Spent £940 to fix a problem and it didn't!!!!

[jimhook_uk1]

I have been having this droning noise coming from my car engine and the dealer said it was split rubber on an engine mount. So I bit the bullet and said please fix it.

 

I got the car back yesterday at a cost of £940 and the car is still making the same noise!!!!!

 

Before I picked it up the service guy rang me and said "there is still a slight droning noise coming from your transmission and this is usually cured by replacing the filter and changing the transmission fluid (automatic), that'll be another £270". I said no thanks I'll wait until next month to pay for that. Immediately I didn't like the sound of that and no surprise that the car has the same fault as before, which is probably a transmission fault.

 

So in my opinion I didn't need engine mounts replacing and therefore the work was unnecessary - any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

The car is 6 years old and out of warranty. The dealer is a franchised dealer.

[Britainsworstdriver]

£940 to change an engine mounting? What is it, solid gold???????

 

What make and model of car is it?

 

They have misdiagnosed the fault too, surprise surprise. A droning noise? Engine mounting? No connection at all. Split rubber but the rubber still there? Perthaps the occasional thud or knock, but not a drone. What was this mecahnic, 8 years old?

 

I have toothache. Oh that must be your big toe then sir. Nonsense. Just a total and blatent rip off if you ask me.

[Conniff]

Jim you MUST ask for a bill with a complete breakdown of how they came to that. You have been grossly overcharged.

 

When you get this bill you can go about recovering most of it - as BWD has said above - "Just a total and blatent rip off if you ask me".

 

Ask and don't leave without the old engine mounting - no excuses, it is your property, make sure you get it.

[jimhook_uk1]

It's a Mercedes (Money-pit) Benz, they charged £455 labour and the rest is parts. I'm going back this morning to sort it out.

 

If they misdiagnose a fault can I claim this money back which I spent on them not fixing my problem?

[Conniff]

Yes you can, you can ask them to put it back how it was originally.

 

Merc or not, it does not allow them to rip off customers. Regulations say they can only charge a 'fair' price.

[Britainsworstdriver]

£455 per hour???????? Jeeeeez. I have bought perfectly good and working cars for less than that!

 

As said above, their diagnosis was incorrect. Get them to put the old part back on and scap their bill.

 

They will try and tell you that you asked for the mounting to be changed, but is that why you went in or did you go in because of a droning noise?

 

Please ask the manager if he was in a film about Amity Island in 1976. JAWS. That had a dirty great shark in it too!

[raydetinu]

They are the experts, you ask them for a diagonsis and said that will fix the problem; it did not so they must try again at no further cost to you or refund your money and you pay for what will fix the problem. You are noy paying for a trial and error fix. If they wont play ball take them to court.

[Hammy1962]

£455 per hour???????? Jeeeeez. I have bought perfectly good and working cars for less than that!

 

As said above, their diagnosis was incorrect. Get them to put the old part back on and scap their bill.

 

They will try and tell you that you asked for the mounting to be changed, but is that why you went in or did you go in because of a droning noise?

 

Please ask the manager if he was in a film about Amity Island in 1976. JAWS. That had a dirty great shark in it too!

 

Incorrect diagnosis or not, who said it was £455 per hour?

 

The dealer might have charged 4.5 hours at £100 an hour, not unusual nowadays for a prestige brand.

 

Hammy

[jimhook_uk1]

The dealer charges £85/hour/spanner monkey; I have inspected the engine mounts and they did need replacing but they were not the cause of the droning engine.

The technician reckons this is usually remedied by flushing the transmission fluid and changing the transmission filter, which they've agreed to do gratis.

Hopefully that fixes the issue!

[Britainsworstdriver]

Quite right Hammy. I based that on two hours labour as I have never taken more than 1 hour to change any engine mounting, so i was being generous.

 

Most Franchise dealerships will go by their 'bible'. Even if the job takes 20 minutes, they will charge whaever the books asys, maybe 6 hours.

 

I see where you are coming from hamy, I didn't mean it to sound like it obviously does, LOL.

 

OK, jimhook_uk1 the dealer charges £85 per hour, per techician? That is a new one on me. Labour is per hour, not per hour - per technician! In any event, £940 for an engine mounting is outrageous.

 

It is nice they they have elected to do the auto transmission oil free, but that still isn't worth £940!

 

Bottom line is if you are happy with your car being fixed and the price ytopu have paid in total, that is ok. I wouldn't be but then I am a fussy so and so that would never let any garage near any car I own, except to have the MopT done - during which i sit in the drivers seat, not them.

 

Hope it is all sorted then.

[Hammy1962]

No Franchised dealer I've had any connection with would charge 6 hours for a 0.3hr (18mins!!) job, bibble or not.

 

Must have a ZF box, filter and fluid change is a good fix for all sorts of things.

 

If they are doing it for free make sure they check and update the gearbox software if it's necessary.

 

Hammy

Edited March 31, 2009 by Hammy1962

[jimhook_uk1]

They actually had it for 3 days and had to take the engine out (V12) and to be honest the more I think about the less happy I am so my plan is:

 

Let them fix the transmission next week and then claim a refund for the engine mount replacement - cost of flushing the transmission and changing the filter.

 

I paid to have the drone fixed not a trial and error exercise!

 

How does that sound?

[jimhook_uk1]

OK - got my car back today after they'd changed the transmission fluid and filter. The droning noise has now gone so clearly that was the problem not engine mounts.

 

So IMO the engine mounts was unnecessary work and I plan to write to the service manager and request a refund for the unnecessary work - does anyone have any experience of this type of complaint?

 

What would be the right way to go about it?

 

Thanks in advance.