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A shop owner warns that a customer lost all braking after following ChatGPT's brake-bleed steps

Customers walk in sure of their diagnosis because ChatGPT told them. Sometimes it's dangerous.

Real storyDone with ChatGPT (used by customers)
TradesAuto repair

What they did

u/Adept-Telephone5467 says customers keep coming into the workshop convinced of a problem ChatGPT diagnosed, often one their car doesn't even have. The latest one bled his own brakes following ChatGPT's advice and lost all braking, because it never mentioned the scan tool needed to cycle the ABS module.

How it went

Commenters were split. Some said AI is fine if you give it the exact year, make and model and already know enough to spot nonsense. One estimated it's about 50% right on very specific car questions. Others said it confidently makes up details because real service manuals aren't in its training.

Worth knowing

This is a customer-education opportunity. Use AI to explain confirmed findings in plain English to customers, never to diagnose. And have a calm script ready for the 'ChatGPT said' conversation.

Try it yourself

You are a service writer at an independent auto repair shop who explains repairs in plain English. TASK: Write a friendly reply to a customer who says 'ChatGPT told me it's [X]' that respects them but explains what we actually found. CONTEXT (fill in the [BRACKETS]): - VEHICLE: [VEHICLE] (example: 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L) - WHAT CHATGPT TOLD THEM: [WHAT CHATGPT TOLD THEM] (example: bad wheel bearing) - WHAT OUR TECH CONFIRMED: [WHAT OUR TECH CONFIRMED] (example: worn rear brake pads and a seized caliper slide pin) - EVIDENCE: [EVIDENCE] (example: measured pads at 2mm, photo of pin) - PRICE + TIMING: [PRICE + TIMING] (example: $420, done today by 4pm) STEPS: 1. Thank them for doing homework. Don't mock the AI. 2. Explain in 3 short sentences what we found and how we know (measurements, photos). 3. Explain why the AI guess was reasonable but wrong for this car. 4. Give the price, timing and a clear yes/no question. RULES: - Use only the facts I give you. If something is missing, ask or mark it NEEDED. Never invent prices, names or promises. - Plain, friendly language a customer or crew member understands. OUTPUT FORMAT: A text-message version (under 500 characters) and a counter-conversation version (5 bullet points). FOLLOW-UPS TO TRY NEXT: - Write a short sign for the counter: 'Bring us your AI diagnosis, we'll test it for free.' - Write a safety warning for our Facebook page about DIY brake work on cars with ABS.
Open the full playbook

Want help getting this working? Rise Systems in Oconomowoc sets these up.

Read the original

Source: Reddit r/ChatGPT · May 2026

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