Quantcast
Jump to content


Lugs came loose...


Recommended Posts

Customer came in on April 6th for oil change and tire rotation. Has driven 795 miles. Wheel came off vehicle while driving. Customer claims we're last ones to touch wheels and expresses concern about our work, logically. I've been here two years and this hasn't happened before. Tech who rotated tires is thorough. All six lugs are missing, wheel cap is missing, stud holes in rim are wollered.

 

I can't say why this happened but I have my doubts that the pickup could have driven nearly 800 miles and now has this happen...

 

Will probably have to eat this one but I've put a disclaimer in place regarding tire rotations and returning to our shop after 50 miles for re-torque and check. Any thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a tough situation to be in. Is it a repeat customer or first timer? Can you see any reason why the customer would lie about who the last person to work on the vehicle was?

 

If you're confident about your tech and see no reason to doubt the customer, I'd eat the repair and offer next 2 oil changes free. If you sell BG product, I'd throw in a road side card with the services too for their peace of mind. You could also tell them you've changed shop policy and now require all wheels to be torqued with a torque wrench or torque stick. All this to earn their trust back and show them how much you appreciate their business.

 

However, if you're suspicious of the customer, I'd probably eat the repair and that's it. No additional recommendations, no freebies, just fix it, double check all 4 wheels with a torque wrench, apologize, thanks for the opportunity to make it right, and be glad it's just a wheel you have to replace and not ending up in court.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's what I'm planning on doing. I know the customer and he's not lying to me about it happening and doesn't have any knowledge of anyone else touching his wheels. I have no reason to doubt him but our opinion is that if it left our shop loose it would have worked free well before 800 miles were driven. I have heard of extreme cases where build up corrosion on the wheel can create a false sense of the wheel being snug but wouldn't that same corrosion/buildup have already been there and the same thing have happened? This is a bad break for my shop and team but we'll work through it and hopefully not have it happen again.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've experienced this a couple times but never one coming all the way off. From my experiences, the main culprit causing one to come loose is corrosion between the wheel and rotor/drum. Ford alloy wheels seem to be the worst. Obviously if it was left loose that's another discussion. If you left it loose they would have heard a knocking like sound as the drove away. Even with small jobs like tire installation the vehicle get a minimum of a 5 mile test drive!

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

its 98% that the tech left them loose.

 

how come no other wheel lugs are loose due to corrosion, aluminum wheels etc?

 

You need to watch your techs when they do this to find out the issue. We too had this happened and i watched the same tech do the next one, now he didnt leave that one loose too but what this guy did was he placed a wheel on the car then just spun the lug nuts on by hand. Then he went to the next wheel and did the same thing and on to the next. So, most likely our guy got distracted and left one of those not tightened thinking he had already tightened that one. Customer drives and they start to loosen.

 

Now we watch them randomly to ensure they dont do this, we actually have a policy that states that you tighten the wheel before going on to the next wheel, he just forgot or just didnt want to do it that way.

 

anyway, good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our process pre-wheel falling off was twice with the stick then test drive. Now we're double-checking with torque wrench after the stick and I've put a statement on invoices to return in 50 miles to have them checked again. This truck isn't washed often, or at all, and I also believe that corrosion caused this to work loose. The other three wheels were at spec and tight when it came back. Luckily, the customer was very understanding and we took care of him.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

We had one come off a Ford Explorer after 700 miles. I torqued them with a torque wrench. I think there might have been an issue with the wheel lug nut seat was screwed up after 200k miles who knows, what I do know it cost me a wheel bearing assy, 6 lug nuts, and one new wheel. Plus I got threatened with a chargeback and a couple lawsuits even though we did the comeback repair for free and there was no injuries or property damage (except the wheel and studs which we covered).

 

Wheel offs are my nightmare. I tell everybody "you need to check the lug nuts after 25 miles we do it free" and it's on the repair orders but nobody checks them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

A couple things to note here

 

One, factory or aftermarket wheels? Remember that many aftermarket wheels use nut/bolt mating patterns that differ from factory so whenever there is a non stock wheel on the car always check. Offer to sell the customer the correct ones if they are wrong and if they decline make sure its noted on the RO.

 

Two - There are a lot of comments here on corrosion. This is a super common problem especial here in the northeast where the roads are salted. If we have any trouble at all getting a wheel off, the hub and wheel are cleaned and coated. The wheel should slide on and fully seat with NO EFFORT. If the nuts/bolts are pulling the wheel in when remounting a wheel then something is wrong and it must be corrected.

p.s. - don't forget to charge for it.

 

Three - electric impacts, unreliable, use a wrench. We usually just use the air, not the best method but the only time I've run into an issue is if someone relied on the electric impact or didn't clean the wheel.

 

 

Joe's method is the best and most thorough. I wish I had quality control like that. Maybe some day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It happens. I'm fanatic about records so yes I have file on this. In the last 11 years we have had 20 instances of loose wheels. Sounds like a lot but we are talking 15 to 20k wheels off and on a year so the % is really low. Anyway, of those 20, 5 actually resulted in a wheel coming off. The rest were all just loose. The miles from service to problem was 20 to 7002 miles with the average being 1616 miles. Only 8 were under 500 miles and only 3 were under 100 miles. 4 were over 3000k miles. We hand torque every wheel and the guys are pretty good about cleaning the corrosion on the mating surfaces. There is no doubt that the 8 under 500 miles were probably our fault. From 500 to 1000 miles it starts to get questionable and I really don't consider those 4 over 3000 miles our fault. However, if the customer believes it was our fault it's best to just handle it and apologize. Non of the wheel off instances resulted in an accident, just some body damage. Over half the time no repairs are necessary. The other half we might have to change some studs or buy a used wheel. Again, it happens. Don't beat yourself up about it.

Edited by tyrguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
  • Similar Topics

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      Recorded Live at MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems) 2024 Training Event & Trade Show, Adam Kimmel discusses the refrigerant and thermal management industry. He highlights the significance of air conditioning technology in vehicles, the essential use of fluorine in refrigerants, and the evolution of refrigerants for environmental safety. Adam Kimmel, Koura, [email protected] Show Notes
      The importance of air conditioning (00:00:01) Discussing the significance of air conditioning in vehicles and homes and the commitment of industry professionals. Understanding fluorine in refrigerants (00:01:53) Evolution of refrigerants (00:05:16) Future challenges and developments (00:10:19) Regulations and alternatives (00:14:18) Safety and handling precautions (00:16:10) Engineer training and transparency (00:17:11) Understanding refrigerant nomenclature (00:19:47) Efficiency and GWP (00:25:38) Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2024. Mark your calendar now … November 5th-7th, 2024. AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at http://AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections            
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By carmcapriotto
      This week on the ARM Podcast Brian talks about why stock website content doesn’t work. In this episode you’ll learn what he means by stock content, why it doesn’t work, whether or not it hurts you to have stock content on your website, and how to tell if you have it on your website.
      Thank you to RepairPal for sponsoring The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Learn more about RepairPal at https://repairpal.com/shops
      Show Notes with Timestamps
      What is stock content? Stock content is duplicate content Stock content is generic content Does stock content help? How do you know if your website has stock content?  
      How To Get In Touch
       
      Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
      Website - shopmarketingpros.com 
      Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros 
      Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
      Instagram - @shopmarketingpros 
      Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By tyrguy
      Hey all,
      Retired 5+ years ago and spend half my time down here in Florida. Haven't been on the forum in a few years. When I am up home in Ohio the tire dealer that bought my business and  rents my building from me takes good care of all my vehicle service needs. My Mini needs a few things and I'd like to hook up with someone from this forum close to me down here.
      Belt is squealing so probably needs a new belt, tensioner and idler pulley. Also need a new right side window motor.
      Anybody close to Fort Myers Beach?
      Mark Defer 330-603-5127


  • Our Sponsors










×
×
  • Create New...