I agree that some doctors and mechanics explain what they do to patients/customers. However, as a customer, I have no ability to use this information to assess the professional's quality.
It is another matter if they explain that I might experience some pain walking for a week, or that the new brakes need a couple of days of use to properly function. Also of course, I will appreciate if I'm asked to choose between this feature or another.
But software refactoring doesn't fall into that category. The transparency you (and I) wish to have is early customer feedback and is usually implemented with CI/CD. Tied to that is your car-butchering example: We do agile software, not cars - I can butcher your software because a) the amount of butchering is very small and b) you'll give me feedback on it in a couple of day at the most. With software, I can revert/fix the butchering very easily.
To me, refactoring or not (tests or not, code review or not, pairing or not, ...) is like if a doctor would ask me which scalpel to use for the surgery. Or which surgical technique (probably more to the point). I don't care. More importantly - I'm not qualified to make that choice (even if I do care for some obscure reason)!
I'm not qualified to make that choice because I'm not er *peer*. Now, a peer would be able to make the choice, or assess whether er choice was bad or good. A customer can only assess the external factors: functionality, duration of the work, etc. A customer cannot infer that by doing refactoring er software will be better or arrive faster, nor should e attempt to. E simply is not qualified.
Actually, you said a similar thing yourself in your reply: "if someone can produce a steady stream of features without refactoring and tests, then they should do it"
Which brings me to the second part.
I admit that my "Programmers who don't refactor" sentence was a bit harsh. I agree that a programmer is equally professional if e produces a steady stream of features with or without tests or refactoring.
But...
Less importantly: How many of such programmers have you met?
More importantly: What about others on er team? Do all members have such discipline, technical skill, and ability to communicate with code?