dealership lost our company’s business, including all our fleet purchases. All because a service tech decided to get his undies in a bunch and sabotage our vehicle.

[@stefanpuffer]

Same thing happened to my mom. She took her car to the dealership that she bought it from for a 60k mile service. They charged her for a new air filter and never replaced it. They charged her for spark plugs and didn't replace them. They charged her to check the valve clearances and never removed the valve cover. The engine was covered in dust and you could not find a single fingerprint anywhere except for the oil fill cap as they did change the oil. They charged her almost $1000 for an oil change.

[@peterduxbury927]

To prevent from happening again - mark everything that needs attention, such as things that need to be removed. You will then have photographic evidence that nothing was done.

[@teddibear1943]

I have an 07 Infiniti. My mechanic is always weeks out, I needed an oil change. Took it to the dealership. They do their free "convenience" inspection. They come back with an estimated $3600 in needed work. Over $2500 was for a differential bushing which was "badly torn." The bushing cannot be replaced, but the whole assembly has to be, is what i was told. Three months later I take it to my mechanic for the next oil change. My mechanic charged me $91 for the oil change, full synthetic. He systematically went through Infiniti of Denvers worksheet, told me they were full of shyt, bushing is fine, everything else is fine. Be careful out there.

[@hhjhj393]

Yeah, my mah has been getting scammed too lately. It's exhausting because I can't take care of her while doing everything I need to do.... These dudes who scam are absolute scum. It's in every trade too. We are living during a time where it's really smart to stay small, save money, and do everything yourself. Keep things as simple as possible to maintain and avoid all the BS.

[@LCol718]

​​​​​@@teddibear1943by sharing stories like this you'll be helping people. I appreciate that Nobody deserves to be scammed out of their hard earned money, except ped0s. Scam them all you want 😂😂. Here's my story...Took my car to Toyota of Westchester for an obvious wheel bearing, they tried to charge me 350 dollars for a rear brake job.. I'm like okay. I've had an old Lincoln with low pads grinding.... first turn out the dealership. My ex wife heard the noise, they said it wasn't a wheel bearing, so they did my FRONT brakes but didn't charge.... i picked it up myself, and boom. First turn out the shop I hear it. I bring it back and ask for the master tech to take a ride with me (he didn't work on my car the first two times) and boom we take it on the highway and I switch lanes and he hears it.. "THATS A WHEEL BEARING, You know your shyt" I was refunded my money for the brakes and wheel bearing was covered under warranty. 50 dollar deductible. I put the car on jack stands a few months later to change an o2 sensor and find WORN to shit rear brake pads. Used my ex wife's car to grab some pads all around. They lied abt changing my rear brakes, nor did they do my fronts

[@NoNo-iz8hd]

Take the Stealership to court!

[@lannynavitka8949]

This is why I'm so grateful my dad was an ace mechanic and taught me how to fix everything. Because of him, I've never stopped learning about new technology. I have four cars older than 15 years, and I've never had to take any of them to a mechanic. I would take my car to the Wizard, though. He's the best.

[@mplslawnguy3389]

I wish I had that. I've had to teach myself how to do just about everything. Always better to do it yourself if you can. At the very least, for the piece of mind.

[@zaphodbeeblebrox6627]

These scammers also don’t take into account that word of mouth gets around. There’s positive word of mouth and recommendations which are passed onto friends, family & acquaintances about how good a shop is and there are negatives where people are advised to avoid certain shops because they are rip off merchants. It really doesn’t help crap businesses in the long run.

[@End3r_Wiggin]

During management training for Radio Shack back in the day, our instructor gave us a statistic: a dissatisfied customer will tell an average of 10 people about their bad experience. The satisfied customer may tell one person of their great experience, if even that. The point being you'd have to treat 10 customers awesome, to MAYBE offset the damage done by one angry customer.

[@richardwarren7492]

@@End3r_Wiggin Yep and that 10 to 1 has been around forever.

[@danielgradinaru7061]

Drivers edge hands down the biggest auto scam. They tried to charge me 1100 dollars for a radiator job. I have a Honda accord. I walked out. Then they tried to charge me 150 for a diagnosis fee when they didn’t even look at my car. I would stay away from them.

[@Codeman86420]

😂 Loved the Dr Dre. Quote @CarWizard As a fellow tech, definatly agree honesty and integrity is everything. As a dealership tech myself, I've found what is happening is that luxury car manufacturers aren't paying techs enough to do warranty work, so some techs are saying screw this, I'm just gonna say the work was done and take the pay. The other issue with the dealers is that service writers are taking around 30% commission for jobs sold. Techs get paid their flat rate which is so low now it works out to straight time pay mostly. So basically paper pushers and receptionists are getting way overpaid and techs are barely surviving and giving up.

[@jeffzekas]

This is a real problem, especially if you live in a small town with not many choices in mechanics. We have one shop that did the exact same thing to me, they didn’t replace any parts but charged me parts and labor. Another shop was going to charge a customer For a new head gasket when all the car needed was a radiator cap. So now I take my car to a friend.

[@jasonhsu4711]

My Maserati does 185, I lost my license, now I don't drive. Yes, every mention of a Maserati makes me think of these lyrics in the song "Life's Been Good" by Joe Walsh.

[@damnbunni]

And at the time that song came out, no Maserati could do 185!

[@josedealbuquerquejr.941]

⁠@@damnbunni the 5000 GT could, Maserati used exactly the same engine as their 450 S racing car, which led at Lemans and won at Sebring, in the car they sold for the streets

[@VanquishMediaDE]

@@damnbunni Older V8 and V12 Maseratis could but the Detamso era was twin turbo V6s and one or two Turbo V8s so they lacked top speed but had impressive turbo pull 0-60 for that time.

[@DefenderPuma]

Once I started pulling my own vehicles apart, I was so shocked at how carelessly previous work had been done. Now I feel compelled to do as much myself as possible. I try to at least find and inspect the issue so I know what has to be done. But that's certainly not for everyone, it can be a lot of work for me to figure something out that a professional could do in just a few hours.

[@Just_Pele]

I got my wife an immaculate off-lease 2019 Mas GranT Sport (with the DCT) in Med Blu and it's been flawless. Plus it's very quick, the V8 sounds amazing, and I saved almost 60% off sticker. They are certainly not the money pits they once were.

[@VanquishMediaDE]

I have a 2016 Gran Turismo, bought it CPO from Johnson Maserati of Cary (NC) in 2019 and it has been a blast. I do not drive it much (barely 500 miles per year) but it's a great weekend toy.

[@bradleykurtz5536]

Considering Stellantis is known for using cheap plastic parts, I’m really impressed to see all of the aluminum pieces, especially the valve covers!

[@VanquishMediaDE]

Aluminum engine blocks are nothing new and Stellantis is not the only company doing that.

[@db9071]

This guy is pure class. Wish there were more honest and dependable mechanics like the wizard

[@theconfused_fisherman]

I love that cabin filter placement. Every brand I work on has it in the glove box and it gets their interior all nasty when you replace them

[@ralphchristopherson782]

That’s why I love your show! Honest mechanic ❤. Had my experience with a well known auto electric shop who charged me $375.00 to do work on my truck. Got it home and found nothing had changed with rested broken ground wires. Would not give my money back and I had to do the repairs myself.

[@nerdywolfi]

I've had a similar situation happening where a car seller that also has a repair and paint shop scammed me on a car. I had trusted him, but over time I found out that the rumors about him being scammy were actually true, so I cut my losses, left a negative review calling him out at being a scammer and stopped wasting my time with him. I also make sure to tell everyone about what happened and if people want to see proof, I am very happy to provide that to them :D

[@jonhettrick7969]

I was scammed over. It can happen to anybody. Now I found an honest mechanic! I enjoy watching the channel you and your wife.

[@stuffhappens5681]

Years ago dealers called this a “wall job.” They’d park your car against a wall then give it back a few days later untouched. Collect their money. Then if the customer complained they’d tell them to bring it back. Then they’d blame the issue on a new problem and charge you again. Car dealers were notorious for that.

[@peterduxbury927]

With the advent of EVs that require minimal servicing work, many dodgy shops will close down - not having a clue about this new technology.

[@nononsenseBennett]

This is why it would be beneficial to have a video available to see what the mechanic did...Considering how deceptive some people can be, this would improve confidence in consumers.

[@bigbill709]

Honesty is the best policy!!

[@meddlesome9252]

I learned from my Dad to always tell the shop I want the old removed parts back. I check them all out to be sure they actually replaced them

[@mplslawnguy3389]

Smart move. Hopefully they don't keep a stock of old parts just to accommodate that request lol.

[@meddlesome9252]

@mplslawnguy3389 Back then, it was harder. Cars weren't all copies of each other like now. I did most of my own repairs for years until I got older. But I'm thinking of going back because they are overcharging now for things that I can do myself

[@mplslawnguy3389]

@@meddlesome9252 I try to do what I can myself too. Some things are hard, because I only have one vehicle. I can't take apart a bunch of stuff and work on it for 3 days, I need to get to work.

[@mplslawnguy3389]

@@meddlesome9252 Yeah, I went back to doing everything I can to my own vehicle. Some stuff I just can't do, but I do what I can myself. All regular services, tire rotations, stuff like that, and the odd repair if it's something I can tackle.

[@johnharper2016]

Love your videos! I have worked in the back side of the house in 5 different new car dealerships over the past 50 years. Man, do I have stories! Love your honesty. Had my hand slapped many times for doing the right thing for the customer rather than selling service they did not need. I still did well financially. Commission based on what you sell. I just did not have it in me to jerk folks around. Was raised to do the right thing. Good parents.

[@barzabelzouaby6694]

She needs to get an attorney

[@wurly164]

No, just go to small claims court, with this video. No sense in handing the lawyers all the money.

[@rcmortyhobbies2567]

This is why I do all my services my self. I was a mechanic tell my back injury but I can still do my car services. Sad that there are bad shops out there

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

They might be reliable vehicles, but they will eventually need parts and repairs like any vehicle and it won't be cheap

[@agger838]

They're just chryslers underneath

[@EB01]

​@@agger838Crystal methers?

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Much as I love the Wizard, I think it'll still be a few years before we can decide if the Levante is really reliable - I mean they have only been on the market for 5 or 6 years now right? They are still too new. If a car can't make it to 5 years without major issues, it's not "unreliable" - it's "a trash heap money pit". Give it another 2 or 3 years and we'll see how the Levante is doing - if we see plenty of 8 or 10 year old Levante's rolling around with 150,000-200,000 miles on the clock and nothing other than regular servicing and consumables, then I'll give them a pass on reliability.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

​@@agger838 What Chrysler uses the M156 platform? Pretty sure they are exclusive to Masirati, at least at the moment.

[@Sam-go3mb]

@@Beer_Dad1975 People don't get this AT ALL, for some reason. So many npc's online saying "Hyundai unreliable? ha, my 2020 Hyundai is super reliable, it's done 22k miles and never once left me stranded"...

[@user-xk4vt9ye8j]

I work for a large rental car company that uses outside vendors for oil changes. We were told to pick up several cars that were “ready”. When we got back to the shop the boss checked the oil and found out it hadn’t been touched. I wonder how many regular customers got the same treatment?

[@sakarihannula]

The garage I use takes pictures on everything they do, and they show them before showing the bill. They do excellent job, always ask if I want to have the exchanged old parts, and even wash the car.

[@sbrown307]

That's been happening since forever. It is why I rarely take my car(s) to a shop. I have personally seen it many times... and by reputable shops too. It is so easy to get away with because most owners have no clue about cars.

[@jools182]

Wizard casually dropping a Dr Dre line in there 😁

[@spyder000069]

I had to part ways with a tire shop I had done business with for 15 years. Great service in the past and then I happen to see a younger tech putting the tires back on. He started with the impact and then stopped. Then started again and just about ran the air compress out. I knew he cross threaded it and then just decided to send it. They finished my car and the manager was going to send me on my way. I told him we weren't done yet and I hope they carry wheel studs and lug nuts. It took them 30 minutes to get the lug off and replace everything. Forward two years and I gave them another shot. Got half way home and my tire sensor light came on after they installed new tires. That was it for me. I took the vehicle to another shop where it turned out an old high school friend was a manager. He sent me pics of the tire sensor the other company destroyed and they had zip tied and duct taped back together.

[@barryj388]

If she paid with her credit card and the charges were within the time limit for challenging them, she should call her bank and refuse to pay the bill since the shop did not actually do the work. She can come to an agreement to pay them for what they actually did, even if they botched it.

[@ericpinkney384]

There is no reason what so ever that a shop should treat a client like that. From my observations this is outright fraud being committed and their operating license should be put into question. I'm pretty certain that your client is more than likely a realtor who is successful and uses his/her vehicle as a rolling office.They bank on the dependability of this vehicle as it's their business at stake. With the results of your inspection the owner should report this to the state body that deals with these fraudulant practices. Thanks for the fantastic content guys. Cheers from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[@mongo64071]

Mercedes has a 60,000 mile spark plug change interval at least in the 2017 maintenance booklet that came with my car. When I had my plugs changed, I had my local mechanic give me the old plugs. Always ask for the old parts back. Tire rotations you should also mark each tire before hand so you can tell if they were actually rotated.

[@Changingtesting]

Where would you mark? Tire or rim, and where on the tire or rim would you mark?

[@mongo64071]

@@Changingtestingtire. ​​⁠I marked outside of tire. 1-2-3-4. Colored chalk. A color they wouldn’t usually have like bright orange. Then I would wash it off later. Once they see the numbers, the mechanic knows you are gonna check his work.

[@VanquishMediaDE]

NGK plugs (Japanese plugs) can last well over 100,000 miles if you change your oil regularly and do not track your car. In some cases NGK plugs can last the life of the engine. I have worked on Toyotas that had well over 400,000 miles on factory plugs. At 100,000 miles is when Maserati recommends the plugs to be replaced, I changed my Gran Turismo's plugs at 55,000. It will be 40 years before I get to 100,000 miles on that car given that I only drive it 500 miles per year.

[@AlessandroGenTLe]

At 60kmls I'd also do an oil change to the ZF 8HP transmission too. ZF bulletin wrote to do it between 80k and 100k km (50-62k miles). Then a further bulletin from ZF told to do it around 120kkm (74k miles), so it may be a good idea now. Forget the "sealed transmission" BS from them (or Alfa: I've the same one on my Giulia).

[@jclark4708]

I agree: do the right thing and you create repeat business. I’ve been burned by dealer service so much that I tend to trust good independent mechanics more than the “OEM professionals.”

[@bigdteakettle8989]

We had problems like that back in the early 70s. With I-40 running through the middle of the Amarillo we had a lot of service stations on the outskirts of town that were preying on travelers. Our Highway Patrol and Amarillo Police Department started running stings on these stations and nailed a lot of them. I had a summertime job at a truck stop that year and the owner laid down the law to us about doing things right and doing everything we were supposed to do for every customer. From the time I started and until I had to go back to school there were probably a dozen hands fired.

[@JRBRestorations]

Great video. Back in 2017 my local BMW Dealership, which is now out of business, was famous for “wall jobs” while your car was under the 4 year free maintenance contract. They would bill BMW for the maintenance but do nothing on your car, except wash it. The last straw was my 2013 535i needed it’s 30K maintenance which was oil,filter, brake fluid flush and pollen filter change. I dropped it off in the morning, they gave me a 320i to drive and I picked it up at the end of the day, all nice and clean. When I got home, I opened the hood and there were not even any fingerprints in the layer of dust on the engine covers. I opened the pollen filter under the glove compartment and it was filled with leaves and dirt. I went back the next morning and raised the roof. They apologized and gave me another loaner and when I went back that evening the work was complete. I reported them to the BMW field representative who told me this wasn’t the first complaint. Long story short they lost their dealership with BMW about a year later. Literally overnight. Transport trucks pulled up and removed all vehicles and signage. This was the last BMW I ever purchased. The closest dealer is now 100 miles away.

[@brianmack3665]

Does look like BMW had standards they were willing to enforce. Disappointing they didn’t have a local alternative.

[@kennethross786]

It always pays to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of cars, so you don't get scammed quite as easily. I suspect the other shop was just lazing out and assumed the new front brakes would improve the braking enough to cover up the fact that they didn't replace the back brakes. They just didn't expect her to look through the wheel spokes and see the old rusty rotors in the rear. I've heard if you suspect a shop is trying to scam you, mark the suspected bad part in an inconspicuous spot if you can, then check the new part to see if the mark is still there. If it is, ask them why they didn't change it and point out the mark.

[@douglas685]

The 3.0l is a Ferrari derived engine? I always thought that one was the pentastar derived engine. My impression was that the Alfa Romeo 2.9l V6 was the Ferrari engine minus two cylinders; and that the 3.0l Maserati was a Pentastar-derived block made in the Kentucky engine factory then shipped to Maserati in Italy for the rest of the engine to be built

[@jeffie8696]

I have seen a teardown of the 3.0 and it has parts interchangeable with the Pentastar 3.6 . I understand Ferrari modified the 3.6 for Maserati.

[@kurtjammer9568]

To clear up the confusion..it's designed by maserati and ferrari. Based on the pentastar..but with thicker cylinder walls and passages..and oil filter relocated. Cast to ferrari specs in the states..then sent to italy and built at ferrari with all ferrari parts basically from the f154

[@kurtjammer9568]

3.6 is not the same..crank rods.heads block all different..

[@MichaelSmith-kr9qw]

It's actually a Maserati designed engine that Ferrari assembles for them the block is the Pentastar that is casted to Ferrari spec. The block is still built in Trenton Michigan and Kokomo Indiana plants. There were 3 different Pentastar engines 3.0L, 3.2L and the 3.6L.

[@jerryf703]

OP you are correct. I work at a Ferrari/Maserati dealer. When they ship a new engine, it comes in a giant MOPAR crate lol.

[@akaki202]

I'd expect something like this to happen in a third world shithole where I live but damn, that's really insane. It's why I have my trusted mechanic who has helped me daily my twin turbo Subaru for over 7 years, and the car itself is a 2001 :D . A good mechanic really goes a long way and that's why I appreciate Mr Wizard a lot.

[@TheWalterHWhite]

The best tool for installing spark plugs is about a dollar. A short piece of vacuum hose is amazing! Take a short piece of vacuum tubing and place the spark plug in the end, and then use it to thread the first few threads. You'll never have to worry about the plug falling out or cross-threading.

[@bikecommuter24]

Even with the internet, social media and the like the best advertisement for a shop is still a happy customer. When you got a good rep it goes a long way, when you got a bad rep you don't go far. (Yes please feel free to use that, I had it on my tool box)

[@cedhome7945]

Spread the word on social media and let the people know what happened......

[@nononsenseBennett]

I had a simple maintenance item done at a local shop (radiator flush) and they left the rad cap off causing an overheating incident and loss of coolant. I never went back to that shop.

[@yeahitskimmel]

Never thought about this additional downside to buying luxury vehicles, as if they needed any more. Scammers see your expendable income coming from a mile away

[@VanquishMediaDE]

Luxury vehicles are a hotbed for scammers, they assume the average base model BMW or Mercedes indicates wealth but nothing could be further from the truth. Plenty of 2010s model C-K;asses for under 7K. This is why I only take my Gran Turismo to Harper Maserati (Knoxville), they are very reliable and honest about what my Maserati needs.

[@williamsquires3070]

It’s like I’ve always said, “when you cheat, you cheat yourself.” How true. Now that shop has lost a customer, and Omega has gained a customer. 😊

[@jamesfrench7299]

Not that cut and dried. In sure CW has plenty of work thank you (which is why he's very kind to agree to help out people from afar), and the shonks have a plentiful supply of suckers that need their car fixed or serviced.

[@jgoldman1033]

I hope they posted a review so future customers don’t get screwed by the shop.

[@felixbaum48]

Scammers should be exposed and reap what they sow. On the other hand... One of these in white just sold on eBay for $17k with 44k miles, if they're THIS reliable I will bite!!

[@brianmack3665]

2018 or better in decent shape will probably go for 35k plus. At 17k you’re looking at salvage from water or impact.

[@BaltimoreAndOhioRR]

Bad alignments are a pet peeve of mine. In all my years of driving, and all my cars I've gone through, I've only had a few that had dead-on alignments. And yes, I've actually paid for alignments that came back with the steering wheel way off center and the car pulling strongly to one side or the other. It seems no one can do it correctly. I dont know if the machines are inaccurate, or it's a low end job that the worst or least experienced worker gets, or whatever, but I can't seem to find a place to get it right. It makes such a difference in any car. A cheap car can deel nice to srive with a perfect alignment, and a nice car can be a nuisance to drive if one needs to constantly hold pressure on the wheel to drive straight.

[@Levibetz]

That engine actually looks very easy to work on! I like it. One note though, there is no 'flat plane' V6. The flat plane vs cross plane thing on a V8 is a compromise between different firing orders that optimize for engine resonance tuning for horsepower with the flat plane (and low rotating mass) and low vibration for the cross plane. With a V6 there's no trouble with doing both, so most V6s are equivalent to a flat plane V8 in that each bank has cylinders that fire evenly with eachother, and the engine has a decent balance. Especially a 60deg V6 like this it doesn't need balance shafts or an offset ground crank for an even firing order.

[@justinoakes8414]

I’d also say it’s a little questionable to call it a Ferrari engine. It is assembled by Ferrari in Maranello but my understanding is the engine starts life a a Chrysler Pentastar derived block that is shipped to Italy to be heavily modified by adding Maserati heads and other components to it. It’s not quite Chrysler, not quite 100% Maserati but definitely not related to the Ferrari F154 engine. The newer (allegedly not Ferrari derived) Nettuno V6 is built similarly by swapping out fancy heads with pre combustion chambers onto the Alfa Romeo V6 but Alfa’s engine actually is a F154 from the 488/cali T/Portifino but with 2 cylinders removed

[@Levibetz]

@@justinoakes8414 Yeah it's definitely not a cut down V8, it has a 60deg bank angle. Any adapted V8 is most likely to be a 90deg bank angle.

[@VanquishMediaDE]

@@Levibetz There are some 90 degree V6 engines out there but most manufactures do not as 60 degree bank angle is cheaper and easier to design for V6 configuration. For a V6 a 60 degree bank is perfectly fine but for a V8 anything less than 90 is a waste of time and money.

[@Levibetz]

@@VanquishMediaDE There's actually tons of 90deg V6s out there, it's quite common. Typically they have offset ground cranks so the fire evenly like a normal 60deg v6. The Jag version still has the empty cylinders in the block too.

[@Stumper007]

Happened to me - I paid for both driver and passenge side hubs to be replaced, got pictures of the driver's side being taken apart, but the passenger side shows zero evidence of being worked on. Years of dust and grime fully undisturbed; also have the car's camera catching them say "the other side is quiet, right, he don't know." I took it as an expensive lesson never to go back to those guys, and from now on to ask mechanics to save the parts. Not sure I'll ever ask a mechanic to replace a part as preventive maintenance again.

[@greasemonkey5025]

As Dr. Dre said “You disrespect me, you disrespect yourself”

[@uhn100]

How sad for this customer I myself if I have several items worked on I ask to see the old parts and I tell them up front that is my expectation I am glad they bought the Maserati to you they will be completely satisfied thanks for sharing this Mr. Wizard Best regards Andy Allen.

[@gjm456]

The fact the interior is dirty and somewhat of a pig pen sends a message that the owner doesn't care about the car as much as many other owners. No reason to scam, but can send a negative message to those working on it.... in that they feel like the owner does not pay attention.

[@mackjohnson7839]

Wow that’s a shame. It’s a common practice like you said. People need to know this is happening. Thanks Car Wizard.

[@markyoung13]

I always showed the old parts to the customer as we settled the bill, whether it was pads, plugs, air/pollen filters, a clutch, shocks, anything. Peace of mind for them and it cost me nothing.

[@thehouseofhorsepowerautobo4506]

Hello car wizard from southern Oregon! Always enjoy your videos!

[@theadventuresofred19]

Life expectancy is seriously reduced trying to 'break' a Maserati !! Great car, good work Wizard

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Thanks for a good update report.

[@grandetaco4416]

10:55 this is the question I've asked myself as a customer? I've had shops rip me off or try to rip me off, never went back there. All the honest one's got my business.

[@scottpancher7702]

Appreciate you and you're honesty. America needs more of you and Mrs. Wizard!! Have a great week bro!

[@jeffneis553]

You keep using the Ron Popeil line " but wait theres more," great to hear it !!

[@georgewalker03]

Wizard. I commend you for your honesty and integrity. I would be a customer for life if you were my car mechanic.

[@matthewhaddon599]

I think this goes on a lot with company cars as they just don't check the work. I had a repair carried out on a works van and they had installed a broken light and didn't bother to paint where the damage was...had to take it back.

[@moisesperez4659]

Yelp is a great way to expose the scammers. Had an Audi dealer claim that they replaced my plugs.dust cover was still dusty with no prints on it. Magic I guess.If I see a pattern of bad reviews I avoid the shop.

[@nukedogger86]

That prior shop, and other shops that pull these stunts don't think ahead. Kinda like mega corporations only looking at short term maximum profits to boost their stock price to get a bigger bonus. Only when they get called out with legal trouble will they actually learn. This is what needs to happen.

[@malcolmgray.5913]

Nearly 1 000 000 subscribers for the Car Wizard!🔥🔥🔥

[@theclown3967]

Homie just casually dropping a Dre quote. Baller.

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

Of course, you should have a magnetic pickup tool, comes in handy for all sorts of things. But hey, it's 2024! Get yourself a magnetic spark plug socket, too! What's crazy about those "wall jobs" that previous shop did was that not one of these tasks were hard.

[@jerryf703]

Ferrari/Maserati tech here👋 These share almost nothing with Ferrari models. Yes a few parts have Ferrari part #s etc but they don’t go on any Ferrari model. These are essentially Chrysler cars. Almost all parts are shipped in MOPAR boxes. The only Maserati models that were truly a Ferrari underneath was the V8 models (GT and QP). Levante and many of the 3.0 models are reliable to a extent but man when they break, it will be very expensive.

[@ckm-mkc]

A good example of why you should ask for the used parts back - in most states they are legally required to return the parts. Esp. if it's a new shop you don't really know or you're not mechanically savvy.

[@barryjoslin432]

I can't believe that The Wizard quoted from Dr. Dre. 😂

[@lvsqcsl]

Well, I guess this Maserati will do 185 and be reliable according to Mr. Wizard. I would have said "goodbye" after the first time around. GREAT VIDEO!

[@3.2Carrera]

This brings back bad memories. I had it happen once on a motorcycle valve adjustment that never happened and a Corvette fluid change where they didn't do the transmission or rear end that I paid for. I do my own work now top to bottom so it will never happen to me again.

[@jeffneis553]

On the brake issue, alot of these dealers tell people when they complain about rust on the rotors and they say oh theyre new but they will rust overnight due to the material used to make the rotors.

[@kurtjammer9568]

Good job wizard...if I'm ever in the states..I'll bring my levante in for service.on my travels..cheers from Toronto.

[@user-yo1db9yb5b]

I would take photos of the rear pads and cabin filter the Wizard removed, go back to the original shop and ask them to explain what happened(get the cost of those parts and the labor refunded) and then file a complaint with the appropriate state agency including the photos and the bill from the Wizard’s shop for the same work. This is what I did with Honda dealer after the shop said the rear wheel cylinders were leaking and shoes were saturated. I declined the work and was doing the job myself. I pulled the rear wheels/drums and they were dry as a bone.

[@guycabral1847]

How true, Mr. Wizard! Where I live, I have a number of places that I will not set foot in. If some of these places went belly up, I could care less. Amazing!

[@arandomhobbychannel6718]

You're a rare shop these days. If yall were in my city I'd take my car to you when it has issues. Honesty goes a long way, I don't know how some shops can be so careless and so nothing. Imagine it's a serious driving trian issue and the driver ends up crashing or something because they failed to even take a look...

[@lancenorton1117]

Back in the later part of the eighties a local shop did a brake job on my 83 Toyota Pickup. 2 years later I took it to a shop ear where I had moved to and they checked the rear brakes as part of some service work. They found that the other shop had not replaced the brake shoes. Turns out they had just readjusted the parking brake so it had very little travel before the brakes were tight. The brake shoes were the original Toyota brake shoes from 1983 with 127,000 miles of use.

[@918Mitchell]

I've been to a few shops where I leave questioning if they did anything or if they broke something to get me back in next week.

[@gregsalerno1434]

Car Wizard, you are the Best ! We could use about 3 of you in Pittsburgh Pa !✌️👍

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

In the '70s and '80s, it was power window motors. Motor stops working, mechanic removes door panel, raps the motor a few times with a hammer or wrench, motor starts working again, shop charges customer for a new motor. Lots of shops did it.

[@valis992000]

I have a 2014 GT and it's fine. I think a lot of that reputation stems from older models and the notorious dual clutch transmission that caused five figure repair bills at startlingly low mileage. I talk to other owners on forums quite a bit and everyone seems to agree the ones with the Ferrari 3.8L engine paired to the ZF transmission are reliable cars. Now was it worth the $165K price new in 2014? Probably not, but you can get them now under $40k used and they are well worth that.

[@mironkorzalko7761]

Very informative... now I will always see the wizard rolling thru the wheat fields thumpin The Chronic!

[@crabhab]

When David is quoting Dre poo is hitting the fan!!

[@dedalliance1]

Like that famous song, my Maserati shop told 185 lies, they lost their licenses and now cry. They lock their doors incase theyre attacked, angry customers with cars that will never be brought back. Or at least I think thats how the song goes.

[@HypocriticYT]

Yup you either get an honest shop or a dishonest shop 😮. Dishonest shops are always dishonest until they fold 😂

[@Greystone1111]

Im not by any means a mechanic. But i really love watching the Wiz work :-) Thanks for always great videos

[@StevenDurette-bq7zd]

I just had this same scenario happen on my restoration project. I consider myself lucky I got the car back, though it's in worse condition than when I sent it.

[@doriangray2347]

I am actually now looking for one of these soley because of you and this wow

[@pinpinpula9863]

I check what I can after having service done. I always check the oil before I leave the service center. I have been scammed on tire rotations, so I mark two tires with a tire crayon and take pics.