i need some advice

we bought a vw t5 which had few problems with engine and gearbox

we decided to give it to a company to rebuild the engine and gearbox at a cost of £5300

in may 2017 he said it would be about 4 weeks

eventually we pick it up sept 2017

from the day i got it back it smoked ,the company said run it in

it never got better

then we got an oil leak from the rocker cover gasket which was to bad to drive back to company as its about 100 miles away

it cost me another £620

it kept smoking

i called the company again and he said it was our cheap turbo,

we had it taken off to find it was fine except the silicone sealant on the gasket which he denied doing,

eventually he convinced me enough to change the turbo, another £1000

and after this it still smoked

i decided to take it to a vw specialist else where

they stripped it to find quite a lot of things wrong

and its going to cost about £5000 for the engine build and gearbox as that has never performed correctly either.

They can provide photos and proof of poor workmanship I have sent a letter recorded asking for a refund on the advice from CAB , with no response, what should I do next?

Well it sounds as if you've been led around by the nose – and enjoyed it.

It's about time you stopped all this nonsense and took control.

Which is the company that has done this work?

You need to get an independent expert opinion of the quality of the work done and what is needed to repair it.

Do this quickly. It may cost you But on the other hand you don't seem to be averse to spending money.

Once you have your expert diagnosis, should then get to independent quotations for doing the work – and make sure you go to reputable places this time where you will also get guarantees.

Once you have this, then you should probably go straight ahead and send them a letter before claim giving them 14 days or you will start a legal action. If you're not prepared to do this then don't bother. Don't bluff – just give up.

We are happy to help you. Which company you dealing with? Also maybe you can tell us more about the vehicle – what's its value?

qcs wetherby , the value of the van is £8000 , yes prepared to take legal action, the garage its at is emailing repair quote as they strip it , its at a vw specialist now with good reviews lesson learnt.

It would have been much better not to have started the remedial work yet but to give QCS Engines notice of it and give them an opportunity to carry out their own inspection.

As you have already started, I suggest that you contact QCS Engines immediately and let them know what is happening and give them a copy of the written quotation that you have.

Tell them that in view of the ongoing problems with them and your need for the vehicle, you have decided to mitigate your loss and put the vehicle into a reputable repair immediately – but they are free to carry out their own investigation if they want and to contact the vehicle repairer for further information.

This will look much better for you in court because otherwise they may say that they were given no opportunity to consult with potential repairers or to carry out their own inspection.

It seems to me that you have excessively delayed sorting out the problem – and all of a sudden you are doing things in a rush. Definitely the wrong way round.

we were in the position that having paid out all that money it wasnt running right and to take it back for him to land us with another massive bill and be without the van for a further 5 months wasnt possible.

we took it to vw specialist not expecting what he has discovered but instead something simple that had maybe been overlooked

we are left horrified at the engine build we have paid for has to be as good as re-built, parts missing and poor workmanship things have been codged.

Well get it all in writing – and get it to the other side as quickly as possible. It would have been better to get the diagnosis and an independent quotation and then provided to them before beginning any work. However, you have started the work so make sure it is all properly documented, photographed – whatever so that it is fully recorded.

You will need to have a full assessment of the work which was done by QCS Engines so that you can then proceed against them. You need to be as open as possible and let them know as far as possible what is happening.

ok thank you

Having problems with my T5. Which VW Specialist did you go to please?

Many thanks

highly recommend VAG centre Bristol

Thanks. How did you find them? Did they come recommended to you? Have they completely sorted your engine problem?