James Price's Garage – Wrong car diagnostic

[Casper1982]

Quote

Hi.Just wondering if anyone can help me out with complaint letter to a car garage. I dropped my car to a garage for diagnostic due to lack of cabin heating.Fans was blowing a cold air.Only way to get any heating was to keeping a car above two thousand rev for couples of minutes,soon a rev drop started blowing cold again. Did explain everything to a garage all symptoms and asked them for diagnostic. It took them less then 5min to diagnose a fault without any tools at all a part from a torch when looked under a bonet. They told me it's a heater matrix blocked. The part was only available from mazda dealer at price £347 including vat.They quoted me at £510 including labour costs. I decided to go ahead and get it fixed.When part arrived to a garage it's turns out that they need to strip all dashboard.Also pump out air condition gas which will cost extra £30 for gas.They also said the overall quote will increase slightly due to striping all dashboard but haven't gave me exac figure.At the end it worked out from £510 to £686. When went to collect a car and pay for repair has been informed there heating still not working because of the another issue possibly EGR cooler or headgasket.To get it diagnose which one it is they quote me another £120.I payed original bill £686 and took my car to mazda dealer for diagnostic it's turns out its headgasket. I want to complaint to a garage for wrong diagnose which costed me nearly £700.Why they haven't take in to consideration any other factors which could affect cabin heating.

 

Hi.Just wondering if anyone can help me out with complaint letter to a car garage.

I dropped my car to a garage for diagnostic due to lack of cabin heating.Fans was blowing a cold air.
Only way to get any heating was to keeping a car above two thousand rev for couples of minutes,soon a rev drop started blowing cold again.
Did explain everything to a garage all symptoms and asked them for diagnostic.

It took them less then 5min to diagnose a fault without any tools at all a part from a torch when looked under a bonet. They told me it's a heater matrix blocked.

The part was only available from mazda dealer at price £347 including vat.They quoted me at £510 including labour costs.
I decided to go ahead and get it fixed.

When part arrived to a garage it's turns out that they need to strip all dashboard.Also pump out air condition gas which will cost extra £30 for gas.

They also said the overall quote will increase slightly due to striping all dashboard but haven't gave me exac figure.
At the end it worked out from £510 to £686.

When went to collect a car and pay for repair has been informed there heating still not working because of the another issue possibly EGR cooler or headgasket.

To get it diagnose which one it is they quote me another £120.

I payed original bill £686 and took my car to mazda dealer for diagnostic it's turns out its headgasket.

I want to complaint to a garage for wrong diagnose which costed me nearly £700.  Why they haven't take in to consideration any other factors which could affect cabin heating.

Edited March 12, 2021 by BankFodder
Restructured to make it legible

[BankFodder]

You posted and a solid block of text. I have restructured it.

Please will you post using proper spacing and punctuation. Otherwise is extremely difficult for people to read – especially when using a small screen such as a telephone.

What is the name of the garage which carried out the incorrect diagnosis and work please?

Have you had the head gasket replaced now and does the heating now work? Are you able to get something from master to the effect that the work which is carried out by the first garage was inappropriate to the problem and did not fix it?

We can certainly help you draft a letter – I'm afraid that knowing these garages, it will probably go to a court claim and we can help you with that as well if you want.

[Casper1982]

James Price's Garage 

Rac Approved Garage 

WS1 2EN.

I haven't got in touch with the first garage yet.I want to put in everything in writing to them so there won't be any excuse.They already mentioned that if I looking for future diagnostic the going to be another £120 charge for it.This has been said to me on the day when collected a car after heater matrix replacement.

I haven't replaced a head gasket yet.

It's huge cost which I can't afford at the moment.I spend nearly £700 for heater matrix matrix,then week after another £100 down mazcare in Wolverhampton for diagnostic.So at the moment £800 gone without any results.Head gasket it's going to cost nearly £2600£.

[BankFodder]

I think you will definitely need a written assessment of the work and the cost and comment on the work carried out by James Price in order to continue.

If you can get that then we will help you draft a letter to James Price's garage

Is this the one?

https://www.jamespricesgarage.co.uk/

[slick132]

Please confirm the vehicle model, it's age and approx mileage.

 

Also, do you know it's approx value, ignoring any faults.

[dx100uk]

doubt you can ever decide its the heater matrix by not using a diagnostics machine... scammed!!

[Casper1982]

Already got written assessment of the work and cost from mazcare in Wolverhampton,which clearly stating failed head gasket and labour cost.Did asked about comment and the work carried out by James Price's garage.Have been told that they don't want to get involve in work carried by first garage.

 

Vehicle model Mazda 6 skyactiv 2,2 diesel.Reg xxx.

Value around 4,5 to 5 thousand pounds.

Mileage 149000.

Cost already paid to James Price's Garage £700 for replacing heater matrix.

Cost of head gasket eta £2600

[honeybee13]

Hi.

 

I've removed your car reg number. We don't need to see it and it's better for you to keep that part anonymous.

 

HB

[Casper1982]

Thanks.

First time experience something like this.

[BankFodder]

Please will you monitor this thread for a full reply later on – but probably tomorrow.

Could you give us the dates that this all happened please

[BankFodder]

Check this. See if it is correct or if there is anything you want to add and you would be happy to sign it.

I suggest that you send this off – without any deadlines et cetera but ready to send off a letter of claim if they don't respond to you within seven days. No need to wait any longer than that.

 

Quote

Dear Sir/Mdm

 

On XXX day I visited your garage with my vehicle registration number XXX and asked you to investigate a failure in the heating system which resulted in only cold air flowing into the cabin area unless the engine was kept revving above 2000 rpm.

All of these symptoms were explained to your staff.

Your engineer carried out an inspection underneath the bonnet and reported to me that the heater matrix was blocked.

I was told that the cost of replacement heater matrix was £347 including VAT and a total of £510 including Labour costs.

On this basis I agree to the repair. The heater matrix was ordered and when I returned to the garage for the work to be carried out I was then told that there will be an additional cost of £30 for air-conditioning gas and also that the work was more complicated than had first been envisaged because it involved stripping out the dashboard and so the cost of the work would now be £686 instead of the originally quoted £510.

When I returned the garage to collect the vehicle I was informed that the work is not solve the problem and that there was probably another issue such as the EGR cooler or alternatively the head gasket.

I was told that to carry out a further diagnosis would cost me another £120.

I settled the originally agreed bill of £686 and then went to an authorised Mazda dealer.

The Mazda dealer carried out their diagnosis and discovered that the problem was indeed a head gasket.

Because of the money spent on the unnecessary work recommended by your garage, I have been unable to have the head gasket replaced with the result is that despite the cold weather, I have been unable to heat the inside of the car.

I am enclosing a copy of an investigation report from Mazcare in Wolverhampton which confirms their diagnostic that the problem is indeed the head gasket and not the heater matrix as identified by you.

This means that the work which is carried out by you was unnecessary and has failed to repair the fault.

I’m writing to you to ask you to reimburse me the £686 which I spent with you as a result of your faulty diagnosis.

 

YF

 

 

 

I fully expect you will have to issue a letter of claim and so you should read around the forum about the steps involved in taking a small claim. It's not difficult but it's worth being aware of the steps in advance so that you feel confident about what you are doing.

Also, be sufficiently understanding of the steps and what it means that you are happy to send the letter of claim and then click off the claim on day 15 when they failed to respond to you.

I think you can be quite certain that you will have to issue the court papers. Don't imagine that you can send a letter of claim and they will simply fall into line. So don't bluff. Only send the letter of claim if you intend to go through with it otherwise you will simply lose credibility – but if you don't issue court papers then frankly you may as well give up

[Casper1982]

Hi.

The letter is absolutely spot on.

Really appreciate for it and will update you on outcome.