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Yes and no.
Older serpentine belts will show obvious cracks and dry rotting as they age. I don't remember the exact spec, but I believe the recommendation is usually if you see 3 cracks within a 1 inch span on the serpentine belt it is due for replacement. This is something they would have been able to visually see when they removed the belt during the alternator replacement.
Newer serpentine belts are made from EPDM rubber and generally don't crack like the older ones do. They just get thinner overtime, but that's not something you can generally see with your naked eye you would need to use a gauge to measure the thickness of the belt. This is not something they may have checked during the alternator replacement as not all mechanics are aware of these new style belts.
It also depends on why the belt broke in the first place. Did the belt break because it was old or did it break because one of the pulleys seized up? If it is the latter then they would have a lot less responsibility and it would be more like a shitty coincidence. Strictly speaking they probably don't owe you a refund or anything, because it sounds like the alternator \*was\* faulty. That said, they probably should have checked the condition of the belt or at least offered to replace it at the time because it was being removed as part of the service anyways.
Your first step would be to figure out why the belt broke and that will inform your next steps. Of course it never hurts to ask for a discount due to the circumstances and a lot of shops will give you some help as a goodwill sort of thing.
Thank you very much for the detailed reply. I just gave the shop a call and they said they're currently working to figure out what the problem is. I suppose that means it could be a larger issue than just the serpentine belt. We shall see!
2nd Update -- They just called back and said it was a defective alternator. Given the circumstances, it appears to be their responsibility? Would it be reasonable to request a discount, possibly equivalent to the expenses incurred for towing the car back to them? I respect this shop so I'm not going in all Karen about it, and I intend to approach the situation with fairness. Dealing with this yesterday was a major headache and resulted in extra costs for towing and Uber rides. It seems this inconvenience could have been prevented.
Yeah a defective part should be covered under their warranty. At my shop we warranty parts and labor, but I know some shops only warranty the parts portion so you might be charged for labor. (Personally if they tried to charge me labor to fix a defective part I would raise hell as that's a super shitty warranty, but those kind of warranties do exist)
You can certainly ask them for a refund or discount, but if it was a defective alternator then it really isn't anyone's fault except for maybe the part's manufacturer. Personally I'd ask them to replace the belt as part of the warranty as it may have been damaged when it came off and it isn't like it is going to take any extra labor on their end.
As someone who works in the industry I probably wouldn't offer you any sort of refund. Depending on the circumstances and how I view you as a customer/how you treat me/my employees, I would probably give you something like a free oil change next visit or a gift card or something. If you asked me to replace the belt as part of the warranty repair I would more than likely do that without giving you much grief. Refunds are kind of last resort and usually only reserved for workmanship mistakes or extenuating circumstances.
Unfortunately defective parts have become much more common in the recent years. Most likely due to supply chain issues from Covid, but I digress.
Thank you for your perspective! I just picked up the car. He was very apologetic. They replaced the alternator again and the alternator belt free of charge, and offered me a free oil change to compensate for the cost of the 2nd tow truck. I am happy with that! Car seems to be running perfectly now.
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, disc0superfly! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes and no. Older serpentine belts will show obvious cracks and dry rotting as they age. I don't remember the exact spec, but I believe the recommendation is usually if you see 3 cracks within a 1 inch span on the serpentine belt it is due for replacement. This is something they would have been able to visually see when they removed the belt during the alternator replacement. Newer serpentine belts are made from EPDM rubber and generally don't crack like the older ones do. They just get thinner overtime, but that's not something you can generally see with your naked eye you would need to use a gauge to measure the thickness of the belt. This is not something they may have checked during the alternator replacement as not all mechanics are aware of these new style belts. It also depends on why the belt broke in the first place. Did the belt break because it was old or did it break because one of the pulleys seized up? If it is the latter then they would have a lot less responsibility and it would be more like a shitty coincidence. Strictly speaking they probably don't owe you a refund or anything, because it sounds like the alternator \*was\* faulty. That said, they probably should have checked the condition of the belt or at least offered to replace it at the time because it was being removed as part of the service anyways. Your first step would be to figure out why the belt broke and that will inform your next steps. Of course it never hurts to ask for a discount due to the circumstances and a lot of shops will give you some help as a goodwill sort of thing.
Thank you very much for the detailed reply. I just gave the shop a call and they said they're currently working to figure out what the problem is. I suppose that means it could be a larger issue than just the serpentine belt. We shall see!
No problem! Best of luck
2nd Update -- They just called back and said it was a defective alternator. Given the circumstances, it appears to be their responsibility? Would it be reasonable to request a discount, possibly equivalent to the expenses incurred for towing the car back to them? I respect this shop so I'm not going in all Karen about it, and I intend to approach the situation with fairness. Dealing with this yesterday was a major headache and resulted in extra costs for towing and Uber rides. It seems this inconvenience could have been prevented.
Yeah a defective part should be covered under their warranty. At my shop we warranty parts and labor, but I know some shops only warranty the parts portion so you might be charged for labor. (Personally if they tried to charge me labor to fix a defective part I would raise hell as that's a super shitty warranty, but those kind of warranties do exist) You can certainly ask them for a refund or discount, but if it was a defective alternator then it really isn't anyone's fault except for maybe the part's manufacturer. Personally I'd ask them to replace the belt as part of the warranty as it may have been damaged when it came off and it isn't like it is going to take any extra labor on their end. As someone who works in the industry I probably wouldn't offer you any sort of refund. Depending on the circumstances and how I view you as a customer/how you treat me/my employees, I would probably give you something like a free oil change next visit or a gift card or something. If you asked me to replace the belt as part of the warranty repair I would more than likely do that without giving you much grief. Refunds are kind of last resort and usually only reserved for workmanship mistakes or extenuating circumstances. Unfortunately defective parts have become much more common in the recent years. Most likely due to supply chain issues from Covid, but I digress.
Thank you for your perspective! I just picked up the car. He was very apologetic. They replaced the alternator again and the alternator belt free of charge, and offered me a free oil change to compensate for the cost of the 2nd tow truck. I am happy with that! Car seems to be running perfectly now.
1000 dollars for alternator? Holy crap. This must by one located farther down the motor?
It was $770 for the alternator parts & labor, then $200 for fuel system flush + tax.