There’s no good place to be when your car breaks down. Still, there are some situations that are better than others.

For example, anyone who’s experienced a breakdown on a nice, sunny day compared to a cold, winter one will readily tell you they’d much rather deal with.

However, car problems are unpredictable. If your car suddenly doesn’t start, or if your engine is making all sorts of strange noises, you’ll have no choice in location. All you can do is pull over and investigate the situation.

Sometimes, you’re fortunate enough for the breakdown to happen near an auto shop. But can you really just work on your car in the middle of the parking lot?

What Happened To This Man’s Car?

In his TikTok with over 4,800 views, mechanic (@thefatmechanic67) shows his car parked in an AutoZone parking lot after issues arose.

The hood of the car is lifted as maintenance begins on the engine.

“When you and your wife gotta go shopping, but you gotta stop at the AutoZone real quick and do a quick tune up on your 3.6 liter,” the mechanic says.

He then shows that he’s parked directly in front of an AutoZone location doing a quick tune up.

“Thanks @autozone for the help merry Christmas,” he writes in the caption.

Is This Car Broken?

It’s unclear what’s wrong with the TikToker’s vehicle.

The engine in question is the Chrysler Pentastar 3.6L. This is a common engine in many Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep vehicles.

While some on the internet are wary of these engines, real-world experience suggests they’re relatively reliable. 

Still, there are some common issues that can plague this engine. For example, on the 3.6 Pentastar, the oil filter and cooler assembly sits in the engine valley beneath the intake manifold. Some have shared that this can crack and leak oil. 

In this case, it may be that the user is replacing spark plugs or ignition coils. The ignition coils are visible at the base of the windshield, which shows they’re either being replaced or removed to access the spark plugs.

Are You Allowed To Work On Your Car At AutoZone?

Generally speaking, the answer is “no.”

Many auto parts stores, including AutoZone, have signs in their parking lots discouraging people from engaging in auto work.

There are a few reasons why a business may choose to forbid people from engaging in auto work in their parking lot.

First, there could be liability concerns. If someone is injured during a repair of their vehicle, or if something else goes wrong, the affected party may seek damages from the owner of the lot.

Second, there are possible regulatory issues. Noise ordinances, environmental regulations, and more could make a business want to discourage people from working in their parking lots.

Next, it could be an attempt to discourage people from setting up unlicensed “repair businesses” in the parking lots. This has been reported at many auto parts shops, not just AutoZone.

Finally, there are simple, practical concerns. Someone taking up a parking spot to work on their car means one less space available to a future customer. As such, a business may want to encourage throughput and get people out of their parking lot as fast as possible.

Still, many internet users claim they’ve been able to make minor repairs in an AutoZone parking lot.

“It’s really store to store. For the most part they don’t appreciate it if you do anything too labor intensive or dirty in the parking lot, but I have definitely got the okay to change spark plugs or an alternator or something basic like that in the lot at various auto zones,” one Reddit user added.

If one attempts to do so, they may be left alone — or they could get a visit from the police.

Commenters Say It’s Normal

In the comments section, viewers have shared that these sorts of fixes — and the location in which they happened — were relatively common.

“I’ve done so much maintenance in a parking lot due to the 3.6,” one TikTok commenter added.

“Average 3.6,” echoed another.

“Normal Chrysler things. Part of being a Chrysler owner” a third shared.

“My wife hates it when that happens,” one commented.

We’ve reached out to AutoZone via email and @thefatmechanic67 via TikTok direct message and commented on the post.

@thefatmechanic67 Thanks @autozone for the help merry Christmas #mechaniclife #fyp #mechanicsoftiktok #autozone ♬ original sound – ThefatMechanic-67