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Car problems caused by bad service from a garage

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Two weeks ago, I took my car to a certain garage on Buckingham Road for a full service and MOT.  I usually do most of the work on the car myself, but once a year I like to do this.

Ive been going there for a few years and up until now theyve provided what I would consider to be a good service.  Anyway, they serviced my car and I picked it up and took it home.  The next morning, there's a huge pool of oil under the car.  I had a look and saw oil all over the sump.  I thought to myself, 'dozy spanner monkeys haven't tightened up the plug', so I checked it and was surprised that it was actually on tight.

I took the car back to the garage and they said 'sorry mate, we used the wrong washer on the plug'.  Ok, fair enough I thought, as long as they put it right Im happy and no hard feelings. 

I took the car home, woke up next day to another pool of oil.  I had to use the car to get to work, so I topped the oil up and set off with the intention of dropping the car off at the garage again in the evening.  I got to the end of the road and there's a loud clattering noise coming from the engine bay.

Auto garage, car servicing, poor quality service, unreliable mechanic I opened up the bonnet to see exactly what the problem was; sounded very much like the big ends on their way out.  I called the garage and they said 'don't drive it, well pick it up with a trailer'.  A short time later, the car gets picked up as they said they would and I wait to hear what the problem is.  Later that afternoon, the garage called back and said 'It's not the engine, it's your steering pump; the bearings have exploded and there's power steering fluid everywhere.  It's nothing to do with us, you need to pay for getting it transported over, new belts and a new pump'.

Okay, lets think about this, because to me it doesn't really make any sense. First of all, they have had two opportunities to spot the leaking fluid and didn't.  Secondly they lied to me about the 'wrong washer on the sump plug'.  Finally, and most importantly, if they had spotted the steering fluid leak in the first place, my pump may well have not died.  After all, when I spotted what I thought was an oil leak the pump wasn't making any bad noises.

I think they have been completely incompetent throughout and I don't think I should be paying for any of this.  As you would expect, the garage doesn't agree.  What do you think?


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Paul

Paul

Took my range rover for a mot 3months ago still haven't got my car back as the garage has "lost" my car. Gutted isn't the word.
10/02/16 Paul
0
david

david

I took my van for its MOT and the power steering worked fine ---when I picked the van up it had failed and the power steering did not work ---they had power steering fluid all over the garage floor---it worked when I took it in and did not leak (I would have noticed and their are NO drips where I park it in the same place for the past 7 years)---I cant understand why the power steering did not leak under 'load' but the pipe burst while they were 'testing' it NOT under load on the ramp with the wheels OFF the ground under NO load
24/10/15 david
0
curt

curt

heck no i wouldnt pay them a dime one place tryed to charge me 800.00 to fix my steering because they couldnt get it alined right i took it home put a 13.00 dollar rebuild kit in the control valve havent had a problem sence that was two years ago
28/05/14 curt
0
dmt

dmt

This is from North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Midas here in town charged me $1100, he replaced catalytic converter heater core thermostat and rad cap to fix a heating problem, after being told my truck was ready I picked it up and after driving it noticed I didn't have heat at all, next day I returned the vehicle to midas after an
so called mechanic called and said he had to replace the clutch fan. Again I was told my truck was ready and that if I didn't have heat right away it would come in a day or two as the clutch fan needed to warm up. after 3 days with no heat I returned to Midas and the owner of that franchise told me he was baffled so I left with no heat. I wrote A letter to head office and the next day I got a call at work from the Midas garage It was the so called mechanic who had worked on my truck, he told me their was no point complaining because the complaint went to him and I should forget it, not the words he used he actually swore at me,
I do not recommend Midas to anyone.
19/02/14 dmt
0
laser

laser

lots of dodgy car outfits in kent, a renowned blackspot
06/08/13 laser
-10
Olly

Olly

Golden Motors M.O.T Station spoiled my car in a dodgy way. I took my Mercedez Benz to them for MOT and they failed me. They asked that i should either go and repair the faults somewhere or do it through them. I decided to do it through them to avoid waste of time. The mechanic erased some fault code, pass the M.O.T and since then my car that has been running perfectly OK has been stalling every now and then. Their boss lacks absolute customer services. He claims there is no way the fault would have come from them. Where else? My car has been running perfectly ever since. Upon giving it to them, the destroyed my car.
Golden Motors M.O.Y Station GRAVESEND are dodgy mechanic. Beware
05/08/13 Olly
-13
allan

allan

my vehicle wasnt starting very well and thought it may be the heater plugs so booked into garage, they rang to say that when they went to get plugs out they were very tight so we said dont pull them if they are gonna snap well live with it not starting well on cold mornings, they proceeded and snapped two in the engine....the engine needs to be sent away now with costs going over a thousand pound without a vehcile for a week whos responsible for payment of the repair???
26/02/13 allan
-14
mick

mick

Contact trade standards and they'll tell you what you can do. My missus is doing it now. Because of a garage we were going to. My missus car has been in about 3 times and come back out worse every time. The engine management light came on and emissions light. We dont notice it until its been running for abit. Then my missus was coming back from work. She just come off the motorway, she hear a bang and the steering locks and the brakes went hard. The inlet manifold blew a hole in the side. Then the next 1 did the same. Now they are saying it there fault cus they didnt clean something and fit something properly now theres another part needed and they want her to pay for it. Thats not happening and that garage is not going to be used again.
19/09/12 mick
-9
Jethro

Jethro

disgruntled parent, Could you please name the garage/dealer?
05/09/12 Jethro
-19
disgruntled parent

disgruntled parent

My daughter took her 04 Corsa to a local garage as she was not happy with the clutch. They told her it was fine & did a service on the car for her. A week later her clutch stopped working altogether. The garage took her car away & told her that the clutch needed replacing & to get this done & then to put her car in a part ex for a new one. This was on a Thursday & they told her it would be ready the next day. On the Friday the said come back Monday, Monday to come back Tuesday. I phoned them on the Tuesday only to be told that the gearbox was now not working & it would be at least 2 weeks for the repair to be done. I told them this was not an option as she needs a care to get back to Uni next week. Anyway they have now said they can get the car up & running but the gears will be noisy? They have also said that the will waiver any costs to her. Now I am not a mechanic but surely if they did not find the fault with the clutch in the first place & are now willing to waiver the cost, is that not them admitting that they have caused the problem/miss diagnosed in the first place.
05/09/12 disgruntled parent
-22
mat

mat

I agree with you it there fault, i just got my MOT and now i making a odd noises but its never there doing, all they want to do is get money out of you.
14/07/12 mat
-15
Jon

Jon

not being funny but these are your vehicles that have broken , not the garages , so should you pay for your vehicle to be repaired after your vehicle has broken ? yes! yes you should !
28/06/12 Jon
-10
pierrejay

pierrejay

It's never a garage's fault. It's always the customer's fault. In the 1970s, after my wife's Renault started rusting after 10 months, Renault told me it was my fault because 'I hadn't added a cup of paraffin to the water when I washed the car' and refused to even contemplate a repair, despite the car still being under warranty. If I were you, if they don't agree to make full repairs at no cost to you, I'd write to Auto Express Watchdog column and see what transpires. They work miracles, especially with new car complaints, by shaming these concienceless swine into action. If that doesn't work, park the car outside the offending garage's premises with big notices stuck to it, telling the whole sad story and call the local press to take some shots.
10/06/12 pierrejay
-9
unhappy

unhappy

My 08 Mitsubishi L200 was put into the garage to get a service, MOT and timing belt changed, all costing £700!! Exactly 2 weeks later the blanace shaft snapped clean. Garage claim not their fault, his insurance company sent out an 'independant' mechanic who LOOKED at it and took a picture (15minutes it took), he then said it was a coincidence. I contacted CSMA and they recommended a mechanic who worked for RAC, he spent an hour n half looking at it and taking several pictures. He stated in his report that it was undoubtly caused by overtightening of the belts!! Getting nowhere, car still off the road!!!
26/02/12 unhappy
-15
wripped off by Wilson's

wripped off by Wilson's

Wilsons in Epsom ripped me off on a cambelt service for £666 (bad number i know). A week after the job the car broke down with an electrical fault, in it went and I was charged £45 for a diagnostic that they couldn't fix, got the car back with a loud noise. Car went in again, was charged a further £116 for belt and tensioner, but still noisy. Took it to an independent garage that diagnosed a broken air con pump and faulty tensioner. Wilsons refuse to admit they have done anything to cause the problem and will not admit any liability. They have charged me for unnecessary parts and wrecked my a/c pump, but how do you prove it?. Refuse to take it back to these cowboys!
20/01/12 wripped off by Wilson's
-17

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