That's not even the half of it.
So this XSP-X was spec'd by my FIL. He wanted the smaller 4.6 v8, etc. So the dealership took a Tundra from the lot, and sent it to Jacksonville to where the TRD models are built, and they converted it over into the XSP-X he wanted. Interior upgrade, Exhaust upgrade, performance chip, skid plates, custom rims, BF Goodrich KO2 LT285/55R20's etc.
So, Grease Monkey pulls it over the pit, and the guy tells me there's aftermarket skid plates, etc. I said "no" and explained how the truck was ordered and built at the TRD plant. The guy says " I have an XSP and it's nothing like this." I explained that this is an XSP-X, a top-of-the-line model.
I went into the waiting room and was watching them through the window. They are finishing the oil change and it looks like they're having trouble with a skid plate or spacer. They put it up, take it down, etc. Then it hear the guy with an impact wrench and he is going to town on one of the bolts for like 10 seconds. Then again. I go out into the bay and ask the guy, " WHAT IN THE F--K ARE YOU DOING? IF IT'S NOT GOING, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG."
I still don't know what his problem was, and when I did the next oil change myself, I saw they had lost one of the aluminum spacers for the skid plates. Fortunately, my work has a machine shop and I was able to make a spacer to replace the missing one.
This exact thing is why having someone else work on my stuff scares the crap out of me. Plus, $160 for a filter and 8 quarts of 0W-20.
I see all but one of your viewpoints here.
It IS a crap shoot when others work on either your car, or any other of life's mechanized aspects. In my youth, I was blessed to have had a father and both grandfathers to teach me carpentry, plumbing, electrical systems, automotive maintenance/ light repairs, and other life skills.
This gave me resources to fall back on in later life as I had to fend for myself. My own Dad, and my own Maternal grandfather were formally educated beyond high school, and held down major-league white collar jobs, but had come up in the world using their hands and being self-sufficient. (I think the Depression and WW2 had a huge role in them having these skills).
You harp on how much Grease Monkey charged. Advice: Let it go. Consider the cost of the brick and mortar property, licensure, payroll, advertisement, liability insurance, worker's comp, and so on. It's an exercise in self evidentiary perspicuity that you or I can do for ourselves any number of things much more cheaply than hiring it done. This would include cooking for ourselves, among many others.
I have seen the results of incompetent work performed by dealers AND DIY'ers and independent garages, many times in the 6 decades I've been fixing cars. I'm currently rebuilding a 45RFE in a 2002 Ram 1500 4.7L where some "lesser-than" shop rebuilt it not so long ago. The workmanship errors in this transmission abound. This man, and MANY others couldn't do this repair themselves. So, am I gouging him to apply my lengthy and formal training and experience by charging him a healthy profit for doing this? Fortunately for him, I'm doing this whilst replacing the original engine, thus saving him on labor. I pull the trannies on engine jobs in 4-door crew cab designed trucks as part of my engine replacement. This allows me a greater ease of removing just the engine, and presents the opportunity to replace the front trans seal, and trans mount. When I pulled the trans pan and opened the filter, a goodly amount of the underdrive clutch and 3 valve body bolts resided therein!
I used carbon fiber enhanced clutch plates for longevity, installed a Transgo upgrade kit into the unit, among other improvements.
I can't do everything at my advanced age, so I HAD a shop where I sublet out some repairs. That guy sold his shop and retired. Many other of my network group have either died or quit/retired in recent years. When I down-sized to a 1 man operation 9 years ago, I went into the High School Auto program to teach the trade. That lasted only one year. Kids today seem to not be able to get their noses out of their cell phones, and seem not to value having trained skills.
Meanwhile, my old customers clamored at me to work on their cars. Why? You story about the idjit that boffed your simple oil change. This is a problem RIFE in the industry.
As a closing note, the moron who decided that the skid plate was aftermarket really telegraphed a condition known as "conclusion bias".
Since he hadn't seen this configuration, it couldn't possibly be factory! (According to him). There have been many commercial jet airliners crashed over the years due to conclusion bias. The death rate in those instances was exponentially higher that down here in our mortal world! Peace!
