Is my mechanic at fault?

broken clock spring is common with this repair on many other makes too

If he did it wrong, then he should own up to it

 

This.

They caused this issue. They should rectify the situation. Making you pay for their mistake is bad business.

 

and then find a new shop that won't bullshit you.

 

The part that disturbs me the most is that clock springs have been around since the introduction of steering wheel air bags. This is a common repair technique that is required on ALL vehicles with air bags. They can't say, "We don't work on that many Tacomas and weren't familiar with the exact procedure for that vehicle". This is basic fundamental procedure for working on any component that requires disconnecting the steering wheel from the steering box/rack. It should be one of the 1st thing a tech learns, right after learning which direction to turn bolts to remove them.

 

What everyone else is saying. I did my own without damage to my clock spring. I've attached the pdf of the TSB.

 

Pay the bill and go back two days later and say the small claims court needs his full name.

 

So, I've been on the phone with this guy for too damn long.. There is more BS spouting from his mouth than I've ever heard come from one source... He is standing strong that this is not something they are responsible for. He says that they tied off the wheel, and that it must have broke as a result of them taking the shaft out, but that it was inevitable, and therefore it's a subtle difference in them breaking a part due to carelessness, so therefore it's not their responsibility to pay for it.
I am moving tomorrow, and so they have to order the part now in order to fix it by tomorrow, as I'm not about to drive 6 hours with a nonworking airbag. He says that he'll cover labor, but not the part. I told him that I am not paying for the entire part, and he huffed and puffed and said he'll consider helping me out, but then it would be coming out of his pocket. WELL NO SH**! Otherwise it's all coming out of my pocket and I just paid him $400... but I didn't pay him that money to break more stuff. He is making no sense... and just spewing nonsense.

 

honestly, re-reading what I just wrote almost makes no sense... but if that's any sort of sign, it is exactly what he is saying to me...

 

fordy, your situation is almost 100% like mine was, except the intermediate steering shaft was just worn on mine and needed to be replaced.

Sure enough as soon as that was replaced, I had lost horn/cruise control/air bag. The place I went to swore to no end that they locked the wheel in place and would not budge an inch on owning up to it. They had the audacity to offer to fix what THEY broke for some absurd price of like $250-$300 for a $150ish part and what 10-15 minutes of labor? They wouldn't even meet half way on the cost. Lost my business and I have turned others away from their business ever since, which already cost them far more in lost potential profits than fixing their mistake ever would have. Doesn't make sense to me, but that's how bad businesses like to do things...

Bought an official clock spring on eBay, installed it myself in my driveway in 10-15 minutes without ever doing it before. It's not hard to fix, and it uses basic tools, just take your time with it.

I understand on principle you shouldn't even have to buy the new part (I was livid about that), but in a worst case scenario, at least it's easy to fix. It's a shame these shops can't own up to their mistakes and do the right thing. It would go a long way toward their reputation and bring in more customers. I really don't understand. The only reason I didn't push my case harder was because I didn't have 100% certainty that they broke it. I was 99% sure and that 1% doubt gave me pause. But it's an awfully huge coincidence that my clock spring broke immediately after the intermediate steering shaft got changed.

 

Sounds like a bad ending to a once good relationship. Shame on him for not living up to his responsibilities. I like the idea of threatening him with small claims court but if you’re moving that may not work. Good luck...

One time a Honda dealer was screwing me with crappy brakes they sold me and they wouldn’t own up to it. I sat in the customer waiting room for 90 minutes on a busy Friday and told every person (loudly) that walked in what crooks they were. They finally gave in...

 

Just pay the bill,get the truck back, go to small claims court and pick up the forum, take it to him and ask him to help you fill it out. Tell him, it’s not the money at this point it’s the principal.

 

Wow. I'm no mechanic (I just play one in my garage) and neither is the guy at your shop.

 

The funniest thing, I once recommended his shop to a friend. They fixed his truck, took it for a test drive, but failed to secure the hood properly... The hood swung up on the highway and sent spiderweb cracks all across the windshield. The shop claimed no responsibility on the premise that the hood latch was "rusty" so therefore it couldn't hold the hood shut. He took them to small claims, but barely broke even, and it was a lot of work on his end, so yeah, great idea, but I don't have the time or resources..

However I kept going back because they had never wronged me, and always did good work... guess I should have heeded the warning and quit while I was ahead.

 

Good news is it sounds like you are moving anyway, so you won't have to deal with this guy again after this

 

you're right, I am pretty excited to move. This whole situation certainly helps to cut ties...
With that said - anyone have any good mechanics they recommend in the Minneapolis, MN area?

 

It’s time to buy some tools and show up here on a regular basis.

 

That sucks man, hope it ends well on your end, what's the place called? Maybe I can leave bad reviews on google for you

 

yup, i'll leave a yelp and google review.

 

https://youtu.be/LQTfLacvRRU

 

Zip tie mod ftw