WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Donnie Gough recently purchased this 2016 GMC Sierra, and while buying a new vehicle leaves you with an accomplished feeling, Gough found himself frustrated before he could even get the truck home."Well, the day I paid the money and drove off, I knew something was wrong with the pickup because it was running hot," Gough said.But that was just the beginning of his truck problems.AdvertisementAdvertisement"I found out there was no all in it. So that was the start of me paying on the truck. That was $80 for an oil change, and it took them 30, 40 minutes to get the old filter off because it's been on there for so long," Gough said.Gough would eventually end up shelling out more than $3,000 in repairs."I was driving around and the truck is bouncing around so bad like a bb in a glass jar. And I went to firestone. They put it up on the racks. All four shocks and struts were completely out. The brakes were squealing and they're on their way out. The front end alignment was out," Gough said.But the owner of Todd's Auto Repair, Ray Stephens, said there are ways to prevent this from happening to you.AdvertisementAdvertisement"You need to take it to a mechanic. They need to allow you to take it to any auto repair shop. Have them look it over good. Raise it up on the rack. Check underneath for excessive oil leaks. You need to test drive it. The mechanic does. Certified. Need to make sure the shift points. Make sure it's shifting. Good. Make sure it runs out good. You need to do a full inspection on it," Stephens said.Taking a little extra time that could save you big bucks in the long run.You can now stream KFDX and Texoma's FOX live 24/7 on your smart TV with KFDX+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite needed—watch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com.