A North Carolina mechanic is warning other mechanics not to be so trusting after a customer—who happened to be a family friend—drove away without paying for nearly $2,000 worth of work.
He took her to court to get back the money he’s owed, but the judge’s ruling shocked him and he doesn’t want the same to happen to other contract workers.
Family Friend's Car Becomes a Nightmare Job
In a TikTok with thousands of views, a mechanic who goes by @thefleet22 shares the details of getting burned by a customer despite his best efforts to help.
"I normally don't put people on blast, but in this case, this woman does really dirty, so you guys need to know about it," he says at the start of the video.
The mechanic explains that a woman, whom he refers to as Karen, came to him after another shop couldn't figure out what was wrong with her car and gave her keys back, telling her to take it somewhere else.
The woman had known the @thefleet22's father for about 20 years, so he considered her a family friend.
The car in question was a 2006 Subaru Legacy with an automatic transmission. After taking on the job, the mechanic discovered it was a flood car with extensive damage. Water had gotten into the fuel system, the injectors were damaged, and the timing belt was about to snap. The water pump was also making noise.
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@thefleet22 says he worked on the car for approximately three days, putting in about 12 to 13 hours of diagnostic and repair time.
During this period, he was also caring for his mother, who was very ill.
"I'm taking a lot of time off to take care of her, but I'm also staying up till 2 o'clock at night to work on the car and then waking to work 6 o'clock in the morning," he explains.
Throughout the repair process, the customer called constantly, blowing up his phone to check on the car's status.
Despite the pressure and his personal situation, the mechanic says he tried to help her out. He also didn't charge extra for things like after-hours work.
The local Subaru dealership had quoted significantly more for the repairs, about $5,000, yet @thefleet22 claims he did it for about half price while still using high quality components like a Dayco timing belt kit, Gates water pump, and Subaru approved coolant.
Gallery: Subaru Legacy Outback 30th Anniversary (JDM)
Customer Refuses to Pay
After completing the repairs, the mechanic called to let the woman know her car was fixed and ready. When he provided the total they had agreed upon, her response shocked him.
She flat out refused to pay.
The mechanic admits he made a critical error by putting up all the money up front for parts, thinking he could trust the family friend.
"Big no no. Never do that," he warns. He also reveals that the woman had said before he even started working on her car that she hates mechanics and technicians and doesn’t trust them, which he initially brushed off.
When the woman arrived with her daughter to pick up the car, the situation escalated dramatically.
"Her daughter's over here screaming, jumping out of the car, ‘You're gonna give me my car back. You're gonna give me my car. You guys are crooks. You're trying to take advantage of us because we're women,’" @thefleet22 describes.
The confrontation got so heated, they had to call the police, he says. Before officers arrived, he claims the daughter used a spare key to get in the car and drive off.
Judge Rules on Case
The mechanic and his father made a police report about the incident and eventually took the case to court, he says. Despite presenting their evidence, including the police report documenting that they had worked on the car, the judge ruled in the woman’s favor.
"The judge pretty much tells us to screw off. She doesn't have to pay you anything because he can't prove that we worked on the car," the mechanic says incredulously. "Even though there's a literal police report sitting in front of him."
The ruling resulted in approximately $1,700 in losses, he alleges.
"These extremely biased judges see us as backyard hacks, not looking at the thousands, tens of thousands of dollars that we invested in equipment, time, and training," he says.
Could a Mechanic's Lien Have Helped?
The mechanic's situation raises questions about what legal protections exist for auto repair professionals who don't get paid. According to Investopedia, a mechanic's lien is a legal guarantee of payment that ensures workers are paid before anyone else in the event of a liquidation. While commonly used in construction, these liens can extend to repairs as well.
However, mechanic's liens come with significant limitations that may explain the court ruling.
Investopedia notes they have strict filing deadlines that vary by jurisdiction, and some states require pre-lien notices served to property owners beforehand. Failure to comply can invalidate the lien regardless of whether the debt is valid.
Even when successfully filed, enforcing a mechanic's lien requires legal action that's time-consuming, complex, and expensive with no guarantee of success.
“It's hard to put a mechanic [lien] on a car that gets stolen from the shop. It's messed up that the judge sided with the lady,” one commenter cautioned.
Personal Loss Makes Situation Worse
The mechanic reveals a heartbreaking detail at the end of his video that puts the entire situation in perspective.
"My mom just left this Earth two days ago. Time I was spending working on her car, I could have been spending with my mother," @thefleet22 says.
While he acknowledges that's not the customer's fault, he emphasizes there's a bigger picture people don't see.
"Technicians aren't just robots. We're human with family and time constraints and stresses and failures. Humans that our dedication to our craft should be compensated for," he says.
Despite the backlash he expects, the mechanic says the video is staying up as a warning. "Even though I'm out of this money, I'll tell you this. God doesn't like ugly. This lady will see this again because I tried to do good and got done wrong," he says.
He offers several tips for other mechanics: always get payment for parts upfront, put absolutely everything in writing, keep vehicles in locked areas until payment is received, and stop trying to be a superhero for customers.
"The more you try to be a superhero as a freelance technician, the more people are gonna expect things from you to the point where they expect it for free," he warns.
Motor1 reached out to @thefleet22 for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We'll be sure to update this if he responds.
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