Two days ago, my sister's car (2007 Chevy Impala) turning was getting difficult. Since she goes to college in another state, i wasn't able to look into it. She took it to a shop and they said the car needed a power steering pump.
The shop put a new pump in and now the car whines and even drives worse. Now they are saying that it needs a new rack and pinion. My sister already paid 500 for the pump and now they want 900 for the rack and pinion.
She FaceTimed me and the shop didn't even put the cap on the reservoir for the power steering, I called the shop and they said that there was so much pressure it must have popped off. So I'm guessing these guys are trying to just get as much money out of her as they can and not fix the problem?
Am I correct in thinking this?
Also during Thanksgiving, I did a whole front-end suspension rebuild for her. This included ball joints, tie rods (inner and outer), wheel bearings, lower control arm, and sway bar. I got it aligned at a shop that has the machine and I saw everything was in spec. I drove it for a day and noticed no problems. so if the rack and pinion were bent you think I would have noticed it? She drove it back to college and the next day she started having the steering difficulty. I did make sure that she didn't hit anything on the way back and she promised she didn't. I have no idea what to do and am tempted just to drive the 8 hours to check the car out, cause it sounds like to me she is getting scammed.
What do yall think?
Thank you in advance.
they are saying that it needs a new rack and pinion.
it's possible. I can't tell from here
d they said that there was so much pressure it must have popped off
this part is baloney. They lost the cap, and just based on that I would not go back.
I'm guessing these guys are trying to just get as much money out of her as they can and not fix the problem?
well they didn't do any diagnosis . That much is clear. She went to the wrong shop. Was it a chain?
it sounds like to me she is getting scammed.
What do yall think?
Maybe . Or maybe they're just incompetent. Either way, stay away.
Whoa. There are so many variables.
Either the mechanics are incompetent or trying to pull one over on her. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled one over on her.
I once took my car to the dealer/mechanic, to figure out what the problem was, since my radiator fan was continually blowing. I already knew it was the thermostat, but the service advisor said to replace the fan. I questioned them, and they said that’s what it said on the flow chart. But I knew they were lying.
Anyway, back to your car. Since suspension work was just done, I would look there first. It could very well be that the rack and pinion went out. Or it could be that something in the suspension eventually affected the steering.
If you have the time, it might be worth driving the 8 hours. It really is hard to diagnose something without seeing it, even though we do the best we can here on the forum with the information we are given to guide folks in the right direction.
While it would not surprise me to find that car needed a new rack (it's a 17-year-old Impala!) the circumstances seem suspicious. She should get a second opinion from another shop.
