Garage has had my car for a month

[bc-edinburgh]

After my wife and I broke down over a month ago, the RAC towed me to my nearest garage who agreed to do the repair. They have now had our car for 4 weeks and 3 days with absolutely no sign of us getting it back.

 

Can anyone tell me how we are placed legally with regards this. The main problem is that our warranty ran out 3 weeks after we dropped the car into them. They say they have been in touch with our warranty people but who knows - any advice gratefully received.

[Conniff]

When was the car purchased?

What's wrong with it?

 

You should have no problem getting redress.

[bc-edinburgh]

Car was bought 12 months and 6 days ago.

It's an MX5 and the RAC took me to this garage as it was the closest.

The warranty company asked for the garage to contact them who said they have and that they are happy for them to continue.

 

The garage are saying things like : the parts company don't have the part in stock, the parts company delivered the wrong part, the diagnostic system keeps throwing back different error messages, the man with the diagnostic system has been delayed on another job and won't be able to look at it for a few days......

 

No idea what is wrong with the car just getting increasingly annoyed, suspicious etc...

[postggj]

If Its An Mx5

 

Thats A Rotary Engine And Only A Mazda Garage Should Be Dealing With This

 

I Have An Rx8

[MARTIN3030]

Seems very suspicious 33 days is a long time.

If they are saying that the parts have not come/were the wrong ones,then they must have diagnosed the problem ?

[MARTIN3030]

Yes rotary engines are a specialist field.

(I used to have a RO80)

[Conniff]

It depends on the problem. I used to do W@nkel engines, but it should really be a dealer repair.

 

"The parts aren't available", in that case, he knows what is wrong with it or he couldn't have ordered parts.

 

Ask him outright, if you ordered parts, what were these parts?

 

Martin tell your machine I wasn't swearing.

[postggj]

Joe Bloggs Car Mechanic/garage Would Not Have The Know How On Rotary Engines

[Conniff]

I agree, they aren't for the faint hearted.

 

But that doesn't help here.

 

Probably not as if he didn't know what was wrong with it, he couldn't have explained the problem to them.

 

Has the car been disassembled?

 

Just read your original post again about the warranty will pay. You should now give him 10 days to fix the car or tell him you will be taking elsewhere and he can pay for it and claim it back off the warranty.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Conniff

[bc-edinburgh]

nice idea Conniff - will see what happens when the part "arrives" on Tuesday.

 

I'm pretty sure (99%) that the MX5 doesn't have the dreaded w&nkle engine so that shouldn't be a probelm in the slightest.

 

No excuse as far as I'm concerned.

[MARTIN3030]

Martin tell your machine I wasn't swearing.

 

Ha Ha-yes know what you mean-I had an idea the swear filter would block that.

[Conniff]

Your right, the rotary was abandoned in 1992 but use continued for a while in the MX7.

[LancerQRL]

the mx5 does not have a rotary engine, if it was a nb model (ie chassis number begins jmznb) it had a mazda engine, if a nc model it is basically a ford mondeo engine. the ****el rotary engine is still current in the rx8 even the newish r3 model

[MARTIN3030]

Since the warranty company have a vested interest here too-would it not also be an idea to speak to them ?

Presumably now they would be in a position to tell you what THEY have been told-and you could reconcile that info with what the garage are saying.

[heliosuk]

Many car companies are suffering serious back order problems at the moment due to the crisis last year. They rapidly scaled back inventories which had a knock on effect with the supplier chain.

 

So it's possible that the parts are on back order, in some cases I've heard of instances of 12 weeks.

 

So be careful before accusing of not doing something. Mazda MX 5, as said, never had the rotary engine but it's not a difficult or special one to work on. In fact it's a dammed sight easier and more simple. The rebuilding of one is a bit more specialist though.

[LancerQRL]

what part are you waiting for? what year is your car?