Why am I paying for broken bolts during a car repair?
Repair shops and dealerships often break rusted or seized parts during standard service, yet charge vehicle owners to extract or replace them. This leaves customers footing the bill for damage that wasn't there when they dropped off the car, while shops refuse to absorb the labor required to handle stubborn factory components.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 12 people.
- This comes up 42.0× more often in r/autorepair than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Negotiating with the dealership to split the costDid this help you?
- 2Asking the shop to remove the part and send it to a machine shop to redrill and rethreadDid this help you?
- 3Paying out of pocket for consequential parts not covered by third-party service contractsDid this help you?
- 4driving at slow speeds to a mechanicDid this help you?
- 5using a jack and wrenches to replace the bolt and line up the shockDid this help you?
- 6retapping the threadsDid this help you?
- 7using a vise grip on the brake hose to block flowDid this help you?
- 8exchanging the defective part for a replacementDid this help you?
- 9Cleaning off old sealant with a wire brush or wheel to check the bolt structureDid this help you?
- 10Assuming the bolts are fine and reusing themDid this help you?
- 11Purchasing a full set of new replacement boltsDid this help you?
- 12Tightening bolts by feel or 'gudentite' using a small ratchet instead of a torque wrenchDid this help you?
- 13Torquing to a much lower inch-pound setting (e.g., 70 in-lbs)Did this help you?
- 14Using washers or checking for bottoming out due to aftermarket pan thicknessDid this help you?
- 15Looking for a replacement partDid this help you?
- 16drill and use an easy outDid this help you?
- 17take it to a shop with a spot welder trickDid this help you?
- 18taking the car to a specialist for welding and rust repairDid this help you?
- 19dropping the subframe to access the broken boltDid this help you?
- 20considering sending the car to a junkyard because repair costs might exceed the car's valueDid this help you?
- 21Sealing the part with RTV sealant and testing it for leaks to see if it holds without all the bolts.Did this help you?
- 22Applying penetrating oil and letting it sit overnightDid this help you?
- 23Using heatDid this help you?
- 24Using a larger wrench or breaker barDid this help you?
- 25Replacing the wheel bearing that comes with new studsDid this help you?
- 26Using a hammer and smaller chisel to pop the nut offDid this help you?
- 27Towing the vehicle using AAADid this help you?
- 28Asking independent or used tire shops to remove or torch the nut offDid this help you?
- 29Drill out the broken boltDid this help you?
- 30Tap the hole or tap it largerDid this help you?
- 31Use a helicoil insertDid this help you?
- 32Use an extractor kit to remove the broken pieceDid this help you?
- 33driving the vehicle and monitoring for leaksDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“the manufacturer knows of an existing problem with bolts seizing and breaking off in the manifold and hasn’t fixed the problem?”source ↗
“The rusty exhaust crossunder pipe that has to come out to do the job? Not covered, and don't expect the tech to spend his own time trying to save a rusty exhaust pipe.”source ↗
“It wasn't broke when it came to the shop, they broke it, they should return it to the state in which it was received.”source ↗
“Hanging from under my car near the rear drivers side tire. There’s a quiet rattling sound as I drive coming from the back of the car, and sometimes when I’ve gone over speed bumps there’s a loud metal clanging”source ↗
“I can't afford to bring it in, I dont know anyone with welding, and um yeah.”source ↗
“So I just replaced my transmission pan and two of the bolts snapped inside, I’ve already sealed it and plan on just filling it and seeing if it leaks or not.”source ↗
“Has anyone replaced a caliper to find the Banjo Bolt doesn't quite get completely tight on the replacement?”source ↗
“the bolt just seems to keep spinning.”source ↗
“Finding a Caliper locally is going to be difficult”source ↗
“you might got a defective part.”source ↗
“I thought I would try replacing the struts on my 2010 Mazda 3; the nuts at the top mounts were easy to remove, but I can't unscrew the bolt at the control arm, so I am trying to figure out what my options are.”source ↗
“I DIDNT DO IT!! 😔”source ↗
“So i tried to replace the battery and I accidentally broke off the bolt on the support that goes in the frame. What can i do?”source ↗
“The three on the right dont have the round tip that the others do. Just used a 1/4 10mm ratchet to take them out. Will I be good using these again?”source ↗
“While putting it back together the first bolt snapped with my digital torque wrench set to 10lb.”source ↗
“I set it to 118 to be a bit more conservative, it kept turning and I kept saying this seems like too many turns for 10lb and boom, it snapped a second one.”source ↗
“These are the original M6x1x17 pan bolts, the torque spec for the pan is 120in/10ft, if these bolts are 8.8 grade their breaking point is 115in.”source ↗
“Yes it’s my car. And my favorite one ever. 2014 charger pursuit. The body is immaculate. Is this a reasonable or a good welder? Both sides need done.”source ↗
“He told me the capture nut on the frame broke off. I want to get better look now that I have that info. If the remaining metal is useful, I have a few ideas.”source ↗
“I changed out the head gasket on my Toyota RAV4 2012 everything went on perfectly fine but when I began to tighten the bolts down, one of them snapped.”source ↗
“Loosening rusty bolts. It is the single most infuriating job. It takes more time and effort than everything else together.”source ↗
“Tried to drill it out and I made the hole oblong 🙃. Can this be saved at all or is it time to look for a new manifold?”source ↗
“i just happened to me and it happened with a valve cover bolt and i learned my lesson i went i bought a torque wrench looked up the torque spec (15ft-lbs), set my torque wrench correctly i triple checked and i snapped one i dont know how im so over giving myself more and more work and it was just the worst part to snap off theres no way i can extract it it was almost the very bottom of the bolt”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5How to find a replacement engine bolt without measuring another one
- 8Stripped engine bolt threads during installation
- 3Gasket coating chipping off during cleaning
- 4How to temporarily fix a broken car part until shop appointment
- 25How to remove a snapped bolt in a tight space?
- 2How to remove a bolt when the welded nut spins