A woman took her car to a Pep Boys for what she thought was a simple tire rotation. However, when she reveals her situation to the tech, he and others find it hilarious.

Nykee (@_nykee_0) recently posted a video about her embarrassing Pep Boys encounter on TikTok. “I just got back from Pep Boys and they laughed at me, y’all,” she says to start the video.

“I’ve been driving like this,” she continues, shaking an imaginary steering wheel back and forth wildly. “Honestly, it’s been a year. I haven’t got a tire rotation in probably like three years. So I was like I just need a tire rotation and everything will be OK. No.”

What Happened At Pep Boys?

So she went to the nearest Pep Boys and asked the tech to rotate her tires. “He said, ‘No, I cannot, ma’am,’” she recalls. When she demanded to know why, he revealed that her tires are bad.

“I said, ‘No, they’re not. They still have tread. I can still drive,’” she says. “He said, ‘No, ma’am.’” The tech insisted on taking her inside to quote her prices on a new tire, and she followed. “He started quoting me prices on tires, and I’m like, ‘I’m going to have to pause right now, because apparently I have to buy a head gasket,’” she says.

The tech was stunned. “He said, ‘You’re driving around when you have a bad head gasket?’” Nykee says. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I thought I had time.’ He starts laughing. And there was a man waiting for his car to get fixed and he started laughing.”

Nykee was convinced that the tech was exaggerating and perhaps targeting her because she is a woman. “So I call my dad and I’m like, ‘Yeah, dad, I need a head gasket,’” she says. “And he’s like, ‘You’re driving around and you need a head gasket?’ I thought I had time!”

What Happened To Nykee’s Car?

“So now my car is making a funny smell,” Nykee says. “So now I’ve got to take it to the dealership and see what’s wrong with my car. Y’all my car is paid off and I don’t want a car note. I hate life.”

The video cuts to a clip of Nykee after she took her car into the dealership. She is triumphant. “Whoever tried to ruin my day, you lost,” she says. “All I need is a radiator hose. My head gasket is good.”

In the video’s comments section, viewers reacted to the events and offered their own takes on Nykee’s car situation.

“I just looked up ‘head gasket explained’ and, girl, I was so scared for you,” wrote one viewer.

“‘I just need a head gasket’—I gasped,” wrote a second person.

“‘All I need is a radiator hose’ … girl … AND TIRES,” said a third viewer.

How Important Is The Head Gasket?

As explained by Blue Devil Auto Care Solutions, the head gasket is a key engine component because it keeps compressed air and fuel inside the cylinder and coolant and oil out of the combustion chamber.

That is crucial, because if oil or coolant leaks there, spark plugs and sensors get ruined, the engine starts to labor and overheats, and that is a recipe for failure. Not to mention that a head gasket replacement can sometimes cost more than what your car is worth. That’s why telling a mechanic you’ve been driving on a bad head gasket could get you laughed out of the building.

While it’s still important, a radiator hose replacement is a way lower-stakes repair. If you know how to do it yourself, a new hose costs about $10. If not, you might end up spending about $500.

At this point, Nykee’s biggest problem might be her bald tires, which is an extreme safety hazard. Not only is it more difficult to brake in bad weather conditions, but you’re also putting yourself at risk of a blowout, which can lead to accidents.