Incompetent garage couldn't fix my car
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Around November/December time last year my car heater stopped working and as my father was a mechanic, I asked him to have a quick look to see if he could see what was wrong. He suggested it was my cylinder head gasket that needed to be replaced. Acting on his advice I took the car to the garage that I bought it from and after a check over, they decided that it was not in fact the cylinder head gasket but rather my thermostat that needed to be replaced. The bill for this was £60 which at the time I thought was fine. After a short period of time though my heater stopped again. I took car back to garage and asked them to take another look at cylinder head gasket. Once again they couldn't find a problem and told me that the cylinder head gasket wasn't the problem. |
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In February my car was due MOT. I asked them once again to check my cylinder head gasket because I knew this to be an expensive job and I felt that if car was going to fail the MOT and cost a lot to fix, I would be as well getting new car. They checked the cylinder head again when it went in for the MOT and I was told by the mechanic that there was absolutely no problem with it, the car was fine apparently. A week after the MOT the heater stopped working... |
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The MOT cost £475 as some other work needing doing in order to get it through. Well fair enough I thought and paid up. I had my car back for less than a week after the MOT and then the heater stopped working! So back to the garage with the car so they could hopefully "find the problem!" When I went back to collect my car I was told that they had discovered the cylinder head gasket actually needed replacing after all and it was the reason the heater stopped working! Fuming? - just ever so slightly I can tell you... I feel this garage has tried to squeeze more and more money every week from me how do I officially complain about them and what are likely outcomes? By: Jon Anderson |
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Comments from visitors
My car had gunk in oil cap and AA diagnosed head gasket and took it to my regular garage - he had it for 3 weeks, got it back and within 2 hours a pipe had popped off and lost all coolant - he fixed straight away. Went to drive car away and was misfiring so he kept it again for another day and fixed it! Brought it home but the central locking no longer worked, the car was filled with fumes when the engine was hot and it had an oil leak - took it to a diff garage and the guy found 5 faults!! He fixed most of them but said the oil leak was a big job and to take it back - I have done and he has spent the day repairing it - will be taking it to my new guy to get it checked over - fingers crossed £780 for head gasket and £200 for exploratory and fixing other bits and a £200 job pending to fit a breather hose he broke!!!
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Hi there,we had sort of same problem we took our car twice to the same garage as it was over heat ing but was assured its nothing to do with head gas kit so the mechanic changed the hose then we orderd another hose all that cost £220 while the car was still in the garage for 4 days we were told now the head gas kit has gone ,since then the car has been moved to their friends garage who has been working on it and said he will give the car back in 3 days.Guess what its been 3weeks and no sign of our car and we were told the bill is going to be £1300
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My son recently took his car to a garage and asked for a wheel bearing to be put on the passenger side of car when we picked the car up they had done the wrong side,we accepted this but he said he didnt have time to do the right side we were not pleased but went to another garage who said the first bearing hadnt been fitted correctly,and he had also damaged the censor,we had a bill of £368 and found the first garage were not qualified mechanics,i rang trading standards who said to me there was nothing that could be done as they did not need to be qualified mechanics. I also added they didnt give us a reciept she said they dont have to they can earn £63000 a year without paying tax is this right???
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Well Captain Canuck you must be from the same species as my auto mechanics, you are after all the same breed of bloomin useless crooks. My car went in January last year was in 8 weeks cos swirl flaps went in engine, 8 weeks (a warranty Job) amazing how it was finished within hours once payment was sorted, by me, frustrated after 8 weeks of seeing my car parked up in bits unworked on. Guess what that £3000 has just gone down the drain cos it's now been in there for another 7 with a new £800 fuel pump (unnecessary) and a new Rocker arm(unnecessary) still problem is not fixed, guess what, the angelic auto mechanic did the job wrong in the first place and caused major damage he expects me to pay for. Car still under warranty I've told him to get in touch with them and I am collecting my car and all it's pieces to be put back together by a decent person. So don't dare call unsuspecting motorists for taking their cars to mechanics and expecting them to do what they say they will and you expect them to be qualified for, lets face it you probably don't work in this business anymore because you were rubbish at it, and one too many people expected you to be able to do the job you were trained for, in a reasonable time and with good quality
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Pee'd off by captain canuc - 24-Sep-10 14:51
I took my car to Auto Action Garage Station Road in Hendon Nw4,it was a little slugish when it stops but after a few seconds it was fine.The Machinic Peter did some work on it he says that he has done some Diagonistic on it and some parts fitted which means that the problem is solved but its the different story there is no change in the car he is refusing to give me the Diagonistic Report no detail but he wants £229-00 for doing nothing,he is still holding my car and not giving it back to me.
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This is why I've left this thankless trade , listening to whining , snivelling , pencil necked types complain about they're auto mechanics. People need to realize that we don't design them , we don't build them yet we get to try and sort them out when you break them. noone complains if a carpenter buys your house , renovates it then sells at a profit, yet if a mechanic buys an old bucket of bolts or gets it free , spends his time and effort and money to repair it and sell it people lose their minds. The problem as I see it is that the general public these days has no clue whatsoever how vehicles work and what to expect from them , if your ignorant to the complexities of the modern automobile its much easier to blame the mechanic when it doesn't work out. I find it funny how completely uninformed and ignorant people are nowadays about anything to do with machinery of any type . In the old days people repaired their own equipment performed repairs in the home etc. Most people can't even change their own oil now yet the people who they need to repair this troublesome , overengineered rubbish being produced by the automakers of the day must always labour under suspicion and scorn.
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Captain Canuck - 27-Apr-10 00:47
my car wouldn't start so I got someone from garage to tow away, I need a new ecu. this was 4 weeks ago, it still hasn't been done. the peugeot dealers are absolutely useless. they took 2 weeks to supply new ecu and it was faulty. but they wouldn't take the garage's word for I and send another one, they wanted to test it all for themselves. they eventually came to the same conclusion as the garage and have agreed to send another ecu. another 2 weeks later and it still hasn't arrived, I get told a day when my car is going to be ready, then when that day arrives they change it. this is so ridiculous and there's nothing I can do about it as peugeot need to sort themselves out and send the part when they say they will. they are an absolute joke! i'm still going to be expected to pay £980 for this pleasure (if I ever get the car back)
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Just curious but if your dad is a mechanic why did he not fix it !
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My car went into a Garage in Buckingham Rd on July 13 for re-conditioned engine to be fitted, it has now been there for 10 weeks. After 6 weeks it was brought to my home address, on checking it I noticed brake light was on, I rang the garage who said it was not a problem and it would go out, I then opened the bonnet and noticed oil all over the place. I decided to get an AA Independant Inspection done. This inspection found 17 faults relating to the repair my car went in the garage for, I took it back the garage to have all repairs done again, two weeks later I was told it was ready, I went to pick it up, then I found the starting motor had gone. Car back in garage, week later phone call car was ready but it needed a flywheel,and insisted it would be alright to drive. When I asked were the original one had gone I was told it had been thrown away, I have also been refused a list of the jobs that were done when car first went in garage, have not been given a receipt for money paid.
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My head gasket on my 2002 corsa sxi had blown I had it dropped off at jct600 in shipley a vauxhall garage.The garage said the head could be skimmed and they suggested a full service and they would change the drive chain I said no to the drive chain but they basically blackmailed me by refusing to do the other work I eventually agreed the bill came to 1224 pounds and the head needed so much skimming off it it was outside of vauxhalls recommended amount and they would not guarantee it. I got the car back but it was very hard to start and did not get upto speed as well as before so I took it back they said they could do nothing else so I had a car that was of limited use and they offered no advice other than to trade it in and get rid.
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My car failed it's MOT because of high LAMBDA emissions. My garage can't work out what's wrong or how to fix it but they plan to charge me for everything they try even if it doesn't work. Can they charge me for NOT being able to fix my car?
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Hello
they are just at it, my uncle got given a ford fiesta by a friend when he found himself without a car, it had been sitting in storage for a year and had done 70 miles from the last MOT, the guy who had it had bought it for his son, who bought a nice new car, the man didnt like it because it was too small and his wife didn't like it as it has tinted side windows and 5 spoke alloys, so it sat for a year.
A maechanic friend looked it over and said all it needed was a hoover and a wash, so he put it in for an MOT, it had new brakes, new shocks and a new oil change/filter as well as 3 brand new tyres just after the last MOT.
The garage took it in, said oh o it needs the headlights re aligned, 2 new tyres, a new radiator hose, the emissions are too high and we'll need to check the engine as well due to the emissions.
My uncle has no choice but to deal with this garage as it is the only one for 70 miles and thats that, they have done it to him with every vehicle he has had for the last 15 years and he's too polite so he will just pay up their rediculous made up charges, he's being nice and they just think he's a sucker.
The car has been in for "MOT" adjustments for 2 weeks now and when he phones them, they are "just working on getting the emissions down" come on its just a little petrol 1.2 fiesta, there are a lot worse old rattling deisel vehicles out there that they dont bother with..
Parts at such and such pounds, labour at 30 per hour times, lets see...thinks a bit...11 and a half hours...plus VAT..ahem..
they are just at it, my uncle got given a ford fiesta by a friend when he found himself without a car, it had been sitting in storage for a year and had done 70 miles from the last MOT, the guy who had it had bought it for his son, who bought a nice new car, the man didnt like it because it was too small and his wife didn't like it as it has tinted side windows and 5 spoke alloys, so it sat for a year.
A maechanic friend looked it over and said all it needed was a hoover and a wash, so he put it in for an MOT, it had new brakes, new shocks and a new oil change/filter as well as 3 brand new tyres just after the last MOT.
The garage took it in, said oh o it needs the headlights re aligned, 2 new tyres, a new radiator hose, the emissions are too high and we'll need to check the engine as well due to the emissions.
My uncle has no choice but to deal with this garage as it is the only one for 70 miles and thats that, they have done it to him with every vehicle he has had for the last 15 years and he's too polite so he will just pay up their rediculous made up charges, he's being nice and they just think he's a sucker.
The car has been in for "MOT" adjustments for 2 weeks now and when he phones them, they are "just working on getting the emissions down" come on its just a little petrol 1.2 fiesta, there are a lot worse old rattling deisel vehicles out there that they dont bother with..
Parts at such and such pounds, labour at 30 per hour times, lets see...thinks a bit...11 and a half hours...plus VAT..ahem..
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sayitlikeitis - 16-Feb-09 06:05
In march 2007 I had the mechanic come out and give my car a full service, when doing the checks he turned to me and said "Two cylinders had gone and I would have to get my motor reconditioned" and I asked him whether he could do it, and he said he could, after 4 weeks he was driving the car back, he called and said the gearbox had gone, he took the car back to his place and got the gearbox fixed, In the end when I did get the car back she didn't run well at all she chugged and spitted all the time, it even came to a point when I didn't want to drive her, I called the RAC alot to come out and get the car started(ongoing) I've tried to get him to fix it but he won't, He stole a $120 air filter and replaced it with a ordinary one, he took out my hotted up cam and put a standard cam in, I called him up for the cam back and he said "It's at the tip, take a shovel and dig it up yourself" the car has two years warranty, the gearbox has one year warranty, what it boils down to is that the gearbox didn't need fixing and that cost me $1700 he charged me $4500 for the 253 engine that doesn't run well. What's your view?
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My car failed it's MOT because of high LAMBDA emissions. My garage can't work out what's wrong or how to fix it but they plan to charge me for everything they try even if it doesn't work. Can they charge me for NOT being able to fix my car?
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your heater would still work if your head gasket went.
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I understand that some garages may not do thing right but please make sure you know what you're on about before you go in and shout off. I've had customers, and know of garages who have had customers who think they know about cars, who say the words "i can get it done cheaper around the corner", or "it will only take you a minute" or have been told whats wrong with their car by the man who knows everything down the pub, or think their car will run like a rolls royce after they've had a service. I've worked hard to get the tools and equipment needed to do my job just like a lot of garages but still people think their getting robbed when they get a bill but let a gas man come in their house and charge them £150+ for an hours work and not say a thing. We get to much bad press because, and a lot of it is from people who don't know anything about cars and don't want to pay in the first place. Sorry for rant.
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Goodgaragescheme member - 5-Nov-08 17:03
Good God! To think your safety is compromised. I sold my convertible lately to someone after the car had been certified a reputable garage. From this point on, my responsibility for the car ended. Unfortunately, because the car was driven by a young tenderfoot who bought it, the car stalled - never before in the 15 years I owned it, not once.
He took the vehicle to a dealership to have it looked at and re-certified out of curiosity. Three features were found to have been contravening. It was pure oversight in the first place. The dealer reported the garage mechanic to MOT who took up the case, had his charged and fined $490 by our provincial supreme court. He also had to make good by installing the mssing safety features.
So why not report the garage for his transgressions. His license may be revoked if it happens more than a couple of times. It is a menace and a danger to society.
He took the vehicle to a dealership to have it looked at and re-certified out of curiosity. Three features were found to have been contravening. It was pure oversight in the first place. The dealer reported the garage mechanic to MOT who took up the case, had his charged and fined $490 by our provincial supreme court. He also had to make good by installing the mssing safety features.
So why not report the garage for his transgressions. His license may be revoked if it happens more than a couple of times. It is a menace and a danger to society.
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Sam, the Tiger - 5-Nov-08 14:08
I collected my car from Unique Car Services Ltd in Stony Stratford this morning after they carried out an mot test. On collection I was told it had passed with a few minor recommendations (nothing to worry about said the young guy in reception who took my payment.) When my husband came home we checked the advisory notes and noticed that one recommendation was that the boot handle cover was broken. As there had not been a problem with the boot handle cover when I took the car into the garage we checked it and, sure enough it was cracked in two places. This damage had obviously been caused by someone trying to force open the boot without using the central locking system to open the lock first. We called the MOT centre who denied any knowledge of causing any damage. As the car had been reversed into a space for me to drive straight out I had not thought to check the rear of the car. Moral of the story is, check your car for damage before leaving any garage and NEVER use an unknown garage for an MOT test.
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I'm fed up with rogue customers that want extra works done, change plans,constantly interfere because they think they know best and then they refuse to pay at the end of a job because they know the law doesnt protect the tradesman, the more money you can get up front the better why should the builder finance the job for you.We need a change in the law to protect honest tradesmen many are being labeled as rogues by the customer just to avoid payment.
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mywife just got charged £250 for nothing
vw polo just stopped running they had the car for 2 months and just said they didnt know what was wrong
but charged her for the parts that they used even though they wernt the problem
canklow service centre at rotherham (do not use ripp off)
vw polo just stopped running they had the car for 2 months and just said they didnt know what was wrong
but charged her for the parts that they used even though they wernt the problem
canklow service centre at rotherham (do not use ripp off)
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