A mechanic tried to charge me $8,000 for a “broken engine”—but what I took out of my purse made him beg me to rip up the bill.

Through the glass, I watched Kyle open the hood and connect a scanner, but he never started the engine or brought over any testing equipment.

Less than twenty minutes later, he returned carrying a clipboard.

“Well, Helen,” he said, walking me back to the car. “It’s bad news.”

“How bad?”

“The engine’s ruined.”

“Ruined?”

“Internal failure.”

“Which test showed continue reading …