Mechanic Says This Car Manufacturer Has an Engine Problem. Then He Shows Dozens of 'Bad' Engines

A mechanic shows his viewers dozens of ‘bad’ engines awaiting shipping. Can you guess what car manufacturer is responsible for these engines?

TikTok user Personal Mechanics (@personalmechanics) posted a video with his riddle late last week. The TikToker records the video in a shipping yard full of crates that he says all contain engines from the same manufacturer. Why are all the engines there? According to the TikToker, all the engines went “bad” and needed to be replaced. Now that they’re repaired, the engines are on their way back for installation.

“Tell me a car manufacturer has an engine problem without telling me a car manufacturer has an engine problem. I’ll go first,” says the TikToker.

What Car Manufacturer Built the Engines In Those Crates?

The TikToker behind Personal Mechanics shows stack after stack of crates. “These are all engines in these crates,” he says. “But wait, there’s more, stacked three high. Is that it? Not even close. These are all engines that are bad that have been replaced, waiting to go back.”

He ends the video with a challenge for his viewers. “But can you guess what manufacturer it is? Let me know in the comments below,” he says.

Viewers React to the Stacks of ‘Bad’ Engines

In the comments section, viewers made plenty of assumptions about the manufacturer behind the engines. Some guesses appear colored by personal experience.

“Remember, it’s always a fun day at Hyundai,” wrote one person.

A second person agreed. “Gotta be Kia or Hyundai,” they wrote.

“Nobody seeing this is thinking anything other than Hyundai or Kia,” argued a third viewer.

However, other eagle-eyed viewers spotted clues that revealed the answer. “Hyundai,” said one. “I saw the logo on one of the white boxes.” Someone else said, “I saw Mopar,” referring to a division of Stellantis, which is the parent company of brands like Chrysler and Jeep.

Who Guessed the Manufacturer Correctly?

Hyundai’s parent company owns Kia, and, unfortunately, both brands are known for engine-related recalls. Back in 2023, the companies ordered the owners of 3.3 million vehicles to keep them outside due to a fire risk.

Then, earlier this year, Kia recalled another 137,000 Seltos and Souls due to faulty piston oil rings that could—you guessed it—pose a fire risk. This summer, Hyundai and Kia revealed yet another recall, this time of 2025–2026 Tucson and Santa Fe models and K4 and Sorentos models in the U.S. The problem? More engine issues that could cause a fire.

For its part, Stellantis announced the recall of more than half a million diesel vehicles in Europe over the summer due to “premature” camshaft chain wear. Earlier in the year, it said it would fix an issue with its PureTech engines in nearly 70,000 cars manufactured in France.

Still, it remains unclear who guessed correctly, as Personal Mechanics liked comments with a variety of guesses, including one mentioning Toyota, a brand known for reliability.

Motor1 contacted Personal Mechanics via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.