Garage Woes

[DevonHillBilly]

Hi,

 

I took my car for MOT 2 weeks ago (19th June) and unfortunately it failed due to play on the nearside track rod end, which would need replacing and a broken clip on a CV boot.

 

I told them that I would have to discuss this with my husband, who usually does most of the mechanical work on our cars when he has time.

 

Unfortunately due to timing and my husbands working commitments, he was unable to do this job himself.

 

The following day I called the garage to book the car in to have the work done and the MOT retest.

 

I also asked them to check the front wheel balancing and asked them to get the car fully 4 wheel laser tracked on the request of my husband, mainly due to the fact that they were going to change a front steering part and because my husband had noticed a slight vibration between 50 & 60 mph coming through the steering wheel.

 

The garage told me that they do not balance or track vehicles inhouse but infact take them to an outside source. That was fine, I didn't care as long as it was done. The car went back to have the work done on 21st June.

 

The garage quoted me £157 all in including VAT to do everything;

 

Supply & Fit nearside track rod end.

Supply & Fit CV boot clip

Balance both front wheels

4 wheel laser tracking

cost of MOT

 

I told them to call me if there were any problems, they didn't. I went to collect the car.

 

I was livid to find that bill was now £206, a £49 rise from the quote. I was told by the mechanic that both the lock nuts on the track rods ends were siezed and that they had to use Oxy Acetylene to heat them up to loosen them, this apparentley accounted for the extra money. I agued the fact that they should have called but basically gave in and paid up.

 

Skip ahead a week until the first day my husband uses the car after this work has been done. You see, I only travel a couple of miles to work and back and this is on my local lanes, whereas my husband travel 30 miles along a nice flat dual carriageway.

 

My husband got home from work and said that the car had to go back to the garage as for one, the steering wheel was no longer level but rather about 10 degrees anticlockwise, there was still vibration between 50-60 mph and more importantly the car would not track straight but if left with no input to the steering wheel, wanders off to the right. This also make the car uncomfortable to drive, i.e. you forever need to put in small corrections to the steering to keep it in a straight line.

 

I called the garage and the first available slot they had was yesterday 4th July.

 

I dropped the car with them in the morning on my way in to work and told them I would be back at lunch time to collect it.

 

At lunch time I went to the garage and they explained to me that they could not find any issues with the car but had noticed that the steering wheel was slightly at a skew. They said they had the balancing rechecked and it was fine so the vibration must be a faulty bush somewhere. They said they had the tracking rechecked and it was perfect, they also said that they had also checked the tracking with their own 2 wheel setup to double check but could not find an issue.

Unfortunately they were all going to lunch just then and the boss told me to come back a 2pm either myself or my husband and we would all go out in the car to try it out.

 

Well, on the way home I decided to see for myself what the car was like to drive on an open road and took it along a dual carriageway. Yes, straight away I could see what my husband had been saying, the car wandered to the right on straight and level pieces of road and I was constantly having to make corrections to the steering to keep the car running straight.

 

My husband was not available to go back in the afternoon so I went to the garage myself. The boss of the garage drove my car along the link road and it seemed to track straight but he was putting very small corrections in.

 

Anyhow, he told me that to get the steering wheel lined up straight I would have to take the car to where they had taken it for the laser tracking, which funnily enough turned out to be my local tyre supplier who I know well.

 

I arranged this job for today.

 

I took my car in and the tyre supplier was shocked, he told me the car had been spot on when it had left him almost 2 weeks earlier.

 

The first thing he checked was the tracking, it of course was out, this accounted for the wandering and constant steering inputs. He couldn't adjust it right then because he had to lock the steering wheel in the level postion first, which threw the track out more.

 

So, steering wheel locked level he started to track the car only to find that both the lock nuts were completed 'mullered', his words not mine. He also noted that there was play from the nearside track rod end, the one that was replaced.

He did eventually manage to get the car tracked after wrestling with damaged lock nuts but basically told me that they needed sorting and that the faulty track rod end would indeed throw the tracking out again in the near future.

 

Now from when I had the work done on the 21st June until the garage had the car back on 4th July, no one has touched the car, yet my tyre supplier swears blind that when he originally tracked the car the lock nuts were fine.

 

I cannot figure out how the lock nuts are now mangled unless someone has tried to do some work i.e. the garage yesterday 4th July before I took it to my tyre supplier today. If this is the case then my garage lied to me saying that they had had the tracking rechecked but instead had tried in vain to do it themselves causing the damage and throwing it further off track.

 

I obviously will be taking up with my garage tomorrow, basically demanding that the track rod end be replaced yet again and also that the 2 damaged lock nuts be replaced allowing someone in the future a good chance of actually moving them and of course after this the car will yet again need to be tracked professionally.

 

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get in all the deatil.

 

I just wondered where I actually stand with my garage if they refuse to do the work or if they try to charge me extra for correcting the mistakes?

 

Regards..,

 

DHB

[BankFodder]

Broadly you follow the instructions here - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?356873-2nd-car-clutch-gone-bought-last-week-who-pays

[Conniff]

By all means do it in person DHB but give them a letter with your instructions on as well and keep a copy. It would be a good idea if you got them to sign for the letter.

[DevonHillBilly]

OK, well i have gone into the garage who performed the MOT and was informed it was the tyre guys who must have done the damage, also they said the play in the N/S track rod is in fact not the track rod but the rack and that isn't an MOT failure!!! As for the 'mullered' locking nuts these can't be replaced as they are part of the rack!! Do they think i am stupid or the tyre guys as they are the ones who said they could do it!

 

They also now informed me that they didn't take it for re-track (i already knew they hadn't as i know the tyre manager well who told me they hadn't) i said "why did you tell me that you had, had it checked?" they had no answer!!! The problem i have now is the tyre lot and the garage are blaming each other and i am stuck in the bloody middle with no one prepared to sort it!!

 

As far as the garage are concerned they have fulfilled there obligation and the tyre lot have as i witnessed them track the tyres!! Twice now!

 

My questions are:

 

1) Can the steering rack going cause the steering wheel to wobble after 50 mph?

2) Can this also make the tracking go out?

3) Without screaming at them all at the top of my lungs (which i came so very close to doing!!) how i am gonna sort this out without it costing me an absolute fortune!!

 

I feel like they are all taking me for a 'stupid not knowing anything about cars' woman!!

 

Regards

 

DHB

[Conniff]

You're not stuck in the middle. Your dealing is with whoever you took the car to for repair. It matters not who did the work, that is something they have to fight out between themselves.

 

You should tell them they have 'one' further chance to put it right or you will take it to the main dealer and send them the bill.

[DevonHillBilly]

I absolutely agree Conniff, but the problem is the garage say they have done the requested jobs that a) got the car thru MOT (track rod end!) b) tyre balance and c) 4 wheel laser alignment

 

The mechanic told me outright that the steering rack is extra and that this could go into the £100's, why didn't they mention this previously!!

 

I am now going to hand this job over to my hubby and see if after a visit from him they still sing the same song!!

 

Regards

 

DHB

[DevonHillBilly]

Just wondering would my course for redress be through Trading Standards or a Solicitor?

[Surfer01]

The repairs were done by the garage and it is the garage's responsibility to ensure that things were done correctly as you paid the garage. Therefore under Sale of Goods Act your contract is with the garage and not the tyre fitter. Kick butt with the garage!