While it’s not for everyone, driving can be a blast, with your favorite tunes on the stereo, the sensation of speed and freedom. Then that dreaded shift, as something begins to whine or crunch. Like an unhappy patient, a car finds its way to communicate that it absolutely is in need of some repair. And most car owners might already be feeling that secondhand dread of popping the hood and seeing just how bad it is.

The “just rolled into the shop” online group documents the silliness that mechanics sometimes have to deal with. Preventative maintenance is not often in the vocabulary of most car owners, so the vehicles they encounter can range from “How does it even drive?” to “We need a priest, not a mechanic.” So upvote your favorites and be sure to comment your own stories below.

#1 C/S Thanks For Understanding, Nerds

Image credits: ArtisanGerard

#2 I've Been Maintaining This Thing From Around 150k Miles. Definitely The Highest Mileage Customer I Have

Image credits: Br0keGee

#3 Customer Wanted To Use This As Balance Beads So He Doesn'thave To Pay For A Balance. Says They Did It All The Time Where He Worked In Oklahoma

Image credits: Screen_Brave

As a time-honored profession, the role of the mechanic goes back multiple decades. So far back even, that some of the US regulations about the job actually still use terminology like “any person who repairs or services a motor vehicle for payment or bartering,” as if you can just drive up to your local shop with a trunk full of lemons and hope for the best.

Paradoxically, as cars have gotten more complex, the role has become more specialized and rare. In the early 20th century, filling stations, what we would now call gas stations, also used to offer a mechanic service. While per capita, there were fewer cars, the vehicles actually on the road were significantly simpler. Over time, the cost of keeping mechanics around rose, and, furthermore, having a section for groceries was just better for the bottom line.

#4 Customer States : Heard A Loud Noise And Lost All Gears

Image credits: Ageniminsempiternum

#5 Had To Pull The Rear Seats Out Of A 2012 F250 For Some Bodywork, And Found A Second Gen iPhone Solidly Wedged Behind It! Wonder How Long It's Been There

Image credits: wauna_b5

#6 Whoever Did This Alignment Pls Let Me Buy U A Drink

Image credits: 2DMAX04

Nevertheless, this abundance of mechanical skill did benefit the US during the Second World War. American troops who had some experience working with internal combustion engines were able to keep Sherman tanks and various utility vehicles maintained and operational in the field. This is in contrast to the German army, which still maintained over a million horses in 1945. At least in wartime, one had an excuse for why what they “just rolled into the shop” with was completely messed up.

#7 So How's Your Morning Going?

Image credits: Twisted_Wrench

#8 Head Gaskets On Audi A7 Tfsi. I’m Regretting Not Just Pulling The Engine

Image credits: Phlat_Dog

#9 I've Never Seen A Car That Failed A Home Inspection Before

Image credits: waffle911

When it comes to cars as a consumer conveyance, most people know about Henry Ford, the Model T, and early assembly lines. But it’s vital to remember that these cars were entering a world designed for horses and pedestrians. It would be a while until real car infrastructure was set up. For example, the first traffic light went up in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1914. As one can imagine, before that, you would simply enter an intersection and hope for the best.

#10 In For An Oil Change Because Our Local Valvoline “Couldn’t Get The Drain Plug Out”

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#11 UPS Mechanics Are Gonna Be Very Upset When They Find Out 30 Trucks Had Their Catalytic Converters Cut Off During The Weekend

Image credits: slapdaddy83

#12 So My Pads Have How Much Life Left? Uh… Yes

Image credits: crazeejoker810

Only a decade later, in 1925, were the first turn signals implemented. While most of us might think of the late 80s as the golden age of driving, the pre-war world also seemed like a perfect place for the car enthusiast. Drivers of the time seemed unrestricted by rules, lights, and even the need to indicate when and where they might turn. It almost sounds like the streets of the time were similar to a game of Mario Kart.

#13 The Insurance Companies Love This Maneuver

Image credits: gmmech

#14 Can’t Believe They Haven’t Been Forced To Do A Total Recall

Image credits: roll_hog

#15 Found 2 Cupcakes Under The Splash Shield Of A ‘21 Toyota Rav4…. So Many Questions

Image credits: blueflareeyes

Of course, the cars of the time had few conveniences. Air conditioning would only show up in 1939 in limited quantities and cruise control only came about in 1948. What may shock you is that cruise control was invented by a blind man named Ralph Teetor. Despite his affliction, he managed to receive a Master’s Degree in Engineering and, among other things, invented a powered lawn mower.

#16 Yes I’m The Tech Who Didn’t Take The Seltzer

Image credits: dylans_nut

#17 You Had One Job

Image credits: defastdecurious69

#18 3rd One We Have Had This Happen Too!

Image credits: JW78710

Of course, all these invasions also mean that mechanics need to have more and more advanced knowledge of how to actually fix things. Despite that, industry standards are still to design cars that will last a long time. The predicted “life” of a car built in 2020 is supposed to be around 16 years. Unfortunately, these predictions don’t cover the potential number of owners, but analysts do think this should equal roughly 2 million km, which equals about 444 oil changes if the owners take good care of it. If you want to see more cars where that probably didn't happen, click here and here.