Quote:
Originally Posted by LTDSC
my knowledge from at least the dealer i was at is if its deemed unsafe to drive, they never would have let you physically drive it off their lot. It would have had to been towed. Id check over everything and chalk it up as them trying to sell you something when not needed. Or they want to assume all liability if you happen to wreck because they let you leave with a noted "unsafe" vehicle which i highly doubt.
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This is something I used to believe, but the reality is there isn't a very strict regulation of it. Also in California I don't know of any laws that we can really put to a customer, I know in some states they can hold the car if the vehicle is unsafe and the customer is trying to drive it home or out of the shop.
We've had various instances at my dealership that make me cringe... from a '07 Camry coming in with 4 tires worn about -1~2/32" and all they wanted was an oil change and they drove off on ticking time bombs. To a vehicle with 2 out of 5 lugstuds on one wheel 3 on another, and a massively messed up suspension, again in just for an oil change only.
We could call the police or highway patrol on the customer an have them issue a citation, but that tends to be counter-productive obviously and is about as much as we can do.
If I had my way, customer comes in with a car that's unsafe to drive... they can either Tow, Push it, Drag it to where ever they want the repair done, but they ain't driving it on the road from my shop and getting an excuse to sue me or damage my reputation.
As for the OP, they could be referring to the cams, cam tabs, bolts, balljoint (I believe its not removable on a factory set-up like many others, may account for the reason it needs to be replaced,) and/or bushings being torn up as their qualifications for "unsafe." If the tabs were bent/broken off or the cam's misshapen it could cause the alignment to become erratic given enough of a shock to the suspension.
More than likely they were trying to scare you into a repair, I make it very clear to my service writers and customers when I get the opportunity when I say their vehicle is "unsafe and I recommend you don't drive it if possible" and "you're vehicle is unsafe and I cannot in good conscience let you drive this vehicle;" the latter basically a toothless statement as evidenced by the first part of my post. But I am trying to impart to the customer the difference between a repair that "you should take care of now, but if you really need to, drive carefully" and "your car done broked, duct tape ain't fixin' it this time."