Beware of predatory price gouging from dealerships
Q: I recently went to a local Toyota dealership to have work done that required the wheels to be removed. I thought it would also be a good time to rotate them. I assumed (and inquired) that there would be no additional charge to do the rotation since the wheels were already off. However, I was later told that there would still be a charge. When I mentioned to them that the tires were also purchased there, they said that it didn’t matter. Is this a customary practice now or was that an example of gouging and taking advantage of the customer? — R.W., Coventry, Connecticut
A: I think this is an uncustomary and uncustomer friendly practice. It stinks. Somebody who is treated like this can’t be blamed for never coming back. If I were the service writer, no matter the rules of the dealership, I would have waived the charge. I would have also sweetened the deal by offering a free lollipop.
Q: My wife has difficulty seeing approaching cars on the driver’s side, especially when entering a highway. We are experimenting with those small stick-on mirrors. We tried a clip-on wide-angle mirror for the interior mirror, and all we could see were headrests. This made me think: If the wide-angle (objects are closer than they appear) passenger-side mirrors are helpful, why aren’t they on the driver’s side as well? Personally, I long for the days of fender-mounted mirrors, but those have gone the way of my natural teeth and dark hair.
— A.S., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
A: The left (driver’s side) mirror reflects an actual image. A convex mirror would show a distortion making it nearly impossible to judge the vicinity of another vehicle. That would be dangerous. Q: I have been noticing that a lot of cars have rear turn signals mounted very low at the outer corners of the bodywork. They are invisible in any crowded traffic conditions. This is true for both front and rear corners. Am I the only one who has noticed this? I have (jokingly) told my wife that perhaps Detroit is phasing out turn signals since no one uses them.
— J.K., Crest Hill, Illinois A: I have heard from several readers about the hiding turn signal lights. If you are stopped behind a vehicle like this at a red light, you can’t tell if they plan to turn when the light turns green. That’s one of the reasons I stop far enough from the vehicle in front of me so that I can see the tires touching the road. Turn signals should not play hide-and-seek.
Q: Can you overdo the car wash? I have a 2018 Nissan Rogue. Recently a new car wash opened close to my neighborhood. If you buy a membership for $25 you could come through the car wash as many times a month as you want. It was pollen season so there were times I was going every day. It got to be addictive, and I went every time there was a speck on my car. Now I’m starting to see things on my car that were not there before: marks and blemishes. How often can you wash your car without ruining the finish or paint?
— E.T., Virginia Beach, Virginia
A: There is no limit to the number of times a car can be washed, according to car wash professionals. Of course, it is important that car wash operators replace brushes and stuff regularly. Maybe the marks and blemishes were already there but hadn’t gotten the white glove treatment.
Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an Ase-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. He maintains this status by seeking certification every five years. Weber’s work appears in professional trade magazines and other consumer publications. Send questions along with name and town to motormouth. tribune@gmail.com.