Did my mechanic lie to me?

Originally Posted by mrocco

I’m female and know nothing about car mechanics. I'm looking for input on what my mechanic told me. I have a 2014 370Z Touring Sport (manual) with 43K miles. Since my 350Z days, I’ve always gone to the same mechanic for oil changes, and they check for any issues that need fixing while they’re at it. I’ve always trusted them and never had a reason not to.

At my last oil change, the mechanic asked if I’d noticed any issues when shifting gears—nope. Any leaks? Nope. Then he told me I had the following problems:

Dirty cabin air filters
A leaking valve cover gasket on the left side
A broken rear differential bushing that leaked all its fluid

He even showed me a diagram explaining how difficult it is to replace the bushing, how the entire area where it sits needs to be taken apart, etc. The total cost? $5,400.

My dad’s friend Jerry, who builds custom car engines and seems to be a car wizard (especially with vintage cars), took a look today. His verdict? “There’s nothing wrong with your car. Don’t do anything.”

What do you think for those of you well-versed in the 370Z mechanical stuff? Does it sound like my mechanic lied to me? Or maybe misinterpreted what they were looking at? Or is Jerry maybe unfamiliar with something that is very specifically Z related and is a common problem for a 10-year-old 370Z?