Mechanics Share The Strangest Car Problems They’ve Ever Encountered

When checking the wheel wells of a customer’s car, this mechanic couldn’t believe their eyes. That’s a tiny four-leaf clover, right? How on Earth did that get there? It must’ve been deceptively strong to survive the journey to the shop. Anyway, we hope it wasn’t disturbed. Think of all that luck that’d be wasted!

How about this for a truly crazy story? Nothing seemed untoward to begin with. A driver simply visited a mechanic when his car refused to start. So, the latter understandably decided to check the engine. But after doing some digging under the hood, they were greeted by a large group of rats. We think we might know what the problem was...

Did someone take a blowtorch to this car’s interior? What could possibly have caused those scorched lines to appear? Three words: Rain, sunroof, and shrink-wrap. Apparently, the owner’s vehicle accumulated a lot of rainwater on the shrink-wrap-covered sunroof. Then, once the sun came out, it basically turned the wet sunroof into a magnifying glass. Ouch.

Have you ever had trouble describing a problem with your car to a mechanic? Well, the next time you’re at a loss for words, you could follow this person’s lead. Movie references really do go a long way! We can only hope that the technician had actually seen Finding Nemo; otherwise, they'd still have no idea what the customer was talking about.

Now, you don’t have to be an automobile expert to see what the issue is here. Temperature gauges aren’t meant to do that! The driver managed to find a funny side to it, though, when taking their car into a shop. As their mechanic noted on Reddit, “[The] gauge is reading full tank.” If only it really worked that way...

What’s the last thing you’d expect to find under the hood of a car? How about a bird’s nest? That’s exactly what this stunned mechanic had to deal with when a vehicle came into their shop. We’re not even sure how this could’ve happened. We hope the mama bird got her eggs back!

Taking to Reddit, a mechanic looked back on a particularly strange day at their shop. “They told me someone was dropping off their BBQ for me to do brakes and bearings on. I thought they were joking. They were not.” A barbecue on wheels? What a world we live in.

No, that’s not the inside of a trash can. Well, it isn’t supposed to be, anyway. This driver somehow managed to turn their car into something resembling a dumpster, and it looked absolutely horrendous. Unsurprisingly, when it was taken to a shop, the mechanics couldn’t believe their eyes. What a mess.

It goes without saying that tires are an essential part of a car. Yet one mechanic was left utterly flabbergasted when this vehicle was driven to their shop. Nope, they didn’t take the tire off outside — that’s how it arrived. We guess that explains the trailing scrapes on the pavement, then!

Our heart always skips a beat once a light starts flashing on the dashboard. It usually isn’t good news. So, we’d probably have a full-blown panic attack sitting in this car! The display was lit up like an ominous Christmas tree when the driver took it to a mechanic. Where did the mechanic even begin?!

If you’re struggling to read the note on that car window, we’ll repeat it here, because everyone needs to see this: “Customer says the car vibrates at 130 mph.” We could maybe understand their concerns if the same thing was happening at 30 mph. But 130 mph? No wonder it shakes — we're shaking just thinking about it!

When a woman brought her car to a shop, she outlined a couple of issues. Firstly, one of the rear lights was apparently on the fritz. And secondly, the back-half of the vehicle was making a jangling sound. As it turned out, those problems were related. Incredibly, the repairmen spotted numerous loose light bulbs in the lamp itself, as she attempted to fix it beforehand. They subsequently got stuck.

This is a shocker. A mechanic wrote on Reddit, “[A] customer was wondering why when he started his car this morning, it sounded different. He didn’t understand it when I told him he’d been robbed.” Yep, someone nabbed the guy’s resonator. And according to the mechanic, the culprit was actually going for the catalytic converter and took the wrong thing!

Trust us, folks — the nasty, gloopy substance oozing out of this vehicle is in fact oil. The owner claimed that they last replaced it a “few months” ago. Hmm. Swap “months” with “years” and we’d probably have a better understanding of why it looks like that. And don’t even get us started on the grubby state of the tank.

We're curious to know how thick the windows can be for security vehicles. Well, this mechanic got a real close look when a Chevy Tahoe pulled up at their shop. Each pane of glass was bulletproof and measured an inch in width. Talk about chunky. You wouldn’t want to get your fingers caught!

It’s never a good idea to leave garbage lying around. Before you know it, an army of creepy-crawlies will be everywhere. The driver here found that out the hard way! When they took their messy car to a mechanic, insects were crawling around all over the place. We don’t envy the poor soul who had to clean this up!

When a vehicle owner had problems controlling one of their front windows, they eventually visited a mechanic. Makes sense, right? Mind you, it might’ve been wise to check everything ahead of making the trip. As you can see here, the solution to their problem was pretty much sitting under their nose. Oops.

The older tires get, the less reliable they become. So, this mechanic was in for a shock when he came across a vehicle’s geriatric wheels. Yes, that does indeed say “Made in U.S.S.R.” In case you’re not up on your history, the Soviet Union was dissolved back in 1991. That makes the tire here over 30 years old, at least!

If mechanics see rusty car parts in their nightmares, then this would’ve felt like a horrible waking dream for the workers at the shop. Yep, that’s a fuel pump — or what’s left of one anyway. To say that the team had a lot of work on their hands here would be a huge understatement.

Secure your jaws, folks — otherwise they’ll probably smash through the floor at this photo! As a mechanic recalled on Imgur, a motorist brought their car to them because a “flapping” sound was emanating from the left-hand side. What could be causing it? Oh, right. Maybe it’s the flag back there? Just a thought...

What a day this must’ve been! When a mechanic was preparing to examine a car in their shop, they popped the bonnet open as per usual. But then, they spotted something very strange. Somehow, a possum crawled under the hood and created a nest next to the engine. We hope he found a safe new home!

After realizing that there was an issue with their vehicle’s suspension, a driver went to see a technician to fix it. The latter confirmed the problem, putting it down to old age. But still, something tells us that all those cases of soda in the trunk didn’t help, either. Seriously, we can see at least 13 12-packs in there. That’s pretty heavy!

While we’ve seen rust on cars before, this is something else entirely. It's almost unrecognizable as metal! The mechanic’s jaw must’ve hit the floor when they took a closer look under this vehicle. That brown mess is actually the control arm, and it seemed to be on the verge of falling apart. Unbelievable, right?

Yes, we know — that’s one cute pooch there! Yet the mechanic tending to the car didn’t share that opinion at first. As they wrote on Reddit, “[The] customer failed to mention the fact that his dog was in the vehicle. [It] scared the [heck] outta me.” Oh, dear. We feel their pain!

Some drivers prefer to be elevated on the road, as it gives them a better vantage point. Surely there’s a limit, though, right? Well, this motorist from New Zealand didn’t think so. Mechanics were left dumbfounded as the jacked-up pickup truck pulled in. You’d need a stepladder to get inside!

A little bit of customization can really add character to your vehicle. Then again, if you go overboard, mechanics have to face weird situations like this one when working on your car. A fluffy pink steering wheel? We hope it doesn’t shed! The shifter hasn’t been spared, either. What next? The pedals?

We imagine that the technicians at this shop couldn’t stop rubbing their eyes when this beast arrived. Just look at the tires! They’re so tiny compared to the hulking body. Apparently, the driver picked them up off eBay after being assured they’d suit the vehicle. Newsflash — they didn’t. What a bizarre situation.

Ferraris are undoubtedly stunning cars, but they’re not perfect. An unfortunate mechanic found that out the hard way while working on one. To access the motor’s battery, the mechanic needed to remove the entire front wheel on the right-hand side! Talk about a head-scratching design.

Did you hear that sound in the distance? It’s the horrified scream of the mechanic who stumbled across this disaster, and it just gets worse. The driver also informed the mechanic that “I don’t believe in oil changes.” How in the world was this car even running anymore? It’s a small miracle.

As you can probably tell, one of these things is not like the others, though it apparently served the same purpose, much to this mechanic’s shock. The mechanic informed Reddit, “That screwdriver was the key supplied to us by a customer for an early ’80s Chevy G-van. They were in here for a brake concern. Yikes.”

We’re all for innovative ideas, but this is just asking for trouble! A mechanic was dumbstruck when he spotted this DIY phone holder on a steering wheel. Imagine if the airbag went off? Sheesh. They eventually confronted the owner with their concerns, and he agreed that it should go. Crisis averted!

Who says paperwork has to be boring? One mechanic decided to let loose after a driver bemoaned their “herky-jerky” steering. The guy went all in, noting that the “herk” and “jerk” required some adjustment. Once they were done, they declared that the vehicle was “nimbly-bimbly.” We think that’s an improvement? The motorist has it for their records at least!

Here’s something to remember for the future: if your tires become completely reflective when wet, you need to change them. Like, immediately. But this driver wouldn’t budge, even after speaking to mechanics. Unsurprisingly, the workers were mortified by the sheer lack of tread on the wheels. “She had to sign a waiver before releasing the car,” one of them told Reddit.

Sometimes, a picture can say a thousand words. This time, though? We’re struggling to think of some nice ones! Yes, a motorist took their vehicle to a repair shop since “no heat” was coming from the heater. They were correct in their assessment...because the dial on the right wasn’t pushed up. Oh. You don’t need a mechanic for that.

It’s always a good idea to let mechanics know ahead of time if there’s something in particular to watch out for. Mind you, we get the feeling that the technician here had never seen anything like this before. It’s wild! And more than a little scary. Get that pedal fixed, pronto.

Unfortunately, “curiosity killed the cat” is a very apt saying, as these animals are incredibly inquisitive. This kitten here was no different, crawling under the hood of someone's vehicle at a repair shop. Thankfully, a mechanic spotted the feline before disaster struck and pulled them out of harm’s way. What a hero!

Nope, that’s not an optical illusion. Shockingly, it’s the real deal. We wouldn’t have blamed the mechanic if they dove for cover when the driver brought this in. That tire must’ve been on the verge of bursting into a million pieces. How did it survive the trip to the garage?!

This group of mechanics were completely blindsided when this truck was brought in. You see, the owner didn’t inform them of the terrifying hornet’s nest hanging in the back. It was huge! One of the workers told Reddit, “I’ve got a tech that’s allergic and these were bald-faced hornets which are super aggressive. [We] had to call pros.” Thankfully, the driver covered the cost of pest control.

Did this mechanic just discover the long-buried bones of a dinosaur in someone's car? Should we call the news or something?! Oops — put the phone down, because according to the mechanic, these bones are actually a painting. Even so, it's still a cool discovery!

The mechanic here got far more than he or she bargained for while working a shift at a rental car business. You see, the local authorities came by to return one of the rental vehicles, and it was in quite a state. Yes folks, you’re indeed looking at a bunch of bullet holes. Good luck fixing that baby up!